Chapter 540

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The middle-aged woman said something in Korean, her voice sharp and laced with urgency. Wang Haoran couldn’t understand a single word, but judging by her tone and expression, it wasn’t hard to guess she was there on official business. She looked toward Jiang Yuner and gestured impatiently. Read on CrimsonScrolls.net #3c8c8026d8

Jiang Yuner nodded obediently, then turned to Wang Haoran and waved with a soft smile. “I have something to take care of, I’ll be going ahead. See you.” Read on CrimsonScrolls.net #3c8c8026d8

“Then I won’t keep you,” Wang Haoran replied with an easy smile. Read on CrimsonScrolls.net #3c8c8026d8

His gentle tone and that smile caught her off guard. She paused for half a second, her eyes dazed, as though something in that expression had made her heart skip a beat. Read on CrimsonScrolls.net #3c8c8026d8

【Ding. Host has destabilized Qin Fan’s mindset. Gained 900 Villain Points. Qin Fan’s Protagonist Halo -45. Host’s Villain Halo +45!】 Read on CrimsonScrolls.net #3c8c8026d8

Standing nearby, Qin Fan watched the whole exchange unfold. The jealousy in his heart surged like boiling oil. He could only grit his teeth and watch Jiang Yuner walk away. Read on CrimsonScrolls.net #3c8c8026d8

Even as she left, she kept turning back to look, and every time her eyes searched, they locked onto Wang Haoran. She didn’t even try to hide it. Read on CrimsonScrolls.net #3c8c8026d8

“Haoran, do you… like her?” Qin Fan’s voice came low and guarded after she was gone, his brows knitted tight.

“What makes you think that?” Wang Haoran feigned surprise, his face pure innocence.

“You smiled at her like that just now, and you kept staring straight at her,” Qin Fan pressed.

“I was talking to her. Of course I had to look at her. That’s just basic manners,” Wang Haoran said calmly, his tone perfectly serious. “Honestly, I just think Jiang Yuner plays a good game of Go. I was hoping to make a new friend, that’s all.”

“If it’s Go you’re interested in, I can teach you,” Qin Fan offered eagerly, stepping in closer as though trying to play the part of a helpful future brother-in-law.

Wang Haoran glanced at him with contempt hidden deep beneath his calm expression. This guy was clearly jealous, unable to stand Jiang Yuner casting flirtatious glances at someone else.

“You play Go?” Wang Haoran raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, making a show of skepticism.

“To be honest, that young genius player from our country, Jing Lu—he’s actually my disciple,” Qin Fan said proudly, his tone full of self-satisfaction. Clearly, he thought Wang Haoran would be impressed.

And Wang Haoran, seeing through it all, played right along. He widened his eyes and let a look of admiration creep across his face. “Really? That’s amazing! I’d love to learn from you someday.”

“Haha, no problem at all,” Qin Fan said, grinning like he just won something. He really believed Wang Haoran was genuinely impressed.

But just as the mood seemed to settle, Qin Fan added in a more serious tone, “That Jiang Yuner… you should probably stay away from her. She’s from Korea, after all—an outsider. It’s best not to get too close. And if Nanzhi finds out, she’ll definitely be upset.”

Oh, so this is a warning, huh? Telling me to stay away so you can go after her yourself? Wang Haoran sneered in his heart but didn’t let it show. This guy really thought he was subtle.

“You’re right,” Wang Haoran said with a nod, voice smooth as ever.

Qin Fan, thinking he’d gotten through, nodded back in approval. But then his eyes narrowed, and he asked, “Give me Jiang Yuner’s phone number. I have something I need to ask her.”

Wang Haoran almost laughed. You serious? This guy couldn’t be more obvious if he tried.

What do you take me for? Some fool who’ll believe anything you say? You clearly want her contact info just so you can reach out in private.

But Wang Haoran didn’t let his disdain show. He simply said, “Sure, I’ll give it to you. You can write it down.”

He recited the number casually. After all, it was just contact info. Giving it to Qin Fan wouldn’t change anything. Let him chase her all he wanted—he already lost before he even started.

Qin Fan might have won a bit of goodwill for saving her earlier, but if he really thought that was enough to win Jiang Yuner’s heart, then he was delusional.

That girl’s heart already belongs to him.

Qin Fan? Chasing Jiang Yuner? Might as well try chasing the moon.

As Wang Haoran gave the number, Qin Fan quickly jotted it down in his phone, even cross-checking it like a paranoid boyfriend making sure he wasn’t being tricked.

Once he confirmed it was correct, a grin broke out across his face as he had just unearthed a treasure.

“Sit down, let’s finish the coffee,” he said happily.

“I’ve got class back at school. I’ll pass. Next time, maybe,” Wang Haoran declined. He really couldn’t stand being around this clown any longer. Another minute, and he might just lose control and start cursing out his whole family.

“Alright, next time then,” Qin Fan agreed easily, but the way he said it made it clear he was itching to text Jiang Yuner right away.

Wang Haoran knew exactly what this bastard was planning. He was probably going to send a message the moment he turns the corner.

—

That afternoon, in a quiet practice room, Jiang Yuner was in the middle of training.

Her opponent wasn’t a person, but an AI—artificial intelligence.

With the way technology had developed, AI had long since become a viable sparring partner for training. In fact, in some ways, it was even more effective than a human opponent.

After all, Go was the pinnacle of strategic board games.

Once the first piece was placed, the number of possible variations on the board grew exponentially. And while those possibilities weren’t infinite, they could be calculated. AI, without needing rest or sleep, could absorb thousands of match records, simulate endless battles, and analyze every move with brutal precision. It could predict a human player’s choices ten, even a hundred moves in advance.

Jing Lu and Jiang Yuner, both at the peak of their nations’ Go circles, had faced the top AIs—and lost more often than they won.

But AI was still just AI, not human.

Even if they lost to the machine, it didn’t change the fact that both of them stood at the very peak of their respective fields.

And now, with a major match approaching, Jiang Yuner was trying to cram in as much training as possible.

But her focus was off. Her mind kept drifting. She made mistake after mistake, and the AI punished her ruthlessly, tearing her down without mercy.

Buzz. Buzz.

The phone on the nearby table began to vibrate.

A soft frown appeared on Jiang Yuner’s delicate face, but the corner of her lips twitched with a hint of surprise.

Normally, during training, her phone would be shut off to avoid distractions.

But today… for some reason, she left it on.

Hearing the buzzing, she picked it up instinctively and glanced at the screen. It was an unfamiliar number, and it had sent multiple messages in a row.

She didn’t even bother checking the contents. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with strangers. She put the phone back down, took a deep breath, and tried to refocus.

But just a few seconds later, the phone buzzed again.

Jiang Yuner’s brow twitched in annoyance. She was about to shut the phone off completely, when suddenly—she caught sight of the sender’s name.

It read: Wang Haoran.

And just like that, her mood flipped.

Are you busy right now?

She stared at the message for a moment, then smiled. Her fingers moved almost on their own.

Not busy.

Truth was, she had a packed training schedule, no time to waste on chatting.

But her hands didn’t seem to care.

As soon as she sent her reply, Wang Haoran started texting her, and before long, the two were chatting casually.

From their conversation, he learned that Jiang Yuner had a deep interest in Yan Nation’s culture.

That didn’t surprise him in the least.

After all, Jiang Yuner was clearly one of the female leads in Qin Fan’s main storyline. Following that path, she would eventually fall for him and choose to stay in Yan rather than return to Korea.

Her love for Yan’s culture was a natural stepping stone—a reason to stay.

“There are plenty of scenic spots around Qingling,” Wang Haoran typed. “The most famous is Mu Wang Pavilion. It’s known as the number one tower under heaven. Want me to take you sometime?”

After chatting for a while and closing the distance between them, Wang Haoran finally made his move.

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