Lan Lingyan had finally managed to get the young woman to throw herself into his arms, but before he could savor the moment, some unwelcome guest decided to interrupt. He let Ning Yunhuan go, telling her to wait for him, and signaled a few burly men flanking him to guard her. Only then did he begin to unfasten the buttons at his shirt cuffs.

“Master.” A burly man in camouflage gear, seeing his gesture of undoing his cuffs, immediately knew his master intended to enter the fray himself and called out in unison.

When his entourage was present, Lan Lingyan rarely dirtied his own hands unless the mood struck him. Now, however, he was personally going to vent Ning Yunhuan's grievance. At this, the hulking men instantly understood his intent; after their shout, they quickly formed a protective circle around Ning Yunhuan.

Upon seeing Lan Lingyan appear, Fu Yuan’s cheeks flushed red. She recognized him instantly. She had previously tried to pry information about Lan Lingyan’s background from Ning Yunhuan, though she couldn’t recall what details were shared. After a few visits, Fu Yuan had only managed to guess that Lan Lingyan might be from an ordinary family, and thus, she hadn't given him much further thought.

Recently, she had made the acquaintance of Qin Yi. The Qin family possessed considerable standing, and crucially, Qin Yi was exceptionally masculine in appearance. If she could use this opportunity to get to know him better and cultivate a closer relationship, perhaps it could benefit the Fu family, making her parents regard her with higher esteem. With such aspirations in mind, her interest in Lan Lingyan naturally waned.

Although she still occasionally recalled the memory of the handsome man with his refined and elegant features, the moment she considered that he might lack wealth or influence—lacking in every way compared to Qin Yi—that flicker of interest faded entirely.

Yet, even though her feelings for Lan Lingyan had cooled, seeing such a handsome face was still pleasing to the eye. Consequently, the unmistakable look of infatuation in her eyes further grated on Qin Yi, causing his expression towards Fu Yuan to sour as well.

“Brother Lingyan…” Gu Yingxi, who had been weeping by the side for a long time, her vision blurred by tears, choked out as soon as she saw Lan Lingyan appear, “Are you here to save me…?”

Just moments ago, she had been somewhat dazzled by Qin Yi, who had rescued her. But now that Lan Lingyan was present, her gaze locked onto him, utterly unable to shift. Once the true idol appears, all other men naturally fade into shadows. Even the previously imposing Qin Yi failed to ignite even a shred of her interest now; her entire focus was riveted solely on Lan Lingyan.

Hearing Gu Yingxi call him, Lan Lingyan finally noticed her. Knowing that Ning Yunhuan and Gu Yingxi had appeared together and were both sitting on the ground, he understood that whatever had just transpired was undoubtedly linked to this woman surnamed Gu. He started to regret not finishing off the woman surnamed Gu in one decisive move earlier, allowing her to remain alive and kicking now, resulting in his own person being harmed.

“Keep a close watch on her too. We’ll deal with her later,” fearing Gu Yingxi might escape in the ensuing chaos, Lan Lingyan pointed and instructed one of his men.

The burly men nodded in assent, but Gu Yingxi mistook this for him wanting her to remain close by his side. A captivating blush bloomed on her face, and her eyes grew hazy with adoration as she murmured dreamily, “How could I possibly leave? Wherever you are, wherever you tell me to be, that is where I will be.”

Lan Lingyan ignored her bizarrely infatuated tone, rolled up his sleeves, and strode toward Qin Yi.

“Don’t blame me when I smash that face of yours!” As Qin Yi saw him approaching, his face darkened, and he let out a cold sneer, “I don't hold back when I strike. If you insist on courting trouble, I’ll gladly oblige!”

Too weary to engage in a war of words with someone like this, Lan Lingyan simply launched a fierce kick directly at him. Qin Yi smirked sinisterly and raised his right arm to block. His hands had been trained with immense force—the product of more than a decade in the military. With such a block, many assailants who kicked him found themselves unable to inflict injury and were instead jarred back by the sheer power radiating from his forearm.

He hadn't expected Lan Lingyan to be nothing more than a gilded vase—handsome on the outside but clearly an amateur when it came to fighting.

A look of derision crossed Qin Yi’s face, and he was just about to utter a retort when suddenly, a chilling intent to kill flashed through Lan Lingyan’s eyes. He drove his foot down hard onto Qin Yi’s elbow joint. The look of mockery hadn't even fully faded from Qin Yi’s face when a sharp, brittle cracking sound echoed—crack—and an agonizing pain shot up his right elbow. His face immediately turned deathly pale.

With that first kick breaking his arm, Lan Lingyan knew the extent of the damage; Qin Yi’s elbow was certainly fractured. Using the force of his foot planted on Qin Yi’s elbow, he leveraged his other leg into motion. With a sharp turn, he delivered another solid kick directly to Qin Yi’s head! Qin Yi heard only a rush of wind, followed immediately by a foot slamming into his ear. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, his head swam, and he stumbled backward seven or eight steps before finally spinning twice and collapsing onto the ground. A metallic, rusty taste flooded his mouth, and he felt a hot stream trickle from his ear.

“Which hand did you use on her?” Lan Lingyan landed steadily, walking toward the Qin Yi, who was now four or five meters away. His hands remained tucked into his pockets. The ferocity of the two kicks he had just landed hadn't even ruffled his hair or disturbed his glasses; he maintained his scholarly, refined appearance. Who would have suspected the brutality he had just unleashed?

“Can’t speak?” He chuckled lightly, stopping beside the prone Qin Yi. Seeing him gasp for breath, Lan Lingyan casually nudged the left hand Qin Yi was using to clutch his head, kicking it onto the top of his own foot. Lan Lingyan lightly leaped up, and his other foot slammed down viciously onto Qin Yi’s injured elbow.

Crack. A crisp sound rang out. Qin Yi, whose face was already ashen, let out a muffled groan as beads of cold sweat the size of beans formed on his forehead.

“Was that fun?” Lan Lingyan kicked him twice more. Seeing Qin Yi bite his lip, enduring the pain, he glanced back at Ning Yunhuan. The killing intent in his eyes had not diminished; rather, it grew colder. He kicked Qin Yi again, sending him rolling several times before finally planting his foot squarely on Qin Yi’s chest.

“S-stop, stop it.” Li Panpan, who had been utterly stunned moments before, finally snapped back to reality upon hearing the shout. Fu Yuan saw her move and yanked her back fiercely, wishing she could strangle the foolish woman to death.

Coincidentally, Lan Lingyan had just turned his head because of Li Panpan’s cry. His face was angled low, appearing sharp and chiseled, and the downward curve of his brows seemed to press upon his piercing phoenix eyes, lending him an even more deadly aura.

“Found her. Your woman.” Since Qin Yi dared to touch his person, Lan Lingyan believed in reciprocity. He held no rule against striking women—apart from his own people, all other women were interchangeable in his view.

“Wait a moment.” Ning Yunhuan understood the danger Li Panpan was in the moment she saw his expression. Recalling that Li Panpan had lent her her phone earlier, Ning Yunhuan paused, then pursed her lips, “She is the one.”

Ning Yunhuan pointed directly at Fu Yuan. Fu Yuan had not only refused to lend her a phone but had also forbidden Li Panpan from doing so. Ning Yunhuan found this behavior utterly repulsive, and naturally, Fu Yuan deserved to suffer the consequences now.

“Huanhuan, we’re friends!” The sight of Ning Yunhuan’s gesture sent a wave of nausea through Fu Yuan. Lan Lingyan was already close to her, and while she might have once desired to be near such a handsome man, seeing even the usually tough and resilient Qin Yi defeated and groaning so easily, she knew she stood no chance against Lan Lingyan.

Fu Yuan was now filled with fear, but Lan Lingyan was not one to show leniency just because someone was afraid. He lashed out with a kick to her chest, sending Fu Yuan flying backward, landing limply about five or six meters away. As she lay prone, she felt as though her internal organs had shifted, and a devastating wave of pain washed over her chest.

“You, you shouldn’t be so smug.” Qin Yi finally managed to sit up, his body trembling uncontrollably. He could not fathom having lost so swiftly. He had excellent aptitude in the military and had achieved his current standing without relying on family influence. He had spent over a decade climbing the ranks in the armed forces, yet he hadn’t managed to defeat Lan Lingyan. He couldn't swallow this humiliation!

Lan Lingyan didn't spare him a glance. He had aimed to cripple Qin Yi earlier; for the rest of his life, Qin Yi would never lift anything heavy again. He’d spared him his life only to ensure his existence was more painful.

He calmly began fastening his cuffs. The campus security guards, having received notice of the disturbance, were now advancing in a large contingent.

Leading them was the President of Imperial Capital University, Su Ying, a highly respected figure who also held a position as a chairman in a significant academic association in Huaxia.

This Su Ying was also from the prominent Su family of the Imperial Capital. It wasn't just his exceptional talent; his father had been the previous Head of State of Huaxia. It was because of this lineage that, despite being less than fifty years old, he held the position of University President, keeping the various scions and princesses within the school in check.

“When did you return?” Su Ying’s eyes lit up upon seeing Lan Lingyan. He ignored the chaotic scene surrounding them and walked directly toward him. “Your uncle was just mentioning the other day that if he knew you were back and you hadn't visited, he’d likely fly into a rage.”

“Just returned two days ago.” Lan Lingyan’s expression was cool, showing neither warmth nor subservience. He seemed entirely oblivious to the stares of astonishment from those nearby. He reached out and gently took Ning Yunhuan’s hand.

Fu Yuan, still sprawled on the ground, was utterly stunned when President Su arrived. In Huaxia, everyone knew President Su’s background. Seeing the deference he showed Lan Lingyan, even Qin Yi, who was leaning against a tree trunk, turned pale. Fu Yuan’s expression shifted between shock and suspicion. If Lan Lingyan truly possessed such powerful connections, then abandoning him earlier was a colossal mistake! What was more infuriating was that it seemed Ning Yunhuan had managed to cozy up to him.

ps: Thank you everyone for the little pink tickets. We will have at least three updates today~~~~RO