543: Chapter 543 A Heart Full of Warmth

In a side room of Nangong Xue's courtyard in the West Courtyard, the furnishings were simple and elegant. Aunt Xu leaned in Situ Jun's embrace, her cheek gently pressed against his firm chest. She felt the clear and warm aura of his spiritual power continuously seeping into her limbs and bones. The grievances and exhaustion of several days welled up in her heart, and her eyes turned slightly red, shimmering with moisture.

"Husband, I am fine... I just lost my strength for a moment. I will be alright after resting for a while; it is no trouble."

She spoke softly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz and carrying a hint of weakness. Subconsciously, she wanted to push him away, not wishing to delay him from seeing the others. Yet, deep in her heart, she was reluctant to part with this rare moment of warmth. Her fingertips curled slightly; in the end, she could not bring herself to apply any force.

Situ Jun did not let go. Instead, his arms tightened slightly, holding her more steadily. The palm of his other hand gathered gentle Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power, which he continuously transferred into her body, carefully nourishing her depleted Spiritual Vein and soothing her mental trauma.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Situ Jun slowly stopped the output of spiritual power and carefully placed her on the soft bed. After propping her up with a brocade pillow, he said warmly:

"You acted as my Protector for half a month, without sleep day or night. Your Spiritual Qi is exhausted, and your body is extremely weak. Do not push yourself any longer; rest well."

As he spoke, he raised his fingertips and gently brushed away the messy strands of hair at her temples, his movements extremely tender.

But catching sight of Aunt Xu's pale face and her hesitant expression, his brow furrowed slightly, and he said softly:

"If there is anything you want to say, just say it directly. I am listening. However, after you finish, you must rest and recover in peace."

Aunt Xu's heart trembled at his gentle gaze. She quickly lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him, and her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible:

"Husband, I am truly fine. Go quickly and see Princess, Embroiderer, Wanxiang, and the others. During these days, they have also been constantly worried about you. Moreover, you have just come out of seclusion, and everyone else is waiting for you to inform them of the results."

"You, you are always like this, thinking of others in every way, yet only forgetting yourself."

Situ Jun shook his head helplessly, his tone becoming more serious as each word reached her ears clearly:

"You, like Yun Niang, Xuaner, Su Wan, and Xue'er, are all people I, Situ Jun, will do my utmost to protect. Do not always think of yourself as a servant just because you were once Xue'er's wet nurse, thinking of everyone else first and neglecting yourself."

Aunt Xu's body trembled violently. She slowly raised her eyes to look at him, and the tears in her eyes could no longer be held back, falling in streams.

The thoughts she had hidden deep in her heart for so long were finally exposed by his words.

She was the eldest and of humble origin, originally a maidservant in the mansion. In terms of gentleness, she could not compare to Su Yunniang; in terms of charm, she was no match for Liu Xuaner; in terms of elegance, she fell short of Lin Suwan; and she certainly could not compare to the youthful beauty and moving grace of Nangong Xue.

Therefore, she never dared to have any improper thoughts. She only wished to serve silently by his side and keep a quiet watch, not competing for favor or being jealous. She put everyone else and Situ Jun first in all things, never daring to hope for even a bit of special treatment.

"Husband, I..."

Her throat choked up, and her heart was so filled with emotion that she could not say a word. Only silent tears slid down, wetting the pillowcase.

Looking at her as she suppressed her sorrow, yet with eyes that remained red, Situ Jun's heart instantly softened completely, filled with pity.

He reached out and gently held her slightly cold hand, the warmth of his palm tightly wrapping around her fingertips. His voice was low and gentle as he said slowly:

"Do not think too much. Sleep peacefully. Once you have fallen asleep, I will go see them."

As he finished speaking, spiritual power flashed from his fingertips again. A strand of gentle and rich spiritual power, carrying the auspicious aura of the Dragon and Phoenix, slowly flowed from his palm into her body. Like a spring stream, delicate and long, it bit by bit nourished her empty Dantian and soothed her exhausted mind.

Aunt Xu felt warmth spreading throughout her body. Her mind, which had been tense for days, finally relaxed completely. Weariness swept over her like a tide, and her eyelids were too heavy to lift. After her eyelashes trembled a few times, she slowly closed her eyes, her breathing gradually becoming even and long as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

The faint frown on her brow slowly smoothed out, and her pale cheeks gradually took on a hint of color. Nestled on the soft bed, she slept quietly and peacefully.

Situ Jun sat quietly by the bed, gazing tenderly at her sleeping face. His fingertips remained gently resting on her wrist, continuously transferring mild spiritual power to ensure that her depleted Spiritual Vein could slowly recover and her spiritual power could flow steadily.

Not until he sensed that the aura within her had stabilized and there was no longer any sign of depletion did he slowly withdraw his hand. He gently tucked in the corners of her quilt, his finger inadvertently touching her cool hair at the temple, and the pity in his eyes deepened.

In this Northern Frontier City Lords Mansion, Su Yunniang was gentle and managed the household; Liu Xuaner was charming, lively, and endearing; Lin Suwan was intelligent, transparent, and understanding; the other women also had their own charms and strengths.

Only Aunt Xu had always been simple and reserved, never making a show of herself. She always gave silently, never competing for even a shred of affection, and always considered others first. Such a patient and gentle woman moved him deeply and filled his heart with a surging warmth and heartache.

In his heart, there was never a distinction between high and low status, only the sincere feelings of companionship. These women by his side were all the weaknesses he would do his utmost to protect, as well as the faith that allowed him to move forward bravely and without fear.

He sat quietly for a while longer. After confirming that Aunt Xu was fast asleep and would not be disturbed, Situ Jun slowly rose and tiptoed out of the side room, afraid of making even the slightest sound that might disturb her peaceful slumber.

Outside the courtyard, the evening breeze blew gently, carrying the fragrance of plants. The bright moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering broken silver across the ground, quiet and beautiful.

Su Yunniang, Liu Xuaner, Lin Suwan, Nangong Xue, Cherry, Jiang Yan, Xia Wei, Ye Nianrui, Chen Yufei... the group of women had already been waiting quietly in the courtyard. No one spoke; all were silently waiting for him to come out.

Seeing him walk out slowly, everyone hurried forward, their eyes filled with concern. However, knowing that Aunt Xu was unwell, they all deliberately lowered their voices, afraid of disturbing the person sleeping peacefully inside.

"Husband, is Aunt Xu alright?"

Su Yunniang spoke first, her tone full of worry. During these days, she and Aunt Xu had taken turns acting as Protectors. She knew Aunt Xu's character best—stubborn and resilient. To guard the Secret Chamber, she had forced herself to persist without resting for a single moment, and her spiritual power depletion far exceeded everyone else's.

Situ Jun shook his head gently, his voice kept very low, gentle and steady:

"It is nothing. It is just excessive depletion of spiritual power and mental energy. I have already transferred spiritual power to nourish her. After a few days of quiet rest, she will be able to recover completely. Do not worry."

Liu Xuaner stepped forward quickly and gently took his arm. Her small face was full of heartache as she looked up at his slightly pale face and said softly:

"Husband, you have been in seclusion for half a month, and refining the Spirit Pearl has exhausted your mind. You look extremely tired as well. You must rest well; your body absolutely must not break down."

As she spoke, her small hand gently gripped his sleeve, the concern in her eyes plain to see.

Lin Suwan stood to the side. With her delicate mind, she saw at a glance the faint gloom hidden in Situ Jun's eyes, which was not the complete ease of a successful seclusion. She immediately spoke softly:

"Just now, when the spiritual light from the Secret Chamber dissipated and the pressure was overwhelming, we all thought the Spirit Pearl had reached Perfection. But looking at your expression, Husband, it seems this matter did not go entirely smoothly?"