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

The guest room was located in Xilingju, on the west side of the Princess's residence. The room was not large, but it was much better than their original home.

The bedding was newly changed, and the pillows were soft and fluffy, carrying a subtle, smoky fragrance.

Opening the window, you can see an old locust tree in the yard.

After settling into their accommodation in the afternoon, the father and daughter went home for a visit.

Although Shen Yan married Du Yuerong, the two lived in a separate courtyard allocated by the Du family.

Du Yuerong remarried, taking Shen Tingyun with her. In less than half a day, the Du family actually took back the villa.

The servant arrogantly pointed to the two cloth bags by the door, his face full of disdain.

"The son-in-law has no connection with the Du family anymore, so it's probably not appropriate for him to continue living in the Du family's courtyard. Here is your and the young lady's luggage; please make yourself at home."

Shen Yan was secretly alarmed.

If Shen Jingque hadn't brought him to the princess's residence and caused such a commotion, the two of them would probably be homeless tonight.

At this moment, Shen Yan sat on the edge of the bed, his hands folded on his knees, his thumbs rubbing back and forth.

He hadn't recovered from what happened during the day.

Shen Jingque lay on another small bed, her face buried in the blanket, looking as if she were asleep.

In reality, she was having a fierce battle with System 001 in her mind.

[Host, it's not too late for you to turn back!]

Du's maid will appear on East Street tomorrow. Just go out and turn left, then walk two alleys.

"Stop, stop!" Shen Jingque interrupted impatiently. "I've already moved into the Princess's residence, and you're still thinking about your Marquis's mansion?"

That's a key scene in the main storyline! The chosen one, Xiao Jingchen, frequently visits the Marquis's residence; how can you contact him if you don't go there?

"I told you, we'll take a roundabout approach." Shen Jingque rolled over. "Don't rush me to work yet, let's talk about compensation."

The system was silent for two seconds.

What kind of treatment?

"You said before that there would be rewards for completing the main storyline, and you also mentioned some auxiliary items."

Shen Jingque crossed her legs and mentally raised her finger.

"I am now penniless and unarmed, living under the roof of the princess's mansion, without even a proper identity."

"What's the difference between sending me empty-handed to face the chosen one and sending a beggar to rob a bank empty-handed?"

"I can't offer even the slightest worth, so why should the Princess keep my father?"

The system's electronic voice began to tremble.

What do you want to do...?

"I remember the female lead was able to stay by Xiao Jingchen's side because of some kind of Shennong Space, right?"

"Of course I have one! Where's my cheat code? Did you embezzle it?"

No! Those are reward items for later, higher-level quests. You're only at the first story node; you're not eligible yet.

"Alright then."

Shen Jingque spoke calmly.

"I'll go tell the princess tomorrow that my father and I were also spies planted in her fold."

"Then I took my father out of the mansion and found a dilapidated temple to live in. I froze to death!"

"What main storyline? It's all ruined!"

The system emitted a grinding, teeth-gritting sound.

You're threatening me!!

"This is a reasonable request," Shen Jingque said in a friendly tone. "If you want me to do the work, you have to pay a deposit first, right?"

"You're just making empty promises to get me to work for you; I can't do a losing business, honey."

She completely blocked the system.

It can certainly enforce the penalty clauses, but the problem is—

This world is already teetering on the brink of collapse because the original owner escaped, and Shen Jingque is the only replacement.

If you really push her too far and she quits, the timeline will collapse, and the system will be destroyed along with it.

There was a full ten seconds of silence.

The system's voice became weak and listless.

[Only basic functions are available]

[Three acres of planting area, ten storage compartments, all high-level areas are locked]

[The Spirit Spring, Alchemy Furnace, Medicine Recipe Library, and Shop all require subsequent quests to unlock.]

This is already the maximum permissions this system can grant; any more will be revoked by the superior.

Shen Jingque clapped her hands in satisfaction.

"make a deal."

The system reluctantly released the space binding.

A hazy green appeared in Shen Jingque's mind.

The green expanse unfolded before her eyes, and a refreshing, spring-like power washed over her entire body.

"Wow, it's so cool, what's this?"

The system was still sulking.

This is the built-in encyclopedia feature of Shennong Space.

Now you can identify the shape, taste, and effects of all herbs.

[But it can only be activated and lit up when it comes into contact with something.]

Shen Jingque understood. Just like when she used to play Pokémon, you had to catch a Pokémon to complete your Pokédex.

Then, a small vegetable garden shrouded in mist appeared before them.

Three acres may not seem like a lot, but it's enough for her now.

There are ten wooden compartments in the corner where you can put things.

Just as she was about to examine it closely, she suddenly noticed a line of very small text flashing at the bottom of the screen.

[Warning: This opening is based on the system's credit limit. Subsequent task scores will be forcibly reclaimed if the limit is not met.]

The text is too small; it disappears in a flash.

Shen Jingque didn't pay attention; her attention was completely drawn to the green seedlings in the planting field.

The seedlings were only the height of a palm, with vibrant green leaves and a faint silver sheen at the base.

A few lines of text floated beside it:

【Spiritual Spring Grass】

[Efficacy: Detoxifies all poisons, heals old wounds, and unblocks meridians.]

[Growth conditions: It needs to be watered with spiritual spring water to survive.]

Spiritual spring water?

Shen Jingque wrinkled her nose.

"System, will this plant die if I don't water it?"

【meeting】

Shen Jingque sighed and tried to flip through the other blank spaces.

To my surprise, I found a small bowl of cold water in the storage compartment, with three words written on it.

[Trial Pack]

Shen Jingque:?

Does this thing also attract traffic?

She couldn't worry about anything else right now; her priority was to save the seedlings.

He poured the small bowl of water onto the roots of those few spirit spring grasses.

The tips of the seedling's leaves trembled slightly, but there was no reaction.

"Just make do and get by for now."

Her consciousness exited the space.

The scent of medicine that I smelled when I passed by that locked courtyard gate during the day came back to mind.

She tried hard to recall the plot of the Princess's Mansion in the original book.

The book's descriptions of the Princess's faction mostly focus on Xiao Mingyue herself, while the situation within the mansion is not revealed in much detail.

Who is that person living in the courtyard with the fragrance of herbs?

Shen Jingque thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution, so she turned over and temporarily suppressed the thought in her heart.

Let's talk about it tomorrow. I'll get a good night's sleep tonight.

As she was thinking, she suddenly felt an extra weight on her body.

She opened her eyes slightly and saw Shen Yan gently covering her with his outer robe.

He moved very carefully, afraid of waking her.

Then he went to the window and sat in the moonlight.

The locust tree branches outside the window were bare, and the moonlight shone through, falling on his face, making his handsome eyes look like they were filled with water.

He muttered to himself, "If we can settle down here, the sparrows won't have to suffer from the cold anymore."

Shen Jingque closed her eyes, and suddenly her nose felt sore.

She grew up in an orphanage and left home to work at eighteen, drifting alone in the city.

No one cared whether she was suffering or not, and no one discussed anything with her.

She once fainted from a fever in her rented room and no one knew. She woke up on her own the next day and stumbled to the hospital.

But the world gave her a father.

A father who was dirt poor and terribly timid, but who secretly cared for her.

She buried her face in the blanket, her eyes burning, and remained silent.

After a while, she heard Shen Yan quietly leave her room.

Shen Jingque secretly clenched her fist under the covers.

"Father, don't worry."

"I will never let you freeze to death in a dilapidated temple like in the original book."