She steadied herself, opened her mouth, and bit down hard on the flesh between the thumb and forefinger of his hand. Taking advantage of his momentary loosened grip, she quickly slipped away. “Lord Ning?”
In the darkness, a low chuckle sounded twice. Ning Yan’s voice carried a hint of amusement. “How did you know it was me? Have you already become so familiar with me?”
“Lord Ning must be joking. I simply recognized the scent of the incense I made myself.”
Bai Qingqing calmed herself, groped around in the dark to relight the lamp, and kept a cautious distance from him. Her delicate brows knitted tightly, and her eyes were filled with wariness.
“What is the meaning of this, Lord Ning? Breaking into my room in the dead of night—regardless of your esteemed position in the Embroidered Guards, I can still have my father report this misconduct.”
Ning Yan took a step forward. Bai Qingqing immediately retreated, snatching up an unlit candlestick as a weapon. “Don’t come any closer! I’ll call for help!”
In truth, she was terrified. Her mind raced, trying to decide what to do. She didn’t want the Bai family to offend the Embroidered Guards, but this man was being utterly improper. If—if he had any ill intentions toward her, she wouldn’t care about the consequences…
As she was thinking, she suddenly noticed Ning Yan’s body sway. He staggered and fell onto the couch, gripping the edge for support.
Bai Qingqing stood frozen for a moment before realizing something was off. In the flickering candlelight, Ning Yan’s face was unnaturally flushed. The veins at his temples and neck bulged grotesquely, and despite the cold night air, sweat was beading at his temples.
She cautiously inched closer, still holding the candlestick. “What’s wrong with you?”
Ning Yan lifted his head slightly and glanced at her. The moment their eyes met, Bai Qingqing gasped and instinctively shrank back. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with a terrifying intensity, like a vengeful ghost seeking retribution.
But then she noticed his hand braced against the couch, the veins on its back standing out in sharp relief—he was clearly fighting against something.
“I—I’ll go find someone. Get you a physician.”
His voice was hoarse and strained. Bai Qingqing hesitated, standing in place. “Then… go find one yourself?”
Ning Yan let out a low, breathless laugh. So, she truly wanted nothing more to do with him.
But that wouldn’t do. The bite she had just inflicted had triggered the very force he had been suppressing. The lingering warmth and dampness of that touch had been magnified infinitely, sending waves of restless heat through his blood.
“It’s the incense. I inhaled something. Now I feel… unwell.”
Leaning his head against the window frame, he let the cold night air from the cracks soothe him.
Bai Qingqing was stunned for a moment. “Incense?”
She took two quiet steps closer, studying Ning Yan’s condition—his blood surging, his mind clouded. It seemed she had inadvertently created something similar before.
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“Calm down. Do you have any with you?”
It took Ning Yan a moment to realize she was referring to the incense he had first received from her. He shook his head. Of course, he wouldn’t carry it with him.
“Then wait a moment. I happen to have some.”
Bai Qingqing hurried to her chest, rummaging through it for a long while before finally pulling out a simple incense box. She quickly returned, opened it, and shoved it into Ning Yan’s hand. “Smell it.”
He didn’t even need to deliberately inhale—the sharp, penetrating scent of the oddly named incense had already invaded his nose.
It was almost instantaneous. His mind cleared, as if a veil of haze had been torn away, and the unsettling heat and restlessness within him swiftly subsided.
Ning Yan instinctively looked up at Bai Qingqing. Her incense had such an effect?
Bai Qingqing had been watching him closely. Seeing him lift his head, she quickly asked, “Do you feel better? When I made this incense, I wondered if it could help in emergencies, but I wasn’t certain. You should still see a physician.”
The unnatural flush on Ning Yan’s face gradually faded, and his breathing steadied. Bai Qingqing let out a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed… he was fine?
No—there was still a problem!
Her expression grew serious again. “Lord Ning, please leave my room immediately. If you think I’ll stay quiet out of concern for my reputation, you’re mistaken. I dare speak out.”
The bloodshot look in Ning Yan’s eyes had faded significantly. He raised his gaze, observing her. The timid, delicate girl from his memory seemed to have transformed. He could see it in her eyes—she meant every word.
Ning Yan had never been met with such cold dismissal. Others only ever sought his favor. As for those who didn’t know their place, he never even spared them a glance. Yet, strangely, he found himself unmoving.
“If you’re so knowledgeable about incense, could you do me a favor?”
Bai Qingqing’s practiced indifference faltered for a moment, a flicker of confusion appearing in her bright eyes. “A favor?”
“What? Am I that untrustworthy?”
She hesitated briefly, then nodded honestly.
Ning Yan nearly laughed in disbelief.
The corner of his lips twitched as he said, “The incense that affected me today was strange—so potent it nearly clouded even my mind. If it had been someone else, they would have been utterly powerless. If such a dangerous thing isn’t investigated, it will only bring trouble in the future.”
Ning Yan’s eyes curved slightly as he looked at Bai Qingqing, a rare smile appearing in his phoenix-like gaze—one that even those closest to him seldom saw. “They say the noble daughter of the Duke’s manor is both beautiful and kind. How could she stand by and watch something happen?”
Bai Qingqing didn’t answer but frowned slightly. “Has anyone ever told you that when you smile, you look like a fox? They say one’s face reflects one’s heart—I never quite believed it before, but now, I think I do.”
Ning Yan: “…” Was she insulting him?
Had this been before—no, not even long before, just a few days ago before he went to Yanlai Pavilion—Bai Qingqing would have readily agreed to help, perhaps even with unrestrained enthusiasm. She would have given it her all.
Now, she kept her distance from him, standing far away, her guarded gaze never once wavering.
“Lord Ning holds a high post in the Embroidered Guards and will surely protect the people of Xuan Dynasty, ensuring such things do not happen. As for me, I only have a modest understanding of incense. I doubt I can be of much help.”
Then, she changed tack. “But if Lord Ning thinks me capable, I suppose I could give it a try.”
Ning Yan’s smile deepened as he waited silently for her to continue.
Bai Qingqing met his gaze head-on. “Since you’re asking for my help, you’ll owe me a favor, won’t you?”
“So, what do you want in return?”
“If the day comes when I need your assistance, it won’t be too late to repay me then.”
Bai Qingqing spoke with practiced composure, negotiating terms as if completely at ease. But beneath her sleeves, her hands were slick with sweat. Still, she refused to let it show—she needed this favor.
Thinking that currying favor or pleasing the right people would shield the Bai family from future disaster was nonsense. Sentiment was fickle, the most unreliable thing of all. She needed tangible connections. That was why she had come here, why she sought to get close to the Grand Princess. If she could make Ning Yan owe her, then she would have the leverage to call on him when the time came.
She waited for his response, uncertain whether he would agree. But it didn’t matter. Even if he refused, Bai Qingqing no longer relied on anyone. Favors could be collected in other ways.
Ning Yan found it fascinating. In just a few short days, Bai Qingqing seemed like a completely different person—as if the shy, blushing girl who once shrank at the sight of him had never existed at all.