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

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the night before the spring outing.

The Wutong Courtyard was brightly lit, and the maids were busy taking stock of the things to bring for the spring outing, including food, supplies, bedding, and blankets, filling two large boxes to the brim.

Shen Nannan sat in front of the dressing table, looking at herself in the bronze mirror, but she was somewhat distracted.

Images of spring outings from my past life flooded back uncontrollably.

Tong Jian's foul language, the noble ladies' snickers and whispers, and Pei Ran's seemingly protective but actually aloof demeanor.

That spring outing ruined most of her reputation.

From that day on, the Shen family's fortunes seemed to begin to decline.

In this life, she has returned.

but……

Looking at the moonlight outside, she still felt a vague unease in her heart.

She knew that all the necessary preparations had been made.

Tong Jian is finished; Shen Yin, holding that shimmering brocade, will only be walking into the line of fire.

She knew all too well how much scheming and madness this seemingly obedient boy harbored in his heart.

But she was still afraid.

The shadows of a past life are like scars etched into one's bones; even if one is reborn, they will still ache faintly in the quiet of the night.

She sat for a long time until late at night before getting up to wash up, change into her nightgown, and lie down.

Perhaps because she had something on her mind, she slept very restlessly.

The peach orchard in Peach Blossom Valley

Peach petals fell like rain, and she, dressed in a pale yellow spring dress, stood beneath the peach tree.

There were many moving figures around.

I can't see the face clearly.

They pointed at her.

Laugh at her,

Insult her.

A lewd figure came up and tore her skirt.

She clutched her chest, trembling as she crouched under the tree.

"Get away...get away from me..."

The swaying figure was still pointing at her and laughing.

Another bright yellow figure loomed over.

A nauseating stench sprayed onto her chest...

The next second, blood splattered onto the countless peach blossoms.

A figure in black stood before her, a blood-stained knife in his hand, his eyes filled with a mad, world-destroying frenzy. The figures lay on the ground, blood everywhere.

He turned back and walked towards her step by step, his body covered in blood.

He pressed her against the peach tree, lowered his head and kissed her, a fierce and urgent kiss, tinged with the taste of blood.

"Miss, come to my side..."

Ah Chao's face slowly came into focus...

Shen Nannan suddenly opened her eyes.

The tent was pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering in from the window. It was so quiet that you could only hear your own heartbeat.

Was it a dream?

This was the first time she had ever dreamed of Ah Chao.

She was certain,

It wasn't Xiao Yunzhao who imprisoned her in her previous life.

Yes... Ah Chao...

She raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead and was about to sit up when she suddenly heard a very soft sound outside the door.

Shen Nannan froze, instinctively reaching for the dagger hidden under her pillow, and demanded in a hoarse voice, "Who?"

No one answered.

Clutching the dagger, she threw back the covers, walked barefoot to the door, and flung it open.

The lanterns under the eaves swayed, and in the dim yellow light, a tall figure stood against the wall.

He was wearing a short, light blue tunic for night duty, his dark hair falling over his shoulders. He kept his eyes down, only looking up when he heard a noise.

Seeing her standing barefoot in the doorway, her face deathly pale, and her eyes still filled with lingering fear, his pupils contracted sharply, and he strode forward.

"Why are you barefoot, Miss?"

Shen Nannan looked at him, and the dagger in her hand slowly loosened.

Not an assassin

Not the bad guys in the dream,

It's him……

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice still hoarse from just waking up. "Didn't I tell you to sleep in the side room?"

Ah Chao looked at her like this.

"I'm here to keep watch over her because I'm afraid something might happen to her."

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat.

In her past life, when she had nightmares, he would hold her in his arms and torment her even more, forcing her to shout out all the fears in her dreams, turning them into sobs that he loved to hear.

But in this life, he simply stood quietly outside the door, not daring to even enter, for fear of disturbing her.

The moonlight fell on his face, revealing the bloodshot veins in his eyes, suggesting he had been keeping watch here for most of the night.

Shen Nannan looked at him,

The person before her was not the regent who held absolute power in her past life and had driven her to nowhere to escape.

It's Achao.

It was her Ah Chao.

Shen Nannan's nose suddenly stung with tears, as if possessed.

Looking at him, her voice trembled.

"Ah Chao... I'm scared."

Ah Chao's body froze instantly.

He looked at the little girl in front of him. She was barefoot, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were red, like a frightened little rabbit.

Say it to him,

She is afraid.

"Don't cry, Miss," he coaxed softly, sounding somewhat flustered, as if it were his first time doing something like this.

"Did you have a nightmare? It's okay, it's okay."

Shen Nannan looked at him, seeing the panic and helplessness in his eyes.

Suddenly, she reached out and hugged his waist, buried her face in his chest, and burst into tears.

All the fear, all the grievances, all the unease, all erupted at this moment.

Ah Chao froze, all his muscles tense, his hands hovering in mid-air, afraid to drop them, yet unwilling to push her away.

The person in his arms was soft and trembling from crying. Warm tears soaked his clothes, burning his heart with each thud.

After a long while, he slowly raised his hand and gently patted her back, clumsily soothing her, one pat after another.

Just like the nightmare she had that night.

"I'm not afraid anymore," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Your servant is here. No one can bully Miss."

Shen Nannan cried for a long time until she was exhausted. She then gradually stopped, buried her face in his arms, listened to his steady heartbeat, and felt his scent lingering around her nose, feeling a sense of peace she had never known before.

She looked up at him, her eyes red, and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Ah Chao, you'll always protect me, right?"

Ah Chao lowered his eyes, looking at her red, swollen eyes.

He leaned down to meet her gaze, speaking each word as if making a vow.

"Yes."

"This servant's life belongs to Miss. In this life and the next, it belongs to Miss."

Shen Nannan was still barefoot, standing on the cold floor. A Chao's gaze fell on her fair feet, and his brows furrowed instantly.

Without saying a word, he stepped forward, bent down, and picked her up horizontally.

Shen Nannan gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her body was instantly lifted into the air, crashing into his warm embrace. A familiar, crisp scent wafted towards her, mixed with a faint medicinal smell and the chill of the night dew.

His embrace was steady and warm, exactly like the crazy man in my dream, yet different.

"The ground is cold, how can you stand barefoot, Miss?" His voice carried a hint of reproach, but he still carefully placed her on the bed, took the blanket, and covered her feet with it.

His movements were very gentle; his fingertips accidentally brushed against her ankle.

Shen Nannan's heart pounded as she watched him kneel by the bed, his eyes lowered as he tucked the blanket around her.

She suddenly reached out and gently touched his cheek.

Ah Chao froze instantly, looking up at her.

Eyes facing each other.