The moment Ning Yunhuan finished speaking, Lanling Yan was somewhat speechless. He didn't know what kind of luck the treasure in his arms possessed, to encounter such sordid affairs repeatedly. Recalling the woman who dared to roll around with a man in broad daylight on the school lawn last time, Lanling Yan frowned in disgust. "Stay away from her, lest you catch something unclean from her." Even as he said this, Lanling Yan felt deeply annoyed, contemplating that he must deal with that woman. Since Ning Yunhuan wasn't close to her, it would be better to prevent her from showing her irritating presence constantly.

Sensing Lanling Yan's profoundly negative impression of Gu Yingxi, Ning Yunhuan felt a strange surge of happiness. She leaned a little closer to Lanling Yan, merely murmuring an agreement without speaking further.

The young girl in his arms was as quiet as a kitten. Lanling Yan stroked her back with satisfaction. Ning Yunhuan wasn't thin; her frame was merely delicate, so any flesh she carried was not apparent. The feel of her in his embrace right now was excellent, compounded by the smooth silk she wore, which felt as soft as if she were wearing nothing at all, further emphasizing the warm, fragrant softness cradled in his arms. Lanling Yan had little experience with this kind of tender interaction. After remaining stiff for a while, he wanted to speak to her but didn't know how to begin. After a long pause, he seemed to recall something:

"The Li family is being transferred to Nanling."

Already not fully awake, and feeling languid after being disturbed, Ning Yunhuan was drifting off when Lanling Yan’s voice resonated in the large room. She blinked open her eyes hazily. "The Li family? Which Li family?"

"Li Yukuan, the one who pursued you last time, won't be showing up anymore." Lanling Yan’s tone was chilling, yet for some reason, Ning Yunhuan sensed he was expectant of her response. But if Lanling Yan hadn't brought up the Li family today, she would have forgotten who Li Yukuan even was. He was merely cannon fodder male, destined to be dealt with; she hadn't given him a second thought. Hearing Lanling Yan mention it, Ning Yunhuan hesitated before tentatively saying, "Then... thank you?"

Lanling Yan, who had been waiting for this acknowledgment, held her even tighter in satisfaction, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his lips. His usually frigid eyes now held flecks of light, though his intonation remained steady. "I will collect the gift of thanks myself."

She had never intended to offer a gift of thanks in the first place. Hearing Lanling Yan say that, Ning Yunhuan couldn't help but roll her eyes. She snuggled closer toward him before closing her eyes again.

The news that the Mayor of the Capital City was being transferred to Nanling at the same rank indeed spread quickly. On the surface, moving from one city to another sounded like an equal exchange, but everyone knew that Nanling was merely a remote, minor county, whereas the Capital was the heart of the entire Huaxia. The gentleman from the Li family had clearly suffered an implicit demotion under the guise of an equal transfer!

In private, many people investigated whether Mayor Li had offended someone he shouldn't have, but after a period of searching, no suspicious figures were found, and the matter eventually faded away.

Although Ning Yunhuan was the primary catalyst for this incident, she was currently just a student, and her daily life was naturally separate from the political sphere. She hadn't paid heed to the gossip about the Li family’s transfer lately, as she was currently being pestered as if by a vengeful ghost, an incessant annoyance day after day!

Just after finishing one class, with a thirty-minute break before the next elective, Ning Yunhuan went to the restroom. As soon as she emerged, a woman who seemed like a spirit clinging to her back was inside the washroom, her eyes filled with tears, both eyes swollen like walnuts. Her lips were pressed tightly together, as if she had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing Ning Yunhuan open the door, she called out softly, meekly, "Junior Schoolmate Ning."

"What on earth do you want from me?" Ning Yunhuan was becoming furious. No one would be pleased to find someone blocking the door right after using the restroom. She was the one being followed and spied upon, so why was Gu Yingxi acting as if Ning Yunhuan had assaulted her?

"Junior Schoolmate Ning, I, I..." Gu Yingxi flinched at her outburst, subconsciously letting her slender legs part slightly, causing her knees to brush together as her small, pale hands fidgeted near her chest. It was clear that Xie Zhuoyin had been touching her a lot recently; several obvious crimson marks dotted her neck. Furthermore, Gu Yingxi carried a certain maturity now that she lacked before, looking less purely innocent.

"Just say what you have to say!" Linglong couldn't stand seeing her pitiful demeanor; it irritated her instantly.

In her previous life, Gu Yingxi always presented herself this way, as if driven to utter misery, but in reality, she was likely suffering over the men who forcefully took what they wanted. Yet, in that past life, in a desperate bid to change the outcome where Ning Yunhuan was gang-raped in the book, she had shamelessly attached herself to Ning Yunhuan as a sidekick. Once their friendship warmed, Gu Yingxi often used her as an emotional dumping ground to vent her troubles. Whenever this scene