So he’s the final act, the grand finale. Truly fitting for a protagonist, it almost feels like this whole thing was arranged for him. Wang Haoran curled his lips into a mocking smile, then asked again, “When does the show begin, and how long will it last?”
“Starts at eight, ends around ten. Two hours in total,” Zhuo Xiu replied.
Wang Haoran checked the time. It was only 7:40. That left plenty of time—more than enough, actually. Relaxing a little, he went over a few more details with Zhuo Xiu before letting her leave. Once she was gone, he immediately pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
The moment the call connected, a familiar, slightly teasing voice drifted through the speaker. “You only remembered to call after being my boyfriend for days? So? Where are we going?”
Wang Haoran gave a regretful sigh and said, “Not today. I’ve got something to deal with.”
“You sound busy. Can I make a reservation?” Zuoqiu Chenyu’s tone turned a little sour, like she was trying to hide her disappointment.
She knew better than anyone that she wasn’t the only girlfriend in Wang Haoran’s life. She mentally prepared for it when she agreed to the relationship. But ever since that night, she had been waiting. Waiting for a date. Waiting for something that felt like an actual relationship.
At twenty-five, she never truly experienced what it felt like to date someone. She had been looking forward to it, but days passed, and there was no contact—until now. And even then, he wasn’t calling for her for that. He was calling for something else entirely.
Wang Haoran chuckled. “What kind of appointment are you looking to book? My schedule’s full for shopping, movies, and dinner. But if it’s for deep philosophical exploration in a hotel room, I might have some openings.”
But this guy was skipping the whole journey and going straight to the finish line.
She really wanted to curse him out, but in the end, she held her tongue. No matter how outrageous he was, he still had the leverage. She was now his “partner,” and even though they were not official yet, it was already set. If she pissed him off and he decided to cut ties, where would that leave her?
Taking a breath, she steadied her emotions and asked calmly, “So, what do you need this time? Fixing someone again?”
She had a good memory, and this wasn’t the first time he reached out with a task in mind. She figured it was something similar.
“You’ve got quite a few capable men under you, right?” Wang Haoran asked, dropping the playful tone.
“Capable men?” Zuoqiu Chenyu smirked. She found the wording a little too polite, even funny. “What kind of capabilities are we talking about?”
“People who like to fence,” Wang Haoran said, voice serious, though his tone carried an odd note.
Zuoqiu Chenyu froze for a second, then suddenly understood what he really meant. She burst into a few short laughs, then responded properly. “Yeah. I’ve got some.”
She didn’t know what he was planning, but she could sense it was something big.
“How many?” he asked.
“How many do you want?” she shot back.
Wang Haoran paused, clearly surprised. “So you’ve got a lot, huh… Alright, pick ten elites. I’ll send you the location. Have them gather there as soon as possible.”
“Got it.”
Zuoqiu Chenyu hung up, peeled the face mask from her cheek, wiped down her flawless face with a tissue, and headed out to assemble the troops.
Wang Haoran, now done with the call, returned to the square.
As the performance time drew near, the plaza grew increasingly crowded. Thousands of students from the art academy had gathered, the noise growing louder with each passing minute. Students sat in organized clusters based on their classes, all waiting for the showcase to begin.
Wang Haoran and Lu Yan sat close together on a bench. Her classmates, as well as their homeroom teacher, gave them curious glances. The teacher didn’t recognize him and could tell he wasn’t one of their own, so she stepped forward with the intention to ask him to leave. But then her gaze caught the keys hanging at his waist—specifically, the unmistakable Pagani logo on the keychain.
The sight of it hit her like a slap to the face. She immediately backed off and pretended like nothing happened. Someone driving that kind of car was clearly out of her jurisdiction.
Before long, Zhuo Xiu and the other male host stepped onstage. After a brief opening speech, the performances began in earnest.
Being a professional-level institution, the art academies’ showcase was far more impressive than a normal university. There were musical performances with various instruments, dancers of all styles, and singers with real talent. Even Wang Haoran found himself interested for a while.
What really kept him engaged, though, was the difference in what he could see. His vision was far clearer, far more detailed than that of a normal person. When the male students took the stage, he didn’t bother watching and instead spent that time chatting with Lu Yan to pass the time.
An hour and a half passed quickly. The moment Ling Nanxu would take the stage was getting closer.
Backstage, Ling Nanxu waited in anticipation. He warmed up with a few graceful movements, stretching and testing his posture. The boys backstage, who were also waiting for their turn, stared at him with wide eyes and dry throats. Each one felt like their blood was boiling.
None of them recognized this beauty. Who was she? Why had they never seen her around campus before?
Several boys couldn’t help themselves and came up to ask for her name.
Ling Nanxu didn’t answer. He simply smiled with charm in his eyes, shook his head gently, and left them hanging.
They were disappointed, sure, but their gazes remained locked on him. Their passion didn’t cool at all. Ling Nanxu felt a wave of joy as he quietly earned more points from their interest.
As a guy himself, he knew exactly what kind of temptation men couldn’t resist. He had studied it and now used it expertly. With his flawless feminine disguise, his impact was even greater than a real girl’s. He made himself into a weapon of seduction.
Watching those boys lose their composure, seeing their dazed expressions and hungry eyes—it filled him with a kind of satisfaction that bordered on addiction. Especially since it all translated into tangible benefits for him. More points, more charm, more power.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
These little interactions only earned him a few points here and there, just enough to nudge his charm value up slightly. But once he stepped onstage, once all eyes were on him and he danced with his full skill on display, he would earn a flood of points. He was confident that after one dance, he could raise his charm by at least one or two hundred.
The thought made his blood race.
Just then, Zhuo Xiu walked up with a voice as cold as a bucket of water. “Ling Nanxu, go to the snack shop outside campus and get me a box of stir-fried noodles.”
His thoughts shattered like glass. Ling Nanxu frowned. He didn’t want to argue with her since she had connections, but he still tried to be polite. “There are only five acts left before I go on. You should ask someone else.”
“There’s still at least twenty minutes. Plenty of time. Go now and come right back,” she said with certainty.
“I’ll get it for you after I perform,” he said, trying to stall. He had no intention of coming back after his show.
But Zhuo Xiu’s expression turned cold. “If you don’t go, don’t bother going onstage at all.”
“You…” Ling Nanxu was furious, but he didn’t dare fight her directly.
She was one of the hosts, and in this student-organized event, the hosts had real authority. She could find a reason—any reason—to cut his performance. That wasn’t a risk he could take.
“Fine. I’ll go.”
Feeling stifled, Ling Nanxu forced himself to agree.
He knew a shortcut that led to the shop and back in around eight minutes. The shop was known for being fast, and he had gone there often. One box of noodles wouldn’t take more than five minutes. If he rushed, he could make it back in thirteen minutes total. It would be tight, but it should work.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder why Zhuo Xiu chose him specifically. There were plenty of people backstage. Was it because she thought he was prettier than her and was targeting him out of jealousy?
There was no time to dwell on it. He ran down the quiet path outside campus.
Halfway there, as he rounded the corner of a building, he suddenly crashed into something that felt like a brick wall.
“Ah!” he gasped in pain, falling to the ground. Out of habit, he cried out in that sweet, feminine voice he had trained himself to use so well.
When he looked up, he froze in terror.
It wasn’t a wall. It was a man—no, a giant. And he wasn’t alone.
Ten hulking men surrounded him, eyes glinting with green light as they stared him down. They licked their lips and crept closer.
Panicking, Ling Nanxu dropped his act and shouted in his real voice, “Guys, I’m a man! I’m a man!”
But the group didn’t retreat. Instead, their smiles widened with excitement.
A wall of towering shadows closed in on him, and in his wide, terrified eyes, those massive bodies kept growing larger and larger until they blotted out the sky.
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