'I'm going to die!' Ji'an's internal monologue flatlined, the blood rushing to her head with the force of a tidal wave. 'My heart is going to explode, and my nose is going to bleed! I can't look at them. If I look at them, I will forget how to speak, how to breathe, and they'll realize I am a fraudulent, degenerate woman trapped in a reverse-harem nightmare!'
She acted on pure, desperate survival instinct.
Ji'an lunged forward, grabbing a clean, white dishcloth from the edge of the table.
With frantic, trembling hands, she wrapped the cloth completely around her head, tying it tightly in a knot at the back of her skull, entirely covering her eyes.
She effectively blindfolded herself.
The three panting prodigies froze, staring at her in profound confusion.
"Brother Lin?" Zhiwei asked, his voice rough from the spices. "Why are you wearing a rag over your eyes?"
