Lanling Yan couldn't fathom why Lin Min always took such a dislike to Ning Yunhuan. Seeing his mother relentlessly trying to angle the blame toward his wife now caused a flicker of displeasure in him. His relationship with Lin Min was hardly close; since he could remember, they had never truly nurtured any mother-son affection. Even with the bond of blood, if nurturing was absent, it amounted to very little.

By comparison, Lanling Yan wasn't close to his own father either, but at least there was a vested interest between them, enough to maintain a facade of paternal affection. Yet, should a life-or-death situation arise, it was unlikely either father or son would hold back.

Lin Min was incandescent with rage at this moment. Her son, whom she had carried for ten arduous months, was now siding against her. She didn't know who he was closest to, but Ning Yunhuan could share a bed with him—still, he was the one she had birthed. Now he was actively opposing her just for someone else's sake. Indeed, just as her cousin-in-law, Tian Yuxin, had predicted: once a son marries, his mother is promptly cast aside.

“That’s enough, Minmin, don’t you fear your cousin and the others will laugh at us!” Lin Maoshan gave his daughter a warning glance. The moment he spoke, even if Lin Min was deeply dissatisfied, she had no choice but to restrain herself. Mu Shaohua, standing nearby, chuckled upon hearing this.

“Uncle’s words are too severe; I grew up with Minmin, too, and I know her temperament. Now that we adults are talking, why don't we let the children go play?” Mu Shaohua smoothly placated Lin Maoshan, successfully separating Lin Min and Ning Yunhuan. Lin Maoshan was pleased with this arrangement. “Go on then, Xiao Jiu is bringing a granddaughter-in-law back for me in his first year. Xiao Jiu’s wife, go find your grandmother, she’ll surely give you a hefty red envelope!”

Ning Yunhuan responded with a smile. Tian Yuxin and the others who had followed Lin Min showed visible dissatisfaction, but no one dared to express it in front of Lin Maoshan. Thus, every hand clenched tightly, but no sound escaped their lips.

In the garden outside were not only Lin Qian and other members of the Lin family but also the two sons of the Mu family, along with several unfamiliar faces—acquaintances presumably connected to the Lin family through marriage that Ning Yunhuan hadn't met.

“Oh, look who it is! Isn’t this our little pheasant who flew onto a branch?” When Lin Qian spotted Ning Yunhuan, her eyes lit up. She quickly pointed Ning Yunhuan out to Liu Yan beside her, giggling. “Sister Liu Yan, look at this creature! My cousin treasures her like a jewel. What a thing! She isn't even worth one of your toes.”

The sight of Ning Yunhuan instantly ignited Lin Qian’s anger. After she had led a group of younger cousins away from the Lan residence last time, Lin Chen had nearly beaten her when she returned. Lin Chen had even told her that Lin Maoshan had decreed that if she continued to mess around so carelessly, she shouldn't bear the Lin surname anymore and should just get out of the country!

Despite being Lin Maoshan's direct granddaughter, being threatened like this was unbearable for Lin Qian. However, she dared not challenge Lin Maoshan. She only recalled that the last time she had been at the Lan residence, and although Lin Chen was displeased when she dyed her hair while out having fun, he had never been so severe with her before.

Who would have thought that she’d be scolded simply for running into Ning Yunhuan precisely when she went to the Lan family’s place? Naturally, Lin Qian believed Ning Yunhuan had tattled on her, intensifying her hatred. Seeing Ning Yunhuan now was a case of mortal enemies locking eyes; if she wasn't worried about starting a fight and embarrassing herself, thus incurring Lin Maoshan’s wrath, Lin Qian would have already leaped up to scratch Ning Yunhuan’s face.

“If I’m a pheasant, what are you? Do you think you’re a phoenix?” Ning Yunhuan laughed. There was no need to play along with someone like Lin Qian. Lin Qian had always disliked her and even tried to set Lanling Yan up with other women. Never mind that Lin Qian looked down on her; she certainly didn't think highly of Lin Qian either.

“You’re asking for death!” Lin Qian’s face darkened instantly when she heard the sarcasm. She stood up, ready to lash out regardless of the consequences just to vent her frustration, but unexpectedly, Mu Jinyan, sitting beside her, stood up, pointed at Ning Yunhuan, and feigned a childish, milky voice: “Bad person, bad person! Give me my pacifier, give me my pacifier!”

After saying that, he tried to rush over. Seeing this, Lin Qian immediately burst into laughter. Mu Jinyan was mentally disabled, and if he attacked and hit Ning Yunhuan, not only would her grandfather absolve her of blame, but her uncles might even grow to dislike Ning Yunhuan more. Then, having made a scene, she would have to suffer the consequences silently; she wondered if she’d ever dare return to the Lin family after that!

The thought filled Lin Qian with delight. She pointed at Ning Yunhuan and urged Mu Jinyan, “Mu Jinyan, look closely! This is the person who pushed you last time! Hurry up and hit her once to calm your anger!” As soon as her words fell, Mu Jinzhi, sitting nearby, frowned.

He had always placed great importance on his younger brother. However, because of something Ning Yunhuan had said unintentionally last time, which made him doubt Mu Jinyan, he felt a degree of guilt toward Mu Jinyan. Consequently, he also looked askance at Ning Yunhuan for stirring discord between the brothers. Seeing Lin Qian use his brother as a pawn now made him slightly displeased, but remembering how Ning Yunhuan had nearly caused a rift between the brothers before, he felt she deserved a small lesson.

Yet, they were still relatives, and Lanling Yan’s temperament was notoriously fickle. If Mu Jinyan went too far, it might displease him. Therefore, Mu Jinzhi decided that a minor lesson for Ning Yunhuan would suffice; just letting Jinyan strike her a couple of times to vent his spleen would be enough before stopping him!

With this in mind, even though Mu Jinzhi knew Lin Qian had ulterior motives, he chose to turn a blind eye and pretend not to understand.

Ning Yunhuan let out a cold laugh. Seeing Mu Jinyan rush over as Lin Qian instructed, she noticed a flash of viciousness in his eyes. Though it vanished quickly, she, who knew Mu Jinyan’s true nature well, still caught it.

Before Ning Yunhuan could act, the bodyguard Lan Father had given her—who had been following her like a shadow—lunged out. Disregarding who Mu Jinyan was, he delivered a fierce kick toward him!

Ning Yunhuan faced Mu Jinyan directly and saw his body stiffen for a split second, a movement suggesting a reflexive attempt to dodge. Yet, he rigidly held still in the end, which brought a cold sneer to Ning Yunhuan’s lips. Mu Jinyan had been secretly practicing martial arts since childhood due to his great ambition; dodging danger was his instinct. But now, in front of Mu Jinzhi, she wanted to see how Mu Jinyan would avoid it!

This man possessed extreme self-esteem and a tyrannical, resolute nature. Precisely because of this, he refused to be subordinate to Mu Jinzhi, which was why he had maintained his pretense for nearly twenty years. But if he were struck in front of everyone, he wouldn't be able to bear it. As long as he couldn't bear it, that would be enough. Mu Jinzhi appeared completely free of suspicion regarding his brother, and while she didn't know why he had dismissed his doubts so quickly, Ning Yunhuan had to admire the skill of Mu Jinyan, the official male lead!

With a solid thud, Mu Jinyan was kicked directly in the face. The blow left half his face numb, feeling as if it belonged to someone else. The force behind the kick from the person leaping out behind Ning Yunhuan was immense. He couldn't even feel the pain, only hearing a sharp snap in his mouth. He couldn't help but open it, and something spilled out.

Two teeth dropped onto the ground. The onlookers were stunned into silence for a moment. Lin Qian hadn't expected Ning Yunhuan to dare to have someone retaliate. Seeing Mu Jinyan lose his teeth, perhaps from sheer shock, even Mu Jinzhi took a long moment to react.

Mu Jinyan kept his head lowered, his eyes fixed on the puddle of blood on the ground. He touched his mouth; two spots were missing. A strange, airy sensation washed over him now. His gums felt sore and tender, not exactly painful, but anything he touched sent a jolt.

He had been struck and lost his teeth!

After a long pause, when Mu Jinyan finally snapped back to reality, his eyes were alight with frantic energy. If he hadn’t possessed extraordinary self-control since childhood, he might have lashed out and brutally killed Ning Yunhuan right there!

It wasn't the time yet; he had to endure! He had spent so many years plotting; he couldn't let one woman ruin everything!

Mu Jinyan tried to comfort himself internally, taking several deep breaths, but the veins in his forehead pulsed uncontrollably. His expression turned sinister. His teeth had been knocked out! For him, this was an unparalleled humiliation, especially done in front of so many people. He could have dodged it, but he dared not move for fear of arousing suspicion!

Having suffered such a massive loss right now, Mu Jinyan felt murderous, yet thinking of his careful schemes, he suppressed it again and again until his body trembled slightly. His eyes turned bloodshot before he finally managed to smother the violent emotions churning within him!

“Waaah!” He bit his tongue hard, wiped the expression from his face, lifted his head, and suddenly burst into loud sobs: “It hurts, it hurts! Dad, Mom, where are you!”

Although Mu Jinyan acted like a child of seven or eight, he was actually a grown man in his twenties. When he started crying, his voice carried with full force, quickly reaching the villa.

A flurry of hurried footsteps sounded. Soon, Tian Yuxin hadn't arrived yet, but her desperate cries preceded her: “Jinyan, what is it? What happened? Mommy is here!”

Tian Yuxin’s figure quickly appeared in the light. Seeing Mu Jinyan’s mouth full of blood, Tian Yuxin nearly fainted. She rushed forward to support her son and helped him sit on a nearby chair before anxiously demanding, “What happened? How did you end up like this in such a short time? Where does it hurt? Tell Mommy quickly.”

As she spoke, Tian Yuxin reached out with a trembling hand to wipe the blood from Mu Jinyan’s lips. Noticing her elder son beside them, she snapped with irritation, “JinZhi, how did you look after your brother?”

With one son healthy and brilliant, Tian Yuxin naturally focused the majority of her attention on the son who had become mentally slow after being neglected during his childhood illness. She often directed her anger toward Mu Jinzhi because of Mu Jinyan, and Mu Jinzhi was long accustomed to his mother’s blatant favoritism. However, seeing her disregard his standing in front of so many relatives and elders, he felt a slight displeasure, and his expression darkened:

“Miss Ning commanded someone to hit him!”