261: Deep affection in my heart

I don't know how much time had passed; the night dew grew heavier, and the sound of the wind outside the tent softened.

In her daze, Hua Hanxiang suddenly felt Situ Jun's body stiffen slightly. Then, he gently pulled her into his arms, his palm patting her back with a soothing force.

She woke up instantly, holding her breath, her ears twitching slightly.

Extremely light footsteps came from outside the tent, moving very slowly, mixed with the rustling of fabric. Clearly, someone was approaching and had already triggered the Sensing Formation around the tent's perimeter.

Situ Jun's voice was kept extremely low, almost pressed against her ear. His warm breath brushed against her auricle, carrying a soothing power:

"Awake? It's fine, it's one of our own. Probably someone below has something to report, but everything will be handled tomorrow. Now is our rest time."

Hua Hanxiang nodded gently. The tension in her fingertips dissipated, becoming soft again. She shrank further into his arms like a kitten seeking shelter.

The footsteps outside stopped not far from the tent entrance, followed by a deliberately lowered voice, tinged with hesitation:

"There's no movement inside. The Lord should be asleep. Maybe... if it's not urgent, report tomorrow. Don't disturb the Lord's rest."

"Even if it is urgent, you can't just disturb the Lord's rest,"

another voice immediately interrupted, its tone filled with awe:

"Unless it's a matter of extreme urgency, no one should go looking for trouble. Didn't you see the Lord specifically set up a Silencing Formation tonight?"

Yet another voice chimed in, its tone cautious:

"The Lord brought the Madam over today and hasn't rested all the way. He must be tired."

"Uh, it's not anything urgent. I just wanted to tell the Lord that City Lord Wang Cheng cannot come to pay his respects right now."

The first voice quickly explained, its tone full of caution as it continued:

"Then I'd better not disturb the Lord's rest. I'll talk about it tomorrow."

After speaking, the footsteps gradually receded until they were completely out of earshot.

As the footsteps vanished into the night, Hua Hanxiang raised her head again, hugging Situ Jun's waist and nuzzling into his chest. Her eyes were full of reliance, looking quite clingy.

Situ Jun lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, his fingertips brushing over the top of her head:

"Sleep well. No one will come to disturb us again."

As he spoke, several pale golden runes suddenly flew from his fingertips. The runes carved an arc in the air and landed around the tent, instantly transforming into a transparent Formation glow that completely enveloped the entire tent.

The Guards outside saw the layer of light and felt secretly chagrined, thinking their conversation must have disturbed the Lord's rest. Otherwise, the Lord wouldn't have specifically reinforced the Formation. They quickly retreated further away on tiptoe, guarding the outer perimeter.

Inside the tent, Hua Hanxiang hugged Situ Jun, resting her head on his chest and listening to the steady, powerful heartbeat within, which gradually put her mind at ease.

Her jade-like hands tightened around his waist, her fingertips gently stroking the patterns on his clothes. Suddenly remembering something, she whispered:

"Husband, if we encounter people from our Poison Scorpion Cult tomorrow, we..."

She paused halfway, a flicker of worry crossing her eyes.

The Poison Scorpion Cult was her Sect. Although she had left now, there were still many elders in the Sect who had treated her well. She didn't want Situ Jun to clash with the Poison Scorpion Cult for her sake.

Situ Jun's fingertips paused, gently stroking the top of her head. He naturally knew what she was thinking.

However, the current situation was chaotic. Cultivators coveting Daoist Ming Ya's treasures included those at the Nascent Soul Stage. Additionally, Daoist Ming Ya's Immortal Cave hadn't opened yet. If they rashly clashed with the Poison Scorpion Cult, they would only make another enemy, which would be extremely disadvantageous for them.

But seeing the worry hidden in the eyes of the person in his arms, he really couldn't bear to make things difficult for her.

Situ Jun reached out and gently smoothed her slightly furrowed brows, smiling with a tone full of certainty:

"No need to worry. If they have no ill intent and just want to take you back, then we'll just give them some Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones to 'redeem' you. If they dare to strike, I won't let you suffer any grievance."

Hearing this, Hua Hanxiang immediately looked up, her eyes instantly brightening like fallen stars, even the corners of her eyes tinged with a smile.

Her nose gently nuzzled his chin, her voice full of joy:

"I knew Husband was kind-hearted. After all, they were my Sect before. I don't want Husband to clash with them for my sake; that would make me uneasy."

Situ Jun's heart softened from her nuzzling. He lowered his head and lightly bit the corner of her lips again, making her let out a soft cry, before laughing with a raspy voice:

"After all, they are your 'Maiden Family.' I have to yield to them a bit and can't let you be caught in the middle."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to tuck the stray hairs falling by her cheek behind her ear. His finger touched the soft flesh of her earlobe, and that warm sensation made his movements even gentler:

"It's getting late. Sleep first. We'll talk about tomorrow's matters tomorrow. With me here, I won't let you suffer any grievance or difficulty."

Hua Hanxiang nodded obediently, shrinking into his arms and finding the most comfortable position to close her eyes. His scent still lingered around her nose, and a sense of security gradually enveloped her.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, only the sound of their steady breathing remained in the tent.

But Hua Hanxiang hadn't fallen asleep. She quietly opened her eyes and studied Situ Jun's profile by the moonlight—his jawline had a hint of hardness when tense, like the ice peaks of Northern Border City, but now that he was relaxed, even the shadows cast by his eyelashes under the moonlight were gentle.

She could see the fatigue hidden in his eyes, which he had been forcing himself to hide just now, unwilling to make her worry. Her heart couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

She couldn't help but stretch out her finger, gently touching his brow bone, and whispered:

"Clearly you're very tired yourself, yet you're always thinking of others. Silly, your brows haven't even relaxed a few times..."

Situ Jun actually wasn't asleep. He had been paying attention to the movement outside the tent and clearly felt the warmth of her fingertips on his brow bone, as light as a feather.

The corners of his mouth curled up secretly, his eyes full of laughter. He reached out to hold her tighter, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice carrying a bit of sleepiness and a hint of teasing:

"Don't move around. If you keep acting up, I won't let you sleep."

Hua Hanxiang immediately froze, stuck out her tongue, and quickly closed her eyes, not daring to move again.

The moonlight was like gauze, filtering through the gaps in the tent fabric and falling on the lake-blue dress scattered beside the low couch, dyeing the dress with a silver glow.

That dress was the one Hua Hanxiang had worn during the day. The hem was embroidered with delicate orchid patterns. Now it lay there quietly, as if wordlessly telling of the unknown tenderness and affection within this tent.

The night wind blew across the tent fabric, and the light barrier rippled slightly. The two inside the tent slept in each other's arms, their breaths intertwining, brewing this night in the dangerous valley into the warmest time in their future memories.