193: The gentle dawn

A long while passed.

The curtains swayed gently in the wind, blocking out the last sliver of moonlight.

Inside the room, only the sound of heavy, intertwining breaths and the rustle of falling clothes remained, flowing slowly through the silent night like a wordless song.

Outside the window, the moonlight gradually sank westward. As the horizon began to pale like a fish's belly, the soft whispers within the curtains finally faded into silence.

Shen Xingwan leaned lazily in Situ Jun's arms, her cheek pressed against his warm chest, where she could clearly hear his steady and powerful heartbeat.

The embroidered brocade quilt with twin lotuses covering her was infused with the familiar scent of soapberry from Situ Jun's body. Mixed with a faint warmth, it made her feel incredibly at peace.

"Awake?"

He lowered his head and kissed the top of her hair, his voice slightly raspy from just waking up.

"Mhm," she responded, shrinking further into his arms. "I don't want to sleep."

Situ Jun chuckled softly and raised his hand to rub her hair. "Tired after a whole night, and you don't want to sleep a bit longer?"

These words carried a hint of teasing, causing Shen Xingwan's cheeks to flush instantly. She gave him a reproachful glare but buried her face deeper, even the tips of her ears turning pink.

He looked at her reddened ears, the smile in his eyes so tender it seemed ready to overflow.

"You are already my, Situ Jun's, wife. From now on, don't let your mind wander, and there's no need for self-pity."

A smile of relief spread across Shen Xingwan's face. She let out a yawn, a deep drowsiness surfacing in her eyes.

"Sleep," Situ Jun said, pulling her closer and adjusting to a comfortable position. "I'll wake you when it's light out."

Shen Xingwan gave an "mhm," her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Soon, she fell into a deep sleep in his arms.

This time, her brow was relaxed, and a faint smile even lingered at the corners of her mouth, as if she were having a wonderful dream.

Situ Jun watched her tranquil sleeping face. The moonlight had faded, and the morning light filtered through the window lattice, falling on the tips of her hair with a soft luster.

He reached out and gently brushed over her features, his movements as tender as if he were handling a rare treasure.

Some things, perhaps, truly don't need to be forced.

He lowered his head, pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and then held her as he slowly closed his eyes.

Outside the window, the dawn grew brighter, and a new day was quietly beginning.

Inside the curtains, the two sleeping in each other's arms had unknowingly begun to compose a new chapter of their own... When the dawn light filtered through the window screen, Shen Xingwan was woken by an itchy sensation on the side of her neck.

Situ Jun's breath fell on her skin with a light warmth. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she realized she was nestled in his arms.

His arm was looped around her waist; the strength wasn't heavy, yet it carried an inescapable intimacy, like circling a fish that craved warmth.

The scent of last night still lingered within the curtains—the crisp soapberry scent from him and the gardenia fragrance from her hair. Mixed together, they created a strange sense of lingering affection.

Shen Xingwan moved, and the muscles at her waist suddenly tensed—she only then realized they were both disheveled. The collars of their inner robes were loosely open, and the scorching heat from where their skin touched made her face flush instantly.

Images from last night flooded back like a tide—those bold probings, the all-or-nothing closeness, and his final, powerful promise. Everything was as clear as if it had just happened.

She instinctively wanted to hide, but was gently held back by the arm around her waist.

"Awake?"

Situ Jun's voice carried the raspiness of someone just waking up, deeper than usual, like a stone grinding over a bluestone slab.

Shen Xingwan buried her face in the crook of his neck, not daring to look at him, feeling as if her ears were hot enough to fry an egg.

The soapberry scent in his hair became clearer, mixed with the slight chill of the morning. It actually reminded her of the morning mist she had seen in Jiangnan as a child—clean and gentle.

Situ Jun let out a low laugh, the vibration of his chest transferring to her body, bringing a fine, tingling itch.

He raised his hand to stroke her messy hair, his fingertips gently twirling the ends.

"Now you know how to be afraid? You weren't like this last night."

Shen Xingwan's face turned even redder. She shrank tighter into his arms, her voice muffled by the fabric.

"Manor Lord..."

"Still calling me Manor Lord?" He lightly flicked her forehead with his finger, his tone carrying an undetectable indulgence. "Did you forget what you called me last night?"

Shen Xingwan's heart skipped a beat, and her fingertips instinctively gripped his collar.

She slowly looked up and collided with his smiling eyes. Those deep depths were no longer cold as they were when they first met, but were instead rippling with fine light, like a lake surface filled with starlight.

She bit her lip and tentatively whispered:

"Husband?"

"Mhm."

He responded readily, reaching out to pinch her cheek. The fine, soft sensation made his gaze darken slightly.

"Last night..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the red marks on the side of her neck, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

"Are you tired?"

Shen Xingwan's face grew even hotter. She avoided his gaze, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"No..."

He suddenly laughed out loud, rolling over to pull her into his arms. His chest pressed against her back, and his warm breath brushed past her ear.

"You still dare say no? The way you looked at me just now was like a startled little rabbit."

She felt flustered by his words, yet she couldn't help but shrink into his arms like a small beast craving warmth.

From outside the curtains came the sound of a maid lightly knocking on the door, accompanied by a soft inquiry.

"Manor Lord, Lady Embroiderer says that Commander Yang Feng requests an audience and asked me to inform you."

Situ Jun replied with a "wait a moment" and lowered his head to press a light kiss into Shen Xingwan's hair.

"Sleep a while longer. I'll go handle things."

Shen Xingwan had just propped up half her body when she was gently pressed back down by his hand at her waist.

Situ Jun's fingertips carried a slightly cool temperature. As they fell on her exposed skin, they triggered a slight shiver.

"Just lie there, no need to get up." His voice still carried a lingering laziness. His gaze swept over the red marks on her shoulder, and his eyes darkened. "Be careful not to catch a cold."

But Shen Xingwan refused.

They had become husband and wife last night; how could she justify staying in bed while her husband got up to manage affairs?

She bit her lip and reached for her outer robe at the foot of the bed. Just as her fingertips touched the fabric, her wrist was caught by him.

His palm was warm and dry, but his strength brooked no argument.

"Be good."

He lowered his head and pressed a shallow kiss to the corner of her lips, his voice carrying the slight rasp of the morning.

"Wait for me to come back and have breakfast with you."

Shen Xingwan's heart leaped from his kiss, her cheeks began to heat up again, and her struggling strength faded. Seeing that she was no longer persistent, a smile spread through Situ Jun's eyes. He released her hand and rose efficiently.

The morning light filtered through the window lattice, outlining the silhouette of his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

As his inner robe slipped, the muscular lines on his back were distinct, still bearing the red scratch marks she had made in her panic last night.

Shen Xingwan watched in a daze until he turned around, at which point she hurriedly looked away, the tips of her ears so red they looked ready to bleed.

Situ Jun chuckled softly. He didn't tease her further and began to dress himself.

The brocade belt was tied into a neat, orderly knot at his waist. In an instant, he returned to his usual steady and solemn appearance, though the tenderness in his eyes was much stronger than before.

He walked to the bedside and tucked in the corner of the quilt for Shen Xingwan, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her cheek.

"Go back to sleep or read a book, just don't overexert yourself."

Shen Xingwan gave an "mhm" and watched him turn to walk out of the curtains.

From the outer room came the faint rustle of clothing and his low, raspy voice as he gave instructions to the maid. Her heart was suddenly filled with a grounded warmth.

Outside the curtains, Situ Jun took the wet towel handed over by the maid. Just as his fingertips touched the cold cloth, he suddenly remembered something and instructed in a low voice:

"Stew a bowl of bird's nest, add some dried longans, and bring it in for the Madam in a while."

The maid, Little Lotus, responded with a "yes." Seeing his gaze sweep toward the bed with an inseparable softness, she couldn't help but feel happy for Shen Xingwan—the Manor Lord had finally accepted this new Madam, and the two of them, mistress and servant, were no longer outsiders in the manor.

The footsteps grew distant, and the room returned to silence.

Shen Xingwan gazed at the intertwined lotus patterns embroidered on the canopy. Her fingertips gently brushed over the twin lotuses on the brocade quilt, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

The shyness from last night had not yet fully dissipated, but her heart was already enveloped in a strange tranquility. She knew that from today on, she was no longer that Shen Xingwan who lived under someone else's roof and had to be cautious at every step.

She was Situ Jun's wife.

This realization warmed her heart. Drowsiness struck again, and she shrank into the covers. With the scent of soapberry he left behind lingering around her nose, she soon fell back into a deep sleep.

This time, even her dreams were warm.