Starting from Zero - Book 4 - Chapter 23 – Auction War

Xu Jinzhi lived a healthy life until she was seventy-five, passing away without much suffering, and seemingly without any major regrets or dissatisfaction.However, looking at her son, daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren beside her bed, Xu Jinzhi couldn't help but think of her late husband who died young in an accident, wondering if she would be able to see him again—if only she could.Upon opening her eyes next, Xu Jinzhi shockingly finds herself transported back several decades in the past, at a time when the Xu and Xie families were negotiating a business marriage. Without hesitation, she mentions the name 'Xie Yanchuan.'In her previous life, marrying Xie Yanchuan was a reluctant choice, but in this life, she chooses him decisively!The Xie family holds significant influence in City A, Xie Yanchuan, however, is the overlooked member of the family, overshadowed by his older brother carrying familial responsibilities and a younger, frail brother.This setup doesn't bother Xie Yanchuan much; he is content with living quietly.One day, the marriage arrangement with the Xu family lands unexpectedly on his shoulders, resulting in his marriage to the woman named Xu Jinzhi!Xie Yanchuan initially prepares for a marriage of mutual respect or non-interference. However, why does Xu Jinzhi always surprise him with her unexpected actions?

A firefighter in her previous life, Li Jing’er transmigrated back to ancient times and became the wife of the second son of a farmer. A month after Li Jing’er married into the family, her husband left to join the army.

Then news arrived that her husband was killed in battle but the compensation paid by the imperial court was snatched away by her greedy in-laws. Forced into a corner, she planned an escape, severed family ties, and left with her six-month-old baby daughter.

Joining the flow of refugees escaping from disaster and war, she picked up several lost and abandoned children along the way and tried to start a new life.

Then out of the blue, her deceased husband appeared…

- Description from Novelupdates

# COZY # OMNIPOTENT # CHIEFASSISTANT

In her past life, Mo Ruyue was a top-notch assassin. She was as indifferent as an abyss, and had killed more people than she had fingers to count. In her new life, she became the vicious stepmother of five munchkins in a remote mountain valley, and they were terrified of her. In this life, she decided to change the way she lived. She only had four bare walls for a house? Her children starved to the point they were just skin and bones? No problem. She could kill wild boars with her bare hands, so food wasn’t an issue. She was also proficient in multiplication tables, and her kids instantly became big fans of hers. It had been a difficult journey to change from a vicious stepmother to a warm one. Then, her supposedly dead husband suddenly returned, now the first minister of the dynasty.“Let’s divorce. Give me the children, and I’ll return the money to you.” “I don’t lack anything, just you and the children.”

[Warning: Mature Content R18+]The taste of forbidden love is the sweetest agony!!They were fucking right.I, Frery Kane was whipped and captivated by a Lycan Shifter from the Bay Shifter pack in Paradise Bay. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, an irresistible pull I couldn’t deny. Alpha Tor Gale, a Lycan Shifter of unparalleled strength, only of his kind, his blood as intoxicating as ambrosia, his presence a temptation, I couldn’t escape. He made me crave more than I should or was allowed.In Paradise Bay, Vampires and Shifters are bound by ancient laws, their rivalry etched into the marrow of our existence. To meet him was to defy centuries of hatred; to love him was to risk everything.Each secret meeting was a dance with death, a betrayal of the Paradise Vampire Coven, and a rebellion against the laws that chained us. But Tor was my forbidden desire, my beautiful torment, and my greatest weakness. I knew the cost of this love, a love that could ignite war and destroy us both. But how could I resist the one thing that made my immortal heart beat once more?Excerpt from Alpha Tor's POV:“So you’ve been following me,” Tor’s deep growl echoed in the icy cavern. His golden eyes caught the flicker of torchlight. His breath misted in the freezing air, curling like smoke between them.“What gave me away?” I responded my voice as low, deep, and steady.Tor laughed a deep rumble that shook the cavern walls. “You reek of desperation. Do you think I didn’t notice your scent clinging to the trees? Are your footprints melting the frost? What is it, vampire? What do you want from me?”My jaw clenched and my gaze didn’t waver. “Your blood,” I taunted as my voice was laced with coldness to see if he could be threatened by my words. “Your kind is... intoxicating. Forbidden. I can’t stop myself.”I expected him to cover but he stepped forward and responded “If it’s my blood you want,” he murmured, his voice low and teasing, “then come closer and take what you need”The words struck me like lightning, and a fiery heat surged through my veins. My beast clawed at my control, drawn to him in a way that defied logic. His gaze held mine, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t know whether to run or to stay.___________________________________________________________________________________________In the end, they called me a betrayer. A traitor to the Paradise Vampire Coven. But how could I hold back when I had tasted something far sweeter than immortality? Alpha Tor was my forbidden fruit, the Lycan Shifter Alpha who defied everything I was taught to hate. But when I surged forward, ready to face anyone who dared stand between us, fate revealed the old prophecy hidden in Hanka Island. Alpha Tor wasn’t just my lover, he was my lifetime mate, our bond blessed by the ancient magic of Hanka Island itself.And our love was not meant to follow the rules, it was meant to break them.