Ark (Published Novel) - Vol 2 Chapter 8: Giran, a Merchant's Battlefield

A free spirit meets her match in all-around perfect bachelor whose humorlessness is his only flaw. When Xia Zhen reaches the unfortunate marriageable age, she is forced to go on a blind date where she meets Pei Cheng An. Her cunning plan is to pretend to be completely infatuated with her date in front of her mother, while sabotaging the actual relationship. Except Pei Cheng An isn’t the type to follow the script.

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In Xia Zhen’s opinion, Pei Cheng An is a person whose way of thinking belongs in the last century and whose manner of speaking reminds her of her grandpa. But since he looks dreamy and has qualifications, she’ll just pretend that she has fallen for him at first sight.

Eh? Pei Cheng An also finds her good enough to start a relationship with.

Great. Now when he finds out that she’s not a suitable partner for marriage and dumps her, she can return home all heartbroken and request to temporarily go on a brief no-blind-dates period. This is excellent. However…

“I’m so unreasonable. Why aren’t you breaking up with me?”

“A man should be tolerant towards his girlfriend.”

“I’m so mean to you. Why are you being so kind to me?”

“Girlfriends are meant to be spoiled.”

“I’m not gentle or considerate. Why aren’t you breaking up with me?”

“Likely it’s because… I like you.”

- Description from Novelupdates

Transmigrating into a novel one morning, Wen Jing arrived at the side of the one he worshiped and admired the most, becoming a loyal hound that was willing to go through fire and water for his senior brother.

Even the most arrogant cultivator said: “There is no one in this world who can enter my eyes, but only Jun YanZhi is truly noble.”

Wen Jing grew up alongside his senior brother, idolizing his senior brother beyond all means.

Unfortunately, he was ignorant, and as for this novel, he had only read half of it.

Midway through the storyline, he finally realized that things didn’t seem to be the way he thought they were.

Wen Jing: “Last night, Senior brother infiltrated Master’s abode. Master, please take heed.”

His master: “Nonsense! Your master was inside the abode all night last night, and did not see anyone else.”

Wen Jing: “Last night, Senior brother left on his own without permission to meet someone. Martial Uncle, please thoroughly investigate.”

His martial uncle: “Nonsense! Last night your senior brother and I were drinking and chatting merrily, all the way until morning.”

Wen Jing: “Last night, Senior brother was improper towards me……”

His senior sister: “Nonsense! How can your senior brother possibly do that kind of thing? Don’t tell me you’ve long held those kind of intentions towards him, and unable to obtain what you wanted, you’re now framing him?”

Many years later.

Wen Jing: “There’s this evil brute, specializing in using his top-notch, exquisite looks and elegant disposition to fool people, and everyone is in the midst of danger while not even aware of it themselves.”

Jun YanZhi: “If it wasn’t for you, that evil brute would most likely still be struggling in pain and suffering.”

- Description from Novelupdates

【Female Lead’s pleasure-seeking + high IQ palace intrigue + female lead schemes against the entire harem + crazy villain personality】

Song Zhao has always been a woman who spares no means to achieve her goals, and at the same time she lives more clearly than anyone else.

From the moment she knew she was chosen by Xiao Jingheng to enter the palace as a concubine, her goal has been very clear:

“I entered the palace just to become the Empress, why else? To go cook for someone else?”

Therefore, as soon as she entered the palace, relying on her beauty and wisdom, she took steps to win the monarch’s heart, and played with the six palaces in her palm.

Anyway, the women in this harem, for the sake of family, for their own favor and honor, there are none who do not compete and snatch,

Since this is the case, what she has to do is take preemptive action,

Make herself a villain, defeat everyone, and successfully ascend to the Phoenix throne.

At first, Emperor Xiao Jingheng favored Song Zhao, just because of her unparalleled beauty in the harem.

The favored concubines often become arrogant due to favoritism, but Song Zhao was different.

Not only did she not compete for favor, she always advised Xiao Jingheng to share his rain and dew evenly, and often go to other concubines.

Her attitude towards him in her daily life was also visibly perfunctory.

This inevitably made Xiao Jingheng suspicious, feeling that Song Zhao was not truly sincere towards him.

The innate desire to conquer that emperors possess made him secretly determine to completely possess this woman:

Not just her person, but her heart as well.

The process of conquering Song Zhao was like climbing the highest mountain in the world.

It’s just that Xiao Jingheng never thought:

When he climbed Mount Song Zhao, he willingly climbed it for a lifetime.

【No transmigration, no rebirth, no golden finger】

Step inside if you dare, but be warned—this is no ordinary shop. Those who enter never leave the same… if they leave at all. A sinister force lurks within, fueled by a dark past and a thirst for revenge. The price? Twelve lives for twelve sins. As officials race to put an end to the bloodshed, the shop’s deadly grip tightens, claiming innocent victims one by one. Will anyone uncover the truth before it's too late? If you crave spine-tingling horror, heart-pounding thrills, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried, this book will haunt you long after the last page.