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

When the dishes were served, one was squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, which had many bones.

Xiao Fang didn't say anything. He picked up the serving chopsticks, slowly and carefully removed the fish meat, cleaned out the bones, and placed it steadily on Yun Shuyao's plate.

The movements were so natural, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The lady opposite her finally couldn't help but speak with a smile.

"Miss Yun is so lucky to have Young Master Xiao remove fish bones for her."

Before Yun Shuyao could answer, Xiao Fang spoke first, his tone lazy and nonchalant.

"She likes to eat it, so I'll make it."

With just one sentence, he left the other party speechless.

A breeze picked up, and Yun Shuyao pulled her clothes tighter.

Xiao Fang immediately took off his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders without saying a word.

His body heat and faint scent of citrus still lingered on his clothes.

Yun Shuyao suddenly remembered the rumors about her—"old maid" and "not a virtuous woman"—but with Xiao Fang, it seemed she never needed to care about these things.

"This outer robe..."

Yun Shuyao wanted to take it off and return it to him.

"Wear it."

Xiao Fang interrupted her, looking into her eyes, his tone as direct as ever.

"It doesn't matter what others say, but with me, you can do whatever you want."

A group of spoiled brats exchanged glances, looking at Xiao Fangshi with an undertone of "Go, Brother Xiao!"

Xiao Fang, however, only looked at Yun Shuyao.

He had no intention of hiding some of his feelings.

Halfway through the banquet, the guests suggested reciting poems and composing couplets, with those who couldn't keep up being penalized with a drink.

For Yun Shuyao, this wouldn't have been a problem, but when these spoiled brats opened their mouths, they used folk sayings that she had never heard of before.

She lost the first round.

Seeing that she was being punished, Xiao Fang reached out to take the wine glass in front of her.

This time, however, Yun Shuyao stopped him.

Since she was out having fun, she couldn't be too coy.

Actually, she also wanted to have a drink; since her rebirth, she had been troubled almost constantly.

Seeing that she wanted to drink, Xiao Fang let her have it.

Unexpectedly, Yun Shuyao had a very low alcohol tolerance. After just three cups, she collapsed onto the table, unconscious.

Xiao Fang then looked up at his brothers and realized that they wanted to create an opportunity for him and Yun Shuyao to get closer.

A drunken Yun Shuyao was carried directly back to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion by Xiao Fang.

A group of idle young masters also went to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

The Prince of Zhenbei was often away fighting on the frontier and rarely stayed in his residence.

Sure enough, as soon as the Prince of Zhenbei left, this place became a gathering place for纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families).

One by one, these ignorant and incompetent nobles entered the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion and acted as if they were in their own home, each finding their usual guest room to take a nap.

The four or five women who were drinking together on the pleasure boat left on their own.

Since Xiao Fang's mother passed away, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion has not allowed any women to enter.

Yun Shuyao was fed a bowl of hangover soup by Xiao Fang and then settled in a guest room to rest.

Her head was tucked into the brocade quilt, her sideburns slightly disheveled, casting shadows on her fair cheeks and revealing a section of her smooth neck.

Xiao Fang was about to leave, but his feet seemed to be nailed to the spot.

Her slender neck was dazzlingly white, more lustrous than any jade ornament he had ever seen.

He suddenly felt a strong urge to reach out and feel the texture.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he quickly touched his nose; the back of his ear felt a little hot.

When I turned around, my steps were a little flustered, as if I had been burned by something.

An hour later, everyone sobered up and rested, and they all gathered at the racecourse.

Yun Shuyao, still feeling a bit dizzy, was also led over by Xiao Fang.

The horse farm of the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion is brighter than other places, and sunlight filters through the sycamore leaves, casting dappled golden shadows on the sand.

Yun Shuyao gripped the reins tightly, her palms damp with sweat.

The "Snow Treader" beneath me isn't particularly fierce, but it does show some resistance to strangers.

Its forelegs pawed restlessly in the sand, clearly not taking the woman in the plain dress seriously.

Yun Shuyao took a deep breath and was about to spur her horse when her wrist was suddenly gently pressed down.

"Don't rush."

Xiao Fang's voice came from beside him. He wasn't wearing an outer robe, but only a red short jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his sleek wrists.

He walked straight to the front of the horse, his fingertips gently stroking the snow-covered mane, a gesture as practiced as if he were soothing a sulking child.

"If you fear a horse, it will bully you."

He looked up at Yun Shuyao, sunlight falling on the corners of his eyes, the usual fierceness faded, leaving only a frank and earnest expression.

"Try to calm down and tell it that you are the master."

Yun Shuyao relaxed her shoulders as instructed, and just as she was about to move, Ta Xue suddenly raised its neck and let out a long neigh, then leaped forward.

She gasped in surprise, nearly falling off her horse, but her wrist was firmly gripped by someone.

Xiao Fang had already mounted his horse at some point and sat behind her, his palms encircling her waist through her sleeves.

"Don't be afraid."

The man's chest pressed against her back, his voice carrying heat that made her ears burn.

"Pull the reins to the left, yes, slowly..."

Yun Shuyao's cheeks burned, but she didn't panic and flinch like other women.

She recalled that in her previous life at the Marquis's mansion, she had only mentioned wanting to ride a horse once, and Gu Jinghuai had scolded her for "not knowing propriety."

At this moment, Xiao Fang's hand was clearly on her waist, but the guards and grooms around them all lowered their heads, as if they didn't even dare to look.

"I'm feeling much better."

Xiao Fang released his grip, dismounted, and began to walk slowly, holding the reins like a dutiful groom.

"Try it yourself. With me here, Ta Xue won't cause any more trouble."

Yun Shuyao sat on horseback, watching his back as he held the reins.

That arrogant man was actually leading her horse and putting it down in the stirrups.

The spoiled young men around them started making a ruckus in the distance.

"Brother Xiao, have you changed your ways? Serving young ladies while they ride horses? We don't get that kind of treatment!"

Xiao Fang didn't turn his head, he just waved his hand.

"Get lost, or you'll startle the horses and hurt people. You'll be sorry."

His tone was his usual arrogance, but everyone could hear the hint of protectiveness in it.

Yun Shuyao gently spurred the horse's flanks, and Ta Xue obediently followed Xiao Fang's steps.

After strolling around for a while, Yun Shuyao felt she was somewhat familiar with the area, so she decided to try running around.

Xiao Fang stood on the ground, looking up at her with a helpless smile in his eyes.

"Want to try running?"

Yun Shuyao hesitated for a moment.

Xiao Fang suddenly lightly touched the ground with his toes, nimbly flipped onto his horse, and landed behind her.

A warm chest pressed against her back again, carrying a restlessness that made her subconsciously tense up.

"Hold on tight."

His voice fell on her neck, tinged with a low, husky laugh, as he slipped his arm under her armpit and gently grasped the reins.

"I'll take you with me."

The horse began to walk slowly, with very little swaying, as if sitting in a rocking chair.

Yun Shuyao's heart was pounding, but not because of any secret pleasure.

The man's arm was wrapped around hers, strong and powerful, giving her a great sense of security, which made her involuntarily snuggle closer to him when the speed suddenly increased.

"Don't be afraid."

Xiao Fang added that his voice was even softer this time, like the wind brushing past his ear.

"See, it's not that difficult."

He spurred his horse again, and it began to gallop at full speed.

A breeze blew in her face, ruffling her hair and making her cheeks itch a little.

Yun Shuyao closed her eyes in fright, clutching his shirt tightly, but then she heard him chuckle softly behind her.

"Open your eyes and look, the scenery is beautiful."

As if possessed, she opened her eyes.

The wind brushed past my eyebrows, the distant forest belt looked like flowing green silk, and the sky was as blue as an untouched piece of jade.

The horse's speed increased, and the bumps turned into light, undulating movements, as if it were dancing a fast dance with the earth.

She suddenly felt that the tension and suppressed fear of those days had been blown away by the wind.

"ah--!"

For the first time, Yun Shuyao shouted out loud, not out of fear, but out of extreme exhilaration.

Xiao Fang laughed so hard his chest vibrated behind him, and he tightened his grip on Ta Xue, urging him to run even faster.

The sound of their laughter mingled with the wind, like a string of silver bells scattered in the breeze.

The laughter of the two men gradually subsided as the horses slowed down.

The wind was still blowing, scattering strands of her hair around his neck, carrying a faint scent of jasmine.

Yun Shuyao then belatedly realized just how close they were.

My back was pressed completely against his chest, and I could clearly feel his steady heartbeat.

His breath landed on the nape of her neck, making Yun Shuyao's skin tingle.

Xiao Fanghuan's arm was wrapped around her waist, and his fingertips brushed against her, causing a slight tremor.

The horse stopped by the lake, and the water reflected the overlapping shadows of the two people, so intimate that they seemed to want to become one.

Her heart suddenly raced, and the joy she had felt moments before was replaced by a strange panic.

This isn't the unspoken understanding of looking at the moon from the rooftop, nor is it the intimate conversation between confidants on a pleasure boat; this is... the closeness between a man and a woman.

It carries a hint of ambiguity, like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples.

"Um... let's go back."

Yun Shuyao suddenly spoke, her voice a little strained, and she didn't dare to turn around and look at him.

Xiao Fang paused, his arm around hers, and without saying a word, gently pulled the reins, turning Ta Xue around.

On the way back, no one spoke. Only the sound of horses' hooves and her increasingly rapid heartbeat remained in the wind.