The man radiated an air of effortless superiority. His striking features weren't even the most notable aspect; it was his commanding presence that rendered his appearance secondary in people's perception. Towering at over six feet, he exuded an oppressive aura that intensified with every step toward them.

"Yuhan, do you know this handsome guy?" Fu Yuan's heart hammered wildly as she bumped into Ning Yunhuan again. This time she failed to gauge her strength, jostling Ning Yunhuan's waist and causing her to gasp in pain. The collision jolted Ning back to reality from the daze he was caught in.

"I don't know him." Ning nearly squeaked out, instinctively seeking shelter at the sight of this man. In her past life she had suppressed her true nature, feigning innocence and kindness - all just to escape the tragic fate foretold for her character in a novel. She'd foolishly waited for her mother's arranged marriage, only to discover that two decades of pretense led to an even bleaker ending.

The original story's heroine was pure-hearted yet possessed an author-endowed body that became irresistibly alluring once intimate contact occurred. Though plain-faced, she had this captivating aura that made men obsessed after experiencing her unique charm - a fact Ning Yunhuan witnessed firsthand in her past existence.

But none of that compared to the man before them now!

Most people would never even learn his name. Yet Ning knew it by heart, and if given a choice, would rather remain ignorant forever: Lan Lingyan, Ninth Prince of the Lan family. The sole ruler of this ancient dynasty, having systematically eliminated all other heirs without a trace.

His mother hailed from the Lin clan - though not prominent in court circles, they held military influence. Ning had learned through bitter experience just how vast their power was when she found herself kidnapped by soldiers, never to be rescued despite her desperate fate.

In another life, Ning had once glimpsed this Ninth Prince at a glance that left an indelible mark on her soul. Not out of admiration but sheer terror - because indirectly, it was he who orchestrated the excruciating death that haunted her past existence: a slow, torturous demise far worse than any quick end.

Somehow, Lan Lingyan had appeared in her previous life's reality despite being absent from the original novel. While the story's heroine captivated all of Kyoto's elite men through her inexplicable charm, she became obsessed with this Ninth Prince - so much that she manipulated Ning Yuncheng to sacrifice his own sister on a research table for Lan's approval.

Towering above others both in stature and stride, Lan quickly approached their jewelry counter. Ning trembled uncontrollably when he reached the boutique entrance, her fear erupting into instinctive flight toward the exit.

Lan Lingyan stood silently outside, his hawk-like eyes hidden behind glasses as they tracked Ning Yunhuan's panicked movements. A faint smirk tugged at his lips like a cat toying with its prey.

The girl's visible terror was perplexing. He didn't recognize her from his memories yet she feared him - an emotion foreign in his meticulously controlled world. Unknown elements usually bent under his orchestration, becoming predictable tools rather than chaotic variables. What couldn't be managed simply ceased to exist.

Lowering his head slightly, Lan's bangs obscured the glasses and concealed the sharp slant of his phoenix eyes brimming with frosty calculation.

Standing calmly outside the jewelry store like a poised hunter, he waited for the frightened prey to stumble right into his waiting arms - exactly what happened when Ning Yunhuan dashed past him in her panic.