Chapter 360: All for Nothing
A sharp, guttural howl tore through the classroom like a blade. It was the sound of Chi Renliang, his voice cracking as if a pig being slaughtered.
Several nearby students hurried over in alarm, rushing to help him to his feet. His face was swollen and red, blood pouring from his nose and staining the corners of his lips. What had once been a neatly groomed, strikingly handsome young man was now a pitiful sightâutterly disheveled and humiliated.
The instructor stepped in at once, instructing a few students to escort Chi Renliang to the infirmary. But class still had to continue.
With a brief pause to regain composure, the teacher adjusted the lesson plan on the fly. Instead of a live piano performance, they would use a recorded accompaniment for the dance portion.
Just as she was about to announce the change, a male student suddenly raised his hand.
âTeacher, I can play the piano,â the boy said calmly.
âYou? Are you from the music department too?â she asked, skeptical.
âYes,â Wang Haoran replied casually, his voice smooth as he stepped forward.
He walked over to the piano without hesitation and sat down. Lifting one hand, he launched into an improvised melody, fingers dancing effortlessly across the keys.
The teacherâs doubts dissolved in an instant. His technique was clean, confident, and the notes flowed with grace. She nodded in approval and waved for the dance class to proceed.
And so, with Wang Haoranâs live accompaniment, the students began rehearsing their introductory Western classical dance. The pianoâs melody rolled out with perfect rhythm and clarity, each note accentuating the dancersâ movements. His posture was poised, his expression focused, his fingers weaving magic over the keysâand it didnât take long before a cluster of wide-eyed girls started whispering among themselves, utterly entranced.
ăDing. Female lead Lu Yanâs favorability toward the host has increased by 20. Current total: 40 (Very Friendly).ă
ăDing. Host has altered the course of the plot. Gained 700 Villain Points.ă
When the class ended, a few bold girls approached Wang Haoran, trying to flirt their way into his contact list. But he kept his distance, neither rude nor inviting, offering only a polite smile before slipping away. The crowd gradually dispersed, and Lu Yan was among the last to leave.
Wang Haoran followed her out, pretending it was just coincidence.
âHey, your dancing was really impressive,â he said with a gentle smile.
âIt wasnât much. Just beginner stuff,â Lu Yan replied modestly, brushing her hair back.
âMind if we add each other on WeChat?â he asked, tone casual.
She hesitated for a beat, then gave a small nod. âSure.â
After all, she had noticed how heâd ignored the attention of all those girls earlier. He hadnât flirted back, hadnât shared his contact info. That, in her eyes, marked him as someone proper. At least, not the type whoâd string girls along for sport. Just exchanging WeChat info didnât seem like a big deal.
They scanned codes and added each other. Lu Yan offered a small smile.
âIâm Lu Yan, by the way. I donât think I caught your name?â
âWang Haoran,â he answered, flashing her another charming grin.
As soon as she heard it, her expression faltered. Her smile froze, and her brow knit tightly, the tension in her gaze growing darker with each passing second.
ăDing. Lu Yanâs favorability toward the host has dropped by 10. Current total: 30 (Very Friendly).ă
ăDing. Lu Yanâs favorability toward the host has dropped by 10. Current total: 20 (Friendly).ă
ăDing. Lu Yanâs favorability toward the host has dropped by 10. Current total: 0 (Indifferent).ă
ăDing. Lu Yanâs favorability toward the host has dropped by 10. Current total: -10 (Dislike).ă
ăDing. Lu Yanâs favorability toward the host has dropped by 10. Current total: -40 (Intense Dislike).ă
The rapid string of system prompts left Wang Haoran completely dumbfounded.
What the hell? Was his name cursed or something?
He hadnât even finished talking before the girlâs mood had gone from open and curious to ice cold. It was like someone flipped a switch. She just nuked his favorability score off a cliff, dropping eighty points in the blink of an eye.
âI have something to take care of. Letâs talk later,â Lu Yan said politely, her tone civil but her eyes full of unmistakable revulsion.
She didnât wait for him to respond. She turned on her heel and walked away, faster and faster, phone already out in her hand as she tapped something quickly.
Wang Haoranâs eyes narrowed. Using his clairvoyance, he peered at her phone screenâand sure enough, Lu Yan had blocked and deleted him from her WeChat without even blinking.
âCould it be⊠did Lu Chen tell her something about me?â Wang Haoran muttered, stunned.
It was the only explanation that made any sense. What else couldâve caused such a violent shift in her attitude the moment he said his name?
He shouldâve used a fake name, but too late now.
He sighed heavily. He spent the entire afternoon trying to build up her favorability, only to dig himself deeper into a hole. Not only did he not gain anything, he burned through his points like he was offering them up as a sacrifice.
âI said it from the startâLu Yan doesnât know whatâs good for her. You were too nice to her. Shouldâve taught her a lesson instead.â
Zhuo Xiu had been watching from a distance and now rushed to his side, voice laced with disdain and smugness.
Wang Haoran didnât bother replying to her jab. He simply exchanged contact info with her with an unreadable expression.
Lu Yan wouldnât be easy to sway for now, but that didnât mean he would stop watching. And Zhuo Xiuâwell, she was a useful pawn.
Seeing him save her contact, Zhuo Xiu beamed. She clearly thought he was showing interest.
âCan I ride in your Lamborghini sometime?â she asked coyly.
âNo.â His answer was blunt, immediate. Then he added, âBut if Lu Yan makes any unusual moves, keep me posted. Iâll make it worth your timeâstarting at fifty thousand.â
Zhuo Xiuâs hopeful grin froze for a second at his rejection, but by the time he mentioned money, her smile was backâand wider than before.
She got it now. This rich second-generation wasnât even slightly interested in her, but he was loaded. Just sharing information about Lu Yan would earn her enough to live like a queen. It was like a pie falling from the sky straight into her lap.
âGot it! Iâll keep an eye on her and report everything right away!â Zhuo Xiu said, nodding like a soldier being given a royal mission. She even walked him to the school gate.
She watched as the Lamborghini disappeared into the distance, its sleek silhouette gliding away under the afternoon sun.
âI really hit the jackpot today,â she murmured, flushed with excitement.
Her monthly allowance was barely five thousand, and with all the makeup and clothes she bought, she was constantly strapped for cash. But now? One tip-off was worth ten times her budget.
The more she thought about it, the greedier she became.
âIf heâs willing to drop fifty thousand just for updates⊠what if I helped him win Lu Yan over completely? Would he pay ten times more? A hundred times?â
The idea took root in her mindâand refused to leave.
Later, she rushed back to the dorm and invited her three roommates out to a KTV to celebrate her âbirthdayâ.
Two of them agreed right away. Lu Yan, on the other hand, shook her head. âI want to stay in and read,â she said softly.
Zhuo Xiuâs smile vanished.
âOh, come on. I know Iâve messed with you in the past, but are you really gonna hold a grudge over that? We live in the same dorm. We see each other every day. Iâm trying to make amends hereâyou really gonna turn me down like that?â
âSome people just think theyâre better than the rest of us,â one of the other girls said with a smirk.
âSo petty. Canât even come out for one night?â the other chimed in, both of them echoing Zhuo Xiuâs tone with sneering mockery.
Lu Yanâs lips pressed into a thin line. She didnât want to cause trouble, and she certainly didnât want to be alienated by her dormmates. After a short pause, she gave a small nod.
âAlright. Iâll come with you.â
âThatâs more like it, Yanyan.â Zhuo Xiu beamed, looping her arm through Lu Yanâs like they were best friends.
But behind that smile, not a trace of sincerity could be found.