The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 269 Shuang'er, call me husband.

Jiang Jinshuang was helped into the bedroom by the matchmaker.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed when she heard the sounds of firecrackers and drums outside the door.

She looked down at her wrist and could see the jade bracelet, which wasn't of very good quality.

They were connected together with gold thread, and the bells jingled.

Jiang Jinshuang had never been to Lin Qingyan's residence before. The imperial family had given him an official position, and this residence was only recently bestowed upon him.

However, Jiang Jinshuang measured it with her footsteps just now, so it shouldn't be that big.

Oh, she didn't care about those things, like thinking Lin Qingyan was poor or anything like that.

She was just thinking to herself how she should manage her family's circumstances in the future.

Now that she's going to marry Lin Qingyan, she needs to sort out all the affairs of the household and Lin Qingyan's career.

Having said she would be Lin Qingyan's stepping stone to success, Jiang Jinshuang would not go back on her word.

If, after today, Shen Huaihe is able to pry clues from Zhou Yuan and make progress in Uncle Wang's case, Lin Qingyan's help will be indispensable.

Therefore, the faster Lin Qingyan rose in rank and career, the better.

The imperial family did not believe that she could cultivate Lin Qingyan into a powerful minister or noble official, nor did they believe that she could make Lin Qingyan reach the highest position in the court.

Jiang Jinshuang insisted on doing it this way.

Jiang Jinshuang sat in her bedroom and did not hear the toasts and congratulatory messages outside the door.

It is said that the banquet was arranged in the front hall, which is quite far from here, so as not to disturb Her Highness the Princess.

The sun outside gradually shifted westward and began to set.

Wearing the phoenix crown all day, Jiang Jinshuang did indeed experience some back pain.

She reached out and rubbed her sore shoulders, then stretched her neck.

The phoenix crowns and hairpins on their heads collided, making a crisp and melodious sound.

Jiang Jinshuang found it amusing.

Her marriage was rather hasty. When she was young, she followed Jiang Huayan, who promised her that if she ever got married, he would hold a wedding for her that would be famous throughout the capital.

Of course, that wasn't achieved.

However, Pei Du's preparations were quite thorough; in just seven days, the scale of the wedding ceremony was comparable to that of the former imperial concubines and empresses.

Sunset West Mountain.

Watching other people's wedding nights, the grooms seemed to be drinking with the guests until midnight before they would stop. It was still early, and Jiang Jinshuang guessed that Lin Qingyan would arrive much later.

After all, he had only just gained a foothold in the capital. Although he was a newly appointed top scholar, due to the emperor's apprehension, his official position was only a seventh-rank civil official.

Those who are willing to attend the wedding banquet today are only doing so because of his status as the "newly crowned top scholar," so Lin Qingyan certainly cannot let them down and must treat them well.

Thinking this way, Jiang Jinshuang suddenly had another thought—

Why don't we remove the veil and phoenix crown first?

The headmistress had repeatedly instructed her not to lift the veil herself, and that the phoenix coronet could only be removed by her husband on their wedding night.

But the phoenix crown was making her forehead ache. Lin Qingyan was understanding, and even if she took it off now, he probably wouldn't say anything.

Thinking this, Jiang Jinshuang raised her hand, wanting to lift the veil on her head.

Before she could make a move, footsteps approached from outside the door.

Jiang Jinshuang abruptly stopped what she was doing.

She sat on the edge of the bed, "dignified and obedient".

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

Jiang Jinshuang heard the matchmaker's teasing voice: "Oh ho! Is the groom in such a hurry to see the bride so early? What are the guests in the front yard going to do?"

Lin Qingyan didn't say anything.

He simply said "thank you" and then sent the matchmaker away before opening the door.

"squeak--"

As the door opened, the scent of moonlight entered Jiang Jinshuang's nose even before the fresh air outside.

It was as if someone had traveled to her under the stars and moon.

She looked down and saw the pair of shoes that had stopped in front of her.

Outside the door, there was still a lively sound of firecrackers and drums.

The bedroom was completely silent. Jiang Jinshuang coughed lightly, trying to ease the atmosphere: "Lin Qingyan, if you don't lift my veil soon, I'm really going to suffocate."

Her response was an endless, seemingly infinitely stretched silence.

The silence was so profound that it left Jiang Jinshuang with a somewhat ambiguous feeling.

She opened her mouth, wanting to call him again: "Lin—"

"Close your eyes."

The man spoke in a detached, low voice, carrying an emotion that was difficult to understand.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned slightly: "Why are you closing your eyes?"

The man then fell silent again.

Jiang Jinshuang sighed and had no choice but to close her eyes: "They're already closed."

Not long after.

Jiang Jinshuang felt a small amount of weight disappear from the top of her head.

The bedroom was lit by candlelight, and even with her eyes closed, Jiang Jinshuang could feel the flickering candlelight around her.

Some of the candles even crackled because it was so quiet.

Before Jiang Jinshuang could react, a cool, silky ribbon was placed over her eyes.

Jiang Jinshuang was stunned for a moment, then unconsciously shrank her neck: "Lin Qingyan, what are you doing?"

There was still no answer to this question.

Jiang Jinshuang's mind raced for a moment.

—Lin Qingyan… likes to play this kind of game?

Thinking of this, Jiang Jinshuang unconsciously swallowed.

—It's not fear, it's excitement!
She had only ever read about it in storybooks before. Was Lin Qingyan actually pursuing a proper education?

The silk must have been of the highest quality; it felt almost weightless when it was placed over her eyes, and if she opened them, she could even see the outline of the man in front of her.

He was tall and had an upright posture.

There must have been jade pendants hanging from both sides of the ribbon above her eyes, so it wouldn't be easy for her to untie it.

This ribbon isn't like an ordinary ribbon. If I had to describe it... well...

Oh, like the ribbons on Pei Du's jade crown.

Just thinking about this made Jiang Jinshuang shiver.

—It must be because her wedding dress was stained with sandalwood today; she couldn't stop thinking about Pei Du all day.

A cold touch covered her brows and eyes, and the next second, the man in front of her pulled her waist into his arms.

What was blocked?

Jiang Jinshuang was startled and somewhat taken aback.

"You...you just said that in front of the guests in the front yard..."

“Even earlier,” the man said in a hoarse voice, biting off her earring with his lips, “when I saw you.”

Jiang Jinshuang's body was somewhat stiff.

Because she lost her sight, her other senses were amplified. The man gently bit off her earring and slowly removed her elaborate wedding gown piece by piece.

The cool fingertips brushed across Jiang Jinshuang's neck, sending a chill through her body.

Jiang Jinshuang pursed her lips slightly, and for a moment she felt a little short of breath.

too close.

Too close.

They seem to be an inseparable whole.

This realization caused Jiang Jinshuang's palms to sweat slightly.

"Lin, Lin Qingyan, can we talk some more—"

"Shuang'er."

She heard the man's low, husky, and intoxicated voice.

"Call me husband."