362: Heart

After a long while, she raised her head. Her eyes were red and swollen, with glistening teardrops still clinging to her long eyelashes. The rouge-colored mole beneath her eye was slightly smudged by tears, adding a touch of pitiable, delicate charm.

The five-finger print on her cheek was still clearly visible. The interwoven marks of blue and red clashed with the winding tear tracks at the corners of her eyes, creating a broken beauty that made one's heart ache.

"I'm sorry, I've dirtied your clothes."

She sniffled, her voice still carrying a hint of a sob, and instinctively tried to push away the man before her.

Steward Wang's furious outburst and slap still echoed in her mind. She had long grown accustomed to passive submission, and such close intimacy left her feeling flustered and at a loss.

But Situ Jun did not let go; instead, he held her even tighter.

He looked down at her reddened eyes and the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth that had yet to dry. The emotions in his heart surged like a violent tide, impossible to suppress any longer.

Guilt, pity, heartache, and that stirring feeling that had quietly sprouted in the secret chamber—a feeling he himself hadn't even pondered deeply—now all surged up, transforming into an indescribable sentiment that enveloped him.

"It's not your fault."

His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a rasp he himself hadn't noticed, as his warm breath brushed over the top of her head:

"It's him who is unworthy, not deserving even a fraction of your goodness; it's this world that has wronged you, letting a pearl be covered in dust, subjected to such humiliation."

Wan Xiangyu looked up at Situ Jun through tear-blurred eyes.

Under the candlelight, his features were as deep as night, his gaze filled with an intensity of care and focus so thick it seemed tangible. It was as if she were the most precious treasure in the world, something he feared breaking even when cradled in his hands, or melting even when held in his mouth.

Such a look was something she had never seen in ten years.

Steward Wang's eyes held only wine, lust, and profit. Everyone in the mansion looked at her with either disdain or pity. Only Situ Jun regarded her as an independent person, worthy of being cherished.

Her heart trembled violently. A strange, tender feeling quietly sprouted within, like a tender shoot breaking through the soil, swiftly replacing the earlier grievances and despair.

She tilted her head up slightly. Her warm breath inadvertently brushed against Situ Jun's jaw, carrying the unique fragrance of a woman mingled with the slight saltiness of tears.

Situ Jun stiffened all over, able to clearly sense the initiative from the woman in his arms.

Her body trembled slightly, but she did not retreat. The hint of allure and dependence in her eyes, now stripped of vulnerability, acted like an invisible hook, making his heart itch.

His heartbeat suddenly accelerated, pounding like a drum. The Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power within his body also stirred restlessly, carrying a familiar scorching heat reminiscent of the secret chamber, as if yearning to embrace the pure, moist spiritual power within her once more.

Wan Xiangyu's lips lightly touched the corner of his mouth, carrying the coolness of tears and a barely perceptible tremor.

The touch was as gentle as a feather, yet possessed a deadly allure.

This light touch was like lighting a fuse, instantly igniting the long-suppressed feelings between them.

Situ Jun could no longer restrain himself. He lowered his head and deepened the kiss.

His kiss was gentle yet domineering, carrying careful tenderness, afraid of hurting her body covered in wounds; yet also filled with an irrepressible desire to completely draw her under his wing.

Wan Xiangyu closed her eyes, her eyelashes still holding undried teardrops, but she actively responded to him.

Her response was inexperienced yet sincere, her tongue clumsily entwining with his. As their breaths mingled, it seemed all her grievances and loneliness had finally found a home.

She raised her hands, gently encircling his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat—a sound that gave her an unprecedented sense of peace.

The entanglement of their tongues and the mingling of their breaths immersed both of them in this sudden intimacy, as if everything around them had vanished, leaving only each other's warmth and heartbeat between heaven and earth.

The sandalwood incense in the bedchamber grew denser, intertwining with the scents of their bodies, creating an ambiguous and scorching atmosphere.

Situ Jun scooped Wan Xiangyu up into his arms and walked with light steps toward the bed.

Wan Xiangyu instinctively hooked her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek against his solid chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat. Her heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of security.

He gently lifted the water-green gauze curtain, which fell like a stage curtain, veiling the increasingly amorous scene upon the bed.

Wan Xiangyu's cheeks were flushed with an intoxicating blush, carrying even more willing allure than during their encounter in the secret chamber the previous day.

Her eyes were still red, but now tinged with a misty haze of passion, her damp appearance becoming even more enticing.

Her long eyelashes fluttered lightly, like the wings of a butterfly about to take flight.

The rouge-colored mole beneath her eye appeared even more enchanting under the candlelight. The unfaded red marks on her neck intertwined with the faint finger prints on her cheeks, creating a broken yet alluring beauty.

"Xiangyu..."

Situ Jun called her name in a low voice, his tone hoarse, thick with passion.

Wan Xiangyu opened her eyes, their depths shimmering with watery light. She reached out, hooked her arms around his neck, and pulled him toward herself. She rubbed her nose against his jaw, with a hint of coquettish dependence.

"Situ..."

Her voice was as light as a feather, carrying a lazy, seductive charm, the tail end of her tone rising slightly, making one's heart itch:

"Don't leave me..."

This soft call was like the most delicate thread, gently tying itself around Situ Jun's heart, softening it and causing all his reservations and hesitations to vanish like smoke.

He didn't care that she was Steward Wang's wife, nor did he care about worldly opinions. At this moment, he only wanted to protect this woman who made his heart ache to the core.

He leaned down and kissed her lips again. This kiss was deeper and more lingering than before.

His fingertips gently removed her garments, his movements even more tender and meticulous than in yesterday's secret chamber, each action filled with cherishment and affection.

He could clearly feel her response, feel the softness and warmth of her body, feel the flow of her spiritual power as it once again resonated and merged with his own Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power, like the harmonious interplay of zither and se, complementing each other perfectly.

This time, there was no poison forcing them, no suppressed resistance—only the intimacy and dependence of mutual affection.

The steady, profound Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power and the pure, agile Yin-soft spiritual power once again intertwined and coiled together, forming gentle, shimmering halos that enveloped the bed, emitting a soft, radiant glow that wrapped around the two of them.

Unlike the urgent merging in the secret chamber, the flow of spiritual power this time was more relaxed and harmonious, like a stream merging into a river and sea—natural and without obstruction.

Wan Xiangyu could clearly feel that after merging with Situ Jun's Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power, the spiritual power within her body became even more refined and substantial. The Bottleneck at the second level of Qi Refining actually showed faint signs of loosening.

A warm current flowed through her limbs and bones, not only nourishing her Meridians but also warming her long-lonely and cold heart.

And what made her heart flutter even more was the tenderness and respect he offered.

He would carefully avoid the wounds on her body, would slow his movements when she frowned, would whisper comforting words in her ear.

This feeling of being cherished and protected was something she had never experienced in this deep mansion courtyard. Like parched land encountering sweet rain, it made her involuntarily sink into it.