Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine - Chapter 38 - ⟴ It’s Just a Sprained Ankle

“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.

Leon never asked for greatness.He just wanted to escape his flirty stepbrother and survive another miserable day.But fate had other plans—delivered by a lightning bolt and a cosmic accident.Reborn in a brutal world of mana, monsters, and cultivation, Leon starts at the bottom.No legacy. No allies. No system.Just seven divine treasure spins.And then—everything changes.[Class: Elemental Paragon(SSS)]A class whispered only in dread. A name that doesn’t exist—only a myth followed.Along with the class came another gift.[Ding!][Host successfully connected to Cosmic System!]Unlike the standard system others in his world use, Leon’s was different.It came with features no one else had—like a mysterious [SHOP], filled with items so rare they bordered on myth. Treasures that could warp reality. Twist fate.Even in the lowest of the low Earthly Planes, Leon could purchase artifacts of Legendary or even Mythical rank.But every treasure had a cost—one no amount of gold could pay.And then there was the [CHAT]. A place where the most terrifying beings in existence—galaxy-shattering Absolutes and universe-warping entities—casually exchanged words.Like The Keeper of The Dimensions, Lord of Space and Time…In that chat, Leon was mistaken as one of them.One of the powerful.One of the untouchable.In reality, he was weaker than a worm compared to them.But that wouldn’t last.Leon made himself a quiet promise:'One day, I’ll meet them for real.''And when I do…''I won’t be mistaken anymore.'He’ll rise.He’ll reach the apex.And the stars will remember his name.____#NO NTR#NO Yuri

Bei Qingqing was left to fend for herself over eighteen years before the rich Bei Family finally took her back. She found that her identity as a daughter had been replaced by the ‘naive and adorable’ Bei Bei, who was kept in her family.

Affection grows with proximity, and that certainly applied for them — there was just no comparing the affection the Bei Family had towards Bei Bei, to the affection of their biological daughter. They had spoiled Bei Bei for eighteen years.

Using Bei Qingqing’s adopted mother’s illness as leverage, the Bei Family forced Bei Qingqing to substitute Bei Bei’s marriage to a comatose man, Chen Jiazhi.

It seems that Bei Bei was now all that mattered to them.

Even so, Bei Qingqing married Chen Jiazhi, who had been comatose for years and said to have no chance of waking up. By doing so, she earned her two-million-yuan dowry for her adopted mother’s hospital bills.

Though Bei Qingqing believed that she would be widowed for life, she didn’t expect an accidental kiss on their first night to wake Chen Jiazhi!

Everyone in the entire Chen Family — from grandparents to uncles — are now indebted to Bei Qingqing. They all spoiled her, especially her now-awake husband Chen Jiazhi. Naturally, the Chen Family also took care of her adopted mother by providing her with better treatment!

Bei Bei was left red-eyed in fury! She was supposed to be Chen Jiazhi’s fiancee. His enormous wealth and affection were rightfully hers!

Moreover, Bei Qingqing had health problems and couldn’t get pregnant. Bei Bei will do her best and scheme to replace Bei Qingqing!

Unexpectedly, however, Bei Qingqing was having morning sickness just two months after marrying despite rumors of her infertility!

As for the Bei family that abandoned her? They were declining at a visible rate, and soon wouldn’t even deserve to lick Bei Qingqing’s shoes!