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

Ah Chao's lips were only a hair's breadth away from hers.

His warm breath fell entirely on her lips.

The scent of the man who had pressed down on her on countless nights in her past life was exactly the same.

Shen Nannan pressed her back firmly against the door, her blood seemed to freeze at that moment, then surged wildly to her heart in the next second.

afraid.

I'm genuinely scared.

Memories of her past life, of being pinned down on the bed and forced into sexual acts by him, surged back like a tidal wave, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably.

But somehow, her eyes seemed glued to his deep, unfathomable gaze.

In those eyes, there surged a familiar obsession and madness, and a hint of... a cautious probing that she had never seen before in her past life.

Just as she closed her eyes, almost resigned to waiting for the kiss to fall—

"Clang!"

The courtyard gate was kicked open.

"My dear little sister! Are you alright?! I'm late!"

Shen Run's loud voice rang out, and even before he got close, his arrogant and unruly aura rushed over.

Ah Chao's movements stopped abruptly.

The madness and lust in his eyes vanished in an instant, leaving only a cold, murderous aura.

But the hand on her waist didn't let go; instead, it gently pulled her closer to him, like a wolf whose meal had been interrupted. He looked up at Shen Run rushing towards him.

Shen Nannan instinctively tried to break free from his embrace, but she couldn't.

Shen Run had just returned from the horse farm, still dressed in his tight-fitting clothes, holding a riding whip in his hand, his face full of anger.

But when he saw the scene before him—

His beloved younger sister, whom he had cherished for over a decade, was pinned against a door by a stranger, a stable boy. The two were pressed extremely close, and the boy's hand was wrapped around his sister's waist! His sister's face was flushed, and the corners of her eyes were red; it was clear she had been bullied!

"You bastard! How dare you touch my sister!"

Without a second thought, Shen Run swung his whip at A Chao, the whip whistling through the air.

"Brother! Stop!"

Shen Nannan snapped back to her senses, broke free from A Chao's embrace, and stood in front of him.

The whip stopped just an inch in front of her nose. Shen Run was so frightened that her hand trembled. She hurriedly pulled back and almost strained her back.

"Daughter! Are you crazy?!"

Shen Run was both angry and anxious. He pulled her over and looked her up and down.

"Did he do anything to you? Did that bastard bully you? Tell me, I'm going to break his legs today!"

As he spoke, his eyes pierced Ah Chao like knives.

Ah Chao stood half a step behind Shen Nannan with his eyes downcast, as if he wasn't the one who had pinned her against the door and looked crazy.

But only Shen Nannan knew that his fingertips were still gently hooking her back.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Shen Nannan patted her chest, glared at him, and snatched the riding crop from his hand.

"He didn't bully me."

Shen Run's eyes widened as he looked at his younger sister, then at the horse stable boy standing with his head bowed, his temples throbbing with anger.

"He's already pinned you against the door! And he hasn't even taken advantage of you?! Shen Nannan, have he bewitched you?!"

"I slipped, and he just helped me up."

Shen Nannan lied without batting an eye.

He deliberately moved closer to Ah Chao.

Ah Chao's peripheral vision caught her subtle movement as she leaned closer to him, and his clenched fingers loosened slightly.

Shen Run refused to believe it, but seeing his younger sister's protective attitude, he had no choice.

He had always doted on his younger sister since she was little; if she said east, he would never go west.

He gave Ah Chao a once-over, then snorted warningly, "Kid, let me tell you, don't get any funny ideas. My sister is being lenient by letting you stay by her side; if you dare to do anything improper, I'll tear you apart and feed you to the dogs!"

A-Chao nodded slightly, his voice flat: "This servant dares not."

He said he wouldn't dare, but his hand, hanging by his side, secretly hooked onto Shen Nannan's fingertips that were hanging behind her back.

A warm touch came, and Shen Nannan's fingertips trembled, but she didn't pull away.

Shen Run was so angry that he didn't see the two of them making a fuss right under his nose. He pulled Shen Nannan into the house, still chattering away:

"I just got back from the horse farm when I heard the servants say that that old hag, Madam Tong, along with her sister-in-law, blocked the door, splashed you with dirty water, and said you ruined that scoundrel Tong Jian! I wanted to rush over and tear their mouths apart! If He Jinzhi hadn't arrived first, I would have made them understand why the flowers are so red!"

As he spoke, he reached out and ruffled Shen Nannan's hair, his tone softening instantly, his eyes filled with tenderness: "Nannan, were you scared? I'm sorry I came back late and made you suffer."

As he spoke, he pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to her: "Look, I went to the horse farm to pick out a horse for your spring outing, and I specially brought you some sweet cakes, from an old brand in the south of the city, your favorite when you were little."

Shen Nannan took the still-warm sugar cake, and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

In her previous life, during the third year of her imprisonment in the Regent's Palace, also in spring, she dreamed of eating a piece of sweet cake from the south of the city. But by then, the Shen family was long gone, her brother had died on the battlefield, and her father had died unjustly. Who would still buy her sweet cake?

And now, her brother is still alive, standing right in front of her, holding her favorite sweet cake in his hand, his eyes full of tenderness for her.

Shen Nannan felt a warmth in her heart.

No matter how much trouble she caused, no matter what injustice she suffered, her brother was always the first to stand up for her, to support her, and to protect her from the storm.

She shook her head, pulled Shen Run to sit down, and poured him a cup of tea: "I'm fine, brother. Lord He has taken everyone to the Dali Temple."

"He Jinzhi?" Shen Run was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "That kid is a hothead, his mind is full of his legal theories, but he is upright and incorruptible."

His face instantly darkened, and he unusually abandoned his playful demeanor, saying seriously, "Nannan, the constables found the Crown Prince's token on Tong Jian?"

"Yes." Shen Nannan nodded.

Shen Run slammed his fist on the table, making the teacup bounce. "Good! No wonder the Tong family has been getting more and more arrogant lately. Turns out they've gotten close to the Crown Prince! That traitorous woman dares to collude with the Crown Prince behind Father's back! I'll write a letter right now and send it to Father as fast as I can!"

"No!" Shen Nannan quickly grabbed him.

"Why?" Shen Run asked anxiously.

"Father is leading troops at the border. Such a major incident in the capital must be known to him! His Majesty has long been wary of the Shen family's military power, and now that the Tong family has sided with the Crown Prince, how can Father not be cautious!"

"Brother, calm down."

Shen Nannan pressed his hand down. "Father is currently locked in a standoff with the Northern Barbarians. The border war is at its most critical juncture. What good would it do to send a letter about this, except to distract him?"

She paused, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes:

"Besides, the Tong family is definitely pinning everything on the dead Tong Jian, insisting they know nothing. Furthermore, the Crown Prince is currently at the height of his power, so even if we have evidence, we can't touch him in the slightest. Moreover, even if we tell Father that he's far away at the border, it will only make him worry about the family and throw him into disarray."

Shen Run was stunned.

He looked at his sister in front of him and suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

The girl used to be spoiled, but when faced with something like this, she would only cry and look for him and her parents. She was never as calm as she is now, calculating every step clearly.

He felt a mix of emotions—a bittersweet feeling, a tenderness, and a vague sense of heartache.