166: I'm doing great

Hearing this, Bai Wanning couldn't help but roll her eyes. She blinked, shrugged, and said, "I just want to catch two cows."

"Catch cows? What do you need to catch cows for?" Bai Zhan's tone was full of helplessness. He stared at his sister's face, raised a hand to touch her forehead, "You don't look like you have a fever."

"I'm not sick!" she immediately retorted. Catching two mutated cows didn't mean there was something wrong with her head!

Bai Wanning rolled her eyes impatiently, "They're just like regular cows, except they eat meat."

"Your understanding of 'normal' is really twisted, little sister, do you know that?"

"Brother, the world has become like this, and you still expect 'normal'?" Bai Wanning pouted, dismissive. "Now I'm the normal one; you're the one who's out of touch."

Bai Zhan was speechless. Although he didn't want to admit it, in the current situation, his sister's ideas were indeed more practical and more "normal" than his.

He pursed his lips, and finally asked the question that concerned him most, "Alright... but why are you with him?"

He glanced with complex emotions at Lei Qian, who wasn't too far away. Lei Qian seemed to be waiting for Bai Wanning, and also seemed to be subtly on guard for any moment when help might be needed.

"For that question, you can ask him," Bai Wanning's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.

After she spoke, she turned and walked towards the small opening in the vine-covered wall, her face devoid of anger or impatience, clearly indicating her stance of not wanting to continue the topic.

"Wanning!" Bai Zhan was stunned. He lifted his foot, wanting to chase after her, but ultimately didn't dare to call her back.

He could only turn his attention to Lei Qian, quickly catching up and blocking him.

"Where are you planning to go?"

Lei Qian blinked slightly, looking at Bai Zhan, a polite smile gracing his lips, "Brother Zhan, is there something you need?"

"I know what you're up to!" Bai Zhan was furious.

He hated it when Lei Qian called him 'Brother', but the more he tried to stop him, the more Lei Qian called him that. By now, he was almost too lazy to correct him.

"I know what you're thinking, and I know what your intentions are towards my sister. But I'm telling you, I don't appreciate it one bit! You'd better not touch her, CEO Lei!"

Lei Qian's smile held a hint of mockery. He responded calmly, "Brother Zhan, your sister isn't a child anymore; she has her own judgment."

He respected Bai Zhan and Bai Jixuan; after all, they were Bai Wanning's closest relatives. But respect didn't mean fear.

He was willing to listen to their opinions, but he wouldn't sacrifice Bai Wanning's wishes to please them. He knew Bai Wanning cared about her Older Brothers, but he also knew she didn't like their excessive protection of her.

"She's my sister!" Bai Zhan gritted his teeth, his voice cold and hard. "You're not worthy of her. You did such a thing, you should have proposed to her directly, but you didn't! Now she doesn't want to marry you, yet you're still following her around. What do you take my sister for? Is she a toy you can play with whenever you want?"

"No," Lei Qian dropped his smile, his tone serious. "I admit my judgment was flawed at the time. But I swear, never, not once, did I ever intend to disrespect Wanning. If I didn't marry her immediately, it was because I wanted to protect her from the dirty and chaotic struggles around me."

"I was wrong. I thought she couldn't handle it... I'm willing to compensate."

Lei Qian had no idea how clever and skilled at disguise Bai Wanning truly was.

Throughout all those years in the entertainment industry, he had always kept an eye on her.

He arranged many resources for her, partly out of affection, and partly hoping her father, Bai Qingshi, would stop draining her.

But the more resources he provided, the greedier Bai Qingshi became.

He began to force Bai Wanning even more, making her work harder and take on more jobs.

Lei Qian wanted to curb this trend, not wanting Bai Qingshi to take the opportunity to push her deeper into the mire. Yet, his actions inadvertently led to Bai Qingshi's even more ruthless exploitation of her.

Bai Wanning never resisted, like a puppet, only knowing to obey the 'puppeteer's' commands, step by step sinking into exhaustion and numbness.

It was precisely for this reason that, after marrying her, Lei Qian lacked the absolute confidence to protect her.

The Lei Family's internal waters ran deep; his cousins all eyed the company covetously, and his uncles were no easy opponents.

Facing such a situation, he dared not easily pull Bai Wanning into it. He wanted to give her a peaceful and safe life.

If he had known she was so capable earlier, would he have made the same decision?

Although Lei Qian was confused by Bai Wanning's sudden change in personality, he attributed it to the past events. While he didn't force her like that perverted old man, he wasn't entirely innocent either.

A woman's dignity was more important than all his wealth; this was a concept his mother had taught him since childhood.

And he, with his own hands, had trampled Bai Wanning's dignity. Her sudden "mental breakdown" was not without reason.

She had never done anything that deserved to be humiliated or exposed on social media.

If her personality had been a little weaker, she might have chosen to end her life rather than confront those culprits!

Just thinking about that scene was enough to send a chill down Lei Qian's spine.

"Don't you think it's too late to do all this now?" Bai Zhan sneered, shaking his head in anger. "You're a calculating person from beginning to end. Don't think I don't know what's going on in your head. You knew the apocalypse was coming, and marrying Wanning would be no loss to you; in fact, her Older Sister could also help you. Don't you think you've calculated too shrewdly?"

"I didn't mean that," Lei Qian responded calmly. Was he the kind of person who relied on women for fame, a kept man? He never needed to be.

"Pfft! I don't believe you!" Bai Zhan spat dismissively.

"Then I will work to make you believe me," Lei Qian still smiled faintly, not at all provoked, even responding in a gentle tone, his demeanor consistently composed.

"You—"

"Alright, that's enough." Bai Jixuan finally couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled his younger brother's arm, stopping him from continuing his outburst.

He turned to look at the still-smiling Lei Qian, sighing softly—a wise man doesn't get angry, and a smiling face isn't easily slapped. "Take care."

"Of course, Older Brother, don't worry. I will definitely bring Wanning back safely." Lei Qian nodded, then turned to chase after the departing Bai Wanning.

"Brother!" Bai Zhan looked at Bai Jixuan in shock, his face full of disbelief. "You're just letting him go? He did such a thing to our sister, and you're letting him just walk away? Shouldn't you be interrogating him more fiercely than me?"

"What are you thinking about all day?" Bai Jixuan couldn't help but tap his forehead, rolling his eyes. "You're really both stupid and naive. If CEO Lei sold you one day, you wouldn't even know how you were sold."

"How am I stupid? I'm clearly protecting our sister's interests!" Bai Zhan argued righteously, a hint of 'I did a great job' smugness still on his face.