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

Panting...unable to breathe...

Shen Nannan felt something wrapped around her body, coiling around and tightening.

Like a cold snake.

He came around from behind, wrapped his arms around her waist, tightened them, and tightened them again, pulling her into a cold embrace.

Shen Nannan tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

The man's nose brushed against her neck, again and again, as if he were sniffing something.

The air was cold.

My lips are cold too.

"Shen Nannan..."

The voice was close to her ear, so low it seemed to be squeezed out of her chest.

The hand began to move upwards.

Slowly and methodically, inch by inch...

A chilling voice drifted over, laced with a vicious, clenched-teeth tone.

"Your Highness, the man surnamed Pei, the man in blue, and that filthy bastard..."

Post anything you have here.

He slowly rubbed against the back of her neck.

"Shen Nannan, you little rabbit..."

"They're really hiring."

He tightened his grip, pulling her closer into his arms, burying his head in her neck, and taking a deep breath.

That voice rang in my ears again, cold and piercing.

"mine."

Shen Nannan suddenly opened her eyes.

The bed has a carved ceiling, a brocade quilt embroidered with crabapple blossoms, and the morning light shines through the window.

She was panting heavily, her chest heaving, and she was covered in cold sweat.

It's unbelievable! Last night I dreamt that I was tightly coiled up by a cold, thick python all night long.

It was so tight she could hardly breathe.

The python kept flicking its tongue at her neck!

But she always felt...

Something's not right.

She reached up and touched her neck...

"Miss?"

The sound of autumn rain came from outside the curtains. "You're awake?"

Shen Nannan spoke, her voice a little hoarse, "Last night...were you on duty?"

Qiu Yu blinked: "Yes, I slept so soundly. Did Miss wake me up during the night?"

Linglong walked in from the outer courtyard. "Miss, Guard Luo is here!"

Shen Nannan composed herself and said, "Let him in!"

A moment later, a young man dressed in a close-fitting outfit lifted the curtain and entered, bowing respectfully: "Young Miss."

Shen Nannan waved her hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite.

"Is everything taken care of?"

Luo Fei nodded, took out a cloth bag from his pocket, and presented it with both hands.

Shen Nannan took it and opened it—

There are several house deeds and land deeds.

Below is a document.

She unfolded it and looked at it; her eyes slowly brightened.

It was a sales contract personally signed by the Tong family.

Shen Nannan stared at the few pieces of paper, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved up.

"Unauthorized sale of the General's Mansion's properties for personal gain, and secretly siding with the Crown Prince—the Tong family truly has audacity!"

She looked up at Luo Fei, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Guard Luo, you handled this matter brilliantly."

Luo Fei lowered his head: "Miss is incredibly resourceful. That Tong family was in a hurry to sell the General's Mansion's properties, so we sent people to disguise themselves as wealthy merchants and lowered the price by 10%. She couldn't wait to make a move."

Shen Nannan carefully put away the stack of papers and then asked:

"Have you found that person yet?"

Luo Fei shook his head.

"My subordinates used all available undercover agents to check everyone who entered and exited the backyard of Futailong that day—no one was found."

Shen Nannan nodded without saying anything.

Hopefully... it's just a coincidence...

She really didn't want that person to get involved too...

As she was thinking, Luo Fei spoke again:

"There's one more thing."

Shen Nannan snapped out of her daze: "Speak."

"Tong Jian has gone missing."

Shen Nannan suddenly looked up.

"Missing?"

"Yes," Luo Fei said.

"After leaving the Tong family's courtyard last night, he disappeared. The 500,000 taels of silver notes he took with him also vanished."

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat.

"Did you report it to the authorities?" she asked.

"No," Luo Fei shook his head. "Tong Shi wouldn't dare report it to the authorities. She knows better than anyone where those 500,000 taels came from. If the authorities report it, she'll be the first one they investigate."

Shen Nannan nodded without saying anything.

Luo Fei added, "However, things are in chaos at the Tong family's place. Tong Jian has disappeared, and the banknotes have also vanished. She's frantic, like a cat on a hot tin roof. And then—"

Shen Nannan raised an eyebrow. "Someone from the Crown Prince's residence has come again."

"Indeed, Miss is wise!"

Shen Nannan leaned back in her chair and slowly smiled.

Five hundred thousand taels are gone.

The Crown Prince is pressing them hard.

Tong Jian has gone missing.

The Tong family is probably going crazy now.

"Okay," she said. "You can go now. I'll contact you if I need anything."

Luo Fei clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and left.

Shen Nannan sat in the front hall, looking at the stack of papers in her hand.

Property deeds, land deeds, sales contracts.

With these, Tong's life was in her hands.

But that's not what she's thinking about right now.

She suddenly asked, "Where's A-Chao?"

Qiu Yu was taken aback: "Ah Chao? He's under the eaves."

Shen Nannan stood up and quickly walked to the door.

The porch was empty.

nobody.

She paused for a moment, about to ask a question, when a low voice came from behind her:

"Did you call for me, Miss?"

Shen Nannan suddenly turned around.

Ah Chao stood three steps behind her.

But she was standing there, so close to him, when suddenly she smelled a very faint...

The smell of blood...

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat.

She stared at him, trying to read something from his face.

But he kept his eyes down, and his face was expressionless.

"Where did you go just now?" she asked.

Ah Chao looked up and said, "Xiao Liu from the kitchen isn't here, so I killed an old hen for him."

"It's just been stewed and is being brought to Miss."

Shen Nannan then noticed that he was indeed carrying a tray with a bowl of chicken soup on it.

It was still steaming.

She stared at the bowl of chicken soup suspiciously.

He took a step forward.

Ah Chao didn't move.

She took another step forward.

They are very close.

They could smell the faint scent of blood on him, mixed with his original clean and crisp aura.

She looked up and met his eyes.

Those eyes were unfathomable, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

But she just felt—

Something is hidden beneath those eyes.

"Ah Chao," she said.

"exist."

"Where were you last night?" she asked, staring into his eyes.

He spoke, his voice flat:

"On the veranda. Keeping watch."

Shen Nannan stared at him.

He was looking at her too.

The two of them just stared at each other.

No one spoke.

A gentle breeze blew across the corridor, lifting the hem of her skirt.

Finally, Shen Nannan looked away.

She reached out and took the tray from his hands.

"Alright. Go down now." She said, rubbing her slightly sore neck.

Ah Chao didn't move.

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

"If Miss is tired,"

He stepped forward,

The deep voice held a barely perceptible hint of coaxing and dangerous probing.

"Would you like me to give you a massage?"

His gaze lingered aggressively on her fair neck.

—That was the place he lingered in last night.