Zidai approached and bowed, "My young lady saw the lord at the Yanlai Tower, and sent me to ask if the lord hasn’t made a reservation, would he be willing to accompany my young lady to the tower?"

Mu Shu thought this young lady might not be very bright. Among all the women who had tried to get close to the lord, she was the most bewildering.

"A reservation? Our lord..."

Mu Shu's expression instantly shifted to one of pain. He closed his eyes, holding his breath for a long while, and looked at Ning Yan in confusion. What had he said wrong to deserve an elbow to the chest? How unfair!

Ning Yan lifted his head. In the vast Yanlai Tower, he managed to spot one of the windows, catching a glimpse of a light purple figure, which seemed startled and quickly disappeared.

He smiled faintly twice, "Since it’s your young lady’s kind invitation, I, of course, would be happy to."

Mu Shu was stunned!

His mind raced—had the lord noticed something strange in Yanlai Tower? Was this girl perhaps a spy sent by someone for the lord to meet?

As a subordinate, how could he let his lord fall into danger?

Mu Shu, full of resolve, took a few steps forward, only to see Ning Yan turn around, his expression impatient. "Did they invite you? Why are you following me?"

Mu Shu: "?"

"Go do what you’re supposed to do."

With that, Ning Yan turned and leisurely followed Zidai into the Yanlai Tower, leaving Mu Shu standing outside in a daze. He unconsciously rubbed his chest, recalling how much that elbow had hurt.

He quickly recovered and looked around in disbelief, his eyes wide as he scanned Yanlai Tower. The little flames of gossip burned fiercely in his heart. He couldn’t wait to share his thoughts—what kind of young lady could possibly invite the lord up here?

Was it about to rain red?

As Bai Qingqing moved away from the window, her heart raced a bit. She hoped... she hadn’t been seen, right?

It was so far away, and besides, he wouldn’t know which room she was in. Yes, surely he hadn’t seen her.

She held a cup of tea, drinking it slowly, her expression blank as she regretted her decision.

Why did she ask Ning Yan to come up? Was her brain broken? Even if she might have misunderstood Ning Yan’s nature, she had already dismissed the idea of getting close to him. Life was short, and she shouldn’t make things harder for herself!

The quiet room was eerily still. Bai Qingqing kept glancing toward the door, growing more frustrated. With Ning Yan’s temperament, he probably wouldn’t have agreed. Was his brain broken too?

Footsteps were heard outside the door, and Bai Qingqing immediately sat up, placing the cup down. After a moment of thought, she took a fan in hand, arranging herself in a pose of casual indifference.

When Ning Yan opened the door, what he saw was Bai Qingqing lightly leaning against the railing, her face turned slightly to the side, strands of hair softly brushing her ear. Her purple gown spread out beneath her, delicate and graceful, making one reluctant to disturb her.

"Miss, Lord Ning has arrived."

Bai Qingqing turned her head and calmly nodded to Ning Yan, acknowledging him with a slight greeting. "Lord Ning, please take a seat. Yanlai Tower offers a picturesque view, and with the singing and dancing, it’s the perfect place for you to relax and enjoy."

Ning Yan secretly smiled to himself. He seemed quite adept at maintaining an air of indifference. If it weren’t for the trace of frustration between his brows that she caught, he might have believed it.

He walked over and sat next to Bai Qingqing. She was startled and quickly straightened up, her tongue momentarily failing her. "T-That seat over there is better. You can see the dance performance below from there."

"Is that so? But I think this spot is just fine."

Bai Qingqing immediately stood up, walking while speaking. "In that case, I won’t block your view. It seems another dancer is about to take the stage. I’ll go take a look."

Sure enough, on the high platform below, a new group of women had taken the stage, their colorful and elaborate costumes swirling as they danced. The glittering accessories at their waists sparkled with each graceful movement. Bai Qingqing had originally planned to move away from Ning Yan, but as she watched, she became captivated.

"Those are women from the Northern Yue Ji Yue clan. They are born with extraordinary flexibility and excel at dancing. Some families keep them as entertainment. The Ji Yue clan was once on the verge of extinction, but after they submitted to the Xuan Dynasty, they were able to continue their lineage."

Bai Qingqing watched the graceful, butterfly-like dancers below, a feeling of pity rising in her heart. Just because they were good at dancing, they were kept as playthings by others—how unjust the world could be.

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There was a chorus of cheers from below, especially for the lead dancer, whose face was covered by a red veil. Yet, it did nothing to diminish her beauty, and she received the most praise.

"She’s so beautiful…"

Bai Qingqing couldn’t help but admire her. As a young lady herself, she was captivated by her dance. No wonder she was so popular.

"Her name is Qi Yue. Everyone in Xuan City who loves dance knows her. Most of the people here are here for her. The thing is, when she performs is never fixed, so Yanlai Tower is always full, with guests hoping for the chance to see her dance."

Bai Qingqing wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but it seemed like Qi Yue had glanced over at them a few more times. She couldn’t help but feel pleased and turned to ask Zidai to bring her a tip. But just as she moved, she froze.

Ning Yan had somehow leaned closer to her, now so close that it felt as if he had trapped her between himself and the railing. Bai Qingqing dared not move, and seeing that he wasn’t backing away, she finally pushed him lightly. "Move aside."

Ning Yan raised an eyebrow. "The space is this small. Where would you like me to go?"

"Aren’t you the one who doesn’t care for the singing and dancing?"

"Seeing how captivated you are, I’ve gained some interest."

Bai Qingqing didn’t want to continue speaking to him at such a close distance. Steeling herself, she pushed him aside and slipped out. The faint, sweet fragrance that had lingered around her dissipated, and Ning Yan felt a twinge of regret.

After instructing Zidai to deliver the tip, Bai Qingqing finally came to her senses. "Lord Ning seems to know a lot about the dancers at Yanlai Tower."

Could it be that he comes here often?

Ning Yan also moved away from the railing and sat down, automatically pouring himself a cup of tea. He spoke casually, "I know a little about Xuan City."

Bai Qingqing understood, of course, he was from the Jinyi Wei.

"But that Miss Qi Yue dances so beautifully. No wonder so many people support her. If it weren’t so troublesome to come to Yanlai Tower, I might visit her more often."

Bai Qingqing couldn’t help but reflect, "The costume is also beautiful, it makes her dance even more captivating."

Ning Yan looked up at her, his eyes narrowing slightly, "If you like it, you could make one just like it. But... if that dress were on you, it might be quite another story."

He paused for a moment, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "I’d be quite curious to see."

Bai Qingqing’s fingers curled, her face changing in color, turning a deep red as the blood rushed to her face. But Ning Yan, looking at her awkward, embarrassed expression, remained unmoved, not feeling that he had said anything wrong.

In fact, he even imagined how it might be quite interesting.

"Why... do you always say such things?"

Bai Qingqing fiddled with her fingertips, timidly asking, her head lowered, unable to meet Ning Yan's gaze. "Lord Ning, you shouldn’t be the kind of person to say such things... Why do you always speak nonsense, saying things that don’t make sense? This... this isn’t good..."

The room fell silent for a moment. Bai Qingqing heard Ning Yan’s voice, casually tinged with some doubt. "Isn’t this what you wanted?"

She lifted her head, her round eyes looking at him in confusion. "What?"

Ning Yan chuckled softly, a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth. "You’ve gone to such lengths to get close to me. Isn’t this what you wanted? Shouldn’t you be happy?"

The color drained from Bai Qingqing’s flushed face, her mind going blank. She could only stare at Ning Yan’s beautiful but indifferent phoenix eyes.

"You needn’t feel regretful. I’ve seen this kind of thing many times before; it’s nothing. But compared to others, you’re more interesting, which keeps me from being bored with you. That’s something. But too much of it, too much of playing hard to get... I will get tired of it too."

Bai Qingqing’s heart raced loudly in her chest, the sound so intense she felt the entire Yanlai Tower could hear it.

Shame and regret seemed as if they could consume her entirely, leaving nothing behind.

She must look like a fool in Ning Yan’s eyes, a pathetic clown. He must have seen through it all, but he didn’t say anything—he simply thought she was amusing...

In the warm, cozy atmosphere of Yanlai Tower, Bai Qingqing’s hands and feet felt ice-cold. She gripped her palm tightly, forcing herself not to lose composure, not to lose her last bit of dignity.

Bai Qingqing stood up and bowed to Ning Yan. Her voice, though clear, trembled faintly, but she could no longer care about that. "Lord, you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t mean anything by it. If my previous actions made you think otherwise, it was my fault. I apologize."

Her face was pale, but her tone was unusually firm. "From now on, wherever you appear, I will do my best to avoid it, so as not to cause any misunderstandings."

After saying this, Bai Qingqing turned to leave but paused, placing a fragrant box on the table without looking at Ning Yan. "This box of incense is the thank-you gift you gave me last time at the mansion. Whether you keep it or throw it away, it’s none of my business. From now on, I’m no longer indebted to you."

As soon as she stepped out of the private room, Bai Qingqing couldn’t control the tears welling up in her eyes. Her steps quickened as she pulled Zidai, who had just received her reward money, toward the exit.

Confused, Zidai asked, "Miss, what’s wrong? Are we going back now?"

Seeing her silent, her eyes slightly red, Zidai widened her eyes. "Miss, have you been wronged? Was it that Lord Ning?"

"No," Bai Qingqing replied. "Let’s go back."

It was her fault. It had nothing to do with Ning Yan. She was foolish to have decided to approach him on her own. She should have known this would happen. She should even be grateful that Ning Yan hadn’t said anything worse.

Up in the Yanlai Tower, Ning Yan leaned against the window, watching Bai Qingqing board the Bai family’s carriage. The door to the private room behind him was knocked on.

"Young Master, it’s me, Qi Yue."

Ning Yan responded, and the door to the side room opened and closed. The celebrated Qi Yue, admired by countless people in Xuan City, now stood before Ning Yan.

She slowly lifted the veil from her face, revealing an unparalleled beauty. Her soft waist bent in a graceful bow. "Young Master, what brings you to Yanlai Tower today? Do you have any instructions for me?"

Only then did Ning Yan turn around, his gaze casually sweeping over her. "Nothing much, you dance well."

"Thank you for the compliment, Young Master."

She lowered her eyes, a little surprised. When had the Young Master ever praised someone for no reason? Was he here to reward her?

Her gaze caught sight of the fragrant box on the table. The box was simple and elegant, and though she couldn’t smell the fragrance, she could guess what it was. Could it be for her?

Ning Yan noticed her gaze. It was just a box of incense, something he had given away many times, far less valuable than many other things he had handed out carelessly. But then, the image of Bai Qingqing just now—her trembling eyelashes, her pale face, the decisive look in her eyes as she placed the incense down and said they were now clear of any debt—flashed through his mind.

There was a knock at the door outside. "Miss Qi Yue, Young Master Xiao would like to see you."

Ning Yan waved his hand to signal her to go, then sat in the private room for a while longer. After leaving, the table was left empty.