The Author's Playground - Chapter 25: Bucking Bronco Mate (1)

After her rebirth, Rita vows not to repeat her past mistakes. This time, her first priority is to stop her brother, who is about to marry into the Lopez family, from participating in the initial game beta test. In her previous life, she was deceived by this scheming brother until her dying breath. It was only at the end that she realized she was merely a villain in a male-oriented novel about a live-in son-in-law, with all the malice and manipulation orchestrated by him behind the scenes. In this life, Rita decides to change the rules of the game. She will stay in the shadows and seize all the opportunities meant for the male and female leads. By participating in the beta test and re-selecting her abilities, she systematically dismantles the protagonists’ advantages, all while making them believe she’s on their side. Rita has no intention of harming innocent people, nor is she a selfless saint. In this game, she works with the authorities for mutual benefit, all to achieve her ultimate goal—becoming the true master of her fate.

When waking up, Jiang Tian found out that it was not too late.

In his previous life, Jiang Tian was a member of Jiang family in Jinling. He suffered a disgrace that was his fiancee broke off the pledge of marriage, so he had to marry into the Zhao family. Although Zhao Xueqing, his wife was the first beauty in Hangzhou, he always beat and scolded her. A few years later, he went through a family upheaval, and his loved ones died one after another. With despair, guilt and hatred, Jiang Tian jumped from a cliff. But he did not die. Instead, he started a cultivation journey for as long as ten thousand years in another space.

He became the supreme god, but he died in the process of opening up the universe. With the regret for his parents and the guilt for Zhao Xueqing, Jiang Tian, who retained several thousand years of memory, swore that he would never let his loved one suffer any grievances and injuries this time!

- Description from Novelupdates

Noel likes his world quiet, clean, and perfectly organized. He’s the kind of guy who alphabetizes his books, avoids eye contact, and considers a wild night one where he reads past midnight. Drama? Not his thing. Parties? Pass. Sharing a dorm with a chaotic stranger? Just another obstacle to endure—hopefully, temporarily.Enter Luca: flirtatious, chaotic, and chronically shirtless. A walking disaster with too many admirers and not enough awareness, he leaves messes—and broken hearts—wherever he goes. Loud, reckless, and charming, he’s everything Noel can’t stand… and somehow, everything he can’t stop noticing.What starts as a clash of lifestyles soon turns into late-night conversations, innocent pranks, and lingering stares. Somewhere between eye rolls and shared ramen, their rivalry begins to blur—until even Noel can’t deny his quiet little world feels empty without Luca.Noel wonders why his heart skips a beat whenever Luca’s near. And Luca? He’s realizing the one person who doesn’t fall for his charm might be the only one who truly sees him.Falling in love was never part of the roommate agreement—but hearts don’t follow house rules.---Vibes & Tropes:Grumpy x SunshineForced ProximityMutual Pining & Slow BurnSass, Snark, and Secret SoftnessMovie nights, pranks, cuddles, and the accidental love story