Ning Yan was still lingering on the image of Bai Qingqing's eyes, which had lifted after missing her grab, their shimmering depths like the soft glow of waves, golden specks scattered within them. The small, red nose, flushed with grievance, looked incredibly adorable, much like the little white fox he had once seen in the forest.
But he couldn’t help but wonder how many people had witnessed such an exquisite display of beauty.
Ning Yan lowered his gaze to the incense box in his hands, his expression darkened. After a long pause, he finally tucked it into his chest.
Back at the Jingyiwei headquarters, Ning Yan sat back in his chair, lazily propping one leg over the other. He squinted at the person kneeling before him, his voice laced with coldness. "Cane punishment. We’ll ask after it's done."
The person kneeling suddenly looked up, their heart pounding. The cane punishment here was unlike any other. With good luck, one could survive it, but with bad luck, they wouldn't make it out alive.
"I'll talk, I’ll talk!"
Ning Yan let out a cold hum, not even glancing at him. Immediately, someone came forward to drag the person away. A faint smell of blood seemed to linger in the air, quickly filling the room, enough to redden anyone’s eyes.
One of the people standing nearby felt a tremor in their heart and quietly asked someone outside, "Who did Lord Ning meet just now? He seems to be in a bad mood?"
"Huh? No way, it was a lady, a very beautiful one. How could he be upset?"
That was indeed strange. Lord Ning had always been annoyed by young girls, especially delicate ones. Just the sight of them made him irritable, so those who went to the brothels would never invite him.
But Lord Ning was always blunt with those he disliked. It was normal to drive a girl to tears or even make her leave, but to get angry himself? That was unusual.
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Bai Qingqing, tearful, returned to the carriage. Zidai, distressed, handed her a handkerchief and angrily said, "That Ning guy's words were too hurtful! Miss, you mustn't take them to heart."
Bai Qingqing shook her head. "Actually, thinking about it carefully, I was indeed a bit rash, taking matters into my own hands. It's to be expected that he would be suspicious."
"How can you think like that? You had good intentions. You’ve spent days not leaving the courtyard to make that incense, and despite your care, he treats you with such malicious suspicion. It’s his heart that’s dirty, so everything he sees is tainted. Miss, please don’t mind him."
Seeing Zidai so agitated, Bai Qingqing felt much better. "Don’t tell anyone else about this. If they don’t appreciate it, fine, we’ll find other ways."
Zidai didn’t quite understand the meaning behind her words, but when she saw her mistress smiling again, she finally relaxed, though her resentment towards Ning Yan didn’t subside. He was so capricious and unpredictable. The further the young miss stayed away from him, the better!
Though Bai Qingqing had been upset by Ning Yan, she didn’t stay down for long. If one path didn’t work, would she just wait passively?
Just then, the flowers and plants that Bai Jinghuai had bought for his daughter arrived, and Bai Qingqing was dragged by Bai Yaoyao to tend to them.
"Sister, I’ve never seen tea flowers in this color before. They’re so beautiful!"
Bai Qingqing nodded in agreement. They were indeed exquisite, multi-petaled, vibrant, and stunning beyond words. Among them was a particularly rare one, with pure white petals like pearls, exuding a delicate fragrance.
Bai Yaoyao couldn’t stop circling that particular tea flower. "I’ve never seen anything like it. We must invite more people to the flower viewing banquet to fully appreciate such beauty!"
Now that the flowers had arrived, preparations for the flower viewing banquet had to begin. Qiao Shi wanted Bai Qingqing to learn more things, so she decided to entrust the organization of the banquet to her.
"Mother knows this might be a bit difficult for you, but this is something every young lady must learn. It will help you in the future, no matter where you are. Would you be willing?"
Bai Qingqing readily agreed, her obedient and sensible demeanor melting Qiao Shi’s heart. How could her daughter be so understanding?
But in her previous life, Bai Qingqing hadn’t been so straightforward. She had been spoiled by her father, mother, and elder brother, and her younger siblings were always easy to deal with. She never had any sense of urgency, and seeing this, Qiao Shi hadn’t pushed her. She just hoped her daughter could live happily and without care.
The result? She married into the Wang family, and besides her deep affection for Fu Yi, Bai Qingqing had nothing and knew nothing.