Chapter 436: Acknowledging Kinship

“Cousin, are you done asking questions yet? Hurry up and call someone for me!” Zhen Shuai urged impatiently.

“You went up to flirt with a random woman and got slapped. You deserved it. Don’t drag others into your mess,” Wang Haoran said flatly.

“If you won’t help, I’ll just find someone myself. I’ve got money—hired help isn’t hard to get. Bye.” Zhen Shuai replied angrily.

“Hold up,” Wang Haoran stopped him before he could hang up.

“Changed your mind already?” Zhen Shuai asked.

“Don’t call anyone else. I’ll handle it,” Wang Haoran said reluctantly, even though he didn’t really want to get involved.

If Zhen Shuai kept provoking Qin Fan, and things spiraled out of control, it wouldn’t just be him caught in the mess. It could drag down the entire Zhen family—and even the Wang family.

By then, Wang Haoran himself, along with Wang Xiang and Zhen Li, would all be implicated.

Zhen Shuai clearly had revenge on his mind. There was no way he would back down.

Unless… he died.

But killing Zhen Shuai wouldn’t solve the real problem.

As Wang Haoran’s villain halo continued to grow, so did the chances that he’d attract the attention and hostility of powerful protagonists.

Even if he stayed passive, people from his “villain camp” would inevitably stir things up.

In the end, going up against Qin Fan was only a matter of time. Killing Zhen Shuai wouldn’t really help.

So, better to take over the matter and manage it himself. Of course, that didn’t mean he wanted to fight Qin Fan head-on.

Especially after witnessing the strange and dangerous techniques Tantai Yaoyue had used, which meant her master had to be even more formidable.

Wang Haoran exchanged a few more words with Zhen Shuai, then ended the call and began considering his next move.

His gaze drifted toward Tantai Yaoyue, who was still quietly watching him from a distance.

A thought struck him.

Putting his phone away, he walked over with a calm smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s no problem,” Tantai Yaoyue shook her head gently.

“Big Sis? Is it alright if I call you that?” Wang Haoran asked carefully.

“You’re Weiwei’s boyfriend, of course you can,” she replied with a warm smile.

“Then I’ll call you Big Sis from now on.” He nodded and let out a soft sigh. “I’m an only child. My parents have always been busy with business, so I grew up feeling pretty lonely. Honestly, I’ve always wished I had a big sister.”

As he spoke, his gaze remained sincere. “And after meeting you, I feel this natural closeness. From now on, I want to treat you like my own sister. What do you think?”

Given how much Tantai Yaoyue already liked him, she would’ve definitely agreed to protect him.

But doing so can easily trigger Qin Fan’s jealousy. Even if Qin Fan seemed friendly on the surface, who knew what he’d do behind the scenes?

However, if he established a familial relationship with Tantai Yaoyue, it would change the dynamic entirely.

With a sibling bond in place, Qin Fan wouldn’t see him as a romantic rival. In fact, he might even treat him well to earn more favor from Tantai Yaoyue.

Without Qin Fan’s guard up, Wang Haoran would have far more room to maneuver.

“…This…” Tantai Yaoyue’s face paled slightly at his request.

“What’s wrong, Big Sis? You don’t want to?” he asked, his voice full of innocence.

“I… I don’t think it’s appropriate. We’re not actually related by blood,” she hesitated.

“But you and Lin Chen weren’t blood-related either, right? You still treated him like your real brother. Why can’t I be the same?” Wang Haoran pressed gently.

“Little Chen is gone now,” she said sadly. “I’m afraid if I accept you as a younger brother, I’ll end up missing him even more.”

She clearly didn’t want to be siblings with him, and was looking for a reason to say no.

Hearing that, Wang Haoran put on a heartbroken expression and fell silent for a long moment.

Tantai Yaoyue looked at him with concern. “Are you alright?”

“You don’t see me as worthy… You don’t want me as your brother. That’s fine. I was just being silly,” he muttered, voice low, turning away with a gloomy expression.

Unable to bear it, Tantai Yaoyue quickly called out, “Wait—don’t go.”

Wang Haoran paused and turned back.

“I… I’ll agree,” she said at last, after struggling with the decision.

Wang Haoran’s mood instantly flipped as he smiled brightly. “Sis! From now on, you’re my big sister. I’ll respect you just like Lin Chen did!”

Though her heart was full of bitterness, Tantai Yaoyue still forced a smile and nodded in response.

They chatted for a bit longer before parting ways.

Wang Haoran returned to the villa gate, ready to drive into the underground garage.

Just then, his phone rang again.

“I’ve got some free time today. Are you at the school or the villa?” came Tang Bingyun’s voice on the line.

“It’s nearly dinner. I’ll come pick you up, and we’ll eat together. Where are you now?” Wang Haoran asked, quickly shelving the idea of going back to the villa.

There were currently three guests living there. If Tang Bingyun found out, that would be trouble.

“Let’s meet at the usual place, how’s that?” Tang Bingyun suggested.

“Alright,” Wang Haoran agreed. After hanging up, he drove straight to their usual date spot—a romantic couple’s restaurant.

Tang Bingyun had already booked a private room and was waiting when he arrived. Her face lit up as she saw him walk in. She handed him a neatly wrapped gift box.

“This is for you.”

Wang Haoran opened it to find a Vacheron Constantin wristwatch. He was a little stunned. Not long ago, Yang Jingwan had also given him a watch. Now Tang Bingyun was doing the same.

“You don’t like it?” she asked when she saw his reaction.

“If it’s from you, I’ll always like it,” he quickly replied with a smile.

Only then did Tang Bingyun nod in satisfaction and start flipping through the menu.

While waiting for the food, Wang Haoran casually asked, “Did anything unusual happen to you today?”

“There was one thing,” she replied. “I went to buy you that watch, and some punk tried to block my way and get my contact info.”

She briefly recounted the incident outside the watch store.

“He didn’t touch you or anything, right?” Wang Haoran asked, frowning.

Seeing how worried he looked, Tang Bingyun felt a little flutter of happiness. “Of course not. He didn’t even get a strand of my hair.”

Hearing that, Wang Haoran let go of his earlier urge to kill Zhen Shuai. Then he asked about something else.

“What about the guy who helped you out? Did you talk to him much?”

“How paranoid are you?” she rolled her eyes, then teased, “Want me to carve my heart out so you can see how much I love you?”

“I’m not doubting you,” he quickly said. “I just figured that guy might have taken an interest in you. I’m just worried, that’s all.”

Tang Bingyun smiled softly and explained, “He did try to get my number, and he was being kind of persistent. But do you think I’d bother with that? I just thanked him and drove away.”