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

"Little sister," he began, his voice slightly hoarse, "were you serious about what you just said?"

Shen Nannan turned around to look at him and sighed:

"Young Master Pei, we are not children anymore. That engagement was just a verbal agreement from our childhood. Now... never mind... this engagement... will be broken off sooner or later."

Pei Ran's face was as white as paper.

"You...you want to call off the engagement?"

"It's not that I'm backing down, it's just that the situation dictates it," Shen Nannan said, looking at him.

"Young Master Pei, you know perfectly well that the Ministry of Revenue could easily allocate the funds. But this matter has been repeatedly obstructed. Qian Mingyuan is on good terms with your father, and what role does your Pei family play in this matter? Do you really not know?"

Pei Ran opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

"You can leave now." Shen Nannan turned away, refusing to look at him.

"Don't come again. Even if you do, I won't see you."

Pei Ran stood there, her lips trembling for a long time, before finally turning around and leaving.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Ah Chao.

The masked guard stood behind Shen Nannan, his eyes lowered, holding a white rabbit in his arms.

He was clearly just a servant, but the aura he exuded was even more imposing than that of the prince from before, making people afraid to look him in the eye.

Pei Ran suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable bitterness in her heart.

He clenched his fists and strode out.

Only Shen Nannan and A Chao remained in the front hall.

Shen Nannan let out a long sigh, slumped into a chair, and rubbed her temples.

"I'm exhausted," she muttered. "They're all such a handful."

Ah Chao stood behind her without saying a word.

Shen Nannan turned to look at him: "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"What would you like me to say, Miss?"

"You can say whatever you want, even curse me."

"This servant dares not."

"How dare you bite me?" she glared at him.

Ah Chao lowered his eyes and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Shen Nannan looked at him, then suddenly reached out and tugged at his sleeve: "Ah Chao."

"Um."

"That Third Prince, just now... was he testing you?"

Ah Chao looked up at her; his eyes were unfathomable.

"Yes," he said.

"and you……"

"This servant is merely the young lady's bodyguard."

His tone was confident: "Don't worry, Miss."

Shen Nannan looked at him and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

"Ah Chao," she called him.

"Um."

"Come here."

He took a step forward.

The rabbit in my arms kicked its legs.

"Stop pinching it." She looked down at the rabbit, finding it somewhat amusing. "If you pinch it any more, it'll die."

Shen Nannan reached out and removed the mask from his face.

"Isn't it stuffy to wear?" she asked.

"It's not boring."

"You're lying." She gently rubbed the red mark left by the mask on the bridge of his nose with her finger. "It's all red."

Ah Chao took her hand, kissed it, and looked up at her, his eyes swirling with a mixture of obsessive and burning emotions.

"Does Miss feel sorry for her servant?"

"Who cares about you?" She pulled her hand away and turned her face away. "I'm afraid you'll suffocate and no one will be my guard."

"Just guards?"

"Otherwise what?"

He stared at her for a long time, then suddenly smiled, a smile that held something indescribable.

"Very well," he said. "Then this servant will be the young lady's bodyguard. For life."

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat.

"Did you put on a sweet tongue today?"

"No." He paused.

"Miss has tasted it, she knows."

Shen Nannan's face turned completely red.

This person is becoming increasingly shameless.

She cleared her throat, stood up, and straightened her skirt. "I'm going back. I'm starving."

Ah Chao followed behind her, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

As Shen Nannan walked down the corridor, she suddenly stopped.

"Don't wear that mask if you don't have to," she said. "He's gone anyway."

"Didn't Miss say that this servant's face is too attractive?"

"So what if we hire people?" She turned to look at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"The people I hire are also my people. If anyone even glances at them, I'll gouge their eyes out."

Ah Chao looked at her and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"Miss is right."

Shen Nannan murmured to herself, "Wearing it makes me even more attractive."

"Does Miss intend to wear the hairpin that the Third Prince gave her?"

She mumbled a reply: "No."

Why?

"Expensive." She smiled. "I'll keep it to exchange for money."

Shen Nannan turned around and continued walking forward.

Ah Chao followed behind, looking down at the rabbit in his arms.

The rabbit curled up into a ball, its red eyes darting around as if asking, "What's wrong?"

"She said I'm pretty," he said in a low voice, a hint of pride in his voice.

The rabbit turned its head to one side...

Ah Chao mischievously plucked a tuft of its fur.

I caught up with the light pink figure in front of me.

-------

In the carriage of the Third Prince's Mansion, Xiao Yunting leaned against the carriage wall, holding a wine cup in his hand, his eyes half-closed.

As the carriage drove out of the Shen residence's gate, the curtain was lifted slightly, and Xiao Yunting peeked out, glancing towards the direction of the Wutong Courtyard.

"Interesting." He lowered the curtain, a smile curving his lips. "The eldest daughter of the Shen family has a wolf lurking by her side."

He downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

The steward whispered from the side, "Your Highness, should we continue the investigation? I'll send more men."

"No need. If it really is him, we won't find anything. Let's bring everyone back."

The steward didn't quite understand, but he still did as instructed, "Yes, Your Highness."

The carriage swayed and rattled along the long street, disappearing into the twilight.

As soon as Shen Nannan reached the entrance of the Wutong Courtyard, she heard a sound of something being smashed coming from inside.

"Shen Nannan! Come out here!"