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

Mrs. Qian stared at her for a long time.

The private room was extremely quiet, except for the sound of the rabbit kicking in Ah Chao's arms.

"I believe you," Mrs. Qian finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "I don't know why, but I believe you."

She took a deep breath, folded the paper, tucked it into her sleeve, stood up, and bowed deeply to Shen Nannan.

"Miss Shen, I will never forget your kindness."

Shen Nannan quickly stood up and helped her up: "Madam, please don't be like this, I just... can't stand it."

Madam Qian looked up at her, her eyes red: "Miss Shen, why are you helping me? We're not related, I have a bad temper, and I don't have many friends in the capital. What are you after?"

Shen Nannan thought for a moment,

"I don't want anything in return. I just feel that Madam shouldn't have to suffer like this." She paused, "I've been deceived before. It's a terrible feeling. If someone lends a hand, life becomes a little easier."

Mrs. Qian stared at her for a long while, then suddenly smiled. That smile contained none of the previous politeness or probing; it was a genuine smile, tinged with tears.

"Miss Shen, I've made you my friend." She grasped Shen Nannan's hand. "If you ever need anything, just come to me. I, Zhao Chunmei, may not be good at much else in Beijing, but I certainly know how to curse people."

As Shen Nannan held her hand, a strange feeling welled up inside her.

In her past life, this woman met a tragic end.

In this life, she wants to ensure she lives a good life.

Shen Nannan smiled and grasped her hand in return: "Then I won't be polite."

The two looked at each other and smiled, like old friends.

She walked to the door, then suddenly stopped and looked back at Shen Nannan.

"Miss Shen."

"Um?"

"You're different from what I used to think." She paused. "I used to think you were just a spoiled rich girl who didn't know anything. Now I think... you're much smarter than me."

Shen Nannan smiled: "You flatter me, Madam."

"I'm serious." Mrs. Qian looked at her earnestly. "If anything happens in the future, just let me know."

She pushed open the door and went out, her footsteps clattering as she went downstairs.

The private room quieted down.

Shen Nannan leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.

"Miss," Ah Chao said, "you told her so much, aren't you afraid she'll turn around and tell Qian Mingyuan?"

"No." Shen Nannan picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "She's straightforward and honest. If she trusts me, she won't betray me."

"What if?"

"What if?" She put down her teacup, looked in the direction where Zhao had disappeared, and smiled. "There won't be any such 'what if'."

Ah Chao looked at her without saying a word.

Shen Nannan walked to the window, opened it, and looked down at the long street. Madam Qian's sedan chair was moving slowly and swaying into the distance.

"Ah Chao".

"Um."

"How do you think Qian Mingyuan will handle this tonight?"

"Give her a beating, then coax her a couple of times." Ah Chao walked up behind her, his voice flat. "Madam Qian is soft-hearted, so it'll probably pass."

Shen Nannan chuckled: "That's why we can't rely on her alone."

"Did you arrange for someone else, Miss?"

Shen Nannan didn't answer, but turned to look at him and poked his chest: "You'll find out tonight."

Ah Chao grasped the finger that was poking his chest and kissed it.

"Miss is getting better and better at keeping people in suspense."

"I learned it from you." She pulled her hand away. "Aren't you the best at hiding things?"

Ah Chao's lips curved slightly, but he didn't refute.

After leaving Zuixianlou, Shen Nannan got into the carriage, leaned against the side, and let out a long sigh.

Ah Chao sat opposite her, holding a rabbit in his arms, looking at her.

"Miss," he said.

"Um?"

"Were the things you just said to Madam Qian the truth, or were they calculated?"

Shen Nannan glanced at him, then suddenly smiled: "What do you think?"

Ah Chao didn't say anything.

"Half sincerity, half calculation." She leaned against the car wall, looking at the street scene outside the window. "She's not a bad person, but I don't want to see her follow the same path I did."

"The route Miss used to take?" Ah Chao repeated, his voice low. "What route?"

Shen Nannan paused, realizing she had let something slip again. She turned her face away, looking out the window, her voice muffled: "It's nothing."

Ah Chao didn't ask any further questions. But his hand slid down from the car wall, grasped her hand, and their fingers intertwined.

"No matter what path we take, this servant will accompany you, Miss."

Shen Nannan's nose suddenly stung with tears. Instead of pulling away, she gripped his hand tightly.

The carriage swayed and wobbled forward. After turning a corner, she lifted the curtain to look outside and suddenly said, "Let's not go back to the manor yet, let's take a drive around the west side of the city."

"Is Miss going to scout out a location?" Ah Chao asked.

"Hmm. We need to check out the location before going to the theater tonight."

"What play?"

"The 'catching the adulterer' scene," she said, a slight smile playing on her lips. "It's better than last night's."

Ah Chao's lips curled into a smile: "Miss is becoming more and more like a thief."

"I learned it from you."

------

That night, in Liuxiang, west of the city.

The moon was obscured by clouds, and the alley was pitch black, with only the occasional bark of a dog coming from afar.

Ah Chao and Shen Nannan were squatting on the roof, both dressed in black night clothes.

This time, Shen Nannan was smarter and had A Chao loosen her night clothes a bit beforehand, but it was still uncomfortable to squat on the roof, as the tiles hurt her knees.

"Why haven't they come yet?" she muttered to herself.

"Soon."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps echoed from the alley entrance.

A sedan chair stopped at the alley entrance. Madam Qian stepped out of the sedan chair, followed by several maids and four burly old women, each carrying a stick.

Shen Nannan glanced down and clicked her tongue twice: "Bringing so many people, are they going to fight?"

Ah Chao didn't say anything, but reached out and put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"The tiles are slippery," he said.

Shen Nannan glanced at him but didn't call him out. "Slippery roof tiles? It's not raining tonight, what's slippery about them?"

But she didn't break free; instead, she moved even closer to him.

Madam Qian pushed open the courtyard gate and walked straight to the main room, which was lit up.

Inside the room came a woman's giggles and a man's heavy breathing.

"My lord... tell me, when will you divorce her..." the woman's voice was sweet and coquettish.

"Soon, soon. Once things are settled with the Crown Prince, I'll divorce her immediately. Then I'll marry you, and you'll be Madam Qian."

"real?"

"Why would I lie to you? Come on, let me kiss you again..."

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open.

"Qian Mingyuan! How could you do this to me!" Madam Qian's voice was so shrill it could pierce the roof.

The sound of ping-pong balls coming from inside the room was mixed with a woman's screams, a man's pleas for mercy, and the crisp sound of slaps hitting faces.

Shen Nannan lay on the roof, watching with great interest.

"This Mrs. Qian has quite a strong grip," she whispered.

Ah Chao didn't reply, but tightened his grip on her waist a little more.

"Why are you hugging me so tightly?" She pushed him away. "I can hardly breathe."

"I'm afraid you'll fall."

"I won't fall."

"What if?"

Shen Nannan was too lazy to argue with him and continued reading.