As the sight of marks left by another person appeared on what belonged to him, a murderous intent welled up uncontrollably within Lanling Yan. He reached out and gently brushed over the spot, feeling Ning Yunhuan subtly flinch, her eyes turning even colder. Just as Xie Zhuoyin extended his hand in what he thought was a gentlemanly gesture to shake, Lanling Yan’s gaze shifted from Ning Yunhuan’s arm to him. He stood well over six feet tall; though Xie Zhuoyin was also tall, he was nearly a head shorter. Looking down at him from this height, Xie Zhuoyin suddenly felt his own presence diminish.

He was about to take a step back when, due to the proximity, he clearly saw Lanling Yan’s narrow, phoenix eyes beneath his glasses. Now, with his head lowered to look at him, those already slender eyes were like a pair of sharp swords, the outer corners slightly upturned, revealing undisguised killing intent and scorn.

“You deserve to die!” Xie Zhuoyin, momentarily stunned by the gaze, snapped back to attention only to hear Lanling Yan utter those words. Such pompous declarations were usually reserved for him to deliver from a position of superiority. Every time he had said this to someone else, watching them tremble in fear, he felt it was only right, as he hadn't taken them seriously at all!

But now, he was the recipient of such words, and Lanling Yan was the one speaking them. Xie Zhuoyin froze, and what deepened his shame was the fact that he had genuinely been frightened when Lanling Yan said it!

“Do you know who I am? Don’t be so arrogant!” Xie Zhuoyin unconsciously lowered his voice, forcing himself to retreat two steps before raising his head to stare at Lanling Yan.

Lanling Yan first drew Ning Yunhuan into his embrace, holding her close, before looking at the outwardly composed Xie Zhuoyin with a faint, mocking smile. He, too, took two steps back, but his movements lacked Xie Zhuoyin’s slight panic, instead exuding composure: “A frog in a well always believes it can cover the sky with one hand.” What Xie Zhuoyin perceived as arrogance was merely the result of his own ignorance!

“You should be grateful for your ignorance, as it's why you still have the chance to speak to me now. You have angered me.” Lanling Yan glanced at him with a smile, then pulled Ning Yunhuan and strode away from the ashen-faced Xie Zhuoyin once more!

Ning Yunhuan agreed with his statement. Who was Lanling Yan? Many people weren't even qualified to know his status. Xie Zhuoyin was famous in Capital University, even quite well-known as a distinguished young master in Kyoto, but that was the extent of it. Outside of Huaxia’s borders, others might not even know his name. Although Ning Yunhuan wasn't fully informed about Lanling Yan, from what she knew in her past life, the laboratories he heavily invested in, and his influence within the military—even the mere tip of the iceberg she witnessed—put him leagues above Xie Zhuoyin.

At least outside of Huaxia’s territory, Xie Zhuoyin was just an insect, while Lanling Yan could be called a dragon.

After all, Lanling Yan was the man even the Female Lead admired in the previous life. The Female Lead, shared by countless powerful, wealthy, and high-status men, sought Lanling Yan’s help to escape such a fate, which was enough to prove Lanling Yan possessed the capability to contend with all of them. Therefore, the words he had just spoken, which Xie Zhuoyin deemed arrogant, were actually genuine feelings from his core!

How strange that such a person somehow ended up entangled with her. In her past life, even after Ning Yunhuan died, she hadn't heard that the Female Lead successfully secured him. He ignored the Female Lead’s protagonist aura, tormented her to the point of near death, yet she still treated him like the man she first loved. How was it that she, a mere supporting female character, encountered him first!

Ning Yunhuan sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of triumph in today’s events. In her previous life, Xie Zhuoyin had frequently suppressed her on behalf of the Female Lead, even personally threatening her when trying to turn the Ning family into the Female Lead’s private property. Recalling the helplessness she felt facing such power back then, and contrasting it with Xie Zhuoyin’s current state—unable to even breathe heavily under Lanling Yan’s pressure—Ning Yunhuan finally tasted what it meant to rely on a powerful backer!

“When he grabbed you, why didn't you fight back?” Receiving the ointment from the large man in camouflage seated in front of her, Lanling Yan applied it to her arm as he asked in a level tone.

“I wanted to slap him, but I was afraid he would seek revenge later,” Ning Yunhuan sat still obediently, letting Lanling Yan finish applying the medicine. Only after he handed the tube back and the glass partition was raised again did she purse her lips and say quietly.

Her answer was honest, causing Lanling Yan to be unable to help but laugh and cry at the same time: “Do whatever you want. No matter what it is, as long as you desire it, you don’t need to consider the consequences.” Lanling Yan was arrogant, but he possessed the capital for his arrogance. When Ning Yunhuan heard him say this, catching the faint, almost invisible smile in his eyes, she felt a sudden panic for some unknown reason and dared not pursue the question further, instinctively turning her head away.

The smile on Lanling Yan’s face paused when he noticed her action. After a long moment, he drew her into his arms, and they both fell silent.

Meanwhile, Xie Zhuoyin, left at the classroom door, only snapped back to reality long after Lanling Yan had gone. Once lucid, he realized he was covered in a thin film of cold sweat, his lightweight shirt clinging uncomfortably to his skin. After the humiliation, a thread of fear mixed in, fueling his growing anger. Without thinking, he dialed a number: “Get to the Student Council President's office immediately and wait for me!” A weak, tearful plea came from the other end. This fragility brought a profound satisfaction to his masculine ego, causing him to cast aside the previous discomfort and fear.

Because of Xie Zhuoyin's appearance, Ning Yunhuan had caused a stir today; one could imagine how lively things would be when she returned to school tomorrow. Since she had already learned everything she needed to in her previous life, and the Ning family was not without money, she planned to skip a few days of class and return once the fuss had died down. Lanling Yan naturally wouldn't object to this decision as it didn't harm his interests, but he wasn't entirely pleased because Ning Yunhuan mentioned wanting to go home to visit.

Lanling Yan wished to keep her with him, and he knew that if he insisted, Ning Yunhuan, however unwilling, would obey. But looking at her pleading eyes, the refusal simply wouldn't come out. Although he agreed, considering future implications, the elder brother never engaged in unprofitable trades, so he added one more condition: “You can go home, but afterwards, you can only go back two days a month.”

Ning Yunhuan had been afraid he would refuse, so upon hearing his agreement, she hesitated. Her father and Madam Ning had initially said she could go back twice a week; now Lanling Yan had cut that down by several days. She was slightly reluctant. Lanling Yan chuckled, patting her head: “If you don’t like it, that’s fine too—then don’t go back at all!”