Spring Examination Results Announced
Seeing everyone on the street talking about alcohol and how it could reduce fever and save lives, Ginkgo looked smug and couldn't help but hold her head high as she walked.
This life-saving alcohol was developed by her daughter!
After leaving Huichuntang, Fu Zhiqiao did not go straight home. Instead, she first went to Taibailou and Fuyunge for a stroll. Seeing that everything was normal, she then headed back home.
After returning to the Fu residence and letting Yu Roulan know she was safe, she headed towards her own courtyard.
Hearing the door open, Xie Zhuo slowly turned around.
Fu Zhi Qiao wasn't surprised at all to see Xie Zhuo in her room; perhaps her guards had already informed him as soon as her carriage entered the city. Yin Xing, however, was startled to see Xie Zhuo suddenly appear in her mistress's room. She blinked repeatedly to make sure she wasn't mistaken.
What's the young master doing here?
Xie Zhuo climbed over the wall alone without disturbing anyone. Because his maid Yin Xing was there, Xie Zhuo remained seated in his chair, his expression cold and somewhat arrogant. Before he could shoo her away, Yin Xing, with great tact, quickly left the room and quietly closed the door behind her.
Xie Zhuo still didn't get up, his gaze fixed on Fu Zhi Qiao.
With jet-black hair, snow-white skin, rosy cheeks, and a pair of eyes as bright as stars, she could steal a person's soul with just one glance. The person he had been longing for for so long appeared before him, which made him feel a bit apprehensive about returning home.
Xie Zhuoqiang put on a serious expression, but in his heart he couldn't wait to pull her into his arms. During the days they hadn't seen each other, he had thought about her every moment, about her bright eyes, her long, silky hair, her soft lips...
Their eyes met.
Xie Zhuo was expressionless, looking like a demon.
Fu Zhi Qiao looked at Xie Zhuo with some confusion. Wasn't he always looking forward to her coming back? Why was his attitude so cold now that she was actually back?
Finally, Fu Zhi Qiao took two steps forward and grasped his hand. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Xie Zhuo pulled her up onto his lap and sat her down, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You've lost weight."
Fu Zhiqiao has indeed lost a lot of weight. Qingzhou had just experienced flooding last year, and it was not easy to rebuild the fields. Although she only had a superficial understanding of the fields and relied entirely on her subordinates, the task of scheduling and allocating resources had indeed taken up a lot of her energy.
Xie Zhuo held Fu Zhi Qiao in his arms, feeling that she was so light and weightless. He thought about how hard she must have worked during this time, and felt even more tenderness for her. He kissed her hair again and again.
Fu Zhi Qiao was caught off guard and fell into Xie Zhuo's arms. He forcibly pressed her down onto his lap. She subconsciously looked up at Xie Zhuo's face, but she was held tightly and could not move. She could only look down at Xie Zhuo's sleeve.
Xie Zhuo did not wear his usual plain brocade robe, but instead wore an ivory white robe with water vine patterns and gold thread embroidery on the cuffs. It was clear that he had dressed up specially beforehand, and the robe was so smooth that it was almost wrinkle-free.
Xie Zhuo's skin was originally fair, but it was tanned in the cavalry later. After breaking off the engagement with the Yu family, he stayed at the mansion to recuperate, so his skin gradually returned to its fair color.
With a high, straight nose, smooth facial contours, and extremely perfect bone structure, his face was practically flawless. Paired with the golden crown on his head, it added to his noble air, making him seem like an immortal descended to earth.
Fu Zhiqiao was stunned and subconsciously held her breath.
Xie Zhuo didn't miss the look of amazement in her eyes. His thick eyelashes drooped down to cover his eyes, but the corners of his mouth slowly curved up.
He knew that A-Qiao was a womanizer.
But I must say, he really enjoyed it.
Fu Zhi Qiao's face slowly loomed closer, and Xie Zhuo's heart pounded. Her face drew ever closer, and her fragrance almost enveloped him. Xie Zhuo slowly closed his eyes, thinking that Fu Zhi Qiao wanted to kiss him. He felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.
A few breaths passed, but warm lips did not come near.
Xie Zhuo opened his eyes, his eyes filled with obvious confusion. When he saw the smile in Fu Zhi Qiao's eyes, he realized that he had been teased.
Before Fu Zhi Qiao's mischievous smile could fade, a kiss landed on her lips.
Xie Zhuo gently bit her lip. "Are you teasing me?"
Before Fu Zhi Qiao could answer, Xie Zhuo immediately pressed down on the back of her head, pried open her lips and teeth, his movements urgent and passionate.
Before she could even speak, her breath was taken away, and a tingling sensation spread across her lips.
After the kiss, Xie Zhuo's face flushed slightly. He pressed his cheek against her neck, a satisfied sigh escaping his throat, and whispered in her ear, "Hold me...hold me tight..."
Xie Zhuo's voice was deep and low, his hot breath hitting her skin, making her feel numb and itchy. His deep voice was like a huge vortex, threatening to swallow her up.
Fu Zhi Qiao's heart pounded, and her fingers gripped his clothes tightly. She could feel the power accumulating within his body.
The soft curves pressed tightly against his body, and Xie Zhuo felt a surge of excitement. So, he kissed her again, slowly sucking on her lips.
Fu Zhi Qiao's eyes were half-closed, and what she saw was Xie Zhuo's infatuated expression. He had his eyes closed and was completely absorbed in the kiss.
As if sensing something, Xie Zhuo opened his eyes and met Fu Zhi Qiao's gaze.
Xie Zhuo's expression was very alluring at the moment, and his eyelashes were exceptionally long, even surpassing hers in length.
With his dark eyes fixed on her, Xie Zhuo, displeased that she was distracted, immediately tightened his arms around her and responded with an even deeper and heavier kiss, as if he wanted to steal all her breath away.
A tingling sensation crept up from his tailbone, and Fu Zhiqiao passively endured it, his willpower growing weaker with every move he made.
Fu Zhi Qiao was indeed bewitched. She had always found it hard to resist Xie Zhuo's good looks. After hesitating for a second, she took the initiative to put her arm around his shoulder and press her lips against his.
Xie Zhuo sensed her initiative and immediately hugged her even tighter.
In the quiet room, only rapid breathing and the soft sound of water could be heard.
Xie Zhuo didn't let Fu Zhi Qiao off easily. He kissed her until she was breathless before he was slightly satisfied. Later, Fu Zhi Qiao's eyes became a little unfocused, with a pitiful blush at the corners, and her watery eyes were captivating.
Their foreheads touched, and their breathing was heavy.
Xie Zhuo pursed his lips, clearly savoring the moment. Before Fu Zhi Qiao could relax, Xie Zhuo cupped her face and pressed down on her lips, slowly and deliberately kissing her lips.
Suddenly, Fu Zhi Qiao pinched his waist hard.
Xie Zhuo reluctantly let go of her, then buried his head in her shoulder and let out a muffled laugh.
"You're still laughing!" Fu Zhi Qiao was furious. "Your lips are all swollen. How am I supposed to face anyone later?"
"Really?" Xie Zhuo looked her over carefully and saw that her face was flushed and her lips were red and swollen. He felt satisfied and coaxed her, "They're not swollen, they're just a little red."
After kissing for so long, it would be strange if it wasn't swollen!
Fu Zhi Qiao turned her head away, looking like she couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.
Xie Zhuo chuckled, "It's been so long since we last met, you should make it up to me."
Xie Zhuo was in a good mood and gently rubbed his nose against her hair. The two were very intimate. After a moment, Xie Zhuo said, "A Qiao, I have informed my grandfather that I want to marry you."
Fu Zhiqiao was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected Xie Zhuo to be in such a hurry and was a little unsure how to respond.
The two exchanged a silent glance.
As soon as Xie Zhuo spoke, he observed Fu Zhi Qiao's expression. Seeing that her delicate, porcelain-like face showed no joy or anger, his heart sank.
I thought she would be happy.
Xie Zhuo suddenly felt disappointed and couldn't help but emphasize again, "A Qiao, I know what you're worried about. This time, I will definitely not let you down."
Seeing that Fu Zhi Qiao remained silent, Xie Zhuo slowly put away his smile, lowered his eyes and looked at her deeply, his eyes filled with gloom. He knew all too well that it would be best to tell her after everything was settled.
But he couldn't wait any longer.
He couldn't let her give up any longer.
Xie Zhuo knew in his heart that Fu Zhi Qiao liked him, but he also knew that Fu Zhi Qiao was not indispensable to him. Moreover, she had previously had the idea of getting engaged to Zhou Li Zhang, which had always been a thorn in his heart.
Fu Zhi Qiao was unaware that while she was in a daze, Xie Zhuo thought she was unwilling to marry him, and even connected it to Zhou Li Zhang.
*
The sky outside the window gradually darkened.
Fu Zhiqiao only drank a bowl of porridge before going to sleep.
The journey from Qingzhou to the capital was indeed exhausting. Fu Zhi Qiao didn't wake up until late the next day. Yin Xing, hearing the noise in the bedroom, tiptoed in to check on her. Seeing that Fu Zhi Qiao had opened her eyes, she quickly went to the table, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to her.
After washing up, Fu Zhi Qiao sat in a chair and let Yin Xing comb her hair.
"Girl, it's quite lively outside today."
Fu Zhiqiao was confused.
Seeing her confusion, Yinxing said, "Miss, have you forgotten? Today is the day the results of the imperial examinations are announced."
Fu Zhiqiao then realized that the time she was away from the capital coincided with the imperial examinations.
The announcement of the results of the imperial examinations in the spring was a major event in the capital.
On the day the results were announced, the candidates who had taken the exam gathered early in the morning at the entrance of the examination hall, and the wall where the red list of successful candidates was posted was already packed with people. Besides the candidates, most of the city's residents also gathered there, curious about who had passed the imperial examinations this year and who the top scholar would be.
"They're here! They're here!"
Amid a chorus of exclamations, a yamen runner wearing a red-feathered hat approached and struck a gong: "The auspicious time has arrived; the results will be announced."
At this time, a fence surrounded the notice wall outside the examination hall, and the yamen runners were posting red notices. People outside the fence were pushing and shoving each other to get a good spot, but no one dared to squeeze inside the fence.
Zhou Lizhang was also squeezed into the crowd, but he wasn't very strong and couldn't get to the front.
The long red paper was covered with names, and the candidates craned their necks, staring intently at the red list, their faces showing both worry and anticipation.
The names written on the red list were not large, so people who were far away had to squint to see them carefully.
"Don't push! Don't push! Ouch! Who stepped on my foot?! Who stepped on my foot?!"
Why don't I see my name?
"I won! I won!"
"Sigh, I failed the exam again."
"What a close call! I ranked ninety-eighth! Hahaha, I passed!"
"I failed the exam, and I'll never have another chance..."
There were cheers and sighs from the crowd.
Before Zhou Lizhang could even squeeze to the front, Zheng Jinsheng rushed out and shouted at him, "You passed! You passed! Brother Lizhang, you passed!"
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