No more entanglements, Qin Xiaoxiao unexpectedly slept soundly that night. When he woke up the next morning, he was energetic and even more energetic, which was in sharp contrast to Qin Shan, who was in low spirits.

Qin Xiaoxiao thought that her father didn't sleep well because of his choice of bed, so after eating the morning meal, she persuaded him to go back to his room and take a nap. This place was not very far from the Qin Mansion, so she could walk there without any delay.

Qin Shan hesitated to speak, wanting to know more about it. Last night, he rested until the rooster crow, repeatedly comforting himself that he was overthinking, and that his daughter was not enlightened. It was just that she had reached the age of curiosity and love, so she came to ask this question so late at night.

That.

His daughter was so good and obedient, and she promised him that she would avoid the brat named Jing, so how could she have a crush on him as soon as she turned around?

No wonder Qin Shan guessed Jing Heng at once. Qin Xiaoxiao has been staying in Qingshan Village for the past two years. Every time he goes out, he is mostly accompanied by Qin Shan. He has no chance to get to know the men outside. Except for Jing Heng who sends letters every now and then.

, he couldn't think of a second person.

"Dad, please go back to your room and rest quickly. When I come back from the birthday banquet, we will go to the academy to look for the Three Treasures together." Qin Xiaoxiao came out holding two gift boxes and said to her old father who was standing at the door of the room hesitating.

"Hey, just wait. Dad will drive you there. It won't take much time to go back and forth." Qin Shan was worried that his daughter would go to the Qin Mansion alone. He suppressed all kinds of confusing thoughts and went downstairs with her: "There are many people in the capital.

It’s messy, what to do when you encounter bad people.”

"Dad, how can there be so many bad people at the emperor's feet? Besides, I'm not a three-year-old child!" Qin Xiaoxiao couldn't tell whether to laugh or cry. Just when he was about to persuade, a familiar voice interrupted: "Uncle Qin, I also want to go to Qin Dynasty."

I want to celebrate my birthday, so I just want to bring Xiaoxiao with me."

Who is the person standing at the bottom of the stairs with his hands behind his hands, looking at the father and daughter with a smile, if not Jing Heng?

"Brother Li, you also want to go to the Qin Mansion to celebrate your birthday? Why didn't I hear you mention it yesterday?" Qin Xiaoxiao was surprised and happy, and jumped down the stairs in three steps and two steps.

She forgot she was still holding the birthday gift in her hand, and when she landed, she suddenly lost her balance and threw herself and the box crookedly to the ground.

"Be careful!" Jingheng quickly stood in front of her, holding her arm with one hand and catching the falling birthday gift with the other. He frowned and scolded: "Why are you so impatient? I won't run away."

"I'm so surprised to see you here. I forgot I still had something in my hand." Qin Xiaoxiao didn't care about his attitude and said with a smile: "Brother Li is here, he will definitely not let me fall."

Seeing that she stood firm, Jing Heng silently retracted his hand, his expression still ugly: "Should I let you fall hard? Let's see if you still dare to do this!"

"You're right? You should learn a lesson!" Qin Shan ran downstairs in a panic and wiped away the sweat from the fright. He stood by Jing Heng for the first time: "Such a high staircase, if you fall down and break your arm,

Your legs are so light, you’re really going to scare dad’s heart out!”

Qin Xiaoxiao glanced at the long stairs, feeling scared for a while. He quickly begged for mercy: "Dad, brother Li, I know I was wrong? I promise there won't be a next time."

Seeing that she honestly admitted her mistake, Jing Heng and Qin Shan reluctantly let her go.

Qin Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief and asked again: "Brother Li? Why didn't you mention going to the Qin Mansion to celebrate your birthday yesterday?"

Jing Heng raised his hand to rub her head. When he realized that Qin Shan was still there, he took it back calmly: "I just remembered last night that I had something to discuss with Mr. Qin. My mother happened to have other important matters, so I took her place.

Congratulations to Mrs. Qin on her birthday."

Qin Xiaoxiao understood? "Other important matters" is just an excuse. The status of Princess Protector is here, and she has lived in seclusion for many years? Even if there are happy events in the Prince's Mansion and other princes' mansions, it is not necessarily possible to invite Princess Protector, let alone

Needless to say, Qin Mansion’s birthday invitation.

"Brother Li, let's go quickly!" Qin Xiaoxiao urged Jingheng as he picked up the birthday gift that had just been placed on the table: "There should be a lot of guests in the Qin Mansion today. If you are late, Mr. Qin may not have time to talk to you.

Discuss important matters.”

"Well, let's go now." Jing Heng's lips curved slightly, and then he cupped his hands towards Qin Shan, who had been unable to say anything: "Uncle Qin, I will come back with Xiaoxiao later, you don't have to worry."

When Qin Shan heard this, he became even more worried and said warily: "No, no, no, I will go pick her up myself when the time comes, and you can just go about your business."

Don't keep pestering my daughter, huh!

"Dad, brother Li and I will come back together later. You don't have to make an extra trip." Qin Xiaoxiao didn't know her father's painstaking efforts and unintentionally upset her father: "You have a good rest, you have to go to the academy in the afternoon.

Over there."

Qin Shan was heartbroken, and quietly glared at Jing Heng, pulled his daughter to the corner, and whispered: "The people who came to the Qin Mansion to celebrate their birthday today are probably high-ranking officials. Don't let them find out that you are close to Mr. Jing.

Lest they gossip to you on purpose."

The boy named Jing has an uneasy face and a noble background. Now he has become an official in the Ministry of Household Affairs. There are countless people in the capital who want to capture him as their son-in-law.

Regardless of whether he has that kind of thoughts about his daughter, outsiders will definitely think that he does when they see that he treats her well. What if someone catches his eye in the Qin Mansion, will it not be his daughter who suffers the injustice?

His girlfriend is a soft woman(?) and timid(?), and she doesn't dare to return the favor even if she gets idle. He has to tell her well to keep her away from the boy named Jing.

"Dad, I know." Qin Xiaoxiao looked at her old father who still treated her as a child, and didn't mind his verbosity at all: "For a family like Qin's banquet, men and women are entertained separately. Me and

Brother Li won't be able to see you at all, so don't worry."

When Qin Shan heard this, his expression immediately relaxed: "This will make dad feel relieved. Then you go quickly and come back early."

Qin Xiaoxiao nodded, greeted Jing Heng, and they left the inn side by side.

Jingheng did not ride a horse today, but came to the inn in a sedan chair. Before entering the inn, he sent the bearers back to the house. At this time, the two of them tacitly chose to walk to Qin's house.

Qin Shan stood at the door and watched from a distance. He saw Jing Heng taking the birthday gift held by his daughter. There was always a distance between the two of them and there were no other intimate actions. He couldn't help but feel relieved. When the two people's backs were completely clear,

After disappearing into the crowd, he turned around and entered the house.

Looking at Jingheng's flawless profile, Qin Xiaoxiao couldn't help but be stunned: Why didn't she realize that Brother Li was so good-looking before? Is it true that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?

Ah, no, it must be that Pan An is in the eye of the beholder.

Qin Xiaoxiao was so engrossed that she didn't realize that Jing Heng was also looking at her. When she accidentally met his bewildering eyes, she panicked and said in a hurry: "Li, brother Li, guess what my father is doing in private?"

What did you say to me?"

Jing Heng raised his lips and smiled, looking away and not embarrassing this silly girl again: "Uncle Qin is biased against me. He doesn't seem to like you and me being in contact. He must have told you not to get too close to me. Am I right?

"

Qin Xiaoxiao didn't expect that he guessed it right. He couldn't help but explain: "My father is too worried about me and is like this. He is not here for you."

Jing Heng slowly approached her and whispered: "I know, you don't have to worry that I will misunderstand Uncle Qin."

Qin Xiaoxiao nodded, feeling a little happy.

"But..." Jing Heng looked at her, with a hint of teasing in his faint smile: "Why are you worried that I will misunderstand Uncle Qin? I have known you for many years, and I have never seen you like this before."

Qin Xiaoxiao blinked and did not look at him: "I didn't realize that my father was biased against you before, so I don't have to worry about you misunderstanding my father. Now that I know, why don't you explain?"

Jing Heng seemed to believe her words, and his tone was a bit disappointed: "I thought you were worried that I would misunderstand Uncle Qin, so you gave up a month later and sent a matchmaker to come to our house to propose marriage before you hurriedly explained to me. It turns out that I was overthinking it.

.”

"Ahem -" Qin Xiaoxiao choked, almost choking on his own saliva: "Brother Li, you, you..."

You actually didn't think too much about it. Although you weren't worried about sending a matchmaker to propose marriage in a month, you didn't want you to have bad thoughts about my father.

With this thought in her heart, no matter how thick-skinned she was, she was too embarrassed to say it to her face, so she could only say nothing.

The corners of Jingheng's lips curved, and he said worriedly: "I'm only worried that the matchmaker from the princess's house will come to propose marriage in a month, and Uncle Qin will hate me even more unprepared."

Qin Xiaoxiao said subconsciously: "Don't worry, I will find a suitable time to explain to my father."

As soon as the words fell, she reacted suddenly and realized that she had been "deceived": Wasn't this a self-inflicted admission that she was looking forward to the matchmaker from the princess's house to marry her, and hoped that her father would agree?

"Brother Li, you are getting more and more cunning!" Anyway, he spilled the beans, Qin Xiaoxiao simply gave up and said: "When I get home this time, I will tell my family that you want to send a matchmaker to arrange the marriage, but my family has always hoped that

I will stay at home to recruit new members, and whether they can nod or not depends on your sincerity."

Jing Heng ignored the Qin family's attitude and took Qin Xiaoxiao to a deserted corner, trapping her between his chest and the wall: "Xiaoxiao, you like me, right?"

Qin Xiaoxiao's pink face instantly turned as red as blood, and her long eyelashes like crow feathers trembled slightly with the breath of the person in front of her. She did not speak, but it was more like acquiescence.

Jing Heng stared at her closely, without speaking or letting go of any change in her expression.

Until Qin Xiaoxiao couldn't bear it anymore, she finally raised her head, stared into his eyes, and said seriously: "Brother Li, getting married is not only a matter between you and me, but also requires the approval of our close relatives. In addition, I also said

However, my parents only have one child, and I must support them until they grow old. Even in the future, at least one of the children I will give birth to bears the surname "Qin". These two things are not trivial. I hope you will think about it clearly so as not to regret it in the future.

.”

Once they regret this kind of thing, all they will have is strangers waiting for them. From now on, it will have nothing to do with whether a man is married or a woman is married.

Jing Heng smiled softly and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb: "Xiaoxiao, do you trust me?"

Qin Xiaoxiao tilted her head subconsciously, unable to get rid of his slightly rough palm: "Brother Li, I have always believed in you."

Even though I was young and ignorant and made you fly away in anger many times, you never forgot your promise to me. You still remembered to bring me your favorite snacks and favorite toys when we met again, and you never missed your time.

appointment.

"So, how about you trust me one more time?" Jing Heng looked deeply at his little girl and made an unspoken promise. He knew that she would understand.

Qin Xiaoxiao looked into his eyes for a moment, which were full of her own reflection. She smiled and nodded slowly: "Okay."

Today, the Qin Mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the house is packed with guests. Mrs. Qin is dressed in festive clothes and sits on the main seat, facing round after round of female relatives who wish her birthday. Although there is a smile on her face,

Those who are familiar with it will know that this smile does not reach the bottom of the heart.

As the mother of a second-ranking official in the imperial court, even if some guests saw it, they would not say anything. They would only wonder why the old lady did not look very happy on such a happy day.

At this time, a maid hurriedly ran in and said happily: "Old madam, the girl has come to wish you a birthday!"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qin stood up excitedly: "Where are you? Where are you, girl?"

The maid immediately replied: "We should have arrived at the second gate. Don't worry, old lady, the girl will be here soon."

Mrs. Qin suddenly burst into laughter and quickly ordered the maids standing by: "Quick, go get two pots of good tea and some freshly made snacks."

Several maids took the order and quickly went down to work.
To be continued...