Destroyer of Ice and Fire - Chapter 9: Under the starry skies

According to Jianghu rumors, the following levels for Mei Zihan’s fans are:

After watching one of his local dramas, they are passersby fans; after watching ten, they are true love fans; after watching all of them, they are fans of the ultimate ashes. But on the way to upgrade fan status, most do not go from passersby fans to true love fans. Instead, the transformation is the blackening of a fan.

Mei Zihan has a glorious name, but he often acts in soap opera with bitter mother-in-law conflicts and anti Japanese war drama. Before meeting Jiang Ying, Mei Zihan’s biggest wish was to become a middle-aged handsome uncle. After meeting him, he was forced to act in the theatre group and go home to practice. What kind of acting do you need for a show that causes brain damage? It’s good enough to live. Honey, I really can’t act!

- Description from Novelupdates

Sophia Alcott, the daughter of Earl Alcott, lives a lonely life as a maligned and infamous shut in, with nothing to do but to work on her skills as a budding apothecary in the dusty storeroom she’s forced to call home.That is until she suddenly wakes up one day and finds herself in the body of an even more infamous villainess (one who actually earned her reputation) locked up in a tower.Although the only clue she has about how this happened is a cryptic note, instead of despairing about her new situation, she’s in awe at just how luxurious the treatment she’s receiving in this ‘prison’ is compared to how she had to live before.Meanwhile, back at Earl Alcott’s mansion, all hell is about to break loose.That’s because…

“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.

# WIFE-CHASING“Honey, let’s make a deal.”“What deal?”“From this day forward, I will take care of you the rest of your life while you take care of the rest of me!”“Dream on!”[Sweet conversation of a couple]Four years ago, she left angrily while she was pregnant.Four years later…“Hey, I can see that you are having bad luck, and you get frustrated easily. Sir, you need a wife. My mom is single. Would you like to date her?”The chaste CEO gazed at the mini version of him before him with his dark eyes. He said nothing and brought the child and the mother home.