Hard Enough - Chapter 113: Steelix and Stone

Bound together by an imperial arranged marriage, Li Yuyan is scorned for her association with the ill and blind crown prince. Publicly, she stands up for the seemingly gentle and perfect prince, and he in turn protects her from criticism. Privately, she contemplates inheriting a fortune if he dies, while he considers eliminating her if she steps out of line. Unknown to all, the beauty and brilliance they keep hidden will unveil. During their wedding night, as she cures his blindness and cold ailment, but not his secret illness, she discovers the deceit. Realizing she's been tricked, she tries to flee, only to find herself trapped by him as he expresses his fascination with her.

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

As a virtuous wife, does it include tolerating his cousin, enduring his concubines, bearing his mother?

After transmigrating, medical expert Gu Qingxue became a widow with three small babies waiting to be fed.

Armed with a Miracle Doctor System, she used the needles in her hands to snatch people from the god of hell, raised the craziest children possible, and abused the scum of all scums!

But, no one could have expected her to accidentally provoke a famous war god from the frontier region!

The man had looks, money, and status. He pulled her back to his place to become his regent consort.

Gu Qingxue told him frankly that she was already married and had children, so it was a no! But then…

Who can tell her why all her children looked like him?!

Her second baby, Xiao Daimao, faced his father and said to everyone, “My mommy is very knowledgeable, so why would we need a father?!” Her third baby, Xiao Mian’ao, would boast whenever he saw people, “My mommy has a beautiful, sweet voice. It’s enough that I have my mommy!”

Only her eldest child was mature, remaining calm and unaffected. Then, her fourth child shouted, “Brother! Dad is climbing the walls again!”

Her eldest child, who had been unruffled a moment ago, picked up a big stick and rushed out immediately.

He would guard his mother till the end!