Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 197: THE WHISPERING FOREST

Manchester United, once a dominant force in world football, finds itself struggling under Erik ten Hag despite having the financial power to rebuild.Big-money transfers fail to restore the club’s glory, forcing Ten Hag to shift his focus to homegrown talent.Among the overlooked prospects in the U18 squad is Leo Calderon, a 17-year-old central midfielder buried deep in the pecking order.Lacking physicality and dismissed by teammates as weak, Leo endures constant ridicule from those who dominate with strength and athleticism.But during one ordinary training session, everything changes—Leo suddenly sees passing lanes no one else can, angles of play invisible to even the most talented prospects.Yet, there’s a problem. His vision surpasses his ability. The passes he attempts don’t connect, his technique unable to match his newfound awareness.Coaches dismiss his efforts as sloppy, and his struggles continue. But one unexpected observer—a visiting League One assistant coach—notices something different.He watches Leo’s movements, seeing potential where others see failure.As Leo fights to prove himself in an unforgiving system, the question lingers—can he refine his raw talent before the club moves on without him?

Step 1: Inherit a creepy old mansion.Step 2: Unlock a cursed system that makes girls fall dangerously in love with you… just by saying “hi.”Step 3: Learn that if you don’t reject them within 10 texts, something terrible happens.My name’s Ren.And apparently, I’m the “Catalyst for Affection-Based Catastrophes.”(Yeah. That’s literally what it said.)My peaceful new life? Over.Now I’m stuck in a house full of magically unstable girls:A sword-swinging elf.A fire mage with zero personal boundaries.A strict class rep who faints if I so much as look at her.And a witch who cursed the bathroom mirror to spy on me.They’re beautiful.They’re powerful.They’re dangerously obsessed.And if I mess this up, someone’s going to get hurt—maybe me.Reject them too late? Game over.Fall for one of them? Even worse.This isn’t a dating sim.It’s survival of the cutest.Welcome to my life. It's not just a harem. It's a hostage situation.

“We could be louder,” he whispered in a raspy voice. She shook with need and was about to turn when he clucked his tongue. “Ah, ah, ah, don't do that. I'll see you later, little girl.” And with that, he vanished.

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Cage was at the top of the world: the emperor of the film industry. But it is truly lonely at the top. Surrounded by staff members who want him to work to his bones and no one to lean on, Cage turns to gaming. In such dire times, he stumbles across a mysterious female gamer who leaves him speechless and aroused at the same time.

Graphic designer and fangirl extraordinaire, Katherine, finds a gamer who outshines her. In this world there was someone like this? All she can do is acknowledge his brilliance. [Take my bow, Senpai. You have eaten my gold.] But why does this message sound so… provocative?

A series of lecherous conversations turn into something deeper, until one day the two fall irrevocably in love with each other. “Hey, let’s fall in love...” Follow them as they traverse through life and the hardships that are thrown at them. Who knows, maybe us single dogs can learn a thing or two.

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“My little loli likes to watch? What a naughty little girl.” She was embarrassed that she was caught and mortified by the voice of the man she recognized as ‘him’. What was he doing here? She started to turn around, but he grasped her shoulder so she couldn't move.

“No, let's watch.” His breath was at her ear, fire lapping at her nerves, singeing and burning her insides, making a pleasant feeling erupt in her stomach. His arm snaked around her shoulder and grabbed her hand while his other hand slid down to her sides until it rested on her hip. He was not pressing himself into her, but she felt completely engulfed by him. She knew she should scream, or stomp on his foot, but all she could do was listen to his breathing escalate as his thumb rubbed her shoulder, putting her in a stupor.

She thought she heard him sniff her hair and his lips lightly grazed her ears as he whispered. “Don't miss the show because of me, little girl.”

Her eyes flickered back to the couple in the car, and she let out a whimper as she saw the man pull at the woman's hair, baring her beck to him, inviting his mouth to lick and suck. She felt ‘him’ close the gap between them, his hard body pressed up against hers, his arms tightly holding her. There was no mistaking what she felt on her lower back and she closed her eyes in delight.

Hua Manman never expected to transmigrate into a satisfying palace-intrigue novel, becoming the cannon fodder female supporting character in the book.She tried to turn the tables, but discovered that as long as she didn't act according to the plot, she would feel a heart-wrenching pain as if being stabbed by a knife.In that case, she might as well just lie flat and be a salted fish!But what was baffling was,why did that Prince Zhao, known for being sinister, ruthless, and treacherous, always like to stare at her?...Prince Zhao discovered that something seemed to be wrong with his ears.As long as he stared at someone, he could hear that person's inner thoughts.For example, right now,Hua Manman was crying with tears streaming down her beautiful face: “To be able to receive the Prince's favor is truly a blessing this humble servant has cultivated in a past life!”However, what she was thinking in her heart was—“Oh my, this chili oil today has quite a kick! It's making me cry so hard I can't even stop.”...(1v1, Sweet)