To this day, the hero saving the damsel or avenging a woman has always been the finest way for a man to capture a woman's heart, and Ning Yunhuan felt a profound surge of emotion at that very moment. She bit her lip, unsure what to say, yet undeniably, Lan Lingyan's actions had sent a deep shockwave through her soul.

"He knows it was me, so don't leave the house for a while. Wait until I've caught him," Lan Lingyan said. Seeing that the matter had been exposed, Lan Lingyan had, in imitation of Brugglin's method, set fire to the old Green family mansion. When Brugglin escaped, he had exchanged a glance with him from afar. This current failure was connected to him momentarily losing focus while being sniped, almost suffering an ambush. His trusted subordinate, seeing him nearly shot, had given Brugglin the chance to flee, letting a prey who should have died last night escape.

Lan Lingyan held no fear of Brugglin; years ago, he dared to kidnap and execute the heir of the Green family. This time, daring to act, he hadn't spared a thought for Brugglin's revenge. He had amassed many enemies over the years, and Brugglin counted for nothing. However, this individual had a history of targeting Father Ning, Madam Ning, and Ning Yunhuan. He had already sent people to monitor the Ning couple, and as for Father Lan, he needn't worry at all; if Brugglin dared to approach him, it would only be courting death. Compared to them, Ning Yunhuan, still at school, was relatively more vulnerable.

This was no small matter. Ning Yunhuan was long past the age of rebellion and naturally did not oppose Lan Lingyan's suggestion, merely nodding: "I understand, but you must be careful too. There will be many other ways to deal with him later. What if something happens?"

Lan Lingyan pulled her into a tight embrace, wishing he could merge her into his very being: "I know."

After this exchange, neither spoke of Brugglin again. After a quiet embrace, Lan Lingyan instructed someone to prepare a meal and called Father Lan back. While he was on the phone, Ning Yunhuan prepared the bathwater for him. Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, Lan Lingyan drew her back inside.

Absence made the heart grow fonder, especially for a couple with their unique circumstances. Yesterday, Lan Lingyan hadn't returned, and Ning Yunhuan had barely eaten anything. Now that she was hungry, she ate a little with him. As Ning Yunhuan spoke with Lan Jiu, she was unaware of the expression on her face—pure delight tinged with affection.

It seemed there were countless things she wanted to say. Lan Lingyan watched her chatter on with a gentle smile, reminiscent of the time they had spoken on the phone accidentally, and she had gone on and on. Back then, he had merely found it amusing; now, he realized it was fondness. He had never imagined himself having a day where he could casually discuss domestic trifles with his partner. Ning Yunhuan spoke of nothing more than her parents, their son, and trivial outings like shopping with Li Panpan and others.

After some time, the sky was beginning to lighten. Lan Lingyan's eyes were still bloodshot, so Ning Yunhuan accompanied him in sleep for a while longer. When she woke, it was already afternoon.

By this time, the Green family in England had gained notoriety across the globe. A significant portion of the Green Vineyard had been destroyed, the massive fire raging through half the night. It hadn't just affected the Green family's grape crops—threatening this year's harvest—but even the neighboring farm had suffered collateral damage. Now, the Green family faced devastating losses of their own, alongside the complex liability issues they needed to settle with the adjoining farm.

Upon investigation, the cause of the fire was determined to be inside the Green Vineyard. It wasn't just Lan Lingyan setting the fire yesterday; once the blaze erupted, the Green estate had an abundance of wine. Though wine is not as volatile as hard liquor, it cannot abide intense heat. Once the two met, the resulting consequence was only more severe.

When Ning Yunhuan turned on her computer, she saw the Green family's spokesperson surrounded by a swarm of flashing lights. The spokesperson's eyes were red-rimmed and etched with fatigue as he tried to manage the barrage of media inquiries and external accusations. The Green family had suffered a massive, silent defeat, and everyone assumed the fire was due to their own carelessness. No matter how hard they tried to explain the truth, nobody believed them.

Although the Green family’s defenses were nothing like a military stronghold, they were generally cautious. This time, the spokesperson claimed the Green family had been invaded and that someone had maliciously set the fire, causing these consequences. Others refused to believe it, viewing it instead as the Green family's feeble attempt to deflect blame, which only inflamed public sentiment further.

"Satisfied?" Lan Lingyan's voice cut in. As Ning Yunhuan turned to speak, the phone rang.

Lan Lingyan frowned. Without his glasses, his narrow, upturned eyes narrowed dangerously. He picked up the phone from the nightstand, and it was clear the call was not bringing pleasant news, as Lan Lingyan's expression immediately darkened.

"I know what I'm doing," he said slowly after listening for a while. Seeing Ning Yunhuan approach, he reached out, signaling her to sit closer and pulling her into his arms. Close up, Ning Yunhuan vaguely recognized Father Lan's voice on the other end. Father Lan sounded absolutely furious, launching into a lengthy tirade in mere seconds.

It was rare to see her usually composed father-in-law, who seemed to have everything under control, so utterly exasperated. Ning Yunhuan had just seen the news that stunned the world, so she immediately grasped the purpose of Father Lan's call. Ultimately, Lan Lingyan had acted on her behalf, and his current scolding was because of her. Consequently, remorse flickered in her eyes. Lan Lingyan shook his head at her, touched his forehead to hers, his expression tender.

"Are you listening to me or not!" Father Lan's raging voice boomed from the receiver. This time, it was clearly audible. Lan Lingyan pursed his lips: "I know what I'm doing."

Father Lan spoke at length, yet Lan Lingyan only replied twice, both statements conveying nearly the same meaning. Ning Yunhuan could only imagine how enraged Father Lan must be. Unexpectedly, before Father Lan could fully vent his anger, Lan Lingyan bid him a brisk good afternoon: "If there's nothing else, I wish you good health. Goodbye." With that, he hung up without ceremony.

"..." Ning Yunhuan could easily picture the dramatic expression on Father Lan's face on the other end.

"Are you relieved?" A faint smile touched the corner of Lan Lingyan's mouth as he reached out to gently ruffle Ning Yunhuan's hair. After sleeping, most of the bloodshot appearance in his eyes had faded. His upturned phoenix eyes lacked the detached coldness and politeness others usually saw. At this close distance, they could feel each other's breath, and Ning Yunhuan saw that Lan Lingyan's dark pupils were filled only with her reflection.

The fact that his eyes seemed to hold only her made Ning Yunhuan happy. She reached up to loop her arms around his neck just as the phone rang again.

"I wasn't finished speaking!" Father Lan's shout traveled through the receiver, revealing the extent of his fury. Lan Lingyan's smile turned cold. Before he could speak, Father Lan cut him off and began to berate him:

"You’ve made such a huge mess of things. A single Green family has reduced you to this state, and you were even injured—ha!" The last two sounds held no hint of amusement, instead sounding sharp and harsh. Ning Yunhuan's mouth twitched as Father Lan continued, "You are growing less capable the older you get. If you wanted to deal with someone, there were countless ways, but you had to make such a spectacle. I'm embarrassed to even watch..."

Father Lan was clearly incandescent with rage; it seemed any affectionate connection was impossible now. Ning Yunhuan chuckled at Lan Jiu's darkening expression, just as Lin Min called her.

Strangely, the relationship between the two daughters-in-law, which had once been difficult, had improved. Since the wedding, Lin Min often called to chat, but this time, Ning Yunhuan suspected the call was about Lan Lingyan's incident.

Indeed, as soon as she answered, Lin Min exclaimed with excitement, "Huanhuan, Xiao Jiu is hurt?"

The tone was filled with agitation and glee. Ning Yunhuan's mouth twitched: "Mom, he's your biological son, right?" She sounded happier about her son being injured than Father Lan's anger seemed to suggest, making Father Lan's reaction seem strangely more normal in comparison.

Even without seeing Lin Min, Ning Yunhuan could picture her waving her hand dismissively: "Don't worry about that; he's fine. Xiao Jiu has been capable since childhood. I feel like he could have gone to war right after being born; he never needed my care. I've never even seen him injured..." She finished with an air of melancholy.

The phrase sounded terribly familiar. Ning Yunhuan suppressed the smile rising in her chest and glanced toward the window where Lan Jiu currently stood, looking impatient, one hand holding the phone and the other tucked into his pocket. The sky outside was overcast, but his tall silhouette still cast a faint shadow. Ning Yunhuan saw the profile of his face; his bangs nearly brushed his brow, creating a beautiful, scenic tableau.

After listening to Lin Min vent about Lan Lingyan for a long time, she managed to hold back her laughter and finally got to the main point:

"His father is very angry. Xiao Jiu caused a huge disturbance this time." The Lan family members were all cunning, preferring to stab in the dark; making such a public scene was the hypocritical style of the Oriental Dragon father and son. This time, Lan Lingyan had left the cleanup incomplete, requiring Father Lan to manage the aftermath, which infuriated Father Lan. This son had been worry-free from childhood, but now, after growing up, marrying, and having children, he created such a mess.

"What angers his father more is that Xiao Jiu didn't offer a proper apology," Lin Min whispered a scoop to her daughter-in-law. Lan Lingyan had never shown helplessness in front of Father Lan. Even when he left home in his youth, he never utilized the assistance Father Lan offered, nor did he ever return home to seek his favor. In essence, for Lan Lingyan to reach his current status, apart from initially enjoying the Lan family's resources and education like most people, he had never humbled himself to ask Father Lan for help after entering the battle for the family headship.

While having such a self-reliant son was convenient, Father Lan had also never experienced the paternal satisfaction that most fathers enjoyed. This time, he finally found an opportunity to teach his son a lesson, only to find that even when in the wrong, Jiu was this arrogant...