Bai Qingqing stared in shock as Qiyue stepped out, then quickly came to her senses and rushed forward a few steps. “It’s not because of Qiyue feeling awkward.”

“Then why?”

As she turned her head, she found Ning Yan suddenly much closer than she expected. Instinctively, she tried to take a step back. The tassels at her waist clinked against one another with a crisp jingle.

The floor was covered in a thick rug, and her foot caught slightly, making her stumble. But before she could fall, an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a firm embrace.

“So unused to it you can’t even stand?”

Blushing furiously, Bai Qingqing tried to push him away while stammering, “I just tripped a little…”

She froze mid-motion, blinking rapidly. Disaster. The tassels at her waist had somehow gotten tangled with the silk sash at Ning Yan’s waist.

“Wait a second—I’ll untangle it.”

This was a nightmare. Even with two ice basins in the room, she was starting to sweat. How did this even happen? Why was it so easy for the tassels to get tangled?

When Ning Yan lowered his head, he saw her ears flushed so red they looked like they could bleed. Her face was buried against his waist as she focused intently on unraveling the knot.

He tilted his head back slightly, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. Then he said, “I’m getting tired of standing.”

“Huh?”

“I think I’ll sit down while you untangle it.”

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Her wide, round eyes were filled with disbelief. “It’s not undone yet. How can you sit?”

The knot was tight—so tight there was barely any space left between them. Moving was hard enough as it was. And he wanted to sit? Why not fly to the heavens while he was at it?

Ning Yan didn’t argue. He simply extended his arm, effortlessly scooped her up with one hand, and strode over to a nearby chair.

“Wait! You’ll tear it!”

Bai Qingqing cried out in alarm. But the arm around her waist remained firm, and in the next instant, she was sitting on Ning Yan’s lap. The tassels and sash were still perfectly intact.

“Go on. Untangle it.”

Bai Qingqing: “…”

At this point, it wasn’t just her ears that were about to bleed—her whole body felt like it had been boiled red, like a freshly cooked shrimp. This position was far too intimate, as if she were curled up in his embrace. How was she supposed to untangle anything like this?

But when Bai Qingqing finally got a good look at the tassels, all sense of embarrassment was immediately burned away by a surge of anger. She huffed and pounded hard on Ning Yan’s shoulder. “I told you not to move! Look! It’s even more tangled now!”

Her voice trembled with frustration. At this rate, who knew how long it would take to fix this? This man was infuriating!

Ning Yan let out a deep breath and caught her tiny fists in his large hand. “Stop throwing a tantrum.”

Bai Qingqing: “? I’m not! I’m scolding you!”

“Oh. Then stop scolding me.”

“Are you even listening to yourself?”

Suddenly, Ning Yan yanked her closer. There was barely a fist’s width between them now. His voice dropped, fierce and low. “No. And if you don’t want to regret it, shut up and get it untangled.”

Bai Qingqing saw the faint red glint in his eyes and felt a surge of danger. She immediately went quiet and lowered her head, focusing on the task at hand.

Ning Yan let go and leaned back in the chair, tilting his head with his eyes closed. One hand rested loosely behind her, ready to catch her if she slipped.

Bai Qingqing was deft with her hands. In no time, she had most of it undone—except one strand, which was hopelessly knotted. There was no way to tell where it even began. She bit her lip and muttered, “Should I just rip it off?”

A low vibration stirred in Ning Yan’s chest. “The clothing of the Jiyue tribe must not be damaged. Qiyue probably spent a great deal of effort making this set for you.”

Without hesitation, Bai Qingqing reached for the sash at Ning Yan’s waist. “Then I’ll tear yours. If it breaks, I’ll buy you a new one.”