Ning Yunhuan had remained calm when the incident occurred. Moreover, her son's injuries were clearly visible enough for Lan Lingyan to deduce who was responsible. Dongfang Long could never have failed to recognize those marks either. The thought of his useless son being outmatched by Lan Lingyan was already unbearable; yet even worse was the fact that this rival woman had managed to humiliate his son Dongfang Aoshi. Dongfang Long truly couldn't find words to describe his disappointment toward this son.

The father-son quarrel within the Dongfang family was long forgotten in Lan Lingyan's mind. After fastening his clothes, he strode directly into the cabin. As the aircraft lifted off with a disorienting sensation that made passengers feel dizzy and nauseous, Li Panpan - nearly naked except for a man's jacket - was curled on Ning Yunhuan's lap, weeping bitterly.

"Move away." Lan Lingyan raised an eyebrow in evident displeasure. Though not naturally impulsive by temperament, he couldn't help his reaction now. After almost twelve hours of her absence, finally locating Ning Yunhuan and extracting her from such danger only to see Li Panpan clinging to her like this - it was enough to provoke any husband's irritation. When Li Panpan remained unmoving after being scolded, Lan Lingyan simply grabbed her arm and roughly shoved her aside.

Though half-naked, Li Panpan still wore high heels. Given the aircraft's imbalance during takeoff, she stumbled several steps before collapsing onto the floor with her oversized man's jacket partially slipping open to reveal bruised skin beneath.

"What are you doing, husband!" Ning Yunhuan blinked in confusion as she reached for Li Panpan only for Lan Lingyan to intercept her hand mid-reach and hold it firmly within his own palm.

"Are you afraid?" Without even glancing at the helpless-looking Li Panpan on the floor, Lan Lingyan rubbed his wife's soot-covered hands. Frowning at the dirt, he ordered: "Bring water."

Struggling against his grip proved futile for Ning Yunhuan, who merely nodded before adding hesitantly, "A little bit." The moment she tried reaching out with her free hand again, Lan Lingyan caught that as well and frowned, "Still afraid?"

It was clear Lan Lingyan wanted to prevent her from helping Li Panpan up. With a resigned look, Ning Yunhuan glanced at the fallen woman before giving an apologetic nod. Then she turned back seriously:

"Not anymore." In truth, she felt remarkably unafraid. Though aware of being captured by Gu Yingxi's former lover in this previous life, and concerned about falling to Gu's heroine aura, something within her instinctively believed Lan Lingyan would rescue her - not as rational logic but as a woman's primal intuition.

Her instincts proved right when Lan Lingyan indeed arrived just in time. Now aboard the aircraft after being saved, she realized Gu Yingxi had been left stranded on the island. The thought suddenly struck Ning Yunhuan who immediately sprang up before Li Panpan could even begin her timid inquiry:

"Yunhuan, isn't that Miss Gu still on the island without boarding the plane with us?"

After having her clothes torn off by Dongfang Aoshi earlier, Li Panpan had nearly lost her mind from terror. When she heard about being handed over to those men, desperation almost consumed her. Only after Ning Yunhuan wrapped her in clothing did instinct lead her to cling desperately to this newfound savior - but Gu Yingxi hadn't crossed her thoughts until now.

With the aircraft taking off and danger receding, memories of Gu Yingxi resurfaced. Thinking about that innocent girl whose purity had been defiled by Dongfang Aoshi, shame and guilt began gnawing at Li Panpan's heart as she softly suggested:

"Perhaps... perhaps we should go back to rescue her?"

Dongfang Aoshi was truly monstrous - not only abusing women physically but also forcing them to consume excrement. When sated, he would hand over his victims to subordinates like common property rather than human beings. Considering Gu Yingxi's tragic fate at such a demon's hands and remembering the girl's pitiful tears and sorrowful history, Li Panpan felt an overwhelming surge of compassion.

Ning Yunhuan knew her friend was naturally compassionate - it wasn't surprising she proposed rescuing Gu Yingxi now. But recalling the recent events filled Ning Yunhuan with unease as she gazed at Lan Lingyan with glittering eyes:

"You didn't bring a gun when you went down there to intimidate Dongfang Long?" She remembered watching Lan Lingyan coerce Dongfang into ensuring their safety on the island, and later heard him admit he hadn't actually carried any weapon. Only now in this relaxed moment did the danger feel truly real.

"Yes," Lan Lingyan replied casually with an indifferent nod. When Ning Yunhuan went missing, his eyes had turned red with fury. Fortunately, she always wore that tracking device he'd secretly given her when they first began dating - not for stalking but to prevent her from running away. He hadn't removed it even after their intimacy because of the numerous enemies he harbored.

He learned of her disappearance just two hours later and followed her trail immediately. Though Ning Yunhuan had been missing only a few hours, monitoring showed she was unharmed so Lan Lingyan relaxed enough to prepare aboard the aircraft beforehand. Despite his meticulous nature usually preventing oversights, knowing she was alive wasn't the same as being certain of her safety. The moment he leapt down from the plane, he forgot about bringing a weapon entirely - only remembering it after spotting Ning Yunhuan. That's why he kept his hands in his pockets all along, just in case. It turned out the cunning Dongfang had actually fallen for such an obvious ruse.

"What if he hadn't been fooled?" Ning Yunhuan took a deep breath as her eyes watered slightly.

While accepting the water from the waiting man, Lan Lingyan nonchalantly washed his wife's soiled hands while maintaining their gentle hold. Looking up with that same unassuming expression, he said: "Considering my physique, I can probably withstand several bullets without falling over. Standing in front of you to block would buy you extra time to run."

Though spoken like a joke, the thin lips formed a barely perceptible smile line as his long eyebrows shadowed his sharp phoenix eyes with an intense aura that contradicted his calm tone.

Before Ning Yunhuan, Lan Lingyan no longer felt compelled to mask his true nature. She stared at those slightly bloodshot eyes beneath his otherwise composed exterior and saw raw obsession there - a look so direct it made her quickly avert her gaze in discomfort.

No matter how refined he appeared on the surface, deep within, Lan Lingyan remained an unyielding man who would fight for whatever he wanted without exception. Love was no different from anything else to him.

Ning Yunhuan suddenly recalled that New Year's Eve when they'd left Lin household unsettled after a quarrel. At that time she dismissed his request to hear her say "I love you" as just another display of dominance, perhaps hinting at affection but never imagining he would feel this strongly for her.

A man who had struggled through life alone since childhood with such cold familial bonds was now willing to die for her!

Never having considered marriage or children in this rebirth, she certainly hadn't anticipated meeting a man who loved her beyond all expectations. In her past life, survival consumed every thought, leaving no room for romantic entanglements. Now faced with genuine feelings that made her both elated and terrified, instincts urged her to retreat - yet could such an overbearing man ever truly allow her space?

Ning Yunhuan said nothing, sensing her eyes were already darting anxiously away from Lan Lingyan's face though his gaze remained fixed on their entwined hands. When she stole a glance at him, however, she noticed the focused attention in his eyes and that barely concealed tenderness.

Neither spoke as they changed water several times until Ning Yunhuan's hands regained their soft whiteness. After drying them with a towel, Lan Lingyan finally stood up just as Li Panpan - having somehow risen to her feet while holding onto her torn clothing - hesitantly asked:

"Yunhuan, about Miss Gu..."

Li Panpan had always possessed that saintly disposition of universal compassion, one that once embraced even Ning Yunhuan. But now immersed in the aftereffects of Lan Lingyan's declaration, Ning Yunhuan suddenly grew cold toward her friend:

"Panpan, Gu Yingxi is no good person - don't believe anything she says. This woman brings misfortune like a broomstick. Because of her, we were captured! And you nearly got involved because of her too. Forget about it!"

Did Li Panpan truly understand the nature of Longmeng? Believing they could come and go freely was foolish indeed. Surviving this one time was already lucky due to Dongfang Long's grudging respect for Lan Lingyan's father and his appreciation toward Lan himself. If Lan dared return with another plane, would he be trying to provoke death itself? Did Li Panpan think Dongfang actually couldn't shoot it down?

Even if Gu Yingxi had truly died at Dongfang Aoshi's hands as Ning Yunhuan suspected, she'd have to praise him for removing a plague from society!

"But..." Li Panpan hesitated before attempting again. This time, Ning Yunhuan cut her off impatiently: "Enough, Panpan. Don't overthink this - Gu Yingxi is destined to survive no matter what happens." After all, protagonists were invincible beings. Even if someone tried drowning her now, surely a dolphin or shark would just appear to carry her safely ashore!

Though not completely oblivious to social cues, Li Panpan could see Ning Yunhuan's clear hostility toward Gu Yingxi and reluctantly nodded while still appearing distracted.

Ning Yunhuan ignored this as she turned directly to Lan Lingyan: "Husband, are there any clothes of mine aboard? Let Miss Li wash up and rest first." After all, it was her who had dragged poor Li Panpan into this mess. Seeing the girl's haggard face made Ning Yunhuan feel sympathy for her.

Lan Lingyan gave a reluctant nod but his possessive nature wouldn't allow another woman wearing clothing he'd carefully prepared for his wife. "Have Lan Xi find her some clothes," he ordered.

Though few in number, there were still several attendants and bodyguards aboard whose spare men's garments could be found among their belongings. After sending Li Panpan away with her distracted mind, Lan Lingyan finally pulled Ning Yunhuan up:

"We should bathe too."

If bathing was the plan, why had he so tenderly washed her hands earlier? Ning Yunhuan followed his lead into the cabin without protest. She had indeed been worn out from this tumultuous day and though the kidnapping felt suspicious in some way, now that she'd finally relaxed in safety, sleep claimed her the moment Lan Lingyan carried her to bed.

After blow-drying her hair, Lan Lingyan considered she was sleeping so soundly he carefully lifted up her skirt. Finding no injuries beneath after removing her underwear, he satisfied himself with a kiss before re-covering her and curling protectively around her in sleep.