545: Chapter 545 Concern

After a long silence, Situ Jun slowly turned around and walked with light steps toward the side room of Nangong Xue's courtyard in the West Courtyard once more.

The calm and steady composure he had forced himself to maintain in front of everyone earlier dissipated completely as soon as he stepped into the solitary night.

On that peerlessly handsome face, only an unmaskable exhaustion remained, and deep within his eyes swirled a thick, inseparable heartache and guilt.

He truly could not set his mind at ease regarding Aunt Xu, who was fast asleep in the room.

As he had just transferred spiritual energy to heal her, her frail appearance, her reddened eyes, and her soft words—thinking of him and others even when her own spiritual power was completely depleted—circled in his mind repeatedly.

Among the many women in the mansion, all were deeply devoted to him, but only Aunt Xu—this gentle, elegant, and naturally charming mature woman—always gave in a silent, restrained, and inconspicuous way.

Outside the secret chamber, she had stubbornly stood guard for a full half-month without closing her eyes day or night, exhausting her mental energy and spiritual power just to ensure his secluded cultivation remained stable.

Yet she didn't have a single word of resentment; instead, she forced herself through her illness to softly urge him to visit the others first, telling him not to delay for her sake.

This kind of restrained, deep affection—hidden in her very bones, neither speaking out nor making a scene, only silently shouldering everything—pierced his heart more than any direct confession and made him feel even more uneasy with guilt.

Before long, he was standing outside the door of the side room.

The room was silent, with only the faint, warm Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power gently lingering, making it very peaceful.

Situ Jun pushed the door open softly, fearing he might disturb the person on the bed.

On the bed, Aunt Xu was sleeping peacefully, yet she bore an unhideable frailty.

She was originally a mature beauty with a clear, pretty face and a gentle temperament; her skin was lustrous and delicate, and her features were filled with the refined dignity cultivated by the years, possessing less of a young girl's greenness and more of the unique, soft charm of a mature woman.

Days of fatigue and a massive loss of spiritual power made her complexion appear even paler and her lips light in color; a few strands of black hair were scattered on the pillow, and her long brows were slightly furrowed, carrying a hint of unease and concern even in her dreams.

That delicate beauty in her illness made one's heart ache with sharp pangs.

Situ Jun walked lightly to the bedside and sat down, quietly gazing at her sleeping face by the clear moonlight from the window, his gaze tender and affectionate.

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips brushing the stray hairs by her temple with extreme lightness and softness, carefully tucking them behind her ear with cautious movements, his eyes full of pity and heartache.

At the thought of their upcoming separation, and at the thought of letting such a mature beauty—who had silently given everything for him—wait alone in this mansion for a long thousand years, facing the empty silence until her beauty faded, his heart felt waves of bitterness and sorrow.

He gently took her hand that was resting outside the quilt; her palm still carried a hint of coolness, and her fingertips were soft and warm, fully displaying the gentle texture of a mature woman.

He didn't dare use force, only holding it lightly as a wisp of warm, mellow Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power silently and slowly flowed from his palm into her body, meticulously nourishing her damaged Spiritual Vein that had not yet fully recovered, fearing that any extra force might disturb her peaceful sleep.

"Aunt Xu..."

He leaned down and whispered to her in her sleep, his voice filled with endless tenderness and melancholy:

"When you treat me like this, how can my heart be at peace? If there is even the slightest possibility, I promise you—when we meet again after a thousand years, I will never let you work so hard again, nor will I let you guard the empty silence alone. I will surely protect your peace for a lifetime and never let you suffer the slightest grievance again."

The moonlight fell gently, reflecting on his pale and tired face, illuminating the determination and deep affection in his eyes clearly.

The room was quiet, with only that wisp of warm spiritual power slowly circulating between the two, carrying his unspoken concerns and a promise spanning a thousand years.

As the night grew deeper and the bright moon hung high, a cold yet soft white radiance bathed the entire Northern Frontier City Lords Mansion, coating the pavilions, courtyards, and corridors in a hazy glow, making everything quiet and beautiful.

A long time passed.

Only then did Situ Jun gently stand up, tuck the corner of the quilt for her, take one last deep look at her, and step lightly out of the room, his footsteps unconsciously turning toward Wan Xiangyu's residence in the North Courtyard.

Having not seen her for many days, he should also go and see that bright and elegant mature beauty to set her mind at ease.

...

In a courtyard on the edge of the North Courtyard, it was warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the slightly chilly night outside.

Inside the room, the candlelight flickered gently, making the entire room feel warm. Wan Xiangyu was sitting on a soft couch by the window, doing embroidery.

She was already a mature and bright beauty, elegant and gentle; her lotus-colored patterned gauze dress accentuated her plump and graceful figure.

Her skin was white as snow, her features were exquisite and bright, and her every glance was filled with the charm of a mature woman.

The needle and thread in her hand had long since stopped; her thoughts were not on the embroidery at all, as she only longed for her beloved's return, her eyes filled with inseparable concern.

Hearing the soft sound of the door, she looked up and saw the figure she had been thinking of day and night. A brilliant starlight instantly lit up her eyes; she immediately put down the embroidery frame, moved with light steps to greet him, and her soft jade-like hands gently took his arm. Her voice was mature and soft, carrying the joy of a reunion and hiding the grievance of days of longing:

"Husband, you've finally come out of seclusion! I've been worried about you these past few days; I couldn't even sleep well."

Situ Jun looked down at her bright and elegant appearance, seeing the faint sorrow at the corners of her eyes and the affectionate gaze that was entirely filled with his figure.

His heart was instantly filled with softness; he reached out and gently took her plump yet slender waist, pulling her into his arms. His voice was low and tender, carrying a hint of apology:

"It's my fault for making Xiangyu so concerned and worried, having to wait for so many days. Has everything been well in the mansion recently? Have you suffered any grievances?"

Wan Xiangyu looked up, carefully examining his face. Seeing that he had grown quite thin and his complexion was slightly pale, her eyes instantly turned red, and her mature, seductive face was full of heartache.

Her fingertips gently brushed his cheek, her voice soft and trembling:

"I am perfectly fine; everyone in the mansion has taken good care of me, and I haven't suffered any grievances at all. It's just you, husband; you look so much thinner after this period of seclusion. Was it very hard?"

"I'm fine. I just exhausted some mental energy refining treasures, it's no big deal. As long as you are well, I can rest easy."

Situ Jun's voice was gentle; his fingertips lightly brushed the hair by her temple, and he leaned down to gently kiss away the moisture at the corners of her eyes, his movements tender and full of pity.

Wan Xiangyu raised her hands to encircle his neck, proactively pressing close to his warm embrace, turning all her longing and dependence into this tender cuddle. Her small face was buried in his shoulder as she felt his unique, clear aura, her voice soft:

"As long as Husband returns safely, I ask for nothing else. I only wish to be by Husband's side always; that is enough."

There were no overly flowery words, only the warmth of leaning on each other, slowly flowing through the room and warming the heart.

She was not as steady and restrained as Aunt Xu, nor as transparent and sensible as the other women; her heart and eyes were filled only with Situ Jun. At this moment, she only craved this fleeting moment of warmth after their reunion, treasuring these few moments of being together, wishing to just lean in his arms like this forever and never be separated again.

Situ Jun felt her unreserved dependence and deep affection, and his guilt grew even stronger. His movements became extremely gentle as he lightly patted her back, meticulously soothing her unease and anxiety from the past few days.

At the same time, the gentle Dragon-Phoenix Spiritual Power from his palm slowly seeped into her body, easing the longing and restlessness in her heart. The room was filled with tenderness and sweetness, completely dispelling the concern and trepidation from their long absence.

After lingering for a long time, Wan Xiangyu's tense emotions from the past few days finally settled completely. Fatigue gradually set in, and she fell into a deep sleep in his arms; her long eyelashes still bore traces of undried tears, but the corners of her mouth held a slight smile, and she slept peacefully and sweetly.

Situ Jun carefully removed her jade-like hands that were encircling him, gently tucked the brocade quilt for her, and printed a soft kiss on her smooth forehead. His eyes were full of pity and reluctance; he sat by the bed for a while longer, and only after confirming she was fast asleep did he stand up quietly and slowly depart.

...