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

Before Uncle Xu could even begin to introduce them, footsteps echoed from the moon gate behind him.

Shen Jingque turned around and saw Xiao Mingyue walking from the other end of the corridor in a black outfit.

His steps were measured and his presence commanding.

Half a step to her side, followed by a slender figure.

Shen Yan wore a new light gray robe today, with a plain sash tied around his waist, which made him look handsome and upright.

But this is not the point.

The main point is that her father's face, from his ears to his neck, was as red as a boiled shrimp.

Those gentle eyes didn't know where to look; their gaze wandered aimlessly, never daring to look at the Princess beside them.

Xiao Mingyue, however, remained calm, with a faint smile playing on her lips.

As she walked, the hem of her sleeve occasionally brushed against the back of Shen Yan's hand, seemingly unintentionally, yet also as if on purpose.

Shen Jingque's gossip radar instantly went full speed.

What's going on?

Her father's expression makes him look like a young wife who has just been teased!

"Stepmother!"

Xiao Changqi's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

The richest man in Dayong rushed forward, his golden fan tucked into his waistband, and he looked like a large dog pouncing on its prey, his face beaming with joy.

"Godmother, your son is back!"

He pointed to the boxes in the yard with a showy air.

"Look what a wonderful gift your son brought you! It's a piece of South China Sea coral from Lingnan, completely blood red, and a full three feet tall. It looks so impressive displayed in the main hall!"

"There's also mermaid gauze, said to be woven by mermaids in the deep sea. It's as thin as a cicada's wing and doesn't get wet when submerged in water, making it perfect for making spring clothes for my godmother."

"Oh, right, there's also a sandalwood chessboard. The grain is so natural, my son immediately thought of his godmother..."

Xiao Mingyue raised her hand and pressed down on his shoulder, while covering his mouth with her other hand.

"You come back and start making a huge fuss, what kind of behavior is that?"

Xiao Changqi grunted, seemingly unconcerned, but the excitement in his peach blossom eyes didn't diminish at all. He grabbed Xiao Mingyue's hand and started circling around her excitedly.

"Godmother, please take a look! Your son has been choosing for three months..."

Xiao Mingyue glanced at the chests and boxes piled up in the passageway, her temples throbbing.

"Xiao Changqi, my front yard is not your warehouse."

"I know!"

Xiao Changqi spoke with great conviction.

"The items in the warehouse are for sale; these are for my adoptive mother!"

Uncle Xu silently turned a page of the booklet beside him, his expression showing complete indifference.

Taking advantage of this moment, Shen Jingque quietly moved to Shen Yan's side.

She looked up and whispered, "Father."

Shen Yan shuddered, and his gaze darted away when he looked down at her.

"W-what's wrong?"

Shen Jingque tilted her head and looked him over.

Her father's ears were so red they looked like they could bleed, and he was twisting his sleeves with both hands, looking completely helpless.

"Dad, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"

Shen Yan took half a step back: "No, no, it's just that the wind is strong outside."

"There's no wind today."

Shen Yan's gaze drifted to the eaves in the distance: "That's... it's hot because they were in a hurry."

Shen Jingque narrowed her eyes.

Her father's lying skills are no different from those of a three-year-old.

"Father, what were you doing with Her Highness the Princess just now?"

Shen Yan was taken aback, and lowered his voice to a whisper: "Children shouldn't ask about adult matters."

Shen Jingque: "???"

When did her father learn to use such words to brush her off?

Shen Jingque immediately called upon the system in her mind.

"System, Cave Demon! Come out here!"

The system yawned in her mind, as if it had just been awakened.

This is System 001. I'm very unhappy to assist you.

Shen Jingque clicked her tongue and asked urgently, "What did my dad just do? Did you monitor it?"

【Your father… wait!? Your father is about to become the fourth consort of the Princess Zhenguo!】

Shen Jingque's mind went blank.

"What did you say?!"

[Congratulations, host! Your rank advancement is just around the corner.]

Shen Jingque opened her mouth.

She glanced at Xiao Mingyue, who was being pestered by Xiao Changqi to look at the gift list, and then at Shen Yan beside her, whose face was flushed red.

and so……

In the short time she was away, her father was captured by the Princess?

Isn't this progress bar moving a little too fast?!

"Father!" Shen Jingque grabbed Shen Yan's sleeve and whispered, "Are you hiding something from me?"

Shen Yan was in a daze, as if he had been acupunctured. At this moment, Shen Jingque's shout startled him.

He opened his mouth, squeezing out a few broken syllables: "Your Highness...she said..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Changqi's voice suddenly rose eight octaves.

"What did you say, stepmother?!"

All eyes turned to that direction.

Xiao Changqi's golden fan fell to the ground with a thud. He froze on the spot, his peach blossom eyes wide open, his mouth agape, his expression as if he had been struck by lightning.

Xiao Mingyue stood opposite him, her expression calm.

"I have said that I intend to choose a date for our marriage."

Xiao Changqi shifted his gaze from Xiao Mingyue's face and slowly turned to what was behind her.

His shrewd and ruthless gaze swept over Shen Yan from head to toe and then from toe to head, as if he were assessing a piece of merchandise.

Then his voice exploded, echoing throughout the entire front yard:

"So, I'm supposed to call this pretty boy 'Dad'?!"

The courtyard was completely silent.

The servants carrying the boxes froze in shock. Uncle Xu nearly dropped the booklet from his hand, and Qian Mo huddled behind a pillar, clutching his account book.

Shen Yan looked embarrassed and tried to bury his head in his collar.

Xiao Mingyue flicked his forehead with her finger.

"Call him godfather."

Xiao Changqi covered his head: "..."

He strode up to Shen Yan, his gaze filled with disbelief as he looked Shen Yan up and down.

"You? You?"

Shen Yan felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze and subconsciously took a step back, his shoulder blade hitting a pillar, leaving him nowhere to retreat.

Xiao Changqi continued to approach, looking down at the man who was even thinner than himself, his eyes filled with shock.

"My adoptive mother fought on the battlefield for twenty years, commanding at least eight or ten thousand soldiers, and in the end, she chose you as her husband..."

He paused, as if searching for a suitable word.

"...A frail, pale-faced scholar?"

Shen Yan's ears burned again, and his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Xiao Mingyue's voice drifted from the side, neither too loud nor too soft, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Xiao Changqi, if you utter another word, you can forget about going to the hunt this spring."

The spring hunt was an event organized by the Da Yong Kyoto Chamber of Commerce. Although it was called a hunt, it was more like a social event.

Merchants from all walks of life exchange information and make connections; it is an annual grand event in the business world.

Most importantly, the president of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce, Madam Fan, is the woman he has been longing for but cannot have.

He's finally back in Kyoto, and if his adoptive mother doesn't let him make a name for himself at the spring hunt, then...

Xiao Changqi's mouth instantly shut.

Very well, there's plenty of time. He'll see how this pretty boy manages to hook up with his godmother.