190: Quiet Night Study

A moment later, Situ Jun sighed softly, his brow relaxing slightly:

"Then don't stand. Come sit on the soft couch here."

As his voice fell, his gaze returned to the topographical map of Northern Xinjiang and East Lin, his finger still tracing the area around Azure Dragon Gorge.

Shen Xingwan sat down as instructed, but her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the map on the desk.

Although she was not as proficient in military defense as Liu Xuaner, she was meticulous and highly observant.

Following Situ Jun’s gaze, she pondered for a moment, then pointed to a spot upstream of Azure Dragon Gorge Pass marked “Shallow Shoal” and said:

"The current here near East Lin City is swift, and hidden reefs are numerous, making it difficult for large ships to pass. If they want to sneak in undetected, they must use light, fast boats, and the numbers won't be large. Should we set up covert sentries in the dangerous shoals upstream of the Canglan River? Using Signal Arrows or beacon smoke as a sign, once traces of Southern Xinjiang bandits or enemy troops are discovered, the Azure Dragon Gorge defenders can be pre-warned—either holding fast and waiting for reinforcements, or striking them mid-crossing and intercepting them at the shallow shoals?"

The clear, calm voice held a sense of composure, and the well-organized analysis made Situ Jun turn his head abruptly.

The candlelight reflected in his eyes, stirring clear admiration:

"Excellent! Xingwan, this plan is superb! Setting up covert sentries is low-cost, but the warning effect is outstanding."

He immediately picked up a blank sound transmission talisman, gathered Spiritual Power at his fingertips, quickly sketched the Runes, and wrote Shen Xingwan's suggestion in detail, adding his own supplement:

"Yang Feng, order a small team to immediately go to the dangerous shoals upstream of the Canglan Azure Dragon Gorge Pass to set up covert sentries and a warning Formation. You will coordinate them directly; ensure it is covert and efficient!"

The Jade Talisman transformed into a streak of light and shot out the window.

Having resolved a hidden danger, Situ Jun was in high spirits. Looking at Shen Xingwan again, he felt that the scarlet red at her temple was especially vivid under the candlelight, making her cool, clear features appear slightly more alluring.

"Xingwan,"

Situ Jun put down his Cinnabar Brush, leaned back slightly, and fixed his gaze, which held both scrutiny and subtle gentleness, upon her face:

"You... seem a little different today?"

Shen Xingwan’s ears felt hot under his gaze. She instinctively wanted to touch the Buyao Hairpin at her temple, but her fingers stopped mid-air. She simply lowered her eyes:

"The Prefect is joking. Xingwan... merely did what was expected of her."

She paused, her voice as light as a feather landing:

"Embroiderer Sister was right. The Prefect works hard and worries constantly. We... should try our best to share some of the burden, whether it's trivial matters, or..."

When she raised her eyes to meet Situ Jun's gaze, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she finally mustered her courage:

"Or anything else we can think of."

What she didn't say was that what she wanted to share was the heavy burden on his shoulders and the worries in his heart.

Situ Jun’s heart stirred slightly.

How could he not know the Embroiderer's intentions? Shen Xingwan's transformation at this moment made a strange warmth rise in his heart.

This affection beneath her composure moved him more than her previous feelings of grievance and forbearance.

He reached out and gently grasped the fingers she had placed near the desk, curled slightly due to nervousness.

Her hand was slightly cool, trembling imperceptibly, and was securely enveloped by his warm, broad palm.

"Xingwan, after all these days in the residence... do you still harbor resentment in your heart?"

He gazed at Shen Xingwan, his deep voice particularly clear in the quiet study.

There were no lingering, romantic words, but this simple sentence of concern was like a massive stone dropped into the lake of Shen Xingwan's heart, instantly whipping up monstrous waves.

All her nervousness, shyness, and unease were washed away by these words of care, transforming into an uncontrollable crystalline sheen in her eyes.

She squeezed his hand back firmly, then quickly released it, as if afraid of revealing too much emotion, and only whispered a reply:

"No."

The two words were as light as wind sweeping across water, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

Shen Xingwan lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, concealing the turbulent emotions within.

Situ Jun looked at her slightly trembling eyelashes; his fingertips seemed to still retain the cool sensation of her palm.

He did not press further, but picked up the Cinnabar Brush again. However, his gaze did not immediately return to the map; instead, it lingered for a moment on the scarlet Buyao Hairpin in her hair.

That splash of vibrant color shimmered under the warm yellow light, like a dancing flame, dispelling the usual coldness she carried.

He suddenly remembered how, for the past few days, she had always worn plain white dresses, living quietly in the residence, like a snow lotus untouched by dust.

In just a few days, she seemed to have changed, yet also seemed unchanged.

"That's good." Situ Jun's voice softened further. "There's no need to be restrained here. Just treat this place as your own home."

Hearing this, a warmth spread through Shen Xingwan's heart. When she looked up, the crystalline sheen in her eyes had vanished, leaving only clarity:

"Thank you, Prefect."

She stood up, walked to the desk, and refilled Situ Jun's tea. Her movements were still gentle, but they lacked the previous cautiousness and held more natural ease.

Situ Jun picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and returned his gaze to the map.

Shen Xingwan did not disturb him again, but stood quietly by his side, occasionally adding tea or tidying the scattered scrolls on the desk.

Outside the window lattice, the shadows of osmanthus trees danced, and the moonlight was like water.

The Embroiderer stood in the shadows of the distant corridor, watching the two figures on the study window paper—sometimes close, sometimes busy separately, yet their auras intertwined. A genuinely comfortable and relieved smile finally bloomed on her lips.

She adjusted her shawl, turned, and silently returned to her room... As the night deepened, only the sound of Situ Jun occasionally turning pages and Shen Xingwan's soft breathing remained in the study.

The candlelight flickered, stretching their shadows long upon the wall, like a tranquil painting.

When Shen Xingwan took the Booklet, her fingertips inadvertently touched his palm. Both of them paused. She quickly withdrew her hand, her earlobes so red they looked ready to bleed.

Situ Jun watched her shoulders tremble slightly as she lowered her head to flip through the map, and suddenly felt that the candlelight on the desk was a bit too bright.

He raised his hand and extinguished half the candles, leaving only the Glass Palace Lantern by the window.

The warm yellow light spread through her hair, making the kingfisher feathers of the Buyao Hairpin appear even more vibrant.

"It's late. Go rest on the soft couch behind the screen," he said, sitting back down at his desk and spreading out a new sheet of Xuan paper. "I still have some documents to process."

Shen Xingwan did not reply, but placed the Parchment Booklet on her lap and studied it carefully under the lamplight.

The night wind slipped in through the window crack, causing the tassels at her temple to sway gently.

A moment later, she stood up and refilled the tea for Situ Jun.

Situ Jun suddenly reached out and gently grasped her wrist.

Shen Xingwan froze entirely, even forgetting how to breathe.

His palm was warm, and as it rubbed against the skin of her wrist, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes.

"Today," Situ Jun's voice lowered, his gaze fixed on her flushed earlobe, "you look very beautiful."

The tassels of the Buyao Hairpin swayed more intensely.

Shen Xingwan abruptly pulled her hand back. As she turned, her skirt brushed against the Bronze Censer by the desk, stirring up a wave of Dragons Saliva Incense. She stumbled onto the soft couch, and when her back was to him, she heard her own heartbeat louder than the Night Watchman's Clapper outside the window.

Situ Jun looked at her tense back, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth—a smile he hadn't even noticed himself.

He picked up the tea and took a sip. Upon tasting it, the sweet fragrance lingered, mixed with the refreshing crispness of Snow Peak Jade.

The study quieted once more, with only the occasional crackle of the candlelight, the rustling sound of the brush tip moving across paper, and the slight noise of Shen Xingwan turning pages.

The air was filled with the fragrance of tea and ink, along with a faint, subtle scent of the newly established, closer bond between the two of them.