Ultimately, Father Lan and Dongfang Long shared a history of acquaintance. While for men of their stature, the word "friend" was hardly something to dwell upon, petty squabbles between their two children were tolerable. However, if things escalated seriously, the inevitable outcome would be open conflict between the Dragon Alliance and the Lan Clan. The Dragon Alliance could not sustain such losses, just as Father Lan would loathe seeing such a situation arise. Hence, his sparring matches with Lan Lingyan were always kept within certain bounds.

Liu Yan was acutely intelligent, almost piercing the very core of what he detested most in his heart. She thought that by provoking him into eliminating Ning Yunhuan, she could simultaneously make him resent his own father. But she failed to consider Dongfang Long's immense prestige within the Dragon Alliance; almost everyone in the Alliance was fiercely loyal to him. If he were to act unilaterally, disregarding his father’s safety, it was likely that before he could even get rid of Ning Yunhuan, those fiercely loyal men around him would dispose of him first.

Dongfang Aoshi, though fond of power, valued his own life far more. Liu Yan did not grasp this. She possessed a certain cunning, but her background had unfortunately limited her perspective. Thus, the only person endangered by her words was herself.

“Enough. I will exchange Miss Ning for my father. Miss Liu Yan, I apologize. To quell Lan Jiu’s fury, I have no choice but to hand you over to him as an offering of apology. Though I dislike Lan Jiu, I have no need to fight him to the death over a woman. A genuine rupture between the Dragon Alliance and the Lan family is impossible.” Even if Dongfang Long thoroughly disapproved of Father Lan’s methods, the same principle applied—neither side could afford the fallout of a total break. The intricate web of vested interests was something Liu Yan could never comprehend.

“So, in the end, the most ridiculous person here is actually me?” Liu Yan stood stunned for a long moment before letting out a cold laugh. “In the eyes of people like you, I was never worth anything, was I?”

She had allied with Mu Jinzhi; Mu Jinzhi was vicious and perverse, never treating her as a person. This led her to defect to Dongfang Aoshi, believing she was toying with Mu Jinzhi, especially since he died without ever knowing who betrayed him. Yet, unexpectedly, Dongfang Aoshi, whom she thought she could manipulate just as easily—dying without knowing who sold him out—ended up turning the tables on her. Truly, one who hunts geese all day can, in a moment of carelessness, get blinded by one.

“Worth something to you? Who do you think you are?” Dongfang Aoshi casually took the clothes handed to him by a servant behind him and began undressing to change. He glanced at Liu Yan: “Just a plaything. Mu Jinzhi grew tired of playing with you; do you think Lan Lingyan would pick up a worn-out shoe someone else discarded?” The words struck Liu Yan so hard her face turned deathly pale and her body began to tremble violently. “You, how did you know?”

Besides using the Lin family to forge a connection with Mu Jinzhi, the most crucial element for Liu Yan back then was the physical intimacy between her and Mu Jinzhi. After all, once Lin Qian was expelled from the Lin family, why would Mu Jinzhi reveal his greatest secret to an outsider like her, with no ties to the Lin family?

No partnership is more solid than the physical bond forged between a man and a woman—that was the conclusion reached through silent agreement by two people who thought they were clever.

“You think Miss Ning is ruined and Lan Jiu won't fancy her, but on what grounds do you believe that Lan Jiu would be interested in you now that you are already damaged goods?” Dongfang Aoshi provoked Liu Yan again, watching her face drain of color. Only then did his gaze shift to Ning Yunhuan:

“Miss Ning, I beg your forbearance for any offense caused. The jet is prepared; please follow me.” With that, he extended his hand toward Ning Yunhuan. She, however, looked past him. She saw Li Panpan being carried out from behind; her face was ashen, her hair plastered to her face, looking utterly disheveled.

Dongfang Aoshi followed Ning Yunhuan’s gaze and glanced back, then chuckled. “Tasted good.” Ning Yunhuan shot him a cold look and quickly moved toward Li Panpan.

“She wanted to stand up for you and redeem the Li family’s reputation. This was a matter of mutual consent; I merely fulfilled her desire. Why should you be displeased, Miss Ning?” Dongfang Aoshi, now fully dressed, gave Ning Yunhuan a cold smile. Seeing that she had no intention of playing along with him now, his mood was actually quite foul. Kidnapping Ning Yunhuan twice, and both times ending like this—after exhausting all his schemes, Lan Lingyan still managed to gain the upper hand every time.

This time, Dongfang Aoshi didn’t need to see Dongfang Long’s expression to know that Lan Lingyan’s kidnapping must be making him feel awkward and deeply embarrassed. But the greatest feeling, perhaps, was the secret joy of seeing the younger generation surpass the older one? Dongfang Long had always favored young men like Lan Lingyan, and Dongfang Aoshi knew it. Every kidnapping attempt that failed to harm Lan Lingyan only served to highlight his own incompetence. At this moment, Dongfang Aoshi felt like spitting blood, having no patience left to play games with Ning Yunhuan, so he spoke with extreme acrimony:

“It’s a pity I never intended to touch you anyway. Her actions were nothing more than a blind man lighting a lamp—a waste of the wick.” After saying this, Dongfang Aoshi looked back and saw Li Panpan’s momentarily white face, and the expression on Ning Yunhuan’s face that suggested she was about to vomit blood. Only then did his mood lift, and he smiled contentedly.

“Aren't you afraid the Li family will cause trouble for you?” Ning Yunhuan had guessed earlier that Li Panpan harbored the thought of substituting herself for her. Apart from her inherently kind nature, the main driver was likely her desire to salvage something for the Li family. When a young woman of such distinguished background suffered misfortune, and she was the one who invited the guests—if something truly happened to Ning Yunhuan, Lan Lingyan’s wrath could destroy the entire Li family. He wasn't a native of Huaxia, and his upbringing in the underworld made his methods far more ruthless and extreme, regardless of how gentle his outward demeanor appeared. Li Panpan was clearly afraid.

She feared the Li family suffering consequences because of her momentary lapse in judgment, and she feared annihilation for them. A girl of Li Panpan’s standing, having benefited from her family’s privileges, would naturally place her family first. Therefore, even knowing Dongfang Aoshi was formidable, she resolved to protect these girls for her family’s sake.

Li Panpan only hoped that when trouble eventually arose, Lan Jiu and the Du and Zhou families would show some leniency toward the Li family, remembering that she had stepped forward for these other girls.

Logically, regardless of Li Panpan’s motives, everyone should have been grateful to her. After all, she had truly suffered and been injured. But Dongfang Aoshi’s words now made everyone want to vomit blood; they cursed the pervert silently, unable to speak. Li Panpan nearly burst into tears, biting her lip so hard that her tear-filled eyes stared fiercely at Dongfang Aoshi.

The cars were ready, and the plane was already parked on the small island’s airstrip. Liu Yan cast a look of resentment and disappointment at Ning Yunhuan:

“You have such good luck.”

Ning Yunhuan truly hadn't expected that she would be the one siding with Dongfang Aoshi to target her. Indeed, while Lan Jiu’s status destined him to attract women, Ning Yunhuan had considered every possibility—she would have even guessed that the most unlikely person to appear at this moment would be Gu Yingxi, yet she never imagined it would be Liu Yan.

“Why is it you?” Seeing Ning Yunhuan ignore her, Liu Yan pursued her, but she was quickly restrained by men in black. Since Dongfang Aoshi intended to return Ning Yunhuan to Lan Lingyan, he naturally wouldn't allow her to be harmed now. Liu Yan, driven mad by her obsessive desire for a man, was certainly not someone Dongfang Aoshi would take lightly without precautions.

“Why you? What am I lacking that you possess? Do you know I’ve loved Brother Jiu for years? I’ve quietly gathered every detail about him—what can you compare to me?” Ning Yunhuan’s silence only agitated Liu Yan more severely. Even while the men in black held her arms, she struggled wildly, shouting at Ning Yunhuan: “You are not worthy of him! You are not worthy! I love him the most!”

“You love him the most, so what? But he loves me the most.” Seeing the bruises and contusions on Li Panpan’s body, Ning Yunhuan turned and sneered at Liu Yan. Only when she saw Liu Yan’s face shift from pale to one of frenzied struggle did Ning Yunhuan calmly enter the car, ignoring her completely.

The aircraft was already waiting on the tarmac. The few people boarded in sequence. Li Panpan was encircled by the others. Du He looked at the marks on Li Panpan’s body, tears streaming down his face:

“Panpan, thank you.” Although Dongfang Aoshi later claimed he never intended to harm Ning Yunhuan, he hadn't made the same assurance regarding others. Li Panpan’s willingness to step forward voluntarily deeply moved everyone, and they all began to weep together.

Ning Yunhuan took Li Panpan’s hand and glanced around at the group of women. Showing no reserve, she lifted Li Panpan’s dress to look, noticing several bruises but no open cuts or bleeding areas. A wave of relief washed over her. She quietly asked, “Is there any other injury?”

Although Dongfang Aoshi’s rough handling had caused Li Panpan some pain, it was significantly better than the humiliation of being forced into degradation that Li Panpan had expected. Even though she had been assaulted by Dongfang Aoshi, Li Panpan rationalized it as being bitten by a dog, so she shook her head: “I’m fine. Dongfang Aoshi said… he said to…”

Everyone focused their gaze on her. Li Panpan hesitated: “He said he would speak to Mr. Dongfang about proposing marriage to the Li family.”

Hearing this, almost everyone nearly spat out whatever they were holding. Ning Yunhuan couldn't help but press her hand to her forehead, asking in disbelief, “Say that again? What did you just say?”

This time, Li Panpan became bashful and flatly refused to repeat herself.

Seeing her reaction, Ning Yunhuan knew she hadn't misheard. A mouthful of bitter blood seemed stuck in her chest; she simply couldn’t believe what she had heard.

In the previous life, Dongfang Aoshi had been one of Gu Yingxi’s designated partners, the most arrogant, reckless, and vicious among them. His relationship with Gu Yingxi started with torment but culminated in deep affection, even reaching a point where he was willing to share her with other men—a testament to how deeply he loved Gu Yingxi.