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

She reached out and punched him, but he grabbed her hand, their fingers intertwined, and pulled her closer to him.

She nestled in his arms, listening to his pounding heartbeat, and closed her eyes.

"Ah Chao".

"Um."

"You're not allowed to bully me anymore."

"This servant did not bully Miss."

"You were just bullying me."

He smiled, resting his chin on the top of her head and tightening his arms around her.

"That wasn't bullying...that was showing affection for Miss."

"That's a lie."

"I'm not lying." He paused, his voice tinged with a cautious anticipation. "Did you sleep well, Miss?"

Shen Nannan's face flushed again. She buried her face in his chest and mumbled, "Shut up."

"If you won't say anything, I'll hold you and let you sleep a little longer."

"You...!" She looked up at him, glaring at him. "You dare!"

He looked at her, his dark eyes filled with amusement.

"Girl, please try it."

Shen Nannan stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly buried her face in his chest, her voice barely audible, "...Okay."

"What?"

"Fine!" Her voice rose, tinged with a hint of embarrassment and anger. "Is that enough? Are you satisfied now?"

He laughed, a laugh that was muffled in his chest, making her heart tingle.

"Satisfied," he said. "This servant is very satisfied."

She reached out and punched him lightly. He took her hand and kissed it.

"Miss."

"Um."

"You're mine now."

"This life, the next life, and forever."

She paused for a moment, then looked up at him.

Moonlight streamed in through the skylight, falling on his face and illuminating his alluring features clearly. His eyes were red, filled with contentment, tenderness, and something else indescribable… like the relief of surviving a calamity.

She reached out and touched his face.

"Yes," she said, "yours."

"For the rest of my life."

"In the next life too."

"In the next life too."

He stared at her, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed her.

This time, it wasn't a kiss driven by lust; it was gentle, tender, and meant to be cherished, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

He kissed her for a long time, until her lips were numb, before he pulled away, his forehead pressed against hers, breathing heavily.

"Miss." His voice was terribly hoarse.

"Um."

"I love you."

Shen Nannan's tears suddenly fell.

She didn't know why she was crying.

Was it because he said "I love you"?

Is it because she waited for those words for two lifetimes?

It was because she finally realized one thing... that no matter the past life or this life, all he ever wanted was her.

"Fool," her voice was hoarse, "I love you too."

He lowered his head, buried his face in the crook of her neck, tightened his arms, and pulled her into his embrace.

The two of them just hugged each other without saying a word.

Moonlight streamed in through the skylight, falling on the two people and overlapping their shadows, making it impossible to tell who was who.

----

The bed curtains in the inner room swayed all night.

Shen Nannan thought to herself, "I can never... I can never say that a man is impotent again..."

She knew he was capable, but the young Xiao Yunzhao was actually this capable!

"Ah Chao... that's enough..." Her voice was as soft as a puddle of water.

"Not enough." His voice was terribly hoarse. He lowered his head and kissed her collarbone. "It's still early."

"Miss is tired, just lie down." He lowered his head and kissed her lips, a sly smile in his eyes. "This servant will take care of it."

"No!" Shen Nannan pushed him away. "I don't want it anymore! That's enough!"

"Not enough." He shook his head, his voice as aggrieved as a child who hadn't received candy. "This servant has waited ten years for this one time. How can once be enough?"

He lowered his head and kissed her lips, silencing her further objections. Shen Nannan pushed him away twice, but to no avail, and could only let him do as he pleased. Anyway, she was too weak to do anything else, so she could only lie limply in his arms, letting him do whatever he wanted.

This time, he was gentler and more tender than before. He kissed every inch of her skin, turning her unspoken pleas for mercy into soft sobs.

"Ah Chao... that's enough..." she cried, pleading, tears streaming down his face. "Can't we do it tomorrow?"

"No good." He bit her earlobe, his voice low and husky, "There's always tomorrow."

"You bastard!"

"Hmm, this servant is a bastard." He chuckled, but his movements didn't stop. "As long as I can hold Miss, I'm a bastard."

Shen Nannan was so angry with him that she wanted to cry, but she couldn't help but hug his neck and respond to his kiss.

The bed curtains in the inner room swayed all night.

It wasn't until the sky began to lighten and the first rays of dawn shone through the ventilation shafts of the bunker, falling on the bed, that Ah Chao finally stopped.

Shen Nannan had long since fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion. Her hair was scattered messily on the pillow, her face still bore traces of undried tears, her lips were swollen and red, and her body was covered with red marks of varying shades. She curled up in A Chao's arms like a docile kitten, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she were having some unpleasant dream.

Ah Chao held her in his arms.

He just stared at the person in his arms with his eyes open, using the light from the luminous pearl on the stone wall.

His fingertips gently traced her eyebrows, nose, and lips, his movements so light he was afraid of disturbing her sweet dreams.

He lowered his head and placed a very light kiss on her flushed forehead.

His eyes held an unyielding stubbornness and tenderness, along with a hint of barely perceptible fear.

He finally won her over.

From the moment she threw him that milk candy on the street corner when he was ten years old, yelling at him, "You're filthy, don't die here," he had wanted to keep her by his side for a full ten years.

Now, he has finally gotten what he wanted.

He reached out and pulled the blanket up to cover her shoulders.

"My little girl," he whispered her name.

She didn't respond, and snuggled even closer into his arms.

He closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him.

Ah Man stood outside the door all night.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that there was finally no more noise inside. He leaned against the wall and rubbed his sore legs.

He was genuinely afraid that his master would lose control and dismantle the bed.

He turned around and went to find Yun Jin.

Yun Jin was sitting at the table in the outer hall, swinging her legs and drinking. When she saw him come in, her eyes lit up: "How did it go? Did it work out?"

"It's done," Aman said expressionlessly. "Master and Miss Shen have just gone to sleep."

"I knew it!" Yun Jin slapped her thigh, grinning with gossip in her eyes. "Our master has been holding back for ten years, and he's finally broken his fast! Let me tell you, I saw him lighting Miss Shen's favorite orchid incense yesterday, and even the brocade quilt had peach blossom patterns embroidered three months in advance. He's been planning this for a long time!"

Aman's lips twitched: "How do you know so much?"

"Of course I know!" Yun Jin raised her chin triumphantly. "How many years has Master been preparing for this day? Back when Miss Shen came of age, Master secretly went to see her and was overjoyed for three days and three nights. But back then, you insisted on using a self-inflicted injury to enter the General's Mansion, saying it was for a plan. I think the plan was to lure Miss Shen into bed."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said slyly, "You tell me, Master was up all night yesterday, will Miss Shen be able to get up today? Should I make some nourishing soup?"

"No need." Aman shook her head. "Master has already instructed the kitchen to prepare bird's nest soup, which will be sent over to Miss Shen as soon as she wakes up."

"Tsk tsk tsk," Yun Jin clicked her tongue, "They really spoil them rotten. Before, anyone who dared to step into the master's inner room would be thrown to feed the snakes. Now, they've taken them straight to bed."

Just then, a slight noise came from the inner room, as if Shen Nannan had turned over.

The two fell silent instantly, exchanged a glance, and tiptoed out.

Reaching the doorway, Yun Jin turned back and mouthed towards the inner room, "Go for it, Master!"

Aman grabbed his collar, dragged him out, and gently closed the door behind him.

Yun Jin turned around with a grin: "By the way, tell the brothers not to go and bother them. Anyone who goes, I'll poison them."

Inside the room, A-Chao held Shen Nannan in his arms, looking at her sleeping face.

He pulled a piece of milk candy from under his pillow, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.

Sweet. As sweet as her.

He lowered his head and placed a very light kiss on the top of her head.

"My dear," he whispered, "you can't escape this world, no matter how hard you try."