At noon, after finishing a home-cooked meal prepared by Feng Anna, Wang Haoran left the villa and headed toward campus on foot.
Halfway there, his phone rang. It was a call from Zhen Li.
“Sweetheart, remember to come home for dinner tonight,” she said cheerfully as soon as he picked up.
“Mom? Why the sudden invite?” he asked, caught off guard.
“It’s my birthday today. Don’t tell me you forgot?”
Wang Haoran paused, mentally checking the date. She was right. Today was indeed her birthday. An awkward smile crept onto his face.
“How could I forget your birthday? I’ve got your gift all ready. I was planning to sneak home and surprise you with it.”
Zhen Li was pleased. “What a good son.”
Then her tone softened a little, thoughtful. “If you’d like, you can bring Weiwei over too. I still haven’t given her that welcome gift I prepared.”
Qiu Qianwei, despite being a professor in the university’s music department, had a lighter schedule than her peers. Evening classes were rare for her. And even if she did have something scheduled, she’d likely cancel it in a heartbeat for an invitation from Zhen Li.
Still, Wang Haoran wasn’t about to take any chances.
“Who else is invited?” he asked.
“Just a few close friends.”
“Does that include Tang Bingyun?”
“Of course. Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you—she’s been unusually kind to me lately. You know I’ve been wanting to get a jade necklace as a gift for Weiwei. I picked out one that costs five million, but Tang Bingyun gave me a ninety percent discount!”
“Maybe the necklace just wasn’t worth that much to begin with. Maybe it only cost her five hundred thousand or so,” Wang Haoran suggested carefully, not wanting to say too much.
Zhen Li didn’t buy it. “I’ve got a good eye for this sort of thing. That piece easily costs at least three million to make.”
“Who else did you invite? Did Uncle Qin get an invitation too?”
“Yes. He’ll be coming.”
“And his daughter? Is Qin Yunhan coming with him?”
“She is. He mentioned it when we spoke earlier.”
Wang Haoran’s heart sank.
Taking Qiu Qianwei to his mother’s birthday dinner would be a problem if Tang Bingyun and Qin Yunhan were going to be there too. Just imagining that table made his skin crawl.
A black business-class vehicle passed nearby. Through the rolled-down window, a beautiful face was watching the roadside as the car drove by. Her gaze happened to fall on Wang Haoran.
【Ding! Congratulations to the host: Lady Luck shines bright. Initial encounter with female lead Song Zihui—Super Peach Blossom Aura triggers second-level effect: “Love at First Sight.”】
【Ding! Female lead Song Zihui’s affection for the host has risen to 50 (Affection: Budding Affection).】
【Ding! Host has influenced the storyline. Gained 3,000 Villain Points. Qin Fan’s protagonist aura -150. Host villain aura +150.】
“…What?”
He blinked, confused by the triple system notifications that popped up in his mind.
He glanced around but only saw a stream of passing cars and a few pedestrians. No sign of a stunning woman nearby.
He quickly pieced it together. She must’ve been in one of those vehicles that had just passed. She saw him—but he didn’t see her.
And from that, he learned something new about his Peach Blossom Aura.
Apparently, as long as the female lead sees him first, it counts as a “first meeting.” He didn’t need to see her in return.
An idea started forming in his head: what if he printed his photo and posted it everywhere? A wide net to catch more leads.
But then he shook it off. That wouldn’t work. The effect only triggered upon “initial encounter,” which meant they had to see him in person.
“Sweetheart, are you still there?” Zhen Li’s voice came through the phone again.
“I’m here. Just listening,” he said.
“Your dad pulled out all the stops this year. He hired an internationally renowned chef just for the party. Whatever you’d like to eat, tell me now so I can pass it along.”
“I’m not picky. Anything’s fine.”
“Really? It’s not every day you get a chance like this. This chef’s work is said to be almost magical. She’s catered for royal banquets and even served the Queen of England. You sure you don’t want to request a few dishes?”
“I’m sure.”
His mind was still preoccupied with Song Zihui’s sudden system alert and the risk of his girlfriends bumping into each other at the party. He wasn’t in the mood to think about food.
“Alright then. Just make sure you come home tonight.”
“I will.”
They ended the call, and Wang Haoran immediately began planning how to prevent the impending disaster.
Qiu Qianwei didn’t know it was Zhen Li’s birthday. If he kept quiet, she wouldn’t find out from anyone else either.
Tang Bingyun already knew and had been invited.
Qin Yunhan must’ve heard from her father.
After some thought, Wang Haoran decided to call Qin Yunhan first.
“Hey, darling. What’s up?” Her voice was sweet and affectionate.
“Skip class. I’m taking you to a movie.”
“Really? Yes!”
Even over the phone, he could feel her excitement.
Wang Haoran decided to skip school himself. He messaged Liu Yue to help him request a leave of absence, then returned to the villa and took out the Lambo.
Before long, he pulled up near the university entrance.
Dressed up and wearing carefully applied makeup, Qin Yunhan was already waiting on the side of the road, scanning the area.
Wang Haoran rolled down the window and leaned over. “Get in.”
With a bright smile, she hopped into the passenger seat. Her expression was full of joy. She tilted her head slightly and asked, “Why the sudden movie date?”
“Take a guess.”
Wang Haoran gave a mysterious smile, then stepped on the gas.
The Lamborghini shot forward like a bullet, leaving the street and its chaos far behind.
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