Chapter 362: A Thousand Warnings

“Chi Renliang, didn’t you say you liked Lu Yan? Well, now’s your golden opportunity—get over here quick!” Zhuo Xiu blurted the moment the call connected.

But before she could finish, a hand suddenly reached in and snatched the phone right out of her grasp.

“What golden opportunity? What are you talking about? Where should I go? Tell me already!” Chi Renliang’s voice came through the speaker in an anxious rush, though there was a strange whistle to his tone—as if he were speaking with a busted mouth.

“Fuck off,” Wang Haoran growled, his mood already fouled.

He spat a curse into the receiver, then hung up without hesitation and tossed the phone back at Zhuo Xiu.

Truth was, he was on the verge of leaving in anger. But curiosity tugged at him, so he used his x-ray ability to check what was happening in the bathroom.

The moment he looked, his expression turned grim. Lu Yan’s situation had clearly grown urgent. Even if Zhuo Xiu suddenly found her conscience and tried to take the girl to a hospital now, it would already be too late.

And from the looks of it, conscience was nowhere to be found.

Instead, Zhuo Xiu actually tried to call Chi Renliang in for a replacement.

Wang Haoran’s eyes narrowed on her, and for a second, he truly considered throwing her out the window.

“You—you were the one who dragged me into this mess. You can’t blame me…” she muttered, shrinking under his glare like a child caught cheating on a test.

He wanted to lay into her, to unleash every insult boiling in his gut, but time was ticking, and Lu Yan couldn’t wait.

He hissed a single word through clenched teeth. “Out.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll go! Have a great night, I’ll leave you to it!” Zhuo Xiu didn’t dare argue. Like a mouse seeing the cat’s claws, she bolted out of the room and made sure to pull the door tight behind her.

Left alone, Wang Haoran stared in the direction of the shower, deeply exasperated.

That card from earlier that he got, he seriously did not plan on using. At best, the idea only crossed his mind once or twice, maybe as a trick to impress that mysterious big sister who hadn’t even shown up in the plot yet.

But now? It looks like he didn’t have a choice.

Blackmail, threats, coercion… all those tricks Zhuo Xiu had proposed were nonsense. Garbage-tier tactics for bottom-feeder scumbags. If something was going to happen tonight, it would be on his own terms.

And so, the night passed.

The next morning, Wang Haoran stirred and opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the light. The pillow beside him was empty.

Lu Yan had already slipped away an hour ago, quiet as a whisper.

A glance at his system feed revealed a flood of updates. He gained 7,000 Villain Points and 350 Halo Points in total. Lu Yan’s Favorability Score, which had plummeted to -40, had now soared to the maximum of 100.

Yet somehow, it still felt like a loss.

Because the Villain Halo card he used last night—its value alone was 60,000 points.

But there was one thing that comforted him. He now had a new understanding of life:

Having a girlfriend who studied dance… that was a blessing he hadn’t fully appreciated before.

Later that day, Wang Haoran returned to Qingling University for morning classes. In the afternoon, he took his flashy Lambo to Qingling Arts Academy and sat in once again on Lu Yan’s dance class.

He didn’t say a word to her. Just sat quietly at the back like an attentive visitor, focused on the lesson until the class ended.

The moment the final bell rang, he got up and walked off without looking back.

But just as he reached the gates, soft footsteps pattered behind him. A figure caught up, slightly breathless, her brows knitted as if fighting discomfort.

Lu Yan stopped in front of him, voice low and tinged with grievance. “If I hadn’t come over, were you planning to ignore me all day?”

“How could I ignore you? I just didn’t want you to blame me. That’s why I kept my distance,” he said, flashing her a small smile.

“If anyone deserves blame, it’s that horrible Zhuo Xiu. She’s too much!” Lu Yan huffed, crossing her arms.

After everything, she pieced together what really happened. And though Zhuo Xiu practically threw her into the fire, strangely, Lu Yan couldn’t bring herself to truly hate her. After all, in a twisted way, the girl played the matchmaker.

“Want me to teach her a lesson?” Wang Haoran offered.

“Let it go,” Lu Yan said, shaking her head. Then she bit her lip, gathering courage. “So… does this mean I’m your girlfriend now?”

“Only if you want to be,” Wang Haoran said.

“I do! I do! Of course I do!” Her face bloomed with joy as she clutched his hand tighter, warmth and happiness radiating from her smile.

“I heard you’ve got a brother,” he said, smoothly shifting the topic.

“Yeah, my brother’s name is Lu Chen. He called me the other day and said you two had history. He even warned me not to fall for you. Kept going on and on, said you were some massive scumbag,” Lu Yan said with a sheepish laugh.

“You think I’m a scumbag?” Wang Haoran asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Totally!” she answered without hesitation—then softened immediately. “But I still like you. Even if you’re the worst, I’d never leave you. So don’t you dare abandon me, alright?”

“Relax, I won’t. Your brother just misunderstood me,” he said, reaching out to stroke her hair.

“Should I tell him about us, then? Maybe I can explain things and help patch things up between you two?” Lu Yan offered.

“No rush. There’s something else I need you to do first,” Wang Haoran said, gently pressing her back.

“I’ve got a classmate. She’s got a birthmark on her face that she’s always been self-conscious about. I want you to take her to your brother. See if he can help.”

“But my brother’s just a regular med student. He wouldn’t know how to treat something like that…” Lu Yan said, puzzled.

“Don’t worry about the details. Just take her to him. Don’t mention me, just say she’s a friend. And don’t push him to treat her—play it by ear. Can you do that?”

“Alright, I get it.” Though she was full of questions, she didn’t push for answers. Instead, she nodded obediently.

“Call him now,” Wang Haoran urged.

Lu Yan pulled out her phone and dialed.

“Brothwr, where are you?”

“I’m headed to the hospital to see Grandpa,” Lu Chen’s voice came through the speaker, calm and full of energy.

In the background, faint footsteps echoed.

Wang Haoran couldn’t help but click his tongue. This guy was really something—poisoned by Jiang Gaoxuan not long ago, and already walking around like nothing had happened.

“I’ll come too. Let’s meet at the hospital,” Lu Yan said.

“Sure. See you there.” Lu Chen paused, then added, “By the way, has anyone named Wang Haoran been trying to talk to you lately?”

Hearing this, Wang Haoran immediately shook his head at Lu Yan, signaling her not to blow their cover.

“Nope,” she replied smoothly. “Haven’t seen anyone like that.”

“Good. You need to remember this—if some guy named Wang Haoran approaches you, don’t talk to him. Avoid him at all costs, understand?”

“Don’t worry, brother. I swear I won’t say a word to him,” she said with conviction.

As the call ended, she gave Wang Haoran’s hand a loving squeeze and smiled sweetly.

Lu Chen, unaware of anything amiss, let out a relieved sigh on the other end of the line.