The next morning, Wang Haoran led everyone in preparing to return to S City. Of course, Yun Ling'er was coming along as well.
When Yun Ling'er expressed her intention to follow, her grandmother didn't object. Although her grandma wanted Yun Ling'er to stay, seeing her downcast look, she couldn't bear it and could only sigh, thinking to herself that the precious cabbage she had nurtured had finally been snatched away by a pig.
At the airport, while they were waiting to board the plane, Wang Haoran noticed Yun Ling'er hiding next to him, looking timid and uneasy.
[Yun Ling'er: The heroine, the saint of Yunlai Village
Strength: 220 (peak of Ming Jin)
Constitution: 260 (Love Gu)
Mental strength: 172
Favorability: 101]
Yun Ling'er was holding his hand, lowering her head without daring to speak.
Wang Haoran knew exactly why she was acting this way. Earlier that morning, when she went to the other room to fetch clothes for him, the four other girls had looked at her with knowing expressions. She'd been so flustered that she ran off immediately after grabbing the clothes. Now, having let go of the resentment in her heart, she suddenly remembered how hostile she had been toward Sister Luoluo. Feeling uneasy, she began to panic.
Seeing Luoluo approach her, Yun Ling'er could only muster up her courage and speak.
"Sister Luoluo…"
Before she could finish, Luoluo cupped Yun Ling'er's face and started playfully pinching her cheeks.
"Sister Ling'er has grown bold, hasn't she? She doesn't even treat me like a sister anymore and even made a joke about me being old to Haoran!"
"Oh…ouch…s-sister…I'm sorry!" Yun Ling'er stammered, cheeks squished as she apologized.
Seeing her pitiful look, Luoluo stopped teasing her and gently held her face.
"Alright, I'm not mad at you. But from now on, Sister Ling'er, you should get along better, like Sister Xiaoyan and Shuang'er!" She couldn't resist tugging at Yun Ling'er's cheek one more time. "And don't ever call me an old lady behind my back again!"
"I understand, Sister Luoluo..." Yun Ling'er replied obediently.
As Wang Haoran watched the girls interact, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Mr. Wang?"
Turning around, he recognized the speaker.
"Boss He?"
It was He Mingcheng, the owner of the stone-gambling den in the northern city. With him was a young girl. Seeing him here in Yun Province surprised Wang Haoran, but what was even more striking was He Mingcheng's appearance.
"Boss He, what happened to you?"
He Mingcheng, covered in bandages and medical patches, looked exasperated as he pointed at the young girl beside him.
"It's rare that I take my daughter out to see the world, and we end up having an accident! We were on a business trip to northern Myanmar, like usual, but this time we got ambushed! A group of thugs in black attacked us, nearly wiping out our hired guards. If not for a passing expert who came to our rescue, my daughter and I might not have made it back."
Wang Haoran found the story interesting and was about to ask for more details when he heard the boarding announcement.
He Mingcheng took this as his cue to say goodbye and led his daughter towards the boarding area, while Wang Haoran guided his group through the VIP section.
---
In first class.
Wang Haoran glanced at his system panel.
[Wang Haoran: Host of "Villain Counterattack System"
Luck points: 300
Ability points: 25
Strength: 190 (late Ming Jin )
Constitution: 180 (Love Gu)
Mental strength: 210
Charm: 110
Skills: Appraisal; Capture; Ability Shield; Burst lv1; Enhanced Perception; Clairvoyance lv2; Impregnable lv1
Items: None]
"System, as a villain, how can my strength be so low? Use all the ability points for a ten-times draw!"
[Affirmative! Swish—shua—]
[Ding! Congratulations on the draw! You received: Item - Potion of Pure Desire.]
[Skill Burst upgraded to lv2.]
Potion of Pure Desire? Wang Haoran read the item description.
Item - Potion of Pure Desire: This item will make the target appear very innocent but unable to resist their desires around the host. It also slightly increases favorability depending on the host's Charm value. Note: it works only on people with a minimum favorability level of 50. Low favorability may result in failure.
"System, you've been holding out on me! Why didn't you offer this sooner?"
[…]
Ignoring the system's silence, Wang Haoran assigned his ability points.
[Wang Haoran: Host of "Villain Counterattack System"
Luck points: 0
Ability points: 0
Strength: 240 (early Dark Jin)
Constitution: 200 (Love Gu)
Mental strength: 210
Charm: 135
Skills: Appraisal; Capture; Ability Shield; Burst lv2 (increases strength by 20%, temporary weakness post-use); Enhanced Perception; Clairvoyance lv2; Impregnable lv1
Items: Potion of Pure Desire x1]
Now in the early Dark Jin stage, Wang Haoran sighed, realizing he was still hugging Luoluo's thigh for support. Resigned to his situation, he held the surprised Luoluo's hand and gave her a light kiss.
---
In another section of the plane, in economy class.
He Mingcheng chatted with his daughter.
"Well, Qiqi, wasn't Mr. Wang a fine young man?"
"Yes, he's quite impressive," He Yuqi replied, slightly distracted as she focused on her phone.
Curious, He Mingcheng leaned over to see a photo on her screen showing a man in black from behind.
"Is this the man who saved us before?" he asked.
"Yes!" He Yuqi nodded enthusiastically, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Isn't he dashing? He's so heroic! I went through a lot to get this photo!"
Though the young man's back looked ordinary in the image, remembering his domineering presence made He Mingcheng agree.
"Indeed!"
Seeing his daughter's infatuation, He Mingcheng felt a slight worry but quickly brushed it off. Surely, such a powerful figure wouldn't cross paths with ordinary folk like them again. With time, his daughter would probably move on from this admiration.
A kind smile spread across the old father's face as he accepted this first sign of her young heart blossoming.