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

When Shen Nannan woke up, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar bed.

The room was small and simply furnished, with the dim yellow sunlight filtering through the window paper.

She paused, then tried to sit up—

A sharp pain on my lips

She reached out and touched it.

My lower lip is cut and swollen; it hurts when I touch it.

She stared at the tiny bloodstain on her fingertip, and suddenly the last memory before she lost consciousness flashed through her mind—

It's soft.

It's warm.

She froze completely.

That is...

She sat up, and as soon as she moved, she realized something was wrong—

Feeling a looseness in your chest?!

She suddenly threw back the covers and looked inside.

She was still wearing her outer robe, but the collar was open, and her inner garment was also loose, revealing a patch of snow-white skin.

What about my chest binder?

The door was suddenly pushed open.

Shen Nannan looked up.

Ah Chao came in carrying a bowl of medicine, walked to the bedside, and placed the bowl on the small table.

"Young Master is awake." The tone was calm, and the person was respectful.

Shen Nannan stared at him,

Stare at his lips.

His lips were thin and pale in color.

But now, looking at that mouth, all she could think about was—

Soft...warm...

It seems like it paused for a moment before being pasted up.

She suddenly realized she was staring at him and abruptly looked away.

But my face was already burning up.

"You, you, you, you, you—what did you do to me?!"

"Young Master has fainted. This servant has found a place to settle him."

He paused, then added:

"The doctor came to see him and said that the young master's chest binder was too tight, and he was running too fast, so he couldn't breathe. It's nothing serious, he just needs to rest."

Shen Nannan glared at him.

"Then you can't—"

"Can't what?" Ah Chao stared directly at her.

My gaze shifted downwards—

It paused for a moment.

Then he looked away, picked up the bowl of medicine, and handed it to her:

"Young Master, please drink your medicine first."

She looked at him suspiciously.

"Then, what about my lips?"

She pointed to her mouth, "What happened to this?"

"Young master tripped and fell while running, and bumped his head."

Shen Nannan: "..."

Do you think I'm a three-year-old?

She stared at him; he lowered his eyes.

But Shen Nannan knew perfectly well that he was lying.

"When I passed out," she stared at him, "did you...?"

She couldn't continue.

Ah Chao looked at her.

Those eyes were unfathomable, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Is there anything?"

She didn't know how to answer, so she bit her lower lip and hissed in pain.

Ah Chao reached out and pushed the bowl of medicine towards her.

"Young master, please drink your medicine first," he said. "If you have anything to say, ask after you finish."

Shen Nannan stared at the bowl of medicine.

It was dark and steaming, with a bitter smell that went straight into my nose.

She was terrified of taking medicine, especially bitter medicine.

Every time, it took my mother a long time to coax me, and later...

At the Regent's Palace, when she was sick, she still refused to take her medicine, so Xiao Yunzhao simply grabbed her chin.

I fed her mouth-to-mouth.

She was afraid.

She looked up at Ah Chao, then swallowed hard as she gazed at his lips.

Resigned, he picked up the bowl of medicine, pinched his nose, and gulped it down in one go.

She was so distressed that her face scrunched up in pain.

Ah Chao reached into his sleeve, pulled out a piece of candy, and handed it to her.

His hands were long and slender with distinct knuckles. The piece of candy lay in his palm, like a precious gift.

Shen Nannan was stunned.

She looked at the candy, then at him.

"Why do you always carry candy with you?"

Ah Chao didn't say anything.

He simply passed the candy forward a little further.

Shen Nannan took it and put it in her mouth.

The taste of milk candy spread in my mouth, relieving the bitterness.

"Um..." she began, her voice muffled, "Where are we now?"

"An inn," Ah Chao said.

Shen Nannan was stunned: "An inn?"

"Yes." Ah Chao nodded, "Young Master is in such a state that it's really impossible for him to return to the manor."

He paused, then glanced at her:

"Young Master, if you go back looking like this, I'm afraid..."

What does "this way" mean?

Shen Nannan looked down at herself.

Her clothes were disheveled, and her bra was gone...

There was blood on his lips, red and it looked like...

She suddenly dared not think any further.

Look up at him.

He was still standing there, his eyes downcast.

But his gaze—

"What are you looking at!" She grabbed the blanket tightly.

Ah Chao withdrew his gaze, his voice flat:

"This servant did not see it."

"You clearly saw it!"

"Young master, you've misjudged."

Shen Nannan glared at him.

He kept his head down, his face expressionless.

But Shen Nannan just felt that—

The person is smiling.

They were laughing so happily.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable heat, and tried her best to appear calm.

"Alright, I understand." She waved her hand. "You can go out now, I... I'll tidy up."

Ah Chao didn't move.

Shen Nannan looked up at him: "Is there anything else?"

Ah Chao looked at her and suddenly spoke:

"Young Master."

"Um?"

"What question did you ask, young master?" he said.

Shen Nannan was stunned.

What does he mean?

Ah Chao looked at her, his eyes unfathomable.

"Young master wants to ask if this servant has done anything to you."

He paused.

"Yeah?"

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat.

She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but didn't know what to say.

He just looked at her, waiting for her answer.

The room was extremely quiet.

It was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.

Shen Nannan gripped the corner of the blanket tightly; how could she possibly ask that question?!

A-Chao looked at her.

Looking at her slightly trembling eyelashes, her tightly clenched lower lip, and her cheeks flushed with nervousness.

He took a step back.

"Young master, please rest. This servant will stand guard at the door."

He turned and walked out.

As I reached the door, I suddenly stopped.

Look back.

The setting sun peeked through the crack in the door, falling on his face and illuminating half of it.

He looked at her, wrapped in the blanket with only her head showing, and suddenly spoke:

"Don't worry, young master."

Shen Nannan looked at him.

He paused, then spoke in a low voice:

"This servant did nothing."

"I will not do anything that the young master forbids."

He pushed open the door and went out.

Wear it gently.

Shen Nannan sat on the bed, looking at the closed door.

My heart is pounding.

She reached up and touched her lips.

It still hurts there, and there's a small scab.

She looked down at herself.

The corset was removed, and the clothes were fine.

It seems... nothing really was done.

But she always felt that something was wrong.

She remembered what he had just said.

What if...

What were they asking us to do?

She suddenly buried her face in the blanket.

Xiao Yunzhao.

You bastard.

-

Outside.

Ah Chao leaned against the wall, looking at the window at the end of the corridor.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting large patches of light on the floor.

He slowly raised his hand.

I looked at my fingertips.

soft,

So soft it's unbelievable...

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Then he clenched his fist and tucked it into his sleeve.

When he opened his eyes, his gaze was dark and brooding.

Didn't do anything?

He chuckled softly.

The laughter was muffled in his throat, and its meaning was unclear.

Then he stood up straight and stood guard in front of the door.

Not moving at all.