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

Ah Chao reached out and took the bowl, placed it on the table, looked down at her scalded lips, and frowned.

"Did you get burned?" He leaned closer and gently blew on it. "Let me take a look."

Shen Nannan felt a ticklish and numb sensation from his blowing, and shrank back slightly, saying, "N-nothing..."

He stared at her even redder, fuller lips, and licked the corner of his mouth.

"Miss hasn't replied to me yet? I'm going to get hurt, won't you be sad?"

Shen Nannan turned her face to the side and whispered, "Then...won't you avoid getting hurt...?"

"Hmm? What did you say, Miss? Say it again, I didn't hear you." He moved closer to Shen Nannan, almost touching her face.

Shen Nannan glanced at the makeup box and nudged him.

He turned around and pulled out a stack of silver notes.

"Here you go," she pushed it over, "I didn't need it, here you go."

Ah Chao looked down at the stack of silver notes and didn't take them.

"Keep it, miss," he said.

"What's the point of keeping it? Father already has military rations, so this is unnecessary."

"Buy some snacks for the young lady."

Shen Nannan almost choked.

"What kind of snacks cost so much?" Her lips twitched.

"Made of gold?"

Ah Chao's lips curved into a smile: "If Miss likes it, it can be made of gold too."

Shen Nannan was speechless, glared at him, and pushed the silver note back:

"Keep it; you still need the money, don't you?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He looked up at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Is Miss in such a hurry to repay the money because she wants to retract the agreement she owes this servant?"

Shen Nannan was taken aback: "What agreement?"

"Have you forgotten, Miss?" He leaned forward, placing one hand on the table to pull her into the chair, looking down at her.

"Miss, you wouldn't go back on your word, would you?"

"What?!" She looked away, her voice slightly unsteady. "Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"Yes, Miss," he said with certainty.

"You—!" She turned her head to glare at him, meeting his mocking eyes, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.

She suddenly stopped being angry and reached out to push his chest.

"Stay away from me. Why are you getting so close when you're supposed to be talking?"

He didn't move; instead, he moved forward even further.

"Miss said today that she wants to break off her engagement with that man surnamed Pei. Is that true?"

Shen Nannan leaned back, almost hitting the back of her head on the chair. He reached out and put his hand behind her head, his palm feeling soft and yielding.

"Didn't you hear everything?" Her voice was trembling. "I don't like him anyway."

"Who does the young lady like?"

He stared at her, his eyes burning, making her feel hot all over.

Shen Nannan felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and as if to cover her face, she picked up the soup bowl again, pretending to drink the soup.

She drank too quickly, and a drop of the clear yellow soup slid down the corner of her mouth.

Ah Chao's gaze instantly fixed on the corner of her lips.

He suddenly stepped forward.

Before Shen Nannan could react, he had already leaned forward slightly, his long, slender thumb covering the corner of her lips—

A gentle swipe.

Wipe away the drop of soup.

Shen Nannan froze completely.

His rough fingertips brushed against her soft lips, sending a shiver down her spine.

After wiping, he did not immediately withdraw his hand.

His thumb rested on the corner of her lips, applying slight pressure to press her already full lower lip into an alluring curve.

"You..." Shen Nannan's eyes widened, and she even forgot to breathe.

Ah Chao lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on her lips.

Then, under her gaze, he slowly withdrew his hand.

In front of her, he put his thumb, which was covered in chicken soup, into his lips.

The tip of his tongue darted out and licked it very lightly and very slowly.

"It's very sweet."

He raised his eyes and stared at her intently, his gaze so direct it seemed he wanted to devour her whole. "The soup the young lady gave you is very sweet."

"You, you, you... stay away from me."

He didn't move, just looked at her, his gaze slowly sliding from her lips to her eyes, and then back to her lips.

"Miss has not yet answered this servant's question."

"Who does the young lady like?"

Shen Nannan's face flushed. She lowered her head, drawing circles on the table with her finger, her voice muffled:

"I already said I wanted to break off the engagement with him, but if someone goes crazy later, I'll have to appease them."

Ah Chao's lips curved slightly.

again?

His lips curved into a smile, and he seemed quite pleased.

He leaned forward, his eyes fixed on her like a large dog waiting to be stroked.

"Then Miss, please try to appease this servant again."

Shen Nannan's heart raced under his gaze, and she reached out to push his face away: "Okay, okay, time to sleep."

He didn't move.

I said I was going to sleep.

"Miss has not yet answered this servant."

Shen Nannan bit her lip, lowered her head, and whispered in a voice barely audible, "Guess."

Ah Chao paused for a moment, then laughed.

That smile wasn't the usual fleeting, curving smile; it was a genuine smile that emanated from the depths of his eyes, illuminating even his dark, deep-set eyes.

Shen Nannan had never seen him smile like that before.

It didn't exist in my past life, and it won't exist in this one either.

She stared in stunned silence, her heart racing even faster.

"What are you laughing at?" She looked away.

"Go to sleep, you have things to do tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"Go and take back the shops. We need to reclaim all of the Tong family's assets." She pointed to the stack of account books on the table.

"The things are too scattered, my brother can't run them all by himself, I have to go too."

Ah Chao glanced at the stack of account books and nodded: "Miss, please arrange it."

"Alright, you can go now." She stood up and pushed him towards the door. "I'm going to sleep."

Ah Chao was pushed to the doorway by her, then suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at her.

"Miss."

"Um?"

"Tonight," he paused, "do you need servants to keep watch?"

Shen Nannan's face flushed again. She remembered last night, when he stayed by her bedside and she held his hand as she fell asleep.

"No need," she said. "I didn't have any nightmares tonight."

"The servant has left."

"Um."

He turned around, walked to the corridor, and then suddenly turned back.

"Are you really leaving?"

"Oh dear... let's go, let's go..."

Shen Nannan slammed the door shut.

She leaned against the door, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

She reached up and touched her face; it was burning hot. She touched her lips; they were burning hot too. Her whole body was burning hot.

"This person..." she muttered softly, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Outside the door, Ah Chao stood on the porch, looking at the closed door.

The moonlight fell on his face, illuminating the smile on his lips clearly.

The rabbit poked its head out of the straw basket, its red eyes darting around.

He glanced down at the rabbit and said in a low voice:

She told me to guess.

The rabbit twitched its ears.

"She likes me," he said, his tone as certain as if stating a fact.

The rabbit retreated.

Ah Chao sat down on the veranda, leaning against the door panel, and looked up at the moon in the sky. The moon was very round and bright, illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were covered with a layer of silver frost.