This incident ruined the otherwise enjoyable flower-viewing party, ruining everyone's mood for appreciating the flowers.
Princess Yun'an's aunt stepped forward, apologized to everyone, and then gestured for them to leave.
Shen Tangning assumed that the assassin had escaped successfully and felt relieved.
It's not that I care about the life or death of a stranger; if he gets caught and implicates me, then it would be a losing proposition.
...
After returning home, Shen Tangning received a thank-you gift from Gu Qingxu.
Miss Gu must have specifically inquired about her preferences before gifting her several ancient books, which were quite valuable.
With the intention of reciprocating kindness and enhancing friendship, Shen Tangning sent several rare musical scores as a return gift.
Gu Qingxu is skilled at playing the zither and is a zither fanatic.
The recipient clearly loved the gift and even wrote back to express their gratitude.
*
After the flower-viewing banquet, Shen Tangning paid extra attention to Chi Yan's studies.
She discovered that Chi Yan was actually very talented; for example, he could memorize almost every word of a book he had read several times.
He also had his own unique insights into some court politics.
But his weakness is that he is not self-aware; as long as you don't keep an eye on him, he will find ways to slack off.
Fortunately, Shen Tangning has plenty of time these days. While Chi Yan is reading, she does other things nearby. Under her watchful eye, he has no chance to slack off even if he wants to.
The flickering candlelight cast long, thin silhouettes of people on the wall, creating a hazy, indistinct image.
At the desk, Chi Yan nodded his head repeatedly, his chin almost hitting the table.
His features were undoubtedly flawless, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding a somewhat unruly and carefree air, a unique temperament somewhere between a boy and a young man.
He was so tired that his thin lips were slightly pursed and his eyes drooped, giving him a somewhat aggrieved look.
Shen Tangning rested her chin on her hand and stared for a while, then unconsciously curled her lips into a smile and deliberately cleared her throat.
Chi Yan sat up abruptly, picked up a book and pretended to read it, while secretly glancing at Shen Tangning's expression, like a child who had done something wrong.
She stood up and slowly walked towards him: "Husband, please don't think I'm being harsh. It's already April, and there are less than five months until the autumn examinations. We really can't let our guard down."
As she spoke, she raised her hand. Chi Yan, thinking she was going to hit him, instinctively raised his book to block it. He was taken aback when he saw what she was handing him: "What's this?"
Shen Tangning held an exquisitely crafted purse in her hand, a smile playing on her lips: "I noticed that my husband's purse was getting a bit old, so I made a new one for you."
"A gift for me?" Chi Yan's expression suddenly became awkward, his eyes flickering. "I'm so embarrassed."
He said he was embarrassed, but honestly took the purse.
Shen Tangning's needlework skills were renowned in Yanjing, and her embroidery was naturally impeccable. The cranes on the embroidery were lifelike. Chi Yan carefully touched them and suddenly felt flattered, like a wild boar eating fine chaff.
He had personally witnessed Shen Tangning embroidering it stitch by stitch, never expecting that it would be a gift for him.
Shen Tangning smiled and said, "It's getting late. Let's stop here for today. Husband, go and rest."
"What rest? What rest?" Chi Yan cleared his throat, picked up his book again, and said righteously, "I feel like I can still read for a while. You should get settled first."
It's really embarrassing to take someone's things and do nothing about it.
Shen Tangning feigned surprise: "Husband, have you been working so hard lately? Don't ruin your health!"
Chi Yan frowned: "I know my own body. How could I collapse after staying up for so long? Besides, you said it yourself, the autumn examination is getting closer and closer, which is the time to study hard!"
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