Chapter 15: Master-Level Calligraphy and Painting Copying Skill

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt." Wang Haoran turned to Xin Liangcai with a slight smirk.

"Mr. Xin, it's obvious Ms. Song isn't interested in you. Why bother embarrassing yourself?"

"Wang, this is a matter between teachers. It has nothing to do with you," Xin Liangcai responded, clearly annoyed by the interference, but also too intimidated to express his frustration openly.

"I'm trying to talk some sense into you, but it seems you won't listen."

Wang Haoran walked straight up to Xin Liangcai, grabbed the bouquet of flowers from his hands, and tossed it into the trash can.

"If you keep harassing Ms. Song, I won't just make sure you're expelled—I'll find someone to break your legs."

"Get lost!"

His voice carried an undeniable authority and menace.

Xin Liangcai, though a teacher, felt utterly humiliated by the threat from a student. Yet, he didn't dare to retort. He slunk away, tail between his legs.

Xin Liangcai was just a P.E. teacher without any real connections or power. Wang Haoran's family was wealthy and influential; dealing with someone like Xin Liangcai would be child's play. Who in their right mind would dare to challenge that?

[Ding! The host has successfully dealt with the ordinary pawn aiding the protagonist and heroine, altering the original plot. 100 villain points awarded.]

Wang Haoran wasn't particularly satisfied with the system's reward.

"Only 100 villain points? Are regular pawns really that cheap?"

And after helping Song Zhenyu get rid of that annoying suitor, why hadn't her affection for him increased? Was Song Zhenyu just harder to win over, or was it because of their teacher-student relationship? Or maybe, had his harsh words not only scared Xin Liangcai but also frightened Song Zhenyu into thinking he was the bad guy?

Wang Haoran couldn't pinpoint the exact reason and didn't feel like wasting time thinking about it. What he did know was that Xin Liangcai wouldn't dare pursue Song Zhenyu anymore.

"Being the villain does have its perks," Wang Haoran mused. "A few threats, and the problem is solved."

Had this been the protagonist's doing, the story would have dragged on, with Xin Liangcai redoubling his efforts to win over Song Zhenyu, making things even more complicated. But Wang Haoran had put an end to it in one swift move.

Song Zhenyu was stunned for a moment, then snapped back to reality.

Xin Liangcai had been pestering her for a long time. She had made it clear she wasn't interested, but he wouldn't back off, often bothering her after work. Today, he even had the audacity to come to her office. But after Wang Haoran's intimidation, he likely wouldn't dare pursue her any longer.

"Thank you so much, Wang Haoran," Song Zhenyu said, full of gratitude.

"No need to thank me. I'm a man, and it's my duty to protect women," Wang Haoran replied with a smile.

"Man? You're just a kid," Song Zhenyu said, chuckling and playing the elder.

"I'm no kid; I'm eighteen, a full-grown man." Wang Haoran raised an eyebrow playfully.

Song Zhenyu blinked, suddenly taking a closer look at him.

This boy was indeed very handsome, especially his eyes. There was a depth to them, a certain weariness that seemed beyond his eighteen years. It was... captivating.

She found herself staring at Wang Haoran for a while, lost in thought. Realizing her faux pas, she quickly averted her gaze. What was she doing, staring at her student like that?

Song Zhenyu reprimanded herself internally, then cleared her throat to break the awkwardness.

"Alright, alright, you're a man, not a kid. Happy now?"

She laughed and gave Wang Haoran an odd look, "What you said to Mr. Xin just now even scared me."

Wang Haoran usually gave off the impression of being a model student.

"Ms. Song, I'm just a student. I'd never actually hire someone to hurt him; it was just to scare him off," Wang Haoran said, feigning innocence.

"That's good to hear," Song Zhenyu nodded in approval. She still hoped all her students were well-behaved.

"Ms. Song, did you see how Mr. Xin looked at you before he left? He still seemed quite smitten. I don't think he'll give up so easily. He might even harass you on your way home. If he gets desperate, who knows what he might do..." Wang Haoran said, trying to plant some fear.

Song Zhenyu's face turned pale. Xin Liangcai had indeed harassed her multiple times on her way home. What Wang Haoran said didn't seem far-fetched at all.

"Ms. Song, I'll walk you home after evening self-study. You don't need to be afraid!" Wang Haoran said, patting his chest.

"Ah, well... alright." 

Although it seemed inappropriate for a student to walk his teacher home, Song Zhenyu was more afraid of being harassed by Xin Liangcai. Despite her fiery temper in front of her students, it was just a facade to keep them in line. In truth, she was a gentle and timid woman.

---

Wang Haoran leisurely returned to the classroom. He picked up a textbook and pretended to study, but secretly, he opened the system's shop.

His villain points had accumulated to 900—time to try his luck with the lottery.

Watching the wheel spin, he felt a bit anxious. A few seconds later, the result popped up.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have won a skill worth 1,000 villain points: Master-Level Calligraphy and Painting Copying Skill. Would you like to use it now?]

"Master-Level Calligraphy and Painting Copying Skill?"

Seeing the prize, Wang Haoran was momentarily stunned. He quickly replied to the system with a "Yes."

In the next instant, Wang Haoran felt a surge of electricity course through his body, but it quickly subsided. He realized his mind had been filled with new knowledge, and his muscles had acquired some memory. It was the effect of using the Master-Level Calligraphy and Painting Copying Skill.

Now, Wang Haoran understood what this skill was for. Simply put, he could now perfectly replicate any calligraphy or painting he saw, with a 99% accuracy.

"Copying famous calligraphy and paintings to sell for money?"

Wang Haoran's mind quickly turned to this idea. Antique calligraphy and paintings were worth a fortune. He could easily copy some and sell them as originals. It would be like printing money.

But then, he reconsidered. He wasn't short on money, so there was no real point. Moreover, even a 99% accurate replica was still a fake. Selling it as an original carried some risk. This skill seemed a bit useless, didn't it?

What he really needed were skills to deal with the protagonist!

Wang Haoran grumbled internally but quickly changed his perspective. This copying skill wasn't limited to famous works; it could also be used to replicate someone's handwriting. A 99% similarity was more than enough to fool most people. If used correctly, it could be extremely effective.

As Wang Haoran pondered over the practical applications of his new skill, he checked his status panel.

[Host: Wang Haoran]

[Combat Power: 89]

[Charm: 268]

[Villain Aura: 179]

[Villain Points: 400]

[Skills: Master-Level Calligraphy and Painting Copying Skill]

Finally, under skills, there was no longer a "None" listed.

---

Chu Bai had received his 40,000 yuan prize and had already repaid the 1,000 yuan he owed Chen Zishi.

Their relationship had improved somewhat, though only slightly.

"Fatty, sorry about before. You're not still mad at me, right?" Chu Bai whispered to his desk mate Chen Zishi.

Chen Zishi glanced at Chu Bai but didn't say anything. His shoulder still hurt from being shoved into the wall during their argument earlier. Of course, he held some resentment.

Chen Zishi knew that if Chu Bai hadn't been disciplined recently, with his temper, it wouldn't have just been a shove. He would have gotten a beating. Chu Bai often fought with thugs, and he wasn't one to hold back. Chen Zishi knew he wouldn't stand a chance in a fight.

Seeing Chen Zishi's attitude, Chu Bai felt a bit annoyed. He had already apologized, and yet Chen Zishi was still sulking over a girl?

Fine, whatever. No point in talking to him.

Chu Bai's eyes drifted to the distant seat where Xu Muyan sat.

The school belle was indeed beautiful, even from behind. Chu Bai felt a pang of longing. He couldn't resist the urge to approach Xu Muyan under the pretext of asking a study-related question, just to get closer to her. He planned to ask Xu Muyan's deskmate, Wen Jing, to switch seats with him.

With that thought, Chu Bai suddenly patted Chen Zishi on the shoulder and said casually:

"I'm going to ask Wen Jing to switch seats with me so she can sit here. I'll help you out."