Only then did Ning Yan seem satisfied. He shot a smug glance at Pei Lingshu—you’re the “big brother,” I’m the “older brother”; clearly, I’ve got the upper hand.
Pei Lingshu couldn’t be bothered to respond. He smiled gently at Bai Qingqing. “Busy? I heard you and Ah Yan are heading out on a long trip in a few days, so I thought I’d come see you off.”
Bai Qingqing gave Ning Yan a surprised look. Seeing no change in his expression, she realized the relationship between him and Pei Lingshu must be extremely close—rooted in deep trust.
“Thank you, Brother Pei. I’ll have someone tidy up.”
Zidai came in, cleared the table, brought a fresh pot of tea and some fruits and snacks, then quietly closed the door behind her.
“This is a new tea I’ve grown quite fond of lately. Try it, see if you like it.”
Bai Qingqing played the gracious host. But Ning Yan’s gaze landed on the tea cup on the table. He frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly. “Someone was here just now?”
Bai Qingqing didn’t hide it. “Fu Yi. He left not long ago.”
“You know the Fu family’s intentions are anything but good, and you still meet with him?”
“I told him everything. He promised to help me.”
Ning Yan’s face turned cold in an instant. A mocking smile curled at the corners of his lips. “Are you stupid? He’s Prince Ping’s legitimate son—unless something unexpected happens, he’s going to be the heir. He’ll inherit the title. And you think he’s going to help you? I thought you had at least a bit of sense. Are you trying to get your whole family killed?”
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“Ning Yan!”
Pei Lingshu caught sight of Bai Qingqing’s pale lips and cut him off sharply. He turned to her, voice soft with concern. “Don’t listen to him… But why would you tell Fu Yi about this? Do you really trust him that much?”
Bai Qingqing didn’t lose her composure over Ning Yan’s words. His reaction was natural. What wasn’t natural—was everything that had happened between her and Fu Yi.
“Fu Yi may be Prince Ping’s son, but he’s upright and principled. He’s not someone who would abuse his power or turn a blind eye to injustice.”
“Oh? You’ve met him a few times and suddenly you know everything about his character? You know exactly what kind of man he is?”
Bai Qingqing remained silent. How was she supposed to explain any of this?
Seeing her say nothing only made Ning Yan more irritated. “Did you tell him you’re heading southwest too? So Prince Ping can send men to hunt you down halfway? Is your life so worthless that you’d bet it on someone who has nothing to do with you?”
“I didn’t say anything! I didn’t tell him—I treasure my life, I really do. Even if I didn’t care about mine, I would never drag you down with me. Please believe me. I swear, I didn’t tell him.”
Ning Yan’s fury caught in his throat. Staring into her anxious eyes, he suddenly couldn’t spit out another harsh word. His face only darkened further.
Bai Qingqing thought he didn’t believe her. “I swear—it’s true. You mean a hundred times more to me than my own life. I would never gamble with something like this. If I did say anything, may I be—”
“Alright, alright! Who told you to swear anything? I never said I didn’t believe you.”
Ning Yan cut her off. Somehow, the sharp edge of his anger had already melted away into something thin and mist-like. Even his eyes lost focus, drifting.
A hundred times more than her own life? That kind of thing—say it in private, for heaven’s sake. Pei Lingshu was still here. Did she have no sense of shame?
Pei Lingshu, too familiar with Ning Yan’s temperament, almost rolled his eyes at the faint, helpless smile tugging at the corners of the man’s lips. He’d known Ning Yan’s bad temper since they were children, had endured it for years, and never once had he seen it crumble so fast.
Just moments ago, it was clear Ning Yan had been truly angry—yet with one sentence from Bai Qingqing, he was reduced to this flustered, ridiculous mess.