MTL - After Crossing, I Marked the Empress - Chapter 31 Hundred claws scratch the heart

He was tired of being broke. Tired of pretending. Tired of watching others win a game he didn't even understand.But when a failed job interview leads Alex into the world of a mysterious millionaire, he’s thrown into a hidden war, one where money isn't just earned… it's engineered.Guided by Uncle Raymond, a man with a dark past and deep wisdom, Alex begins to discover the suppressed history and secret systems behind money, from cowries to crypto, banks, black markets, and so on. He learns that wealth isn't something you chase... it's something you attract by understanding value.But then, Alex stumbles upon The Sovereign Circle, a group of elite powerbrokers who don't just make money... they control its very definition and rig the system for profit. Raymond? He’s unknowingly tied to them.Being torn between exposing the truth and protecting the man who changed his life, Alex faces a final test: Will he play the game like everyone else or will he rewrite the rules?***This is a story for anyone who has ever asked, “Is there more to money than making it?”

Lu Qingyan was once the perfect daughter—an obedient, soft-spoken high school girl known for her academic excellence and fragile health. But the one person she loved the most was her older brother—hentle, dazzling, and far too burdened for his age, he was her everything.. No one noticed his silent suffering… until it was too late. The day he took his own life, she shattered.Months later, while saving a child from an oncoming car, Lu Qingyan dies and awakens inside a familiar story: the school novel “A Thorn in the Crown”, one she read during her lowest days.But she’s no longer just a reader.She’s now Lu Qingyan, the infamous younger sister of Lu Mingxuan—the novel’s violent and cold-hearted villain feared across campus. A notorious delinquent, and ironically, the sworn enemy of her favorite character: Wang Jingyuan, the story’s tragic antagonist turned misunderstood villain.In the novel, Lu Qingyan is little more than cannon fodder—a delusional girl who idolizes her brother, gets caught in the crossfire between Lu Mingxuan and Wang Jingyuan, and ends up being dead.Determined to change the plot, she initially plans to curry favor with Wang Jingyuan—to save him from his doomed fate.But everything shifts the moment she lays eyes on Lu Mingxuan.He has her brother’s face.The same weary eyes.The same lonely back.The same silent cry for help no one else hears.And in that moment, Lu Qingyan’s plan shatters.This isn’t just a story anymore.So Lu Qingyan vowed to protect him this time, even if it means dragging her brother out of gang fights, squaring off against entitled rich kids, or defying the other villain himself—Wang Jingyuan, the school’s cold and brilliant golden boy... and Lu Mingxuan's sworn rival.In the original novel, Wang Jingyuan was one of the big villains—the cunning and miserable friend of the male lead. Now, he’s front and center... and watching her a little too closely....Lu Mingxuan always disliked his bootlicking sister, but one day he discovered that she had stopped following him around.Later, he unexpectedly found his sworn enemy, Wang Jingyuan, trapping his sister against the wall and between his arms. With an ambiguous and languid expression, he coaxed in a soft tone, “Just give up on that useless brother of yours. What Lu Mingxuan can give you, I can too.”Lu Qingyan: ???Wang Jingyuan, you dog!!That’s my sister!! Stop daydreaming!!

The world was about to end and his life was about to change.

But Mark, a pathetic and ugly 30-years-old man, was more concerned about his relationship situation than anything else.

He lived a lonely life and as he grew older his face became uglier than it already was, so the chance of marrying his ideal woman was slim to none.

Like everyone else, he wanted a second chance... And his wish was granted in a way that he never expected.

One day, after falling asleep during his daily self-reflection, he suddenly realized that he didn't wake up inside his room.

Then he realized that he was given a second chance to redo his life in a different universe.

But is this the second chance that Mark yearned for?

It didn't take Mark too long to understand that this world was beyond his wildest imagination and he was caught up in a greater plot than he expected.

Will his desire to find the love of his life matter in front of the truth behind the creation of the world?

Follow Mark's journey as he travels beyond time, beyond space, and beyond reality where he may finally find the love of his life.

After all, it takes more than just determination to change oneself and reach one's goal.

As the only magician and pharmacist on earth, Gu Feng’s life began to ripple…

Earning money is the easiest thing to do.

Got an incurable disease? Get a bottle of bright potion! Guaranteed instant recovery.

Worrying about exam results, worrying about going to school? A bottle of refreshing agent solves the problem, if you are not satisfied, you can return it in full! (Note: Chinese composition scores are not within the scope of the Three Guarantees)

Luxury cars, famous houses… these are not a problem for me.

And that long-legged girl, this is just a simple levitation magic, don’t stare at me with that kind of adoring eyes, okay?

Of course, it’s definitely more than that. Every magician is learned. Astronomy and geography, humanities and social interaction, food appreciation… everything is omnipotent and omnipotent. This article is guaranteed to be cool and exciting!

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