The Stonehearted Knight - Chapter 17: Prelude to mayhem

“Fresh meat” Jiang Chi – to get closer to his unrequited love, an actor extraordinaire – did everything to join Ye Lan’s filming project, even if it meant he would not get paid.

Note:
影帝, literally means “movie king”. Used for famous and accomplished actors. The actress equivalent is 影后, meaning “movie queen”.

小鲜肉, literally means “young, fresh meat”. Used for young, rising actors with good looks (who often star in more commercial-oriented films.) The actress equivalent is 小花, meaning “fresh flower”

- Description from Novelupdates

Every hero starts with power. He started with dust.One moment, the classroom buzzed with teenage chatter. The next, silence fell. Students blinked—and opened their eyes in an ancient hall carved from gold and marble. The air shimmered with divine magic. And at its center stood a goddess—flawless, proud, unbelievably beautiful and wrapped in flowing white.It was a divine summoning performed by a divine goddess.Among them was Vritra… and his stunningly beautiful mother.While others received blessings, powerful physiques and grand titles, Vritra was given a skill so pathetic it made even the goddess wrinkle her nose. An ability—so pitifully weak that it drew laughter, scorn, and even disgust. But that wasn't the worst part.Betrayed and cornered inside the labyrinth, Vritra had two choices: die… or fall into the death trap.A death canopy with no exit and no chance of survival, the only option was to slaughter the demons endlessly for months.Finally!! He forced his dormant skill to awaken, after killing thousands and hundreds of thousands demons and devouring them, becoming a broken ability.******White robes. Cold arroganceA sinful revenge.White robes can stain. And in the dark, even divinity can moan.And then there was his mo— guilt in her breath, shame in her eyes, whispering apologies between gasps in her son's ear, doing what had to be done… for both their sakes.

One night. One mistake. One scandal that changed everything.Evelyn Charlotte Carter never imagined her name would end up in the headlines — betrayed by her boyfriend, accused of an affair and thrust into a storm she never saw coming.But what the world doesn’t know is that Alexander Reid, the ruthless and composed heir of the Reid empire, has loved her for years.He saw her first.He let her go once.And now when fate gives him another chance, he refuses to walk away again.Protecting her should have been simple—a gesture of goodwill and an old guilt righted.But it isn’t.Every stolen glance, every quiet word stirs what he has tried to bury for years.Evelyn’s kindness draws him closer and her pain destroys his restraint.And soon, obsession replaces control.Caught between loyalty, desire and the shadows of a family that thrives on secrets, Alexander must decide how far he is willing to go for the only woman he has ever loved.Or risk losing her and himself all over again.

Crossing over to Japan during the year 1860, a time marked by the end of the Edo Shogunate Era, amidst a whirlwind of events.Having completed the industrial revolution, foreign powers with steam battleships have opened Japan's doors, bringing turmoil and opportunity to the nation.In this chaotic era, Tachibana Aoto, who travels through time to become an ordinary police officer in Edo (modern Tokyo), acquires the Talent Duplication System, allowing him to duplicate any talent from an opponent after a confrontation, regardless of winning or losing.For instance—after a match with a beautiful youth named Chokata Toshisuke, Tachibana Aoto duplicates the talent of Swordsmanship Talent Amplification, increased by 50 times the average person's talent.