MTL - Tomb Raider: Storytelling and Writing, The Mystic Nine is Confused - Chapter 121

One day, a villainess came to the orphanage.“I absolutely can’t stand children!”“How can someone my age have a child? It doesn’t make sense!”“What’s so great about these little creatures that tire you out all day long…”Setting aside her dislike for children…Somehow, after she arrived, the children started gaining weight.“It’s all because of the contract, you know?”That’s what she says.While personally feeding them sweets she made herself.

In her previous life, she rose from a country girl to become a CEO, working diligently until she died of overwork at 38, only to find that she had been greatly betrayed by her useless husband, who even had a child outside their marriage.When she opened her eyes, she was back to being eighteen years old, facing grandparents who favored boys over girls, a father who was honest and kind but dared not resist his parents, her mother who loved them deeply but was easily bullied by others, and her brother who still loved her despite her coldness.In this life, she decided to take her family away from those greedy relatives, save her brother from a fate of disability, and stay away from her useless ex-husband.Unexpectedly, she saved an even more important person by the roadside.“Your husband is just a country bumpkin; he didn't even get into university. How could you live well with him?” her ex-husband said.One day, a Bentley stopped next to her. A driver got out and bowed to her, saying, “Madam, the Boss is waiting for you for dinner.”“I know that car! It belongs to a rich family!” someone exclaimed.“Did he just call her Madam?” another person asked....“Did you hear? He brought a country girl home?”“They say that girl is his wife. Isn't it funny?”“Madam has arrived!” said the steward.“OMG, it's the talented girl from the famous university!”“Dear lord! She is the legend of the A-shares!”“I'm just so shocked...”“Hey, guys, she is my wife,” he said.

Li Xuan traveled through the world of immortality and opened the apprentice system, and both apprentices and apprentices could be rewarded for upgrading.

【Ding! Accepting apprentice Qin Yue, reward you: Innate Divine Power]

【Ding! Accept the apprentice Zhao Tian, ​​reward you: call the wind and call the rain]

【Ding! Apprentice upgrade, reward you: space shuttle]

….

Li Xuan, who accepted a bunch of apprentices, evolved infinitely in seclusion.

Ten years later, the Devil Emperor invaded and wanted to sacrifice the whole world, but no one could stop it. The disciples watched the world fall into despair in pain.

At this time, Li Xuan appeared and slashed a sword against the Demon Emperor under the watchful eyes of the public.

Boom!

The sky fell apart, the invincible Demon Emperor fell on the spot, and the entire dark world was swept away by a sword.

The disciples were horrified. It turned out that the strongest person in the world was actually the master who had been in seclusion for ten years.

- Description from novelbuddy

“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.