537: Chapter 537 Night Rain in the Quiet Courtyard

The night deepened, and all was silent.

In the Quiet Courtyard, the Cui Zhu stood tall and graceful; occasional clear chirps of insects arose, only to be instantly masked by the soft sounds drifting from the inner room, leaving behind a room full of quiet tenderness.

Wan Xiangyu snuggled in Situ Jun's arms, her nose filled with his aura, as crisp as bamboo dew. She felt his steady, powerful heartbeat and warm, soothing body temperature, a faint but satisfied smile unconsciously spreading across her lips.

Her heart was clear; this affection could not yet be made public. It was like a secluded flower quietly blooming in the dark night—secretive, lingering, and tender—yet she had long since been willing to fall deep into it, finding it as sweet as honey.

Situ Jun lowered his eyes, gazing at the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms. The coldness usually found in his eyes had vanished, leaving only an indelible, deep pity and pulsing tenderness.

The night grew thicker. At some point, a drizzle began to fall outside, the raindrops tapping lightly against the bamboo window. It was pitter-patter, lingering and soft, like the low whispers of lovers, making the ambiguous warmth of the inner room even thicker as it overflowed the window lattice and entwined around the Cui Zhu.

The night rain stopped quietly at some unknown time. The horizon gradually turned the color of a fish's belly, and a thin morning mist like gauze lightly enveloped the entire North Courtyard bamboo forest, adding a touch of hazy poetry.

Wan Xiangyu slowly woke up amidst a sense of secure warmth.

His warmth still lingered beside her. She slightly lifted her eyelids and unexpectedly caught Situ Jun's deep, smiling eyes. That gaze was as gentle as moonlight soaked in morning mist, clear and pulsing with light, falling upon her face.

He did not get up, but simply propped up his head and gazed at her quietly, his look lingering, never moving away for a moment.

Seeing her awake, Situ Jun's fingertips gently brushed the messy stray hairs by her temples. His voice was low and raspy, wrapped in the lazy lingering of someone who had just woken up:

“Did you sleep well?”

Wan Xiangyu's cheeks instantly flushed. She shyly shrank further into his arms and softly replied with an “Mhm.”

The various tendernesses of last night were never spoken aloud, yet they had already carved deep marks into her heart.

Having experienced the hardships of the world before, she was used to false pretenses and the fickleness of human nature. No one had ever treated her with such value and pity as Situ Jun did, giving her a stable place to stay and gifting her a heartbeat she had never felt before.

Situ Jun chuckled lowly, his arms tightening slightly as he held her closer. His tone carried a hint of doting:

“For the sake of your Cultivation progress and Spiritual Root advancement, I'll have to work a bit harder.”

Wan Xiangyu was too shy to speak, only gently clutching his lapel. His crisp spiritual aura lingered around her nose, and her heart was filled with peace and tranquility, no longer feeling the slightest bit of drifting or confusion.

After a long silence, she finally spoke timidly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:

“Today... are you still going into meditative seclusion?”

She harbored concerns, fearing that Situ Jun staying here for too long would attract gossip and side-eyes.

After all, with her current status, staying by his side was ultimately awkward and difficult to present in polite society.

How could Situ Jun not understand her anxiety? His fingertips gently stroked her soft hair, his tone calm yet certain:

“I won't go into meditative seclusion today; I just want to accompany you for a while longer.”

Wan Xiangyu's heart warmed, yet she still couldn't hide her unease:

“But if others find out...”

“If they know, they know.”

Situ Jun lowered his head and kissed her smooth forehead lightly, his tone firm and unquestionable:

“The person I, Situ Jun, love never needs to hide. Once I have refined the Spirit Pearl, I will give you a legitimate status so that you can cultivate in the Northern Border with peace of mind in the future, without any further worries.”

She suddenly looked up, her eyes full of shock and disbelief, staring at him blankly, unable to speak for a moment.

She was merely a discarded woman who had been divorced, with a humble background and fallen into hardship. How could someone like Situ Jun be willing to give her a status and promise her stability?

Seeing the glimmer of tears in her eyes, Situ Jun felt even more pity. He comforted her softly:

“I know what you're thinking. I don't care about your past. Perhaps I cannot accompany you for long, but I cherish every moment we spend together, and I want to smooth out your future path of Cultivation before I leave the Northern Border.”

A single sentence, spoken lightly, yet it carried the weight of a thousand pounds, crashing heavily into the depths of Wan Xiangyu's heart.

In her life, she had tasted all the coldness and warmth of human relationships and suffered through all the world's hardships. Only at this moment did she finally experience the feeling of being held dear and cherished in someone's heart.

Wan Xiangyu could no longer suppress the surging emotions in her heart. Her eyes reddened slightly, and crystal tears quietly slid down.

Situ Jun's fingertips gently wiped away her tears, his voice so tender it could drown a person:

“Don't cry. From now on in this manor, I will never let you suffer the slightest grievance again.”

She nodded through her sobs, burying her face deep into his warm chest, letting her tears soak his lapel. A thousand words all turned into silent sobbing.

The two embraced quietly until the light outside the window grew fully bright and a few crisp bird calls came from the bamboo forest. Only then did they slowly get up.

Wan Xiangyu lowered her head, silently tidying her clothes, her cheeks always flushed with a light red, shy and moving.

Situ Jun sat to the side, his gaze always tenderly fixed on her, never moving away for a second.

Once she had finished tidying up, he stood up and gently took her hand:

“I'll go to the West Courtyard first to discuss some trivial matters with Xuan'er and the others. I'll come to see you later.”

“Mhm.”

She nodded gently. Even though her heart was filled with reluctance to see him go, she remained sensible and did not try to make him stay.

Situ Jun gave her another deep look, his eyes full of attachment, before turning to push the door open and leave.

His dark figure gracefully disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest, his steps steady and his back reliable, giving her endless peace of mind.

Silence returned to the room, but his unique crisp aura seemed to linger in the air, warm and reassuring.

Wan Xiangyu walked slowly to the window, looking at the verdant bamboo forest outside. Her fingertips gently brushed against the side of her neck, where his slight warmth seemed to remain, tender and hot.

She looked down at the Mandarin Duck Silk Handkerchief she had half-embroidered in her arms. The stitching was fine, with hidden affection. A gentle smile unconsciously rose at the corners of her mouth, one she hadn't even noticed herself.

After a long while, she carefully folded the silk handkerchief, placed it into a brocade box, and turned to walk out of the room.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated. Droplets of night rain hung on the bamboo leaves, falling with a rustle whenever the wind blew, wetting the bluestone path.

She walked slowly along the quiet bamboo path, her fingertips occasionally brushing against the dew-covered bamboo leaves. The icy moisture could not suppress the warmth surging in her heart.

After a long time, the waves in her heart gradually calmed. She only hoped that these years would be stable and long, with more time spent together, safe and peaceful year after year.

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