Beneath the Surface: Secrets of an Obsessed Heart - Chapter 160 - 159

In the novel, the wealthy CEO male lead has a villainous stepmother. She put up a front of being nice and tender to him, when in fact she was bullying the male lead with her son. After she had successfully driven the male lead and his father apart, her ambition continued to grow as she attempted to take away the inheritance from the male lead. In the second half of the book, the truth came out — that the father had no feelings for her whatsoever but was merely using the two of them to hone his son’s character. In the end, both the stepmom and her son were sent to jail by the male lead after he took over the family business.

Yan Shuyu transmigrated and became the well-hated villainous stepmother, but she had transmigrated to the time before everything happened, and the male lead was still a foolish child. Only a fool would want to become the stepmother of a foolish child. Yan Shuyu took a longing look at her “assigned husband”, who was pretty much like the Sleeping Beauty, before she quickly packed up and made a run for it.

After that, Yan Shuyu checked out her $250 remaining on her card. She turned to look at her son, who was clinging onto her leg and asking for milk. She wanted to look up at the sky and howl. Is it too late to go back to become the male lead’s whetstone?

- Description from Novelupdates

Having opened his eyes once more, Chu Zheng found the world turned upside down. He had transformed from a Cultural Relic Restorer into a household slave.At the same time, a new feature had emerged within his body: a Repair Panel that refreshed daily, enabling his skills to continuously advance.【Incomplete Mantra (repairable)】→【Great Circulatory Breathing Guideline】【Ruined Temple Remnant (repairable)】→【Ancestral Dao Golden Body】【Damaged Spirit Root (repairable)】→【Superior Quality Immortal Bone】…………In an era of cultivating truth, heroes compete fiercely, and prodigies rise together.From ancient times, sages and wise men were buried by the sands of time; a lifetime of glory or disgrace turned to naught in a blink, and only a few names are recorded in the annals of history.Having lived this life a second time, Chu Zheng did not seek the arts of immortality, but merely wished to have his name remembered by future generations.

My name is Qin Jue. At only 16 years of age, I'm already the youngest person to ever become an uncle-grandmaster in the Xuanyi Mountain Sect.Also, I'm the strongest being in this entire world!But unlike other transmigrators, I want nothing to do with the outside world and wish to live a leisurely life on a cliff behind the sect, sipping wine and singing songs.That is until one day, a mysterious girl appears in front of my yard…Join Qin Jue as he deals with sneaky sects and greedy, hostile clans, all while raising a "weed" to sentience and creating heaven-defying spirit-energy "guns".

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.