Her gaze swiftly scanned the room, and sure enough, she spotted two incense burners emitting smoke. Without hesitation, she extinguished the incense inside.

  At this point, Bai Qingqing also began to feel unwell. She removed the sachet from her waist and held it under her nose. This was not the kind sold by Suiyun Pavilion but one she had specially concocted after witnessing Ning Yan fall victim to the incense. Its effects were even stronger.

  On the bed, Fu Yi seemed to be in great discomfort. His closed eyes trembled slightly before slowly opening.

  His eyes were bloodshot. Bai Qingqing’s heart tightened when she saw him look her way. Without thinking twice, she stepped forward and pressed the sachet against his face.

  For a long moment, the room remained silent. Bai Qingqing's arm began to ache from holding the sachet up, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her throat. Yet, she dared not move, unable to guess Fu Yi’s condition behind the sachet.

  After a while, his unusually hoarse voice finally broke the silence. "Why... are you here?"

  Bai Qingqing cautiously moved the sachet away just enough to reveal his eyes. They still carried an unnatural red hue, but at least he appeared to be in control of his senses.

  "Hold the sachet yourself."

  Bai Qingqing let go, stepping back defensively without wasting another word. "Kick the door open, now!"

  Fu Yi was confused. His body felt extremely uncomfortable, but seeing the urgency in Bai Qingqing’s expression, he didn’t question further. He got out of bed and walked to the door, which was still locked. Though his strength was not as usual, he mustered his energy and kicked at it forcefully. After a few attempts, the door burst open.

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  He bent over, gasping for air. A gust of wind brushed past him as Bai Qingqing swiftly ran out, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the courtyard.

  What exactly... had happened?

  Fu Yi’s mind was in chaos, as if a fire was burning away his reason. But the cool, pungent scent from the sachet in his hand suppressed it.

  He only remembered that his mother had hosted a banquet today and told him to rest here if he felt tired, assuring him that no one would disturb him...

  Forcing himself to focus, Fu Yi chased after Bai Qingqing in the direction she had fled.

  Bai Qingqing ran all the way to the lotus pond before stopping, her heart still pounding so hard it made her dizzy.

  Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned sharply, glaring at Fu Yi. He dared to follow her?

  "Bai Qingqing, what exactly—"

  "And what more do you have to say? After today, my Bai family will not let this go!"

  Fu Yi stopped a few steps away, his tone urgent. "Miss Bai, there must be some misunderstanding—"

  "Misunderstanding?"

  Bai Qingqing let out a cold laugh. The gentleness in her eyes had vanished, replaced by an icy chill. "If I hadn’t carried this sachet today, if I had been locked in that room with you, a man and a woman alone, with incense burning that incites desire—tell me, what do you think would have happened?"

  Even thinking about it made her shudder with fear. Disgust filled her gaze. This was the very man she had once been deeply in love with, the one she had vowed to marry and no other!

  Fu Yi’s grip on the sachet tightened suddenly. The strange sensation in his body became clearer with Bai Qingqing’s words.

  He had not even wanted to attend the banquet today, but his mother had insisted, refusing to take no for an answer. When he arrived, she told him to rest.

  That incense in the room… He had been accustomed to using incense, so he hadn’t given it much thought. But afterward, he had felt drowsy and fallen into an unguarded sleep.

  Fu Yi was no fool. In just a few moments, he pieced everything together—this must have been his mother’s doing!