Reborn and Pampered

Chapter 251 Nice-looking

After Bai Qingqing finished tidying up the stone cave, Ning Yan returned, a chill clinging to him—one look and it was clear he’d washed himself.

Bai Qingqing’s eyes widened in alarm. “Are you out of your mind? You’re still injured!”

“I was careful. The wounds didn’t touch water. Why are you fussing with all this again? Someone else will come clean up.”

She didn’t believe him and insisted on checking for herself. Only after confirming the bandages were dry did her expression ease a little. “I’ve seen far worse these days. You don’t need to go out of your way for my sake. I know everything you’re doing is necessary.”

It was obvious he’d cleaned up after dealing with the corpses to avoid frightening her. Though grateful for his thoughtfulness, she was more worried about his condition.

“I just felt uncomfortable,” Ning Yan said.

He looked at her for a while, then somehow produced a hairpin and gently placed it in her hair. “Bear with it for now. Once we’re out of this ravine, I’ll get you prettier clothes and better ornaments.”

“No need. I like it just like this.”

Bai Qingqing reached up and touched the pin, her eyes curving in a smile. “Does it look good?”

“It does.”

Her smile deepened—if it looked good, that was enough. She still liked to look pretty, after all.

Ning Yan kept staring at her until she finally grew self-conscious. “Didn’t you say we should leave as soon as possible?”

“Mm. Let’s go.”

Outside the cave, the forest remained desolate and overgrown. Ning Yan crouched in front of her. “Come on, I’ll carry you.”

“But your wounds…”

“It’s fine. I can manage with one arm. You can’t move well in this terrain, and wasting time here is worse.”

Hearing this, Bai Qingqing didn’t argue further. She obediently climbed onto his back.

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Traversing this place was effortless for Ning Yan. Bai Qingqing couldn’t help but berate herself—how had she not noticed something was off when he was drenched in sweat carrying her before?

They walked for a long while before Ning Yan set her down at the foot of a cliff. “This is the only way in or out of the ravine. I stumbled upon it long ago—it’s well hidden, no one knows of it. Since I knew we’d be heading southwest, I figured it might come in handy. If Prince Ping’s men try to descend from another point, even if they manage it, it’ll take them a great deal of time and effort.”

Bai Qingqing followed his gaze and instinctively leaned closer to him. “The path you’re talking about… is that crack over there?”

Compared to a mountain path, calling it a “crack” was already too generous—at most it was only wide enough for one person, a pitch-black slit in the rock that looked as though it could swallow someone whole.

“Don’t be afraid,” Ning Yan said. “It’s just narrow inside, not dangerous. There’s no light, but even without seeing, you can feel your way forward and eventually make it out.”

“The way you said that just made me even more scared.”

Bai Qingqing’s skin crawled just thinking about it—pitch darkness, feeling her way forward... What if she touched something terrifying? From the sound of it, this wasn’t going to be a short journey either.

“How long does it take to get through?”

“That depends on the person,” Ning Yan replied. “It’s hard to say.”

“Then just say how long it takes you.”

Ning Yan considered. “For me… about half an hour.”

Bai Qingqing felt her heart sink. If even Ning Yan needed half an hour, then at her pace…

That thought alone made it hard for her to breathe.