584: Chapter 584 Past Events

Meanwhile, in Northern Frontier City.

The night was as thick as spilled ink, completely enveloping the City Lord's Manor; all around was silent.

Deep within the inner courtyard, only the evening breeze passed through the corridors and courtyards, gently brushing against the copper bells on the eaves and sweeping over the branches and leaves, leaving behind only a faint rustling sound that further emphasized the courtyard's deep tranquility.

Most of the palace lanterns under the corridor had long been extinguished, leaving only a few dim yellow lights swaying slightly in the night wind. The warm halo slowly spread, casting a hazy and soft glow on the bluestone path beneath, adding a few points of gentle Concept.

Liu Xuaner's residence was at the deepest part of the West Courtyard of the manor, the most quiet and secluded place in the entire estate.

Several crabapple trees were planted in the courtyard. It was the peak of late spring, and the layers of pink and white petals were bathed in the clear moonlight, glowing with a warm and soft light like celestial flowers under the moon.

The evening breeze blew gently, the flower branches trembled slightly, and the fine petals rustled down like a gentle and lingering rain of flowers, softly covering the small bluestone path. A faint, subtle fragrance floated with the wind, refreshing the heart and intoxicating the soul.

When Situ Jun pushed open the wooden door and entered, Liu Xuaner was sitting by the window in front of her dressing table, holding an ivory comb and slowly combing her waterfall-like long hair.

She wore a crimson soft satin nightgown. The fabric was as light as a cloud, loosely wrapped around her body and only lightly tied at the waist with a plain silk ribbon. It inadvertently outlined her slender waist, and her graceful, curvaceous figure fully displayed her feminine gentleness.

Her jet-black hair fell over her shoulders, making her skin appear as white as jade. Her eyes held a hint of lazy weariness before sleep, and the slight upward tilt at the corners of her eyes added a heart-stirring charm and tenderness.

Hearing the soft sound of the door, her comb paused slightly. She raised her eyes to look at the bronze mirror in front of her, which happened to reflect Situ Jun's upright figure.

Seeing who it was, a gentle smile slowly curved on Liu Xuaner's lips. Her eyes rippled with a woman's unique tenderness and affection.

“Husband, how do you have the free time to come to my small courtyard today?”

She gently put down the ivory comb and rose to greet him with slow steps. Her graceful figure was like a willow swaying in the wind, and the hem of her nightgown swayed gently with her steps, outlining her slender waist and gentle curves. Her voice was as soft as water, yet carried a hint of playful coquetry as she continued to ask softly:

“Why aren't you accompanying Sister Yun Niang and the others?”

Situ Jun smiled slightly but did not rush to answer. He simply stepped forward to her, raised his hand, and gently tucked a stray lock of hair that had fallen by her cheek behind her ear.

Liu Xuaner's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her fair cheeks instantly flushed a faint crimson. Yet she still looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with ripples of tenderness and smiles.

“It was Yun Niang and the others who chased me over to your place.”

Situ Jun's voice was low and gentle, filled with a bit of doting. He lightly supported her shoulders and said softly:

“Your hair isn't finished yet. Let me help you.”

Saying so, he gently pressed Liu Xuaner back into her seat at the dressing table, then moved behind her and picked up the ivory comb from the table, meticulously combing her long, flowing hair.

His movements were very light and slow. Occasionally, his fingertips would clumsily brush against her small earlobe, causing Liu Xuaner's body to tremble slightly and the blush on her cheeks to deepen.

In the diamond-patterned bronze mirror, the two figures leaned against each other. Light and shadow blended together, creating a cozy warmth.

Situ Jun was dressed in black brocade casual clothes, his figure as upright as a pine tree. In his eyes, which were usually cold and sharp, all sharpness had faded away, replaced by a rare softness.

Liu Xuaner, in her crimson nightgown with her long hair over her shoulders, looked shy and timid. Her cheeks were as red as ripening fruit, like a night-blooming cereus quietly blossoming in the deep night—quiet, gentle, and enchantingly beautiful, a peerless beauty in her own right.

“Husband, you seem a bit different tonight than usual.”

Liu Xuaner spoke softly, looking up at him in the mirror. Her eyes held a hint of slight confusion, but even more so, an irrepressible shyness and fluttering of the heart.

“Nothing is different...”

Situ Jun's hands did not stop combing her hair. His voice became even softer, carrying a faint sense of melancholy as he said slowly:

“I just suddenly remembered some things from the past.”

“Things from the past?”

Liu Xuaner tilted her head slightly, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. She watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Situ Jun smiled but said no more. He slowly put down the ivory comb, turned to look outside the door, and called out in a deep voice:

“Cui Zhu, bring the water in.”

A moment later, the maidservant Cui Zhu walked in lightly, carrying a basin of steaming warm water. A soft cotton towel was draped over the edge of the basin, and the rising mist instantly filled the room with warmth.

Cui Zhu leaned down, about to place the bronze basin at Liu Xuaner's feet, but Situ Jun reached out first, steadily taking the basin and saying warmly:

“Cui Zhu, your service is not needed here. You may leave.”

Cui Zhu was startled at first, then seemed to realize something. Her small face instantly turned bright red. She softly acknowledged him and stepped out of the room on tiptoe, carefully closing the door behind her.

There was no one else in the room. Only the candlelight flickered gently, breaking the light and shadow into hazy fragments and making the blush on Liu Xuaner's face even more intense.

“Husband, you are...”

Seeing Situ Jun holding the bronze basin and slowly squatting down in front of her, Liu Xuaner's eyes were full of astonishment. Then, guessing something, her voice trembled slightly.

Situ Jun placed the bronze basin steadily at her feet and looked up at her. His eyes held a gentle smile and the profound emotions of many years. He spoke slowly:

“Do you remember back then in the Old Manor of the Northern Frontier? I was just a lowly servant in the manor who luckily survived the Manor Soldiers' Trial. That day, you summoned me for questioning, and it was just like this—I knelt on the ground to wash your feet.”

As those words landed, Liu Xuaner's heart jolted. Memories sealed for many years instantly flooded her mind, vivid and clear.

Back then, she was the most favored concubine of the City Lord of the Northern Frontier, Bei Batian. Her status was noble and high, and every frown or smile was sought after by everyone. Meanwhile, Situ Jun was just the most inconspicuous low-level servant in the manor, serving tea, pouring water, and bowing his head in service—as humble as dust, to be ordered around at will.

That day, to test Situ Jun's loyalty and patience, she had intentionally ordered him to serve her on his knees and wash her feet himself.

At that time, her eyes were arrogant, and she had never truly looked at Situ Jun. She only considered him one of the thousands of ordinary servants in the manor, someone to be forgotten in an instant.

But who would have thought that as the world turned and fate played its tricks?

Now, Situ Jun's Cultivation had reached the high level of Soul Transformation, and he was the City Lord who held the power of life and death in the Northern Frontier, a man whose name awed the region. As for her, she had fallen from being the high-and-mighty concubine of the former City Lord to being one of the wives and concubines in his inner court, a woman who had given him her heart and was full of reliance on him.

Such a drastic reversal of status, like the difference between clouds and mud, and the extreme change in circumstances was truly the irony of fate—wonderful yet sigh-inducing.

“Back then...”

Liu Xuaner's voice trembled slightly, and a layer of mist gradually appeared in her eyes, her nose feeling sour:

“Back then, I never knew that I would become a Dao Companion with you in the future, staying by each other's side. So...”

Situ Jun smiled warmly. Without waiting for her to finish, he gently lifted her jade-like feet, his fingertips softly removing her embroidered shoes as he interrupted gently:

“If not for that test of yours, how could I have gotten close to you and stayed by your side to protect you?”