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

It's night.

After taking a shower and changing into a clean nightgown, Shen Nannan sat on the bed drying her hair.

Her hair was wet, and water droplets dripped down from the ends, soaking a small patch of her chest.

Qiu Yu came in carrying a candlestick, placed the lamp by the bedside, looked at her, and hesitated to speak.

"What's wrong?" Shen Nannan looked at her in the bronze mirror.

"Miss, um..." Qiu Yu hesitated for a moment, "Should we have A-Chao keep watch again tonight?"

Shen Nannan paused for a moment while drying her hair.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just..." Qiu Yu said softly, "Linglong said that people in the manor are gossiping. They're saying that Miss is getting too close to a guard, which isn't in accordance with the rules."

Shen Nannan put the handkerchief on the table, turned around and looked at her: "Who's spreading this?"

"They're just... a few gossipy old women." Qiu Yu bit her lip. "I've already sent someone to give them a talking-to."

"What's the use of giving them a warning? Just make an example of them. Go ahead, just don't kill anyone."

Having lived a second life, Shen Nannan knows how harsh the world is on a woman's reputation. If she is not ruthless, next time, these rumors will become sharp blades piercing her and A Chao.

"Alright, you can go now." Shen Nannan waved her hand. "Let him in."

Qiu Yu responded and turned to leave.

A moment later, the door was pushed open.

Ah Chao walked in, having changed into a clean set of dark clothes. His hair was still a little damp, as if he had just washed it.

He was carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming ginger soup on it.

"Miss's hair isn't dry." He placed the ginger soup on the bedside table, frowned, and said, "You'll catch a cold."

Shen Nannan sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at him: "Then you help me wipe it."

He didn't speak, but picked up a handkerchief, sat down behind her, gathered her hair, and wiped it bit by bit.

The movements were very light and slow.

Shen Nannan closed her eyes, feeling his fingers running through her hair, a ticklish, tingling sensation.

"Ah Chao," she said.

"Um."

Are you sleeping with me tonight?

His fingers paused for a moment.

Shen Nannan opened her eyes and looked back at him.

Moonlight streamed in through the window and fell on his face.

"Miss," his voice was a little hoarse, "you've probably forgotten that I'm a man."

Shen Nannan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"I know," she said. "I'm not blind."

"So, this young lady even makes her servants sleep with her?"

"What? You don't want to?"

A-Chao stared at her, put down the handkerchief in his hand, and moved closer.

The distance suddenly closed, so close that she could see the bloodshot in his eyes and smell the fresh scent of soap on him.

"Miss... I've told you before, I'm not some gentleman..."

He pulled a strand of her hair and held it to his nose.

"I've wanted to pin you down on the bed countless times..."

He looked at her, his gaze intense.

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she looked up at him, her eyes bright.

"Then give it a try."

Ah Chao's breath hitched.

"That's what the young lady said," his voice was terribly hoarse, "Don't regret it."

He reached out, cupped the back of her head, and lowered his head to kiss her.

His lips pressed down, his teeth biting her lower lip hard, making her groan in pain. His tongue pried open her lips and teeth, swirling inside, making it hard for her to breathe.

Shen Nannan was dizzy from his kisses, clutching his clothes and leaning back.

He pressed down on her, supporting himself with one hand on her side and holding her waist with the other, slowly laying her down on the bed.

The curtain swayed in the wind, then fell down, blocking out the moonlight.

In the darkness, his kisses slid from her lips to her chin, and from her chin to her neck, one light kiss after another, one heavy kiss after another, as if punishing her, or as if pleasing her.

"Ah Chao..." Her voice was as soft as a puddle of water.

He stopped, pressed his forehead against hers, and gasped for breath.

"Miss," his voice was terribly hoarse, "do you know how much I wanted to... when you called my name?"

He didn't go on.

Shen Nannan touched his face in the darkness, cupped it, and gently stroked his face with her thumb.

"What are you overthinking?"

He didn't answer, but instead lowered his head and bit her collarbone.

It wasn't heavy, but it left a mark.

"I want it this way," he said sullenly.

Shen Nannan felt both itchy and painful from his bite, and flinched but didn't dodge.

"Anything else?"

His fingers slid up her waist, through the thin nightgown, his calloused fingertips rubbing against her skin inch by inch.

It was neither too light nor too heavy, neither too fast nor too slow, as if it were measuring something.

"I want it this way."

Shen Nannan's breathing became erratic.

His fingers rested on her waist, gently hooking the strap of her nightgown, without moving.

"Miss," his voice was so low it seemed to be squeezed from his chest, "I'll ask you one more time. Are you sure?"

Shen Nannan looked into his eyes in the darkness. Those eyes were astonishingly bright, burning with fire, but beneath that fire lay something precious, something carefully cherished, as if afraid of breaking something.

She reached out, hooked her arm around his neck, pulled him down, and pressed her lips against his ear.

"I'm sure," she said softly, "Silly."

His body jolted violently.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

This time was different. It wasn't the tentative and restrained kiss from before; it was unrestrained, out of control, a kiss that completely absorbed her into his very being.

His hand slid up her waist, his fingertips touching her smooth skin, and both of them lost their breath.

The only sounds inside the tent were panting and the rustling of clothes.

His hands roamed over her body, each inch like a spark.

Shen Nannan felt weak all over from his touch, her fingers clutching his clothes.

"Ah Chao..." she called his name, her voice trembling.

"Mmm," he responded, his lips brushing against her collarbone, kissing her repeatedly. "Your servant is here."

"Be gentle..."

"it is good."

He said okay, but he didn't loosen his grip at all.

His fingers lingered on her body, circling with his fingertips, making her ticklish and causing her to dodge away.

"Tell me to be gentler..."

"This is already very light." His voice was muffled, tinged with grievance. "This servant hasn't even used enough force."

Shen Nannan was speechless because of his words, so she reached out and punched him.

He took her fist, kissed it, then intertwined his fingers and pressed it against the pillow.

He leaned over her, looking down at her. In the darkness, his eyes shone like two flames.

"Miss." His voice was low.

"Um."

Are you scared?

"What are you afraid of?"

"You're afraid of me."

Shen Nannan looked at him and said, "Don't be afraid. My A-Chao won't hurt me."

As she spoke, her hand couldn't help but wander and touch his firm abs.

"My Ah Chao, he has such a great figure..."

Ah Chao let out a muffled groan, restrained her hand, and brought it to his lips.

Her fingertips lightly brushed against each of her fingers.

She gently bit her lip. "Miss is naughty. She always teases me and then runs away, leaving me all alone and miserable."

Shen Nannan felt both itchy and painful from his bite, and she shrank her neck.

"Then... then what do you want?"

He looked up at her, his eyes red, filled with her image.

"I want it back."