With the light at his back, from Bai Qingqing’s angle, Ning Yan’s face appeared even more roguish than usual.

Especially when he spoke in that deliberately suggestive tone—he exuded the aura of a natural-born scoundrel, the kind that made others instinctively wary.

But Bai Qingqing seemed unfazed, calm as still water. “I know. I’ve seen the attendants who follow Big Brother and A-Rui. I can do it too.”

As she spoke, she moved to follow Ning Yan back to his room. The wickedness on his face froze for a beat; he dropped his arm from the wall, reached out to hook her back, then pushed her into the room and shut the door.

From outside, his voice came, not exactly gentle. “Stay put. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”

Only when she heard him leave did Bai Qingqing start to move again, wandering curiously around the room. The more she looked, the more astonished she became. Many of the furnishings didn’t seem like things a regular inn would offer. She explored for a while, then, feeling truly tired, lay down on the bed and closed her eyes for a rest.

She didn’t dare sleep too long. When someone came to invite her to dine with Ning Yan, she followed and saw that the food had already been laid out.

Bai Qingqing: “…”

She sat silently at the table, her gaze falling on several dishes she particularly liked. After a moment, she lifted her eyes and asked in a hushed voice, “Can these dishes be found around here?”

The innkeeper standing nearby overheard and quickly smiled. “Absolutely, absolutely! Whatever the guest desires, we can make it happen. Are these not to your liking? I can have them changed right away—”

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“No, they’re perfect!”

Bai Qingqing hurried to explain, though she wasn’t sure whether she should start eating.

Ning Yan waved a hand, dismissing the innkeeper, who quietly backed out and closed the door. He rapped the table with his knuckles. “What are you dazing off for? Eat. When you're on the road, the last thing you need is to fall sick. Eat what you should, drink what you must. Staying healthy is the best help you can offer.”

Hearing him say that, Bai Qingqing didn’t dare dawdle. She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. The moment the food touched her tongue, her eyes widened in surprise. “It tastes almost exactly like what I had back in Xuancheng. This inn is incredible—never would’ve guessed from the outside.”

Ning Yan started eating as well, his tone nonchalant. “It’s decent, I suppose. If you like it, eat more. Once you’re done, get some rest—we leave at dawn.”

Bai Qingqing buried her head in her food, chewing diligently while sneaking glances at Ning Yan. After a while, she noticed something… he didn’t seem to eat scallions or ginger.

In front of him was a plate of stir-fried tender pork slices, which he seemed to enjoy. But after a few bites, each time struggling to avoid the scallions and ginger, he stopped reaching for it. Most of the other dishes he barely touched were similarly seasoned.

Bai Qingqing bit into a piece of tender chicken, thoughtful. Then, without a word, she pulled the plate of pork slices over to herself.

A little while later, she pushed the dish back in front of Ning Yan—the scallions and ginger had all been neatly picked out.

Ning Yan slowly lifted his eyes and saw Bai Qingqing flash him a quick smile—so fast it almost didn’t happen—then duck her head again, as if unsure whether what she did was right.

Very few people knew Ning Yan avoided scallions and ginger. After all, he could eat snakes or rats without blinking when the situation demanded it. To those around him, he seemed capable of anything. No one had ever noticed something so trivial.

And Ning Yan wasn’t one to fuss. If a dish had scallions or ginger, he simply didn’t eat it. It’s not like he couldn’t find something else at the table. But to his surprise, Bai Qingqing had noticed so easily—and picked them all out for him.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ning Yan’s mouth. He finished every last bite of the pork slices.