The Card Apprentice - Chapter 27: The First Card Play (2)

“An illegitimate child will always be an outsider.”For Yu Lixue, life in the Yu family was one of endless humiliation. As the unwanted daughter with no mother to defend her, she was treated like a pawn, used, ignored, and discarded. Her talents—her paintings, her songs—were stolen by her stepmother and conniving half-sister, who claimed them as their own. Her life was a series of shadows and silence, living under their lies.But when her half-sister fled an arranged marriage with Mo Ran, a powerful but reclusive man, the family forced Lixue to take her place. Once again, her wishes were disregarded. Her marriage to Mo Ran was cold, distant—another prison she had no choice but to endure.Until the night she died in a mysterious accident, her pleas for justice buried along with her.Yet fate gave her a second chance.Reborn into the same world that betrayed her, Lixue returns with a vow: she will take back everything they stole—her art, her voice, her freedom. And when she reenters her marriage with Mo Ran, he surprises her with a proposition: he will help her get revenge against those who wronged her. But Lixue is wary. Why is this man, who barely showed her any warmth before, now offering to stand by her side?As they plot against the Yu family, Lixue realizes that Mo Ran has his own reasons for revenge. Their alliance begins to blur the line between ally and enemy, and she questions whether he’s truly on her side or if he has his own hidden agenda.In a world filled with deceit and betrayal, Yu Lixue must decide: will she risk trusting her husband, or will she forge her own path to reclaim what’s hers, no matter the cost?Excerpt:Lixue stared down at the steaming bowl of soup on the table, blinking in surprise. Mo Ran placed it before her with a steady hand, his usual calm expression softened just slightly by a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. She tried to catch his gaze, but he’d already turned away, busying himself with the teapot.“Why are you…?” she murmured, glancing between the bowl and him, her voice trailing off.He looked up, meeting her eyes with a hint of amusement. “Why am I what?”She fumbled for words, her cheeks warming. “Why are you…being so nice to me?”A small smile played on his lips, barely there but just enough to leave her heart fluttering. “Is it so strange for a husband to be kind to his wife?”She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. The Mo Ran she remembered from her past life had been as cold as winter, never sparing her a second glance. This new version of him, warm and considerate, left her feeling…confused.“Eat,” he said, his voice soft. “You didn’t eat much at breakfast.”She nodded, taking the spoon with a slight tremor in her fingers. The soup was rich, comforting—something she would have loved as a child. The warmth of it melted away a part of her guardedness, leaving her strangely vulnerable.As she set down her spoon, she glanced at him again, still puzzled. “What’s gotten into you, Mo Ran?”“…”“Let’s just say I want to spoil you my darling..”Extra tags: #Rebirth#FaceSlapping #SchemingSister #ColdHusbandTurnedSweet#EnemiesToLovers#IllegitimateDaughter

Arriving in a new world where the steam industry was booming, he inherited a three-story apartment on the capital’s royal square, took in someone else’s cat, and listened to the whispers at his ear, ready to witness this mysterious and bizarre era. The epic of the Sixth Era was about to commence, and behind the curtain, The Chosen One was destined to step into legend. Old Gods, Relics, steam, witches, detectives, ancient secrets, the Era’s brilliance... “Would you like to play a round of Roder Cards?” Time engraved the hours, as Silvermoon illuminated the shadows. I compose your legend, you whisper your verses to me.

He was confused, so he asked, “I have a car, a house, good-looks and money. What am I lacking in?”