This whole affair had actually been initiated by Lan Lingyan on Ning Yunhuan's behalf. Thus, after Lin Min finished speaking, Ning Yunhuan dutifully offered her apology:

"Mom, this incident was my fault." She then recounted the relationship between Brugelin and Gu Yingxi, explaining how Brugelin had intended to cause trouble for her in retaliation for Gu Yingxi, only to be utterly defeated by Lan Lingyan instead. Finally, she detailed how Brugelin, furious, had taken his anger out on Father Ning and Mother Ning by setting fire to the Ning residence. Upon hearing this, Lin Min became intrigued:

"Is that woman surnamed Gu really that beautiful? Show me her photo." She recalled the time her cousin Mu Jinyan had rescued a girl named Gu, and Ning Yunhuan had vaguely warned her cousin's wife that this Gu girl was unusual. At the time, no one had paid much attention, but now it turned out that even the patriarch of the Green family was taken with this Miss Gu.

This time, Lin Min actually listened, remembering Ning Yunhuan's warning, and found herself genuinely interested in Gu Yingxi.

Hearing Lin Min’s words, Ning Yunhuan caught a glimpse of her mother-in-law’s true nature and instantly felt overwhelmed: "Mom, there’s nothing special to look at. Why do you want her picture?"

But Lin Min was no longer listening to Ning Yunhuan. After demanding a photo of Gu Yingxi, she let out a disappointed sigh. "She looks like this? She doesn't even measure up to half of you, yet she can charm all those people? Has Jinyan’s eyesight turned to garbage! Don't worry about this; leave it to me!" With that, Lin Min abruptly hung up the phone, clearly eager to act.

What Ning Yunhuan feared most was her interference. She understood Gu Yingxi’s protagonist aura and her specific traits, but Lin Min did not. If Lin Min got involved, she might stir up even more trouble. Thinking of this, Ning Yunhuan’s eyelids twitched incessantly, and she signaled Lan Jiu several times.

After hanging up, Ning Yunhuan explained Lin Min's intention to deal with Gu Yingxi. Seeing Lan Lingyan look relatively unconcerned, she grew anxious:

"You don't understand. Gu Yingxi is different; she is unkillable, and nothing bad ever happens to her." Seeing Lan Lingyan's expression remain unchanged, she quickly elaborated, "She is unlike others. When others face danger, they suffer misfortune, but when she faces danger, she only encounters powerful benefactors."

Though Lan Lingyan couldn't find a scientific explanation for this bizarre situation, he had witnessed it firsthand. When the Qin family moved against Gu Yingxi, Brugelin had saved and protected her. The time he himself had moved against her, Mu Jinyan had rescued her. This woman’s luck was indeed extraordinary. Now, Ning Yunhuan clearly knew something, so Lan Lingyan glanced at her, nodding for her to continue.

"There are some people who are born luckier than others. Even if they start with nothing, fate ensures they end up with everything." Ning Yunhuan hesitated before revealing one of Gu Yingxi's inherent qualities: "As long as someone intends her harm, there will always be someone else who takes pity on her and offers help."

Lan Lingyan watched her anxious demeanor quietly. He had long sensed Gu Yingxi’s strangeness. Her silence before didn't mean he was completely in the dark, but this was the first time she had openly stated things she seemed to think shouldn't be spoken. Lan Lingyan listened to the end before finally speaking: "I believe that even if she possesses some sort of special fate, there are still plenty of powerful and influential people in the world. In my view, she merely attracts a specific type of person."

Aside from the second-generation heirs who lacked life experience, what truly mature and stable individuals would be interested in Gu Yingxi? All the men associated with her so far were young and shallow. In Lan Lingyan’s opinion, these men were insignificant, displaying childish behavior and incompetence. Those who truly possessed experience and a steady character would likely never agree to share a woman, no matter how exceptional she might be—she couldn't possibly monopolize the entire world.

Ning Yunhuan froze, entirely unprepared for Lan Lingyan’s statement, and was struck with surprise.

"No matter how good her luck is, it can only attract a specific number of people. I doubt that in this vast world, everyone who sees her falls instantly in love." Lan Lingyan noticed that his wife seemed to take Gu Yingxi far too seriously. He had originally hoped to use Gu Yingxi as a sparring partner for Ning Yunhuan, someone to occupy her time playfully. But after Brugelin appeared, he realized that even finding a 'toy' for Ning Yunhuan could lead to complications. She harbored a caution and fear toward Gu Yingxi that seemed instinctual, a level of apprehension almost matching his own. Lan Lingyan had initially viewed Gu Yingxi as mere distraction for Ning Yunhuan, but he later realized this woman consumed the majority of Ning Yunhuan’s focus, which caused him some displeasure.

"And if she isn't universally adored, then the number of people who do adore her must be finite." Even a true heartthrob cannot necessarily command the world; besides, if Miss Gu possessed such power, she wouldn't have remained obscure for the first twenty-plus years of her life.

Gu Yingxi seemed to have become a heavy stone on Ning Yunhuan's heart. It felt as though Ning Yunhuan couldn't be truly happy unless that stone was moved. In Lan Jiu's estimation, Ning Yunhuan treated Gu Yingxi as an immortal being. Even if Gu Yingxi were actually killed, Ning Yunhuan would likely believe the woman would simply return. The only way to truly ease this preoccupation was to entirely resolve the source of her worry.

Hearing Lan Lingyan’s words, Ning Yunhuan still didn't quite grasp his meaning, staring at him with wide, confused eyes.

"If there is a countable number, then I want to see exactly how many men will orbit around her, willing to stand beside her until the end." Sometimes, open enemies fighting to the death aren't the scariest; the fear lies in facing an opponent whose true depth remains unknown. Gu Yingxi couldn't be analyzed by common sense; such a being, whom Lan Jiu couldn't quite describe, both annoyed and repulsed him.

It was difficult for an ordinary woman to emerge from being violated and still live so well, showing no residual psychological trauma, and moreover, still feeling lustful upon meeting anyone—that truly took unusual fortitude. Lan Lingyan had experienced the strange phenomenon Ning Yunhuan mentioned—people rushing to save her when she was in danger—several times, especially the bizarre instances where even his own assassins would grow sympathetic and hesitate to strike. This situation was genuinely unsettling.

"What do you mean by that?" Ning Yunhuan looked at Lan Lingyan’s sharp gaze, sensing she hadn't understood him. "I know how many men Gu Yingxi has, but..."

"Once all these men appear, we can catch them in one sweep, preventing future complications." Lan Lingyan finished, and seeing Ning Yunhuan still stunned, his eyelids twitched. She was usually quite sharp, but he hadn't expected her to become so muddled that her mind wouldn't turn.

He couldn't help but reach out and touch her cheek. Seeing she still hadn't recovered, he sighed and explained, "Didn't you say she possesses the constitution to attract men to help her? We just need to draw them out. Let's see how many she can attract. Once everyone is drawn out, we take them all in one go, avoiding unexpected issues down the line." Seeing Ning Yunhuan suddenly look enlightened, he added, "No matter what kind of constitution she has, there’s always a limit to how much she can exploit it. This process will eventually end. If I don't step in, letting her continue on her own will be enough to make her destroy herself."

Even the woman with the strongest kidneys would eventually suffer depletion from nightly pleasures. Furthermore, the woman surnamed Gu wasn't an empress; getting a harem together wouldn't be easy for these men. Three women can create a drama, and while thirty men might not stage a full opera, they could certainly drive her to ruin.

In Lan Lingyan’s view, these men weren't necessarily all tolerant or magnanimous. Some external factor must have maintained their temporary equilibrium, but once that balance was shattered, the resulting fallout would be more than an ordinary woman could withstand. Gu Yingxi had a low status but engaged in actions that many high-ranking individuals wouldn't dare attempt. When one’s life is more fragile than paper, one shouldn't have ambition greater than the sky! Even a man needs wealth and power for a concubine or two; a woman with nothing, yet daring to covet what belongs to others, would be dealt with by those men themselves, long before anyone else needed to intervene.

Ning Yunhuan agreed with Lan Jiu's assessment that the number of Gu Yingxi’s men must have a limit, but she remained skeptical about Lan Jiu’s suggestion that the men behind Gu Yingxi would turn on each other:

"I don't think that’s possible. No one understands their feelings for her better than I do, and besides, the original author..." Ning Yunhuan blurted out, causing Lan Lingyan’s eyes to flicker, though he remained silent. It was Ning Yunhuan herself who realized her mistake, immediately closing her mouth and nervously explaining, "It’s just that this kind of situation usually only happens in novels. If it were a novel like that, the author would generally arrange things a certain way. Gu Yingxi really seems like a protagonist..."

After she finished, Lan Lingyan was quiet for a moment, and Ning Yunhuan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had believed her. Then, Lan Lingyan nodded. "But if I recall correctly, you never read novels?" He remembered clearly the first time they flew abroad to have their child; taking someone's advice, he had brought plenty of novels onto the plane to please her, but she had shaken her head with utmost seriousness, saying she never read novels.

Lan Jiu’s memory was excellent. Only a few years had passed, and he couldn't possibly forget. Yet, Ning Yunhuan now claimed she regularly read novels. He pointed out this contradiction as if casually, catching the flicker of guilt and panic across Ning Yunhuan's face. Though momentary, he saw it clearly.