Chapter 266 Killing Intent
Xu Jinnian is outstanding in appearance and so young, so it is no surprise that she is the most eye-catching of the three.
The young women along the way were all smitten, blushing as they threw their handkerchiefs into Xu Jinnian's arms, hoping to get a response from the handsome scholar.
Xu Jinnian maintained a polite smile throughout, ignoring the handkerchief and purse thrown at him.
Occasionally, a purse would fall into his arms, and he would calmly brush it away with his wide sleeves, afraid that even a little bit of it would cause a misunderstanding.
Song Zhihang saw it clearly, mocked Xu Jinnian a few times, and winked at the girls who threw purses and handkerchiefs at him, which made the young women and wives cover their faces and cheer.
As the group drew closer to the teahouse, Tan Qingrou excitedly tugged at Sheng An's sleeve: "Sister An'an, Brother Jin Nian is almost downstairs!"
Sheng An smiled and nodded. Looking at the enthusiastic people along the street, she couldn't help but wave to Xu Jinnian and call out in a low voice, "Jinnian!"
The sound was drowned out by the noisy crowd, but Xu Jinnian seemed to sense it. He looked up and saw his wife smiling at him from the second floor.
So the people along the street saw the handsome and refined scholar suddenly smile, his smile as gentle and warm as spring, and they were all stunned.
In a private room on the second floor across the street, Princess Shanmin witnessed this scene. Her hand, which was gripping the cup, tightened suddenly, almost crushing the teacup.
Her unfriendly gaze followed Xu Jinnian's line of sight, but she only saw the woman's profile.
With just a glimpse of her profile, Princess Shanmin recognized who it was, and a gleaming killing intent flashed in her eyes.
This woman must die!
Princess Shanmin raised her hand, and her trusted confidantes standing to the side immediately stepped forward to receive her orders.
"Tell him to act quickly. I want to hear of this woman's death within ten days!"
The trusted confidant bowed his head: "Yes!"
Sheng An was smiling at Xu Jinnian downstairs when suddenly a chill ran down her spine, making her shiver involuntarily.
Tan Qingrou noticed her unusual behavior and asked with concern, "Is Sister An'an cold?"
Sheng An's palms were sweating profusely; he felt like he was being watched by something.
She subconsciously looked up and around, but found nothing.
She suppressed her sudden unease and shook her head at Tan Qingrou: "It's nothing, I just got a cold wind on my neck."
Upon hearing this, Tan Qingrou advised, "Sister An'an shouldn't be exposed to the wind, so please don't stand by the window."
Sheng An watched as the man who had already walked downstairs turned back to gesture at her, and obediently withdrew her gaze, smiling at Tan Qingrou and saying, "Okay."
After admiring the demeanor of the top three scholars, the local people and teahouse guests dispersed, and Sheng An and his party returned to the Jiang residence.
Tan Qingrou didn't linger. She hurriedly took her own carriage home to congratulate her brother, who had just passed the imperial examination with the second-class honors.
After riding through the streets, Xu Jinnian cannot return for the time being, as he still needs to attend the Qionglin Banquet held in the palace tonight.
Not only the top three scholars (状元, 榜眼, and 探花) will participate, but also more than two hundred newly appointed scholars will attend.
After receiving the message sent back by Xu Jinnian, Sheng An stayed in the courtyard and waited patiently.
When Xu Jinnian returned to the Jiang residence reeking of alcohol, the moon had already moved to the west.
The night was cool and still, and all was quiet.
Xu Jinnian was not drunk. He refused Li Tian's help and walked steadily into the courtyard.
Seeing the lanterns lit under the eaves and the faint candlelight coming from inside the house, a smile flashed across Xu Jinnian's eyes, and he quickened his pace.
At this time, Sheng An was not asleep, but sat under the lamp reading a storybook to pass the time.
Hearing familiar footsteps outside, she immediately put down her storybook and stood up.
Seeing the tall, imposing figure at the door, Sheng An couldn't help but throw herself into the man's arms, looking up at his face, which was even more alluring in the candlelight:
"There's some hangover soup in the kitchen, would you like some?"
"I didn't drink much tonight, so I don't need to drink any hangover soup."
Xu Jinnian lowered his head and kissed his wife's forehead before taking her hand and leading her back to the room, helping her sit down on the edge of the bed.
Sheng An touched the man's face and observed his complexion. Only after confirming that he was not in pain did she ask with concern, "Are you very tired today?"
Xu Jinnian shook his head: "Not tired."
It was actually quite tiring. Not to mention the daytime parade through the streets, the evening banquets were also non-stop, and dealing with the probing of certain people left me physically and mentally exhausted.
Sheng An ignored the man's words, got up, pressed him down onto the stool in front of the dressing table, and walked behind him to give him a light massage.
"I can't help you with anything else, but you can tell me what's bothering you. Otherwise, keeping it bottled up inside will make you sick sooner or later."
After being married for three or four years, this man never complained once in front of her.
I don't know if it's because I don't want her to worry, or because I'm too satisfied with the current situation, but I don't have any negative emotions.
But how is that possible?
Xu Jinnian squeezed his wife's hand, a smile slowly spreading across his lips: "Okay, I'll listen to An'an. I'll tell you everything that's on my mind from now on."
Sheng An was fairly satisfied and withdrew her hand to continue massaging him: "With your status as a third-place scholar, you'll be staying in the capital to take up a post. Shouldn't we bring Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad over here?"
Xu Jinnian nodded: "I will write a letter home tomorrow and have Brother Fang take it back to ask if you would like to come and see Grandpa, Grandma and Dad."
Upon hearing this, Sheng An sighed, "Qingzhou is too far from the capital. It's inconvenient to travel back and forth over such a long distance. Father, it's hard to say. Grandpa and Grandma might not be able to come."
Grandpa and Grandma Sheng are nearly sixty years old, which is considered quite old in this day and age.
At their age, they are often reluctant to leave their homeland, fearing that they will die far from home and will not be able to return to their roots.
"You'll be giving birth in three or four months. Your grandparents will be coming. I'll make all the arrangements so that they won't have to suffer."
Sheng An suddenly recalled the intense unease she felt in the teahouse, and her heart sank heavily.
At this point, she walked up to the man, her voice trembling slightly: "Jin Nian, that dream, I..."
Xu Jinnian's heart skipped a beat. He reached out and cupped his wife's face in his hands, saying each word as if to assure her, "An'an, I won't let anything happen to you!"
Meeting the man's calm yet resolute gaze, Sheng An's tense mind relaxed, and a sob escaped her throat: "I...I hope it was just a nightmare..."
She didn't consider herself a fragile person, but as the death from her past life drew closer, the unease in her heart grew stronger.
I broke out in a cold sweat for no reason at the teahouse today, which seemed to be a warning to her.
Xu Jinnian raised his hand and gently stroked his wife's back, his deep, magnetic voice filled with the utmost reassurance: "Don't be afraid, the nightmare won't come true, I promise you, do you believe me?"
Under his constant reassurance, Sheng An's fear gradually dissipated, followed by a surge of drowsiness.
Xu Jinnian helped her to bed and lay down, gently coaxing her to sleep.
Even after Sheng An fell into a deep sleep, Xu Jinnian did not pull his hand away. He slowly intertwined his fingers with hers, feeling the warmth of their palms mingling.
With my beloved wife in my arms, my family and friends all around, and a bright future ahead, this moment is already perfect.
He will not allow anyone to destroy it!
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