Kidnapping the Heroine at the Start

Things had taken a turn that completely caught Ye Fan off guard.

Even with his protagonist halo, he couldn't keep his usual cool or maintain the illusion of being in control.

What the hell was going on?!

Luo Bingyan hated Lin Han.

She had clearly been kidnapped.

So why the hell was she standing by his side like they were together?!

And judging from her words, his identity had already been exposed.

That meant—

His plan to climb up the Luo family's ranks was completely ruined.

Damn it!

Had he known things would turn out like this, he should have stopped the kidnapping from happening in the first place.

Instead, he had played the long game and lost everything.

He had tried to trick Lin Han—and ended up tricking himself instead.

Lin Han smirked coldly, then casually wrapped an arm around Luo Bingyan's waist.

Luo Bingyan shot him a glare, but Lin Han acted like he didn't notice, his cold eyes still locked onto Ye Fan.

The situation was already tense, and Luo Bingyan knew she couldn't resist too obviously—otherwise, they'd risk blowing their cover.

Besides, at this moment…

Ye Fan was the person she hated the most.

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.

Ye Fan's fists clenched, veins bulging.

His entire body trembled with rage.

He wanted nothing more than to rip Lin Han apart on the spot.

But even in his fury, he hadn't completely lost his rationality.

His battle-hardened instincts screamed at him—

There were at least dozens of guns aimed at him right now.

Killing Lin Han?

Too risky.

Unless he was 100% certain of success, he wouldn't make a move.

That was the survivor's instinct he had honed from years of fighting in war zones.

"Nothing to say?"

Lin Han raised an eyebrow.

At the same time, his bodyguards all drew their guns, pointing them straight at Ye Fan.

Just then—

SCREEECH!

The sound of braking tires echoed outside.

Dozens of heavy footsteps followed, marching in perfect synchronization.

A large group of armed men in black tactical gear poured through the main gates.

These weren't ordinary bodyguards.

Their elite, disciplined movements made it clear—

These were special forces.

In all of China, only a handful of people could mobilize such a force.

And every single one of them was a major power.

The bodyguards hesitated, momentarily shaken.

They thought Ye Fan had called for reinforcements.

Only two people knew the truth—

Lin Han and Ye Fan.

Old Master Luo had arrived.

Ye Fan's face darkened.

With dozens of gun barrels pointed at him, running was impossible.

His mind spun frantically, trying to come up with another plan.

Originally, this had been a perfect trap for Lin Han—

Now, it had become a noose around his own neck.

On top of that, his identity was exposed.

And with Lin Han and Luo Bingyan acting so close, there was no way he could explain himself.

Luo Bingyan's expression had been serious at first.

She had thought Ye Fan had called in some powerful backer.

Even though few people in China would dare to offend both the Lin and Luo families at the same time, whoever these people were, they were obviously here to protect Ye Fan.

If that was the case, this situation would become tricky.

If the other party was on the same level as her grandfather, then they couldn't just ignore them.

But when she saw the license plate on the approaching limousine, her eyes immediately lit up.

China-000016.

A unique, prestigious plate number.

One that represented power itself.

An elderly man in a gray Tang suit stepped out from the backseat.

Luo Bingyan cheered happily.

"Grandpa!"

The moment Old Master Luo heard his granddaughter's voice, he breathed a sigh of relief.

But when he saw Lin Han's arm around Luo Bingyan's waist—

His eyes widened in shock.

He was completely confused.

His gaze swept over the chaotic scene—

The wrecked courtyard.

The damaged iron gate.

And his precious granddaughter… standing so intimately with Lin Han?

Something wasn't adding up.

He had received a mysterious phone call, claiming that his granddaughter had been kidnapped.

The address he was given?

Lin Han's house.

He had heard about Lin Han's reputation, and his private number wasn't easily obtained, so he had believed it.

Even though the Lin family was more powerful than the Luo family, nothing was more important than his granddaughter's safety.

Besides, this whole marriage arrangement?

He had never been in favor of it anyway.

If things really turned out this way, he was prepared to go to war with the Lin family.

But now?

What was this?

A kidnapping?

Because this sure as hell looked more like a loving couple standing together!

"Grandpa! Why did you come yourself? And why bring so many people?"

Luo Bingyan skipped over to him, holding onto his arm like a spoiled little girl.

"Grandpa Luo."

Lin Han also stepped forward, flashing a polite, warm smile.

Old Master Luo was no fool.

Even if he was completely confused, his expression remained calm.

He nodded at Lin Han, then patted Luo Bingyan's head fondly.

"I heard something happened here, so I came to check on you."

He deliberately didn't mention "kidnapping."

Because at this point, it was obvious—

Lin Han hadn't kidnapped Luo Bingyan at all.

They were too close for that to make any sense.

Lin Han seized the moment.

"Apologies for worrying you, Grandpa Luo. There was a bit of an incident, but it's already under control."

He spoke first, cutting off any chance for Luo Bingyan to mention the actual kidnapping.

Luo Bingyan pouted.

"Grandpa, you didn't have to come. Lin Han's security is actually really good. I wasn't in any danger."

She wanted to insult Lin Han more—

But in Old Master Luo's eyes, it just looked like playful banter between a young couple.

He smiled, looking more convinced than ever.

Then his gaze hardened as he turned to Ye Fan.

"Lin Han, who is this?"

Lin Han didn't even hesitate.

"Oh, just the leader of a foreign mercenary group. Recently returned to China, probably here to assassinate me."

"Though, I only just found out he's actually a security guard at Bingyan's company."

"Not sure what his real goal is—I didn't get the chance to interrogate him yet."

Luo Bingyan and Old Master Luo both frowned.

With the pieces falling into place, the truth became crystal clear.

Ye Fan had tried to frame Lin Han for kidnapping, using it as a way to tear apart the Lin-Luo alliance.

But the plan had failed spectacularly.

Old Master Luo's expression darkened.

"This is a serious matter. I'll take him with me for questioning. Once I get some answers, I'll hand him over to you."

Lin Han smirked internally.

Checkmate.

Ye Fan, enjoy carrying that giant black mark on your name.

And giving Ye Fan to Old Master Luo?

That was a test—to see how strong the protagonist's survival cheats really were.

After all…

If Ye Fan was going to make a comeback, he'd have to survive first.