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

The next morning, after Shen Jingque finished her breakfast and was about to go out, she saw a meek and obedient young man standing at the gate of the courtyard.

The boy had dark skin and wore the blue cloth clothes of a pageboy. His features and demeanor were unremarkable; he was the type who would go unnoticed in a crowd.

When he saw Shen Jingque come out, he nervously tugged at the corner of his clothes: "Young Miss, my name is Tian Jiu. The eldest young master sent me to be your page."

As a bodyguard, he usually wore narrow-sleeved night clothes, so this scholar's robe was loose and baggy on him, and he wasn't used to it.

Shen Jingque gritted her teeth, inwardly grumbling.

Well, Xiao Changgeng, after arguing last night, you sent a human-shaped surveillance camera over this morning.

"I don't need a page." She walked out with a stern face. "I have Green Bud, that's enough. Go back and report."

Tian Jiu didn't move or argue; he just stood there blankly, his eyes slightly downturned, looking at Shen Jingque with a pitiful expression.

Shen Jingque took a few steps, looked back, and found that he was still standing there, exuding the aura of an abandoned puppy.

She closed her eyes, hardened her heart, and climbed into the carriage. "Let's go, to the academy!"

I'm not taking him along, let's see what he can do.

The car wheels rolled forward, and she lifted the curtain to look back, nearly biting her tongue.

The little black dog ran after the carriage, its face showing a resolute and stubborn expression.

But if you look closely, you'll see that he walks with a calm and unhurried pace, without even breaking a sweat.

Shen Jingque snapped the curtain shut.

"What variety is it? Is it a newly cultivated, fast-growing radish from the manor?"

Green Calyx whispered, "Young Miss, Qishan Academy isn't close to here. Won't he get exhausted from running around like this?"

Shen Jingque retorted, "He's a bodyguard, after all. He's got good stamina, let him run."

However, some people along the way stared at the boy chasing the car and pointed at him.

"Oh, whose servant is this? Why don't you let him get in the carriage?"

"Oh, what a tragedy..."

As the carriage passed through the East Market, a child cried out, "Mommy, that brother is chasing the carriage so pitifully!"

Shen Jingque angrily rubbed her forehead.

She lost.

It was my damned conscience that defeated me.

No, who's a good Samaritan chasing a horse-drawn carriage?

Why didn't she report back to Xiao Changgeng that she had escaped?

Why are you so stubborn!

So annoying!

She finally couldn't take it anymore, and flung open the carriage curtain, shouting, "Stop chasing me! Get in!"

As she spoke, she went to tell the driver to stop the car.

But then Tian Jiu lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped into the air.

He jumped onto the carriage shaft like a black cat and sat down next to the driver.

Shen Jingque:?

So you were just putting on an act for me? You're quite the flyer, aren't you?!

Xiao Changgeng had previously sent her bodyguards so that he wouldn't see them or get annoyed.

Now there's someone standing right in front of her, someone she can't beat up or shake off.

She was furious.

They were completely helpless against this dark-skinned kid.

The carriage swayed and wobbled towards Qishan Academy. Shen Jingque calmed down for a moment, her eyes darting around, and she lifted the carriage curtain to get closer to Tian Jiu.

"Little Jiu, your big brother told you to follow me, right? So now you're mine, right?"

Tian Jiu blinked.

The eldest young master instructed that he should stay by the young lady's side at all times, so it wouldn't be wrong to say that he should follow her around.

So he nodded: "Yes, young lady."

Seeing that he understood, Shen Jingque smiled and said, "Then you see, since you're following me, shouldn't you listen to me?"

Tian Jiu thought about it and realized that what the eldest young master said was true: he was allowed to interfere when the young lady was interacting with Rong Jing, but he didn't say that she shouldn't listen to his orders at other times.

He nodded again: "I'll listen."

Shen Jingque's eyes lit up, and she slapped her knee: "Deal! From now on, you're mine. You'll do whatever I say."

She was extremely satisfied; she hadn't expected this guy to be so easy to communicate with.

However, she was too happy too soon.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of Qishan Academy. Shen Jingque jumped off the carriage, and Tian Jiu immediately followed half a step behind her, as if his shadow had grown legs.

Xu Wanying was waiting for her at the door, munching on a steamed bun. When she saw this scene, she almost choked on her bun.

"Hey, when did you get a page?"

She circled Tian Jiu, looking her up and down, then whispered in Shen Jingque's ear, "Why does she look like a wooden stake stuck in the ground?"

"Don't even mention it." Shen Jingque covered her forehead. "It was sent by my older brother."

Xu Wanying gave a knowing "oh" and patted her shoulder to show her sympathy.

The person sent by the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard must be extraordinary.

Over the next half day, Shen Jingque truly witnessed what it meant to be inseparable, literally.

During class, she sat by the window, and Tian Jiu stood outside the window, staring at her without moving, just like a door god statue.

Master Wang was speaking when he looked up and saw someone outside the window. He was so startled that he dropped his pen.

"Whose page is this?!"

Shen Jingque said apologetically, "My bad, my bad, he's a bit slow-witted, please don't mind him, Master."

After class, she pulled Xu Wanying to the corridor to whisper to her, and just as she lowered her voice to say, "I'll tell you something."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tian Jiu standing three feet behind a pillar, his ears perked up.

Shen Jingque turned and glared at him: "Can you stay away from me?"

Tian Jiu took a step back.

"Further away!"

They took another step back.

She took a deep breath, decided not to argue with him, and dragged Xu Wanying to the outhouse.

Squatting inside, she suddenly had a whim to test just how amazing this piece of chewy candy really was, so she softly called out, "Tian Jiu?"

A muffled reply came from above: "Here."

Shen Jingque almost jumped up from the toilet.

She looked up at the rafters of the outhouse, her voice cracking: "You're on the roof?!"

"The eldest son said he would stay by my side at all times."

The boy's voice came through the gaps in the tiles, sounding very self-righteous.

Xu Wanying from the next cubicle let out a suppressed burst of laughter.

Shen Jingque felt like her whole body had cracked open.

Under the osmanthus tree not far away, Shen Tingyun passed by carrying a book box, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Tian Jiu, who was squatting on the roof of the outhouse.

The sudden appearance of this person beside Shen Jingque raises the question: has Xiao Changgeng increased his protection, or has he discovered something?

Her breathing became rapid, and her hands involuntarily clenched the book box.

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was notorious for his ruthlessness. It was said that there were 108 kinds of torture instruments in the imperial prison, and even the tightest mouth could be pried open once inside.

She dared not imagine what Xiao Changgeng would do to her if he found out that she had reported Shen Jingque's whereabouts to the Third Prince.

A chill ran through Shen Tingyun, who shuddered and quickened his pace to leave.

It was lunchtime soon.

Xu Wanying asked for leave in the afternoon. He Lanqing had not reconciled with her since he ran away yesterday, so only Shen Jingque went to Rong Jing's lunch appointment today.

With Tianjiu following behind, it was really inconvenient.

What she needs to do now is get rid of him.

So I sneaked around the teahouse, then turned back to the bamboo path to the west, and finally crawled through the artificial cave.

They turned around and went through most of the academy.

Finally, Shen Jingque peeked out from behind the artificial hill, looked left and right, and found no one around.

Become!

Just as she was about to straighten up and run towards the Crane Pavilion, the tree branch above her head suddenly swayed, and a blank face hung down from the leaves, meeting her gaze.

"Young lady, were you looking for me?"

Shen Jingque let out a deafening scream.

"Are you crazy?!"

She clutched her chest, took three steps back, and pointed at Tian Jiu's nose: "Can't you walk like a normal person?!"

Tian Jiu flipped down from the tree, brushed off the fallen leaves from his sleeves, and said with his usual wooden expression, "Young Miss is walking too fast. I can't keep up."

Shen Jingque gave up completely.

Resigned to her fate, she carried this persistent nuisance with her and headed towards Heming Pavilion.

Surprisingly, Tian Jiu did not stop her.

But she soon realized that she had been careless again!