Ning Yunhuan had been the star of the class back then; if not for her eventual departure abroad leading to her being gradually forgotten, she might very well be a famous figure at Imperial Capital University now. But her return, coupled with what Fu Yuan was saying, brought those past events from over a year ago flooding back to the classmates, causing them all to stare at the group with curiosity.

"I actually had something to tell you, but you must already know, right? Young Master Xie is no longer the heir to the Xie family. You know that, don't you?" Fu Yuan said this with a distinct air of schadenfreude. Back in the day, seeing someone as prominent as Xie Zhuoyin constantly seeking out Ning Yunhuan had soured her feelings for a long time. But following Xie Zhuoyin's misfortune, she felt she had found a sense of balance. Now, she deliberately brought it up, hoping to provoke Ning Yunhuan, but seeing no reaction at all, she bit her lip and deliberately spoke louder:

"Huanhuan, do you know? People from Pingshan County in Jiangjin City have arrived! They showed up half a month ago, saying you haven't sent money to them anymore. Those students are still waiting for that money for tuition fees. You haven't sent anything over this past year, and they thought something must have happened to you, so they rushed here to find you. After arriving in the capital, they couldn't locate you and nearly ended up on the streets, almost getting bullied. Luckily, they ran into me."

Fu Yuan wore a smug expression as she spoke. Ning Yunhuan genuinely hadn't expected anyone to come all the way to the capital to look for her, causing her to pause the action of organizing her books and glance at Fu Yuan. The person who had just been linking arms with Fu Yuan now walked over to the two of them, asking with some curiosity:

"Yuan Yuan, what Pingshan County people?" This was Miss Li from the Li family, who had only returned from abroad to transfer to Imperial Capital University within the last year. She possessed a gentle and kind nature, and Fu Yuan had quickly become close friends with her. As Fu Yuan had just started stirring things up, and Miss Li was ready to listen, Fu Yuan puffed out her chest slightly, pointed at Ning Yunhuan, and said:

"Panpan, this is my old good friend, Ning Yunhuan. You can just call her Huanhuan. Although Huanhuan's family is wealthy, she has a kind heart. She used to save all her allowance to sponsor about a dozen impoverished children in Pingshan County, covering their schooling, food, and clothing. These people admire her greatly. But last year, Huanhuan was sent abroad as an exchange student; she must have been too busy and forgot to send money to those poor students. As a result, the students ran out of funds for school, so they came to the capital to find her. But Huanhuan wasn't in the country. Those few students, whose families were already poor, allegedly even borrowed money for the train fare to the capital. When they couldn't find her and were out of money, they almost ended up wandering the streets and getting beaten. Luckily, I encountered them!"

She didn't elaborate on what happened after "luckily I encountered them," but the onlookers could easily figure it out: they were lucky to have met her, and Fu Yuan had probably given them money to help them out that one time.

The pure-looking girl called Li Panpan first looked at Fu Yuan with a touch of admiration upon hearing this, then frowned and looked at Ning Yunhuan:

"Doing good deeds is wonderful, and you did so well before. Why couldn't you keep it up afterward?"

Ning Yunhuan knew this girl. She was the granddaughter of a high-ranking military figure in the capital. The Li family had many sons but no daughters, so the entire family had desperately wished for a delicate, rosy-cheeked girl. Before Li Panpan was born, everyone hoped she would be a girl. When the ultrasound confirmed she was indeed female, one of the founding generals personally gave her the name Panpan (meaning 'hope').

Precisely because the Li family held an extraordinary status, they were a prominent power in the capital. Most of the family’s descendants held key positions, giving the family immense influence. This only daughter, Li Panpan, was exceptionally cherished within the Li family—not just loved by her parents, but also treated like a treasure by her uncles and male cousins. Her immense favor was well-known throughout the capital.

However, this young mistress had always been carefully protected by her family, possessing an innocent and transparent nature. In her previous life, she was supposed to stay at a missionary girls' school in England until graduation, after which she would marry a childhood sweetheart from an equally powerful family, surnamed Qin. Yet, after her husband met Gu Yingxi, he was instantly captivated, becoming cold toward Li Panpan thereafter.

It could be said that she, too, was a victim of Gu Yingxi. But because this victim came from an extremely powerful background, before Ning Yunhuan's death in that past life, although Li Panpan's life wasn't perfectly happy, she didn't end up in the tragic state that befell many women harmed by Gu Yingxi.

Before Ning Yunhuan died, although she was unhappy, she still lived in comfort and luxury, merely lacking her husband's affection. But generally, according to the plot, when a family like the Li's opposed the female lead, even if they could develop their influence later and their foundation was deep-rooted, they could still be entirely uprooted by the female lead. In the novel, this part was glossed over; it merely mentioned that Li Panpan went abroad, and because the Li family was essentially just a side element, they barely featured in the story at all, so nothing more was said.

Actually, Ning Yunhuan had a decent impression of Li Panpan before. In her past life, after her husband's heart was stolen, she harbored no resentment or twisted bitterness. Instead, she remained as pure and kind as ever, never once laying a harmful hand on Gu Yingxi, making her a rare, pure soul.

But hearing Li Panpan accuse her now inexplicably brought a surge of displeasure to Ning Yunhuan's heart.

The Li family's eldest daughter had been raised in a bubble; she hadn't yet experienced true hardship. She genuinely believed the world was filled with truth, goodness, and beauty. Furthermore, everyone pampered and indulged her, leading her to believe the world should conform to her vision, making her feel entitled to criticize others, never minding that she was speaking to someone who wasn't even family and deserved tolerance.

"Miss Li, how I conduct myself is likely none of your business to criticize," Ning Yunhuan's blunt remark caused Li Panpan's face to flush instantly. The young girl awkwardly twisted her fingers together, her eyes looking timid, seemingly upset yet unsure how to retort, resembling a pure little rabbit—a bit like Gu Yingxi’s demeanor.

But Li Panpan's nature was genuinely cultivated by her family, unlike Gu Yingxi’s affected pretense. Therefore, seeing her react this way didn't invoke much annoyance in Ning Yunhuan, though it certainly didn't inspire any fondness either. Having said her piece, she turned away from the two of them. Fu Yuan's eyes, however, lit up as if she had found a handle to grasp, and she quickly spoke out loudly:

"Huanhuan, how can you be like this? Panpan only meant well. Why are you speaking to her that way?"