The sound of hurried footsteps approaching from outside the main hall finally pulled Zhang Jingyuan out of his thoughts.
A servant quickly entered and bowed.
"Master, Young Master Shen Zhiqian has arrived at the city gate. He has gone to receive Young Master Shen Ziheng."
Shen Ruiwen’s expression immediately brightened.
"They have arrived?"
"Yes, Master."
The words had barely fallen when another servant hurried in.
"Master, Young Master Shen Ziheng has entered the residence!"
Shen Xuan’s eyes immediately lit up.
"Second Big Brother!"
She nearly jumped out of her grandmother’s arms.
Her grandmother laughed and released her.
"Go slowly, Awu. Don’t fall."
But Shen Xuan had already turned toward the entrance.
The doors of the main hall opened.
A tall young man stepped inside.
He was dressed in a dark military robe, his long black hair tied high with a simple jade crown. His shoulders were broader than Shen Xuan remembered, and the childishness that had once lingered upon his face had almost completely disappeared.
He looked like someone who had spent years beneath the northern sky.
There was something different about him.
Something that could only come from years of training, battle, and hardship.
But Shen Xuan barely noticed any of it.
Her gaze immediately fell upon his face.
A long scar stretched from above his left eyebrow, crossing the outer corner of his eye and continuing toward his cheek.
The smile that had been forming on Shen Xuan’s face disappeared.
Her heart tightened.
"Second Big Brother..."
Before anyone could stop her, Shen Xuan ran toward him.
"Awu!"
Her father’s startled voice followed.
But Shen Xuan had already reached Shen Ziheng.
She stopped directly before him and stared at the scar.
Her eyes immediately became red.
"What happened to your eye?"
Her voice trembled.
"Does it hurt?"
Shen Ziheng’s expression softened instantly.
He had been prepared to greet his parents and grandparents with the dignity expected of a young general.
But the moment he saw his little sister’s trembling lips...
All that dignity disappeared.
"Awu..."
He quickly bent down.
"Don’t cry."
"I’m fine."
"It doesn’t hurt anymore."
He reached out and gently wiped beneath her eyes.
But the closer Shen Xuan looked...
The more clearly she could see the scar.
It was not small.
It was not something that could simply be dismissed as a scratch.
Tears finally slipped down her cheeks.
"Second Big Brother..."
Her voice cracked.
Shen Ziheng immediately panicked.
"Awu, don’t cry."
"I’m truly fine."
"I can still see perfectly well."
But the more he tried to reassure her...
The harder Shen Xuan cried.
Shen Zhiqian, who had just entered the hall behind his younger brother, immediately frowned.
"Ziheng!"
He strode forward and lightly struck his younger brother on the head.
"You just returned and you’ve already made Awu cry."
Shen Ziheng rubbed his head helplessly.
"Big Brother, I didn’t do anything."
Shen Xuan immediately turned around.
"Big Brother, don’t hit Second Big Brother!"
Her tearful expression suddenly became fierce.
Shen Zhiqian froze.
"..."
Shen Ziheng blinked.
"..."
The rest of the family struggled not to laugh.
Shen Zhiqian slowly withdrew his hand.
"Fine."
"I won’t hit him."
But there was an unmistakable trace of jealousy in his eyes.
He glanced sideways at Shen Ziheng.
His younger brother had been away for three years.
And the moment he returned...
He had already managed to steal Awu’s attention.
Shen Ziheng, completely oblivious to his elder brother’s thoughts, continued wiping Shen Xuan’s tears.
"Look."
"I’m standing perfectly well."
"I can see you."
"See?"
He deliberately pointed toward Shen Yuerou.
"Who is that?"
Shen Xuan sniffled.
"Big Sister."
"And him?"
He pointed toward Shen Zhiqian.
"First Big Brother."
"And who is the most beautiful little girl here?"
Shen Xuan paused.
Her eyes brightened slightly.
"Me."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Even Shen Zhiqian couldn’t maintain his stern expression.
"Shameless."
Shen Xuan immediately looked at him.
"Big Brother is jealous."
"I am not."
"You are."
"I said I’m not."
"You’re jealous."
Shen Zhiqian’s face darkened.
Shen Yuerou covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
The tension that had surrounded Shen Ziheng’s return gradually disappeared.
After a while, Shen Xuan finally stopped crying.
Shen Ziheng gently wiped the last tear from her cheek.
"See?"
"Your Second Big Brother has returned safely."
Shen Xuan nodded.
"Then you have to be careful from now on."
"Don’t get another scar."
Shen Ziheng smiled.
"All right."
"I promise."
Standing several steps away, Zhang Jingyuan quietly watched the siblings.
There was warmth in his eyes.
Yet beneath that warmth...
There was also something difficult to understand.
He had never experienced a family quite like this.
The Shen family was unusually close.
There were no unnecessary barriers between them.
Perhaps that was why Shen Xuan could smile so freely here.
A thought quietly crossed his mind.
"Awu truly loves her family."
And then he remembered the thought he had heard from her earlier.
For some reason...
His chest felt strangely tight.
Once the family had finished welcoming Shen Ziheng, the atmosphere gradually became more formal.
The imperial edict had yet to be announced.
The servants quickly arranged the incense burner and cleared a space in the center of the hall.
Everyone present knew that an imperial edict was not something that could be treated casually.
Shen Xuan looked at the arrangement before her.
Her small face immediately became solemn.
Then...
She sighed inwardly.
"This kneeling part is one thing I really dislike about this era."
"Why does everything require kneeling?"
"It’s a good thing I won’t have anything to do with the imperial palace in the future."
"I’ll stay home."
"Eat."
"Sleep."
"Play."
"And grow old peacefully."
She happily nodded to herself.
But the moment Zhang Jingyuan heard those thoughts...
His expression froze.
For some reason...
The words caused an inexplicable sense of panic to rise within him.
"Nothing to do with the imperial palace?"
"In the future?"
He looked at Shen Xuan.
She was already preparing to kneel alongside the rest of the family.
His fingers tightened slightly around the imperial edict.
He quickly suppressed the strange feeling.
This was not the time to think about such things.
"His Majesty has decreed."
His voice rang clearly throughout the hall.
Everyone immediately knelt.
Shen Xuan reluctantly lowered herself as well.
She secretly complained the entire time.
"My knees..."
"I’m only ten..."
"Why am I already suffering like this?"
Zhang Jingyuan almost lost his composure.
He quickly looked down at the imperial edict and continued.
"Shen Ziheng, son of Grand Chancellor Shen Ruiwen, has served the kingdom with courage and distinction."
"During the recent conflict with Hulan, he defeated the enemy’s general and protected the northern border."
"His Majesty is greatly pleased with his achievement."
"The Emperor hereby confers upon Shen Ziheng the title of General Yuzhang."
"The court shall reward him with gold and other gifts befitting his rank."
"The Shen family is to accept this decree with gratitude."
"End of decree."
The hall remained silent for a brief moment.
Shen Ziheng lowered his head deeply.
"This subject, Shen Ziheng, thanks His Majesty for his grace."
He respectfully accepted the imperial edict from Zhang Jingyuan.
Shen Ruiwen’s face was filled with pride.
His second son had returned home with honor.
Not only had he survived his first real battle...
He had also earned recognition from the Emperor.
For a father...
There could hardly be greater joy.
Shen Xuan smiled brightly.
"Second Big Brother is now a general!"
"Amazing!"
"As expected of my family!"
Zhang Jingyuan heard the thought.
Yet instead of feeling pleased...
His mind remained occupied by her earlier words.
"Nothing to do with the imperial palace..."
He couldn’t understand why they bothered him so much.
After the formalities were completed, Zhang Jingyuan handed the remaining matters over to the palace attendants.
Then he bowed slightly.
"This Prince has completed His Majesty’s order."
"I shall take my leave."
The Shen family immediately rose to send him off.
Shen Xuan stood among them.
She looked at him curiously.
He had seemed perfectly fine earlier.
Why did he suddenly appear distracted?
"Big Brother Jing..."
She almost called after him.
But Zhang Jingyuan had already turned away.
Shen Xuan frowned slightly.
"What’s wrong with him?"
Zhang Jingyuan’s footsteps paused for half a heartbeat.
Then he continued walking.
That evening...
The Shen Residence was filled with laughter once again.
A feast was prepared in celebration of Shen Ziheng’s return.
The dining hall was brighter than usual.
The table was filled with steaming dishes.
Roasted meat.
Fresh vegetables.
Braised fish.
Chicken cooked with fragrant herbs.
Sweet pastries.
And all kinds of dishes that Shen Xuan had been secretly waiting for since morning.
Even Mo Yunxiu, despite being heavily pregnant and nearing her time, had insisted on coming out.
She sat carefully beside her husband, one hand resting protectively over her stomach.
Shen Zhiqian repeatedly reminded her to eat slowly.
Mo Yunxiu simply smiled.
"I haven’t seen my brother in law for three years."
"How could I remain in my courtyard tonight?"
Everyone laughed.
Shen Xuan looked around the table.
Her grandmother was smiling.
Her parents were laughing.
Her brothers were teasing one another.
Her sister was serving food to their grandmother.
Even her heavily pregnant sister-in-law looked happy.
The atmosphere was warm.
Peaceful.
Safe.
Shen Xuan lowered her chopsticks for a moment.
A gentle smile appeared on her lips.
"I really can’t trade this for anything else."
For all the dangers she knew were waiting somewhere in the future...
For all the terrifying events she remembered from the novel...
This moment was enough.
She wanted to protect it.
She wanted to protect every person sitting around this table.
And most importantly...
She wanted to make sure the tragedy she remembered from the novel never happened to them.
By the time the family feast ended...
The moon was already high in the sky.
Shen Xuan returned to her courtyard with Xiao Mei and Xia Cao.
The residence had finally quieted down.
The servants had retired to their quarters.
Even the lanterns along the corridors had been dimmed.
After bathing and changing into her sleeping clothes, Shen Xuan crawled into bed.
Xiao Mei and Xia Cao helped arrange her blankets before bidding her goodnight.
"Young Miss, sleep well."
"Goodnight."
The two maids withdrew.
The door closed.
Silence filled the room.
Shen Xuan rolled onto her side.
"Today was exhausting."
She yawned.
"Second Big Brother finally returned..."
"I ate so much..."
"And I nearly forgot to bring Big Sister her tea..."
Her eyelids became heavier.
She was just about to fall asleep when...
Footsteps sounded outside.
Shen Xuan’s eyes remained closed.
"Is that Xiao Mei?"
The footsteps continued.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Her brows slowly furrowed.
Something was wrong.
The footsteps were too quiet.
Too measured.
Too controlled.
They didn’t sound like the hurried steps of a maid.
They sounded...
Trained.
Shen Xuan’s eyes suddenly opened.
She remained completely still beneath the blanket.
Her breathing became slower.
The footsteps drew closer.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Her heart began beating rapidly.
"That’s not Xiao Mei."
"Not Xia Cao either."
Then a terrible realization struck her.
"Someone entered my courtyard."
The door creaked.
Shen Xuan’s pupils contracted.
A shadow silently slipped into the room.
For a moment, she couldn’t see the person’s face.
Then moonlight fell through the window.
She saw the glint of steel.
A dagger.
The intruder moved without making a sound.
The blade was aimed directly at her chest.
Shen Xuan’s entire body went cold.
The figure lunged.
The dagger flashed through the darkness.
Shen Xuan rolled desperately to the side.
The blade struck the mattress where her heart had been only a moment earlier.
Thud!
Shen Xuan’s eyes widened.
Her mind went completely blank for a heartbeat.
Then...
"Ah!"
"Here comes the assassination event!"
"But dear Author..."
"I’m still ten!"
She scrambled backward across the bed.
"Why is the plot moving so fast?!"
"I haven’t even finished growing up!"
The assassin pulled the dagger free.
His eyes locked onto her.
Shen Xuan’s heart pounded violently.
For the first time since transmigrating into this world...
Her salted-fish plan was no longer funny.
Someone genuinely intended to kill her.
And the dagger was already coming toward her again.