If Gu Yingxi had only received sympathy before, the gazes from the crowd now held a mixture of disgust and contempt.

Having wasted some time, the remaining visitation period was now short. Duan Ling clung to her son with tear-filled eyes, but Song Minran's gaze was fixed entirely on Gu Yingnuo. Duan Ling knew he had things to say to Gu Yingnuo. She wiped the tears from her face and said softly, "Nuonuo, I misjudged you before. Now I realize you are a good girl. Please forgive my previous prejudice against you. I, I will treat you well from now on. Send Minran off for this last journey." As she spoke, Duan Ling began to cry again, having to be supported out by her own family members.

Gu Yingnuo offered a perfectly polite smile, struggling to help Duan Ling rise. Only after receiving favor from the Duan family did she turn her attention to Song Minran. During their private conversation, Song Minran's mouth was taped shut, and his hands and feet were shackled. The armed police officer holding a gun watched him with cold indifference.

"Nuonuo, h-how did you know? Why would you say that?" Song Minran looked utterly bewildered. He truly adored this girlfriend; otherwise, the first thing he would have done after the incident was transfer all assets under his name to Gu Yingnuo.

"How should I say it? Minran, what did you expect me to say?" A faint sarcasm flickered in Gu Yingnuo's eyes, yet her face remained bright. "Should I say I knew about your relationship with my sister a long time ago? Or perhaps you thought I didn't know Gu Yingxi was pregnant with your child? If I didn't know, how do you think it vanished?" Gu Yingnuo’s voice dropped to a near-whisper for the last two sentences, so soft that only the two of them could hear. "Hahaha, Minran, why are you asking me such a question at a time like this?" Gu Yingnuo tilted her head, a hint of playful cuteness on her face. "Why do you think you are in jail? Why do you think you are going to die?"

"Do you know Miss Ning? I'm cooperating with her. Her husband is a remarkably capable figure. Oh, right, why is everyone else sentenced to prison while you get the death penalty, Minran Gege? Do you remember the bank card with over a million on it that you gave me?" Gu Yingnuo said, taking satisfaction in seeing despair and disbelief surface in Song Minran's eyes. She continued, "I turned it over to the police as evidence of the prepayment for your drug manufacturing!"

"Hehehehehe..." Gu Yingnuo's light laughter sounded as if it had echoed up from hell. Song Minran shivered looking at her cold, dark eyes, his heart feeling as if it were burning. A thousand words piled up, yet none could escape his lips; he could only repeat over and over, "Why, why, why."

"Are you asking why you trusted me so much? Why you cared for me so deeply, even thinking of giving me the bank card before you died? Or are you asking why I hate you so much?" Gu Yingnuo flirtatiously reached up to sweep back her hair and blinked. "Because I hate you! Both you wretched people caused my leg to break. Why do you think I was hurt that day in the car accident? Because I saw your illicit affair when I came home. Why do you think my leg took so long to heal? Because you two adulterous dogs were **! Why should my entire life be ruined by you? Why did you dare do something to betray me behind my back? You can go to hell with peace of mind. Rest assured, Gu Yingxi will eventually come down to accompany you. Do you think I would allow her to live after what she did to me? Minran Gege, you are truly laughable."

She uttered the most deeply etched words with a charming tone. Song Minran trembled violently, his face shifting from pale to ashen. Finally, seemingly unable to bear it any longer, he stood up and roared, "Why, why, why! Why would you do this to me, why!"

He had gone mad. The two armed police officers hadn't heard their conversation, but upon seeing Song Minran’s fit, they immediately rushed forward, guns raised. "What are you doing? Calm down!"

"Why, why! Gu Yingnuo, you are so cruel!" Song Minran yelled, his face crimson with rage, but he was quickly administered a sedative. Gu Yingnuo feigned a look of fear. Because of her broken leg, everyone pitied her rather than suspected her. After Song Minran was kicked several times while unconscious, Gu Yingnuo was escorted out.

Outside, Ning Yunhuan had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the familiar car, Gu Yingnuo smiled faintly and walked towards it. As she approached, the car door opened, and Ning Yunhuan smiled meaningfully at her.

"What did you talk about?" Ning Yunhuan was now effectively Gu Yingnuo's mistress. Gu Yingnuo smiled, hiding nothing. "Song Minran thought he was going to be unlucky, so he gave me a bank card with over a million. That was most of the assets his mother received when she divorced Song Qingyun. I told him I turned it over to the police as the initial payment for his drug manufacturing."

Upon hearing this, Ning Yunhuan knew, without even seeing Song Minran's face, that the scene must have been spectacular. She paused for a moment, then sighed, "Indeed, the most venomous heart belongs to a woman. What will happen to those who cross you in the future?"

"You flatter me." Gu Yingnuo smiled shyly and sweetly, clearly in high spirits after taking revenge, her smile nearly constant. "From now on, you are my master. Anyone who provokes you is almost provoking me. I look forward to your guidance, Miss Ning."

"Whether I guide you or not remains to be seen; it all depends on your performance," Ning Yunhuan replied, playing along with her jest, her eyes glinting. "But I asked my husband, and he said that while others can't do anything about your leg, he might have some way."

Lan Jiu once said that to truly win over someone's heart, one must not only offer a sweet date after a slap but also use absolutely dominant means of suppression. Gu Yingnuo was scheming and cunning; she would hate anyone who crossed her to the death. Lan Jiu’s offer to replace her leg wasn't a one-time fix; instead, she would need to soak her feet annually in a specially formulated solution from his lab, alongside taking constant medication to prevent the leg from decaying. In return, Gu Yingnuo's entire life would be bound to hers, forever in her service. Even if she wished to betray her, getting on board was easy, but getting off would be difficult.

"What?" Gu Yingnuo trembled, a look of surprised delight on her face, almost disbelief. "Are you serious?" She was a young girl in her prime, now crippled with only one leg. One reason Gu Yingnuo hated Song Minran and the other so fiercely was her broken leg—losing that leg was tantamount to ruining her entire life. That's why her retaliation was so ruthless, leaving no room for mercy.

Losing a leg meant permanently facing judgmental stares. Only true greats could remain composed; not a young woman like her.

Gu Yingnuo’s voice shook violently as she gripped Ning Yunhuan’s hand. Her eyes shone as she asked again, "Are you telling the truth? Please tell me again, is it true?"

The blow of losing a leg was too great. Ning Yunhuan was unaware that Lan Jiu was the source of this predicament. She just nodded again to Gu Yingnuo. "It's true. But my husband said that even if the leg is reattached, walking normally won't be an issue, but it will ache on overcast or rainy days, and likely hurt when you are old."

Tears streamed down Gu Yingnuo's face uncontrollably. She sniffled, attempting to speak several times but failing. After a long moment, she bit her lip until a trace of blood surfaced. Then, she took a deep breath, looked up towards the roof of the car, and wiped her tears. "I want my leg. Pain is nothing. Even if there's a risk of death, I'm not afraid!"

Having grasped a sliver of hope, Gu Yingnuo clung to it desperately. She held Ning Yunhuan's hand all the way, constantly confirming: Is this real? Only after Ning Yunhuan repeatedly comforted her, and Gu Yingnuo confirmed it was all true, did she excitedly stroke her prosthetic leg and laugh.

Lan Jiu was busy recently. In fact, while he wouldn't perform the leg replacement himself, arranging the flight to send Gu Yingnuo abroad was his responsibility. Thus, he met Gu Yingnuo briefly and gave her a document to sign. Eager for her leg, Gu Yingnuo stamped her seal and signed the contract without even reading the contents. She was willing to risk her life for her leg; how could she possibly fear any trap set for her?

Gu Yingnuo, who had caused a stir in the courthouse, dusted off her bottom and fled abroad, leaving behind a pile of mess that nearly drove Gu Yingxi to collapse. As the victim of a hit-and-run that caused her miscarriage while pregnant, reporters and media showed intense interest in her. Furthermore, Gu Yingnuo’s previous claim that she and Song Minran conspired to break Gu Yingxi's leg drew the attention of the prosecution, as Song Minran was now a key criminal figure, and anything linked to him required serious handling. Not only were the already divorced couple, Song Qingyun and Duan Ling, affected, constantly hounded by reporters, but Gu Yingxi suffered even more.

Every day, her hospital room was illuminated by flashing lights. In time, not only could she not bear it, but the hospital itself grew displeased. Because her car accident occurred after she became pregnant, the floor where she was admitted was obvious. Many women admitted for abortions or gynecological issues were on the same floor. Since many abortions or surgeries are not glorious matters, and others were now being publicly exposed because of Gu Yingxi, they naturally harbored deep resentment towards her. Following complaints to the hospital, the administration had no choice but to discharge Gu Yingxi.

Gu Yingxi's injuries were severe, and coupled with the shock, her condition worsened, with continuous bleeding. Equally unfortunate was Bai Mingyu, who had publicly expressed pity for Gu Yingxi on his Weibo and in interviews. Gu Yingxi was an interloper in her sister and brother-in-law’s relationship, and the child she conceived was illicit. For such a woman to receive public support was devastating. Bai Mingyu's usual fanbase, primarily young women, were the demographic most likely to despise a third party like Gu Yingxi who would steal a brother-in-law. Consequently, Bai Mingyu's support base severely dwindled after a period of fierce internal debate.

His Weibo follower count plummeted from an initial ten billion to a drop of ten percent. Many of Bai Mingyu's scheduled engagements began to be postponed. Whereas before, Bai Mingyu might have been annoyed by an overwhelming workload, now he was so idle it was unnerving. The scandal continued to grow, and his reputation started to sour. In the past, fans on the street would ask for his autograph; now, passersby pointed fingers at him. Bai Mingyu’s company was already discreetly shifting his responsibilities to others, effectively putting him on ice until the situation blew over.

Although the question of whether Gu Yingxi actually broke her sister's leg was ultimately inconclusive due to a lack of concrete evidence, the resulting damage was immense, ensuring that anyone connected to her met an unfavorable end.

By this time, the Gu family had been forced to move out of their luxurious villa complex. Ouyang Zhentian had vanished without a trace after going abroad. If he had left behind a mountain of gold, it had long since been depleted; moreover, he had only left behind five hundred thousand. The rent for their current place was thirty-five thousand a month. They had managed to hold out this long only because Gu Yingxi had pawned her jewelry after getting involved with Brooklyn to sell.

The family was crammed into a small suite again. Gu Xian wiped tears as she looked at her eldest daughter, who was growing thinner by the day. Beside her, Gu Yiyu was caring for Gu Yingxi. Gu Yingnuo had been gone for a month for surgery. Due to Gu Xian's blatant favoritism towards Gu Yingxi, Gu Yingnuo felt estranged from her mother and had not informed her about her departure. Thus, after not seeing her daughter for over a week, Gu Xian finally panicked:

"Xixi, did your sister say anything to you before she left?" She had initially expected Gu Yingnuo to be like Gu Yingxi—gone for a week at most, calling home or returning with a boyfriend. But after this long, there hadn't been a single message. Gu Xian naturally knew about Gu Yingxi and Song Minran’s relationship. It would be a lie to say she held no resentment, but Gu Xian certainly couldn't bring herself to blame her own daughter; she could only blame Song Minran for his indiscretion. Looking at her daughter now, lying in bed, much thinner and jumpy as a startled bird, her heart ached intensely. "I know, Minran was in the wrong regarding that matter, and it's not your fault. Nuonuo is young; what she said back then was excessive. Don't blame her, okay?"

"Mom, how could I blame her? Nuonuo is my own sister. No matter what she does to me, I will never blame her," Gu Yingxi burst into tears, wiping them away. "I will never blame her; she is my sister. Besides, I feel incredibly guilty. Mom, I really want to die. I truly wish I could break a leg to compensate her..."

Gu Yingxi was currently immersed in self-reproach and fear, the regret over Song Minran and Gu Yingnuo’s affair pressing down on her heart like a great mountain, suffocating her. As the mother and daughter clung to each other sobbing, a sudden knock echoed from outside the door:

"Excuse me, is this Miss Gu's residence?" There had been so many reporters recently that even though Gu Xian had moved here, the feeling of being chased left a deep shadow on her. Hearing someone outside, she immediately became frightened. Before she could speak, the voice outside continued, "We are here to deliver a package. Someone sent a package to Miss Gu."

Gu Xian's first thought was of Ouyang Zhentian or others. Her eyes lit up, assuming this was something sent by one of Gu Yingxi's boyfriends. She eagerly rushed to open the door. Standing outside were three men, indeed holding objects, but they weren't parcels; rather, each man held either a fire axe or a machete. Gu Xian’s face paled with fright:

"What are you doing?"

"What are we doing?" The leading man wore a jacket, revealing tattoos on his chest, exuding a rugged aura. Hearing Gu Xian's question, he sneered, "How dare you steal Miss Lin’s boyfriend? You want to die!"

With a wave of his hand, the men charged into the room. Gu Xian’s face changed drastically, and she cried out in alarm, "Why, why are you doing this? Is there no law? Stop! I, I..." She dared not mention calling the police, as every member of the Gu family was under surveillance recently; making any commotion outside would immediately draw the reporters and media like vultures sensing blood. Gu Xian was already terrified.

"Miss Ning? Is, is that Miss Ning?" Gu Yingxi, sitting on the sofa, froze for a moment upon hearing the name before quietly asking.

"Who cares which Miss Lin it is! You've stolen so many people's boyfriends; you wretched woman probably forgot long ago," the leading man growled in anger. He casually brought the fire axe in his hand down onto the glass coffee table. With a loud crash, the glass shattered, startling Gu Xian, while his companions finally snapped out of their stupor and began smashing things around the room.

"Stop it, stop it!" Gu Xian cried, while Gu Yingxi, sitting nearby, wore a complex expression, alternating between a flicker of sweetness and a wave of disappointment. "Stole her boyfriend? If only I could actually steal one, how wonderful that would be."

The house was in chaos. After smashing the furniture, the men left triumphantly. Gu Xian looked at the ruined room and finally broke down sobbing.

Gu Yingxi didn't notice the chaos inside; her thoughts were entirely absorbed by that one word: boyfriend.

"What happened here?" A rather cool male voice drifted into the room. The front door was still ajar. As Bai Mingyu and the others entered, they saw the desolate state of the room, Gu Xian sitting on the floor, and Gu Yingxi, so pale and weak on the sofa that she looked as if she could vanish at any moment. For some reason, the three men who had just entered paused, and then something shifted in their hearts. Seeing the frail girl on the sofa, an inexplicable emotion of pity unexpectedly arose within them for the weak young woman.

"Oh my, Young Masters Bai and Young Master Tang have arrived," Gu Xian said, wiping her tears. Recognizing who stood before her, her eyes lit up. She busied herself trying to tidy the room. "It was, it was just a group of people who rushed in and cursed our Xi'er, so, so they smashed up the place."