With legs weak, the sickly stable boy became a mad regent.

P.S.: This chapter was originally meant to continue from the previous one, but I don't know why, I just can't get it to pass the test, more than twenty times. I'm rewriting a new chapter to fill in this gap first.

The General's Mansion, East Wing.

When Qiu Tong was brought back, she was still unconscious.

Two guards carried her through the corridor, jogging along the way. Shen Run followed behind, his face as white as paper, his lips trembling.

"Gently! Gently!" he yelled at the guards, his voice hoarse. "She has a head injury! Don't touch her head!"

The guards placed Qiu Tong on the bed, but Shen Run pushed them away and moved closer to her.

Qiu Tong lay there, pale-faced, her lips bloodless, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow. A large bump swelled on the back of her head, and blood scabs were in her hair; she had been attacked from behind and knocked unconscious.

Shen Run squatted by the bed, reaching out to touch her face, but his hand hovered in mid-air before he withdrew it.

"Where's the doctor?!" he shouted, turning to the door. "Why hasn't the doctor come yet?!"

"I've sent someone to invite them, they'll be there soon!" the butler responded from outside.

"How long is 'soon'?! Give me a straight answer!"

The housekeeper dared not utter a sound. Shen Run turned back to look at Qiu Tong, his eyes reddening.

He recalled the first time he met Qiu Tong.

He was twelve years old that year, and she was ten. She came to the general's mansion with her father for a banquet, wearing a bright red riding outfit, her hair tied up high, and a small wooden sword at her waist, looking like a tomboy.

She stood in the courtyard, looking up at him: "You're Shen Run?"

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"My dad says you know martial arts, let's have a match."

He considered himself an adult and disdained to fight with a little girl. When he didn't respond, she drew her wooden sword and slashed at him. He couldn't dodge in time and was struck squarely, leaving a large bruise on his arm.

She stood there with her hands on her hips, grinning smugly: "The Shen family's marksmanship? Is that all?"

He remembered her from then on.

As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and her temper also worsened. She stopped calling him Shen Run and started calling him "Young Master Shen," in a sarcastic tone. He also stopped calling her Qiu Tong and started calling her "Miss Qiu," with a hint of bitterness.

The two of them would argue as soon as they met, but after arguing, they would make plans to meet again.

He originally thought that they would argue like this for the rest of their lives, until they grew old and died.

But she almost died today.

Shen Run's tears finally fell, landing on the back of her hand, each drop scalding hot.

"Qiu Tong," he called her, his voice hoarse, "Wake up. Don't scare me."

Qiu Tong did not react.

"Wake up, I'll never argue with you again." He sniffed. "Whatever you say goes. If you say east, I won't go west. If you say eat noodles, I won't drink porridge."

Still no response.

"You said you wanted to go horseback riding last time, so I'll go with you. You can ride for as long as you want. You wanted to go to the desert, and I'll go with you there too. You said you wanted to watch the sunset in the desert, and I remember that."

Qiu Tong's finger twitched.

Shen Run, oblivious, continued, "I don't hold a grudge about the slap you gave me last time. You did the right thing, I deserved it. You can hit me anytime you want, I definitely won't dodge."

"You said it." A hoarse voice came from the bed.

Shen Run was stunned.

Qiu Tong opened her eyes and looked at him. Her face was still pale, and her lips were still bloodless, but her eyes were bright, with a hint of a smile in them.

"You...you're awake?" Shen Run's tears were still on his face, and he stood there frozen, like a fool.

"Why are you crying?" Qiu Tong's voice was a little hoarse, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. "I'm not dead."

Shen Run hurriedly wiped away her tears, but the more she wiped, the more tears she shed, so she simply stopped wiping.

"Who's crying? I got sand in my eye."

"Where did the sand come from inside the house?"

"It was blown by the wind."

"The windows are closed."

"Mind your own business!"

Qiu Tong looked at his red eyes and wet face, and suddenly laughed. As she laughed, the movement aggravated the injury on the back of her head, causing her to hiss in pain.

Shen Run's face paled again: "What's wrong? Where does it hurt? Don't move, the doctor will be here soon—"

"Stop yelling," Qiu Tong said, frowning. "Your yelling is giving me a headache."

Shen Run immediately shut his mouth, his lips pressed tightly together as if they had been sewn shut.

Qiu Tong looked at him like this and smiled again, this time very gently, without aggravating his wound.

"Shen Run".

"Hmm," he mumbled, not daring to speak loudly.

"Do you stand by what you just said?"

Shen Run was taken aback: "What did you say?"

"You said you'd never argue with me again. You said whatever I said went. You said you'd go horseback riding with me, and watch the sunset in the desert with me." She paused, "and you even said you wouldn't dodge if I hit you."

Shen Run's ears turned red, so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

"That, that was just something I said offhand—"

"Shen Run." She called his name, her voice soft but earnest.

He looked at her.

"I've got it," she said. "If you go back on your word, I'll break your legs."

Shen Run looked at her and suddenly smiled. His smile was tinged with tears, glistening in his eyes.

"No regrets," he said. "It's your decision."

The door was pushed open, and the doctor finally arrived.

Shen Run stood up and made way for the doctor, watching him take Qiu Tong's pulse and examine her wounds. His fingers were clenched tightly in his sleeves, his knuckles turning white.

After the doctor finished the examination, he turned around and said, "Miss Qiu is fine. She was just knocked unconscious and has a bump on the back of her head. We've applied some medicine, and she'll be fine after a few days of rest."

Shen Run breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if all his strength had been drained, and leaned against the pillar.

The doctor wrote out a prescription and sent someone to get the medicine. The butler took the prescription and jogged out.

Shen Run sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Qiu Tong. She had closed her eyes and was breathing steadily, as if she had fallen asleep again. But he knew she wasn't asleep because her fingers moved slightly under the covers.

"Qiu Tong," he called her.

"Mmm," she responded, without opening her eyes.

"What exactly happened in the palace today? Where's Nannan? Is she alright?"

Qiu Tong opened her eyes, looked at him, and remained silent for a while.

"Nannan is alright," she said. "Someone saved her."

"Who?"

"Third Prince."

Shen Run frowned slightly: "The Third Prince? What's he doing there?"

"I don't know." Qiu Tong paused. "There's something else that I feel is off."

"What is it?"

"Your sister's bodyguard," Qiu Tong looked at him, "who exactly is he?"

Shen Run was taken aback: "What, what person? The stable boy she bought."

"A stable boy?" Qiu Tong sneered. "A stable boy, able to manipulate the Crown Prince's men so easily? A stable boy, able to get Consort Shu to help him? A stable boy, able to plant spies in the palace?"

Shen Run opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"Shen Run, the person next to your sister is not simple," Qiu Tong said in a low voice. "You need to investigate him. Otherwise, you'll regret it later."

Shen Run fell silent.

He had actually sensed something was off about Ah Chao a long time ago. A stable boy, yet his martial arts skills were so good, his demeanor so extraordinary, and his loyalty to Nannan was so unbelievable, unlike that of a servant.

But he didn't investigate. Not because he didn't want to, but because he was afraid to.

He was afraid that if the investigation revealed something, his daughter would be heartbroken.

"I understand," he said. "I'll look into it."

Seeing his preoccupied look, Qiu Tong reached out and gently patted the back of his hand.

"Alright, stop thinking about it. We'll talk about today's issues later."

Shen Run looked down at her hand—her hand rested on the back of his, cool and soft. His heart suddenly started racing.

"Qiu Tong," he called her.

"Um."

"Don't go out alone anymore."

"What? Afraid something will happen to me?"

"Um."

Qiu Tong looked at him and suddenly laughed: "You, a spoiled brat, are worried about me?"

"I'm not a spoiled brat," Shen Run said in a muffled voice. "I'm your fiancé."

Qiu Tong was stunned for a moment, and her face slowly turned red.

"Who asked you to be my fiancé?" She pulled her hand away and turned her face away. "I haven't even agreed to marry you yet."

"Your father agreed."

"My dad agreed, not me."

"So what exactly do you want in order for me to agree?"

Qiu Tong thought for a moment, then turned to look at him, a slight smile playing on her lips: "You should investigate that guard thoroughly first, then I'll consider it."

Shen Run: "...You're making things difficult for me."

"It's just asking for trouble," Qiu Tong laughed. "What? Can't you do it?"

"I can do it." Shen Run gritted his teeth. "You just wait."

Qiu Tong looked at his serious, blushing face, then suddenly reached out and flicked his forehead.

"Alright, stop making that face. I never said I wouldn't marry you."

Shen Run rubbed his forehead, stunned for a moment: "Then when are you getting married?"

"Wait until you find out the truth."

"Should I marry him after thoroughly investigating the matter?"

"Let's find out the details first."

"you--!"

Qiu Tong closed her eyes and stopped looking at him.

Shen Run sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her profile. Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling on her face and illuminating her eyelashes. A smile lingered on her lips, a smile that held a hint of mischief and tenderness.

Suddenly, he didn't want to investigate anymore. If he didn't investigate, he wouldn't have to wait for her. If he didn't investigate, she wouldn't marry him. If he didn't investigate, she could stay here, by his side, arguing with him, bickering with him, and spending her whole life with him.

He reached out and gently touched her fingers.

She didn't dodge.

He took her fingers in his hand, very gently, as if afraid of crushing them.

"Qiu Tong," he called her softly.

She didn't respond; her breathing was steady, as if she were truly asleep.

He didn't let go; he just held on, sitting on the edge of the bed, motionless.