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

Shen Jingque froze in Shen Yan's arms.

The notification tone was still echoing, making her temples throb.

She peeked her head out from Shen Yan's arms, looking left and right, her gaze sweeping around the bridge and its underside.

The crowd was in chaos, but which one was Xiao Jingchen?

After looking for a long time, I still couldn't find a face that matched the description of "gentle, handsome, and destined for greatness".

Shen Jingque was internally freaked out, and roared at the system, "I've fallen into the river! How could I have bumped into him? Is Xiao Jingchen a river god? Did I just bump into him underwater?"

System 001's voice carried a relieved and diligent tone.

[You and the Chosen One are within the same event scope, meeting the criteria for an "encounter".]

Shen Jingque: "..."

"You mean, he saw me, and he noticed me?"

[Correct! The Chosen One witnessed the host falling into the water and the subsequent events. The system has determined that the two parties have completed spatial intersection, and the mission has been accomplished.]

Shen Jingque's expression changed from bewilderment to seriousness.

Xiao Jingchen noticed her, which is a bad thing.

She originally wanted to secretly catch a glimpse of Xiao Jingchen from afar on the Jade Bridge.

After the system completed its assessment, she turned and left, never to see it again.

As Cheng thought, not only did she fail to keep a low profile, but she also put on a big show in front of Xiao Jingchen.

Shen Jingque felt a chill run down her spine.

In the original book, Xiao Jingchen appears gentle and refined on the surface, but in reality, he is extremely cunning and calculating.

He excels at identifying "useful people," then using gentleness and care to keep them by his side, squeezing out every last drop of value.

That's how the original female lead was gradually ensnared by him.

Shen Jingque closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

"It's all Zhao Yuwan's fault."

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

What's the panic? She's not like the original female lead, who was obsessed with romance.

Xiao Jingchen's gentle advances were like scam text messages to her.

"Dear user, you have won one million!"

She's seen this kind of tactic before.

Since things have come to this, there's no point in thinking about it anymore.

Xiao Jingchen has noticed her; that's a fact she can't change.

But she can change the course of events.

The reason the original female lead was trapped in the story was because she felt that Xiao Jingchen was genuinely good to her, so she was willing to make sacrifices for him.

Then she did the opposite.

Don't get close, don't need him, and don't give him any opportunity to "benefit" him.

Most importantly, make yourself appear to have no value to him.

Xiao Jingchen wouldn't waste his time on a mediocre person.

"Sparrow?"

Shen Yan's voice came from above, filled with deep worry.

He felt his daughter in his arms constantly turning her head to look around, her little body tense, and he thought she was terrified.

So he hugged the little one in his arms even tighter, shielding the back of her head with one hand, and whispered soothingly, "Don't be afraid, Daddy will take you home."

Shen Jingque buried her face in his chest and mumbled a soft "hmm".

Never mind, let's go back first and talk about it later.

Xiao Mingyue and Ji Qianshang had already turned and walked towards the carriage, instructing the servants to return to the mansion in advance to prepare ginger soup and medicinal bath, while urging them to hurry back.

"Young Master Shen, please take Little Sparrow back to your residence."

Shen Yan took two steps with Shen Jingque in his arms, then suddenly stopped.

He turned around.

Shen Tingyun was still standing by the bridge, half of her face swollen, her hairpin askew, and her messy hair sticking to the side of her face.

He was like a blade of grass bent by the wind, swaying precariously, yet he dared not take a step forward.

In the instant their eyes met, Shen Tingyun saw the emotions in her father's eyes.

There was no anger or disgust, but it was more painful than those feelings.

It's disappointment.

"Father..." Shen Tingyun's lips trembled as he spoke, "I didn't mean to harm Jingque, I just wanted things to pass quickly."

The look Shen Yan gave her contained a hint of heartache, but even more so, a sense of helplessness that came from seeing through everything.

"Tingyun, I understand that you're afraid the Marquis's mansion will make things difficult for you."

Shen Tingyun's eyes welled up with tears, and a glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in her heart.

Does her father understand that she has no choice in the matter? Then he will surely understand her.

But what followed felt like a slap in the face.

"She's your sister, she stood up for you, but you're helping outsiders bully her."

"Tingyun, since when did you become such a child who can't distinguish right from wrong?"

"Your father is very disappointed in you."

Shen Tingyun's tears finally fell.

She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Because every word my father said was true.

Shen Jingque rushed up to pull Zhao Yuwan away because she was standing up for her.

And what about her?

Under Zhao Yuwan's threat, she personally beat up her younger sister who had stood up for her.

But she didn't want to either. If she hadn't made a move then, Zhao Yuwan would have.

It was clearly a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils, so why blame her now?

She clearly stood up to protect Shen Jingque too!

Shen Yan didn't say anything more, turned around while holding the person in his arms tightly, his voice as cool as water: "You... take good care of yourself in the Marquis's mansion, Father is leaving first..."

Then he quickly left.

Shen Tingyun stood there, watching her father's figure grow smaller and smaller as he walked away.

The hem of her moon-white brocade robe was soaked by the river, leaving a dark trail in the lamplight, as if taking away her last ray of light.

She heard the splashing sound of water behind her; Zhao Yuwan had been pulled from the river by the servants.

The eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion was soaking wet, her hair was disheveled, and her makeup was a mess. She lay on the shore coughing for a long time, and the first thing she did when she looked up was to glare at Shen Tingyun.

His eyes were filled with hatred.

Wen Qianrou stood to the side, having already quietly retreated three steps, her fan covering half her face, giving off an expression that said, "I don't know these people."

Shen Tingyun slowly squatted down and picked up the broken rabbit lantern from the ground.

The paper cracked, and the bamboo bones broke.

She held the tattered lantern in her arms, feeling as if she were standing in complete darkness amidst the brightly lit streets.

……

at the same time.

On the east side of Baiyu Bridge, there is a private room on the second floor of a riverside restaurant.

The window was half-open, and the night breeze, carrying the fishy smell of the river, rushed in along with the noise of the street.

A sixteen-year-old boy sat by the window, a cup of untouched tea beside him, his slender fingers gently tapping the windowpane.

He wore a moon-white straight robe with an inconspicuous jade pendant tied at his waist. His demeanor was gentle and reserved, like a young master from a scholarly family coming out to enjoy the lanterns.

But if you look closely into his eyes, you'll find that beneath that gentle exterior lies undisguised indifference and calculation.

That was the arrogance that comes with being born into nobility, as if everything on the bridge was nothing more than a short play for people's amusement.

He watched this farce with a cold eye, inwardly scoffing.

Zhao Yuwan, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yong'an, is utterly infuriatingly stupid.

Relying on his family's status, he recklessly shouted in the street and even dared to provoke Princess Xiao Mingyue. It was only right that he was thrown into the river.

This kind of brainless idiot is beneath him; he wouldn't even consider using him as a stepping stone.

As for Shen Tingyun, Xiao Jingchen shook his head in disdain.

Such a person is inherently weak and clingy. Just throw them a few bones with some meat on them and show them some tenderness, and they'll be as devoted as a dog.

Utterly boring.

What truly caught his eye was that little girl who was as lively as a firecracker.

They are completely unruly and rude.

How could it possibly make the arrogant and ruthless Princess Zhenguo personally step in to protect her?

The boy picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled.

"Interesting, very interesting."

The attendant behind him bowed and asked, "Your Highness, are we about to return?"

"That little girl," he tilted his head, a hint of amusement in his voice, "find out who she is and what her relationship is with the Princess's residence."