After finishing his call with Lu Ming, Wang Haoranâs thoughts shifted to Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu, tangled in lawsuits, had initially refused to bow his head. In defiance, he hired a legal team of his own to go toe-to-toe with Wang Haoranâs. With both sides locked in a costly battle, the case could have dragged on indefinitely. Top-tier lawyers didnât come cheap, and both men had been bleeding money.
But in the end, Ye Qiu compromised.
Wang Haoran could guess why. Time, money, and frustrationânone of it seemed worth it. So Ye Qiu decided to settle and apologize.
With that resolved, his main story arc could now continue. Predictably, Ye Qiu would go back to recruiting beautiful tenants again.
Naturally, Wang Haoran couldnât allow the plot to progress that easily. For an âassassin-landlordâ protagonist like Ye Qiu, his apartment was the centerpiece of the entire story. If the house itself became a problem⊠how could the plot advance?
While mulling it over, Tang Bingyun re-entered the hall, her voice cutting through his thoughts. âStill sitting here? Go shower.â
Wang Haoran didnât move from the sofa. Instead, he looked up and asked, âDo you happen to know anyone from a building-inspection agency?â
âI do. Why the sudden question?â Tang Bingyun frowned slightly.
Wang Haoran improvised smoothly. âItâs nothing major. I was passing by an old residential block near the Qingling campus today and almost got hit by a chunk of falling wall tile. When I went to talk to the owner, he didnât even apologizeâhe accused me of throwing a rock at his wall.â
Tang Bingyunâs chest rose and fell sharply; anger flashed across her face. âOutrageous! Tell me where that man lives. Iâll make sure he ends up in jail!â
Wang Haoran waved it off. âNo need. Bickering with such common folk only lowers my class. Iâm just worried those buildings are too old and unsafe. Theyâre right next to the campusâstudents walk past there every day. I think a full safety inspection should be done. If theyâre hazardous, have them torn down.â
Hearing that, Tang Bingyunâs opinion of him deepened.
When they first met, his courage and quick action had already made her think he was a kind, upright young man. Now, she added a new label in her heart: selfless compassion.
Heâd almost been hit by falling debris, yet instead of seeking revenge, he thought about preventing future harm to others. Wasnât that⊠true benevolence?
Tang Bingyun stepped closer, her fingers brushing lightly across his cheek, eyes soft with emotion.
Wang Haoran returned her gaze with a gentle smile. âSo⊠about that inspection?â
âLeave it to me,â she said at once. âIâll have the agency check the whole block.â
Wang Haoran nodded, then added casually, âIâll send you the specific building that dropped the tiles later. That one looked the worstâmake sure they inspect it thoroughly. Be as strict as possible.â
âYou donât even have to tell me.â Tang Bingyun gave a resolute nod. âNow go bathe. Iâm still not at easeâI want to make sure youâre not hurt anywhere.â
ââŠ?â Wang Haoran blinked at her.
A faint blush rose to Tang Bingyunâs composed face. âGo on,â she urged softly.
âOh.â Wang Haoran gave a small nod and left her sight, heading toward the shower.
Halfway through his bath, his keen hearing picked up a faint, irregular sound.
Extending his perception, he scanned the villa with his X-ray visionâand saw someone slipping through the garden.
An assassin? Ye Qiu?
The thought came instantly. Ye Qiu was a trained killer; it wouldnât be strange for him to seek revenge after being humiliated.
Wang Haoran could only pity him. Against his current strength, Ye Qiu would be nothing more than easy prey.
He hadnât killed Ye Qiu yet, only because milking him for Villain Points and rewards was more profitable. A quick kill brought little benefit.
Take Lin Feng, for exampleâone strike, and all heâd gained was a mere thousand points and fifty Halo. Not worth it.
Still, if Ye Qiu insisted on throwing himself into the meat grinder, Wang Haoran wouldnât hesitate to oblige.
Waitâ
That figure was⊠a woman?
As the intruder crept closer, Wang Haoranâs expression changed. It wasnât Ye Qiu at all.
It was Bu Feiyan.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, Wang Haoran slipped quietly out of the bathroom. Just as Bu Feiyan climbed through the open window on the second floor, he caught her by the shoulder.
Startled, she instinctively reached for the dagger at her waist, but a strange force pressed down through his grip, sapping her strength.
âCreeping around at nightâwhat exactly are you doing here?â
In the midst of her alarm, a familiar voice reached her ears.
She turned her head, saw Wang Haoranâs face, and let out a breath of relief mixed with delight. âI knew it. Who else but you, Senior, could move like that?â
Although she knew Wang Haoran was younger than her, the world of martial cultivation respected ability over age. Out of habit and reverence, she still addressed him as Senior.
âYou still havenât answered my question,â Wang Haoran said coolly.
Bu Feiyan hesitated for a moment, then confessed honestly, âLittle Chen contacted me in tears, saying you bullied him and asking me to beat you up to avenge him. But Iâm no match for you, Senior, so to keep him from being upset, I just pretended to come check on you.â
She lowered her gaze slightly, a hint of shyness coloring her words. âI only meant to sneak a peek and leave quietly⊠I didnât expect to get caught.â
As she spoke, her eyes flicked over himâand widened slightly.
Under the villaâs warm lighting, Wang Haoranâs bare torso glistened, the lines of his eight-pack abs casting sculpted shadows across his skin.
She froze.
Seniorâs physique⊠is incredible.
ăDing! Host has stirred Bu Feiyanâs heart. Gained 600 Villain Points!ă
ăDing! Host has stirred Bu Feiyanâs heart. Gained 600 Villain Points!ă
The system chimes rang in his head, but outwardly, Wang Haoran remained composed, maintaining his aloof âSeniorâ demeanor.
Judging from her tone and her fifty-point favorability, she clearly meant no harm. Her words seemed genuine.
Wang Haoran let the matter slideâbut he still had questions.
âYour second and eldest sisters⊠what are their identities?â
Earlier, Bu Feiyan had mentioned that Lin Chen asked her to fight Wang Haoran. That was fine; she posed no threat.
But what if next time, Lin Chen sent her eldest or second sister instead?
Those two heroines had yet to appear, and their power level worried him. From the seventh heroine, Qiu Qianwei, upward, each one grew stronger than the last. The third sister, Bian Suwen, and the fourth, Bu Feiyan, were already formidable martial artists.
The unseen first and second sisters had to be even strongerâespecially the eldest.
Bu Feiyan blinked at him. âSenior, youâve heard of the Hidden Dragon and Rising Phoenix Ranking, havenât you?â