Ning Yan smiled, "That impressive?"

  Bai Qingqing's face turned red upon hearing this. "Why must you tease me, my lord? This is merely my small talent."

  Tease?

  Ning Yan scoffed inwardly. He was not so idle. There were few in this world who could earn his praise.

  If she wished, with her talent for crafting alluring scents, she could be unstoppable. She could even beguile the emperor and shake the court itself.

  With this thought, Ning Yan stood up. "I have matters to attend to. You may stay as long as you like."

  Bai Qingqing was taken aback. He was leaving already?

  Noticing her confused gaze, Ning Yan's expression grew serious. "The fact that this scent was made by you must never leave this room. If others find out, that token of yours might not be enough to protect you."

  Bai Qingqing instinctively clutched her waist, inwardly frustrated. Why was he so fixated on this favor?

  Seeing her guard the token like a possessive child, Ning Yan’s mood lifted, and a faint smirk played at his lips. "Wait until your eyes aren’t red before stepping out, lest others think I bullied you. Understood?"

  Bai Qingqing puffed up her cheeks and glared at him, watching as he left. Only after the door closed did she grumble to herself, "I’m not stupid. No point wasting these pastries!"

  She had no idea that Ning Yan, standing outside, had excellent hearing. He chuckled to himself, then summoned a subordinate and gave a few instructions.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  The man nodded but hesitated before asking, "What if Miss Bai refuses to accept?"

  Ning Yan gritted his teeth slightly. "Then say it’s a gift from Qi Yue."

  The man immediately understood. "Understood, my lord."

  ---

  When Zidai returned, Bai Qingqing was still alone in the private room.

  "Miss, did Lord Ning fail to show up?"

  "He came and left," Bai Qingqing replied, then quickly pulled Zidai over. "Come, try this! It’s delicious."

  The table was still filled with pastries—far too much for Bai Qingqing to finish alone—so she eagerly shared them with Zidai. Even after both of them had eaten their fill, nearly half of the pastries remained untouched.

  "Have them packed up. They cost silver, after all. Zidai, go settle the bill."

  Zidai obeyed, but she returned shortly after with an elderly man in tow.

  "Miss Bai," the man greeted respectfully, "I am Ge Shao, the steward of Yanlai Pavilion. The bill has already been paid."

  With a courteous smile, Ge Shao pulled out a waist token from his sleeve and presented it to her. "Please accept this. From now on, this private room will be reserved exclusively for you."

  Bai Qingqing was stunned. Just how extravagant was Ning Yan?

  "I cannot accept this without merit, Steward Ge. Please take it back."

  Still smiling, Ge Shao insisted, "Actually, this was Lady Qi Yue’s idea. She hopes you will visit often. Ever since she arrived at Yanlai Pavilion, her status has made it difficult for her to find female friends she can get along with. Miss Bai, you wouldn’t be unwilling, would you…?"

  "Of course not!"

  Upon hearing that it was Qi Yue’s doing, Bai Qingqing’s initial reluctance vanished. She accepted the waist token with a bright smile. "As long as Lady Qi Yue doesn’t mind me, I’d love to visit her often!"

  "Naturally, you are most welcome."

  Bai Qingqing beamed. She had not expected such an unexpected gain from this visit!

  Ge Shao successfully completed his task. However, when he later reported the matter to Ning Yan, the man merely let out a soft scoff, his emotions unreadable—whether pleased or displeased, even Ge Shao could not tell.

  At that moment, Ning Yan was instructing Mu Shu to bring him the confiscated imitation incense.

  "My lord, are you planning to test it yourself?" Mu Shu asked, looking troubled. "My men have already tried it. It’s highly unpleasant—agitating, making one restless and impulsive…."

  Mu Shu hesitated further. If Lord Ning lost control, well… he was no match for him.