Outside the girls’ dorm building, on the patch of open pavement, Wang Haoran stood still, his gaze lowered to his phone as he silently counted the minutes.
Three, maybe four minutes had passed when the same girl who had run messages before suddenly burst out of the building, eyes darting nervously.
“Chen Linlin went to call people. She’s gathering a group to come after you,” she said in a whisper, glancing over her shoulder as though worried someone would see her passing the warning. “You should leave now while you still can.”
Wang Haoran looked up from his phone and offered her a polite smile, calm and unbothered. “Thanks for the heads-up,” he said gently.
That smile made the girl’s heart skip a beat. For a moment, she stared at him like she was seeing an angel. Then, realizing she was dazed, she blinked herself back to reality.
“Why won’t you listen? Chen Linlin’s the type who’ll definitely get physical. If you don’t go now, you’re gonna get hurt,” she insisted, trying again.
Wang Haoran only shook his head. “That won’t happen.”
The girl bit her lip, realizing she couldn’t convince him. Worried that Chen Linlin’s people might see her talking to him and brand her a snitch, she didn’t dare stay by his side. She quickly walked off and found a dorm room with a window that offered a clear view of the building’s entrance, choosing to watch from a safe distance.
It didn’t take long before a group emerged from the building—eight or nine muscular girls surrounding one petite, striking young woman.
As the group closed the distance, Wang Haoran remained still. His eyes tracked the girl at the center as she stopped just a few meters away.
One second passed.
Two.
Three.
Still, the system remained silent. Not a single notification.
He immediately understood. The Super Peach Blossom Halo did not get triggered. Not even a whisper of its effects showed up.
The halo was supposed to have double the activation rate when interacting with female villains, and yet—nothing.
He sighed inwardly. His luck today really wasn’t ideal.
Still, it wasn’t that disappointing. The halo had already triggered twice before on a female lead, no less. Expecting it to activate every time would’ve been wishful thinking.
And in a way, this outcome might be better.
After all, Chen Linlin wasn’t a female lead.
Not getting tangled up in halo effects would keep things clean. He focused and issued a mental command to the system.
【Ding! Host has successfully used Charm Halo on the key female villainess character Chen Linlin. Favorability level has risen to 100 – maximum value.】
The system alert flashed in his mind just as Wang Haoran lifted his gaze again.
The sulky annoyance on Chen Linlin’s face had vanished completely. Her eyes, wide and unblinking, were locked on him. They shimmered with something between dazed awe and deep infatuation.
She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
Was it possible for a man to look this good?
Until now, Chen Linlin had firmly believed that no man in the world could ever make her feel anything. She scorned boys, saw them as less than dogs, and had long ago decided she would never fall in love.
Back during her teenage years, she made a vow: a lifetime of celibacy, no romance, no weakness.
She had never dated anyone. Because dating meant letting someone have her. It meant being… claimed.
If men were like dogs to her, then letting one touch her would be no different from being touched by a dog.
Naturally, she had no interest in such disgrace.
And yet, in this moment, that lifelong belief was shattered.
She wanted to date.
Even if dating eventually meant being taken, as long as it was this man—this Wang Haoran—she could accept it.
“Sister Linlin?” one of the burly girls flanking her spoke up, puzzled.
The rest of the group looked equally confused. Their leader, who had marched out with such fury, now stood there frozen like a schoolgirl with a crush.
Chen Linlin snapped out of her daze, quickly retracting her gaze. She tried to compose herself, but her self-control only lasted a second. Her eyes drifted back to Wang Haoran’s face, and just like that, her thoughts unraveled again.
He was too handsome. Too damn enchanting.
She could feel herself falling fast.
“Are you Chen Linlin?” Wang Haoran asked suddenly, his tone indifferent.
“Yes, that’s me. Hello. Nice to meet you,” she stammered a little, awkwardly stretching out a hand in greeting.
The girls behind her exchanged bewildered glances.
Weren’t they here to settle a score?
Why was Chen Linlin being so… friendly?
Sure, the guy was handsome, but Chen Linlin had always been immune to pretty faces. What the hell was going on?
“From now on, don’t mess with Gu Yurou anymore. Got it?” Wang Haoran ignored her outstretched hand, his voice calm but firm.
At the mention of that name, a sharp flash of jealousy passed through Chen Linlin’s eyes.
Right. Gu Yurou.
This whole encounter, this meeting, all of it had happened because of her.
“What’s your relationship with Gu Yurou?” she asked, frowning.
“I told you to answer questions, not ask them,” Wang Haoran shot back without a hint of politeness.
After all, Chen Linlin was still a female villainess. Trying to reason nicely with her might not get through. Sometimes, a harsher tone worked better.
As the saying goes, only a villain can deal with another villain.
Chen Linlin’s face twisted slightly. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. At home or outside, she was always the one who dictated the tone, and everyone catered to her moods.
She was pissed, but the second she glanced at that maddeningly attractive face, her anger deflated like a popped balloon.
“Fine. I won’t go after Gu Yurou again, okay? Happy now?” she muttered, voice softer than anyone had ever heard from her.
Wang Haoran didn’t reply immediately. He waited a few seconds. Still, the system didn’t make a sound.
Nothing.
Which confirmed his suspicion—Chen Linlin was lying.
If she truly meant her words, the storyline between her and Gu Yurou would have concluded. He would have received system rewards.
But the mission hadn’t cleared.
While pondering this, he noticed Chen Linlin’s eyes suddenly shift past him, her expression souring with jealous resentment.
Wang Haoran turned to follow her gaze.
From the direction of the road, Gu Yurou was walking toward the dorm building.
Her head was down, shoulders tense, clearly lost in thought. Her face was drawn, lips slightly pursed in worry.
When she reached the dormitory entrance, she noticed the crowd ahead and finally looked up.
She saw him—Wang Haoran—and then Chen Linlin, surrounded by her loyal muscle-bound followers.
She paused, confused by the unexpected scene. But she didn’t linger. Her head dropped again as she slipped quietly past them and entered the building.
A few seconds later, she disappeared into a dorm room on the second floor.
Coincidentally, her room faced the main entrance directly.
If she pressed herself against the window, she could clearly see everything that was happening below—and hear it too.
Wang Haoran and Chen Linlin stood silently for a few moments after she left.
Neither spoke.
Chen Linlin’s eyes followed Gu Yurou’s retreating figure until it vanished from view. She let out a silent huff and turned back toward Wang Haoran.
He, however, activated his X-ray Vision and could clearly see Gu Yurou crouching by the window, trying to secretly spy on them from behind the curtain.
An odd feeling welled up in his chest.
This situation felt all too familiar. A classic dramatic dog-blood setup straight out of a romance novel.
He wanted to reject it. Wanted to pull away from the cliché.
But if he wanted more villain points, he had no choice but to play along.
Drawing a deep breath, Wang Haoran fixed his gaze back on Chen Linlin and said in a cold, warning tone, “Whatever happened between you and Gu Yurou ends today. You’re not to touch her again. If you do—I won’t let it slide.”
He deliberately raised his voice.
No doubt, Gu Yurou would hear every word from her perch on the second floor.
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