Nightfall - Chapter 23: A Lesson on the Journey

Tang Qiu was a substitute bride–forced to take her half-sister’s place and marry the young master of the Jiang family, a deformed cripple with less than 6 months left to live.

“Who would have thought that even a sickly whelp like Jiang Shaocheng would find himself a bride?”

“I hear that he’s practically on his deathbed and he’s only marrying the Fengs’ daughter to improve his lifespan.”

Tang Qiu ignored the whispers around her and focused on her husband-to-be, who coughed violently in his wheelchair. At the altar, after they had said their vows, she lifted her veil and knelt in front of Jiang Shaocheng, pressing a hesitant kiss to his lips.

The marriage contract was signed. No matter his physical deformities, he was now her husband.

She wasn’t afraid of the scars that marked his face, nor was she repulsed by him being confined to a wheelchair. Every morning, she made him breakfast, attended to his needs, and thought of little else beyond her duties as a wife.

“Young Master Jiang is a cripple who can’t get it up,” her best friend argued. “When he dies, you’ll still be untouched. You should set your sights higher.”

“A sickly invalid like Jiang Shaocheng can’t give you happiness,” her ex-boyfriend insisted. “I’ll wait for you.”

But Young Master Jiang only scoffed. “I have plenty of time left to be with her.”

Later in their marriage, Jiang Shaocheng wanted to enjoy his little wife in all ways–the press of her lips against his, the brush of skin on skin; the way a husband and wife were supposed to. But Tang Qiu refused him, blushing. “No, we can’t. The doctor says you can’t exert yourself.”

Jiang Shaocheng’s desire was surging through him, a heat in his core that demanded to be satiated. He cursed, I should have gotten rid of that doctor and the wheelchair long ago.

But he yearned to make love to his little wife, and so he revealed his true identity. In the blink of an eye, the deformed cripple transformed into a powerful businessman–tall, dark, and handsome. He quieted Tang Qiu’s protests, his body positioned over hers, his arms caging her as she lay on the bed. His voice was low when he asked, “What about now?”

I thought I had seen bad endings before—but nothing prepared me for the garbage conclusion of The Hero’s Path.Years of investment, countless struggles, and for what? The protagonist failed. The villain won. Everyone else? Dead. Furious, I sent a message to the author, only to get a chilling response:[Do you think you could do better?]Before I could even blink, my phone exploded in a blinding light, and the next thing I knew—I was waking up in a completely different body.Now, I’m Merlin Everhart, a fourteen-year-old with a 12-star talent, the kind of gift only the strongest should have.But here’s the problem: I have no idea who I am supposed to be.With nothing but a system and a first-day-of-school alarm ringing in my ears, I’m thrown into the world of The Hero’s Path.Am I just another side character in a world that already ended once?…Either way, I refuse to let this story beat me too.

Mo Rao was born into a family of military doctors. Her parents had risked their lives to save Fu Ying’s grandmother, so the latter forced Fu Ying to take Mo Rao in as his wife. Mo Rao always knew that Fu Ying had a dream girl named Qu Ru. This girl failed to marry Fu Ying as she desired because Fu Ying’s grandmother stopped them. After their marriage, Fu Ying was very considerate of Mo Rao. They even had high compatibility especially in bed. Fu Ying would always find himself deeply immersed in Mo Rao’s tenderness.

Until one day, Fu Ying said, “Qu Ru has returned. Let’s divorce. I will transfer the property I promised you to your name.” Mo Rao said, “Can we not divorce? What if… I’m pregnant…?” Fu Ying answered heartlessly, “Abort it! I don’t want anymore obstacles to appear between me and Qu Ru. Also, Qu Ru has leukemia, and your bone marrow happens to be compatible with hers. If you’re willing to donate yours, I can promise you anything.” Mo Rao said, “What if my condition is that we don’t divorce?” Fu Ying’s eyes turned cold. “Mo Rao, don’t be too greedy. Even if I promise you for Qu Ru’s sake, you know full well that I don’t love you.” The words ‘I don’t love you’ stabbed at Mo Rao’s heart like a knife. Her smile suddenly became twisted and she was no longer the docile woman she used to be. “Fu Ying, this is the first time you repulse me so. You call me greedy, but aren’t you the same? You want me to divorce you so you can be with Qu Ru? Sure, I’ll agree to that. But you’re even dreaming that I’ll save her? Don’t forget, there’s no such thing as getting the best of both worlds in life, just like you and me.” Then Mo Rao left. Fu Ying actually felt suffocated, and this feeling drove him mad.

When Mo Rao appeared once more, she had become a dazzling star. When she appeared before Fu Ying, holding hands with her new beau, Fu Ying couldn’t care less and said, “Baby, didn’t you say you would only love me?” Mo Rao smiled faintly. “Sorry, ex-husband. I was mistaken back then. You were only a replacement. I actually love someone else.”

He just wanted a quiet vacation and a good espresso... instead, he ended up seducing half the city.------Lux Vaelthorn wanted three things: a good coffee, peace and quiet, and zero responsibilities.What he got?A mansion, a system with the personality of a deadpan butler, and a bunch of heiresses fighting over who gets to be his first “investment.”As the heir of Greed and Lust, Lux was born to dominate markets, hearts, and boardrooms. But after centuries of cleaning up his parents’ messes in the underworld, he rage-quit Hell’s finance department and took a hundred-year vacation to the mortal realm.His problem?Even without trying, he’s too hot, too rich, and too damn magnetic.His Incubus Pheromones seduce emotionally unstable rich girls like clockwork.His Greed System scans bank accounts like X-rays.And thanks to a “minor” celestial bounty on his soul, some entities either want to marry him… or murder him.[Warning: 3 rich virgins detected within 15 meters. Incubus Pheromones activated.][Recommendation: Flee. Or flirt. Your call.]Lux just wanted caffeine.Now he’s got a mansion full of horny heiresses, a schedule full of power plays, and a city that thinks he’s a billionaire playboy CEO.Fine.If he can’t nap… he might as well rule.