Mu Mingli immediately took Ning Yunhuan's hand and patted it. Upon seeing the teeth marks on her hand, she gave a cool glance toward Madam Mu, whose complexion was still rather sour, having just arrived: "I think Jinyan also needs a proper lesson. Although he is still young and doesn't know any better, he should at least understand some manners.

Even a seven or eight-year-old child shouldn't bite someone they grab. Look at this hand, how badly it's been bitten?" Mu Mingli currently held immense authority within the Mu family, akin to a revered grandaunt, especially given the stature of the man she married. The Mu family was currently preoccupied with placating her and dared not offend her.

Though Madam Mu was inwardly displeased at being lectured like a junior in front of the younger generation, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure it, apologizing in a low voice: "Aunt, I will certainly discipline him later." "Teach him the rules properly. If he cannot learn, send him over to Lin Chen's. As a cousin-uncle, he will surely instruct Jinyan well.

I think there was never any problem to begin with; it's all because you spoil him that things have gone awry." Mu Mingli lectured Madam Mu for a couple of sentences, and only after vindicating Ning Yunhuan did she smile, "Don't hold it against him. Your maternal grandmother will give you a proper explanation here. Do not let the wound touch water for the next two days, and I will have someone check on it for you; it definitely won't leave a scar." Ning Yunhuan nodded slightly.

Having encountered several members of the Lin family before, she certainly didn't dare to take a sudden liking to them based on Mu Mingli's few words. These people of high society all possessed incredibly keen minds, their every word twisting into ten different meanings. She feared easily getting tangled up if she wasn't careful, so she spoke with great caution.

Mu Mingli paid no mind to her guarded attitude. After a few pleasantries, she seemingly brought up a casual inquiry: "Oh, right, Huanhuan, I heard Young Ninth had a conflict with a girl surnamed Gu because of you. Young Jinyan ran into that situation before, didn't he?" The status of Gu Yingxi was something these people would have certainly investigated thoroughly.

It was only because their somewhat simple-minded son genuinely liked a woman—rather than desiring a plaything or demanding his parents join his games—that Mu Shaohua and his wife were already quite content. "Yes." Ning Yunhuan was surprised by Mu Mingli's sudden inquiry about Gu Yingxi, but after a moment of thought, she answered truthfully. Mu Mingli paused before saying: "May I ask how she managed to offend you?" Seeing Ning Yunhuan's slightly astonished expression, Mu Mingli added, "Our Jinyan once saved her.

You know, Jinyan is not like other children. If anything happened to him, your Uncle Mu and Aunt Nie would be terribly heartbroken." Mu Mingli suspected that Gu Yingxi harbored some ambition, perhaps intentionally trying to get close to Mu Jinyan. After all, in families like theirs, countless people sought to curry favor, hoping to gain something.

While Gu Yingxi hadn't seemed like the type to beg previously, she still borrowed two hundred thousand from the Mu family before leaving, which had surprised Madam Mu and the others. If it were just about the money, it was inconsequential; they could treat it as dismissing her with funds meant for playing with their son. But if Gu Yingxi had ulterior motives, and their own son favored her so highly, the Mu family feared Mu Jinyan would end up hurt.

Understanding Mu Mingli's meaning and the true reason for her visit, a sudden thought sparked within Ning Yunhuan, and she couldn't help but laugh. In her previous life, the dynamic between Gu Yingxi and Mu Jinyan was never one of a hero saving a damsel. Instead, it was at a grand banquet where the second young master of the Mu family, having publicly embarrassed himself, was being privately bullied by others.

Gu Yingxi, unable to stand by, protected him as if he were a younger brother, only to find herself severely humiliated in the process. From that moment on, Mu Jinyan held this woman in his heart, paying attention to her every move. Later, upon learning she had been coerced into relationships with several men, he didn't hesitate to expose his own abilities prematurely to help her.

Consequently, among those men, Mu Jinyan's feelings for Gu Yingxi were the most complex, and she proved to be an exceptionally difficult obstacle. In this life, because Ning Yunhuan deviated from the script of the past, the first encounter between Gu Yingxi and the second young master Mu had also begun to change, subtly altering many events. In the prior life, Gu Yingxi gained entry into worlds previously inaccessible to her through her acquaintance with Ning Yuncheng and Xie Zhuoyin.

Subsequently, introduced by those two, she entered high society, eventually meeting Mu Jinyan. Through Mu Jinyan’s connection with the Lin family, she then met Lan Lingyan, and from then on, her heart beat solely for him. Ironically, in this life, Gu Yingxi met Lan Lingyan first, and then Mu Jinyan through that connection.

Several key figures were still missing from the equation. Excluding the two cousins currently abroad, there was also Brooklyn from England—only hearing his name without having met him. Yet, Mu Jinyan had coincidentally crossed paths with Gu Yingxi first.

Even if it was a love destined by fate, Ning Yunhuan thought, she should certainly put in the effort to sabotage it. Whether she could ultimately separate Gu Yingxi and Mu Jinyan's true love or not, at the very least, she needed to give the Mu family pause. They shouldn't be as completely unguarded as they were in the previous life, where Mu Jinyan ended up becoming the ultimate victor, inheriting the entire Mu estate and ultimately serving as Gu Yingxi's powerful pillar of support.

Since she couldn't befriend Gu Yingxi this time, and Gu Yingxi still hated her due to the misjudgment caused by Lan Lingyan’s allure, Ning Yunhuan felt she needed to prepare well in advance. Considering this, she paused for a considerable moment. When Mu Mingli and the others began to look impatient, Ning Yunhuan sighed: "By rights, my parents taught me not to speak ill of others behind their backs.

However, when an elder asks, I dare not remain silent. Regarding this Senior Gu, I know nothing else about her, but when it comes to handling men, she possesses quite her own unique methods. Not only can she charm my eldest brother into willingly sharing her company, but he remains completely devoted to her.

I heard Brother Ninth mention that Second Young Master Mu apparently saved her. Out of respect for Brother Ninth, I feel obliged to offer Madam Mu this word of caution: you must keep a close watch on both young masters." Saying this, Ning Yunhuan brought her injured hand up to her lips to blow on it gently. "I noticed Second Young Master Mu seemed to know just now that I had an enmity with her; he appeared to be seeking retribution on her behalf." She left the implication hanging in the air.

Madam Mu’s expression became somewhat awkward, tinged with suspicion. However, believing her son was foolish, she felt a flicker of displeasure at Ning Yunhuan's perceived attempt to badmouth him, offering a strained smile: "Perhaps you are overthinking things? Jinyan has been willful since childhood; how could he intentionally take her side?" Furthermore, what standing did that Gu Yingxi have to warrant her own son taking her part?

Catching a glimpse of a tall young man leaning against the arched doorway of the conservatory, taking a drag from a freshly lit cigarette in her peripheral vision, Ning Yunhuan suddenly smiled and deliberately raised her voice in feigned surprise: "What? Madam Mu, what are you saying? I believe the rumors outside about Second Young Master are the work of malicious individuals deliberately slandering him behind his back!

I find the Second Young Master quite well-mannered—his speech is coherent, his gaze clear, and he hasn't done anything truly outrageous. Even those who misunderstand him outside only resort to idle gossip; how many can actually cite tangible evidence?" Ning Yunhuan couldn't directly state that Mu Jinyan was faking his idiocy. After all, after so many years, his ability to endure such ridicule and bullying demonstrated astonishing restraint, regardless of how poorly he played the part.

And the Mu family firmly believed he was simple-minded. If she were too blunt, not only would Mu Jinyan become wary and guard against her more carefully, perhaps launching future covert attacks, but the Mu family wouldn't believe her either, viewing it only as her deliberately mocking Mu Jinyan. For intelligent people, some things only need to be stated once; saying more diminishes the effect.

Moreover, Ning Yunhuan was sure her words had been intentionally aimed at Mu Jinzhi. If he possessed the intelligence she believed, he would surely question the meaning behind her words and investigate Mu Jinyan. Regardless, as long as someone was motivated to investigate, even the most cautious Mu Jinyan would eventually slip up.

Once he was on guard, Mu Jinzhi would keep him under constant surveillance. In this lifetime, as long as Mu Jinzhi didn't suffer an easy downfall, it wouldn't be so simple for Mu Jinyan to enjoy the same prominence he had in the last life and casually torment her. Recalling how Mu Jinyan and Brooklyn had collaborated in her previous life to confine her abroad, preventing her return, along with the subsequent taunts and threats, Ning Yunhuan scoffed inwardly.

"You have a point," Madam Mu said, finding Ning Yunhuan considerably more agreeable now. Regardless, the matter of her second son being a fool had always been a source of ridicule for the Mu family, and she hated it most when people brought up her second son's condition. But now, Ning Yunhuan repeatedly insisting her son wasn't foolish and defending Mu Jinyan eased Madam Mu’s discomfort, making her expression soften when speaking to Ning Yunhuan compared to moments before.

Ning Yunhuan smiled internally, wondering if these people were universally blind, or if it was because Mu Jinyan, as the male protagonist of a romance novel, had somehow made his act of feigning foolishness his inescapable disguise—no matter how poorly executed, no one seemed to notice! A supposed simpleton who never drooled, never ate dirt, and never committed any truly idiotic acts, yet merely showed delayed reactions or uttered a few nonsensical words occasionally—and this was enough to deceive everyone! These elites, sharp as monkeys in the outside world, were all fooled by Mu Jinyan.

Even Mu Jinzhi, hailed as a political prodigy, was defeated by him and effectively imprisoned abroad for half his life. What on earth was wrong with their judgment in the previous life?