Chapter 583

A small entourage walked toward the café, surrounding a young girl dressed in traditional Korean hanbok.

There were five people in total—three men in suits who looked like bodyguards, and a middle-aged woman who was either her manager or assistant. But none of that really mattered.

What did matter was that the girl in hanbok had a stunning face.

Her figure, however, was harder to judge. The long skirt of her hanbok nearly brushed the floor, hiding her legs completely. Her top was loose-fitting, making her curves difficult to discern.

That might be an issue for regular people, but Wang Haoran wasn’t regular. With his X-ray vision, he instantly saw past the layers of cloth.

The moment he activated it, the view became crystal clear.

His blood surged with excitement. There was no need to guess—this had to be one of the female leads.

Judging by the girl’s extravagant outfit and the air of importance around her group, it was almost certain she was Jiang Yuner.

As Wang Haoran kept watching, the group drew closer. Judging from their path, they didn’t seem to be here for coffee. More likely, they were just passing through the hotel lobby to get somewhere else. After all, this was a hotel café, with several entrances and exits.

It wouldn’t be strange for someone to walk through.

But just as they approached where Qin Fan and Wang Haoran were seated, a thin, scruffy man suddenly leaped out from the side and shouted:

“Jiang Yuner, I love you!”

He bolted toward her, arms wide, screaming like a lunatic. The three bodyguards rushed forward to intercept.

But at the same moment, a second man—this one waiting quietly from the other side—lunged toward Jiang Yuner with his arms outstretched.

The middle-aged woman tried to block him but was knocked aside.

Without protection, Jiang Yuner was about to be grabbed, helpless and vulnerable.

Then, in a flash, Qin Fan moved.

He was calmly sitting at the table just seconds ago, but with a single blink, he appeared directly in front of Jiang Yuner—like a towering mountain standing between her and the incoming man.

Wang Haoran sat frozen, watching it unfold, with an overwhelming urge to slam the coffee cup onto the floor.

What the hell? Where did these two deranged fanboys come from?

It was obviously a setup—just to give Qin Fan the perfect hero-rescues-beauty moment.

And those bodyguards? Dumb as bricks. One guy could’ve easily held off that first attacker, but no—they all went for him, leaving the second one free to exploit the distraction.

Worse yet, Wang Haoran couldn’t intervene. He couldn’t afford to expose his strength or interfere so openly. All he could do was sit there and watch Qin Fan play the gallant savior.

With Qin Fan holding the line, the bodyguards quickly recovered and subdued both men.

After a brief interrogation, it turned out the two were crazed fans who had planned this together to get close to Jiang Yuner.

Hotel security soon arrived and dragged them away.

Jiang Yuner was visibly shaken, her face pale as snow.

The middle-aged woman leaned in to whisper words of comfort, gently steadying the girl’s emotions.

Once Jiang Yuner seemed a little calmer, the woman turned to Qin Fan and bowed slightly.

“Sir, thank you so much. If you hadn’t acted in time, things could’ve gone very badly.”

She spoke in Chinese, but her accent betrayed her Korean origin. Still, it was perfectly understandable.

“It’s nothing, really,” Qin Fan replied with a modest smile, glancing briefly at Jiang Yuner’s face.

She lifted her head slightly, her timid eyes sneaking a look at him. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, someone else entered her field of view.

Wang Haoran walked over.

He originally hoped Jiang Yuner would spot him on her own. But she kept her head down while walking, never scanning her surroundings.

Left with no choice, he approached directly to make sure she saw him.

One second.

Two seconds.

【Ding! Congratulations to the Host. Luck exploded. First encounter with female lead Jiang Yuner—Super Peach Blossom Halo triggered: Grade One “Offers Herself Willingly” effect.】

【Ding! Jiang Yuner’s Favorability toward Host has risen to 80 (Unwavering Affection).】

【Ding! Host has influenced the course of the plot. Gained 6000 Villain Points. Qin Fan’s Protagonist Halo -300. Host’s Villain Halo +300!】

Wang Haoran nearly wanted to jump on the table and burst into applause.

Qin Fan, that son of a bitch, really had something going for him. He said earlier that Haoran was about to hit a lucky streak, and sure enough—bam! Instant effect!

Beautiful!

So what if you triggered the hero-saves-beauty plotline with your shiny protagonist halo?

In the end, none of it matters.

Suppressing the ecstatic grin bubbling in his chest, Wang Haoran calmly asked, “You looked a little shaken just now. Are you alright?”

The moment Jiang Yuner met his gaze, her face instantly turned red. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Nervous and flustered, she stammered softly, “Thank you. I’m fine.”

Her pronunciation was flawless—fluent Mandarin, not a trace of accent.

If she wasn’t wearing the hanbok, anyone would’ve assumed she was a native Chinese girl.

That didn’t surprise Wang Haoran at all.

This girl was clearly part of Qin Fan’s main storyline. If she didn’t speak the language, how else would they communicate? With hand signs?

Her knowing Chinese was only natural.

“I’m Wang Haoran. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, flashing a charming smile.

“Jiang Yuner,” she replied, lips pursed shyly.

【Ding! Host has caused psychological damage to Qin Fan. Gained 1800 Villain Points. Qin Fan’s Protagonist Halo -90. Host’s Villain Halo +90!】

Off to the side, Qin Fan’s expression turned pitch black.

Hey now—beautiful girl, you’ve got this all wrong.

I’m the one who saved you, remember? I was the one who jumped in and blocked that creep.

Why are you thanking him?

“I’m Qin Fan,” he said, stepping up to reassert his presence.

Jiang Yuner glanced at him and gave a slight nod—without saying a word. That seemed to be her way of expressing gratitude.

Qin Fan felt like eating glass.

What is with this woman? He literally saved her just now, and she couldn’t even spare a thank-you?

But toward Wang Haoran, her whole demeanor was different—warm, grateful, soft-spoken.

Come on, what’s the deal here? Just because he’s handsome?

Aside from his looks, what else could possibly explain this disparity?

Mu Nanzhi cared about looks.

Now Jiang Yuner, too?

Women… they really are all superficial.

【Ding! Host has caused psychological damage to Qin Fan. Gained 2000 Villain Points. Qin Fan’s Protagonist Halo -100. Host’s Villain Halo +100!】

“I’m actually a big fan of yours,” Wang Haoran said to Jiang Yuner. “Would it be alright if I get your contact info? Don’t worry—it’s nothing weird. I’m really into Go and would love to learn from you sometime.”

Qin Fan’s eyes twitched. He almost opened his mouth to say, “I know how to play too,” but wisely shut it again.

“Su… sure,” Jiang Yuner answered softly.

She pulled out her phone and exchanged numbers with him.

The middle-aged woman standing nearby looked completely stunned.

Jiang Yuner had always been reserved and kept to herself. Her focus was always on chess, and she rarely socialized with strangers.

To willingly exchange contact info with a guy—this was unheard of.