"Pan, Panpan, did you, did you misunderstand something?" Fu Yuan covered her face, resentment churning alongside a sudden panic. Tears welled up, and she shook her head frantically like a frantic drum, the drops splashing around her. After a moment of covering her face, she sank delicately to the floor and began to cry. Then, glancing at Ning Yunhuan, she quickly tried to explain, "Did you hear someone talking nonsense? Panpan, you, you must believe me, I, we are friends!"

Her words, instead of helping, only fueled the nameless rage bubbling inside Li Panpan. After Ning Yunhuan had shown her the photographs, she had still been deeply scarred by the kidnapping, terrified by the whips Oriental Aoshi had used. But even in her fear, the man she had loved for years was secretly entangled with her former friend!

If it had been anyone else, she could have swallowed the insult. But this person was Fu Yuan. How could she tolerate it? She had given so much to Fu Yuan, genuinely wanting to be her friend—the first true confidante she’d made upon returning to the country, not one of those meticulously vetted, suitably aligned young ladies arranged by her family. She had been so sincere, yet how could Fu Yuan treat her this way? How could Fu Yuan, after using the Li family, after using her, dare to covet her fiancé as well?

Li Panpan simply couldn't accept it. Even an earthen figure has its breaking point. Qin Yi's actions during her trauma had chilled her heart completely. She stopped worrying about the kidnapping, propped herself up, and ordered someone to keep an eye on Qin Yi. What she discovered was far more entertaining. It wasn't just that Qin Yi and Fu Yuan were having an affair; even Qin Yi's mother, Zhu Susu, who had treated her with the warmth usually reserved for a cherished daughter whenever they met, had secretly assured Fu Yuan that if she bore Qin Yi a son, Qin Yi would be made to abandon Li Panpan and marry Fu Yuan instead.

This news completely froze Li Panpan's heart. She felt cheated; she had invested so much. Why should someone else reap her harvest? If Qin Yi wanted to play around with another woman, she might have turned a blind eye. But Fu Yuan? Never! Fu Yuan was a thief—stealing her affection wasn't enough; now she wanted to steal her man too. Li Panpan could not endure this. She absolutely would not allow Fu Yuan to get close to Qin Yi again. She refused to believe the Qin family was foolish enough to abandon her for a woman as inferior as Fu Yuan!

"Shameless!" After her face darkened for a moment, Li Panpan violently swung her arm again, delivering a sharp slap across Fu Yuan's face. This time, she poured all her strength into it; her palm stung fiercely afterward. Fu Yuan was knocked sideways, her head striking a nearby table with a dull thud!

Seeing Li Panpan's fury, some students quickly pulled out their phones. Li Panpan didn't stop them; her demeanor only made Fu Yuan's predicament clearer to the onlookers.

"Those who want photos, make sure you capture her clearly. I have something even better here, something to show you all exactly what kind of person Fu Yuan is!" She suppressed the burning rage in her chest, pulled her phone from her bag, swiped a few times, and produced several crystal-clear photos, reminiscent of explicit Japanese cinema. She placed them on the adjacent table. Not only was the woman in the throes of passion clearly visible, but the intimate details of their coupling were exposed. Even more evident were Fu Yuan's rapturous expression and frenzied movements.

A few students leaned in for a look, then recoiled with expressions of pure disdain, casting contemptuous glances at Fu Yuan: "Truly shameless!"

Fu Yuan's face was throbbing with pain, but hearing those words shocked her into action. She tried to crane her neck to see, and upon catching sight of the photos on the phone, a chill ran down her spine. Instinctively, she looked toward Li Panpan, whose expression was grim, her eyes holding an icy coldness she’d never displayed before. Daring not to look again, she hurriedly stammered, "You, how do you have, have these photos..."

Her question implicitly admitted the photographs' authenticity. Fu Yuan was no longer the simple girl from an ordinary affluent family in the capital city. By being with Li Panpan, she had gained perspective, glimpsing the high society she’d never seen before. She began to understand that in many circles, the Fu family amounted to little. She also grasped that while the Qin family seemed like celestial beings to her, there were powers far greater even than them—like Li Panpan's Li family, which held a higher standing than the Qins.

Fu Yuan knew Zhu Susu’s words carried some exaggeration, but her desperate desire to marry into high society, to marry Qin Yi, made her willfully ignore the impossibilities. She never truly considered how she could possibly compete with Li Panpan, hoping only that Zhu Susu would keep her promise and ensure Qin Yi married her once she was pregnant.

Since she was already Qin Yi's lover, she reasoned, Zhu Susu's assurance couldn't hurt her. But now that Li Panpan knew about her and Qin Yi, and now that Li Panpan had irrefutable proof, a cold dread settled in Fu Yuan's heart, finally reminding her of the true nature of the Li family. Before, Fu Yuan had acted with such reckless abandon because Li Panpan was simply too kind; Fu Yuan felt she had her cornered and wouldn't dare retaliate.

Who knew the soft, pliant kitten would learn to scratch? Fu Yuan was terrified now. Li Panpan seemed like an entirely different person just now, even resorting to striking her. Moreover, the Li family was superior to the Qin family. Although Zhu Susu had privately hinted at accepting her as a daughter-in-law, it was contingent on pregnancy—something she hadn't achieved yet. If Li Panpan decided to make trouble, the powerless Fu family would face destruction. Her parents would likely beat her to apologize to Li Panpan, and the Qin family would certainly renege on their unspoken promises!

At this precipice, Fu Yuan finally felt fear. She scrambled to kneel upright. Seeing the photos and Li Panpan's expression, she knew denial was useless. She stopped arguing, immediately dropping to her knees, reaching out to grasp Li Panpan’s leg: "Panpan, I was wrong, please forgive me. Who, who told you? It must be Ning Yunhuan, right? She just can’t stand us being close, you have to believe me..."

In her shock, Fu Yuan babbled incoherently for a long time, her words contradicting each other. In the end, realizing her doom, she tried to drag someone else down with her.

Ning Yunhuan laughed, and Li Panpan joined her. Seeing them laugh, Fu Yuan felt a brief wave of relief, thinking she had been forgiven. Recalling her previous desperate attempt to shift blame onto Ning Yunhuan, she redoubled her efforts:

"Panpan, you must believe me, it was absolutely Ning Yunhuan framing Qin Yi Brother and me maliciously! Remember how Qin Yi Brother hit her before? This is her revenge. I grew up with her; I know her personality. She’d love nothing more than to see us two good sisters fight! Panpan, you’ve fallen into her trap!"

Li Panpan allowed Fu Yuan to cling to her legs, turning to smile at Ning Yunhuan: "Huanhuan, look at Fu Yuan. She’s going frantic and still trying to bite you. What do you think?"

"This is a Qin family matter," Ning Yunhuan replied coolly. She wouldn't let Fu Yuan's erratic accusations or Li Panpan's questioning draw her into the drama. She felt a prickle of caution regarding Li Panpan's change; this girl had been severely provoked and was now trying to drag her down too. It wasn't just Fu Yuan; Li Panpan intended to implicate her as well, primarily leveraging the influence of Lanling Yan and her status within the Lin family!

Qin Yi and Fu Yuan betraying Li Panpan’s trust meant Li Panpan could punish Fu Yuan. But a man wasn't a tethered dog; even if tightly bound, his eyes could still wander. Li Panpan intended to use Lanling Yan's name to check Qin Yi, to deter him from looking elsewhere, and to prevent the Qin family from giving him opportunities to do so.

Although the Li family's power did exceed the Qin family's, Li Panpan, no matter how favored, was still just a young woman. Furthermore, having been kidnapped, even if the details were downplayed to only a whipping, the Qin family likely harbored suspicions about what truly happened. It was possible Qin Yi suspected Li Panpan had been violated by Oriental Aoshi—after all, Lin Min could think the same of Ning Yunhuan. Li Panpan being subjected to such suspicion by her fiancé was hardly unimaginable.

Under these circumstances, the Li family would probably prefer a mutual retreat over a small 'incident.' The Li family would overlook Qin Yi's romantic dalliances, treating it as unseen, while the Qin family would refrain from mentioning Li Panpan's kidnapping.

Ning Yunhuan guessed Li Panpan had grasped all this, causing her shift in temperament. But sympathy was one thing; settling accounts was another. If it was a simple favor that required only a small effort, Ning Yunhuan would gladly help, viewing it as repayment for Li Panpan's past kindness. However, if Li Panpan intended to borrow the Lin family's might and Lanling Yan's prestige, she wouldn't use such manipulation to repay a debt. Therefore, when Li Panpan tried to push the burden onto her, Ning Yunhuan firmly refused.

Li Panpan understood Ning Yunhuan's meaning. Despite their outwardly close demeanor, they weren't true friends. Still, seeing Ning Yunhuan refuse to help, Li Panpan felt profoundly disappointed. She forced down the ache in her heart, sniffled, and her expression hardened with ferocity:

"Fu Yuan, I warn you. I have the power to ensure your Fu family can do business today, and the power to ensure you cannot tomorrow! I’ll write off everything between you and Qin Yi as Qin Yi simply hiring a prostitute. You drop out of school immediately. I don't want to see the Fu family in the capital anymore!"

She vented all her anger onto Fu Yuan. Hearing this, Fu Yuan realized Li Panpan wasn't bluffing. She panicked. She knew how fiercely Li Panpan had adored Qin Yi, which she knew well as her supposed best friend. Seeing that pleading with Li Panpan was futile, Fu Yuan recalled the gentle way Li Panpan had just smiled at Ning Yunhuan. Forgetting her earlier attempt to frame her childhood friend, Fu Yuan turned and begged Ning Yunhuan:

"Huanhuan, help me. I can't leave, I haven't graduated, I don't want to leave..."

Seeing Fu Yuan pivot to her after failing with Li Panpan, Ning Yunhuan nearly laughed at her shamelessness. She rolled up the book she held and sharply slapped it down over Fu Yuan’s head. When Fu Yuan instinctively tried to dodge, Ning Yunhuan finally released her collar, stepped back two paces, and said, "Do you take me for a fool? You were just framing me moments ago, and now you want me to intercede for you? Besides, I genuinely believe someone like you doesn't deserve to be in school. You’d even steal a good sister’s man. The Li family has helped Uncle Fu and Aunt Fu immensely; how could you repay them like this?"

Fu Yuan felt like spitting blood at Ning Yunhuan's display of moral outrage. Her lips moved, but before she could speak, Ning Yunhuan turned away, refusing to engage further, and returned to her seat.

"You’re shameless! It’s all your fault for slandering me, you caused all this..." Fu Yuan thought of the public slap she’d just received from Li Panpan and then looked at Ning Yunhuan’s leisurely composure. The stark contrast was too much. She finally snapped, screaming as she lunged toward Ning Yunhuan. Li Panpan didn't hesitate, shouting, "Hold her tight! Can the classmates here help me take her to the department head and testify for me?" Li Panpan wasn't joking. She truly intended to drive the Fu family out of the capital. She had never hated anyone so much; thanks to Fu Yuan, she now understood the meaning of hatred!

This girl, once filled with pure kindness, was now consumed by malice and had no intention of letting Fu Yuan escape. As soon as she spoke, many eager to curry favor rushed to help. Fu Yuan was seized like a little chicken and hauled away.

As she was dragged off, Fu Yuan dared not curse Li Panpan, who had just disciplined her, but instead turned to curse Ning Yunhuan. Ning Yunhuan propped her face with her book and smiled. Fu Yuan likely thought she was easy to bully, but she wasn't. Since her rebirth, she had endured much, but she absolutely refused to suffer injustice!

Li Panpan personally attended several gatherings, making it clear her association with the Fu family was over and subtly conveying her disgust for Fu Yuan. Furthermore, photos of Fu Yuan's private affairs began circulating on the Imperial University's internal forum, causing a massive uproar. Even if she hadn't been expelled yet, she had no face left to remain at school.

Now, the Fu family was isolated, being viciously kicked while they were down. Ning Yunhuan reflected that in her first life, she had been naive, only crossing over shortly before her untimely death. She had experienced hardships few could imagine, but conversely, she had missed out on many normal life events. In both her previous life and before her transmigration, she had only been studying, never working. Now that she had money, and the Fu family was severely suppressed, she conceived the amusing idea of buying them out, just for fun.

It would merely be a diversion for her spare time, allowing her to engage in her own life beyond constantly monitoring Gu Yingxi. The fortune Lan Father had allocated to her could sustain her lavishly for several lifetimes without much depletion. Coupled with Lanling Yan’s wealth, which bordered on the colossal, now that the Fu family was down, the hundred million compensation from the Qin family was perfect for acquiring the Fu Corporation. She could amuse herself with it; even if she lost money, the Qin family's gift was essentially found money, and she wouldn't feel the pinch.

This idea took hold, becoming an obsession. For several days, she neglected tracking Gu Yingxi, instead dispatching someone to monitor the Fu family's situation to prevent anyone else from snatching the opportunity. Although many in high society looked down on the Fu family’s assets, she still needed to guard against opportunists seeking a bargain.

Lanling Yan rarely saw Ning Yunhuan genuinely desire to purchase something. While calling the Fu family business an 'item' was an exaggeration, to Lanling Yan, it amounted to little more. Recently, after Lan Jiu questioned her on the car about whether he intended to spoil her rotten, he had clarified his feelings. He valued Ning Yunhuan deeply, so much so that he almost placed her on par with the status he had fought so hard to secure in the cutthroat world. He was willing to give Ning Yunhuan everything Lan Father couldn't give Lin Min, but tragically, his wife didn't want it.

All he desired was Ning Yunhuan's heart, yet after observing her, he realized Ning Yunhuan had no heart to give. Apart from focusing on Gu Yingxi, she maintained a profound distance and wariness towards everyone. Even when dealing with her son, she seemed constrained, feeling bound. She lacked a heart, and Lan Jiu, no matter how much he wanted it, couldn't grasp it.

Since gaining awareness, Lanling Yan considered himself a man of unwavering resolve, achieving anything he set his sights on. Yet, encountering his destined nemesis, even the fate-defying Lan Jiu began to wonder if he owed her too much in a past life to deserve this current predicament. By nature, anything unobtainable should be destroyed, but he couldn't bear to destroy her. Yet, he could see her but never possess her fully, resulting in this state: seemingly holding her captive, yet possessing nothing but her body.

This stagnation bred deep resentment in Lan Jiu. Still, he clung to one belief: since he had unwillingly obtained her presence in the first place, eventually, she would willingly entrust her heart to him.

However, before that goal was realized, upon learning Ning Yunhuan wished to buy the Fu family, Lanling Yan, eager to please her, acquired everything belonging to the Fu family.

In less than three days, all the documents were signed and placed before Ning Yunhuan. She had wanted the Fu family assets anyway. Moreover, given Lan Jiu’s forceful nature, even if he grew tired of her later, he wouldn't simply let one of his women leave. Thus, Ning Yunhuan didn't offer false modesty about using her own funds instead of Lanling Yan's; she accepted the acquisition directly.

Her straightforwardness, and her lack of complaint about him meddling, gave Lanling Yan a rare and utterly undignified jolt of unexpected delight.

The day after receiving the documents, Ning Yunhuan prepared to visit the Fu residence to take possession. Lanling Yan's purchase included not just the Fu Corporation but also two villas of varying sizes in the capital, along with antiques and calligraphy, all clearly itemized in the records that needed auditing. Lanling Yan, pleased to see his wife engaged in something, neglected company matters and insisted on accompanying her early the next morning.

In the car, Ning Yunhuan leaned into his embrace, reviewing the files. Lanling Yan watched her focused demeanor. Although she rested against him obediently, she didn't spare him even a sidelong glance, which began to annoy him:

"Entertain yourself for a couple of days. Once you’re done playing, leave it to me."

Ning Yunhuan didn't look up. A stray strand of hair tickled her cheek, and she unconsciously brushed against his chest before replying, "I’ll play for a bit first, just to pass the time." After saying this, even without looking up, she seemed to sense his brow furrowing, knowing her answer wouldn't satisfy him. So she elaborated: "Sophomore year is the most tedious. Junior year is coming soon. Didn't you say we wouldn't go abroad until after I graduate? Afterward, I see your mother always accompanying your father on trips. I might not have time then, so I want to have some fun now." After all, between her transmigration and rebirth, she had done nothing but study for years. She had completed her studies at Imperial University in her past life and even pursued postgraduate work. Academics held no appeal for her now.

Lanling Yan accepted this explanation but wanted engagement: "How do you plan to play after buying the Fu Corporation?"

Ning Yunhuan hadn't considered that part yet. Hearing Lanling Yan ask, she tilted her head, set aside the documents, adjusted her position to nestle fully into his arms, and pondered. She wasn't particularly skilled at anything. The things she learned in her past life were standard accomplishments for a lady of refinement—like piano and painting. These were fine for cultivating grace, but for practical use? Ning Yunhuan saw little benefit in them for her current self.

She recalled the television shows and variety programs she had watched before she time-traveled. Coincidentally, the Lin family had previously owned an entertainment company. Although it wasn't very large, the advantage was that Father Ning had inherited the family business from his elders. Even though the management of the Ning family affairs had now been handed over to Lan Lingyan, and all she needed to do was send Father Ning a share of the dividends each year, he would surely be overjoyed if he knew Ning Yunhuan had purchased a company to run an entertainment business as well!

ps: Two updates combined into one~ Book Title: Cute Meow Arrives Synopsis: A cute meow bursts into the cultivation world, guaranteed to bring unrest to the Three Realms and turn everything upside down!