243: Tender Night

Hua Hanxiang looked up at him, the corners of her eyes flushed red from the water vapor as if stained with rouge, her fingertips lightly hooking the hair hanging over his chest.

"Does Husband think I'm stupid?"

Her voice carried a hint of charmingly naive grievance, yet she proactively shrunk further into his embrace, her lips inadvertently brushing against his jaw.

That sensation was very soft, like a feather brushing against the tip of his heart, causing Situ Jun's breathing to suddenly hitch.

When he lowered his head, the tip of his nose brushed her brow bone, and his voice deepened a few notches, carrying a suppressed tenderness.

"I don't. My Madam is good in every way."

His fingertips slid down her neck and shoulders, gently kneading away the stiffness in her back.

The skin on her back was very soft; when his fingertips touched it, he could feel her slight flinch, but she quickly relaxed, clearly trusting him.

His movements gained a few more degrees of restrained tenderness; he feared that if he used too much strength, he would hurt her.

Hua Hanxiang felt her whole body go soft from his kneading, her fingertips clutching his arm and her cheek pressed against his chest as she listened to his steady heartbeat, gradually forgetting to speak.

That heartbeat was very powerful, like a drumbeat, making her feel at ease—as long as she could hear this heartbeat, she knew she wasn't alone.

Situ Jun lowered his head to kiss the top of her head, then followed the strands of hair to kiss her ear.

A warm breath mixed with water vapor brushed past, making her tremble slightly, yet she held his waist even tighter.

Her arms were very thin; when wrapped around his waist, they could almost encircle him, making him unable to resist tightening his arms to pull her even closer.

The water in the bathtub swayed gently, and the splashed droplets landed on the rim before silently sliding back in.

His kisses slowly moved downward, landing in the hollow of her neck, his movements as light as if he were afraid of breaking her, only whispering in her ear.

"Hanxiang..."

Hua Hanxiang looked up to respond to his kiss, her fingertips lightly tracing his back.

Her fingertips were very soft; when they passed over the old scars on his back, they carried a cautious tenderness, and her voice was so soft it trembled.

"Husband..."

The water vapor grew increasingly thick, blurring the moonlight outside the window and the intertwined figures of the two.

Only their warm breath and overlapping heartbeats, accompanied by the sound of water, wove a segment of undisturbed tenderness in this quiet bedroom.

Situ Jun could feel that her lips were very soft, like they were dipped in honey; when he kissed them, even the water vapor in the air became sweet.

After an unknown amount of time, Situ Jun finally pulled back slightly.

His thumb gently wiped away the water stains at the corner of her mouth, his movements full of treasure, his voice so soft it could drip water.

"Are you tired? Do you want to get out first? The water is getting cold."

Hua Hanxiang shook her head and shrunk further into his embrace, her cheek pressed against his chest as she listened to his powerful heartbeat, her voice soft like a clingy kitten.

"Hold me a bit longer... Husband's embrace is warm."

She really liked his embrace—warm and secure, it could dispel all her anxieties and make her feel that even if the sky fell, as long as he was there, she had nothing to fear.

Situ Jun chuckled and tightened his arms to hold her even closer.

His chin rested on the top of her head as he quietly listened to the sound of the water and her shallow breathing.

Her breathing was very light, falling on his chest with a warm heat that made his heart feel completely soft.

The water temperature in the bathtub slowly dropped, but the skin where the two touched grew increasingly hot, and even the water vapor in the air seemed as sweet as if it were dipped in honey.

Before the water temperature turned completely cold, Situ Jun carefully carried Hua Hanxiang out of the bathtub.

Her whole body was as soft as if it had no bones; leaning in his arms, she didn't even have the strength to open her eyes.

The Waiter had already prepared clean soft towels; Situ Jun wrapped her tightly in a towel, and she still half-squinted her eyes to nuzzle into his embrace, her fingertips clutching his collar and refusing to let go, like a small beast that had just woken up, full of dependence.

"Husband..." she muttered while leaning in his arms with eyes half-open, her voice full of sleepiness.

Returning to the Inner Chamber, Situ Jun placed her on a low stool in front of the mirror and took a dry soft towel to dry her hair.

She sat obediently, her head swaying gently with his movements, occasionally reaching out to grab his wrist, her voice turning sweet and soft.

"Husband's drying feels so comfortable... even softer than when the Maidservants do it."

Situ Jun laughingly patted her hand away and switched to a drier towel to continue rubbing, his fingertips deliberately avoiding the sensitive tips of her ears.

"Don't play around; if your hair isn't dried, you'll get a headache."

He dried it very carefully, not even letting the water droplets on the ends of her hair escape, until her hair was half-dry, then he took a Jade Comb and cautiously combed through her black hair.

Hua Hanxiang's hair was long and soft, like black silk; when the teeth of the comb passed through the strands, they would occasionally catch on a knot, and he would slow down his movements, using his fingertips to gently untie the knot before slowly combing it smooth with the teeth, fearing he would pull and hurt her.

Hua Hanxiang obediently let him handle her, occasionally looking up at him in the mirror; seeing the seriousness in his eyes, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upward slightly.

Just as he finished tending to her hair, the sound of the Waiter's light knock came from outside, his voice kept very low.

"My Lord, the meal is ready. Shall I bring it in for you?"

Hua Hanxiang's eyes instantly lit up like stars being ignited, and she almost tripped over the stool leg when she stood up.

Situ Jun supported her with quick eyes and hands, saying helplessly.

"Slow down, no one is going to take it from you."

She stuck out her tongue but took the opportunity to link her arm with his, her fingers even lightly swaying his sleeve with a hint of coquettishness.

"I'm hungry. I only ate two pieces of pastry on the way; I've been hungry for a long time."

Situ Jun couldn't win against her, so he could only respond to the outside.

"Come in."

The Waiter walked in quietly carrying a food tray; on the tray were three dishes and a soup, as well as a small bowl of steaming Lotus Seed Soup.

Crisp green stir-fried seasonal vegetables, tender yellow Shrimp Egg Custard, glossy braised chicken legs, and a bowl of delicious chicken soup—each dish was steaming, and the aroma instantly filled the room.

The Waiter set the dishes on the table and quietly said another sentence.

"Please enjoy your meal, My Lord. I will be waiting outside the door."

After speaking, he withdrew, still carefully closing the door gently.

Situ Jun first served a bowl of Lotus Seed Soup and handed it to her, stirring it with a spoon to make sure it wasn't too hot before giving it to her.

"Drink this first to line your stomach. Don't eat too fast right after bathing, be careful not to choke."

Hua Hanxiang obediently complied, taking small sips of the soup.

The lotus seeds were stewed until soft and floury, melting with a single press; the sweetness of the rock sugar just spread across the tip of her tongue, not too greasy or cloying, perfectly washing away the dust of the journey.

She ate half a bowl when she suddenly remembered something; she scooped a spoonful of Shrimp Egg Custard and held it to Situ Jun's lips, her eyes full of expectation.

"Husband, you try it too. This is so tender, it melts in your mouth."

Situ Jun did not refuse and took it in his mouth; the fresh fragrance of the egg custard spread across the tip of his tongue with a faint hint of scallions.

Seeing the light in her eyes as if seeking praise, he reached out to pick up a piece of chicken leg for her, even carefully removing the bone.

"You eat more too. You didn't eat well on the way; you need to nourish yourself."

Hua Hanxiang bit into the chicken leg, her cheeks bulging like a little squirrel, as she responded with a muffled "Okay."

The two of them ate slowly, occasionally picking up food for each other; the sky outside the window had long since turned pitch black, and only the lanterns on the corners of the eaves reflected on the window paper with a warm yellow light, stretching their shadows very long until they fell on the floor, overlapping.