The Nine Cauldrons - Book 2: Teng Clan has a child called Teng Qingshan - Chapter 23: 《Earthly Ranking》

Qin Yu had lost both her parents when she was young and was all alone. Since then, she lived with her father’s comrade-in-arms.

Due to the huge inheritance that her father had left behind, her foster mother had attempted to murder her repeatedly. In order to survive, she could only pretend to be a mentally disabled child.

It wasn’t easy for her to reach adulthood, yet her foster mom wanted to marry her off to a powerful and influential family.

She heard that her fiancé was blind and had a violent personality.

However, no matter how ruthless he was, was he as ruthless as her foster mom?

In order to escape from this terrifying family, she decisively agreed to marry that person in her sister’s place.

Soon, news of a fool marrying a blind man spread like wildfire.

Their marriage had become the hottest laughing stock locally.

However, after she married him, she realized that everything was not what the rumors said.

Her husband was not blind at all, and he was not cruel. He was gentle and refined, and he treated her like a treasure.

And she wasn’t mentally deranged. She’d only pretended to be a fool to flee from her foster mom’s attempted murders.

What surprised her, even more, was that she had known her husband for a long time. A long time ago, they had been best friends online.

It was no wonder that her husband was as cold as ice to all women, lying that he was blind and unapproachable. But in front of her, he was as gentle as a lamb and did not hide anything.

‘He’s so cute I want to kick him flying through the air.’

Bai Yao runs a seafood restaurant in a seaside town. One day, he saw a small sentient sea otter being bullied.

Out of pity, he helped out the little sea otter.

The sea otter acts quite defensively, baring his teeth, all while still covered in wounds yet to heal.

His way of saying thanks, is gifting Bai Yao an oyster in his pocket that’s been sitting there for who-knows-how-long.

Bai Yao ends up bringing the wounded and exhausted little sea otter back to his restaurant, giving him food and a shower.

Though the sea otter is still quite scaredy and defensive. He wouldn’t let Bai Yao rub his cute little face, or even ruffle his fur.

That’s not all the quirks of the little sea otter either. Bai Yao realised he’s a dummy that didn’t even know how to anthropomorphise.

Later that day, Bai Yao wakes up in the middle of the night, when there is something soft he’s holding in his hand.

He looks, and sees the little sea otter has put his paw in his hand. The sleepyhead is also snuggling on him, his head brushing against his chest.

Not feeling drowsy enough to sleep anymore, Bai Yao just props his head on his arm, watching until the otter finally wakes up.

When he finally does, he looks around, and sees that it’s Bai Yao; he squeaks, and then nestles his face against the fingers of Bai Yao.

Amused, Bai Yao asks, “oh? I thought you were a tough little guy that didn’t like petting?”

- Description from Novelupdates

[From the Author of Author's POV...]

Emotions are like a drug to us.

The more we experience them, the more we become addicted.

The hardest part is not letting them consume us.

But it's already too late for me.

I've already been swallowed whole.

***

I had no knowledge of the game.

I was meant to have died.

And yet, I found myself in this situation.

A game I had never played before. A character I was unfamiliar with, and... A world that seemed to want to swallow me whole with every move I made.

What the hell is going on?

...and who am I?

……………………………………………………………

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***

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