BDSMST -Chapter 80 His Embrace, Her Peace

When Gu Yan returned to the courtyard with his men, the entire estate was still brightly lit.

Jiang Suisui had been anxiously waiting at the doorway. The moment she saw him come back unharmed, the weight hanging over her heart finally lifted. She hurried toward him, her gaze sweeping up and down his body.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?” There was a tremor in her voice she hadn’t even noticed herself.

“I’m fine.” Gu Yan shook his head. Seeing her pale face, drained by worry, warmth stirred in his chest. He turned to Wei Ziqian. “Lock them in the woodshed and guard them strictly. The rest of you, stand down and return to your rooms.”

“Yes!” The youths responded in unison, their faces flushed with the thrill of surviving danger—and filled with boundless admiration for Gu Yan’s formidable skill.

Soon, only Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan remained in the courtyard.

Only then did Gu Yan notice that she wore nothing but a thin outer robe and stood barefoot on the icy ground, her delicate feet flushed bluish from the cold.

His brow immediately furrowed.

Without a word, he bent down and scooped her up in his arms.

“Ah!” Jiang Suisui gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

“It’s freezing, and you don’t even put on shoes,” he scolded lightly, though his movements were gentle. Carrying her in long strides, he returned to the bedroom, set her carefully on the warm bed, and pulled the quilt over her feet securely.

Her heart pounded wildly, her cheeks burning from the sudden intimacy.

She looked at him. The chill of the night still clung to him, along with a faint trace of blood. Yet in his arms, she felt an unprecedented sense of safety.

“Who… were they?” she asked softly.

“Assassins sent by Marquis Anyuan,” Gu Yan replied directly. “Their target was Mister Shen.”

Though she had expected it, hearing it confirmed made Jiang Suisui’s heart sink.

“And Mister Shen…?”

“He’s fine.” Gu Yan sat by her bedside and tucked the quilt in more snugly. “I moved him earlier to a cellar in the innermost part of the estate. The most reliable men are guarding him. He knows nothing about what happened outside.”

Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking at Gu Yan’s face—slightly weary in the lamplight—an aftershock of fear surged through her.

Tonight might have ended without disaster, but she knew how many sleepless nights of meticulous preparation it had cost him. If even one link in the chain had failed—if the enemy had been even slightly stronger—the consequences would have been unimaginable.

They were facing Marquis Anyuan, a man with vast power and influence. Tonight’s failure would only bring fiercer, more frenzied retaliation next time.

The thought of living under such constant threat made her heart tremble. She did not fear danger for herself. She feared implicating the people of the estate… and Xuan’er.

“Gu Yan,” she suddenly grabbed his hand, her fingers icy cold. “Let’s… let’s send Mister Shen away. Somewhere no one can find him. Let’s stop investigating this case. Alright?”

For the first time, she felt the urge to retreat.

Gu Yan turned his hand and clasped hers, warming her with his own body heat. Seeing the rare vulnerability and fear in her eyes, something stabbed painfully at his heart.

He had always thought her invincible, unbreakable.

He had forgotten that he had drawn her into a perilous whirlpool.

After a long silence, he lifted his other arm and gently pulled her into his embrace.

Her body stiffened for a moment, but she did not resist. Leaning against his chest, she could clearly hear the steady, powerful beat of his heart.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was low and hoarse above her head. “I didn’t think it through. I’ve made you and Xuan’er live in fear.”

She shook her head, burying her face in his chest, her voice muffled. “It’s not your fault. I chose to keep Mister Shen. I chose to help you… I’m just… I’m just afraid…”

“I know.” He tightened his arms, cutting her off gently. “I know exactly what you’re afraid of.”

He stroked her back slowly, again and again, as though soothing a startled animal.

“Suisui, listen to me.” He tilted her head against his shoulder and looked into her eyes earnestly. “It’s too late to stop now. From the moment we began investigating, Marquis Anyuan already marked us as thorns in his side. Even if we send Xie Zi’an away now, he won’t let us go. He’ll use every method to test how much we know.”

“We have no path of retreat left.”

Her heart sank, little by little. She knew he was right.

Seeing the dimness in her gaze, his chest tightened painfully.

He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.

“But you don’t have to be afraid.” His eyes were firm and solemn, as if making a sacred vow. “In the past, I neglected you. I let you and Xuan’er suffer in the capital and be driven to this place.”

“That won’t happen again.”

“From now on, I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you, hurt Xuan’er, or hurt this home. I swear it on my life.”

His voice was not loud, but every word branded itself deep into Jiang Suisui’s heart.

She looked at him—at those eyes brighter than the stars. There was not a trace of hesitation in them. Only absolute reliability and responsibility, enough to entrust one’s entire life to.

Her vision blurred. Tears slipped down without warning.

Not from fear.

But from being moved.

In this unfamiliar world, she had been like a solitary warrior, holding everything up alone for far too long. She had believed herself strong enough, needing no one to rely on.

But in this moment—held tightly in his arms, hearing his solemn promise—she realized what it felt like to have a shoulder to lean on.

She said nothing. She only wrapped her arms around him tightly in return.

On this storm-tossed night, two long-wandering hearts finally pressed together for the first time.