After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

The Yingzhu Garden was much quieter in the afternoon than in the morning.

As soon as Shen Jingque entered the courtyard, she saw Xiao Changgeng sitting under the eaves.

He got a new wheelchair, which looked much lighter than the previous one, with soft leather covering the armrests and smaller wheels.

Xuan Qi stood to the side, while Xiao Changgeng reached out and pressed his hand on the armrest, his brows slightly furrowed.

"The left handrail is too high; it's uncomfortable to rest my elbow on when turning."

Xuan Qi nodded and noted it down. "I'll have the carpenter revise it again later."

Xiao Changgeng patted the wheel again, "The axle is too loud, it's very noisy."

Shen Jingque went over and curiously circled the new wheelchair.

"Young Master, are you heading out?"

Before Xiao Changgeng could speak, Xuan Qi answered first.

"The Princess just came by and said that the Lantern Festival is tomorrow, and she wants the eldest son to go and have a look around and enjoy the festivities, so we've changed to a more comfortable wheelchair."

Shen Jingque's eyes lit up, and she patted her chest confidently.

"Don't worry, young master, I will definitely take good care of you tomorrow!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Changgeng's expression changed.

A shadow crossed his once calm face, his fingers tightened around the armrest, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Xuanqi, push me back."

Xuan Qi glanced at Shen Jingque, said nothing, and pushed his wheelchair into the inner room.

The curtain fell, blocking the view from the outside.

Shen Jingque stood there, stunned, blinking blankly.

How come this person can change their mind faster than turning the pages of a book?

She turned to look at Ji Qianshang, who was coming out of the pharmacy: "What did I say wrong?"

Ji Qianshang sighed and put the pestle in his hand on the table.

"Think before you speak next time, rather than asking me questions after you've already spoken."

Shen Jingque was even more confused: "I just said I wanted to take care of him, what's the problem with that?"

She's really sincere!

There will be a lot of people at the lantern festival tomorrow. It's inconvenient for Xiao Changgeng to be in a wheelchair, so it's only natural for her to help push him around and help him see where he's going.

How did I step on his sore spot?

Ji Qianshang, unusually, did not mock him; his tone even carried a hint of helplessness.

"He is the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not a three-year-old child."

Shen Jingque opened her mouth, then suddenly understood.

Xiao Changgeng was once a powerful and influential figure, renowned throughout the court and the country, but now he is confined to a wheelchair.

The original book describes him entering the palace with a knife, silencing all the officials and even making the emperor treat him with great respect.

What a spirited and ambitious person he was.

Now he is confined to a wheelchair and cannot even stand up and take a few steps.

The word "care" may be said unintentionally, but to the listener it is probably more jarring than any mockery.

It seemed to imply his incompetence and decadence, representing that he had become a burden that required the young girl to worry about.

Shen Jingque lowered her head and kicked a small pebble on the ground in annoyance.

"I did not mean that."

Ji Qianshang leaned back against the door frame, arms crossed.

"I know you're not, and he knows it too. But knowing is one thing, whether you can live with yourself is another."

Xiao Changgeng may appear cold and hard on the outside, but in reality, he is more ambitious than anyone else.

During the year he was injured, he locked himself in the Shadow Bamboo Garden, and even when the eldest princess came to visit him, he had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor.

But this little girl's carefree remark shattered the dignity and self-respect he had been maintaining.

Shen Jingque looked up and glared at him. "Why didn't you remind me sooner!"

Ji Qianshang rolled her eyes: "I'm not a mind reader, how would I know what stupid things you're going to say?"

Shen Jingque stomped her foot in anger: "You're the stupid one! Your whole family is stupid!"

Ji Qianshang sneered: "My father is the divine physician Ji Wuyai. Say it again?"

Shen Jingque choked, and after holding it in for a long time, she muttered to herself.

"When you can't win an argument, you bring up your dad. You're such a spoiled brat."

Ji Qianshang was too lazy to argue with her and turned back to the pharmacy.

Inside the room, Xuan Qi pushed Xiao Changgeng to the window.

"go out."

Xuan Qi acknowledged and left, closing the door behind him.

Xiao Changgeng was the only one left in the room.

He looked down at his numb legs, his eyes swirling with indescribable emotions.

Anger, humiliation, and a deep-seated self-loathing.

A whole year.

He tried countless times to pinch his thigh hard, punch it, or even cut his skin with the tip of a dagger when no one was around late at night.

Xiao Changgeng raised his right fist again and slammed it hard into his thigh.

But I can't feel anything.

His body, from the waist down, appeared to be dead.

The young girl said she would take care of him, without a trace of contempt in her tone or any pity in her eyes.

Perhaps it was just a casual expression of concern to her.

But it was precisely this casual remark that made him feel like a useless piece of trash.

After a long silence, Xiao Changgeng closed his eyes and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

The dignified commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard actually got into a fight with a twelve-year-old girl.

Isn't he incredibly spineless?

Taking your anger out on a child, what kind of skill is that?

Xiao Changgeng slowly loosened his clenched fist, looked up at the roof beam with a blank stare, and waited for the surging emotions in his heart to slowly subside.

His emotions finally calmed down, and his gaze fell on the untouched bowl of cheese on the table.

The kitchen brought out lunch, and although he didn't like sweets, he inexplicably stayed.

Xiao Changgeng called out loudly, "Xuan Qi!"

Xuan Qi immediately pushed the door open and came in.

Xiao Changgeng raised his chin, gesturing to the plate of cheese on the table.

"Take this to Little Sparrow; she'll probably be hungry this afternoon."

Xuan Qi glanced at his master's expressionless face and understood.

The master is trying to save face.

His lips twitched, but he didn't say anything, simply replying, "Yes."

As he picked up the bowl and went outside, he bumped into Shen Jingque squatting at the entrance of the pharmacy, looking annoyed as she poked ants with a twig.

"Miss Shen."

Shen Jingque looked up and saw the bowl in Xuan Qi's hand; her eyes immediately widened.

"What is this?"

Xuanqi handed the plate over.

"The eldest young master sent it, saying the young lady will be hungry this afternoon."

Shen Jingque took the plate and stood there stunned for several seconds.

The bowl contained milky white cheese, sprinkled with fine osmanthus flowers, and looked very exquisite.

Milk was still a precious food in this era because it was not easy to preserve and ordinary people rarely had the opportunity to enjoy it.

She looked up at the tightly closed curtains of the inner room, then looked down at the cheese in her hand.

The corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

"oh."

I scooped up a big spoonful and put it in my mouth; the sweet, milky flavor melted on my tongue.

Shen Jingque then muttered something under her breath towards the inner room.

"A stubborn but soft-hearted ice cube."