Reborn in 2000: Reuniting with the School Belle - Chapter 23.2

In the world of cultivation, countless tales follow righteous protagonists, fated heroes blessed by destiny, or those chosen by heaven to walk the path of immortality.But what of those who stand in their way?What of the villains? The so-called obstacles to the hero’s journey—do they not bleed, dream, and struggle as well?Xiao Ning was never meant to succeed.From the very beginning, the Grand Dao wove him as a stepping stone—a necessary sacrifice to elevate another. His path, like that of all designated ‘villains,’ was doomed to failure by design.But what happens when that design is defied?After death, Xiao Ning awakens—not in the cycle of reincarnation, but in the cold silence beyond it. There, he is offered the Eternal Paradox Codex—a forbidden artifact containing the hidden truths of the Grand Dao System itself.Rules. Loopholes. Vulnerabilities.Knowledge not meant for those like him.With this power, Xiao Ning is granted a single, impossible choice: accept oblivion, or step outside the Grand Dao entirely—to abandon fate, sever karma, and cultivate a path unbound by heaven or law.It is Xiao Ning’s journey, from ashes to something beyond comprehension.Not to become an Immortal among men.But something even the heavens dare not bind.If fate is a chain…Then let him forge his own path in the void beyond.Welcome to this humble tale.The cultivation world is vast and unkind.Let us begin again—on our terms.

An Nuan thought that she was going to have her happy ending, marrying the love of her life when the man left her on their wedding day.“Pei Zhi Yi, the moment you step into the elevator, it's over between us.”An Nuan thought that she could stop her fiance from leaving, but that man still left for the other woman.The wedding hall was prepared and the guests had all arrived. With no groom beside her, An Nuan decided that she would marry anyone willing.“An Nuan, if you are willing, then how about considering me as your groom?”Unexpectedly, the young master of the Lin family, Lin Xiao Feng stepped forward to offer himself.An Nuan did not expect much from this marriage, especially when they both agreed that they were seeking to gain something through this marriage.Lin Xiao Feng needed someone as his wife in his political career. Meanwhile, she just needed to marry someone to get over Pei Zhi Yi. As someone who was disappointed by love, An Nuan no longer wanted to believe in love.She never thought that the marriage that she did not expect would turn out better than she had expected. Young Master Lin would pamper her and support her whenever she needed help.Wasn’t their marriage just for show?

Thea Lynch was seventeen when she injured her ear and temporarily lost her speech. Her parents passed away in a car accident, leaving her and her brother to rely on each other. Later, her brother was transferred for work and left, and she was taken to live at her grandmother's house in Westmere. During this period, her brother entrusted friends to check on her, and the one who visited most frequently was the “Third Brother”—Ian Preston, who was five years older than her.Coronet is over a hundred kilometers away from Westmere, yet he insisted on accompanying her to see doctors, patiently teaching her how to speak, and even appearing at her school gate every evening. He saved all of his gentle caring for her, but everything stopped abruptly before she could muster the courage to confess. Her secret crush was unsuccessful, and a sudden change at home caused her to leave, cutting off all contact with him.When they met again, it was seven years later when she returned home for a matchmaking date and was cornered by him in the restaurant corridor, “That guy downstairs, is he your date? How come after spending several years abroad, your taste has gotten so much worse? With better options around, how can you choose him?”“Who is the better option?” she instinctively asked.Ian Preston: “Me.”[Childhood sweethearts, getting back together, mutual unrequited love]

Shoved into the backseat of his father's car right after graduation, Riley Hale ended up marching toward a company building with a bagged lunch and a pen.Still in his toga, the fresh graduate never thought he’d land in the office of the continent’s top lizard, err, dragon, as his aide.And that would’ve driven any person wishing for a corporate career to tears. After all, who wouldn’t want to serve the fastest ticket up the corporate ladder: Kael Dravaryn, the infamously elegant, unhinged, and extremely overpowered Dragon Lord of the continent?Well, that would be Riley.The same Riley who didn’t expect to spend his days dodging fireballs, dressing his boss in robes more complicated than dark magic, and serving as a literal target during morning sparring.Now trapped in a job he never truly agreed to, the hardworking aide decided to hold out until it was time for his glorious resignation. But leaving a dragon’s clutches could never be easy, especially one with elemental mastery and a finger worth a private army.Yet, as Riley, who longs to quit, attempts to navigate ancient politics, wyvern threats, and other accidents (many of which are definitely not his fault), he might just hallucinate himself into seeing something beneath his boss’s arrogance and molten glares.Maybe he’d actually care if Riley got turned to ash.