Ning Yunhuan wasn't the most stunning girl in existence, but she was undeniably a rare beauty. Such concentrations of femininity were common only in film departments—anywhere else and she'd instantly be crowned campus queen.

The class erupted into hushed arguments as classmates exchanged whispers. Ning Yunhuan ignored them all, her gaze fixed on the window where Xie Zhuoyin's impatient knock sent ripples through the glass. His sharp features twisted with menace now. "Miss Ning," he hissed, voice laced with venom, "I suggest you come out here at once." The handsome face that should have exuded charm instead radiated cruelty, prompting several girls to clasp their hands and gasp softly.

This time she nearly tried to pretend she hadn't heard—until a sweetly smiling girl beside her gently nudged. "Hey," the girl cooed, "is that your boyfriend calling you?"

The nudge made Ning Yunhuan's brows furrow as she lifted her head sharply. "You just hit me." The words came out like a blade.

She was no longer the doormat of a girl from her past life who swallowed every injustice and played the martyr. Her round-faced classmate blinked in confusion before turning bright red, her eyes flashing with mortified fury as she shook her head without offering an apology.

The awkward exchange didn't last long. Xie Zhuoyin was already pacing outside, his pretty face contorted with disdain. After a lengthy pause he exhaled sharply through gritted teeth and stormed into the classroom like he owned it. "Miss Ning," he said coldly, seizing her arm in one fluid motion, "are you pretending not to hear me? Or are you deliberately playing hard-to-get?" His handsome face twisted into mockery as he lifted her by the wrist. "Women like you think manipulations will impress me. Save your tricks—I have something important to discuss with you."

The sudden drama sent a ripple of excitement through their classmates, all eyes now fixed on Ning Yunhuan.

"Yunhuan," Fu Yuan's honey-sweet voice cut in, her melodic tones causing Xie Zhuoyin to glance at her over his shoulder. But after one look at the rather average beauty he quickly turned away again.

"Let go!" Ning Yunhuan gritted out through clenched teeth as pain seared up her arm. His grip was bruisingly tight, and she could feel skin breaking beneath his fingers. Just as she struggled to free herself, a frigid voice echoed from the classroom doorway: "I suggest you release her immediately if I were you."

No one had noticed when Lan Lingshan arrived at the threshold. The girls who'd been admiring Xie Zhuoyin's ruggedness now froze in collective shock at this new figure.

On sheer looks alone, both men were evenly matched—but their styles differed drastically. Lan Lingsyan radiated an ethereal coldness that made Xie Zhuoyin's dark allure feel suddenly vulgar. It was as if one didn't need to try hard to command attention; he simply existed with effortless aristocratic poise while Xie Zhuoyin's usual charming nonchalance now seemed calculated.

Xie Zhuoyin's pupils dilated sharply, memories of the previous day flooding back—the way Lan Lingshan had silently raised his gun to his head in a gesture that needed no translation. His body reacted before his mind could process it, and suddenly he was releasing Ning Yunhuan with shaking fingers.

"Come here," Lan Lingsyan said through his mirrored glasses, beckoning her over with an icy gaze.

Ning Yunhuan grabbed her bag without hesitation and strode past the dazed Xie Zhuoyin. But as she moved toward him, a surge of resentment made her halt mid-step. Now that her savior had arrived... why not exact at least some small revenge? Thinking this, she turned sharply to kick his shin with her stiletto heel.

Xie Zhuoyin hissed in pain immediately. Her peep-toe pumps were deathly weapons—the high platforms and razor-tips could leave even a man's shins black and blue. As he winced at the impact, something flickered in the dark-haired woman's eyes—her defiance had jolted him back to awareness.

Xie Zhuoyin had always been used to getting his way. The thought that someone might fear this other man simply because of a few words and yesterday's silent threat sent ice through his veins. He could feel every gaze in the room now resting on Lan Lingshan, an humiliation he'd never before experienced. Fury twisted with fear as he forced himself into a composed stance.

"Apologies for not introducing myself earlier," Xie Zhuoyin said smoothly, masking his turmoil beneath practiced charm that slowly regained some of his lost ground. As he massaged his throbbing leg, a cold smile played at the corners of his mouth when Ning Yunhuan flung herself into Lan Lingshan's arms. Let this man try to humiliate him further—he'd make sure it was slow and agonizing.

Ning Yunhuan wasn't someone special in her own right—her family's entertainment company paled in comparison to the minor social networks he casually toyed with. Her looks were pleasant but hardly unique, not worth his attention normally. Unless... unless this mysterious man had something to do with her. The very thought that she might be entangled with him sent an entirely new kind of interest surging through Xie Zhuoyin.

Lan Lingshan ignored the murmurs around them entirely. His eyes tracked the bruising on Ning Yunhuan's exposed forearm—the purpling skin where fingernails had dug in, the tiny blood specks dotting her otherwise flawless complexion. Of course he knew how delicate girls' skin was—how a single touch could leave an indelible mark.