Chapter 538

“Today isn’t the weekend. Don’t you have class? What brings you here?” Qin Fan asked curiously, glancing at Wang Haoran with mild suspicion.

Wang Haoran smiled vaguely and replied, “Yeah, I’ve got class, but it’s lunch break. I came here for something personal.”

Qin Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. “What personal matter?”

Catching the nosy undertone in Qin Fan’s voice, Wang Haoran felt a little irritated inside, but kept his expression relaxed.

He put on a sheepish smile and said, “I came to see Nanzhi. We just started dating, you know? Haven’t seen her since yesterday, already starting to miss her. Figured I’d use the break to visit her for a bit.”

Qin Fan’s smile froze at that, his heart sinking with a sour ache that he couldn’t suppress.

【Ding! Host has caused psychological damage to Qin Fan. Villain Points +800. Qin Fan’s Protagonist Halo -40. Host’s Villain Halo +40!】

This guy loved asking questions and playing the gossip game, didn’t he?

Wang Haoran really wanted to just jab a finger at his face and snap, “Still curious? Still wanna ask?” But he held it in, knowing it wasn’t time yet to fall out with Qin Fan.

“Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go see Nanzhi now. Catch you later.” Wang Haoran waved casually and turned to leave.

But Qin Fan stopped him. “By the way, Haoran, did you ever try talking to your sister for me?”

Wang Haoran paused, turned back, and replied with a serious face, “Of course I did. She was in a pretty good mood last night, so I brought it up. Who knew she’d go off on me? She scolded me on the spot, told me to stay away from you and not to pick up your… bad habits.”

He stopped himself mid-sentence, leaving the rest hanging, but Qin Fan already understood, and his face turned awkward.

“But I’m not about to listen to her,” Wang Haoran added with an earnest smile. “You helped me out before, even gave me some advice that led to me landing a beautiful girlfriend. I’m still grateful for that. There’s no way I’d cut you off.”

Qin Fan had nearly forgotten about that, but being reminded of it now made the bitterness rise again.

【Ding! Host has caused psychological damage to Qin Fan. Villain Points +1000. Qin Fan’s Protagonist Halo -50. Host’s Villain Halo +50!】

“I really tried, you won’t blame me for it, right?” Wang Haoran asked, keeping his tone warm.

“How could I?” Qin Fan shook his head.

As much as he wasn’t satisfied with how things had gone, he couldn’t exactly blame Haoran. After all, Tantai Yaoyue had a strong will of her own—just a few words from her brother were never going to change her mind.

“If the chance comes again, try putting in another word for me,” Qin Fan said.

“Sure, no problem.” Wang Haoran gave a confident nod, then smiled and waved again. “Alright, I’m heading off.”

“Wait,” Qin Fan called after him with a sudden grin. “It’s rare to run into each other. Let me treat you to a coffee. Come on.”

Coffee, my ass, Wang Haoran cursed silently.

He just told Qin Fan that he came to see Mu Nanzhi. Now this guy was inviting him for coffee out of the blue? Wasn’t it obvious he was deliberately trying to get in the way of the ‘date’?

Even if it wasn’t real, this kind of move was still disgusting.

Outwardly, he kept a friendly front and said hesitantly, “I actually need to talk to Nanzhi about something, and I’ve got class this afternoon. I should get back soon.”

“It’s fine, we’re not strangers. Just call her to come down and join us,” Qin Fan said with a broad grin, putting an arm around Haoran’s shoulder and pulling him toward the hotel’s café.

Wang Haoran followed, helplessly cursing Qin Fan’s female relatives in his heart. This bastard was clearly set on being a third wheel.

They found a seat in the café, and Qin Fan gestured. “Go ahead, call Nanzhi over.”

Wang Haoran nodded perfunctorily, pulled out his phone, and pretended to send a message to Mu Nanzhi. In truth, he messaged Wen Jing instead, asking her to send back any random reply.

He wasn’t here to see Mu Nanzhi—he was here for Jiang Yuner.

If Mu Nanzhi came, it would only make things more complicated. Worse, if Song Zhihui happened to show up and found out that Mu Nanzhi was his girlfriend, that would be a mess.

Bzzz.

His phone vibrated. Wen Jing replied with a simple sticker—an exaggerated kiss emoji.

Wang Haoran looked at it and turned to Qin Fan. “Nanzhi says she’s not feeling well, wants to rest in her room.”

“I see, that’s a shame,” Qin Fan sighed, but Wang Haoran clearly saw the flicker of joy that passed through his eyes.

Qin Fan, this bastard. He hadn’t come at him directly about the relationship with Mu Nanzhi, but the jealousy was obvious.

This guy was the protagonist, after all—and not just any kind, but the harem-type. Deep down, he probably believed that all the top-tier beauties in the world belonged to him. No wonder he was bitter.

Still, Wang Haoran didn’t care too much. He only acted a little disappointed, then dropped the pretense altogether.

Just then, he noticed Qin Fan staring intently at him without blinking.

What now? Is he about to read my love fortune again?

Wang Haoran felt a little uneasy and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Haoran,” Qin Fan said, eyes narrowing, “your complexion looks excellent lately. Looks like another wave of romance is headed your way.”

Wang Haoran almost rolled his eyes.

This little brother-in-law—how the hell is he always surrounded by peach blossoms? Why didn’t good fortune ever come to him?

“You read my fortune again? Where am I supposed to meet this beauty now?” Wang Haoran asked jokingly.

“Divination shortens your life if overused. I only use it sparingly,” Qin Fan replied seriously. “I just glanced at your energy and felt a hint of romantic fate. I didn’t dive into the details, so it might not even be love.”

“I see,” Wang Haoran nodded.

“But then again, you already had one peach blossom encounter not long ago. It’s unlikely you’ll run into another one so soon.” Qin Fan added that last bit more to comfort himself than anything else.

He had done a full reading before and knew that Wang Haoran’s life was riddled with romantic entanglements. A new one popping up wasn’t exactly surprising.

“Nanzhi’s a good girl. Since you’re with her now, you need to treat her right. Even if another peach blossom appears, you have to resist it. Otherwise, you’re letting her down,” Qin Fan said in a serious tone.

Oh, please, Wang Haoran scoffed inwardly.

If it were you dating Mu Nanzhi and some other beauty threw herself into your arms, you’d be the first to catch her and smile. And now you’re lecturing me? Spare me.

Outwardly, he kept his face composed and replied with a firm tone, “Of course. I only like Nanzhi. Other girls don’t interest me at all.”

“Good, that’s how it should be.” Qin Fan nodded in approval, smiling like an elder who’d just taught a promising student.

But as he kept watching Wang Haoran, his gaze subtly shifted to something else. His eyes lit up slightly with a look that was… clearly not just admiration.

Wang Haoran followed his gaze, a little confused, turning his head to see what had caught Qin Fan’s attention.