Shen Jianxi and Qin Lang, though unaware of Ah Xiu's intentions, were mentally prepared. The next day, seeing Ah Xiu dressed so brightly, a shared thought flashed through their minds: it was finally happening!
This time, Shen Jianxi was the spectator. She propped her chin on her hand, leaning against the table, watching Ah Xiu shyly approach Qin Lang. Ah Xiu offered him a radiant smile and placed a beautifully crafted pastry on the table.
"Young Master Qin, I made this myself," she said, then stood beside him, unlike yesterday when she left immediately after presenting the gift.
Noticing how Ah Xiu treated him as if he were invisible, Shen Jianxi raised an eyebrow and mused, *This fellow is lucky; she's resorting to a honey trap.*
Taking advantage of Ah Xiu's lack of attention towards her, Shen Jianxi secretly appraised her appearance. Ah Xiu's features were somewhat delicate, not striking enough to immediately capture attention, but possessing a quality that easily evoked a sense of pity.
The woman's perfume was strong, and Qin Lang had to hold his breath to avoid being overwhelmed. Just as he felt he was about to suffocate, he turned his head and saw Shen Jianxi watching the scene with keen interest.
His expression darkened. He stood up, sidestepped Ah Xiu's attempt to lean on him, and walked directly over to embrace her shoulders. With a slight smile, he said intimately, "My wife is prone to jealousy, Miss Ah Xiu. Please be mindful of yourself."
Seeing this ploy fail, Ah Xiu recalled the man who appeared fierce but would make her flower crowns and laugh foolishly when she was happy. Impatience surged through her.
Ah Xiu lowered her head and silently picked up the pastry, exiting the room. She seemed disheartened, but the strands of hair falling by her face concealed a smile tugging at her lips.
As soon as Ah Xiu was gone, Shen Jianxi shrugged off Qin Lang's arm and unladylike, sat down and gulped some tea.
"So, what was the purpose of this honey trap? To kill you while you were lost in infatuation?"
Qin Lang, who had also taken a sip of water, choked on it at her blunt words and couldn't stop coughing.
"Cough, cough... cough... How can you speak so immodestly, you a young lady!?"
His face was flushed, perhaps from coughing or from embarrassment.
Shen Jianxi, unconcerned, replied, "What's immodest about this?"
She genuinely didn't understand what was wrong with speaking that way, as her conversations with her close female friends were far more explicit. Their chat logs were the kind she'd format her phone to erase before she died.
Since she didn't care, Qin Lang, as a grown man, couldn't act overly flustered. Although he had never married, he had spent so long in the military camp and heard all sorts of crude jokes from his subordinates.
However, the women of An Huai Kingdom were typically reserved and easily embarrassed. Shen Jianxi's demeanor was more akin to foreigners he had encountered.
Could it be that she grew up abroad? But how did the royal bloodline end up overseas? These questions flashed through Qin Lang's mind.
With her face unadorned by disguise, he didn't doubt Shen Jianxi's connection to royalty, but he was indeed suspicious of her upbringing.
Shen Jianxi, unaware of his rapid train of thought, merely stared blankly at a point in the room. Her gaze focused on an invisible spot, her mind completely empty. She enjoyed this feeling, especially now that she didn't have to worry about work. Shen Jianxi found a strange sense of peace, akin to not having to go to work, even in this perilous environment.
When she finally snapped back to reality, she noticed Qin Lang beside her with a face flushed crimson, his fists clenched, and veins bulging on his arms, appearing to be enduring something with great effort.
Concurrently, Ah Xiu, judging the time to be right, burst through the door, holding Qin Lang's sword.
Shen Jianxi: "..." *Seriously, why steal a sword for an assassination? Don't they have their own swords?*
Before she could ponder these questions – why assassins wouldn't have swords, couldn't they use kitchen knives? – Ah Xiu attacked.
Shen Jianxi nimbly sidestepped, dodging the incoming blade. The heavy saber landed on the table, cleaving it in two.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness," she patted her chest, "That dodge just now was so cool!"
Ah Xiu, who had been preparing to attack Qin Lang, turned her wrist upon hearing Shen Jianxi's words and attacked her again. The speed was so great that Shen Jianxi felt as if she heard the wind whistling.
"Are you blind!" she exclaimed in shock, grabbing a stool and throwing it. As Ah Xiu paused, Shen Jianxi quickly scurried behind Qin Lang, pointing at the man slumped on the other half of the table, "Why are you attacking me? Attack him!"
Even though Qin Lang's head was throbbing intensely, he still felt a pang. Nevertheless, as long as there was a chance of survival, she wouldn't abandon her companion. Qin Lang, though a scoundrel, was more pleasant to be around than Ah Xiu.
She reached out, grabbed his collar, and yanked him hard, narrowly dodging the attack. However, this move nearly choked Qin Lang to death.
Shen Jianxi had little skill in self-defense, having only learned basic women's self-defense techniques. She was well aware that against Ah Xiu's martial arts, she wouldn't stand a chance even without a weapon, let alone one wielding such a large saber. She could only dodge repeatedly. But when she was alone, it was manageable. Now, with Qin Lang in tow, Shen Jianxi began to struggle.
She gritted her teeth, sweat streaming down her face. "If you don't get up, we're both going to die here today, Great General!"
Just as the searing pain in his head receded slightly, Qin Lang endured it and stood upright. With his participation, the tide of battle quickly turned. Although he lacked a weapon, he was not at a disadvantage. He threw a punch, swift as lightning, and then delivered a kick to Ah Xiu's chest, sending her flying several meters. She landed heavily in the courtyard and soon breathed her last.
Watching Qin Lang's heroic display, Shen Jianxi behind him began to clap enthusiastically in a seal-like manner. "Bravo! I knew you had it in you, kid, from a young age!"
Upon hearing her words, Qin Lang's upright posture trembled almost imperceptibly.
"General Qin, you really... be careful!"
"Go to hell, Qin Lang!" Granny Fang suddenly emerged from somewhere, lunging forward with a dagger clutched in her hand.
Qin Lang didn't need to exert much effort to deal with such an old woman. He subtly shifted his body to avoid the dagger and then snapped Granny Fang's neck.
Shen Jianxi: "Six— Ah!"