Ascendance of a Bookworm - Volume 7, Chapter 1: Looking After Baby Kamil

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

Once upon a time, a boy was referred to as a “War Hero.”

In another world called Aletia, the boy who had saved the Lost Kingdom, conquered their neighbouring countries, and led to the rise of a grand empire decided to throw everything away, returning to the modern era at the cost of his memories.

As three years passed, the boy who was happily enjoying his daily life was once again called back to the other world.

However, what awaited him was the Aletia of 1000 years in the future.

As his past glories became a “myth,” the legend of the youth referred to as the, “Twin Black Hero King,” begins.

He had four disobedient disciples, who now achieved success, won recognition and established their own sects.

The embarrassing thing is that it was him who drove those four out of his sect to make them independent.

But one day he had an incident and lost his cultivation. His life was hanging by a thread. Wandering around, he walked into his third disciple’s territory.

What should I do?

Mountains and seas can be tamed, days and nights can disappear.

Only you, the exceptional you, refuse to give up.

——

A man blessed with fortune, the best in his generation, had an accident and started anew; broken in body but firm in spirit, he now uses his wisdom to guide his evil disciples back to the right path.

Notes :
The title 参商 (Shēnshāng) has two meanings:
1) Constellations Shen (ch. “Three Stars mansion”, eu. Orion) and Shang (ch. “Heart mansion”, eu. Antares), which never appear at the same time.
2) Two friends/relatives who are separated/estranged and irreconcilable.

- Description from Novelupdates

Heavy rain poured down from above the dark clouds up in the night sky, filling the sky with droplets that splatter on the muddy ground of a narrow road. Thunder and purple lightning roar resounded over the clouds.

This was a night that would forever be remembered.

Bernard was a poor young man with a dream just like any normal human would have, he wanted to survive and make ends meet.

However, he was rendered hopeless when he realized just his certificates and hard work alone, wouldn't be enough to climb up the ladder in the society, he needed connections as well.

Putting his frustrations aside, Bernard decided to work harder, however on his way home something that would forever change his life happened.

Bernard was bitten by a strange Cat in his dark room and entered a strange world...the Symbiote world, with this strange twist of fate, Bernard soon realized the hope to fulfill his dream was rekindled once again.

[Daily Quest: 'Meow Meow five times]