The Overlord of Blood and Iron (WN) - Chapter 150

A Deadly Secret, also translated as Requiem of Ling Sing and Secret of the Linked Cities, is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first published in the magazine Southeast Asia Weekly (東南亞周刊) and the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao in 1963. Its original Chinese title was Su Xin Jian before Jin Yong changed it to Lian Cheng Jue. The story revolves around the adventures of the protagonist Di Yun, an ordinary young peasant, who is imprisoned after being framed. In his quest for vengeance, he accidentally acquires the Liancheng Swordplay manual (連城劍谱), an ancient artifact not only prized for the skills detailed inside, but also for containing a secret leading to a treasure.

Wen Le’s grandfather was a revered literary writer who escaped to the mountains for inspiration and has lived there for over 10 years.

Ever since she was a child, Wen Le has lived in the mountains with her grandparents. Only upon attending school did Wen Le discover that they only had a black and white TV while her friends all had LED ones.

Thus the young Wen Le who matured early knew that they were poor and that she had to work hard. However, Wen Le gradually realized that something felt a bit odd. Wen Le hesitantly gave her grandfather a call.

“Yeye*, when I passed the university entrance exam, what are the two keys that you and Dad gave to me for?”

Grandpa snorted in reply, “I gave you a courtyard house, and your dad gave you a building.”

Wen Le trembled in trepidation, “Then what about that document which Dad got me to sign a few days ago?”

Grandpa snorted, “How would I know? But your Dad recently bought a gem mine.”

Wen Le cautiously asked, “Yeye, is our family really not poor?”

Grandpa got so angry and scolded her for being s*upid.

After Wen Le got together with the school crowned hunk Zhou Kao, who was cold to everyone, it shook the entire school. Zhou Kao was a wealthy young master from birth, and Wen Le was only a poor child from the mountains. With their social status deemed unfavorably matched, Wen Le was deemed as a scheming girl who wanted to marry into wealth.

Until someone secretly recorded the interaction between the two of them. In the video, Zhou Kao had unexpectedly backed Wen Le up to a secluded corner. He played with Wen Le’s long hair, “It’s said that this jewel that’s currently on you is worth millions but was bought from a street stall for $20?”

Wen Le smiled: “The stall owner was probably my Dad.”

“However…” Wen Le raised Zhou Kao’s chin and looked at him with her seductive eyes, “How much are you selling this ten million beauty for?”

Reputed as being hellishly difficult, Zhou Kao, the famed hunk whom nobody could successfully chase, was infatuated. He leaned down for a kiss, and with a raspy voice said, “I’ll give it to you for $10.”

Wen Le dodged the kiss with a laugh, “Isn’t $10 a little expensive?”

Zhou Kao clenched his teeth, and directly kissed her, “I’ll bear a deficit of $10.”

The whole school was SHOCKED!

- Description from Novelupdates

“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.

Born into a world of chaos and violence, young shapeshifter Rhishisikk struggles to survive. With the assistance of unlikely allies, he must learn to live among the most dangerous of monsters – human beings!