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

Wutong Courtyard.

The noise outside could be faintly heard. Shen Nannan stood by the window, listening to the news that Qiu Yu had gathered, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Tong Jian is finished.

Deserve it.

In his past life, he ruined her reputation; in this life, he lost even the right to be a man before he died.

This method is ruthless, precise, and leaves no room for compromise.

She subconsciously turned her head to look at Ah Chao behind her.

He was still quietly massaging her neck, and he was much more docile this time.

He seemed oblivious to the commotion outside.

But Shen Nannan knew that no one but him could do it so cleanly and efficiently.

No one would be so ruthless.

However, she wouldn't be so presumptuous as to think that he did it for her.

Although the Crown Prince was a good-for-nothing, he was still the heir apparent, and his subordinates had given Xiao Yunzhao a lot of trouble in his previous life.

"Ah Chao".

"exist."

She tilted her head back, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with a hint of tentative coquettishness:

"You'll be coming with me on the spring outing in two weeks."

Ah Chao's eyes flickered slightly: "Yes."

"Young Master Pei said he'd come to pick me up," she added deliberately, observing his reaction carefully.

"At that time, you will follow Young Master Pei's carriage."

Ah Chao narrowed his eyes.

"Young Master Pei?"

He repeated those three words, his voice completely flat.

"Miss...are you really going with him?"

"Why not?" Shen Nannan raised an eyebrow. "He's my future husband. If I don't go with him, who will I go with?"

The air suddenly turned cold.

My future husband.

He stared intently at Shen Nannan.

"Miss."

He suddenly stepped forward.

Shen Nannan instinctively stepped back.

He took another step closer.

Until Shen Nannan had nowhere left to retreat, her back bumped against the cold canopy bedpost.

Ah Chao raised his hand and braced himself against the bedpost beside her ear.

He completely trapped her in his arms.

"What are you doing!" Shen Nannan panicked.

This is not the obedient stable boy he usually is.

This is the beast that she deliberately provoked, and it has finally bared its fangs!

"The young lady keeps saying..."

He lowered his head, his hot breath spraying all over her face, his voice terribly hoarse.

"This servant is yours. You can't even touch him."

He looked at her almond-shaped eyes, wide with panic, and at her slightly parted red lips, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

"And what about the young lady?"

He asked very slowly and softly, each word as if it had been tempered by fire.

"Miss, whose is this?"

Shen Nannan was so overwhelmed by the madness in his eyes that she couldn't speak.

She tried to push him away, but as soon as her hand touched his chest, he grabbed her and pinned her against the bedpost.

"Young Master Pei...?"

He let out a cold laugh, a laugh that carried a chilling murderous intent.

"Aren't you afraid, Miss, that this servant might accidentally... kill him?"

"You...you're hurting me..." Shen Nannan cried out softly, glaring at him. Her eyes were red from the physical pain, adding to her alluring pitifulness.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You're using the same strength you'd use to kill a chicken on me?"

A-Chao looked at her.

Looking at her moist red lips, and seeing his image reflected in her eyes.

"This servant deserves to die." He lowered his eyes, concealing the lust within them.

"The chicken soup is getting cold, Miss, please drink it while it's hot."

Shen Nannan didn't want to argue with him too much at this moment.

This person is acting really strange today.

The chicken soup was stewed until very tender, but Shen Nannan frowned as soon as she took a sip.

"Bitter?"

Ah Chao paused in serving the soup: "This servant added ginseng slices. Miss was exhausted last night and needs some nourishment."

He emphasized the words "I'm tired" with a particularly ambiguous tone.

Shen Nannan blushed, remembering the "giant python" from last night, and glared at him irritably: "Can't you talk properly? Who's tired?"

Ah Chao remained silent, but took the spoon from her hand, blew on it to cool it, and brought it to her lips.

"This servant will serve Miss a drink."

Shen Nannan looked at the spoon being offered to her mouth, then glanced at A Chao.

His expression was focused, his eyes lowered. This cautious demeanor was the complete opposite of the tyrannical ruler in her past life who would force-feed her medicine.

She opened her mouth as if possessed, letting him feed her bite by bite.

The bitter taste of ginseng spread across her tongue, and her little face scrunched up in pain.

Ah Chao casually pulled a peeled milk candy from his sleeve, held it between his fingertips, and pressed it directly to her lips.

Shen Nannan subconsciously took it in her mouth, and her warm lips inevitably brushed against his fingertips.

Ah Chao's fingers remained there, unmoved. He looked at her lips, his Adam's apple bobbing.

After going out,

Ah Chao stood in the shadows under the eaves.

The moonlight shrouded him in darkness, obscuring his face.

He slowly raised his hand and looked at his fingertips.

The fingertips seemed to still retain a touch of warmth and softness, and a faint fragrance that belonged to her.

Then he brought his finger close to his nose and took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"master."

Mo Bai's voice came from the shadows, extremely soft.

Ah Chao didn't open his eyes.

"explain."

"The Tong family sent someone to hire a painter..."

Ah Chao opened his eyes.

Those eyes were icy cold in the darkness.

"An artist?"

"I heard it's to paint a portrait of Miss Shen."

Ah Chao looked at that window.

Prince.

That lecherous crown prince.

He recalled her face—beautiful and voluptuous, with eyes full of spring, and a smile that could steal a person's soul.

If the Crown Prince were to see a face like that—

He suddenly chuckled softly.

The laughter was muffled in his throat, its meaning unreadable.

"Master, should we bring that painter...?"

"No need."

"Rabbits are so cute... Killing the artist alone isn't enough."

Mo Bai lowered his head: "Yes."

Just as he was about to leave, he heard his master speak again:

"besides--"

Ah Chao paused.

Will the Crown Prince attend the spring outing?

Mo Bai was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes. The Crown Prince goes every year."

Achao nodded.

He stood in the shadows, looking at the window.

The moonlight was very bright, illuminating the entire courtyard clearly.

But he still couldn't see through the person behind that window.

I can't figure out why she's afraid of him.

He couldn't understand why she was so good to him.

He couldn't see through her eyes; sometimes when she looked at him, it was as if she were looking at a different person.

But he knew one thing—

Anyone who dares to touch her will die.

He recalled the words Tong Jian had said before he died, and a cold killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"Did you work so hard she couldn't even get up?"

He touched the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue and chuckled softly.

Those kinds of people died far too easily.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes again, something dark and turbulent was churning in my eyes.

"Shen Nannan..."

He whispered the name, his tongue tracing each syllable.

Then he turned around and disappeared silently into the night.

All that remained was the moonlight on the floor of the corridor and the faint smell of blood in the air.

-

The Eastern Palace.

Crown Prince Xiao Jing lay reclining on the couch, holding a portrait in his hand.

The woman in the portrait has beautiful eyebrows and eyes, is plump and charming, and her almond-shaped eyes are full of spring and smiles, as if they can seduce people.

He stared at that face for a long time.

Then he slowly sat up, licked his lips,

美，

She was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

"What a fine eldest daughter of the Shen family..."

He tossed the portrait onto the couch, his smile carrying a deeper meaning:

"Go and tell that Lady Tong—I have accepted her feelings."

The day of the spring outing—

He wanted to see just how big this "gift" really was.