218: Late-night confessions

The night was deep, as thick as unmixable ink.

Moonlight like white silk poured down from the horizon, looking like thousands of mercury-cast streamers flowing over the upturned eaves of the Rain Embroidery Courtyard and through the carved window frames, illuminating the study with a clear radiance.

Under the cold light, the Jade Slip on the desk emitted the unique warm luster of jade, yet it could not hide the solemnity and gravity permeating the air.

The candles in the manor had long since been extinguished one by one, leaving only a lone lamp burning in the main courtyard's study. The wick flickered, stretching the figure leaning over the desk into an elongated shadow that looked thin enough to be blown over by a gust of wind, yet possessed an unshakeable stubbornness.

At the desk, Situ Jun's fingertips flew as his Carving Knife moved like lightning between the Jade Slip and the Formation Plate.

His gaze was so focused it was almost sharp, every mark precise as if he were carving a rare treasure.

Following his movements, intricate Formation patterns emerged on the Jade Slip. As spiritual light flowed, they occasionally emitted a rock-solid aura, sometimes vanished into the Void Realm, and occasionally flashed with a chilling aura of slaughter—power enough to make a strong enemy tremble.

East Lin City was his weakness, and even more so, his reverse scale.

This city, along with its people and those in the manor he cared for, could not afford the slightest mishap.

To build an indestructible defense in a short time, he had unhesitatingly used his heavenly luck value in the System mall to exchange for a Formation Quick-Learning Jade Slip.

The Dao of Formations, which others might take ten or even decades to even reach the threshold of, he had forced his way through purely by stacking heavenly luck value, pushing himself to become a Grade Four Formation Master.

The cost was obvious; he could clearly feel his Nascent Soul withering, and he occasionally felt heart palpitations.

Fortunately, he had several wives with 100% favorability. Every day, they provided him with over a hundred heavenly luck value, which, like a trickling stream, slowly replenished his depleted Foundation.

"Husband."

The study door was gently pushed open, bringing in a hint of the outdoor chill.

Embroiderer walked in carrying a gold-painted tray, upon which sat a bowl of steaming Spiritual Ginseng Soup, the rising white mist blurring the stray hairs at her temples.

Looking at Situ Jun's thin profile and the faint dark circles under his eyes, the heartache in her gaze almost overflowed.

"It is late; rest for a moment."

She placed the tray on the small table by the desk, her voice so soft it was as if she feared disturbing something.

Situ Jun's hand holding the Carving Knife suddenly paused. Only after the last wisp of spiritual light was injected into the Formation Plate through the knife's tip did he slowly look up.

His eyes, which had looked cold and sharp due to his concentration, softened instantly the moment he saw Embroiderer, as if soaked in warm water. Even the chilling aura gathered from carving the Formation dissipated by more than half.

He put down the Carving Knife and took the soup bowl from her hands. The warm porcelain pressed against his slightly cool palm, and that bit of warmth slowly spread through his limbs.

"Thank you for your hard work, Embroiderer."

His voice carried a hint of imperceptible fatigue, yet it was full of tenderness.

Situ Jun lowered his head and took a sip of the warm Spiritual Ginseng Soup. The warm current slid down his throat, not only dispelling the late-night chill but also acting like a pair of gentle hands, softly smoothing his taut heartstrings. He put down the bowl and fixed his gaze on Embroiderer. The candlelight flickered, reflecting her gentle and beautiful profile, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow over her eyelids, a peaceful sight that brought him peace of mind.

The piercing sharpness he had shown on the city walls during the day when facing the Qingyun Giant Ship had now completely retracted. All that remained in his eyes was the exhaustion from days of hard work and a deep attachment to the woman before him.

"Embroiderer."

He called out softly, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible hoarseness and weariness. He reached out and gently pulled her closer, letting her sit on the brocade stool beside him.

His broad palm enveloped her slightly cool hand, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the small calluses on her finger pads—traces left by her years of managing the household and taking care of everything in the manor for him.

"I've made you worry."

Embroiderer leaned into his embrace, gently resting her head on his solid chest.

Listening to that steady and powerful heartbeat and smelling the unique scent on him—a mix of ink and a faint hint of soapberry—she felt incredibly safe. It was a scent that could calm her heart no matter how much wind and rain raged outside.

She raised her hand, her fingertips full of infinite pity as she gently stroked his slightly furrowed brow.

It was as if a heavy burden of a thousand pounds was concentrated between his brows, hiding the safety of East Lin City, the future of the Northern Border, and anxieties she could not understand.

She wanted to knead away all that weight and share even a ten-thousandth of it for him.

"Husband, you carry the heavy burden of all of East Lin and even the Northern Border. I... cannot help much; I can only do my best to manage the household so you have fewer worries."

Her voice was soft, like a night breeze brushing over a lotus pond, carrying heartache and a hint of imperceptible self-blame.

"Seeing you so exhausted and worried... my heart truly aches."

Situ Jun tightened his arms, pulling her closer into his embrace, his chin resting on the top of her head as he inhaled the elegant scent of orchids from her hair.

"Having you here is the greatest help. The manor is in good order and everyone is harmonious; that is my most solid support."

He paused, his voice deepening with a hint of irritability and unease he hadn't even noticed himself.

"It's just that... this trip to the Southern Border has too many variables, and the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce has intervened, I..."

"Husband!"

Embroiderer suddenly raised her head, her scallion-white finger gently pressing against his lips to stop him from continuing.

Her eyes were shimmering like water, as if holding a clear spring, yet they also carried an unprecedented determination and plea.

"Do not say such unlucky things! I believe in you; you will surely overcome all obstacles and return safely!"

She gazed into his deep eyes, which reflected the flickering candlelight and her own worried reflection.

For a long time, the simplest desire hidden deep in her heart as a woman rippled out uncontrollably at this moment, like a stone thrown into a still lake, spreading in circles until it filled her entire heart.

She bit her lip slightly, as if gathering the courage of a lifetime.

A charming blush instantly flew to her cheeks, spreading from her face to the tips of her ears, even dyeing her neck with a layer of pink.

Her voice trembled with unprecedented shyness and vulnerability, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet every word reached Situ Jun's ears clearly.

"Husband... at dinner, I saw how much affection you showed for Xiao Rou, and I was very grateful. But I... I want to bear a child of your own for you."

As her words fell, the air in the study seemed to freeze for a moment.

Only the candle crackled softly, a small spark popping to break the silence, yet making the atmosphere feel even more delicate.

Situ Jun's body stiffened visibly, and complex emotions suddenly surged in his deep eyes—shock, excitement, realization, and pity, along with a tidal wave of tenderness that almost drowned her, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He had never heard Embroiderer express this wish so directly.

She was once another man's wife, heartlessly divorced and abandoned before being pushed into the clutches of the Xihua Sect, and finally saved by him, who gave her a home and made her his wife.

And she had followed him to this peril-filled East Lin City without regret, managing the manor's affairs perfectly and maintaining the bond between the sisters as if they were blood relatives.

He had always known she was virtuous and deeply affectionate, but he had rarely glimpsed her like this—shedding all her strong outer shells to reveal a wife's most primal desire to be connected to him by Bloodline.

Was it the impending departure that had made her uneasy?

Was it witnessing the joy brought by the new life in Xingwan's womb that made her long for it too?

Or... was it the longing suppressed deep in her heart for so long that had finally sprouted on this eve of departure, catalyzed by deep unease and reluctance?