MTL - The Stepmother is Unkind - Chapter 40

Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian had secretly longed for each other for thirteen years, and now that there’s a possibility for them to be together, even though the circumstances may be unconventional, neither one can refuse their inner desires any longer.

Hurled into a false marriage, Qiao Anhao treads carefully towards the cold and reclusive Lu Jinnian, but after years of near-missed opportunities and deep misunderstandings, how could their last shot at love possibly run smooth?

“Nation Husband” is a Korean term awarded to a man who is perfect in the eyes of the public – an ideal husband.

On the day of the class reunion, Lin Yang got completely drunk.He encountered school flower who was also drunk.When he woke up, the campus beauty had vanished, and everything seemed like a dream.On the day of the graduation photo shoot, Lin Yang received a call from the school flower.“Lin Yang, can you come to the hospital?”Just after graduation, did he end up as a father of twins?In his moment of confusion, a system descended upon him.[First time taking the baby on a trip: Reward—A luxurious flat in Tangshan Yipin.][First time bathing the baby: Reward—A Ferrari LaFerrari!]

By the time Li Qingran realized she had been transplanted into a book, she had already muddled through seventeen years.Growing up together as childhood sweethearts with the male protagonist Xie Ying’an, their relationship was rather passable.Endowed with the halo of the male lead, Xie Ying’an was like a hacked character from birth: good-looking, from a good family, with good academics...Li Qingran vaguely remembers that she was a female supporting character in the book, whose ending was not good due to constantly making trouble for the female protagonist.Li Qingran shuddered, feeling all too familiar with this plot; getting involved or not could both lead to trouble, so she needed to come up with some strategies to cope...PS: Unrequited love theme, male and female leads are high school students, and they do not engage in early romance.

Crimson Vale Academy—where reputation is currency, and failure is a stain you wear on your sleeve.Behind gothic walls and spotless uniforms, students aren't just educated—they're measured, ranked, and pitted against each other in a brutal meritocracy. Privileges are earned, not given. The strong rise. The weak vanish.Enter Kairon Vale, a transfer student marked Rank D—the bottom of the bottom. No badge. Just a stitched black fang, branding him as “Obsidian”—a warning to others.In a system where points dictate your value, Obsidian-ranked students claw for every opportunity to ascend into the prestigious Golden or Platinum ranks—where comfort, power, and influence await. But for most, it’s a losing battle.Yet Kairon isn’t here to fit in, impress, or play by their rules. Cold, calculating, and impossible to read, he watches the system… and waits. Because while the academy judges worth by numbers and names—he understands something deeper:Everyone wears a mask. And every mask can be cracked.Let the games begin.