MTL - The Legend of the Witch Girl - Chapter 42 Tit-for-tat

In a world where fate is dictated by prophecy, heroes are chosen by the gods, and Dark Lords are doomed to fall… Lucian Draeven refuses to play along.Once feared as the greatest Dark Lord in history, Lucian had the world under his iron rule—until the so-called Chosen Hero struck him down in a blinding flash of divine justice. The kingdoms cheered. The world rejoiced.Too bad Lucian isn’t actually dead.Having faked his demise and gone into hiding, Lucian watches from the shadows as a new Dark Lord rises, more reckless and incompetent than ever. Worse, the gods have selected another overly enthusiastic, sword-swinging Chosen Hero to bring “peace” once again.The problem? Neither of them have a clue how to actually rule the world.As kingdoms crumble, wars break out, and the balance of power teeters on the edge of collapse, Lucian comes to a horrifying realization:If the world is going to survive, then it’s up to him—the so-called villain—to secretly fix everything from the shadows.But there's just one little catch…Lucian’s legendary Dominions are still sealed, and the only way to regain his strength is by playing the role of a villain once more—spreading fear, manipulating his enemies, and pulling the strings behind the scenes.Now, as the oblivious Hero and foolish new Dark Lord battle it out, neither realizes that the true mastermind is watching their every move.Because if the world wants a villain…Then Lucian will be the greatest villain it has ever seen.

In order to be loved, she changed her whole personality, but all she got in return was a cold husband and her unrequited feelings.Now that she lost her memories and went back to her old self, she's determined to never love again. She wouldn't let anyone trample on her anymore.But then, why is her husband coming back around again - turning over a new leaf and wanting to take her back so desperately?“You should know well by now, my beloved wife. Didn't you change yourself for love...?” he muttered vehemently, voice low and smoky.His unwavering eyes are blazing with passion and a deep sense of endearment that she'd never seen before. This isn't her husband at all - instead of cold, his gaze appears to be on fire.“The same goes for me... So, love me, love me not - you're going to take responsibility.”---Impassive, strait-laced, stiff and very compliant - that's how everyone sees Cassidy Eleanor. She's an underdog wife who's desperate to gain her husband's affection and would even sacrifice her own freedom. Coming from an unknown background, she was neglected by her spouse, persecuted by his family, and misjudged in her workplace.That's all until it came to a point when she already had enough. In an effort to flee from the clutches of a loveless marriage and all the obligations that were forced on her, she got herself a ticket and boarded a plane.Little did she know that a bombing incident would ultimately ruin her plan to start anew.Then, before she knew it, she woke up to find herself with a type of amnesia that caused her to forget everything that happened to her when she's past the age of eighteen-years-old.To be exact, Cassidy had gone back to her old self - right before she met her husband, Adrian Millicent.---Cold, distant, steely and iron-willed - that's how everyone sees the owner of the country's richest conglomerate. Adrian is known to be a prodigious figure in a variety of fields and commerce, a prestigious individual with billions of assets, and a man of outstanding achievements overall.He used to be the most-sought-after bachelor of the country, but only to get in an arranged marriage by his grandparent - with a woman of unknown origin, to boot. He really couldn't care less, though. After all, he never needed love to begin with.That's all until Adrian found this reserved and amenable wife of his acting like a wild and boisterous teenage girl one day.

The rebellious, rich second-generation Chi Xueyan was forced to go on a blind date for the 11th time. He cut straight to the chase: I have a hot temper, I snore when I sleep, and I haven’t deleted my countless exes. If you can accept it, we will get the marriage certificate on the spot.

The handsome man named He Qiao sat opposite him and was silent for a moment with a strange expression. Then he nodded and said he was a book transmigrator. He knew that Chi Xueyan was the supporting male villain in this novel role and would become the future marriage partner of the protagonist Lu Siyi. He gradually lost himself in an increasingly paranoid unrequited love, did all sorts of bad things and eventually died.

He Qiao couldn’t bear to see Chi Xueyan, who was still active and healthy, end up like that. Therefore, he proposed to marry Chi Xueyan to avoid the plot. In any case, he was a workaholic straight man who only wanted to use the information from the novel to develop his career for the benefit of the public.

Chi Xueyan heard this and suddenly realized: Use advance as a retreat and use the typical schizophrenic symptoms to scare off blind dates. This person was an expert.

He decisively remembered this trick and waved his hand to pay the bill as his token of appreciation.

Soon, Chi Xueyan ran into a handsome man who completely matched his aesthetics. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to take the initiative to ask for the other person’s name and contact information.

As a result, the handsome man replied with an indifferent expression, “I am Lu Siyi.”

Chi Xueyan: “……!!!”

This name was too familiar.

Two weeks later, under the gazes of his relatives and friends, Chi Xueyan affectionately exchanged rings and kisses with his 11th blind date and the mysterious book transmigrator, He Qiao.

Initially, He Qiao was very wary of Chi Xueyan, the scheming and vicious villain of the novel. After the two of them cooperated to pretend to love each other and tricked their families into allowing them to get married smoothly, he planned to focus on his career and not interfere with the other person.

However, Chi Xueyan finally settled down from the chaos and started seriously studying the novel’s plot. He would occasionally come to the company to find He Qiao.

Unlike the arrogant and willful boss’ wife that the employees imagined, Chi Xueyan mostly curled up on the sofa with a small blanket while quietly reflecting on his 2D life.

Occasionally, he would raise his head and ask, “Did Lu Siyi never like me at all?”

“…Yes.”

“He has no vision.” Chi Xueyan sneered and rolled over. “How did he become the male protagonist when you are obviously much better than him!”

He Qiao didn’t know why, but the investment plan in his hand suddenly became unsatisfactory.

What a scheming villain.

On the first anniversary of their agreed-upon wedding, He Qiao arranged the most romantic dinner and the brightest roses. He met Chi Xueyan’s blank eyes and finally asked the question he had been worrying about in his heart for a long time.

“You have a good temper and you sleep very quietly so…” He Qiao seemed casual. “Is it true that you haven’t deleted any of your exes?”

Chi Xueyan: “……”

What a scheming straight man.

- Description from Novelupdates

A calculating merchant of noble birth lives a comfortable life managing his guild's business at the Imperial Academy—until lightning strikes him, leaving him with prophetic visions of a disastrous future. In these visions, he's expelled from his family, branded a traitor who aids demons, and worst of all, becomes a penniless beggar. When the supposed “protagonist” of these prophecies enrolls at the academy, he realizes his countdown to ruin has begun. Now he must use his foresight to rewrite a story where he's cast as a third-rate villain, all while navigating ancient dungeons, demonic threats, and the troublesome “hero” who might be the key to changing his fate.#MoneyIsEverything