Although she didn't know why she suddenly cared so much about Ning Yunhuan's feelings, Lan Lingyan forcibly suppressed the urge to indulge one more time and got up on his own.

As he sat up, he first took out a tissue from the car to clean himself, but seeing Ning Yunhuan rise unsteadily with a pained expression, he couldn't help but let out a low chuckle, his voice sounding somewhat deep in the confines of the car, especially with the languid huskiness that followed intimacy. By the time Ning Yunhuan's cheeks were burning red, he had already reached out and pulled her into his embrace, his other hand slipping inside her. Ning Yunhuan tried to struggle, but she felt a warm flow emerge, which was infinitely more comforting than before. She suppressed her shame and anger, burying her face in his chest, pressing tightly against the skin revealed by his open shirt, daring not to make a sound.

After this trip back to the manor, Ning Yunhuan couldn't bring herself to look up for a long time. Something between her and Lan Lingyan had shifted from how it was before, yet she couldn't articulate exactly what had changed.

Having finally managed to take two days off to lie low, she ended up being completely consumed. Ning Yunhuan began to weigh whether it was a greater loss to skip classes and face scrutiny or to be utterly devoured by the wolf-like Lan Lingyan. After two days, she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't sleep at night, had to sleep through most of the day, only to be devoured again that night. This lifestyle was far too decadent; perhaps things were better before. At least then, to ensure she had some energy during the day, Lan Lingyan would show restraint at night, stopping after once or twice at most. Unlike now, without any reservations, it was considered early if she managed to get up by noon.

Thinking this, Ning Yunhuan decisively made up her mind to go back to school. As they lay in bed that evening, when Lan Lingyan reached for her, Ning Yunhuan calmly took his hand and whispered softly, "I want to go back to school tomorrow."

She had taken several days off, but evasion seemed futile. In comparison, Lan Lingyan felt far more terrifying. Hearing Ning Yunhuan’s words, Lan Lingyan was silent for a long moment. To Ning Yunhuan's surprise, he actually nodded, though he didn't let her off the hook this time. In her groggy state, Ning Yunhuan felt something was amiss but couldn't quite grasp it, and coupled with extreme physical exhaustion, she naturally dismissed the small doubt.

Though she had hidden for a few days, it seemed to have had no effect whatsoever. The moment Ning Yunhuan arrived at school, she was already being watched. After entering the classroom, many people looked at her strangely, as if something significant had happened during those two days.

She found the situation intriguing but maintained a placid expression, pretending not to notice the curious gazes, and calmly returned to her seat. Sitting beside her was the same outwardly cheerful and cute girl from last time. Upon seeing Ning Yunhuan sit down, the girl immediately leaned in without hesitation, reaching out as if to place an arm around her: "You've been absent these last few days, right? Did something happen? What was Young Master Xie looking for you for that day?"

These were not just her own questions; several classmates sitting nearby perked up their ears upon hearing her inquiries.

Ning Yunhuan frowned slightly and turned to glance at her. Seeing the gossip shimmering in the girl's eyes, she calmly stated, "Are we that close?"

The neighboring girl seemed unprepared for her cold response. She pouted but didn't get angry; instead, she winked conspiratorially and smiled sweetly at her: "Come on, tell me. My name is Chen Yuanyuan. It's fate that we sit together, let's be friends! Tell me a little bit, won't you?~"

As she spoke, she nudged Ning Yunhuan with her elbow a couple of times: "Young Master Xie has come looking for you these past two days. Has he taken a liking to you? Are you two dating? Why aren't you seeing him? Did you have a fight? Also, who was that handsome guy who pulled you away the other day?"

Ning Yunhuan involuntarily scooted her chair farther away, making no move to answer. They weren't close, yet the topics she brought up crossed boundaries; even close friends kept certain matters private, so why should she answer just because she asked?

Seeing that she wouldn't speak, the girl calling herself Chen Yuanyuan seemed slightly indignant and tried to lean closer again. Ning Yunhuan had already clearly rejected her with coldness; her current attitude made it obvious she didn't wish to be bothered, yet this girl seemed utterly unfazed. This girl was truly thick-skinned. Ning Yunhuan let out a laugh born of irritation. Chen Yuanyuan, seeing her laugh, became even more simpering:

"Tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone." As she said this, her eyes flickered, clearly looking insincere. Ning Yunhuan, having seen plenty of people who said one thing and did another in her past life, had no reason to believe her. She merely pulled the corner of her mouth into a slight curve and acted as if she hadn't heard.

She had hoped ignoring the matter would settle it, but unexpectedly, Chen Yuanyuan buzzed in her ear throughout the entire class period, twisting and pestering her to confirm if she and Xie Zhuoyin were involved. Ning Yunhuan felt as if a giant fly was constantly droning next to her. Finally unable to bear it any longer, she turned and looked at her with a furrowed brow: "I already said, we aren't close."

"What's the big deal if you have something going on with Young Master Xie? It's not a huge secret. He came to the class to find you; who would believe there's nothing going on between you?" After saying this, she started adding more: "Or maybe you and Young Master Xie have some kind of grudge, and he's not interested in you, but seeking revenge? Still, who exactly was that handsome guy the other day?"

Ning Yunhuan could tolerate it no longer. She held it in until the bell rang, but Chen Yuanyuan was still clinging to her, talking non-stop. Just as Ning Yunhuan, at the end of her patience, gathered her pre-packed belongings to leave, Fu Yuan, who had been simmering with annoyance for a long time, finally squeezed over. She roughly pushed the just-rising Ning Yunhuan back into her seat and declared loudly, "Huanhuan, ignore her! That Chen Yuanyuan, taking advantage of sitting next to you that day, sold your information! She told everyone you were dating Xie Zhuoyin, but that you were secretly cheating and got found out! She even took money from people in the class, thinking she was a source of gossip! I've known you since we were little; how could I not know you don't even know Xie Zhuoyin!"

Fu Yuan pretended to be defending Ning Yunhuan, but her voice was anything but quiet. With this outburst, many faces showed expressions suggesting they had guessed the truth. Ning Yunhuan’s face turned ashen. She stood up abruptly, ignoring the clearly malicious Fu Yuan beside her, and fixed her gaze on Chen Yuanyuan: "You fabricated lies and sold my information to others?"

Her voice was somewhat icy, and her eyes held a deep shadow. Perhaps through prolonged association with Lan Lingyan, she had grown under pressure; her expression now looked rather menacing. Chen Yuanyuan froze for a moment, then her face flushed and paled alternately as she stammered, "I, I..."