Ning Yuncheng was short on cash lately, and he didn't dare talk back to Father Ning as he used to. He sat there, keeping his head down, not daring to retort, but boiling with indignation inside.

Father Ning had specifically told him today that Ning Yunhuan was coming back and ordered him to stay away from the company. Now that he had no money and his car had been confiscated by the old man, he couldn't go anywhere else; where else was he supposed to wait but at home? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and his feelings toward Ning Yunhuan soured even further. See? he thought. My fate just doesn't align with this girl’s. We never clicked before, and now that she’s grown up, she's even more unbearable. We’ll never get along!

“That’s right, Yuncheng, your sister has barely made it home. Say a few less words,” Madam Ning, who usually doted on her son, saw the slight paleness in her daughter’s face and immediately set her son aside to fuss over her daughter with solicitous concern. Ning Yuncheng instantly felt as if he’d been dug out of a garbage heap—unloved by his father and ignored by his mother—and his face instantly darkened.

Having her return immediately strike Ning Yuncheng down a notch brought Ning Yunhuan some slight comfort. Leaning into Madam Ning’s embrace, she didn't feel like moving.

Ever since becoming pregnant, she felt overwhelmingly tired and longed for sleep. The weather was blazing hot, and she had nearly dozed off during the car ride over. Now, she felt languid and unwilling to stir. She was still feeling rather lost about her unknown destiny. According to the books, or based on the fate of the original Ning Yunhuan in her previous life, she shouldn't have been abroad. Yet here she was: not only had she gotten involved with the absolute boss, Lan Lingyan, but now they were getting married, and worse, she was carrying his child!

As things stood, it seemed certain that, because of their current relationship, Lan Lingyan wouldn't let the heroine, Gu Yingxi, near the laboratory again if she tried to harm her in the future. Thinking of this, Ning Yunhuan let out a long, relieved breath.

After spending the better part of the day at the Ning residence, Ning Yunhuan eventually used the excuse that she needed to prepare some documents urgently before leaving for her trip abroad. Father Ning looked visibly reluctant, but as she left, he slipped a card into her hand. It wasn't until she was seated in the car Lan Lingyan had sent to pick her up that Ning Yunhuan finally unfolded the card resting in her palm.

It was a golden bank card; needless to say, it held a substantial amount of money. Thinking of Father Ning’s conflicted expression when he saw her off—an unwillingness to let go that he couldn't quite voice—Ning Yunhuan felt a sudden prickle behind her eyes, sniffled, and nearly burst into tears.

“What are you crying about?” Lan Lingyan’s breath hitched slightly as he handed her a tissue. “It’s not like you won’t come back after you leave.” When he spoke like that, frowning, his features were serious, yet his expression remained aloof. Ning Yunhuan remained silent for a long moment, took the tissue, wiped her face, and indeed, stopped crying.

She was pregnant, still somewhat bewildered by the reality, and Lan Lingyan had already made all the arrangements.

In her past life, she had often witnessed Xie Zhuoyin and her elder brother, Ning Yuncheng, chartering luxury jets to try and appease a perpetually gloomy Gu Yingxi—truly the type willing to spend fortunes for a single smile from their beloved. But unexpectedly, in this second life, Ning Yunhuan herself was about to enjoy such treatment. At the Lan Estate, a waiting jet was already idling, its engines running. The great vortex stirred up by the wingtips sent Ning Yunhuan’s long dress billowing wildly. To avoid any accidental exposure, she had to clutch her hands tightly over her legs, daring barely to lift them.

Personnel were already waiting near the aircraft. When they saw Lan Lingyan approach, they bowed their heads respectfully. Lan Lingyan frowned at Ning Yunhuan’s slightly disheveled appearance, drew her into his arms partially shielding her, and strode onto the plane.

Unlike the ordinary airplanes Ning Yunhuan was accustomed to, the interior was far from cramped; instead, it felt extraordinarily spacious. The forward section was a reception lounge, where beige leather sofas gave the cabin a soft tone, and the gentle lighting created an immediate sense of warmth. Inside, there was a refrigerator, a kitchen, and even a dedicated chef. The rear section housed the sleeping quarters, featuring a nearly three-meter-wide bed, and the cabinets were already stocked with luggage the couple had packed.

This space felt less like an aircraft and more like an exquisitely decorated small suite.

“Don’t sleep yet,” Lan Lingyan said, rolling up his sleeves. His tall frame exuded a powerful presence within the cabin. He wore a plaid, casual, deep V-neck long-sleeved cotton shirt, with the exposed sides of the collar revealing firm, strong pectoral muscles. His lower half was clad in matching pure white cotton trousers, molding his long legs into a straight, defined line.

He rarely dressed in an outfit that was so immediately appealing to the eye. While his usual attire wasn't overly formal, it was always refined. Seeing him dressed this way for the first time, especially as he rolled up his sleeves, made Ning Yunhuan’s heart skip a beat or two, and she found herself staring at him a few extra times.

“The flight will take over ten hours. Let’s play for a while, eat something, and then you can sleep. We’ll be there when you wake up,” Lan Lingyan noticed her slightly dazed gaze, smiled, reached out to touch her somewhat cool arm, and then selected a light pink, pure silk scarf from a cabinet to drape over her shoulders.

The plane was air-conditioned, but the weather in Huaxia was hot at the moment. If covered too heavily, Ning Yunhuan, given her nature, would inevitably shed the coverings without realizing it, making her susceptible to catching a chill from the temperature fluctuations. A light, airy covering like this scarf was better—it provided minimal coverage while being beautiful and not too warm. If she felt a bit cold, the scarf was ample enough that she could fold it over once for extra warmth.

Indeed, as soon as he draped it over her, Ning Yunhuan didn't pull it away; instead, she reached up and gently tugged it further around herself. Lan Lingyan glanced at her, a look of satisfaction crossing his features before he lowered his head once more.

The plane was stocked with various alcoholic beverages, but now that Ning Yunhuan was expecting, she could only drink freshly squeezed juice or milk. A person dressed in a crisp white uniform approached to ask about their requests before heading to the small kitchen to prepare things.

“How am I supposed to play?” Once everyone had left and she was explicitly forbidden from sleeping, Ning Yunhuan could only stifle a yawn as Lan Lingyan lazily pulled her along toward the other end of the cabin. On one side of the living area was a small alcove with a glass cabinet filled with books of all sorts. Even more surprisingly, a small side cabinet was packed with an entire row of romance novels!

Ning Yunhuan was shocked. Before she could associate this discovery with Lan Lingyan, he leaned down, resting his chin atop her head. “Take a look. Do you like them? These were prepared especially for you.” Although the plane had computers and other amenities, since she was pregnant, Lan Lingyan naturally wouldn't let her spend much time near them, so he had people stock up on novels that young ladies enjoyed reading.

Hearing this, Ning Yunhuan was truly dumbfounded. She had initially assumed the books were for Lan Lingyan’s own enjoyment, but to learn they were prepared for her made her mouth twitch. Did she look like someone still obsessed with that sort of juvenile fiction? After crossing over from reading an explicit novel that landed her as an unlucky supporting character in her previous life, Ning Yunhuan had sworn off reading fiction that could ruin her!