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

After a round of fighting, Shen Jingque let out a satisfied burp.

She held her small belly, sitting upright, and her expression suddenly became very serious.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a momentous event has come for me."

Xiao Changqi and Shen Yan both stopped eating and asked in unison, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Shen Jingque solemnly put down the bone and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

"I need to use the restroom."

The table fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Changqi rubbed his forehead and waved his hand dismissively.

"Go, go, go quickly and come back soon."

Even after jumping down, Shen Jingque couldn't resist bickering with Xiao Changqi.

"Second brother, your attitude is wrong. How can you be so perfunctory about such an important life event?"

Xiao Changqi leaned back lazily in his chair.

"If you don't go now, this important event in your life will turn into a disaster."

Shen Jingque glared at him, then turned and obediently bowed to Shen Yan.

"Father, I'll be right back."

After a short while, Shen Jingque stood in the corridor on the second floor of the White Crane Tower, gazing at the two rows of identical carved doors, and fell into silence.

Baihelou truly lives up to its reputation as the most bustling restaurant in the capital.

The second-floor corridor winds its way through the space, with screens separating them and lanterns lining the walls, and the characters on the doorplates are written in a flamboyant and elegant style.

As she came out of the bathroom, every road seemed familiar.

Shen Jingque reached out and touched the tip of her nose, somewhat annoyed.

"Wait, a meal comes with a free escape room experience?"

A waiter carrying a tray hurried past under the eaves.

Shen Jingque immediately reached out her hand: "Waiter, could you tell me which way to room number two in the Heavenly tier?"

The waiter kept walking, turning back with a forced smile.

"Please wait a moment, miss, I'll go serve the wine to the guests first."

The person vanished in a flash.

"Why!"

The next moment, a complaint could be heard from inside the private room: "Why is it so slow!"

Immediately following this was the waiter's humble pleas for mercy.

Shen Jingque withdrew her hand, looked at the departing figure, and sighed.

Forget it, the service industry is tough enough, why should working people make things difficult for each other?

She steeled herself and walked forward, rounding a landscape screen. Just as she turned the corner, a refreshing and fragrant breeze wafted towards her.

Before Shen Jingque could stop herself, her forehead slammed into a soft embrace.

Then he sat back down, his buttocks making an intimate encounter with the floor.

Shen Jingque's face scrunched up like a bun.

"Ouch! I..."

She was halfway through her sentence when she finally saw the person in front of her clearly.

The woman was in her early twenties, dressed in a simple blue robe, with a blue jade pendant tied around her waist and a single jade hairpin in her hair.

With bright eyes and a naturally smiling mouth, she is elegant and charming when you look down at her.

Shen Jingque's mouth moved faster than her brain: "Sister, you smell so good."

The woman paused her outstretched hand, then bent down and helped her up.

"Little girl, did you hurt yourself?"

Shen Jingque patted her skirt and quickly shook her head.

"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. The floor hurts more."

The woman looked down at her, then at the ground, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

"Which private room are you visiting? Why are you alone?"

Shen Jingque obediently replied, "Room No. 2 in the Heavenly section. The decoration of this White Crane Tower is really too deceptive."

The woman took out a handkerchief and brushed away a speck of dust from her hands.

"Number Two of the Heavenly Rank is on the west side. You've come to the east corridor. It's really winding here. Follow me."

Shen Jingque immediately followed, taking small, quick steps beside her.

"Sister, you're such a kind person."

The woman turned her head to look at her: "I bumped into you and hurt you just now, are you all better now?"

Shen Jingque looked up and answered very sincerely, "Sister is beautiful, so whatever she says is right."

The woman slowed her pace slightly, a smile appearing on her lips.

"Whose daughter are you? You have such a sweet tongue!"

The two chatted and laughed all the way back to the door of room number two in the "Heavenly" section.

The door opened from the inside, and Xiao Changqi, holding a fan in one hand and the door frame with the other, was about to walk out.

"This girl wouldn't really have lost herself, would she...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he looked up and saw the woman who had brought Shen Jingque back.

The gold folding fan fell to the ground with a thud.

Xiao Changqi stammered, his tongue seemingly tied in knots: "Fan Fan... Manager Fan, what are you doing here?"

Shen Jingque's eyes widened suddenly.

and many more.

It turns out that this stunning beauty is the legendary dream girl who makes her second brother's heart flutter and his IQ drop every day.

Fan Suyao.

Fan Suyao was somewhat surprised when she first saw Xiao Changqi, but then nodded generously.

"So they are Manager Xiao's family members."

"Today, Baihelou ordered some incense from my shop. I came over to check the accounts and happened to meet a little girl who had gotten lost."

Seeing his older brother's ridiculous grin, Shen Jingque immediately stepped forward and grabbed Fan Suyao's sleeve.

"Oh, it's Sister Fan! Thank goodness you brought me back, otherwise my second brother would have been worried."

Fan Suyao touched Shen Jingque's hair bun, her eyes crinkling.

"The little girl has been delivered, so I won't bother you any longer."

Shen Jingque, not wanting to miss an opportunity to help, immediately looked up and asked, "Sister Fan, if you have time another day, may I visit you?"

Fan Suyao said, "It is my honor that you are willing to come, sister."

Shen Jingque smiled sweetly. "That's wonderful! My second brother always says you're beautiful, kind-hearted, smart, and capable—a rare find in the capital."

Xiao Changqi almost dropped the fan he had just picked up, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Sparrow".

Shen Jingque ignored him and took Fan Suyao's hand, saying, "Sister, my name is Shen Jingque. From now on, you can call me Que'er! I'll definitely come to play with you later."

Fan Suyao nodded, "Then I'll wait for Sister Que'er at Fan's Fragrance Shop."

After speaking, she gave a slight curtsy and turned to leave.

Xiao Changqi remained standing at the door until her figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, unaware that he was holding his fan upside down.

Shen Jingque commented quietly, "Second brother, you look like a silly roe deer whose soul has been taken away."

Xiao Changqi snapped out of his daze and reached out to pinch her cheek.

"You little ingrate, you scared me to death!"

Shen Jingque nimbly hid behind Shen Yan.

"I'm doing this to help you. Sister Fan has already agreed to let me visit her, aren't you happy?"

Xiao Changqi stopped what he was doing and cleared his throat.

"It's...not bad."

Shen Jingque poked half her head out.

"Second brother, can Master Ji cure your stubbornness?"

Xiao Changqi sat down again and tapped the bowl in front of her with his fan.

"Eat your food. If you say one more word, there won't be any candied hawthorns left for tomorrow."

Shen Jingque immediately sat up straight.

"I'll shut up."

……

In another top-class private room at Baihelou, the aroma of wine and roasted meat filled the room.

Rong Jing leaned back in his chair, twirling a wine glass between his fingers, while several young men from the capital chatted animatedly around him.

"Brother Rong, a new group of foreign merchants has arrived at the West Market, bringing many rare and unusual items. Would you like to go and take a look tomorrow?"

"Fur goods are also good. I heard there are snow fox furs, the colors are very clean, they are the most suitable gifts for nobles in the palace."

"I got a myna bird the other day. It can recite half a poem, although it starts cursing after the third line, but it's still a novelty."

Rong Jing raised his eyes slightly: "You can swear?"

The young master laughed loudly. "Indeed, he cursed quite fluently. The bird merchant said that the bird learned it from the boatman."

Another person chimed in: "Parrots that can mimic speech are more expensive, with bright plumage and clear voices; they're perfect for keeping on the porch to amuse you."

Rong Jing swirled the wine in his cup, and the image of that lively figure in the flower hall of the Yong'an Marquis's mansion flashed before his eyes.

The little girl sat in the corner. Despite her young age, she could speak in a way that left people speechless and furious.

They chatter away, but it's not annoying.

It was very lively.

Rong Jing put down his wine cup. "Take me to the West Market tomorrow."

Everyone immediately became interested: "Brother Rong, what would you like to buy?"

Rong Jing lazily raised his eyes: "Parrot."

"Parrots are good; once they're tamed, they'll call out to people."

"Brother Rong's residence is so peaceful, adding a bird will liven things up."

Rong Jing smiled but did not reply.

As night deepened, the lights on the long street gradually faded away.

In the distance, a round, plump figure wrapped in a red cloak was helped into a carriage by a maid.

Rong Jing watched the carriage drive away, a barely perceptible smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

As I walked slowly over, I noticed a hint of warm, jade-like color peeking out from the edge of the snow.

He suddenly stopped.

He bent down to pick up the jade pendant and brushed away the snowflakes on it.

The jade pendant felt slightly cool to the touch and was shaped like a round, plump bird.

He had seen this jade pendant on that little girl before.

The attendant asked in a low voice, "Young master, should we send someone to chase after that carriage ahead?"

Rong Jing put the jade pendant into his sleeve and looked down at the end of the long street.

"No need, I will personally deliver it to her."