Returning to Parents' Seventeen - Chapter 11 - 10: Shen Yubai and I Are Not Close

[You Have Been Chosen.]When the world crumbled, I was nothing more than a jobless loser, left to rot on the streets as the dead devoured the living.Until I heard that voice...[The Ruler System has activated.][Rank 1: Loser][Followers: 0/1]A system that lets me recruit followers, copy their skills, and grow stronger through their actions.My first subject?Mu Qinglan.The ruthless Ice Queen CEO I once called “Boss.” Cold, untouchable... and now infected.As her bloodthirsty jaws closed around my neck, I barely saved her with the system’s makeshift cure.[You Have Recruited Mu Qinglan (S-Tier)][You have copied Mu Qinglan's [Leadership] skill][Please Choose the second skill to copy][+100 Ruler EXP]Every follower I command strengthens me.Every kill feeds my dominion.In this world of death and chaos...I will build an empire of S-Tier Beauties and ascend as the Apocalypse King.For my name is John Wang!

After being reborn she worked hard to stalk and marry her husband, abuse and punish her other scumbag husband, and embark on a journey to reach the pinnacle of life!

—

For the egregious crime of treason everyone in the Xiao House were sentenced to death.

At the execution grounds while waiting for her beheading, she stared at the youth sprawled on the ground in front of her. He had run over so hurriedly he tripped over his own feet, displaying an undignified sight. It made her smile thinking how stupid this person was. She had completely used and taken advantage of him from the day he forced her to marry him. Yet despite all the abuse she heaped on him, he still wanted to save her.

She opened her eyes again only to find it was the day before their wedding. That devious scoundrel… to make her his wife through underhanded methods… The memory of it still left a bad taste in her mouth.

She was going to grab this second chance and live it up! Extort all debts owed to her! Buff herself up and shine like a diamond!

But how was she to know that the husband she once hated was actually really loyal and gentle, soft and easy, and so incredibly sweet and delicious to eat! The shutters that blinded her eyes in the previous life were cast aside. She realized she didn’t know how to cherish the good things in life. So in this new one she was going to make sure to pamper and spoil the hell out of that husband of hers.

- Description from Novelupdates

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?

“Release faster! Why aren’t today’s chapters out yet?”“… Senior Sister, it’s only six in the morning.”“Then what about yesterday? There was only one chapter!”“… Romance slice-of-life stories rely heavily on the details. Inspiration is needed when writing.”“Then, where does your inspiration come from? You’re clearly single.”“… My imagination.”“In that case, why don’t you date someone? You can get some material too.”“… I need to write. I don’t have time.”“How about I help you?”“… Help me write?”“Of course not! I mean dating!”“… Senior Sister, stop joking around.”***This is a slice-of-life university love story between a struggling web novel author and a beautiful illustrator, in which they mutually suffer social death.Single female lead, no melodrama, no angst.