"What's going on here?" Su Ying, naturally sensing Lanling Yan's displeasure, couldn't help but ask with a wry smile.

Su Ying held considerable prestige at Imperial Capital University. While many students had seen Principal Su before, this was the first time they witnessed him failing to leave displeased by someone's cold demeanor; instead, he even appeared slightly ingratiating.

"My wife, he hit her!" Upon saying this, Lanling Yan's anger flared up instantly. He spun around and kicked the already slumped Qin Yi again and again, kicking so hard that Qin Yi nearly spat blood and fainted before he could barely suppress the rage in his heart.

The fact that he had beaten the eldest son of the Qin family didn't surprise Su Ying; what astonished him was Lanling Yan claiming Ning Yunhuan was his wife.

"What, your wife? Does your old master know?" His expression fluctuated wildly for a moment before he finally calmed down, offering Ning Yunhuan a smile: "Classmate, you've been terribly frightened today. Such fighting incidents will certainly be forbidden on campus from now on. Everyone, please delete what you just filmed."

As Principal Su spoke, Ning Yunhuan naturally nodded. This Principal Su had an excellent reputation among the students; he was fair and just. However, due to his high status, Ning Yunhuan in his past life had never interacted with the principal this closely or spoken to him at such proximity. Now, because of Lanling Yan, he was not only actively trying to curry favor but his attitude was somewhat earnest.

Ning Yunhuan paused for thought, then continued: "My father is ill. I was preparing to leave school after my mother called when this senior student stopped me, adamantly refusing to let me visit my sick father. She pushed me to the ground, not only trampled my phone beyond repair but also ruined my bag. I was angry and struck her a few times with my book, but that Mr. Qin immediately came over and started laying hands on me without distinguishing right from wrong."

Lanling Yan listened to Ning Yunhuan recount the events, and his anger surged even higher. He turned to advance on Qin Yi again. His previous attacks had been vicious, aimed precisely at painful spots. Qin Yi, as a favored son of heaven, had never suffered such a loss. Seeing Lanling Yan approach now, sensing the killing intent on his face, Qin Yi was terrified. Hearing Ning Yunhuan’s account, he realized he had misunderstood the situation. He hadn't anticipated that the seemingly pitiful Gu Yingxi would not only prevent someone from visiting a sick father but also destroy their belongings. No wonder Ning Yunhuan had beaten her.

"Oh?" Seeing the surprised looks on the faces of the surrounding students, Su Ying's eyes darted. He intended to gain favor with Lanling Yan. He could tell Lanling Yan held a different attitude towards this young girl. Lanling Yan was usually unapproachable, and now that he finally had this opportunity, Su Ying naturally intended to seize the chance to build a connection.

"Then why did this classmate stop you?"

Ning Yunhuan let out a cold laugh, looking at the flickering, uncertain face of Gu Yingxi, and announced loudly: "It’s probably because she’s been dating Young Master Xie for two years and can’t let go of her old flame, yet she’s now entangled with my elder brother as his new conquest. My father disapproves of my brother associating with someone like her, so she’s deliberately trying to enrage my dad by preventing me from visiting him."

The moment these words left his mouth, the crowd erupted in an uproar!

Gu Yingxi dared to openly straddle two lovers? What kind of desperate, shameless, and mentally strong person could she be?

Even in this modern, open society, people couldn't tolerate someone like her. Many were ecstatic upon hearing the news, chiming in one after another, their comments focusing on Gu Yingxi’s shamelessness and how outwardly promiscuous she appeared despite her looks.

Gu Yingxi’s face instantly turned as white as paper, utterly devoid of color. With Ning Yunhuan exposing her affairs under everyone’s gaze, she felt as if she had been stripped naked and forced to run around the campus. She was so humiliated she wished she could instantly find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Her lips trembled, tears flowed silently, yet she couldn't utter a word.

Su Ying glanced at Gu Yingxi with satisfaction. Seeing Lanling Yan frown but remain silent, he understood that his deliberate cooperation with Ning Yunhuan was tacitly approved, and he couldn't help but smile gleefully.

"That person named Qin just said if I dare bully her again, he would deal with me," Ning Yunhuan said with a cold smile, glancing at the pale Qin Yi lying on the ground. He beckoned to Lanling Yan, and after Lanling Yan approached, he whispered a few words into his ear.

Seeing Ning Yunhuan’s attitude towards Lanling Yan, Su Ying nearly dropped his jaw. He had no idea that the famously ruthless maternal grandson of the Lin family would ever be so obedient, coming at a mere gesture. If the Lin family patriarch knew, he’d probably spit up three measures of blood and die with his eyes wide open.

When he saw Lanling Yan start walking toward Qin Yi, a bad premonition surged in Su Ying's heart, and he quickly blurted out, "What, what are you going to do?"

Considering he had just helped Ning Yunhuan, Lanling Yan didn't turn his head: "Strip him. Since he likes running naked so much, I'll let him run to his heart's content. No one will be allowed to let him leave before tomorrow morning!"

He was a man of his word; since he said it, he would do it.

But having a man run naked on his campus made Su Ying's face turn dark. Fearing Lanling Yan would actually go through with it, he hurriedly intervened: "Hey, no, don't! A beating is one thing, but being without clothes on campus has a bad influence."

Qin Yi was also scared pale. If he, the crown prince of the Qin family, were stripped and forced to run around the university, how could he ever show his face in public again? The thought made him disregard his pain. He hastily backed away a few steps, his throat dry: "I didn't know the full story before. I know now. Please be merciful and let me go this time. I will certainly repay your kindness later!"

Lanling Yan had plenty of men under his command; he didn't need a useless person like Qin Yi. Su Ying knew his temperament and quickly added, "Yes, just give Uncle Shi some face." He wondered where this ominous figure came from. If Qin Yi actually ended up running naked around the school, Imperial Capital University would become a joke across all of China, and he’d probably be beaten to death by his own father later!

"Fine, I'll give you face," Lanling Yan unexpectedly nodded, turning to Su Ying: "Because of what just happened, I'll let it go this time. But don't let me run into you again, or this matter won't be settled so easily." The tables had turned. Qin Yi had been smugly issuing threats just moments ago, only to find himself being threatened now. The humiliation he felt was immense, but trapped under someone else's roof, he dared not respond, avoiding further conflict with Lanling Yan.

He had no idea where this young man came from, and he hadn't yet managed to investigate Lanling Yan's background, so he dared not act rashly now. Once he figured out Lanling Yan's identity, he would repay today's hatred a thousandfold!

With this thought, Qin Yi cast a venomous look toward Ning Yunhuan not far away.

Su Ying hadn't expected that the favor he had finally managed to secure from Lanling Yan would be spent so quickly. Seeing Qin Yi look somewhat displeasing now, he snapped: "Call your family to pick you up! You're not a student here anymore. Don't come around unnecessarily in the future!"

This was clearly a signal that Imperial Capital University would no longer welcome the Qin family. Qin Yi's face turned ashen; he knew that if he returned home like this, his family would definitely blame him. Su Ying's words represented not only Imperial Capital University but also the Su family’s stance. At that moment, Qin Yi looked utterly defeated, and he began to hate the bewildered Gu Yingxi, who was still sitting on the ground!

Ignoring the Qin family's waste, Lanling Yan gently stroked Ning Yunhuan's cheek with his fingers: "Go to the hospital. Get your hand checked, and check on your father while you're there." He knew Ning Yunhuan must be worried about Father Ning. If she didn't know her father's condition, she definitely wouldn't have gone to fetch the family doctor, so Lanling Yan suggested this. Ning Yunhuan naturally nodded. After thinking it over, she crouched down to address Gu Yingxi:

"You broke my phone, how much was it?" she asked Lanling Yan, tilting her head up. Though her appearance was somewhat disheveled, Lanling Yan found her more endearing the more he looked. "Priceless. If I had to estimate, fifty million."

The phone was Ning Yunhuan's most valuable possession; it had been developed in Lanling Yan's laboratory. It wasn't actually broken, just that the impact from falling on the ground had triggered its self-protection and sent him an alert. That was why he arrived so quickly when the phone shut down.

But Lanling Yan noticed Ning Yunhuan intended to threaten Gu Yingxi, so he was happy to cooperate, quoting an exorbitant figure. He didn't spare a glance at the crestfallen Gu Yingxi, keeping his focus entirely on Ning Yunhuan, who was crouched in a small ball.

"Add the bag too. This is a limited edition; look closely. Count it as five million." This was a custom-made, genuine crocodile leather bag, the only one in the world in this pale pink shade—something money couldn't buy. Now that Gu Yingxi had destroyed it, Ning Yunhuan was furious. "In front of all these classmates, remember this: you owe me a total of fifty-five million." With that, Ning Yunhuan stood up, ready to leave. Gu Yingxi, however, seemed (dumbfounded), like a lost soul. She had been talking for so long, and the girl hadn't reacted at all, making her feel like she was wasting her breath.

"Why did you say I was your wife? Why? Do you... do you know my heart? I didn't blame you even after how you treated me last time..." Gu Yingxi finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly. Ning Yunhuan realized his words had been in vain; Gu Yingxi hadn't absorbed a single word. Perhaps since Lanling Yan claimed her as his wife, Gu Yingxi’s mind had been trapped in a state of thunderous shock, unable to recover.