Lan Lingyan’s face was ice-cold. He was deeply displeased that Lan Biao had spoken up for such a person then, and feeling disappointed, he decided not to hold anything back for future observation. He immediately hung up the call from Lan Biao, who had been reporting to him. He didn't want to see what happened next; wasting his time on such a nobody of a woman was infuriating. Had he known she was this incompetent, he should have kept the afternoon free to take Ning Yunhuan out on a date instead.

Inside the factory, upon seeing the group of thugs, Gu Yingxi actually breathed a sigh of relief. She said calmly, "Let them go, I'll stay!"

The classic heroic rescue line, delivered in her voice, carried an unexpected firmness and decision, but in the next instant, the thugs surged forward. Outside, Gu Yingxi’s cry of alarm mingled with sobs, punctuated by the sound of tearing fabric.

It wasn't just Lan Lingyan who was speechless; even Lan Biao and the others couldn't fathom what Gu Yingxi was thinking. Did she imagine herself to be a superhero? After learning about the situation, she hadn't even bothered to call the police, instead marching over here completely alone! Although her phone was already under Lan Lingyan’s surveillance, meaning she likely couldn't have called anyone anyway, the fact that Gu Yingxi made no attempt whatsoever was baffling.

Ning Yunhuan didn't know Gu Yingxi's fate at that moment, but even if she did, she felt no sympathy. Although her own death in her previous life wasn't the ending written in the book, it was still connected to Gu Yingxi. If she hadn't transmigrated here, the original Ning Yunhuan was destined for the same end anyway—it was merely repaying her in kind.

Did she truly believe that a simple 'female lead halo' could conquer everything? The last time Ning Yunhuan beat her, Qin Yi had stepped in to save her once. But this time, in such an isolated location, who else could possibly come to her rescue?

Lan Lingyan found the scene unfolding in the factory utterly dull. He had only intended to test whether Gu Yingxi would fall for the trap, but to fall for such a simple, clumsy ruse—such trash didn't deserve pity from his subordinates or anyone speaking up for her.

Gu Yingxi remained unaware of how her supposed 'male god' was judging her. After a frantic, futile struggle, her face turned ashen, and she simply gave up resisting. A tall, slender figure, however, had slipped into the factory. Upon hearing the woman’s cries and wails, his eyes sharpened, and he moved toward the sound.

The thugs, thoroughly enjoying venting their aggression on Gu Yingxi, didn't notice him. The figure stood in a dark corner of the factory, observing the shameful scene before him, when a slightly aged voice suddenly cut through the air:

"Young Master, where on earth have you been hiding? Master and Madam are waiting for you to return!"

The voice traveled from far to near, carrying echoes, and the two thugs currently assaulting Gu Yingxi exchanged a glance before suddenly accelerating their actions. In the agony of what felt like certain death, Gu Yingxi finally found release.

By the time the figure lurking in the shadows emerged, the thugs had already dressed and fled, leaving behind Liu Jinjun and a few others who were already unconscious, and a thoroughly disgraced Gu Yingxi.

"How pitiful," the tall, slender figure murmured in the dim factory light, his voice revealing itself to be that of a young man. With a gesture of distaste, he kicked the naked Gu Yingxi, asking, "Are you still alive?"

The voices outside were growing closer, and a moment later, a cluster of footsteps preceded several figures illuminating the factory with flashlights.

Lan Lingyan, having lost interest in that area, never learned that Gu Yingxi had also been rescued. He had correctly predicted everything—including Gu Yingxi’s simple mind and her uniquely strange notions—but the one thing he miscalculated was Gu Yingxi’s luck, which was so powerful it defied normal human comprehension.

Knowing the danger, yet being the female lead, she was never destined to die by violence. At the critical moment of mortal peril, someone would always arrive to save her.

In the place where Lan Lingyan grew up, they only ever trusted themselves and never fate. He hadn't anticipated that Gu Yingxi would be such a person. Therefore, half an hour after he left, when Lan Biao delivered the recorded disc to him, he recounted the events that transpired after Lan Lingyan’s departure: "Someone arrived, scared those men off, and took her back."

Lan Lingyan cared little for Gu Yingxi’s life, but he was starting to feel that something was fundamentally wrong. He had keenly sensed that her luck was unusually persistent. Observing how someone always came to her aid after every misfortune, Lan Lingyan quickly recognized the aspect he had overlooked.

It was possible for someone to be inherently dull yet favored by Heaven. His subordinates might not have betrayed him due to Gu Yingxi’s cunning charm; it was more likely that, without realizing it, they had grown unusually soft-hearted toward her because of her extraordinary luck.

Recognizing this possibility, a flicker of interest sparked in Lan Lingyan's eyes. He tapped his desk:

"Who was it that saved her?" He had originally planned to take Ning Yunhuan and Lan Yi out that afternoon, but unexpected matters kept interfering with his dates. Now, everyone was back at the Lan family estate. Since Lan Lingyan had business to attend to, Ning Yunhuan was likely upstairs playing with their son. The coldness around Lan Lingyan’s lips softened slightly as he thought of his wife and child, his expression growing somewhat gentle.

"Master, it was the Mu family’s Second Young Master, Mu Jinyan."

Mentioning the Mu family, everyone knew of the two sons.

The Mu family was also a renowned political dynasty in Huaxia, showing political promise since the era of the Mu patriarch. From then on, their influence snowballed, eventually peaking with the position of National Councillor. If one were to map out the power structure of Huaxia, the Head of State sat at the apex, with authority divided between civil and military factions below.

The military side was naturally represented by the armed forces, currently dominated by the Lin family—Lan Lingyan’s maternal grandfather, Lin Maoshan, who retained the honorary title of Marshal even after retiring from the Head of State position. The civil side consisted of a small collective known as the Ten Councillors, ten families capable of directly influencing the Head of State’s decisions.

While the other nine families need not be mentioned, the Mu family had held a seat among the Councillors for two full terms. Currently, Mu Jinyan’s father, Mu Shaohua, sat firmly in that position, and barring unforeseen circumstances, the Mu family’s Eldest Young Master, Mu Jinzhi, a rising star in politics, was highly likely to inherit his father’s seat, being one of the most popularly supported candidates.

Beyond these differing political alignments, the most crucial factor was the upper class’s ingrained habit and fondness for intermarriage, which applied to everyone. The Mu family was even more peculiar: when Lin Maoshan achieved prominence, he married a woman from the Mu family!

In other words, Lan Lingyan’s mother, Lin Minsheng, had a mother whose maiden name was Mu; Lan Lingyan’s maternal grandmother was a daughter of the Mu family. Lan Lingyan shared a degree of distant kinship with the Mu family. Since Lin Maoshan and his wife were still alive, the ties between the Lin and Mu families remained relatively close. Thus, upon hearing that the person who saved Gu Yingxi was technically his distant cousin, Lan Lingyan’s interest was piqued.

The Mu family’s eldest son had a brilliant reputation, but similarly, the second son, Mu Jinyan, was not without notice. However, compared to the commendable fame of his older brother, the younger one was known for his notoriety.

The outside world knew that the Mu family’s Second Young Master, Mu Jinyan, had suffered an injury in childhood that led to a high fever, causing his mental capacity to remain perpetually stuck at that of an ignorant seven-year-old boy. While his elder brother garnered admiration, the second son was the subject of endless ridicule.

Because of this, many people secretly speculated whether Heaven itself was jealous of the Mu family, having produced so many capable figures across generations, thus sending this retribution to keep them humble.

Lan Lingyan had naturally heard these rumors, and due to the marital connections between the Lin and Mu families, he knew even more than outsiders. Yet, since the Mu family, apart from nominal relations, had never truly interacted with him in the past, he hadn't bothered to investigate the character of Mu Second Young Master. His primary sphere of influence wasn't confined just to the capital city. Therefore, when he learned that Gu Yingxi, whom he intended to deal with, had been saved by Mu Second Young Master, Lan Lingyan’s eyes narrowed. His inherent, instinctive suspicion led him to wonder if someone within the Mu family already knew Gu Yingxi.

"Is the Mu Second Young Master somewhat similar to the legends surrounding him?" He picked up a pen from the desk caddy and began twirling it between his fingers, asking with a slight smile, "Was his intervention intentional or accidental? Have you ascertained that?"

If the intervention was intentional, it implied the Mu family intended to make him an enemy, or perhaps they knew his identity and wished to challenge the Lin family through him. Although the Lin and Mu families were currently allied by marriage, Lan Lingyan had seen alliances crumble too often; even parents and siblings could turn into mortal enemies, let alone a mere in-law relationship. He couldn't rule out the possibility that the Mu family harbored ambitions to intrude upon military power and seize half of the Lin family’s influence.

If the Mu family’s second son acted unintentionally, then they would need to ascertain whether his idiocy was genuine or feigned before making further distinctions.

Lan Biao knew this was a chance to regain Lan Lingyan's high regard. He had already instructed his men to investigate everything thoroughly before coming. Now, as Lan Lingyan inquired, he already had the answer ready and replied without hesitation:

"The Mu Second Young Master is often the target of outside jokes, but if one were truly asked to list specific instances of his foolishness, no one could provide concrete examples. If you ask for my opinion, Master, I suspect the Second Young Master’s reputation for foolishness might have been deliberately spread by someone with an agenda." What was strange was that despite Mu Second Young Master’s apparent long-term pretense, virtually no one questioned its veracity; everyone seemed to accept him as truly simple-minded. In Lan Biao’s view, perhaps even the renowned father and son of the Mu family underestimated Mu Jinyan.