"Female slave?" Song Qingshu froze. "What the hell?"
Aman explained, "That is the custom of our grassland tribes. Anyone captured becomes their captor's slave and must obey their master. They cannot run away or betray them, or after death they will fall into a pit of fire and never be reborn. That man captured me just now and made me swear to become his female slave. Now you have taken me back from him, so by rights, I should have become your... female slave. But we are friends, and you know about Su Pu and me. Uncle, could you please not make me your female slave?"
Seeing her explain it to him with such solemn sincerity, Song Qingshu was speechless. This girl was so innocent and foolish that it was almost astounding. "Are we friends?"
"Ah?" Aman cried out. "So you never considered me a friend..." They had clearly been chatting so happily before, and she had even told him what was on her mind. Yet he had never regarded her as a friend. She felt wronged and frightened at once, looking as though tears might spill from her eyes at any moment.
Song Qingshu's head began to ache. "All right, all right. I will not make you my female slave."
"Really?" Aman's eyes shone with surprise and delight.
"Of course it's true." As he spoke, Song Qingshu untied her hands and helped her sit upright.
"Then are we friends?" Aman blinked as she turned to look at him.
Song Qingshu could not help asking, "Are you this defenseless around everyone?"
Aman looked utterly puzzled, clearly unable to understand what he meant. She replied instinctively, "If I treat people well, they will naturally treat me well too. Why should I be on guard?"
Song Qingshu had originally wanted to say