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

Shen Jingque was truly surprised that her two older brothers were so loyal and decided to stay and help her copy the book.

At this moment, the three people each occupied a corner of the table, engrossed in writing.

The wick crackled occasionally, and the flame flickered.

Three shadows were cast on the wall, one big and one small, huddled together in a cluster.

The commander of the Imperial Guard and the richest man in the Great Yong Dynasty never dreamed that he would squeeze into his sister's study in the dead of night to help her with her homework.

Xiao Changgeng held the brush with upright posture, each stroke executed with even force.

The characters he wrote were strong and elegant, more than ten times better than Shen Jingque's own handwriting.

Xiao Changqi was not so well-behaved; he would write two lines and then stop to shake his wrists, muttering to himself.

"Que'er, do you think this 'Standards for Being a Good Student and Child' was written specifically to torture people? When I was a child, my adoptive mother made me copy it three times, and even now, my wrists ache when I see those words."

Shen Jingque lay on the table, chin resting on her arm, and replied weakly, "Second brother, at least you only copied it three times, but I copied it ten times."

"That's different. Back then, your second brother was punished by having to kneel in the ancestral hall all night."

Xiao Changqi wrote quickly, and became increasingly proud as he recounted his embarrassing moments, raising his voice to a climax.

"That night it was so cold that my snot bubbles froze. The next day, my adoptive mother felt sorry for me and made me a bowl of ginger soup. After drinking it, I was lively and energetic again."

Xiao Changgeng didn't even look up, coldly tossing out a remark, "That time you took the inkstone from your stepmother's study and sold it as a weight."

"That's not my first time doing business!"

Xiao Changqi spoke with righteous indignation, "I traded my inkstone for three catties of walnuts, ground the walnuts into powder, and sold them to pharmacies, making a net profit of twenty coins."

"That was my first business deal ever, it was of great significance."

Shen Jingque laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and her drowsiness was mostly dispelled.

"Second brother, you've always had such a good business sense since you were little."

Xiao Changqi snorted smugly, "Of course, your second brother was born to do business."

Xiao Changgeng put down his pen, neatly stacked the two pages he had written on to dry, glanced at the red mark on Shen Jingque's face, and his gaze darkened.

"Does it hurt?"

Shen Jingque touched her face. "It doesn't hurt anymore, but it's a bit embarrassing. Fighting with such a brat and getting injured."

Xiao Changgeng smiled slightly, finding her words amusing.

He's still a little kid himself, yet he calls others little brats.

He calmed himself down, wrote fluently, and quickly finished copying it again.

When I went to look at Shen Jingque again, I found her holding a pen, her head slowly drooping.

Xiao Changgeng took the pen from her hand and then draped a coat over her shoulders.

"Go to sleep if you're tired, we'll continue writing."

Shen Jingque shook her head dazedly, "I'm so sorry, I won't go."

After all, her brothers were so loyal; she couldn't just abandon them.

But his body had already honestly slumped onto the table.

Xiao Changqi looked down at her, shook his head and smiled, then lit the nearly burnt-out oil lamp a little brighter.

Outside Mingcui Pavilion, Shen Yan, carrying a food box, walked to the porch and reached out to push the door open.

Green Calyx's face changed instantly, and she hurriedly stood in front of the door.

"Your Highness... Your Highness, Miss is... she's copying a book very diligently, so there's no need to bring her supper."

Shen Yan looked at the beads of sweat on her forehead and glanced through the crack in the door.

Under the lamplight inside the room, three shadows were cast on the wall.

He didn't expose him and handed over the food box.

"There's lotus seed soup and a few side dishes inside, enough for three people. Don't let it get cold."

Green Calyx took the food box, paused for a moment, and then secretly looked up at him.

Shen Yan had already turned around and was slowly walking back along the corridor.

He stopped after taking a few steps and glanced back at the window that was letting in warm light.

Back at Zhaohua Garden, the air was filled with a warm fragrance.

Xiao Mingyue sat in front of the dressing mirror combing her hair. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall. A cow horn comb slowly ran from the top of her hair to the ends, her movements elegant and gentle.

She saw the person enter through the mirror and asked casually, "Have you gone to see him?"

Shen Yan walked behind her, took the comb from her hand, and slowly combed her hair with his slender fingers through her dark hair.

"Yes, Chang Geng and Chang Qi are both helping her copy."

Xiao Mingyue looked at his expression in the bronze mirror and chuckled softly.

"Copying books is just a way to teach her a lesson. Que'er is a smart child; she'll learn from her mistake after one experience. Let's just turn a blind eye to it."

Shen Yan paused for a moment with the comb in his hand, and then continued to work it down after a few breaths.

"How could I not know?"

His voice was muffled, carrying a hint of suppressed emotion.

"I'm afraid she'll develop a habit of acting impulsively, which could lead to bigger problems later on and potentially harm the whole family."

Xiao Mingyue looked at the deep wrinkle between his brows in the mirror and her heart softened.

She leaned back, pressing her entire back against his chest.

Then she pulled Shen Yan's hand over, placed it on her face, and gently rubbed it against her cheek.

"Teach the child slowly, don't wear yourself out."

Her voice was soft and gentle, like coaxing a stubborn child.

"Don't worry about implicating me. People outside have already been saying that I, Xiao Mingyue, am arrogant. As the saying goes, if you have too many lice, you won't be afraid of being bitten. If Que'er gets into a fight at the academy, people will just say that she is just like me."

Shen Yan knew that Xiao Mingyue was trying to comfort him. He lowered his body, his nose almost touching the top of her hair, and gently inhaled the faint fragrance of her hair.

"Where have you been arrogant?"

His voice was tinged with laughter, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe, "Mingming is the most reasonable person."

Xiao Mingyue raised an eyebrow, looking at his reddened ears and his forced composure in the mirror, a mischievous smile flashing in her eyes.

She suddenly stood up, placed one hand on his firm shoulder, and gave him a gentle push backward.

Caught off guard, Shen Yan fell backward onto the brocade quilt.

The next moment, Xiao Mingyue leaned down and placed one hand on his ear.

Her black hair fell down, brushing against his cheek, making him feel a little itchy.

The candlelight shone from the side, softening Xiao Mingyue's usually sharp and heroic eyebrows and eyes, outlining them with a gentle curve.

She looked down at him.

"Oh? The most reasonable one?"

She tilted her head slightly, lifted Shen Yan's chin with one finger, and gently stroked his lips with the pad of her thumb, her eyes sparkling with allure.

"Then today I'll show you, Shen Lang, just how arrogant I am..."

Before she could finish speaking, she had already leaned down and kissed his lips.

Shen Yan let out a soft breath, his eyes reddening with tears, and pulled her close to his waist.

The gauze curtains fell, obscuring the spring light from the room, leaving only flickering candlelight and billowing red curtains, creating an enchanting atmosphere.