She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Jiang Ruining relaxed, but her trembling hadn't subsided, and she frowned in annoyance.

"Shao Yunting! What are you doing! Why are you chasing me for no reason? You scared the soul out of me!"

Shao Yunting's gentle eyes held a hint of guilt: "I'm sorry, I startled you." He then asked her, "Why did you run away when I called you?"

Jiang Ruining was held tightly by him, her body almost pressed against his waist and abdomen. Every breath he took pressed against her, making the posture and atmosphere quite ambiguous. When she looked up, she saw a magnified, impeccably handsome face. It was hard not to blush!

"Let go of me first!"

Shao Yunting didn't let go of her. He lowered his eyes slightly, gazing at her trembling long eyelashes and flushed, adorable face with a smile: "Ningning, answer me first, are you deliberately avoiding me?"

Jiang Ruining gently shook her head: "I thought I had encountered a pervert. Duke Shao, could you please...?"

"Shh!" Shao Yunting raised his slender index finger and gently touched her lips: "Between you two, this way of addressing each other is too formal. Just call me as before."

Brother Yunting.

Recalling how she used to deliberately put on a lovesick face and call his name every day, a smile crept onto his lips.

Suddenly I realized how incredibly cute she was back then.

Jiang Ruining had the illusion that he was flirting with her. Her face flushed, and the heat almost blurred her eyes, making the corners of her eyes blush slightly, adding to her allure: "It's not appropriate..."

Shao Yunting had seen her flamboyant and unrestrained, her naive and adorable, and her cunning and bright. Today, he was deeply attracted by her timid and shy appearance. He touched the corner of her eye with his fingertip and gently caressed it: "Your brother and I are close friends. It's perfectly reasonable for you to call me brother, isn't it?"

The fingertips of a martial artist are somewhat rough.

It feels slightly itchy as it glides across the skin.

Jiang Ruining shrank back, leaning backward repeatedly.

But the hand supporting her back was very strong. With a little force, it pressed her back against him, making her lean even closer to him, leaving her with nowhere to retreat and causing her to panic.

Getting involved with Xiao Che has already made it impossible for her to have a peaceful day.

He is the male lead, and the official love interest of the female lead, Chu Jin.

How could a supporting female character like her possibly have the right to touch or get involved with it?

She didn't want to be targeted by his admirers, nor did she want to be at odds with Chu Jin again because of him.

So even though he was incredibly handsome and had such a great physique that she fantasized about him, she still decided to stay away from him for the sake of her life!

She bent her arms and pressed them firmly against his chest, raising her voice to stop his intimate actions: "Shao Yunting, you've overstepped your bounds!"

Shao Yunting realized his recklessness and paused.

He was from a prestigious family and always had impeccable manners, but today he lost his composure simply because of her adorable appearance, which surprised him.

I've only had three real interactions with her and observed her up close!

But there was a strange attraction about her that kept drawing his attention!

He was stunned for a long time.

Shao Yunting slowly released the girl he had been holding in his arms: "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."

Jiang Ruining rubbed her stiff lower back, took two steps back, and distanced herself from him.

Shao Yunting couldn't help but move closer to her: "You didn't come yesterday."

Yesterday, he waited for her by Zhengyang Lake all morning.

I had originally planned to take her boating on the lake so we could spend time alone together.

He did a lot of preparation to make sure she had a great time.

Jiang Ruining pursed her lips, not giving him any false impression that she would be moved: "Shao Yunting, I'm already of marriageable age, and it's no longer appropriate for me to go out alone with a man who isn't a blood relative."

"If you have anything urgent, you can send someone to deliver a message to me, but I don't think there's anything so important that we need to meet. Besides, I really dislike it when someone approaches me with an ulterior motive."

A brief pause.

He added.

"Your stance and what you're about to do are too dangerous, but I just want to live a quiet life. So, until you've finished your business, there's no need for you, me, or my brother to get too close."

A hint of surprise flashed across Shao Yunting's warm and gentle expression.

He realized that during the years she had pretended to be naive and wandered around, she had uncovered many hidden secrets and seen through many people.

That includes him.

Her insight and wisdom were far more profound than he had imagined.

"You know?"

Jiang Ruining shook her head, avoiding his gaze: "I don't know anything, and I don't want to know. I just hope that the people I care about won't get involved in danger."

Shao Yunting's breathing was shallow: "Does the person you care about include... the Regent?"

Jiang Ruining didn't expect him to ask that question. Her brow twitched slightly, and then she shook her head: "Neither you nor he are pure. You both have ulterior motives and are using each other. To me, it's the same for both of you."

Shao Yunting breathed a sigh of relief and subtly moved closer to her: "I'm sorry, I did approach you with an ulterior motive back then, but now I'm genuinely trying to get to know you."

"You are intelligent and talented, with a bright and lively charm that other women don't have. You are even cute when you're not talking. My invitation to you and my approach to you is not a ploy to use my good looks, but because I genuinely want to spend more time with you and get to know you better."

Jiang Ruining was taken aback, quite shocked by his words, and even a little scared.

Is he interested in her?

What about Chu Jin?

wrong!

The mutual attraction between the male and female protagonists is the core setting of the whole book, and it is impossible for it to go off track so easily. Shao Yunting said this only to seduce her. Once she is moved, she will be willing to persuade her father and brothers to stand on the side of the young emperor!

Doesn't he know that Chu Jin is favored and treated like a legitimate daughter in the Jiang family?

You've already hit it off, why don't you go and get closer to her!

Shao Yunting seemed to see through her thoughts and continued, "Ningning, your father and brothers are in the court, so they can't stay out of it forever. If your father and brothers insist on neutrality, they will be seen as a thorn in their side."

"The Empress Dowager and the Choi clan are too self-serving, willing to betray the country for power. The Regent is suspicious, biased, and ruthless. No matter which side you support, I'm afraid none of them will have a good end in the future."

"Although His Majesty is young, he has the world at heart. He is able to navigate the power struggles between the Empress Dowager and the Regent, and strive for the well-being of the people. If he can assume personal rule soon, it will be a blessing for all the people!"

He took out the dagger she had traded for from his sleeve.

It was put back into her hands.

"Trust me, I won't hurt you, nor will I hurt your brother."