When Mu Nanzhi finally noticed what was happening, she froze for a brief moment before subconsciously pushing the umbrella a little closer toward Wang Haoran, her voice soft and slightly flustered as she spoke. “I’m already soaked anyway, so it’s fine.”
As she moved the umbrella, her fingers brushed against the back of Wang Haoran’s hand by accident, and Mu Nanzhi reacted instantly, pulling her hand back like a startled little rabbit while her heartbeat sped up without warning.
Wang Haoran did not take her words seriously at all and spoke in a calm, straightforward tone instead. “You can’t stay in the rain like this. If it keeps going, your white clothes are going to show through.”
While saying this, his gaze naturally swept over her figure, not deliberately lingering, but also not avoiding it.
Her white outfit had already been somewhat thin, and while it was fine when dry, the moment rain soaked into it, the fabric clung closely to her skin, clearly outlining her soft curves without leaving much to the imagination.
Mu Nanzhi had not realized it at first, but once he pointed it out, she immediately understood what he meant. Her face flushed as embarrassment rushed in, and she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, as though that alone could stop him from looking.
Seeing her reaction, Wang Haoran simply laughed to himself inwardly. If he really wanted to look, there was no way she could stop him, and besides, he had not only seen before, he had experienced far more than that. Of course, those thoughts stayed buried in his mind.
On the surface, he kept his eyes straight ahead like a proper gentleman, then casually took off the dark scholar robe he was wearing and handed it to her. “Here, put this on, if you don’t mind.”
Warmth immediately welled up in Mu Nanzhi’s chest, and there was no chance she would refuse. “Thank you,” she said softly as she took the robe and draped it over herself, covering the faint outline that had been showing through her wet clothes.
【Ding, Female Lead Mu Nanzhi’s Favorability toward the Host has increased by 10. Current Favorability is 60, Budding Affection.】
【Ding, the Host has influenced the plot direction and obtained 800 Villain Points.】
【Ding, the Host has stirred the Female Lead Mu Nanzhi’s heart and obtained 900 Villain Points.】
Is Favorability really this easy to raise? Wang Haoran was briefly surprised, but his expression did not change at all.
He walked beside Mu Nanzhi toward the Muwang Pavilion, planning to shelter under the eaves, yet before they even reached it, the rain suddenly stopped. The dark clouds overhead slowly scattered, revealing a clear sky once more as sunlight poured down onto the ground as if nothing happened.
Wang Haoran cursed inwardly. Something was clearly off about today’s weather. It almost felt as if the world itself had arranged this rain just to give him the perfect chance to meet Mu Nanzhi. This was practically protagonist-level treatment.
Thinking about it carefully, this really did count as protagonist treatment. Otherwise, how could a villain like him make a female lead fall in love at first sight without even triggering any halo effects?
“What weird weather,” Mu Nanzhi muttered quietly.
Wang Haoran folded up the oil paper umbrella and said casually, “You got soaked, you should go change your clothes as soon as possible.”
“I left some clothes at a shop over there,” Mu Nanzhi said, pointing in the direction of the store where she and Bian Suwen had bought outfits earlier.
“Then let’s go together,” Wang Haoran replied naturally. “I need to change, too.”
The two walked side by side toward a nearby street. Along the way, Wang Haoran kept his gaze forward, looking every bit like a proper gentleman, while Mu Nanzhi kept sneaking glances at him without realizing it herself.
Before long, she noticed something that made her heart skip. The way they looked standing together gave her a strong feeling of Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen. What made it even more uncanny was that Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen also met on a rainy day, meeting each other on a bridge just like this.
As the thought formed, a strange flutter rose in Mu Nanzhi’s chest, sweet and unsettling at the same time.
That feeling did not last long before it was quickly buried again.
If only she were still pure, how good would that be.
Mu Nanzhi thought she had already moved past that terrible experience, but at this moment, it resurfaced painfully. The sense of unease grew heavier, stabbing at her heart like needles until it left a dull ache behind.
Not long after, they arrived at the street where ancient costumes were rented and sold. Coincidentally, they had both bought clothes at the same shop, and their earlier outfits were stored there as well.
They each changed out of their wet ancient clothes and returned to modern attire, though their hair remained slightly damp.
With Wang Haoran’s hair being short, it did not bother him at all, but Mu Nanzhi’s long hair flowed down to her waist, and being wet left her feeling uncomfortable in a way she could not ignore.
“Where are you headed? Do you need a ride?” Wang Haoran asked on his own initiative.
“That would be too much trouble for you,” Mu Nanzhi said shyly, but the moment the words left her mouth, she was worried he might take them seriously, so she quickly added, “I’m going to the Jinhao Hotel.”
The moment Wang Haoran heard Jinhao Hotel, he wanted to complain inwardly again. Qin Fan often went there to eat, Song Zhihui stayed there when she came to Qingling, and now Mu Nanzhi was staying there too. Was it really inevitable that protagonists and female leads always crossed paths like this?
“Oh, that works out, it’s on the way,” Wang Haoran said after collecting his thoughts.
They stepped out of the shop and walked toward a Pagani parked by the road. When Mu Nanzhi saw the butterfly doors lift open, she froze slightly, completely unprepared for just how wealthy he was, or more accurately, how wealthy his family must be.
Wang Haoran drove her to the entrance of the Jinhao Hotel. The twenty to thirty minute drive felt like only a few minutes to Mu Nanzhi. The road felt far too short, and she could not help wishing it were longer so she could stay beside him just a little more.
Unfortunately, they had already arrived, and she could not stay in the car any longer. She quietly sighed, stepped out, but did not leave right away. Instead, she looked back at Wang Haoran with gentle eyes, hesitation clearly written on her face.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Wang Haoran.”
Wang Haoran. Mu Nanzhi repeated it silently in her heart, committing it firmly to memory before softly saying her own name. “I’m Mu Nanzhi.”
“That’s a nice name,” Wang Haoran said with a faint smile that left her momentarily dazed. “I’m glad I met you.”
“Me too,” Mu Nanzhi replied with a smile.
After that, neither of them knew what to say for a moment. She turned to leave, then suddenly remembered something and stopped, hesitating as if she wanted to speak but could not quite gather the courage.
Wang Haoran guessed her thoughts and casually took out his phone, lifting it slightly. “Want to…”
“Yes,” Mu Nanzhi answered immediately before he could finish, and only after speaking did she realize how eager she sounded, her face instantly turning red.
They exchanged contact information, and to ease her embarrassment, Wang Haoran smiled and said, “Meeting you was my pleasure, so we’re friends now, right.” As he spoke, he extended his hand from the car window.
Mu Nanzhi happily reached out and took it.
When their hands met, Wang Haoran felt how soft and delicate her hand was, making it difficult to let go, though he restrained himself and released her after a brief touch.
“Um, can I have your umbrella?” Mu Nanzhi asked suddenly, as if guided by an impulse she did not fully understand.
Wang Haoran immediately understood.
Was it not the same in the story when Bai Suzhen took Xu Xian’s umbrella after their first meeting.
He took the oil paper umbrella from the car and handed it to her, then, on a whim, said lightly, “Actually, my name isn’t Wang Haoran. It’s Xu Xian.”
Mu Nanzhi was about to take the umbrella, but when she heard that, she instantly realized her thoughts had been seen through, and her face burned red.
Yet strangely, she did not feel embarrassed.
She took a soft breath, gathered her courage, and looked at him with bright, watery eyes before answering quietly, “Then my name isn’t Mu Nanzhi either. It’s Bai Suzhen.”
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