She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo

Yan and Zhu Jue were on the subway, with Yan leaning listlessly against Zhu Jue's shoulder.

Back in high school, even though she had been put through the wringer by Xu Jiaojiao—Xu Jiaojiao plus four guys—she and Zhu Jue had managed to hold their own.

But now… according to the law of halo individuals attracting each other, there were four people in her dorm, and Zhu Jue's dorm had no empty beds, meaning all five of them were likely halo individuals.

In other words, Bin University might be home to nine halo individuals.

Just thinking about it made Yan close her eyes. She wanted to sleep.

Nine. A full nine of them. And that didn’t even account for Xu Jiaojiao and the Tan siblings, who might show up out of nowhere to cause trouble at any moment.

The city of Bin was truly a place where dragons and tigers lurked, hiding their true depths.

“Wow, what kind of car is this on the trending list? The king of cars?”

“A ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍twenty-million-dollar car. The owner seems to live in Lakeside Paradise.”

“Is this for real and not special effects? It looks twice as big as the cars next to it!”

Yan overheard a couple next to them on the subway, and the conversation instantly snapped her out of her drowsiness.

She glanced over and saw the phone screen they were looking at.

Yan and Zhu Jue quickly pulled out their own phones and, unsurprisingly, saw another one of their dormmates trending.

#Bin City Auto Show: Rich Woman Spends Twenty Million on Apocalypse Battle Car#

#Bin City Streets Shocked by Modified Supercar Spotted Entering Lakeside Paradise#

Sometimes, Yan felt utterly helpless. It seemed like their dorm had monopolized Bin City’s trending list for the past two days.

Honestly, it didn’t even feel surprising anymore.

Counting from the start of the semester, every single person in their dorm, including herself, had made it to the trending list at least once.

What ordinary people, or even celebrities, had to spend money to achieve, her halo dormmates accomplished effortlessly.

Yan skimmed through the comments. Great, it looked like a new round of online arguments was about to start.

There were those who admired, those who envied, and, as always, plenty of haters spewing sour grapes.

“Is this the level of Bin City’s top-tier wealth? I never thought a rich woman would be into this kind of car.”

“Can this car even be driven on the road? Is it safe? If it crashes, how many people will it take down with it?”

“Who knows where the money came from? It’s just a car. Probably some rich guy’s mistress, tsk.”

“Isn’t Lakeside Paradise known as the ‘second wives’ paradise’? It’s practically overrun by live-streaming influencers. What’s there to brag about?”

“Just some old man showing off for his sugar baby. You really think she bought it herself? If she did, I’ll eat my hat!”

“This is definitely a marketing stunt by the car brand. What kind of domestic brand can sell a car for twenty million? Total nonsense!”

Yan silently closed her phone. Reading the idiotic comments of these fools would only rot her brain.

Based on her experience, things would probably calm down by evening.

Sometimes, she felt like many people in the world either saw things in black and white or were just filled with dirty thoughts.

Reading their comments made her feel like she was living in some utterly absurd environment.

Sure enough, before Yan even reached the university on the subway, the public opinion had shifted slightly, all because one account posted higher-quality photos of the Extreme Path Overlord’s exterior and interior, all taken with their own phone.

【CC123】: Showing off my new car~ Heard a lot of people are curious about the interior, so here you go. [Photo.jpg], [Photo.jpg]… Feeling generous today, so I’ll give away twenty of the latest fruit phones. Just retweet to enter.

The account named “CC123” was the same wealthy woman who had spoken up for Gu Jiasui at the start of the semester and had given away twenty prizes.

Yan: !

This account belongs to Chu Bingbing? CC is short for Chu Chu, after all!

Oh wow! She had even retweeted that post before, and in the dorm, she and Yi Zhi had gushed over this account. She remembered Chu Bingbing had already returned to the dorm by then…

Yan clicked her tongue. Life was full of surprises. She wondered how Chu Bingbing had felt listening to their fawning. Probably pretty awkward.

Before, she had just thought of this account as a wealthy woman who occasionally posted on Weibo. After all, following that last post, the account had gained two hundred thousand followers from the giveaway but hadn’t posted anything since.

It was a good thing she hadn’t been one of the winners last time. Otherwise, Chu Bingbing might have been pretty embarrassed seeing the dorm address on the package, Yan thought to herself.

After 【CC123】’s post, the comments flooded in instantly.

“Holy crap, CC is the one on the trending list? Sis is truly loaded! Please post more photos, we want to see more!”

“A twenty-million-dollar car, a penthouse in Lakeside Paradise, and I saw a video of CC’s profile—she’s super young! Rich sis, let me hug your thigh!”

“Casually giving away two hundred thousand dollars’ worth of phones. Sis, I underestimated your wealth.”

“I love the rich sis’s sassy style. I’m a middle schooler, can I get a fruit phone?”

Yan silently used her alt account to retweet. She wasn’t going to win anyway, but she might as well contribute to her dormmate’s retweet count.

Switching back to her main account, she saw that Chu Bingbing’s post had been retweeted by a few big accounts.

【Meng Buwei V】: CC’s on Weibo now, and her new car is stunning! [Smirk] I’ll retweet and join the fun.

Yan clicked in and immediately recognized the account owner—she was one of the wealthy women at yesterday’s auction.

This woman was a director of a well-known Bin City enterprise, with a family fortune in the billions.

Yan checked her friend circle and, sure enough, Chu Bingbing had also posted about the car there. No wonder people were chiming in so quickly.

【Extreme Path Little Li V】: Congratulations to Ms. C on acquiring the Extreme Path Overlord! Our Extreme Brand ambassador! Long live our friendship. [Thumbs up][Handshake][Heart]

Whoa! Even Mr. Li was joining in. The official Extreme Brand account also retweeted, “Who owns this beauty? It’s ours~ [Proud face]”

Mr. Li’s account was a typical tech enthusiast’s page, with around four to five hundred thousand followers. He often got tagged in questions about cars and was followed by many car enthusiasts.

Yan saw someone asking Mr. Li in the comments, “Mr. Li, is Extreme Brand also getting celebrities and influencers as brand ambassadors now?”

Mr. Li replied, “Ms. C is a friend of our founder [smile], so of course she’s a brand ambassador.”

Those who had been calling her a fake rich woman on the trending list just moments ago were now frantically deleting their posts or apologizing, all while trying to cozy up to the rich sis.

During the subway ride back to campus, Yan and Zhu Jue witnessed the whirlwind of online drama.

As they walked across campus, they discussed their next steps. “Lin Fan goes for a weighted run every morning. We can catch him at the sports field tomorrow. Xiao Qingnang has class with me, so that’s easy,” Zhu Jue said.

“Ye Ping’an usually livestreams around campus, but he’s not here on weekends. No idea where he goes to stream.”

“Yuan Ye…” When it came to this dormmate, Zhu Jue frowned, unable to recall where they might run into him outside the dorm.

“I’ll check his class schedule and try to meet up for dinner in the cafeteria.”

Yan nodded. In any case, before the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, she needed to confirm all of Zhu Jue’s dormmates.

“Lin Fan is three years older than us. At his age, most people would’ve already graduated,” Zhu Jue added.

It wasn’t polite to speculate about someone’s family background, but this was a matter they needed to discuss seriously now.

Yan was surprised. “Three years older?”

“Did he start school late? Or did he retake the college entrance exam because he wasn’t satisfied?”

Zhu Jue shook his head. He didn’t know.

He always felt like Lin Fan exuded an air of “endurance,” “humility,” “resignation,” and “bearing a heavy burden in silence.”

“I once caught a glimpse of a pocket watch he had, with a photo of a girl inside. I don’t know the details, but personality-wise, he seems fine. He’s diligent, cleaning up and taking out the trash when we’re not around,” Zhu Jue commented.

“Hmm,” Yan pondered. “Based on his habits, maybe he served in the military for a few years before coming to university?”

“But if he had such good grades, wouldn’t he have gone to a military academy? Or joined the Second Artillery Corps?”

As they were talking, the two suddenly heard a female voice nearby, shouting loudly, "Lin Fan, Lin Fan, wait for me! Why won’t you talk to me?"

The moment the voice rang out, Yan and Zhu Jue both stiffened.

Oh no, had they been overheard talking about someone? Although they hadn’t said anything bad, they couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

The name Lin Fan was quite common, but on the campus of Bin University, there was a good chance they were dealing with the real deal!

When they turned around, they saw Lin Fan—a tall, well-built man with slightly tanned skin. While his appearance seemed ordinary at first glance, there was a sharp, commanding aura about him that made people instinctively take notice.

At that moment, Yan blinked a few times.

Well, confirmed. Another "halo bearer" had appeared.

**[Reborn Soldier King]**

Though the combination of these four words took her a moment to process, she quickly understood.

So, he was a soldier—a "Soldier King," no less. But he didn’t seem as impressive as Yi Zhi, who had supernatural abilities.

Lin Fan, spotting Zhu Jue and Yan ahead, felt like he had found a lifeline. He quickly caught up and walked alongside them.

"Zhu Jue, is this your girlfriend?" He nodded toward Yan.

"Hello, I’m Lin Fan, Zhu Jue’s roommate."

"Are you heading back to the dorm?" he asked, looking at Zhu Jue.

Zhu Jue nodded. "I’m going to walk my girlfriend back first. She lives in the South District."

Lin Fan shoved his hands into his pockets. "Alright, I’ll walk with you. I don’t have anything else to do anyway."

Yan fell silent. She hadn’t expected this "Soldier King" to actively attach himself to them just to avoid trouble.

She glanced at the young girl who had caught up, panting slightly, and murmured, "Is this... okay?"

Lin Fan frowned deeply. "I don’t even know who she is."

"Huh?" Both Zhu Jue and Yan had question marks hanging over their heads.

Lin Fan sighed inwardly.

Ever since he had been reborn, for some reason, he kept attracting all sorts of strange troubles.

A year ago, when he was reborn, he realized he had returned to the crossroads that had changed his life. Overwhelmed with joy, he wept.

In his previous life, he had chosen to undertake a special undercover mission, not realizing it would take him away for seven years. During those seven years, he had lived under a false identity, while his wife and daughter were driven to despair by others.

In this life, he vowed to change his fate.

In his past life, he had been loyal to his country. In this life, he would be loyal to his family.

That’s why, despite having a bright future ahead, he chose to retire early and transition into civilian life. He passed the necessary exams and successfully enrolled in Bin University. To avoid the complications of attending a military academy far from home, Lin Fan had pushed himself to the limit and secured a special recommendation to attend Bin University.

His exceptional personal qualities, combat achievements, and learning ability still earned him assignments even after his transition.

Yes, he was an ordinary national security officer, currently lying low at Bin University. But this identity also carried hidden risks. On the surface, Lin Fan appeared to be just an ordinary college student.

Except, there were moments when he couldn’t completely hide his true self.

Just two days ago, he happened to pass by the scene of a car accident. The ambulance hadn’t arrived yet, and seeing that the injured had fractures, he used makeshift materials to stabilize the wounds and even performed a tracheotomy with a pen.

By the time the ambulance arrived, he had already disappeared into the crowd. Despite wearing a cap and a mask, he never expected that this girl would somehow capture him on video and track him down to the university.

She had even taken the initiative to approach the school administration, demanding that Lin Fan be rewarded for his actions, and had learned his name in the process.

Lin Fan was at a loss for words.

For him, being on a mission meant staying as low-key as possible.

He couldn’t understand why this girl was so fixated on him!

The girl kept chasing after him, asking why he wouldn’t accept an interview, why he hadn’t left his name, and even mentioned that the hospital had praised his actions and thanked the "good Samaritan."

"Can’t reveal my identity, can’t reveal it. Be tolerant, be patient, be polite. The army and the people are one family," he repeated to himself over and over in his mind to stay calm.

There was no way he could take it out on a clueless young girl!

Yan and Zhu Jue were stunned. If Lin Fan hadn’t spoken up, seeing the girl chasing after him, anyone else might have mistaken it for a lovers' quarrel.

"How can you say you don’t know me? I know you, isn’t that enough? I even went to the academic office to commend you, Lin Fan. Aren’t you going to thank me? You’ve been ignoring me this whole time! My name is Feng Yuerou, and I’ll be a freshman in the journalism school next year. Got it?"

The girl who had caught up was wearing a uniform, her chin held high like a blooming pink rose.

"Miss Feng, I don’t need you to commend me at the academic office. What I do has nothing to do with you. Can you please stop bothering me?"

Lin Fan was already scratching his head in frustration. He had survived gunfire and explosions in his past life, but he had never encountered such a tricky situation.

But Yan caught onto the key point. "Miss Feng, are you... a high school student?"

"Yes, so what? My dream is to become a journalist who spreads justice. That’s why people like Lin Fan, who do good deeds, need to be reported on! To spread social justice and let more people see it!" The girl spoke with righteous fervor.

Lin Fan was already wiping sweat from his forehead. Please, someone, save him from this troublemaker!

At this point, Yan and Zhu Jue also felt Lin Fan’s embarrassment.

"Miss Feng, even journalists need to respect the wishes of the people they interview. Legitimate reporting requires protecting the subject’s privacy, right?" Zhu Jue tried to reason with her.

"Besides, you’re still a high school senior. Shouldn’t you be focusing on your studies instead of running around trying to conduct interviews?" Lin Fan couldn’t understand what was going through this kid’s head.

"How did you even get into Bin University?" Yan suddenly remembered that after the incident with Lu Jianian, Bin University had restricted access to outsiders. Visitors now needed to submit a valid reason and make an appointment in advance.

"My parents both work here. That’s how I knew your name so easily. Don’t think the security gates can stop me," she said, rolling her eyes.

Ah, a faculty brat. Yan now felt a headache coming on for Lin Fan’s sake.

This kind of kid, with a strong family background, fearless and self-centered, in the middle of adolescence, was enough to drive anyone up the wall.

At this age, with this personality, she was clearly the type who thrived on challenges.

"Which dorm are you in? I’ll walk you back," Feng Yuerou said enthusiastically.

"No need," Lin Fan replied coldly.

He slung an arm over Zhu Jue’s shoulder, his other hand in his pocket, and inserted himself between Zhu Jue and Yan.

Thus, the three of them ended up in this formation—

Zhu Jue - Lin Fan - Yan.

Lin Fan gave them an apologetic look. He was genuinely afraid this troublemaker would rush up and grab him, refusing to let him leave.

The girl stared at their arrangement, momentarily stunned. Lin Fan walked quickly, and Yan felt like she was speed-walking, her feet practically sparking from the pace.

Yan fell silent. Zhu Jue also fell silent.

The Soldier King’s way of handling problems was... unique, to say the least.

Never in their lives had they imagined someone inserting themselves between two people like this.

Back when Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao were around, they at least walked one on each side.

Under normal circumstances, anyone seeing someone wedge themselves in the middle like this would suspect ulterior motives.

Lin Fan’s mind wasn’t thinking that far ahead. He just wanted to solve the immediate problem.

Though dragging his roommate and his girlfriend into this wasn’t ideal, at least it got him through this ordeal.

Lin Fan wasn’t much of a talker, so he awkwardly asked a few questions—how long they’d been together, what Yan’s major was, where they’d been that day—and the three of them lapsed into silence again.

When they reached Yan’s dormitory, the curious glances from people around finally made Lin Fan realize how odd the situation looked.

"Thanks for today, Zhu Jue, and... little sister-in-law."

"Next time, I’ll bring my wife along, and we’ll all have a meal together."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Fan realized his mistake. But it was too late. Facing the puzzled looks from Yan and Zhu Jue, he coughed awkwardly.

For some reason, he felt a sudden sense of familiarity with his roommate and his girlfriend.

"Well, I’m a few years older than you guys. It’s not unusual for me to be married," he explained. It was rare for college students to be married, and if word got out, the whole grade would know. To keep a low profile, he had kept it to himself.

"That's great. We're still a bit young, so we plan to get married right after graduation. We should all meet up with your wife sometime." Yan nodded, speaking politely.

Lin Fan was clearly waiting for Zhu Jue to head back to the dorm together, and Yan didn’t have a chance to speak to Jue alone. She waved and headed upstairs.

As soon as she entered the dorm building, Yan let out a long sigh of relief.

Heaven knows how she managed to endure the journey back, sneaking a hand-hold with Jue as if they were having an affair! How annoying!

The only good news was that she had confirmed Lin Fan's identity as a "halo bearer" today, so she wouldn’t have to wake up at five in the morning tomorrow to secretly observe him.

However, based on Yan's observations, Lin Fan's "halo bearer" aura seemed somewhat similar to Xu Jiaojiao's. This kind of attention-attracting trait could be very troublesome.

When Yan returned to the dorm, she saw Yi Zhi on the balcony, tending to her potted plants.

Gu Jiasui, Ding Ling, and Chu Bingbing hadn’t returned yet.

Yan washed her hands, put down her bag, and noticed the communal folding table in the middle of the room, laden with plates of freshly washed fruit.

Strawberries, cherry tomatoes… She tilted her head. Were these fruits in season?

"Yan's back, have some fruit," Yi Zhi called out from the balcony.

"Got it." The table was often filled with fruits and snacks everyone bought, so Yan didn’t hesitate to grab a piece and pop it into her mouth.

Mmm, so delicious! Her eyes lit up instantly.

These weren’t the kind of strawberries pumped full of growth hormones—they were tangy and sweet, with a rich strawberry flavor, not just sugary sweetness. Each bite left a fragrant, refreshing aftertaste.

She took a bite of a cherry tomato. The skin wasn’t thick, and as she bit down, the juice burst forth, tangy and sweet, with a strong tomato flavor. It was incredibly refreshing.

She couldn’t help but eat several more, feeling utterly refreshed, her mood lifting with each bite.

"These are amazing, Yi Zhi! The flavors are so intense. Where did you get them?" Yan was already thinking of asking for the link to buy some for her family.

"A relative sent them over for me to share with everyone," Yi Zhi replied vaguely.

"Oh." Yan was a bit disappointed. If it was from a relative, it might not be something she could buy herself. She felt a pang of regret. "These fruits feel so good to eat, like some kind of spiritual cleansing, like in those cultivation novels."

Yi Zhi: !

She forced an awkward smile. "That’s a bit exaggerated. They’re delicious, but not *that* amazing."

After eating a few more pieces, Yan was satisfied and turned her attention to her phone. The public opinion about the "Extreme Path Female Car Owner" had successfully reversed on the trending topics, so Chu Bingbing would probably be back soon.

Meanwhile, Yi Zhi, still on the balcony, couldn’t help but glance at Yan, her heart filled with suspicion.

Was Yan’s earlier comment intentional or just casual? Was she testing her?

Normally, people would describe delicious fruits as "yummy," "so good," "sweet," or "absolutely amazing," right?

The more Yi Zhi thought about it, the more suspicious she became, but Yan was just scrolling through her phone, as if her earlier remark had been nothing more than an offhand comment.

Standing on the balcony, using her wood-element spiritual energy to nurture the plants, Yi Zhi had seen Yan return with her boyfriend and an unfamiliar young man.

Strangely, the unfamiliar man had positioned himself between the two.

That man’s demeanor wasn’t as well-hidden as Yan’s. Even from the third floor, his posture and habits made it clear to Yi Zhi.

He was a soldier.

A soldier tempered through rigorous training, with military habits ingrained in his very being. Even from such a distance, Yi Zhi sensed something dangerous about him.

A soldier accompanying Yan back to the dorm—was that normal?

It clearly wasn’t!

Why would a soldier be here?

Had Yan discovered something about her? Was she planning something?

Or was there another purpose?

Yi Zhi fell into deep thought. The man bore the unmistakable marks of military life, but Yan showed no such traces. If it weren’t for her precise marksmanship and the skills she’d revealed during military training, there would be no hint of it on the surface.

Moreover, the young man seemed to have deliberately inserted himself between Yan and her boyfriend, separating them.

A rival? A suitor? That didn’t seem likely.

Yi Zhi could tell the couple was deeply in love, so there was only one possibility.

Was that man Yan’s older brother? As the saying goes, "The older brother looks at his sister’s boyfriend and finds more and more faults."

It was natural for a brother to disapprove of his sister’s boyfriend, even if they’d grown up together.

After some thought, Yi Zhi found this explanation quite reasonable.

So, Yan’s family had a military background. Her sharpshooting skills and first-aid knowledge now made perfect sense!

However, Yi Zhi still didn’t let her guard down about the possibility of supernatural abilities. Otherwise, what happened yesterday at Liang’s garden couldn’t be explained.

Observation—she needed to keep observing!

In any case, Yan was definitely no ordinary person!