Gu Yingxi had initially believed Ning Yunhuan possessed photographs of her with Xie Zhuoyin, a delusion that led her to harass Ning Yunhuan for days and eventually utter threats. Now, using that very incident against her proved effective; indeed, Ning Yunhuan watched Gu Yingxi’s face grow visibly paler, a flicker of unwillingness and resentment crossing her eyes.

Perhaps the author had written her with a personality that was purely kind and inept at concealing her inner turmoil, intended to highlight her façade as a flawless, innocent figure. Because of this, every shade of emotion was laid bare for everyone to see. She had never considered that Ning Yunhuan would deceive her. Amidst the collective shock and surprise, Gu Yingxi covered her face, her legs suddenly giving out as she sank to the ground, weeping:

“Why, why do you have to push me like this? Can’t you spare me? Why must you always force my hand? Brother Yin is no longer the family heir! Isn't that suffering enough for him? Why must you still do this?”

Being publicly exposed by Ning Yunhuan left Gu Yingxi reeling with both panic and fear. Though her first encounter with Xie Zhuoyin had involved a forceful assault, the cycle of pain and submission had eventually deepened into genuine affection. This was especially true over the past year, during which the Xie family had suffered several setbacks, transforming Xie Zhuoyin from the rightful first successor to merely a privileged young man clinging to meager dividends.

His former friends had all distanced themselves. At this point, Gu Shengmu—Gu Yingxi—felt only pity and compassion for him, devoid of the fear she once held.

Although after arriving at the Ning family company, she had developed an ambiguous, ill-defined entanglement with Ning Yuncheng, and she did care for the man whose devotion to her was absolute, her heart still leaned more heavily toward Xie Zhuoyin. Yet, she couldn't bear to relinquish the outwardly presentable relationship she shared with Ning Yuncheng.

Despite refusing to give up either man, Gu Yingxi dared not speak of her dual affections. While she considered herself blameless—since none of the events were initially her choice—she knew the situation was far from honorable, making her hesitant to confess. Now, with Ning Yunhuan having exposed everything, alongside her shame and terror, there was a subtle, almost relieving sense of release.

“What is the meaning of what you’re saying?” Ning Yunhuan inquired calmly, observing the deep-seated resentment in Gu Yingxi’s gaze.

At this juncture, Gu Yingxi felt that since she was already facing Ning Yunhuan, who possessed evidence in the form of photographs with Xie Zhuoyin, there was no escaping the truth. Furthermore, the persistent, uncharacteristic drive of her own seemingly innocent and transparent nature compelled her to stop hiding things from Ning Yuncheng. Her only secret wish was that Ning Yuncheng wouldn't find her repulsive because of it. When Ning Yunhuan prompted her, Gu Yingxi responded with bitter hatred:

“It’s all you! You cursed Brother Yin back then, that’s why he’s ended up like this!” Gu Yingxi instantly deflected the blame onto Ning Yunhuan: “Brother Yin’s life was smooth sailing until he met you, and then everything turned sour.”

Hearing this, Father Ning felt a growing sense of unease. He suspected this girl’s involvement with his son went beyond mere dating; it seemed to involve deeper emotional ties. With a stiff expression, he asked his daughter:

“Huanhuan, what exactly is going on here?”

By this point, Ning Yunhuan had no reason to conceal anything further. She decided to recount everything that had transpired since she first entered university: “Dad, Gu Yingxi was a senior at my school. How did I even get to know her? It all dates back to Mayor Li, who was reassigned more than a year ago.”

The removal of the Li Yukuan family had been a colossal shock. A mayor of Huaxia’s capital city—a position that should have guaranteed infinite prospects—was instead being externally reassigned rather than moved to the central power structure. This was almost unprecedented in the history of the People’s Republic of China. Mentioning the Li family brought the memory flooding back not only to the Nings but also to the Gu mother and daughter.

“That senior, Gu, was deliberately pulled into a car by that Young Master Li. What did she do? She screamed loudly, making Young Master Li chase me and let her go,” Ning Yunhuan recounted, laying bare the genesis of their toxic connection. As Father Ning and Mother Ning glared at Gu Yingxi with grim expressions, Gu Yingxi pursed her lips, her face flushing deep red. Her legs involuntarily shifted apart, her knees knocking together, and she wrung her hands repeatedly, whispering: “But… but you didn’t end up hurt, did you?”

Ning Yunhuan bringing up that event reminded Gu Yingxi of that Brother Lan Jiu, and a wave of intoxicating warmth washed over her. She had once used the still-powerful Xie Zhuoyin to investigate Brother Lan Jiu but never found any trace of him. Over the past year, she hadn't seen him at all, and the only two times she recalled seeing him, he was always with Ning Yunhuan.

Thinking of this, Gu Yingxi felt a surge of jealousy. She admitted to feeling guilty for what she had done to Ning Yunhuan regarding Li Yukuan, but recalling Lan Jiu immediately fueled her hatred that Ning Yunhuan seemed to be trying to seduce her idol. Naturally, any residual guilt dissipated instantly.

Upon hearing Gu Yingxi’s soft murmuring, the Gu family felt a wave of awkwardness. Gu Shaotao’s face registered shock and disbelief. In his mind, the gentle and kind Sister Yingxi was nothing less than a celestial being, utterly flawless and pure. Even speaking to her felt like a defilement. Yet today, he heard that not only was she not as pristine as he imagined, but she had also engaged in physical intimacy with multiple men. Moreover, Ning Yunhuan was suggesting something else…

Gu Shaotao couldn't bring himself to voice the rest. His face was scarlet, and he dared not look at Gu Yingxi. A mix of disappointment and anger churned within him. Wouldn't it have been better if Gu Yingxi had remained his untouchable goddess? Why did she have to sleep with other men? Did those others love her more than he did? Why didn't she cherish him?

Ning Yuncheng was initially stunned that Gu Yingxi seemed to be confirming her involvement with Xie Zhuoyin. But his love for her was too deep—she was the first woman he had ever been utterly consumed by. Even though he now knew she wasn't the flawless angel he had imagined, he couldn't let her go. Moreover, a part of him fundamentally refused to believe it.

The intense tightness he felt during their first intimate encounter couldn’t have been faked. He suspected Ning Yunhuan had evidence in hand, deliberately forcing Gu Yingxi to say these things to break his heart! Ning Yunhuan’s sole objective was to separate two people deeply in love—himself and Xiao Xi'er!

Unwilling to lose Gu Yingxi, Ning Yuncheng laid all the blame squarely on Ning Yunhuan. He scooped Gu Yingxi into his arms while furiously shouting at a red-faced Ning Yunhuan:

“Are you only happy when the whole house is in chaos? Besides, you weren't hurt in the end, were you? Even if Young Master Li dragged you away, what of it? You didn’t lose a limb!”