Chapter 0209

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?"

"Officers from the Hat Bureau. Open up."

Shi Nanci opened the door with trembling hands, only to be immediately restrained. He collapsed to the floor, his eyes vacant, like some bizarre fusion of Zhang Benzhihe and Lin Daiyu.

To understand why he’d done all this, you’d have to know that he’d originally planned to ask Liu Ruxue out. But when he inquired, he discovered she’d been detained for a crime.

After learning the details, Shi Nanci instantly concluded that Lin Ran was behind it.

So, he went to see Liu Ruxue, but she insisted it was her own decision, even declaring that she loved Lin Ran more than anything.

Shi Nanci snapped then and there, vowing to make Lin Ran pay.

He tracked down an old high school classmate, gathered a stack of photos, and began flooding the internet with posts exposing Lin Ran’s past as a hopeless simp.

He knew the current Lin Ran was untouchable, so he aimed to weaponize online outrage against him.

But he never expected Luo Corporation to retaliate so ruthlessly.

That day, every Hat Bureau and courthouse across the nation was swamped.

Luo Yao, single-handedly, served legal notices to over ten thousand netizens.

The official Luo Corporation account issued a statement: anyone who slandered Lin Ran would face consequences—without exception.

The internet lost its collective mind.

Turns out, Luo Yao’s public persona was just a facade.

This woman was unhinged—suing the entire country over insults to her husband?

What kind of madness drove her to this?

[I used to envy Lin Ran. Now I just pity him. With Luo Yao this domineering, it’s a miracle he’s survived this long.]

[Careful what you say, buddy. Unless you want a legal notice too.]

[Am I the only one moved by this? If I were Lin Ran, having a wife who defends me like this, I’d die happy.]

[Exactly. What’s wrong with you people? A partner like her is a once-in-a-lifetime blessing.]

[Sure, until you’re the one stuck with her.]

As the drama escalated, Luo Yao became infamous—an untouchable force on the internet.

Even when Luo Corporation was under siege by netizens before, Luo Yao hadn’t uttered a word for days. Now? A few hours of gossip about Lin Ran, and boom—everyone got nuked.

Absurd. Beyond absurd.

[I hereby crown Luo Yao ‘The Ultimate Husband-Obsessed Maniac.’]

[Even if Luo Corporation wins, we’ll just pay fines or serve short sentences. But the cost to them? Massive—just the manpower alone is staggering.]

[Oh please. Minimum-wage folks worrying about a trillion-dollar corporation? Hilarious.]

[Experts estimate Luo Corporation’s wealth could make every citizen a millionaire.]

[That’s a stretch.]

From that moment on, Luo Yao cemented her title as the undisputed "Ultimate Husband-Obsessed Maniac."

Others might have the means, but no one would ever pour this much money, manpower, and energy into battling random netizens.

Luo Yao’s reputation was sealed—a terrifying showcase of a top chaebol heiress’s power.

Meanwhile, back in the underground entertainment district’s parking lot, Lin Ran waited.

"Ugh, I just wanna cuddle with my wife. What’s taking Wang Bao so long?"

Little Tong: "Young Master Lin, Wang Bao just reported in. They lost the target."

Lin Ran nodded. He’d expected this. Their mark was Luo Wushuang, after all—no way he’d be easy to tail. This was just a shot in the dark.

"How’d they lose him?"

"Wang Bao said the people in the van just… changed mid-drive."

"Changed?"

"Yeah. Turned into some random driver. Probably a decoy—switched vehicles in a blind spot and led them on a wild goose chase."

Lin Ran eyed Little Tong. "You’ve got sharp analytical skills."

Little Tong scratched his head, embarrassed.

"Young Master Lin, where to now?"

It was already afternoon. They could return to the estate or head to Luo Corporation.

"Since we lost him, let’s go find my wife. Go, go, go!"

Lin Ran had the driver detour to Luo Corporation to pick up Luo Yao after work.

Unaware of the online war, he eagerly tried to recap his day the moment she got in the car.

Luo Yao "silenced" him with a kiss.

"Mmph?"

"Talk at home."

"Okay."

Back at the estate, Luo Yao finally spoke.

"Ah Ran, remember—in this world, no one but me is worthy of your trust."

Only then did Lin Ran realize why she’d stopped him in the car: to avoid eavesdroppers.

Her caution sent a pang through his heart.

Just how much betrayal had she endured to distrust even those closest to her?

And what right did he have to be the only one she trusted?

"I only believe in you." Luo Yao's faith in Lin Ran was also one-of-a-kind.

"Now, let's talk about what happened earlier today."

Lin Ran then recounted the incident involving Luo Wushuang in detail.

As Lin Ran spoke, Luo Yao couldn't help but wear an amused expression.

"Luo Wushuang may be part of the Luo family, but his assets aren’t substantial. He used everything he had to repay his debts—this time, you really screwed him over."

"Well, he shouldn’t have crossed you. If I didn’t teach him a lesson, he’d keep thinking I’m an easy target."

Luo Yao wrapped her arms around Lin Ran, her gaze lingering on his lips before she couldn’t resist biting them.

Tasting the metallic tang of blood, Lin Ran thought to himself—Luo Yao was still the same Luo Yao.

"Was there any information on that chip?"

Lin Ran pulled the chip from his pocket, twirling it between his fingers.

"I haven’t examined it yet. Feels no different from a regular chip."

Wait—it’s too light.

Luo Yao took the chip and, with a sharp twist, split it in half, revealing a hidden compartment.

Lin Ran stared at her in disbelief. How was his wife so sharp? She seemed to know everything.

If it were him, he’d have had to study it carefully to figure it out.

Peeling the chip open, Lin Ran leaned in and saw its contents—along with a few words:

[Chronic, water-soluble, ineffective short-term, fatal long-term, undetectable.]

Lin Ran sucked in a sharp breath.

Luo Yao smirked.

"Classic move from an amateur poisoner—same old tricks."

Lin Ran blinked. "Huh?"

"An amateur? Just how bad are we talking?"

Luo Yao pinched her fingers together, leaving barely any space between them. "About this much."