Chapter 532

Gu Yurou stood there for a long while, her heart full of stifled frustration. After quietly wiping the water from her face with a few napkins from the table, she gathered herself, paid the bill, and walked out of the café without saying another word.

Not far away, Shao Wanwan witnessed the entire scene unfold.

She took out her phone, found a familiar number, and dialed without hesitation.

After a few rings, the call connected. But just as she was about to speak, something in her chest twisted. A strange feeling flickered across her mind as memories from the past surfaced.

She paused for a few seconds before finally reporting, “Ancestor, Gu Yurou just got water splashed all over her face by some woman.”

Upon hearing that, Wang Haoran couldn’t help but feel suspicious. That trouble magnet Gu Yurou must’ve stirred up another female antagonist again. He asked at once, “What did the woman look like?”

“I just snapped some pictures. I’ll send them over now,” Shao Wanwan replied calmly while staying on the call, then forwarded the photos via WeChat.

Wang Haoran received them and took one look. He recognized the woman instantly—it was Lu Xinyi, the same woman who had struck up a conversation with him back at the breakfast place.

A wave of annoyance swept through him.

He wasn’t even involved with Gu Yurou romantically, so why was Lu Xinyi clashing with her? What did Gu Yurou do this time to attract conflict again?

This girl really was a walking disaster.

“Ancestor, do you need me to do anything?” Shao Wanwan asked cautiously after a moment of silence on his end.

“It’s just water. Not a big deal. Let her be. Just keep tracking her movements,” Wang Haoran said casually.

But no sooner than he finished speaking, a system prompt suddenly popped up:

【Ding! By choosing not to intervene, the host is now deemed to have abandoned the fake male lead identity. All Villain Points and Halo Points gained from impersonating the male lead will now be erased.】

Wang Haoran nearly cursed out loud.

But after thinking it over, he had to admit the logic made sense.

This was a female-protagonist-style plotline. If the male lead watched while the female lead got bullied and did nothing, how can he still be considered the male lead?

Obviously, he couldn’t.

By the standard script, the male lead should now step in and avenge her.

In other words, he had no choice. If he doesn’t take action now, he’d lose everything the system has awarded him so far.

After a moment of thought, Wang Haoran changed his mind and said, “Never mind. You don’t need to do anything. I’ll handle it myself.”

“You mean… you’re going to stand up for Gu Yurou personally?” Shao Wanwan asked softly, her tone careful.

“That’s right,” Wang Haoran replied.

【Ding! Host has triggered a jealousy response from Female Lead Shao Wanwan. Gained 600 Villain Points!】

The sudden system prompt made Wang Haoran freeze for a second before the realization clicked.

Of course, he had just been intimate with Shao Wanwan not long ago. Now he was saying he’ll step up for another woman. How could she not get jealous?

Shao Wanwan’s voice came again, slightly subdued. “Understood. It’s nothing then. I’ll hang up now.”

“Wait a second,” Wang Haoran called out gently before she could hang up. “Wanwan, you’ve been keeping an eye on Gu Yurou for quite a while. That can’t have been easy.”

His voice was gentle and warm, completely at odds with the image of a cold-blooded villain.

“To serve the Ancestor is no hardship,” Shao Wanwan replied solemnly.

“You don’t have to be so formal,” Wang Haoran said with a light chuckle. “By the way, are you feeling better?”

“Better? What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.

“That day…” he prompted her with a meaningful pause.

Shao Wanwan instantly understood. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and her voice grew shy. “I already used the pain-relief and swelling medicine. It’s all fine now.”

“That’s good. I didn’t have a choice at the time. You don’t blame me, do you?” he asked softly.

“You were saving my life. How could I dare blame you?” Shao Wanwan responded nervously.

“Even so, I can’t pretend it didn’t happen,” Wang Haoran said with subtle intent.

“What… what do you mean by that?” Shao Wanwan asked, already beginning to guess but hesitant to believe her own thoughts.

“I mean,” Wang Haoran said gently, “when we’re not talking business, you don’t need to act so formal anymore. And don’t think of yourself as just a subordinate. Understand?”

A glimmer of realization sparked in her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly answered with joy, “Understood!”

“Good. That’s all for now. If I have time, I’ll come see you,” Wang Haoran said.

“Alright. You know where I live. You’re welcome anytime,” Shao Wanwan said quickly, then hung up in a fluster. Her face was burning hot, and she reached up to touch her cheek, only to find it was scalding.

She stood there for a long moment, letting her heart settle, before paying her bill and heading off again to continue trailing Gu Yurou.

The Ancestor had acknowledged her value. That alone was enough to light a fire inside her. She had to do well—she couldn’t let him down.

Since she had taken on the mission of watching Gu Yurou, Shao Wanwan had never felt this motivated.

By dusk, Wang Haoran drove into Yang Jingwan’s residential community.

After parking in one of the open spots, he scanned the area with a casual glance.

He wasn’t here solely to find Yang Jingwan. He also wanted to see if he could run into Lu Xinyi.

Back at the breakfast shop, Lu Xinyi had struck up a conversation with him. He still remembered the very first thing she said.

From those words alone, he was certain that Lu Xinyi lived in this neighborhood. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have commented about never seeing him around before.

This complex had plenty of modern amenities, but the number of residents wasn’t very high.

That meant if Lu Xinyi was home, there was a good chance he would find her with his X-ray scanning ability.

And given it was already evening, even if she had errands, she should be back by now.

Wang Haoran stood beside his car and began looking around the area calmly.

Meanwhile, in one of the nearby buildings, Lu Xinyi sat at her desk, typing on her computer. But her focus was scattered, and her thoughts kept drifting. As dinner time approached, she finally gave up and decided to take a break.

She opened the window to let in some air before heading out to eat.

As her gaze wandered outside, her eyes naturally landed on the same spot where she had seen the luxury Pagani earlier that morning.

And there he was.

She spotted him instantly, standing by the parking lot, looking around as if searching for something.

What he was looking for didn’t matter.

Overcome with excitement, Lu Xinyi slipped on her shoes and dashed out the door, though she slowed her steps when she got close to him.

“Oh? We meet again. What a coincidence,” she said brightly, pretending to be surprised as she greeted him warmly. Then she added, “You seem to be looking around. Are you trying to find someone? I know almost everyone in the complex. Maybe I can help.”

Wang Haoran had been scanning for a while without spotting her. Now that she appeared on her own, it saved him the trouble.

“I’m here to see you,” he said directly, not bothering to pretend.