Never Fall from the Azure Clouds (Cultivation)

[Currently revising and getting back into writing. Updates are irregular. Thank you, darlings, for your support, and I hope life is treating you well!] As the daughter of a prestigious family, Ren Ranyue’s future was already decided. She would simply follow in the footsteps of her older sisters and get married and have children. If she was lucky, all she would have to do each day was manage household affairs and keep an eye on the women in her husband’s household. If she was unlucky, she might be implicated by her husband’s clan and exiled to the frontier, or sold into slavery. Compared with most people, she was already very fortunate. At least she wore silk, ate delicacies most ordinary families had never seen, lived in a courtyard blooming with flowers, and used the so-called special tribute from Shengjing. Everything she ate, wore, and used was of the finest quality. But why did she feel so unwilling to accept it? Ren Ranyue was like the flowers beside the courtyard. No matter how beautiful they grew, their owner could pluck them whenever they wished, or trample them underfoot. Fate had never been in her own hands. It was controlled by others. She didn’t want to be a flower in the courtyard, nor a bird in a cage. If she had a chance to change everything, she would seize it without hesitation. A few things to know before reading: 1. The pacing is not fast. 2. The protagonists and supporting characters are quite calculating. Coming soon in my author’s collection: "On the Verge of Fame (Showbiz)". Female lead, no romance. As a 108th-tier actress who graduated from a third-rate college, fame was an unattainable dream for Ling Ran. Being a nameless extra with one line at a film studio was her everyday life. In the glitzy entertainment industry, she played all kinds of insignificant roles. Day after day, year after year, Ling Ran nearly forgot why she had wanted to enter showbiz in the first place. Was it because she wanted to stand beneath the spotlights and enjoy the cheers and adoration? Or because she wanted to rake in money every day and live a life of extravagant consumption? It seemed neither... When Ling Ran was little, she loved wearing a bedsheet like a fairy’s dress, and imitating lines from TV dramas. She loved the profession that breathed life into characters. Unfortunately, she had neither exceptional talent nor outstanding looks. No matter how much she loved it, she still had to bow to reality. After being battered by society, her classmates all changed careers early and said goodbye to that sweet dream. Only Ling Ran kept going. But how much longer could she keep it up? Watching the top star surrounded by people in the distance, Ling Ran lowered her head and smiled bitterly. Perhaps spring would never come for her. Coming soon in my author’s collection: "Ace Support". Female lead, no romance. Sitting in a senior-year classroom once again, Liu Qingyu’s mind was filled with three questions about life. "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?" Hadn’t she just received her admission notice from a 211 university? How had she woken up back in the hell that was senior year of high school? Desk mate: "Qingyu, what position are you choosing for today’s exam?" An exam already... Senior year really did live up to its reputation, with all its quizzes, weekly tests, monthly tests, and countless other exams. Liu Qingyu answered on the verge of tears, "Aren’t exam seats assigned according to last time’s ranking?" "What’s wrong with your brain? You can choose for yourself this time! I’m picking marksman. What about you?" "Huh?" Liu Qingyu was covered in question marks. Her desk mate seemed to have lost it. Maybe she had played too many games last night. "Are you feeling unwell? Why don’t you pick support today? I’ll protect you." Aside from her desk mate’s incoherent rambling, everyone around them was discussing their so-called exam positions. Words like assassin and warrior kept coming up. Liu Qingyu’s heart kept sinking. Had the world gone crazy, or had she? Among the books piled high on her desk were a few that didn’t fit in. [Things Marksmen Should Know] [Survival Tips for Supports] What was all this supposed to mean? Liu Qingyu was full of questions. After finally figuring out how this world worked, she wanted to pour herself a cappuccino. "Liu Qingyu, get in there! Why are you always crouching in the bushes?" "Don’t marksmen usually hide in the bushes?" "Liu Qingyu, where are you? Are you trying to turn invisible over there?" "Aren’t assassins supposed to be hard to spot?" Her desk mate was furious: "Liu Qingyu! If I get put on the same team as you for the college entrance exam assessment, I’m dropping out and taking it again!" Knowing she was in the wrong, Liu Qingyu stammered and frantically slid around to dodge: "It won’t come to that, it won’t! Calm down, calm down." Theme: Even in a rigid class system, have the courage to break free and rise.