Anning's breath hitched as she stared into Wanqing's eyes, her gaze flickering down to her lips every once in a while.
"I asked you a question, Tiger," Wanqing repeated softly, her dark eyes locking onto Anning's. "You allowed her to hit you on purpose, didn't you?"
Anning swallowed hard, her cheek still ached but that ache wasn't enough to distract her in this situation. She also didn't try to pull away, knowing it was useless when Wanqing was set on getting an answer.
"I did," Anning admitted quietly. "But I wasn't trying to get myself killed."
Wanqing's eyebrows drew together. "Then what were you doing?"
"She's an imperial princess," Anning explained, struggling to keep her steady as she voiced her thoughts "If I fought back, she would have used it as an excuse to execute me on the spot. I knew I couldn't hit her. So I took the hit, made enough noise to bring everyone running, and let you see exactly who she is. I chose to endure one slap so you'd have a reason to step in."
