Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

Of course she knew why Xiao Fang didn't drink.

That time he drank too much, and when he got intimate with her, he didn't control his strength and hurt her.

It wasn't a big deal, and she didn't even take it to heart, but Xiao Fang stopped drinking altogether after that.

No matter the occasion or who tries to persuade him, he always says "No."

"Xiao Fang."

Yun Shuyao called his name softly.

"Um?"

"Have some."

She looked into the man's eyes, her tone serious.

"It was just once, I really don't blame you."

Xiao Fang turned to look at her, his gaze gentle.

But within that gentleness lies an unwavering steadfastness that will never change.

He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair that had been blown about by the wind behind Yun Shuyao's ear.

His fingertips brushed against her earlobe, the movement as light as touching a piece of porcelain.

"No."

Xiao Fang's tone was calm and even, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"No one can hurt you, including myself."

Yun Shuyao opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

She lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and swallowed back the sour and scalding sensation.

In the end, she simply said one sentence.

"Fool."

Xiao Fang heard this, smiled, and did not refute it.

The racecourse was bustling with people.

Several spoiled young men started a horse race, their hooves flying and dust billowing.

The girls were not to be outdone; several noble ladies from aristocratic families, skilled in riding, mounted their horses.

He picked up the reins and chased after them, his speed no slower than the man's.

One of the girls was dressed in red and was said to be the fiancée of the Crown Prince of Annam.

His horsemanship was exceptional; when he galloped at full speed, he was like a burning flame, leaving all the纨绔 (sons of wealthy families) in awe.

Yun Shuyao watched for a while, and her heart began to itch with envy.

She turned her head to look at Xiao Fang, but before she could speak, Xiao Fang had already seen through her thoughts and raised an eyebrow.

"Want to go?"

Yun Shuyao nodded.

Xiao Fang smiled, put down his teacup, and pulled her over.

"Come on, I'll run a few laps with you."

The two men led out two horses.

Yun Shuyao's riding skills were all taught to her by Xiao Fang, who taught her step by step.

Although it's not exactly exquisite, it's far better than that sheltered woman from her previous life who wouldn't even dare touch a horse.

She mounted the horse with clean, swift movements, and Xiao Fang watched from the side, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

The two rode side by side on the racetrack, running two laps.

The wind whistled past her ears, and Yun Shuyao's hair ribbon was blown away, her long, black hair spreading out behind her, making her look beautiful and dashing.

She felt very happy.

The feeling was strange; even though it was just riding a horse, she felt like every pore on her body was opening up.

It's as if a bird that has been caged for a long time has finally flown out of its cage.

She laughed out loud.

It wasn't the kind of reserved smile a well-bred lady would give, covering her mouth with her hand.

Instead, it's the kind of smile that shows teeth and has curved eyebrows and eyes.

Laughter was carried by the wind across the racetrack, ringing out crisply like a string of bells.

Xiao Fang turned his head to look at her, his gaze filled with something very tender.

He recalled the first time he met Yun Shuyao; she sat properly in the carriage, her expression as precise as if it had been measured with a ruler.

At that time, every movement she made was in accordance with the rules.

Every word was impeccable, like a meticulously sculpted jade figure—beautiful, but unhappy.

Now she laughs loudly, scolds him, and hooks her arm around his neck in the carriage.

She would respond to him in the hot spring pool and ride a horse until her hair ribbon came undone, not caring at all.

Xiao Fang felt that the most successful thing he had ever done was to pull the Nine Heavens Fairy down from her shrine.

It turned her into a flesh-and-blood woman who could cry and laugh freely.

"Xiao Fang!"

Yun Shuyao reined in her horse ahead, turned around and called to him, her face flushed and her eyes shining brightly.

"Why are you so slow! Hurry up!"

Xiao Fang spurred his horse and gave chase.

Flower Hall.

Madam Qin was holding an account book, flipping through it idly.

The distant noise could be faintly heard.

There were sounds of splashing water from rowing boats, sizzling meat from grilling, and cheers from horse racers.

The unrestrained laughter and chatter of the young people mingled together and drifted into the windows of the flower hall.

The corners of Qin's mouth slowly curved upwards.

The butler tiptoed in, stood there hesitantly for a moment, and finally spoke.

"Madam, a servant has brought word that... nearly fifty deer have already been killed in the deer park."

Qin turned a page of the account book without even lifting her eyelids.

"Um."

Seeing that she didn't react much, the housekeeper spoke cautiously again.

"And the wine in the cellar... all those decades-old vintages have been drunk up."

Even the fifty-year-old pear blossom wine is completely gone from the jar.

Qin finally raised her head.

The housekeeper thought she was about to get angry, after all, those were no ordinary wines.

Any one of these jars would fetch several hundred taels of silver.

Especially the pear blossom white wine, which was brewed by the old master of the Qin family himself.

It has been stored for fifty years, and there are only ten jars in total. Even the lady herself is reluctant to drink them.

Madam Qin glanced at the steward and suddenly smiled.

"We can just slaughter all the livestock and raise more."

She closed the ledger in her hand, picked up her teacup, and spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"If the wine runs out, we can brew more."

"These are all mundane things; as long as the son-in-law is happy, that's all that matters."

The butler was taken aback.

Qin's gaze passed over the window and looked at the unseen bustling scene in the distance, her voice unconsciously softening.

"My son-in-law rarely comes to visit. As his mother-in-law, am I supposed to let him lose face in front of his friends?"

The butler followed Qin's gaze and looked out.

He heard cheers coming from the racecourse, and could vaguely make out the laughter of the young master and young lady.

She was completely uninhibited, not like a dignified crown princess, but more like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

The steward had served the Qin family for thirty years, having been by Qin's side since before her marriage.

He had seen Qin Shi as a young girl, and he had also seen her after she got married, when the rules and regulations had smoothed out her rough edges.

Looking at the young lady now, he felt as if he were seeing the Qin family's eldest daughter from back then, before she was bound by rules.

He recalled the young master's various treatments of the young lady.

Those things he had witnessed firsthand, heard from Chun Tao, and passed on from the servants of the Prince's mansion.

The young master's kindness to the young lady was the kind that wished he could present her with the best things in the world.

"You are right, madam."

The butler's lips curved into a smile, his tone filled with heartfelt emotion.

"Wow, this is good stuff. It really should be given to a son-in-law like him."

Qin did not respond, but simply picked up her teacup and slowly took a sip.

The tea was ordinary Longjing, not a particularly precious variety, but she found it exceptionally sweet today.

The distant noise sounded to Qin Shi far more pleasant than the insincere greetings at the banquet where the powerful and wealthy gathered.

She thought that the best decision she had ever made in her life was probably supporting Xiao Fang in marrying her daughter.

That unruly son-in-law gave his daughter something she had never had before.

It's not about wealth and status, but about the freedom to laugh without restraint and do whatever you want.

This is more valuable than anything else.

Laughter rang out again outside the flower hall.

This time she heard it clearly: the loudest laugher was her daughter.

Yun Shuwen had been pacing outside the manor for a full hour.

He slipped in through the side door.

There are too many people coming and going in the village today: people delivering ingredients, people carrying wine, and horse traders delivering horses.

The servants were so busy that no one paid any attention to a young man in a worn-out long gown, with hunched shoulders and head down, walking briskly.

But after he came in, the anger in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

The village was unusually lively.

A dozen or so boats shuttled back and forth across the lotus pond, the laughter of men and women rising and falling in waves.

There were seven or eight grills in the deer park, and the venison was sizzling and dripping with oil. The aroma wafted over on the wind, making his stomach rumble.

The sound of hooves thundered on the racetrack as some riders galloped at full speed, drawing cheers from the crowd.

He hid behind a pillar in the veranda, watching the scene from afar, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.