A Pawn's Passage - Chapter 71: Qing Yuan

Pre-Reading Note:Please be advised that some chapters in this book may contain a higher word count. However, this does not compromise the reading experience; the story remains captivating and enjoyable throughout. Dive in and enjoy the journey!Qingmei, “My husband is proficient in medicine and is a compassionate healer. He is the most famous physician in Yuzhou City!”An Jing, “My wife is gentle and virtuous, a great cook, and a beautiful woman…”Beneath the moonlight,two swords clashed with each other as two figures exchanged blows.Qingmei asked, “Husband, aren’t you a doctor?”An Jing questioned, “Madam, aren’t you a graceful lady from a noble family?”

When her once-wealthy family falls into ruin, Elara Vance has only one option to protect them: marry the man responsible for their downfall, Damien Arclight, a ruthless business tycoon with a hidden vendetta.What begins as a cold-blooded deal soon spirals into a web of secrets, betrayals, and dangerous desires. Elara must navigate high society, corporate warfare, and her growing feelings for the enemy she swore to hate, all while uncovering the truth behind her family's collapse.Is love even possible when the marriage starts as a trap? And will the truth destroy them both?Genres: Romance, Drama, Enemies-to-Lovers, Revenge, High SocietyThemes: Arranged marriage, family loyalty, slow-burn romance, power play

〔Congratulations, for mating with a Queen Bee you got a new achievement: ”Not a virgin”! Your reward: “Drone Consort” title.〕‘Hey! I wasn’t a virgin before this, system!’Imagine that you lived a painfully average life, died by a stupid, stupid accident, but a goddess interfered and gave you a second chance in another world.There, you became a consort of a beautiful, big-chested queen, and your only job is to have mind-blowing sex with her so she could have thousands of your adorable daughters. In return, you can live in peace and luxury for the rest of your days.Which means, for about two months. Because I’m a bee. And my queen is also a bee. And bees don’t live for long.The only way to increase my lifespan is to develop my bee colony. A hard task in this huge world filled with dangerous and hungry beasts, other war-hungry insect tribes, and natural disasters.But I have a hundred thousand daughters, some actual brains, and with superior genes given to me by my system, we will be unstoppable!===Note: no NTR, harem, incest, or outright smut.

Elara’s first life crashed hard. Cruel tricks ruined her name, broke her dreams, and turned the whole entertainment world against her. Friends betrayed her. Lovers sold her out. Everyone she trusted stabbed her in the back. The pain piled up until she felt trapped with no way out. One night, she couldn’t take it anymore. She walked to the river and ended it all in the cold, quiet water.Later, proof came out. Messages. Recordings. Everything showed she had been framed. People posted apologies online. But it was too late. She was already gone.The universe, though, clearly has a twisted sense of humor.Because somehow, Elara came back. She woke up in her own past, every awful memory still sharp in her head. Right then she made a promise she would never break: protect her gentle grandfather no matter what, and never let anyone push her to that dark place again.This time she steps into the entertainment world with her head high. She trains harder, sings better, fights smarter. The same people who once crushed her? Now they get to feel the pressure.Love? Not happening. Her heart is locked tight. But why is it that as she rises and shines brighter, handsome, powerful men start circling her—guys who never even glanced at her in her previous life were now hovering around her.The actor smiled at her during a press interview, leaned closer, and said softly, “We should have dinner sometime.”The footballer sent flowers so big they blocked her room door.The surgeon she met at a charity event checked her pulse and then forgot to let go of her wrist.The singer she collaborated with kept calling her name during rehearsals, as if the mic could not hear him well enough.Elara stared at the ceiling that night and sighed.She only wanted to sing. Why did everyone look like they wanted to adopt her, date her, or both?But the worst one came after the concert.The lights had just gone off. Her ears were still ringing. Sweat clung to her neck. She had barely stepped backstage when a shadow blocked her path.She looked up.The CEO of the greatest company in Aurelia stood there. The same man who once said her voice was “not worth investing in.” The same man who did not even know her name before rebirth.Now he held her wrist lightly, but firmly.“Let’s talk,” he said.Elara blinked. “About… sponsorship?”“No,” he replied calmly. “About marriage.”Her brain froze.“…What?”“I will give you everything,” he continued, as if asking for a glass of water. “Resources. Protection. Freedom to sing. Become my wife.”Elara stared at him, her mouth open, her thoughts running in circles.This was not how it was supposed to be.Why was the world now skipping steps?NB:This story takes place in a fictional world. Aurelia is a country. Solmere, Veston, and Starfall City are the three capital cities of Aurelia. Other cities, such as Lorien and Crelou, are smaller cities.