Chapter 240: I Have a Friend

Chapter 240: I Have a Friend

“Miss, thank you so much,” the little girl’s mother said gratefully to Bian Suwen, not fully understanding why she was being thanked—but still following Wang Haoran’s lead.

Bian Suwen gave a soft smile in response.

The girl, now fully recovered and clinging to her mother’s hand, was gently coaxed, “Sweetheart, say thank you to the big brother and sister.”

The little girl looked up at Wang Haoran and Bian Suwen with big, innocent eyes and said in her sweet, childish voice, “Thank you, fairy sister. Thank you, fairy brother.”

The corners of Bian Suwen’s usually calm, elegant face curved into a rare, warm smile. She squatted down and gently patted the little girl’s head, a softness in her gaze she didn’t show often.

Not far off, Lin Chen was practically fuming. He’d been trying to show off, but instead, Wang Haoran had swooped in and stolen the spotlight—again. Scowling, he walked over and scolded the child, “Little girl, you can’t just eat anything from now on, understand?”

But his stern tone only frightened the girl. She backed away nervously, and instead of running to her mother, she instinctively took shelter behind Wang Haoran. That small action spoke volumes.

Wang Haoran, with his naturally high charisma, wasn’t just attractive—he radiated a warm, calming presence. For the little girl to hide behind him instead of her own mother made it clear just how safe she felt around him.

He crouched down and gently ruffled her hair. “Don’t be scared of that meanie. I’ll protect you,” he said reassuringly.

Lin Chen’s expression twisted. “I’m not a bad guy! You’re the bad one!” he barked back, voice tinged with frustration.

From his perspective, Wang Haoran was the villain of his life—always blocking his brilliance, always stealing his moments.

The girl tilted her head and said seriously, “Big brother looks so handsome. He must be a good guy!” And as she said it, she even stuck her tongue out at Lin Chen with a playful little face.

“Just because someone looks good doesn’t mean they’re a good person,” Lin Chen huffed.

“Then does that mean if someone looks bad, they’re a good person?” she asked innocently.

“I’m not ugly! I’m super cute!” Lin Chen shot back, flustered.

The girl burst into laughter and playfully teased, “Cute is something girls get called. You’re a boy, and you’re calling yourself cute? So silly!”

She was only four or five, and Lin Chen, though technically eight, wasn’t much older in appearance. The scene devolved into childish bickering, the two of them throwing silly jabs and making faces. For the adults watching, it was oddly entertaining—like two kindergarteners arguing over whose turn it was on the swings.

“You little brat…” Lin Chen was so exasperated he was nearly speechless.

The girl stuck out her tongue one last time, clearly victorious in her own mind.

After a little while, her mother gave one last heartfelt thank-you to Wang Haoran before finally leaving with her daughter.

Wang Haoran nodded politely in return, but as they walked off, he couldn’t help but glance a little longer at the girl’s mother. Until now, he’d been too focused on the kid to really take notice, but now that he had a moment…

She was stunning.

Beautiful face, elegant aura, flawless curves—she easily hit a solid 95 out of 100 in every category. By any system standard, she had the makings of a female lead.

But then again, she had a four- or five-year-old daughter.

That immediately disqualified her.

After all, every system-recognized female lead came with a hidden “must-be-untouched” clause.

There’s no way she still meets that requirement, right? That’d just be absurd.

Shaking his head at the ridiculous thought, he watched her disappear out of sight.

“She really called me the bad guy…” Lin Chen muttered under his breath, still feeling a little sour as he stared in the direction the girl had gone.

Qiu Qianwei and Bian Suwen exchanged amused glances, both letting out a soft chuckle. Bian Suwen then added, “Children speak from the heart. Don’t take it personally. Just because someone’s attractive doesn’t mean they’re a good person.”

As she spoke, she glanced deliberately at Wang Haoran.

The look didn’t go unnoticed.

Wang Haoran’s lips twitched. He could read her loud and clear. That glance… Was she implying he wasn’t a good person?

As a villain, just standing still was enough to draw the protagonist’s hatred. If he tried to play the good guy on top of that, wouldn’t it be no different from courting death?

Even so, he understood why Bian Suwen felt the way she did. After all, in her eyes, he had once “abandoned” her. How could she possibly see him as anything but a heartless bastard?

The meal now finished, the group got back in the car and headed toward the villa near Qingling, the one Liu Yue had prepared.

It was spacious, well-kept, and had more than enough rooms. Naturally, Bian Suwen was arranged to stay there.

But as Wang Haoran stepped through the gates, he couldn’t help but feel a sudden chill.

This villa… was dangerously close to the one Tang Bingyun had given him. Less than a hundred meters apart.

That was

far

too close.

If he wasn’t careful in the future—if Tang Bingyun or another female lead happened to swing by when he was at one or the other—then disaster was only a step away.

As he was thinking this, Bian Suwen suddenly spoke up coldly.

“Thanks for carrying the luggage. You probably have other things to do, so I won’t keep you.”

The meaning couldn’t be clearer—

please leave

.

Wang Haoran raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. He really did have class soon anyway.

“Come on, little buddy. Time for school,” he said, turning to Lin Chen.

He wasn’t about to leave the protagonist alone with a female lead—that was rule number one in the Villain Survival Handbook.

Lin Chen grumbled and resisted, but Wang Haoran didn’t give him a choice. With his superior strength, he simply dragged the boy out of the villa.

Inside, Qiu Qianwei and Bian Suwen were left alone.

“Third Sister,” Qiu Qianwei asked hesitantly, “are you… angry at Haoran or something? You seem kind of cold to him.”

“I’m not targeting

him

,” Bian Suwen replied calmly. “I’m targeting all men.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

Ever since she’d been “abandoned,” her trust in men had shattered. These days, she couldn’t even bring herself to take a male patient’s pulse directly—always using suspended thread diagnosis instead, just to avoid physical contact.

Qiu Qianwei furrowed her brows but didn’t suspect much. Still, she couldn’t help but speak up for Wang Haoran. “He’s not like other guys though. He’s… really devoted, you know? If you get to know him, maybe you won’t dislike him so much.”

“Devoted?” Bian Suwen’s tone turned sharp, her lips curling into a bitter smile. “He’s nothing but a heartless bastard who starts something and then walks away.”

Her voice held a chill that hadn’t been there before.

Qiu Qianwei blinked, stunned. “Third Sister… did he do something to you?”

Bian Suwen’s heart lurched. She instantly regretted her words.

She had

never

told anyone about what had happened between her and Wang Haoran—not even her sisters. But now, in a moment of emotional slip, she’d said too much.

Seeing Qiu Qianwei’s growing suspicion, Bian Suwen forced herself to recover.

“It’s nothing,” she said calmly. “I was talking about a friend.”