Magic Life in the Empire - Chapter 55: Duel

Nicole d'Armand never expected to walk into her apartment and find her fiancé *bleep*-deep in another woman's lady bits. What's a girl to do?Well, after obliterating an 18th-century Meissen vase, delivering a punch that would make a heavyweight boxer proud, and embarking on a night of raucous drinking, Nicole figures she might as well embrace the chaos.But when alcohol and pheromones collide, her wild night spins into something unexpected... Like a ride on the Logan Everett express.Which, naturally, leads to a whirlwind of its own: She's his fated mate. Because of course she is.And he rejects her. Because of course he does.Now embroiled in a mystery bigger than her post-breakup hangover, Nicole finds herself the prime suspect in a murder she didn't commit—no matter how tempting the thought might have been. And the only person who believes her innocence? The same guy who shot down the idea of being her fated mate.Great. Just what she needed: her love life is a crime scene, and the man stupid enough to let her go is holding her freedom in his hands.

Avery Asteria was far from having anyone's dream job. Family circumstances had him drop out of school and flying around the expanse of space looking for treasure among the discarded trash in an old ship his father had been restoring. It was far from glamorous work, but it was all he could do to earn the money he needed.He was not the only one looking for fortune among the stars, though. One day a score that looked too good to be true led to a run in with a band of pirates. With some quick wits and a bit of luck, Avery managed to escape the worst, but he ended up missing out on collecting the valuable salvage he had his sights on.Having lost a large chunk of his gear in his flight from the pirates, Avery seemed to be truly at the end of his rope. However, a twist of fate led him to discovering an experimental vessel that had been lost to the far reaches of space.With this new ship in his possession, his prospects were looking up. It had everything and more than what any spacefarer could want. And Avery was going to use it to become the leader of the greatest band of mercenaries in the galaxy.

It was a time where demons roamed the earth and chaos reigned. The story took place in Luoyang, the legendary capital of the times. During the night, one could find people holding on to their food with dear lives as they faced off against stray dogs, people with weapons in hand vowing to fight against Fate to their very last breath. There was bloodshed everywhere as some died meaningless deaths, while the strong tyrannized the weak and the truth was frequently hidden. Some of the citizens had completely lost their mind, while some died on their travels. Most importantly, the words of a certain youth caused much panic in the human world. It was a time of little warmth as nights in the capital were frequently accompanied by gusts of wind and rain, and it would be covered with snow during winter. Such were the days…

- Description from Novelupdates

【This story features a vibrant and outgoing female lead and a gentle and devoted male lead. It is a romance novel filled with pampering moments and post-marriage love.】Mi Jing, 27 years old, unmarried.She comes from an ordinary background, has a warm family, and loving parents.Shen Lingxing, a major shareholder of M Group, a private hospital director, and a second-generation government official.Despite being an eligible bachelor with such a prestigious status, he struggles to find a wife! Instead, he always shows up to blind dates pretending to be an ordinary doctor. After nineteen blind dates, the results are always the same—either the woman rejects him, or he rejects the woman.And Mi Jing has been a witness to all nineteen of these blind dates, ultimately becoming the one to end the streak.She asked, “Still haven’t found anyone suitable?”He responded with a simple “Hmm” and nodded.Then she asked, “What do you think about me?”He answered, “You’re pretty good!”So she suggested, “How about we get married?”Upon hearing this, he wasn’t overly surprised. Instead, he readily agreed, “Sure, let’s go get the marriage certificate later.”【The most heartwarming love story unfolds after twists and turns when she meets him at her most mature and beautiful years.】He was a regular customer at her coffee shop. At first, she didn’t really pay attention to him. But since the girls in the shop often mentioned him, she gradually developed some awareness of him.He liked drinking Blue Mountain coffee and often went on blind dates.In fact, she herself also frequently went on blind dates, although hers were not voluntary but driven by her mother’s pressure.One day, she ran into a particularly troublesome blind date. Coincidentally, he was sitting at the next table. In a moment of desperation, she pulled him over to pretend to be her shield.Another day, at a university classmate’s wedding, she ran into him again, along with her ex-boyfriend and the third party who had come between them back then.When faced with provocations from “the third party,” she held his hand and pretended he was her boyfriend—venting her frustration, though it cost her financially.…They were both at the age to be considered “older youth,” pressured by their families to frequently attend blind dates. With marriage as their ultimate goal, they hit it off instantly and decided to marry on a whim.【Scene 1】One evening, Mi Jing brought Shen Lingxing home for dinner.After dinner, Mi Jing and Shen Lingxing went downstairs together.“You…” Mi Jing was suddenly kissed by Shen Lingxing, leaving her wide-eyed and stunned.“Don’t move. Mom is watching.” Shen Lingxing held Mi Jing tightly and whispered softly in her ear.“My mom? Where is she?”“She’s on the balcony.”Shen Lingxing glanced at a black car not far away. Seeing the twisted expression on Mi Jing’s ex-boyfriend’s face, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.