Morning sunlight stread through the windows, casting a warm glow across the quiet villa.
“Yanyan,” Lu Chen called softly as he knocked on the door of Lu Yan’s bedroom.
Inside, Lu Yan jolted in surprise. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, but she forced herself to keep calm and responded, “Brother, what is it?”
“The major buyer for the prescription ds is pressing hard. I need to head out and deliver them. You can get up and make sothing for yourself or eat out if you’d rather,” Lu Chen said through the door with a deliberate calm.
“I got it,” she quickly replied.
Monts later, the sound of the main door opening and closing echoed faintly from outside the room.
Wang Haoran, who was in the adjacent room, let out a light laugh when he heard the door.
Lu Chen hadn’t said that for his sister’s ears alone. No, he was speaking to him, using this little performance to drive in a ssage—he wanted Wang Haoran to believe the powder truly worked and to act on it as soon as possible.Wang Haoran saw through the ploy imdiately, but didn’t expose it. Instead, he played along. “Call your brother,” he told Lu Yan casually. “Tell him you won’t be staying here tonight, you’re staying in your dorm at school.”
“Why?” she asked, confused.
“I have exams coming up and I need to catch up on my assignnts tonight, so I can’t be with you. There’s no point in you staying here if I won’t be around. Besides, traveling back and forth from campus is inconvenient,” Wang Haoran explained.
Hearing that he wouldn’t be available tonight, Lu Yan’s expression dimd for a second. But she quickly recovered, nodded, and picked up her phone to dial.
“Yanyan? Sothing wrong?” Lu Chen asked when he picked up the call.
“Brother, I’ll be staying on campus tonight,” she replied.
“Is it uncomfortable staying here?” Lu Chen’s voice carried a tinge of suspicion.
“How could it be? The place is great. Of course, I’m comfortable,” Lu Yan said cheerfully.
“Oh, I get it. Let guess—Wang Haoran said he won’t be able to keep you company tonight, so you decided not to co, right?” Lu Chen’s tone turned teasing.
“He’s got exams coming, he needs to study,” Lu Yan answered honestly.
At that, a cold smile curled at the corners of Lu Chen’s lips. A rich second-gen cramming for schoolwork? That was a joke. Such an excuse could only fool his naïve little sister. More likely, this young master had stolen that powder from him and was now plotting sothing unsavory, hence why he didn’t want Lu Yan around tonight.
But Lu Chen didn’t mind. In fact, this developnt suited his intentions perfectly.
“Alright then. Co by whenever you want. The door’s already programd with your fingerprint anyway,” he said with casual ease.
“Okay,” Lu Yan responded. Then, after a mont’s thought, she added with a smile, “If I bring my boyfriend again next ti, that’s fine too, right?”
“No problem. If you want to bring him, bring him,” Lu Chen replied without hesitation.
“You’re the best, Brother. That’s it then, I’m hanging up now.” Lu Yan ended the call with a cheerful tone.
Wang Haoran, listening in from nearby, narrowed his eyes slightly. The phone call had served its surface purpose, but more importantly, it helped put so distance between Lu Yan and her brother. That was the real reason he asked her to make the call—he didn’t want her caught in the crossfire once things inevitably turned ssy.
By evening, Wang Haoran t up with Bu Feiyan at a secluded location. She handed over the disguise she had crafted—a mask made from synthetic human skin.
He unfolded it carefully and placed it over his face, then used his phone cara to check the result. With the mask on, he looked nearly identical to Lu Chen. The resemblance was about seventy to eighty percent accurate, though there was still a slight stiffness in the expression.
Anyone who knew Lu Chen well would likely notice the difference, but that didn’t matter. Wang Haoran didn’t plan to fool people close to Lu Chen. For his purposes, this level of likeness was more than enough.
“If I had more ti, I could have made it even more lifelike. Is this alright? If it’s not good enough, I can take it back and tweak it a little more,” Bu Feiyan said, her voice soft and slightly hopeful.
“It’s fine. This will do,” Wang Haoran replied.
“Okay.” She gave him a faint smile.
“Thanks. I’ve got other things to take care of, so I’ll leave it at that,” Wang Haoran said as he tucked the mask away and gave a brief nod.
“Alright,” Bu Feiyan answered. Though she wanted to spend a little more ti with him, she didn’t press when he made his intentions clear.
After parting with her, Wang Haoran made his way near the hospital where Yan Yuntian was being treated. He had already learned from Yu Ning that Yun Churan was currently in the hospital but would be returning to Yan Yuntian’s estate later that night.
So Wang Haoran waited nearby, settling into a seat in the public library opposite the hospital. From there, he used his spiritual sight to keep a constant watch on the hospital’s main entrance.
If Yun Churan were to leave, this was the only way out. He planned to intercept her on the road back to the mansion.
But as he waited, Yun Churan didn’t appear. Instead, he saw Bian Suwen.
She was carrying a bundle of herbs wrapped in yellow paper, clearly intending to deliver dicine to Yan Yuntian—or, more accurately, she was helping Wang Haoran continue milking Yan Yuntian for money.
Wang Haoran watched as she entered the hospital. About ten minutes later, she ca back out. As she reached the gate, she stopped and fiddled with her phone, dialing a number.
Buzz. His phone vibrated in his pocket.
Wang Haoran took it out and saw that it was Bian Suwen calling. They weren’t close enough for her to notice him nearby, so answering would draw no attention. He tapped the green button.
“I’m free tonight,” her soft and slightly nervous voice ca through the line.
For a split second, he didn’t understand what she ant. Then he rembered what she had said the night before, and suddenly, it clicked.
But tonight, he had business to handle. He didn’t have ti for a rendezvous. He was just about to gently decline her invitation when sothing caught his eye.
Behind Bian Suwen, just a short distance away, Yun Churan was lurking. She moved stealthily, clearly trailing Bian Suwen.
Wang Haoran quickly put the pieces together. Yun Churan hadn’t given up on her suspicions regarding Yan Yuntian’s mysterious illness. And now, seeing no progress in her own efforts, she was trying to dig up the truth through Bian Suwen.
But she was barking up the wrong tree. Bian Suwen had nothing to do with Yan Yuntian’s condition.
“You’re not saying anything. Do you think I’m being too forward?” Bian Suwen asked, clearly growing nervous from the silence.
“Of course not,” Wang Haoran replied quickly. “I’m just excited. Pick a nice hotel, book a room. I’ll co et you there shortly.”
He had been planning to make his move on Yun Churan during her trip back to the estate. But now that she was tailing Bian Suwen, he saw an even better opportunity.
If he played this right, he could lure Yun Churan sowhere far more advantageous—without lifting a finger.
“Alright, I’ll book it now. Call you in a bit,” Bian Suwen said, her voice bright with anticipation.
Wang Haoran ended the call, eyes narrowing slightly as his plan began to unfold.
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