"No need, just some inconsequential people, they’ll be dealt with quickly enough." Without asking why she wasn't with Fu Yuan, Ning Yunhuan offered her a smile and a nod. She expected Li Panpan to turn and leave, but instead, the girl clutched her bag with both hands, seeming to linger near Ning Yunhuan as if waiting for her.

The two weren't close best friends, so this behavior surprised Ning Yunhuan, though she quickly dismissed it, turning instead to look at Ning Yuncheng:

"Got any money? If you don't, why pretend you do?"

Ning Yuncheng’s face flushed deep red. Spotting Li Panpan, who had just spoken up for Ning Yunhuan, his expression soured: "Who knows if what she said is true or not?"

"If you can't afford to pay it back, why puff yourself up like you're rich? I'm warning you, Gu Yingxi, I’m giving you one week to return the money, or don't blame me for not being polite!" After leveling the threat at Gu Yingxi, Ning Yunhuan didn't care about her reaction and started to turn away, but Gu Yingxi quickly stepped forward and grabbed her again: "Forget about my business, but what about Classmate Liu and the others? They are waiting for your money to go to school right now."

"Who are they? What do they have to do with me?" To everyone's astonishment, Ning Yunhuan flatly refused the demand for money.

Liu Jinjun and the others immediately panicked; this was completely contrary to what they had imagined. More than a year after Ning Yunhuan first sent them money, they had tried to convey their financial needs to her through the school, getting the children to place their handprints on a document listing all the things needed for their studies. She had sent everything they requested soon after. Over ten years, Liu Jinjun was certain she was a profoundly kind person who always responded to the children’s needs.

But now, having arrived in the Imperial Capital and finally meeting their benefactor in person, not only was she not the benevolent figure they pictured—she was young and beautiful, yet possessed a rather sharp temper—but she was now unexpectedly refusing to give them money. Liu Jinjun and the others grew desperate: "Sister Ning, please, our semester starts soon, they still need to study..."

"What does that have to do with me?" Ning Yunhuan scoffed. Don't think she would give them money even if Liu Jinjun pleaded until his lips were blue; she wouldn't bat an eye even if he knelt down and died right there.

"But... but you always gave us money before," Liu Jinjun said, realizing she was absolutely firm in her refusal, his heart beginning to race. "If you don't give us the money, what will we do?"

"Don't you have parents? I don't have money right now; my father is still hospitalized, he just had surgery, so I can't possibly give out any more money. I need to study myself too, so I’m sorry, you all need to figure something out yourselves." Li Panpan, standing nearby, showed a look of sympathy upon hearing Ning Yunhuan say this and was about to speak when Ning Yunhuan turned and glanced at her. Li Panpan moved her lips but didn't get a word out before the only girl among the five suddenly cried out in distress:

"How can you refuse to give money? I want to study, I don't want to get married!" Her expression was agitated, and tears immediately streamed down her face, prompting Gu Yingxi to feel a surge of pity. Gu Yingxi couldn't help but pull her into a comforting embrace for a while before finally casting a look at Ning Yuncheng.

"How can you be so cruel?" Ning Yuncheng, upon receiving Gu Yingxi’s gaze, immediately turned to Ning Yunhuan without thinking: "It was fine when you were willful before, but now it concerns the future of these children. How could you do this?"

"Why couldn't I?" Ning Yunhuan felt like laughing at the accusation, her gaze icy. "I’m not their parent. I sponsored them for ten years; consider that money thrown into the water. I have no obligation to support them for life, do I? Am I supposed to receive no gratitude after ten years, only to have them act as if I owe them something now?"

"Besides, aren't you the good person? I used to donate all my pocket money. I seem to recall your allowance was even bigger than mine. Your father gave you quite a lot of money while you were in England for a few years. Why don't you take the money you were saving for Gu Yingxi and use it to sponsor them instead? I’m helping you accumulate good karma."

Ning Yuncheng's face cycled between green and red from her words. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth: "What nonsense are you spouting? Why don't you try borrowing from Father?"

"If even you can't borrow money, you think I can?" Ning Yunhuan retorted sharply. Ning Yuncheng seemed to lose all control, his eyes bloodshot, reaching out as if to slap her. The commotion at the entrance had alerted the campus security guards, who emerged. Seeing Ning Yuncheng's action, their brows immediately furrowed. Upon recognizing who was about to be struck, and seeing Li Panpan standing beside her, the guard's posture stiffened. Without a moment's hesitation, he yelled a warning over his shoulder before charging toward Ning Yuncheng:

"What are you doing? Daring to lay hands on a student on campus! It would be an injustice not to haul you down to the police station!" As he shouted, he grabbed Ning Yuncheng from behind, not giving him a chance to speak. A large group of security personnel then swarmed out from the guard room behind, and in moments, Ning Yuncheng was subdued and dragged into the security office.

"Miss Ning, are you alright?" These guards remembered the previous occasion when Su Ying personally brought people over and treated this young lady and her boyfriend with such courtesy. The principal himself treated her so kindly; the guards certainly weren't going to offend her. Now that they had dealt with Ning Yuncheng, they were relieved to see Ning Yunhuan offered no objection, deciding to thoroughly deal with Ning Yuncheng to please this Miss Ning of unknown background. They then turned to greet Li Panpan.

"No, that’s not it..." Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Gu Yingxi’s mouth hung slightly open. Before she could object, she watched Ning Yuncheng being manhandled with his arms pinned back, dragged away like a convict, and she was stunned speechless. By the time she recovered, Ning Yuncheng had already been pulled inside somewhere. She was about to explain that Ning Yuncheng was Ning Yunhuan's older brother and that the siblings were just playing around, when the guard impatiently cut her off:

"Look here, Classmate Gu, that's enough. A young woman should know how to conduct herself properly. Today it’s Young Master Xie, tomorrow some other young master, and the day after, anyone with money, right? Imperial Capital University has a reputation to uphold. Principal Su has already stated that Imperial Capital University does not welcome you back. If I see you here again, I will take you directly to the police station!"

Gu Yingxi was so taken aback that tears almost fell. She was the type of person whom anyone who liked her—regardless of initial disdain or annoyance—would ultimately fall deeply in love with, unable to break free.

But conversely, if someone hated her, no matter how affected her behavior, they would never take a liking to her. The guard currently showed clear displeasure toward her, and upon hearing her tearful reaction, his impatience only seemed to grow.

Ning Yunhuan was naturally pleased to see Ning Yuncheng taken away. After thanking the security team, she prepared to leave. However, Liu Jinjun and the others, who had finally seen her for the first time, became anxious. Without a word, all of them dropped to their knees with a sudden thud!!

Not only was Ning Yunhuan startled, but the surrounding guards and Li Panpan were also shocked.

Liu Jinjun’s eyes were brimming with tears. Waves of humiliation washed over him. He had knelt before his parents, but never before a woman—this was the greatest shame imaginable for him. The gratitude he once held for Ning Yunhuan instantly transformed into resentment. Under his pull, the others also knelt, speaking in unison: "Miss Ning, please, help us."

"I can't help you," Ning Yunhuan said without even glancing at them. She turned and saw Li Panpan’s face showing distress, as if about to speak, so Ning Yunhuan quickly walked a few steps, pulling Li Panpan toward the classroom direction. Liu Jinjun and the others desperately tried to follow behind, but they were blocked by the guards at the door. Li Panpan stumbled as Ning Yunhuan pulled her along for a few steps, then frowned:

"Why wouldn't you help them?" She had good connections with the Qin family and knew they had apologized to Ning Yunhuan. Given the character of Old Master Qin, he surely would have paid the fifty million owed by Gu Yingxi without question. Li Panpan was simply kind-hearted and rather naive, but she wasn't foolish. She could clearly see that Ning Yunhuan held no affection for those people, but her soft heart made her unable to be truly harsh with others; this was the same reason she had asked to borrow Ning Yunhuan’s phone previously.

"How am I supposed to help? Help who? That 'Gu' person?" Upon hearing Li Panpan's words, Ning Yunhuan burst out laughing. "That one called Gu Yingxi is no good person. You need to be careful, or she might steal your man one day."

Li Panpan remained unconvinced but still offered a polite response to Ning Yunhuan’s caution: "Well, thank you for the reminder, but I don't really see her as that type of person. Perhaps you're overthinking things."

Now Ning Yuncheng was willing to shelter Xie Zhuoyin and share Gu Yingxi with him for this woman’s sake. And Li Panpan still said she wasn't that sort of person? If Gu Yingxi wasn't that sort of woman, then no such woman existed in the world!

However, she was only offering a warning to Li Panpan. If she chose not to believe it, so be it.

In truth, if Ning Yunhuan hadn't transmigrated and been reborn, she probably wouldn't have believed it either if she were in Li Panpan’s shoes. Qin Yi, her childhood fiancé whom she grew up with and had deep feelings for—not to mention, in the previous life, Ning Yunhuan had heard Qin Yi was quite an upright person—it wasn't strange that Li Panpan trusted him. But even if Li Panpan didn't believe it, who could account for the existence of a 'Protagonist's Halo'? If that force was focused, there was no wall it couldn't dig through; Archimedes' principle, applied to romantic relationships, found its perfect manifestation in her.