Gilded Ashes: When Shadows Reign - Chapter 31: Welcome to the Lotus

The rebellious, rich second-generation Chi Xueyan was forced to go on a blind date for the 11th time. He cut straight to the chase: I have a hot temper, I snore when I sleep, and I haven’t deleted my countless exes. If you can accept it, we will get the marriage certificate on the spot.

The handsome man named He Qiao sat opposite him and was silent for a moment with a strange expression. Then he nodded and said he was a book transmigrator. He knew that Chi Xueyan was the supporting male villain in this novel role and would become the future marriage partner of the protagonist Lu Siyi. He gradually lost himself in an increasingly paranoid unrequited love, did all sorts of bad things and eventually died.

He Qiao couldn’t bear to see Chi Xueyan, who was still active and healthy, end up like that. Therefore, he proposed to marry Chi Xueyan to avoid the plot. In any case, he was a workaholic straight man who only wanted to use the information from the novel to develop his career for the benefit of the public.

Chi Xueyan heard this and suddenly realized: Use advance as a retreat and use the typical schizophrenic symptoms to scare off blind dates. This person was an expert.

He decisively remembered this trick and waved his hand to pay the bill as his token of appreciation.

Soon, Chi Xueyan ran into a handsome man who completely matched his aesthetics. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to take the initiative to ask for the other person’s name and contact information.

As a result, the handsome man replied with an indifferent expression, “I am Lu Siyi.”

Chi Xueyan: “……!!!”

This name was too familiar.

Two weeks later, under the gazes of his relatives and friends, Chi Xueyan affectionately exchanged rings and kisses with his 11th blind date and the mysterious book transmigrator, He Qiao.

Initially, He Qiao was very wary of Chi Xueyan, the scheming and vicious villain of the novel. After the two of them cooperated to pretend to love each other and tricked their families into allowing them to get married smoothly, he planned to focus on his career and not interfere with the other person.

However, Chi Xueyan finally settled down from the chaos and started seriously studying the novel’s plot. He would occasionally come to the company to find He Qiao.

Unlike the arrogant and willful boss’ wife that the employees imagined, Chi Xueyan mostly curled up on the sofa with a small blanket while quietly reflecting on his 2D life.

Occasionally, he would raise his head and ask, “Did Lu Siyi never like me at all?”

“…Yes.”

“He has no vision.” Chi Xueyan sneered and rolled over. “How did he become the male protagonist when you are obviously much better than him!”

He Qiao didn’t know why, but the investment plan in his hand suddenly became unsatisfactory.

What a scheming villain.

On the first anniversary of their agreed-upon wedding, He Qiao arranged the most romantic dinner and the brightest roses. He met Chi Xueyan’s blank eyes and finally asked the question he had been worrying about in his heart for a long time.

“You have a good temper and you sleep very quietly so…” He Qiao seemed casual. “Is it true that you haven’t deleted any of your exes?”

Chi Xueyan: “……”

What a scheming straight man.

- Description from Novelupdates

In the grand world of Nova, many different races exist such as elves, humans, dwarves and beastmen and through years of war, strife and competition the world has grown, becoming home to great empires and countries throughout the oceans and five continents. However, to the great creators the world has become stagnant and boring, ever since the calamity that was the Church of Light and their Holy White empire.

Now the Dark God has created a new race after years upon years of dedicated effort. A species that is like none other and his hope for Nova’s future….Dungeon cores, beings that have the ability to reshape the very world itself, entering the domain of the gods.

Join Frost a newly born first generation Dungeon core as he embarks upon his journey within Nova and carves out his place in the world. How will the world’s current denizens react to his birth? Will they be friends or foes? And most of all how the Light God react to this new addition to the world, will he accept them or seek to destroy them?

This novel incorporates dungeon building and management but most of that won’t fully take off until the later volumes when Frost has much more floors and money to play around with. This is not a solely dungeon story as the MC Frost will have to explore and interact with the world of Nova much like how an adventurer would and forewarning the story is slow. There’s a lot of details and avenues which the story goes into, not simply battles, wars and action, it follows all aspects of Frost’s life, his growth and interactions with Nova not only as a Dungeon core but also as a person.

Chu Yi dies in a car crash and becomes Landon Barn, the illegitimate son of king Barn, ruler of Arcadina. Because his mother was a maid and the king’s greatest disgrace, his father had always despised him. The same could be said for his half-siblings.

...[Inside an underground basement]“You are going to die for nothing, hahahaha,” the old man's voice thundered through the room, sending chills down my spine.Step.With a swift and ruthless motion, he lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air and slashing my throat, crimson droplets staining the darkness.“We'll see,” I whispered defiantly, my final words escaping as a mere breath against the impending darkness.Slowly, inexorably, my consciousness slipped away, and I descended into a deep, unfathomable slumber.“Huh!?” My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself seated in a bustling tavern, the air thick with laughter and the clinking of glasses.In front of me stood a captivating lady, her beauty juxtaposed with an angry furrow upon her brow, threatening to shatter the harmony of the jovial scene.“Don't follow me around!” Her words pierced the air like shards of ice, the intensity of her emotions palpable as she cast a resentful glare in my direction, before swiftly departing from the tavern....Am I trapped within the confines of a game? The fragments of my shattered common sense scattered before me, leaving me to question the very fabric of my reality.