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

At the entrance of the alley outside the Princess's residence, an old man was squatting under an old locust tree, selling candied hawthorns.

The hawthorns on bamboo skewers, coated with a thick layer of sugar, were arranged on the shelf in a vibrant red.

But apart from the carriages and horses coming and going from the Princess's residence, very few people passed by on this street. The old man guarded his stall for three days, but no one came to buy anything.

He looked up and saw that the side gate of the Princess's residence was slightly ajar, and a maid in an apricot-colored jacket came out alone.

Once the people had gone far away, the old man immediately got up, packed up his stall, and quickly walked away in the opposite direction.

He turned at the end of the alley, but did not see the mansion gate being pushed open again.

Xiao Changqi chased after her, fastening his belt as he did so, muttering, "Why is this girl running so fast..."

In the prince's residence, Xiao Jingchen hung the secret report over a candle and let it burn out.

Before that night at Baiyu Bridge, Shen Yan was nothing more than a poor, penniless scholar who didn't even have a place to stay.

Now his aunt has given him a place to stay, arranging for him to work as a clerk in the library, but he has no power and no access to the core of the household.

As for that twelve-year-old girl, her aunt personally intervened on the White Jade Bridge, which was less about protecting her and more about upholding the dignity of the Princess's residence.

A child who is given charity and protection will not have a good situation in the huge Princess's mansion.

What are these kinds of people most afraid of?

Fear of losing protection.

And he was able to take this opportunity to offer timely help.

"Wenjin Pavilion...she went alone?"

The guard bowed and reported, "According to our scouts, Miss Shen went out alone, without even a maid."

Xiao Jingchen nodded, stood up, and called for a maid.

"Someone, help me change into something simple and clean. I'm leaving the palace."

The personal guard immediately bowed and said, "Then I will go and prepare for Your Highness..."

"No need, I will be traveling incognito."

The guard hesitated for a moment: "Your Highness is going alone, if..."

"When did I need you to teach me how to do things?"

The guard shut his mouth and withdrew.

Xiao Jingchen stood up and walked to the bronze mirror.

The boy in the mirror had a handsome face, clear and refined features, and a naturally gentle and harmless appearance.

He smiled slightly at himself in the mirror, revealing a warm smile, and nodded in satisfaction.

This face is his most useful tool.

……

East Market, Wenjin Pavilion.

Shen Jingque had never seen such a big bookstore in her life.

The three-story wooden building has upturned eaves and corners, and an ebony plaque hangs at the entrance, with the words supposedly written by a great Confucian scholar.

Stepping inside, you'll find walls and shelves overflowing with books. The first floor alone is divided into four sections: classics, history, philosophy, and literature, each with its own staff member.

Xiao Changqi was clearly a regular customer here.

The shopkeeper greeted him with a smile as bright as a sunflower as soon as he saw his golden fan.

"Second Master Xiao! It's been quite a while since you last visited. Please, take a seat!"

Xiao Changqi tucked his golden fan into his waistband and pointed at Shen Jingque behind him.

"This is my sister, please take good care of her."

"Choose the best of everything: writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, books, and notebooks. Put it on my tab."

The shopkeeper's eyes darted around, and his smile grew even brighter.

"Alright, alright, please come in, Miss!"

Shen Jingque was surrounded by a group of waiters as she walked inside, with Xiao Changqi behind her giving expert directions.

"I want this, and I want that too. This paper is too rough. Let's get the Chengxintang paper from that shelf over there, that one. Ten reams, please."

The shopkeeper followed behind, frantically clicking away on his abacus, his smile practically reaching the back of his head.

Shen Jingque squatted in front of the inkstone cabinet, holding a bluish-gray Duan inkstone in both hands, turning it over and over to examine it.

This inkstone has a warm and lustrous color, and the natural fish brain-like patterns are faintly visible in the inkwell. It feels as delicate as a baby's skin.

She didn't really know much about inkstones.

But the system kept chattering in her head, saying that this inkstone was made of old mine material, which was extremely rare on the market and was worth at least three or four hundred taels.

Just as Shen Jingque was about to call Xiao Changqi over to pay, a notification sound suddenly rang in her mind.

[Ding! Main storyline triggered—]

[Main Storyline: Love Hidden in Books]

Xiao Jingchen and Shen Jingque meet by chance here. Shen Jingque, experiencing her first stirrings of love, develops feelings for Xiao Jingchen.

[Please cooperate with the plot progression.]

Shen Jingque almost dropped the Duan inkstone from her hand and smashed it on the counter.

Damn it, she completely forgot that the system reminded her a few days ago that a chance encounter with the male lead would be triggered today.

I wish I hadn't gone out today.

She quickly scanned her surroundings; the lobby on the first floor was bustling with people, but she didn't see anyone who resembled the male lead.

But since the system popped up a notification, it means that the old man is already nearby.

Run? It's too late; Wenjin Pavilion only has one entrance.

Hide? Xiao Changqi is still enjoying tea on the second floor; she can't just abandon him and jump out the window.

Shen Jingque gritted her teeth, her mind racing.

In the original book, the female protagonist first developed feelings for Xiao Jingchen at a banquet at the Yongning Marquis's residence. However, since she has changed the trajectory of the female protagonist's life, the encounter at the banquet is no longer possible.

So, is the current storyline newly generated by the system?

That's right. This is a female-oriented angst novel with the main plot revolving around the love-hate relationship between the male and female protagonists. Where they meet doesn't seem to matter that much.

According to the original book, Xiao Jingchen is best at playing the role of a confidant.

Find a point of interest that interests the other person, show just the right amount of appreciation and care, and make the prey think, "How come this person understands me so well?"

The classic "white moonlight" trope is a cure for insecure girls.

Unfortunately, he encountered Shen Jingque.

As she was thinking, the door to Wenjin Pavilion was pushed open.

A sliver of winter sunlight shone through the crack in the door and fell on the boy standing in the doorway.

He wore a moon-white straight robe, with a blue sash around his waist, and only a plain silver hairpin in his hair, dressed like a handsome scholar.

He stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping gently across the lobby, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The sixteen-year-old boy smiled with a composure beyond his years.

Such a physical appearance naturally makes people lower their guard.

The young ladies in Wenjin Pavilion who were selecting books couldn't help but stare at it.

Xiao Jingchen's gaze swept around the lobby and naturally landed on the inkstone cabinet.

She wore an apricot-colored jacket, her hair ribbon askew, and she was holding a Duan inkstone in her arms, looking back at him.

He walked over and stopped in front of Shen Jingque.

"Young lady, is that inkstone you're holding made from fish brain jelly from the old mine?"

His tone was humble and gentle; if Shen Jingque hadn't known the plot, she too would have been fooled by his appearance.

Pretend, pretend to the death.

Shen Jingque raised her head, hugged Duan Yan even tighter, and looked at him warily.

Who are you?

Xiao Jingchen was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting the other party to react this way.

He quickly regained his gentle smile and gestured towards the inkstone in her arms.

"I'm also here to choose an inkstone, and I've noticed that this one in your hand is of exceptional quality..."

"Not for sale."

Shen Jingque hugged the inkstone even tighter to her chest, looking like a cat guarding its food and its fur standing on end.

Xiao Jingchen smiled, not annoyed by being interrupted, but instead spoke in a gentler tone.

"You misunderstand, young lady. I just think it's rare for someone so young to have such discerning eyes."

He paused, feigning realization, "But I noticed you've been looking at it for quite a while without calling for a waiter. Are you having trouble deciding on the price? If you don't mind my intrusion, I can pay for this inkstone on your behalf..."

"Who says I can't afford it?!"

The noise was so loud that the surrounding guests all turned to look.

Xiao Jingchen's smile finally cracked slightly, but he was very well-mannered and quickly suppressed the embarrassment.

"Please don't be impatient, young lady. I had no intention of offending you..."

"You've really offended me!" Shen Jingque stood with her hands on her hips, chin raised, looking shrewish and unreasonable. "In broad daylight, a strange man comes up to chat up a young girl and even offers to pay for her. What are you up to?"

"what?"

"Are you kidnapping a child?!"

Xiao Jingchen finally couldn't keep his composure any longer.

Seeing his expression, Shen Jingque knew the time was right. She took a deep breath and unleashed her trump card.

She turned and headed towards the second-floor staircase, letting out a loud howl.

"Second brother—someone's kidnapping a child—!!"

His voice was full of energy, and it echoed throughout the three floors of Wenjin Pavilion.

Xiao Changqi, who was enjoying tea in the upstairs room, suddenly trembled and spilled tea all over his pants.

He jumped up in a flash and rushed to the railing to look down.

Then she saw her younger sister standing in the middle of the lobby on the first floor, with her hands on her hips, glaring angrily at a young man in white.

Xiao Changqi slammed his hand on the railing, the sound like a booming bell.

"Who bullied my sister!"