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

Shen Nannan's alarm bells went off instantly.

Why would this person ask such a question out of the blue?

Could it be that she actually said something in her sleep yesterday?

She recalled the dream she had last night.

Then look at this identical face in front of you.

That person is...

She immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.

"W-What are you talking about?"

Ah Chao looked at her blushing earlobes, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Last night," he said, emphasizing each word as if he were restraining himself.

"This servant was in the corridor when I heard Miss call out."

Shen Nannan's face flushed. Had she... cried out?

"What did you shout?" she asked, forcing herself to speak.

Ah Chao stared at her, then suddenly turned his head away, looking somewhat annoyed.

"I didn't hear you clearly."

"It's windy."

Shen Nannan breathed a sigh of relief.

But the next second, Ah Chao turned his head and said softly,

"It seems to be... some kind of prince?"

The word "Prince" carries a dangerous connotation.

Shen Nannan almost choked on her breath.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her mind went blank.

Ah Chao just turned his head and glanced at her sideways.

"You...you misheard me." She didn't dare to lift her head.

"How could I possibly call him 'Your Highness'?"

"Is that so?" Ah Chao chuckled softly, lowering his eyes to conceal the darkness within them.

"That must be a mishearing by this servant."

He spoke of it casually, as if it were just something he said offhand.

Shen Nannan suddenly felt a chill down her back.

But she quickly calmed down.

He is not "him" yet.

Now, she no longer needs to fear that he will suddenly come back to bother her again...

Besides, she really did have something important to do today.

Moreover, it has to be him.

She looked up at him.

"Ah Chao".

"Yes"

He looked up, and his eyes had regained their usual respect.

"Come with me out today."

Ah Chao's eyes flickered slightly.

"Is Miss going out?"

"Okay." Shen Nannan nodded. "Let's go to Futailong."

-

One hour later.

Qiu Yu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw Shen Nannan dressed in men's clothing.

"Miss! What...what are you doing?"

Shen Nannan stood in front of the bronze mirror, dressed in a moon-white robe, with a brocade belt around her waist, and her hair tied up high with a jade hairpin inserted.

He was a handsome young man.

"I'm going out." She straightened her sleeves. "I have something to do."

"Going out?" Qiu Yu's voice cracked. "Where are you going, looking like that?"

Shen Nannan twirled around, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Alright, my appearance isn't any worse than those young masters outside, is it?"

Qiu Yu opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

It's not bad.

It's too beautiful.

That face, that demeanor, that enigmatic smile—

Walking down the street, she could probably make young girls blush and their hearts race.

But the problem is...

Before Qiu Yu could say anything more, Shen Nannan had already pushed the door open and left.

Under the eaves, A-Chao stood there.

He looked up when he saw her come out—

Then it froze.

Shen Nannan felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, so she deliberately put on a stern face.

"What are you looking at? Let's go."

"Yes, Miss."

"What 'Miss'!" Shen Nannan glared at him. "Call me...call me 'Young Master'!"

Ah Chao didn't move, but his gaze slowly swept over her from top to bottom.

from head to foot.

Finally, his gaze lingered on a certain spot.

Shen Nannan followed his gaze and lowered her head—

Although he was dressed in men's clothing, that area... was still quite noticeable.

But the moment he looked at her, Shen Nannan suddenly felt as if she were not wearing anything at all.

Her face flushed, and she instinctively covered it, saying, "Where are you looking?!"

Ah Chao looked away.

"Young Master."

He paused.

"Too much capital, doesn't seem likely."

Shen Nannan was taken aback: "What capital?"

Ah Chao didn't say anything.

He glanced at her chest again.

Shen Nannan: "…………"

She glared at him, her face turning even redder.

"You you you you—!"

Ah Chao's lips twitched slightly.

It's very light. You can hardly tell.

But Shen Nannan saw it.

He smiled.

That bastard actually laughed!

Shen Nannan took a deep breath and shouted into the house, "Qiuyu! Go get me a chest binder!"

From inside the house came Qiu Yu's voice: "Miss, what did you say?"

"A chest binder! The kind that ties the body up! Quickly!"

-

The moment the corset was put on, Shen Nannan regretted it.

Too tight.

It was so tight she couldn't breathe.

But when I looked in the mirror—it was indeed flat.

She took a deep breath, held it, and pushed the door open to go out.

Ah Chao stood outside the door.

He glanced at her.

That glance lingered for a moment, resting on her chest.

Shen Nannan glared at him: "If you look again, I'll gouge your eyes out."

"Yes, young master."

Once outside the mansion and walking down the street, Shen Nannan realized what it meant to "catch oneself in one's own trap."

Too tight.

The corset made it hard for her to breathe, and she felt a tightness in her chest with every step she took.

She slowed her pace and took a quiet, deep breath.

Ah Chao walked beside her and suddenly spoke:

"Young Master."

Shen Nannan was taken aback and turned her head to look at him.

He stared straight ahead, his face expressionless, and his voice indifferent:

"Can't breathe?"

Shen Nannan: "...No."

"His face turned pale."

"How about... this servant helps young master loosen his muscles?"

Shen Nannan's face turned red again.

"You, you, you—!"

A-Chao lowered his eyes: "This servant has overstepped his bounds."

Shen Nannan glared at him, wanting to scold him, but she couldn't catch her breath and coughed repeatedly.

Ah Chao reached out and gently patted her back twice.

"Young Master, please don't be in a hurry," he said, his voice still calm and indifferent.

"When you can't breathe, the more you try, the less you can breathe."

His hand patted her back repeatedly through her clothes.

Not too light, not too heavy.

Shen Nannan coughed for a while before finally recovering.

She looked up and met his eyes.

Those eyes were unfathomable, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

But he just stared at her, at her cheeks flushed from coughing, at her slightly parted lips.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat.

Ah Chao still wore that respectful expression, as if what he had just said was just ordinary concern.

But the corners of his mouth—

Shen Nannan felt that he was smiling.

"No need!" she gritted her teeth. "I'm perfectly fine! Let's go!"

Ah Chao didn't say anything. He just slowed his pace a bit.

-

Futailong Trading Company was located in the east of the city and was one of the largest trading companies in the capital.

On the surface, they were in the silk and tea business, but behind the scenes—they were the crown prince's money bag.

In her previous life, Shen Nannan knew nothing of these things. Later, at the Regent's Palace, when Xiao Yunzhao was purging the Crown Prince's remaining supporters, she overheard a bit of it.

The money that flowed out from the second wife's family eventually ended up here.

She straightened her sleeves and stepped inside.

It was bustling inside, with people coming and going, and the staff were so busy they barely had time to breathe.

She walked to the counter and, imitating her brother's nonchalant manner, slammed a silver ingot onto it.

"Call your manager out here."