A faint smile touched Ning Yunhuan’s lips. After being with Lan Lingyan for nearly two years, married and having a child, it was only now that she seemed to realize the possibility that Lan Lingyan might actually be in love with her.

She didn't possess the kind of charm that made everyone adore her, nor did the plotlines she knew from her past life grant her any convenient cheat codes. Yet, unexpectedly, this surprise was waiting for her. If Lan Lingyan truly liked her, then she wouldn't die. Now that she was prepared, there was no way she would perish at the hands of Gu Shao Tao or the overly guarded Gu Yingxi. As long as Lan Lingyan didn't kill her, she feared nothing!

If Gu Yingxi wanted her life, then Gu Yingxi should die first!

“Where are you?” The two spoke the words simultaneously. Lan Lingyan let out a soft chuckle before saying, “Have someone send you home first, then wait for me.”

Ning Yunhuan felt as if her heart could soar. She nodded instinctively, then realized he couldn't see her movement, so she softly agreed.

Although it was incredible that he might have feelings for the person who had killed him in his past life—a person he had deeply feared—Ning Yunhuan couldn't imagine any reason why she wouldn't like him now.

Someone like Lan Lingyan wouldn't easily fall in love, but once he did, he would undoubtedly be devoted and never waver. A man of such firm resolve, raised in an environment like the Lan family since childhood, must surely know exactly what he desires. The moment Ning Yunhuan considered that what he desired was her, she couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile again.

The car drove directly towards the estate where they now lived. Along the way, Ning Yunhuan clutched her phone, wanting to call Lan Lingyan but restraining herself. She never expected to develop such girlish sentiments. While lost in these pleasant thoughts, she soon arrived at the manor nestled halfway up the mountain.

This entire peak belonged to Lan Lingyan privately. As the car drove up to the villa, just as it stopped outside, Ning Yunhuan spotted several figures seated at a table and chairs on a distant stretch of lawn, visible even through the car window.

Having lived here for several months under Lan Lingyan’s roof, visitors were unheard of. Since this was Lan Lingyan’s private property, it was doubly unlikely anyone would be here. The path from the base to the summit was fitted with rigorous surveillance; not only was it nearly impossible for anyone to ascend unnoticed, but even a stray, ambitious animal would struggle to break in. The moment two large men jumped out and opened the car doors, a heaven-shaking infant wail erupted.

Ning Yunhuan instantly recognized it as the cry of her son, Lan Yi. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively leaped from the car, running directly toward the lawn.

“Look, piggy nose, piggy nose.” A clear, bright girl’s laugh echoed. As the child cried louder, the surrounding seated people joined in the laughter.

When the nanny tried to reach out and take the child, she was blocked by the group. Ning Yunhuan, breathing heavily, ran closer and saw Lin Qian, whom she had encountered before, holding her son. Lin Qian was vigorously pinching the little boy’s nose, scrunching it into a pig snout. The poor child’s nose tip was already bright red; it was unclear how long this had been going on, explaining why he was crying so loudly.

Given the chill outside, Lan Yi should have been wrapped in a thick blanket by his nursemaid and nanny. Instead, he was wearing nothing but the thin little jacket appropriate for an air-conditioned room, and his complexion was turning slightly blue.

Lan Yi, who was already quite discerning about people, struggled being held by a stranger, and this torment only made him cry harder. Upon seeing his mother arrive, his little hands reached out toward her, his mouth mumbling indistinctly:

“Mama, Mama…” The child was nearly ten months old and could utter a few simple words. Hearing her son cry like that only made Ning Yunhuan’s heart ache more. She stepped forward to take the child, but Lin Qian just giggled, hugging the baby closer and stepping aside, saying playfully, “Oh dear, why so sensitive…”

As Ning Yunhuan approached, she saw her son’s swollen eyes and reddened, puffy nose. Without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped Lin Qian across the face!

A sharp smack landed on Lin Qian’s cheek. The entire group, previously laughing, froze in shock. Lin Qian was stunned. When she recovered, she immediately erupted in fury and instinctively tried to hurl the child she held onto the ground: “What shameless, broken thing, daring to hit me!”

Seeing her action, Ning Yunhuan’s heart lurched. Fortunately, the bodyguards behind her quickly converged, one darting to the ground and narrowly catching the baby just as he began to fall. Unaware that he was being thrown, Lan Yi thought his mother’s return was a game and finally cracked open a smile, chuckling, revealing a few small, white teeth like grains of rice.

“Mama, Mama, Mama…”

Seeing her son was safe, Ning Yunhuan let out a breath of relief and, without hesitation, swung another slap toward Lin Qian!

The first time, holding her son close, she hadn’t used much force, fearing he might fall if she struck too hard. Yet, this damned creature tried to smash her son onto the ground! Now that she saw the child secured by someone else, no longer in her grasp, Ning Yunhuan held nothing back. She delivered a fierce slap to Lin Qian’s face.

Acting purely on indignation, the force behind her blow was considerable, spinning Lin Qian around twice before she landed hard on her rear end on the grass.

“You motherf**ker, you dare hit me!” Lin Qian, having been struck twice, finally snapped back to reality and roared in absolute fury. Clapping a hand over her face, she tried to push herself up to a sitting position. Ning Yunhuan, mimicking how Lan Lingyan had undone his sleeve cuff before beating Qin Yi, pulled off her cashmere coat and tossed it onto the nearby lawn. She then vaulted up and landed squarely on Lin Qian’s waist, pinning her down. Grabbing a handful of Lin Qian’s hair, she yanked her up and forcefully pressed her nose upward:

“How is it, piggy nose, is it fun?” Just as she was about to apply more pressure, Lin Qian’s nose made a distinct snap and skewed sideways. Lin Qian shrieked, and with a strength Ning Yunhuan couldn't fathom, she shoved Ning Yunhuan away, clutching her face and bursting into tears.

Ning Yunhuan knew she had used some force in the first slap, but certainly not as much as Lin Qian had used on her son. Before she could apply real pressure this time, the nose was crooked—it must have been a prosthetic.

The realization only fueled Ning Yunhuan’s anger: “How is it? Is piggy nose not fun anymore?”

“Bitch, I’ll kill you!” Lin Qian, hair askew like a madwoman, screamed, desperately trying to push her upper body up. Ning Yunhuan refused to let her succeed. She shoved Lin Qian back down again, gripped her face, and demanded, “Not fun? Tell me exactly how you played with my son, and I will play every single game with you!”

Ning Yunhuan turned and saw her son’s little face, bright red from crying, and his swollen nose. Although she hadn't touched his hands to check if they were cold, she knew how frigid the weather was outside. Her son was small and had been out there for who knows how long; he must be freezing.

With this thought, a fresh wave of rage surged through her. She viciously tugged Lin Qian’s hair before standing up. Just as she prepared to walk away, Lin Qian fiercely yanked her ankle, causing Ning Yunhuan to stumble several steps before regaining her footing. As Lin Qian lunged toward her, Ning Yunhuan instinctively sidestepped and commanded the two big men, “Hold her steady for me. It seems Miss Lin hasn't had enough fun; I will take my time and play with her properly!”

This time, Ning Yunhuan was genuinely furious. After managing to regain her balance in disarray, she smoothed her hair and saw Lin Qian restrained by one of the men. Lin Qian’s cheek was bruised, her hair a mess, and, crucially, her nose was crooked to one side. Bits of grass clung to her face, and blood-tinged fluid was seeping from her nostrils. Her expression was utterly distorted as she shrieked, “Let go! You dogs, do you know who my aunt is? I’ll have my uncle throw you into the sea to feed the sharks!”

For those within the Lan family circle, Lin Qian knew invoking her grandfather’s name would be useless, so she strategically mentioned Lin Min. However, these bodyguards were Lan Lingyan’s trusted men; they followed Lan Lingyan’s orders. Since Lan Lingyan had assigned them to Ning Yunhuan’s command, they obeyed whatever Ning Yunhuan dictated.

Not only was Lin Qian’s mention of Lin Min meaningless now, but even if the Lan family patriarch, Lan Lingyan’s own father, were to appear, without Lan Lingyan’s explicit command, they would not take orders from him either!

Instead, Lin Qian’s threat only resulted in the bodyguard restraining her arms more tightly behind her back, eliciting a faint crackling sound from her bones and worsening her expression.

Lin Qian’s earlier action of throwing her son had filled Ning Yunhuan with such intense anger that she ignored the potential consequences of her actions. After all, Lan Lingyan was there to shield her from any danger. For some inexplicable reason, she trusted him completely. In her current rage, she forgot all about the Lin family, swung her arm hard, and slapped Lin Qian again, making her head jerk violently to one side. Because she was held fast, Lin Qian couldn't struggle, and her wine-red hair whipped wildly around her.

“Is this fun?” Ning Yunhuan flexed her slightly stinging palm before turning to the group of young men and women who had been watching, and asked, “Is this funny? I think this is much funnier than a piggy nose.”

The youths had been utterly stunned into silence by her ferocious display. The oldest among them appeared to be no more than twenty-five. Each had seven or eight piercings decorating their ears, adorned with platinum hoops inlaid with diamonds, making their ears look exceptionally dazzling and strangely seductive.