THE FOOL - Chapter 14: A Mysterious Mercenary

Xie Chaochao was originally the daughter of a wealthy family who was supposed to grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth.

Yet, her good fortune ended when she met her evil stepmother. When she was less than a year old, she was thrown into a ravine by her vicious stepmother and left to fend for herself!

However, a newly released murderer picked her up and brought her home. From then on, the two of them depended on each other for survival. Xie Chaochao grew up among the animals.

Tigers and snakes were all her friends.

In the eyes of outsiders, Xie Chaochao and her adoptive father, Xie Zhou, were a pair of weirdos. Everyone in the village avoided them.

Xie Chaochao, who did not know her background, grew up without any worries.

When she was five years old, she met a rich and knowledgeable old man and learned a lot from him. Even her adoptive father who was once a murderer became a business magnate. Xie Chaochao had become a true rich daughter, but it was at this time that Xie Chaochao’s family came knocking on her door.

When Xie Chaochao learned of the truth behind her mother’s death, she decided to return home and avenge her mother.

Afraid that the cat would be out of the bag, her evil stepmother tried to kill Xie Chaochao several times. However, Xie Chaochao was no longer the baby at her stepmother’s mercy like she once was.

She had Xie Zhou, her adoptive father who doted on her, and her military advisor grandfather with her this time! There was even a mysterious man who always helped her when she was in trouble…

Persona:

Xie Chaochao: Optimistic, kind, and smart

Gu Pei: A mysterious man who was mesmerized by Xie Chaochao’s ray of innocence

“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.

After the divorce, Gao Jun discovered that the persona of the wealthy single lady had collapsed.“Madam, please stop confessing your feelings to me,” he said.“You know I'm not someone who takes things lightly.”

In a peaceful, utopian Earth, a young man is born cursed by the will of the heavens. One day, he awakens… and uncovers the hidden world of the High Humans—the most powerful beings on the planet. His superpower? A rare support ability with healing powers… or is it? From that moment on, a healer who devours lives to grow stronger, just like the worst demons, is born. *** This is a story about superpowers in a distant future, where Earth hides unimaginable secrets. It’s also a journey across universes, filled with battles and discoveries. The protagonist isn’t a genius or a trained warrior. He’s just an ordinary man who faced dark times and watched his life be consumed by the abyss. But now, he has a chance to change everything. Step by step, he will learn why to fight—and how to survive.