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

the next morning,

Something was nudging and wriggling in Shen Nannan's neck.

It was fuzzy, damp, and smelled of fresh grass.

She groggily reached out and touched—

I touched a pair of long ears.

"Um?"

Shen Nannan opened her eyes and met a pair of ruby-like eyes.

A snow-white little rabbit was lying next to her pillow, nudging her face with its head, its little nose twitching, it was so cute.

"A little rabbit?"

She paused for a moment, then sat up while holding the rabbit.

The door was pushed open.

Ah Chao came in carrying a basin of water and saw her holding a rabbit.

"I was looking everywhere, but I didn't expect to end up here with you, Miss."

The rabbit wasn't shy at all, snuggling into her arms. It was so soft and squishy, ​​Shen Nannan's heart melted. "Where did this little rabbit come from?"

She had just woken up; her nightgown was loose and the neckline was slightly open, revealing a patch of snow-white skin.

Because of the bending motion, her softness was faintly visible, and a few strands of hair fell down and draped over her shoulders.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

"I found it," he said, his voice a little lower than usual, "it's a bold rabbit."

He looked at her and continued slowly and deliberately.

"She ran into the servants' room and insisted on snuggling into their arms."

As he said this, his eyes were fixed on Shen Nannan.

Those eyes were unfathomable, as if they had unspoken words.

Shen Nannan was playing with the rabbit and didn't notice his gaze.

In her previous life, she had also kept a raccoon dog in the Regent's Palace.

That beast didn't know any rules; it scratched her collarbone with its claw, leaving a red mark.

He simply smiled and patted the cat on the back of its neck, and Shen Nannan never saw that cat again.

All she remembered was that night, when he pinned her down on the bed and bit her repeatedly on that red mark, until she cried and begged for mercy.

But he said in a hoarse voice, "My dear, no one but me can leave a mark on you, not even an animal."

She picked up the rabbit, looked at it tenderly, and said, "It's so cute, I love it."

The rabbit was nuzzling against her chest, its head buried in the soft, undulating flesh, rubbing against her.

Her little nose twitched, making her laugh.

"Stop it, it tickles..." Shen Nannan laughed as she dodged, her chest rising and falling slightly with the movement.

Ah Chao narrowed his eyes.

He suddenly regretted giving the rabbit as a gift.

"Miss," he said, "it's time for breakfast."

Shen Nannan was engrossed in playing with the rabbit, not even looking up. "Leave it there, I'll play with it a little longer."

Ah Chao didn't move.

He looked at the rabbit, and the more he looked, the more displeased he became.

Suddenly, something came to mind—when he took it out of its nest last night, was it male or female?

Shen Nannan stood up, holding the rabbit, and only then did she notice that he was dressed neatly today.

He wore a short, dark brown robe, a brocade belt around his waist, and his hair was tied up high, revealing his excessively handsome face.

"Huh," she looked him up and down, "why are you dressed like this today?"

Ah Chao lowered his eyes: "Isn't Miss going out today?"

Shen Nannan was taken aback, and then she remembered that she was going on a spring outing soon and was going to visit a fabric shop today to make two spring outfits.

"Yes, yes, yes," she shoved the rabbit into his arms, "You hold it for me while I go change my clothes."

Ah Chao looked down at the rabbit in his arms.

The rabbit also looked up at him.

A human and a rabbit, staring at each other with wide eyes.

Then the rabbit turned its head and stretched its neck in the direction Shen Nannan had left, kicking its four short legs as if trying to hop in that direction.

A-Chao: "..."

He raised his hand and pressed the rabbit's head down.

The rabbit stretched out its head again.

He pressed it again.

The rabbit stretched out its paw again, and this time it kicked him.

...It's male. He's sure!

A moment later, Shen Nannan lifted the curtain and came out.

Ah Chao looked up and froze.

She wore a pale yellow spring dress, the light and thin fabric making her skin appear even whiter. Her waist was cinched tightly, and the hem of her skirt was embroidered with intertwined branches, the tips of her embroidered shoes peeking out as she walked.

Her hair was styled in a simple bun, adorned only with a single jade hairpin, yet it was more alluring than those adorned with jewels and ornaments.

That face, beautiful and full, with eyes that sparkled with spring, and when she smiled—

She was smiling at him.

"How is it?" She twirled around, her skirt billowing gently. "Does it look good?"

A-Chao looked at her.

Looking at her curved eyebrows and eyes, at the glimpse of white skin revealed by her slightly open collar, at the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she twirled—

The rabbit in my arms kicked its legs hard, trying to hop over there.

He pressed the rabbit closer to his chest.

"It looks good," he said, his voice a little lower than before.

Shen Nannan nodded in satisfaction, walked over, took the rabbit, and teased it a few more times.

The rabbit snuggled into her arms, burying its head in her softness, rubbing against her with obvious delight.

"Oh dear—you rabbit, why do you always burrow in there?"

Shen Nannan tickled as she was nudged, and laughed as she dodged. She tapped its ear.

"What a lecherous little rabbit!"

Ah Chao stood to the side, staring at the rabbit.

The rabbit, oblivious to everything, continued to nuzzle against that soft spot, its little nose twitching, wrinkling the fabric there.

Shen Nannan laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight: "Stop it, stop it, it tickles..."

Ah Chao's Adam's apple bobbed.

He suddenly reached out and pulled the rabbit out of her arms.

The rabbit kicked its legs and looked at him with an innocent expression.

Shen Nannan was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

Ah Chao looked at the rabbit and said in a flat voice, "It's time for it to eat."

"Okay." Shen Nannan nodded. "Then you feed it, and I'll go eat something too."

She turned and walked into the inner room.

Ah Chao stood still, looking at the rabbit.

The rabbit was looking at him too.

The human and the rabbit stared at each other for three seconds.

Then Ah Chao tucked the rabbit into his arms and whispered:

"If you keep pushing, I'll stew you."

The rabbit twitched its ears and became obedient.

-

Once outside the mansion gate, the streets were bustling with people.

Shen Nannan walked in front, while A Chao followed behind, carrying the rabbit, at a leisurely pace.

After walking a short distance, Shen Nannan suddenly realized that everyone around them was looking at them.

No, I was looking behind her.

She turned around.

Ah Chao, holding a rabbit, walked through the crowd with a blank expression.

That face was truly striking—sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly pursed thin lips.

His dark brown robes couldn't conceal his imposing aura; he looked more like a young master traveling incognito than a servant carrying a rabbit.

A few girls walked by, and when they saw him, they slowed down and stared at his face.

Ah Chao stared straight ahead, as if he hadn't seen anything.

Shen Nannan suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"Ah Chao".

"exist."

"Come forward."

Ah Chao glanced at her, didn't ask why, and quickly walked a few steps to her side.

Shen Nannan was satisfied.

Now, all eyes could only see her... and him beside her.

She glanced at him furtively.

The sunlight outlined the contours of his profile with a golden edge, making him almost too handsome.

She suddenly remembered his appearance in her past life, wearing a black python robe and sitting in the main hall of the Regent's Palace.

Back then, no one dared to look him in the eye. Everyone lowered their heads and dared not breathe when they saw him.

But now—

He was dressed in coarse cloth, holding a rabbit, and walked beside her like an ordinary guard.

She smiled slightly.

"What are you laughing at, Miss?" he suddenly asked.

Shen Nannan was taken aback and looked away: "It's nothing."

Ah Chao looked at her without saying a word.

He simply tightened his grip on the rabbit.