Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime - Chapter 25: Decision

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension

Qin Ran was kidnapped and sold by a human trafficker to the countryside at the age of three. The Qin family found her back half a year ago, but because they had taken a liking to their foster daughter, Qin Xue, and refused to let her suffer grievance just because Qin Ran had returned, they continued to let Qin Xue occupy the main bedroom, learn the piano, etc. Meanwhile, the real daughter, Qin Ran, could only sleep in the maid’s room on the first floor. Because Qin Ran refused to accept Qin Xue’s out-of-season clothes and wore a second-hand bag, she was labeled as being insensible. Since then, her mother never bought her another piece of clothing. The Qin family even strictly warned Qin Ran not to harbor any thoughts for Qin Xue’s fiance, Fu Li.

Later on, Fu Li was involved in a car accident that resulted in high paraplegia… Qin Ran’s mother said, “Xiao Ran, our family has a collaboration with the Fu family, so we can’t turn on them at a time like this. Although the engagement was for Qin Xue, you’re the real daughter of the Qin family. Madam Fu has been understanding and agreed to let you marry into their family.” Her mother even said, “Why aren’t you happy? The Fu family is rich, so if you marry into their family, you can be a young madam and enjoy life. Isn’t that great? Regardless, we’re trying our best to give you a better life than before!” But Qin Ran said, “I’m pregnant. Also, I’m severing ties with all of you from today on.” The Qin family was enraged, but they refused to believe that a brat like Qin Ran would really give up the Qin family fortune and sever ties with them.

No one expected Qin Ran to leave the Qin family with such a resolution. She then found her baby’s father and became the wife of the legendary bigshot, Mo Chi. The top-class bigshot thought he had married an inexperienced and pitiful girl with a sad past, but then… She defused bombs with her bare hands, possessed miraculous medical skills, and was highly trained in martial arts… Mo Chi was baffled. “What else don’t I know about you?”

The Immortal Path led to Longevity and Sovereign was heading in ease. When the Longevity was no longer in ease, all living beings were just prisoners. Conspiracy, internal strife, and the invasion of the others, all of it emerged together. 

In such a world, there was such a young man. He made his way upstream, stepping on blood, defying the emperor, destroying the various kings, and slaughtering his way through the hundred clans to form an Immortal Path towards the throne of Sovereign! The Immortal Path was endless, while the Sovereign was limited. He used his blood to forge his immortal legend.

- Description from Novelupdates

Jiang Lan transmigrated into the role of the male lead's gold-digging first love. According to the original plot, all sh...Jiang Lan transmigrated into the role of the male lead’s gold-digging first love. According to the original plot, all she needed to do was meet the male lead’s mother once, and she could walk away with 20 million yuan.Sitting in the restaurant, Jiang Lan said, “Give me 20 million, and I’ll leave your son.”But the male lead’s mother replied, “Here’s 20 million for you—may you always be happy, may you always be joyful.”Jiang Lan: “…”Through a twist of fate, Jiang Lan and the male lead’s mother ended up participating in the reality show “Mother-in-law Has Arrived.” Initially, everyone expected the Cinderella and the wealthy mother-in-law to be at odds, but instead, they overshadowed the leads of the hottest drama and became the internet’s most beloved couple.In the sweet and pampering segment, the mother-in-law regularly took her daughter-in-law on shopping sprees. Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan attended fashion shows, sitting between a top-tier young idol on the left and a handsome middle-aged man on the right.In the wealthy family segment, while other daughters-in-law nervously prepared elaborate meals to please their mothers-in-law, Jiang Lan dragged Yu Wanqiu to enjoy fried chicken, beer, street food, hotpot, and skewers.When the show ended, Yu Wanqiu hooked her arm around Jiang Lan’s shoulder and said, “Whether you break up or not doesn’t matter. Even if you do, it won’t affect our relationship. Actually, breaking up might be better—I’ll introduce you to someone even more handsome and richer.”Lu Yicheng: ???Mini Theater:When asked about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships, Yu Wanqiu’s initial response was very diplomatic: “They shouldn’t live together, meeting a few times a year is enough. Don’t interfere in the couple’s affairs. Let them decide how many children they want. It’s important to be well-matched. If things don’t work out, they can break up or divorce.”But after the show ended, Yu Wanqiu’s answer was a complete reversal: “It’s best to live in the same building as Jiang Lan, doing yoga together morning and night. As for children, it’s better not to have them too early—it could affect my relationship with Jiang Lan. If they divorce, I fully support it. I know plenty of young idols, and if Jiang Lan prefers the mature type, that’s fine too.”Content Warning: Highlight—the male and female leads are not perfect characters. This is a sweet romantic story featuring first loves for both. They will argue, bicker, fall in love, and take some detours along the way. If this bothers you, please skip. No unsolicited criticism allowed. The focus is on the relationship between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, with the romantic relationship between the male and female leads as a secondary plot.