219: wish

"Embroiderer..."

Situ Jun's voice was extremely hoarse, carrying a trace of uncontrollable, deep affection.

He cupped her face, his thumb gently wiping away the crystal teardrops that had fallen from the corners of her eyes at some point. Those tears were scalding, burning his fingertips and his heart.

Embroiderer grew increasingly bashful under his gaze, her long lashes drooping like a butterfly about to take flight, yet she held a desperate persistence and did not look away.

She tilted her face slightly, pressing her burning cheek against his warm palm, feeling that reassuring strength. Her voice carried a heavy nasal tone, like a long-accumulated tide that had finally found a breach:

"I know... Husband treats me with deep affection, and the harmony among the sisters in the manor is already a great blessing. I shouldn't... I shouldn't have such extravagant hopes. But... but looking at Sister Xingwan... seeing her carrying Husband's flesh and blood, seeing the radiance of a beginning mother in her expression..."

Her voice suddenly choked up, and her tears fell like a broken string of pearls, hitting the back of his hand. Each drop was so hot that it made his heart contract sharply.

"I... in my heart, I am happy for her, but... but I can't help but feel envious. Husband, I also want... I also want to have a child flowing with our Bloodline, a child who can call me Mother and call you Father..."

She raised her tear-filled eyes and looked into the bottomless depths of his.

They were filled with the silent anticipation and longing she had accumulated for a long time, like a vine growing quietly in the dark night, finally stretching its branches toward him at this moment, regardless of everything.

"Even if... even if there is only one. When Husband is away, looking at him or her would be like looking at you... I wouldn't feel so empty, so afraid..."

This confession was like the softest yet sharpest arrow, accurately piercing the softest part of Situ Jun's heart.

He had never imagined that in the places he couldn't see, his seemingly impeccable wife, who always provided him with a stable home, hid such deep insecurity and such burning desire within her heart.

He had always thought that giving her a stable life, a title, and respect was already the best compensation for her.

But he had forgotten that what she wanted might have always been more than just these.

What she wanted was a deeper connection with him, a bond of shared Bloodline, and a thought to sustain her through those long days and nights when he was gone.

"Silly Embroiderer..."

Situ Jun's throat bobbed, his voice filled with a pity and heartache so thick it couldn't be dissolved.

He lowered his head, his forehead gently resting against hers, their breaths mingling together, carrying each other's warmth.

"How could it be an extravagant hope?"

His voice was so gentle it could drip water, his thumb gently stroking her moist eyes:

"It's my fault, I was negligent... I've let you suffer."

Embroiderer's tears flowed even more fiercely, not out of sadness, but because this sudden understanding and tenderness fell on her heart like a warm spring rain.

She shook her head, her tears dampening his lapel:

"I don't feel wronged... Being able to follow Husband, I don't feel wronged at all..."

Situ Jun said no more, only pulling her tighter into his embrace, as if he wanted to rub her into his own Bloodline.

He knew that at this moment, any words would seem pale. All he could do was show her through his actions that her desire was also his wish.

The candlelight flickered, casting their embracing shadows on the wall, warm and long.

Outside the window, the moonlight remained like spilled mercury, its cool radiance enveloping the Rain Embroidery Courtyard, yet it seemed to take on a hint of warmth because of the tenderness within this study.

He kissed away the tear stains on her face, but that salty taste turned into the most mellow honey-wine on the tip of his tongue.

"I'm sorry."

He cupped her face and looked into her shimmering eyes, speaking each word with utmost solemnity:

"You are my wife; us having our own child is only natural."

His kiss was no longer a brief comfort, but a brand of deep pity and intense passion. It fell on her smooth forehead, moved down her warm skin, kissed her trembling eyelashes, kissed the tip of her elegant nose, and finally, with an unquestionable sense of possession and promise, covered her soft lips.

"Mmh..."

Embroiderer let out a soft moan, swept away by his sudden burst of passion, her body instantly going soft.

She responded awkwardly yet passionately, her arms tightly encircling his neck, like a drowning person grabbing onto the only floating log.

This kiss was deeper and more lingering than any before, carrying a desperate demand and a total outpouring of everything.

Situ Jun's powerful arms went under her knees, lifting her up lightly.

Embroiderer gave a soft cry, subconsciously burying her face in the crook of his neck, her every breath filled with his reassuring scent. Carrying her, he strode toward the Soft Couch on the inner side of the study intended for his naps.

Moonlight flowed in quietly through the carved window lattices, intertwining with the flickering candlelight to cast shifting shadows by the couch.

Situ Jun placed her gently on the soft silken bedding, his tall frame covering her immediately after.

He looked down at the little person beneath him. Under the candlelight, her usually dignified countenance was flushed with emotion, like a peony in full bloom.

Those eyes, which were always gentle and calm, were now shimmering like water, filled with her attachment to him, her longing, and a hint of bashfulness from receiving his favor.

"Embroiderer."

His deep voice carried a captivating magnetism, and his fingertips, burning with heat, extremely slowly and with a worshipful treasure, undid her dignified hair bun.

Cloud-like hair cascaded down with a warm fragrance, brushing past his neck and bringing a wave of tingling shivers.

"Tonight, there is only you and me. No Manor Lord, no Mistress, only Situ Jun and his wife."

As the Frog Buttons were undone one by one, the collar of her moon-white Inner Garment opened slightly, revealing a section of snowy-white neck and delicate collarbones.

Situ Jun's kiss followed, like a devout believer kissing a sacred relic, carrying a burning piety and long-suppressed desire as it moved down those beautiful lines.

Embroiderer's body trembled slightly beneath him, not from cold, but from that surging affection.

Embroiderer shyly closed her eyes, her cheeks flushing red, allowing her senses to be submerged by his scent, his temperature, and his passion.

She awkwardly responded to his exploration, her fingertips sliding into his thick hair, feeling the strength and tenderness contained within his robust body.

The clothes were like lotus petals brushed by the evening breeze, falling to the floor layer by layer.

The candlelight jumped, projecting their overlapping figures onto the wall—stretching, swaying—like a silent song, gentle and lingering.

Suppressed moans and heavy breathing intertwined, breaking the silence of the study and playing the most primitive and deepest movement that belonged only to the two of them.