"No, I just made this incense."

  "So that means..." Ning Yan took a step closer, his phoenix eyes curving slightly, a flicker of amusement glinting at the corners. "You made this incense with me in mind?"

  Bai Qingqing's face instantly flushed red. A-Alright, what he said wasn't wrong, but why did it sound so ambiguous coming from his mouth?

  She hastily tried to explain, "I just thought that you might find it useful. When I was making it, I wasn’t thinking about you… No, that's not what I meant. I mean, I wasn’t thinking about anything while making it..."

  Bai Qingqing wished she had eight mouths to explain herself, but under Ning Yan’s half-smiling gaze, her excuses only seemed more like a weak attempt at denial. She was about to suffocate from embarrassment.

  Ning Yan couldn’t help but sigh. Beautiful people truly made everything look more pleasing to the eye. No wonder some were willing to spend fortunes just to see a beauty smile. Bai Qingqing, flustered and trying to defend herself, looked even more charming than before—her cheeks glowed with a delicate pink, her large eyes shimmered with a misty sheen, and her long, feathery lashes trembled slightly, making them look soft and touchable.

  She was stunning, completely unguarded and unassuming. In anyone’s eyes, she was a breathtaking masterpiece.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Ning Yan narrowed his eyes. "I wasn’t aware that Xuan City had such a custom—young ladies casually gifting things away. With the constant stream of visitors to the Duke of England’s residence, if you put this much effort into returning every gift, I imagine you’d be quite busy."

  Bai Qingqing froze, unable to immediately grasp his meaning. Ning Yan toyed with the incense box in his hands. "This one is just for me, but I suppose everyone else also received their own ‘exclusive’ gift. The young lady of the Duke of England’s household certainly spares no effort."

  Bai Qingqing’s face paled slightly. "What do you mean by that, Lord Ning?"

  "Oh? So aside from me, you haven't made incense for anyone outside of your family?"

  Bai Qingqing was about to deny it, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out. Because it was true.

  In her past life, all the incense Fu Yi used had been made by her hands. She had poured so much effort into pleasing him. In the end, making incense was the only thing he never rejected—he was even satisfied with it.

  That alone had been enough to make Bai Qingqing ecstatic, convincing herself that she still had some worth in his eyes. Later, she even made extra incense for Fu Yi to gift to others as favors. Wanting to bring him honor, she painstakingly crafted each blend, exhausting herself but feeling content.

  Back then, Bai Qingqing had been willing to give everything just to hear a word or two of thanks from Fu Yi…

  Seeing her remain silent, Ning Yan inexplicably felt a flicker of irritation. So he had been right after all?

  "The young lady of the Duke of England’s household is truly considerate. You must have won over many hearts. I wonder if your admirers have started fighting over you yet."

  Bai Qingqing looked at him in disbelief. "Why would you assume such awful things about me? If you don’t like the incense, I’ll take it back! Why must you humiliate me like this?"

  Her eyes welled up with unshed tears. Even in her past life, when she had been ignored and cast aside, no one had ever spoken to her so cruelly.

  Her lips turned pale from biting down on them. She could no longer bear to stay. In a burst of determination, she reached out, trying to snatch the incense box back from Ning Yan’s hands.

  But he was faster. He raised the box high, and Bai Qingqing lunged forward, only to miss. Instinctively looking up, she met his deep phoenix eyes.

  Her humiliation only grew. In this moment, she looked as if she were throwing herself into his arms. Overwhelmed, she no longer cared about the incense. Lifting the hem of her dress, she turned and fled in a panic.