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

"Clang—!"

A flowerpot flew out of the house and shattered at her feet, shards of porcelain scattering all over the floor.

Ah Chao paused, his figure already blocking her path.

The rabbit poked its head out of his arms, its red eyes darting around, then shrank back inside.

"Why did you kick my mother out! You're a good-for-nothing who'll be married off sooner or later, why are you taking over my mother's household chores!"

A loud, shrill voice was yelling in the yard.

Shen Nannan paused, her brows furrowing.

She recognized the voice—it was Tong's son, her cousin, Shen Gang.

Spoiled rotten by her good second aunt, she acted arrogantly and domineeringly in the school, using the Shen family's name as a pretext.

But that was only because of General Shen.

Without General Shen, what is he?

Shen Nannan pushed open the courtyard gate and saw a round figure standing in the middle of the yard.

At fourteen or fifteen years old, he was as fat as a ball, his face flushed red, and he was cursing at Qiu Yu and Linglong.

The ground was covered with broken porcelain shards, from the orchid pot under the eaves—her favorite pot.

"What kind of damn legitimate daughter is she! Once I take over the Shen family, I'll make sure she's married off! Married far away! Let's see how she'll still act like a tyrant in this mansion!"

Shen Gang got more and more excited as he spoke, spitting as he spoke.

"I heard she's keeping a lover? She's with him all the time, always pulling and tugging at him, shameless! She's completely disgraced the Shen family! That kind of slut should be drowned in a pig cage!"

Qiu Yu's face turned pale with anger: "Second Young Master, don't talk nonsense! Miss, she..."

"You lowly wench! How dare you block my way? Believe me or not, I'll sell you to a brothel!"

Shen Nannan narrowed her eyes.

"Let me tell you, my mother said that the eldest son's side is doomed sooner or later. When that happens, all of the Shen family's assets will be mine!"

"Isn't she just relying on her father being a general? Wait until her father dies on the border, then let's see what she can do..."

"Shut up!"

A soft voice came from under the eaves, trembling, but each word was enunciated firmly.

Shen Nian rushed out.

Her small, thin body shot out like an arrow, crashing headfirst into Shen Gang's stomach.

Although Shen Gang was fat, he was caught off guard and staggered back a few steps when he was bumped. He fell to the ground with a "thud" and hit the back of his head on the steps, making him howl in pain.

Shen Nian also fell, her knee hitting the ground, making her wince in pain, but she gritted her teeth and got up.

"You're not allowed to insult my sister!" Her voice was still trembling, but her eyes shone like two flames.

"You're shameless! Your mother is shameless!"

Shen Gang clutched the back of his head, and upon recognizing who it was, his face turned purple with rage: "Shen Nian? You little slut! You, a concubine's daughter from the second wife, have now become her dog?"

He got up, dusted himself off, and sneered:

"You think she really treats you like a sister? She might throw you out one day! Then you'll have nowhere to cry!"

Shen Nian's face paled for a moment, but she didn't back down.

"My sister wouldn't," she said, her voice steady. "My sister is good to me. You deserve to die if you insult her."

Shen Gang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, his fat face jiggling as he laughed: "Listen to this, listen to this! This little slut is protecting her master? Fine, you want to be a dog? I'll beat that dog to a pulp today!"

He turned around and waved to the servants behind him: "What are you standing there for? Beat them! I'll take responsibility if they die!"

The servants looked at each other, but seeing Shen Gang's fierce face and Shen Nian's thin frame, one of them picked up a wooden stick from the door and walked towards Shen Nian.

"Little girl, don't blame me for being impolite..." He raised the stick.

at this time,

A hand with distinct knuckles reached out from behind her and firmly grasped the stick.

Shen Nian opened her eyes.

Ah Chao stood behind her, holding the stick firmly in one hand. The servant tried his best to pull it back, but couldn't budge it, and his face turned bright red.

"You...you let go!"

Ah Chao didn't let go.

He glanced down at Shen Nian.

Shen Nian looked up at him, her lips still trembling, but her eyes were bright, as if she had done something amazing.

Ah Chao withdrew his gaze and twisted his fingers.

The wooden stick snapped in two with a "crack".

The servant, holding a broken stick, stood frozen in place, not yet reacting, when Ah Chao kicked him in the chest.

The person was thrown out, crashed into the courtyard wall, slid down, and lost consciousness.

The remaining servants were so frightened that their legs went weak and they turned and ran.

After running a couple of steps, Ah Chao grabbed them by the back of their collars and threw them out of the courtyard gate one by one. Thump, thump, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, they fell and were left dizzy and disoriented.

Shen Gang stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking at all the people he had brought, none of them were left, his face as white as paper.

His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but Ah Chao had already walked up to him.

"What...what are you going to do?" Shen Gang took a step back. "I...I'm the second young master of the Shen family..."

Ah Chao looked down at him, his eyes dark and devoid of any warmth.

"What did you just say to her," he began, his voice flat, "?

Shen Gang's legs began to tremble.

"Slut? Shameless? Money-loser?"

Ah Chao repeated it, his voice still flat, but every word was like a knife, stabbing into Shen Gang's heart. "Which sentence?"

Shen Gang opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Ah Chao reached out and grasped his wrist.

"Which sentence?" he asked again.

"I...I didn't..."

Click.

The sound of bones cracking was crisp and clear, especially distinct in the quiet courtyard.

"ah--!"

Shen Gang let out a pig-like scream, collapsed to the ground, clutching his severed hand, and cried uncontrollably, his whole body convulsing.

"My hand! My hand!"

Ah Chao squatted down, looked at him, and tilted his head.

He reached out and grabbed Shen Gang's other hand.

"That's enough," Shen Nannan said.

Ah Chao's hand stopped.

He clapped his hands, walked back behind Shen Nannan, and stood still.

Shen Nannan looked down at Shen Gang, who was sprawled on the ground, as if he were a lump of mud.

"Second brother," she began slowly, "you just said, who died at the border?"

Shen Gang was sweating profusely from the pain, but he remained defiant: "Shen Nannan, you bitch! You dare let someone hit me? Wait until my mother comes back..."

"Your mother?" Shen Nannan laughed. "Your mother has been divorced. She no longer exists in the Shen family."

Shen Gang's expression changed.

"Where's your father?" She tilted her head.

"Your father wrote the divorce papers himself, and he even put his fingerprint on them. Do you want to see them?"

Shen Gang opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"And another thing," Shen Nannan took a step forward, squatted down, and looked him in the eye, "you just said that all of the Shen family's assets are yours?"

Her voice was very soft and gentle, like she was coaxing a child.

"Who told you that? Your mother? Where did you put my Shen Nannan? And where did you put my own brother?"

Shen Gang shuddered when he heard Shen Run's name.

"I remember all the insults you just said to me. A slut? Shameless?"

She smiled, a smile so gentle, yet Shen Gang found it even more terrifying than A-Chao's gaze.

"Cousin, what do you think my brother will do if he hears this?"