The moment Fu Yuan said that, Li Panpan nodded toward her with a hint of gratitude, sniffing as she spoke again, her voice trembling slightly: “Yes, good deeds must be seen through; never give up halfway. Grandpa taught me that those who quit midway never achieve anything great…” Ning Yunhuan scoffed upon hearing this: “That’s your grandpa, not mine.” She rolled her eyes, and only when she saw Li Panpan’s face turn deathly pale did she add, “If you have nothing else, please make way. Class is about to start.”

Fu Yuan seemed flustered and quickly pulled at Ning Yunhuan: “Huanhuan, don't be willful! Do you even know who Panpan’s grandfather is?” In her forceful tug, whether intentional or not, she pinched Ning Yunhuan’s arm painfully. Ning Yunhuan immediately felt a surge of anger and shoved her back without restraint. Fu Yuan stumbled backward, her hip slamming against a hard wooden desk beside them. She turned pale with pain before managing to steady herself by clutching the edge of the desk. Ning Yunhuan then said coldly, “You hurt me, and regardless of who her grandfather is, my parents never disciplined me that way.”

Li Panpan caught her friend before she could fully fall, helping her stand steady, staring at Ning Yunhuan with disbelief. Clearly, in her experience, no one who looked at her had ever dared speak to her this way. After a long moment of shock, she stammered, “You, you’re not a good person…”

“That’s right, I’m not a good person. I wouldn't dare let Miss Li lecture me.” Ning Yunhuan frowned and spoke bluntly. She was already dealing with enough trouble from the main female lead; now two more people had popped up. Though the Li family wielded significant power in Huaxia, Ning Yunhuan vaguely suspected that the Lin family’s influence in the capital was even more deeply concealed—that was Lan Lingyan’s maternal family. If the Li family were to cause her trouble over such a trivial matter, she wouldn't mind pushing the blame onto Lan Lingyan. Having lived two lifetimes, if she still had to be so downtrodden and swallow insults, acting subservient to everyone she met, she might as well die sooner.

Li Panpan’s lips trembled, on the verge of tears, but she held them back after a sharp sniff.

The surrounding classmates who knew her identity couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude as they watched the once-notorious Ning Yunhuan immediately offend this young lady upon her return. They assumed Ning Yunhuan hadn’t known the Li family’s standing when she spoke that way, so, trying to curry favor with Li Panpan, they deliberately aimed their words at Ning Yunhuan: “It’s been over a year, and you still have the same wretched character? You want to act like a servant to the Li family, but they probably wouldn’t even take you. Stop pretending!”

“Exactly! Who knows if she’s really as kind and good-hearted as she pretends? She probably has some wicked scheme up her sleeve. Hilarious!”

“Right!”

“……”

Several other students in the classroom chimed in. Fu Yuan, nursing the resentment from being pushed and almost humiliated, felt a surge of smugness now that the surrounding classmates were on her side. Rubbing her aching hip, she said, “See, Huanhuan? I was looking out for you. Those other students have left, but they left behind their remittance addresses; they were worried you’d forget!”

If she hadn’t mentioned those ungrateful wretches, fine, but hearing Fu Yuan bring it up ignited a blaze of unwarranted rage in Ning Yunhuan. She sneered, “I absolutely refuse to send the money now. Since you’re so kind, why not help them all the way to the end, see the Buddha all the way to the West? From now on, all these good deeds are yours. Aren’t we good friends?”

No way! Fu Yuan nearly shrieked. Those poor kids required a substantial amount each month for food, clothing, and necessities. Given the current standard of living, five hundred [currency unit] a month was barely enough to mention, meaning over a dozen students required several thousand monthly. Add in annual tuition and supplies, plus the fact that these students often asked for extra tutoring fees, claiming it was to study better and repay Ning Yunhuan later, which cost another thousand or so monthly. Supporting this group of children felt like being saddled with a massive extended family. Supporting a dozen children would cost at least ten to twenty thousand a month. Moreover, given Ning Yunhuan’s past character, she would buy learning materials and mail them even if the recipients refused them—and those things weren’t cheap. All told, it added up to at least over thirty thousand monthly.

Fu Yuan’s own monthly allowance was only around thirty thousand, and even that wasn't enough for her clothing, appearance, and the luxuries she desired at her age. Her parents' money was reserved for her younger brother, so she constantly felt short of funds. How could she possibly finance other people? When she heard Ning Yunhuan was planning to dump this mess on her, her face instantly changed. She cursed Fu Yuan several times in her mind but managed to force a strained smile: “Huanhuan, why would you say that? These are people, not things, they can’t just be passed around.”

“They are people, but am I not one too? I was in England for over a year—did I eat, drink, and breathe for free over there? If I sponsor them, who will sponsor my living expenses?” Although the exchange student program to the UK was nominally free of various fees, in reality, newcomers studying abroad often struggled to keep up academically for a period. If they failed exams due to this lag, they’d have to pay for retakes—a massive expense. A few retakes without passing would lead to expulsion back home. Thus, while being an exchange student sounded glorious, many lived quite miserably. Now that Ning Yunhuan had spoken plainly, Fu Yuan, unprepared for how much her personality had shifted, realized she had spoken foolishly just to feel momentarily satisfied. When challenged by Ning Yunhuan, she immediately blurted out:

“Th-then, you can ask Uncle Ning for the money…”

“Is my father’s money sourced from a gale? He’s elderly now; many men his age are retired and enjoying life, yet he’s still working. Your family, Fu, is wealthy—why doesn't your father contribute some money to support these needy students?” Ning Yunhuan sneered at Fu Yuan. She never realized Fu Yuan was this kind of person before; if she had known, she wouldn't have associated with her—so hypocritical.

“That’s right, Yuanyuan, why don't you ask Uncle Fu to contribute some money to support them first?” Li Panpan looked at Fu Yuan with genuine confusion.

Fu Yuan’s expression soured. If her father discovered she was dabbling in these affairs without gaining any recognition or benefit for the Fu Corporation, having to shell out such a large sum monthly for no return, he would surely scold her senseless! However, she dared not admit this to the oblivious Li Panpan. Seeing her ask so naively, Fu Yuan cursed Li Panpan inwardly a thousand times but dared not stay any longer, terrified that Li Panpan might start suspecting something. After mumbling a few excuses, she urged Li Panpan to take her seat for class.

Ning Yunhuan merely watched the two of them with a cold smile, remaining silent.

After spending half a day at school, she had managed to gather intelligence. Indeed, many things had happened over the past year. Xie Zhuoyin had somehow offended someone and faced setbacks repeatedly. After graduation and joining the Xie family company, he caused significant trouble, resulting in several losses for the Xie family. On one occasion, he even provoked the young master of the Nie family in the capital. After a physical fight, Xie Zhuoyin was ordered to stay home and reflect. His father repeatedly went to the Nie family to apologize. Subsequently, Xie Senior publicly announced that he had stripped this son of his status as heir and was focusing on cultivating his second son.

Besides Xie Zhuoyin's troubles, two other incidents garnered the most attention. One was the case Ning Yunhuan remembered: Chen Yuanyuan’s parents were arrested for trafficking illegal drugs, turning it into a scandal at the Imperial Capital University, resulting in Chen Yuanyuan being advised to withdraw. Ning Yunhuan already knew this; she was only hearing it retold. The other incident concerned Gu Yingxi, who was currently in her final year.

Gu Yingxi was in the second semester of her senior year, but a year prior, a scandal erupted at the university alleging she was selling sexual favors. This was a rare stain on the reputation of the Imperial Capital University. Students there were either from exceptional families or academically brilliant. While the former often engaged in secretive affairs—as such circles were full of unspeakable dealings—they usually kept things tightly concealed, maintaining a pristine exterior. The academically gifted students, generally proud and aloof, often looked down upon the conduct of these powerful young masters and ladies, leading to distinct factions among them.

Gu Yingxi supposedly fell into the latter category—those with internal integrity—but the rumor that she was selling her body for money caused an uproar. Not only did many wealthy students dislike her, but even those with good grades but humble backgrounds viewed her as a disgrace. Consequently, the matter became a huge sensation at the university.

Yet, this female lead possessed an unyielding and tenacious character. She withstood immense pressure. Even as others slandered her, she insisted she was framed. Those in the know understood that she had been caught by the police during a transaction with an older man, making her persistent denials only intensify the public’s disdain, leading many to sabotage her behind the scenes. But Gu Yingxi survived like a weed, tenaciously. Not only did she remain standing against the gossip, but through sheer resilience and willpower, she endured the difficult first semester of her senior year. In the second semester, under the guise of studies, she left campus and entered the Ning family’s company.

Knowing the bitter entanglement between her family and Gu Yingxi, Ning Yunhuan couldn't help but marvel at the situation. Indeed, Gu Yingxi’s tenacity garnered mixed reviews at the Imperial Capital University. Some praised her tenacity and resilience, believing she must have had desperate reasons for selling herself. Upon discreetly learning about her family’s situation, some saw her as a true Cinderella; others hailed her as a model of survival in adversity.

Of course, alongside the praise, there were plenty of condemnations, with many deeming her shamelessness thicker than city walls. Under this polarized opinion, Gu Yingxi’s reputation was currently quite notorious within the Imperial Capital University.