[A/n- Read the author note.]
Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin nodded in understanding that it was getting late.
"Goodnight, Sister Huo, Sister Bing," Shen Yuan said as they got up to leave, "Rest well."
"Goodnight to you as well, Yuan'er and Master." Huo Rong spoke as she and Bing Rong left for their rooms.
Shen Yuxin watched them go with a sweet smile on her face before turning her head back towards Shen Yuan, she asked gently, "Shall we head to our room as well, Yuan'er?"
He nodded his head, the atmosphere subtly shifted as he replied "Yes, it's time we head to bed as well."
Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin got up and left the garden. They walked side by side through the dimly lit hallway. All the manor maids had already left the place.
As they reached the gate of their room, Shen Yuxin gently placed a hand on Shen Yuan's arm, stopping him for a moment as she looked at his eyes with an ambiguous gaze, "Yuan'er," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I'm glad that we are back home."
Shen Yuan took a moment to observe her, the moonlight filtering through the nearby windows highlighting her delicate yet amazing features.
Her eyes held a warmth that made his heart sweet, a mix of affection as well as something deeper, which had been brewing between them ever since he revealed his past life.
"I'm glad too, Mom. It's good to be back with you at our home." He replied in an equally soft voice, as if afraid that he would break a delicate glass.
He couldn't help but notice how close they were standing, the familiar scent of her body filling his senses as he felt a little hot.
Shen Yuxin's hand left his arm slowly, almost as if teasing him. Shen Yuan felt a shiver down his spine as he felt her hand sliding down his arm.
She turned and opened the door to their room. Shen Yuan's eyes widened in shock as he saw the inside of the room.
The entire room was decorated in red, the walls were draped with velvet curtains. A large bed in the center dominated the room with a crimson bedsheet lying on top of it.
The room was filled with small candles flickering with everlasting pink flames, making the atmosphere even more ambiguous. And the rose petals on the bed weren't helping Shen Yuan to calm down either.
A bottle of fine wine and two glasses were placed on the table at the side of the room.
Shen Yuxin entered after Shen Yuan and closed the door, she smiled softly with a slightly red face as she spoke, "How do you like the room decorated, Shen Yuan?"
Shen Yuan took a deep breath as the fragrance of the room filled his senses, he observed that the atmosphere had changed, it was now more…intimate.
"This…" He was speechless for a bit as he took another deep breath to calm down and continued, "It's beautifully decorated, Mom." He couldn't think of anything other than this even after thinking for a while.
Shen Yuxin smiled lightly, "Yuan'er," her tone filled with tenderness, "The evening was wonderful, wasn't it?"
"It was," He agreed with a nod as he moved closer towards her. The distance seemed to vanish between them as he could feel the heat radiating from her body.
Shen Yuxin reached out with her hand, placing it in his chest, "You have grown so much," she murmured as if talking to herself, "I'm so proud of the man you have become, Yuan'er."
Shen Yuan heard her heartfelt words and placed a hand on top of her hand, "It's thanks to you for raising me, Mother."
For a moment, they simply stood there, their hands intertwined as they felt each other's touch.
After some time, as if awoke from a dream, "Let's change clothes first." Shen Yuxin spoke as she looked at their clothes which they changed into for the evening party.
Shen Yuan nodded as he left her hand and stepped back with a smile, Shen Yuxin felt a little lost when Shen Yuan left her hand, but she soon regained her senses as she left behind the screen to change with a small smile and a little red face.
Shen Yuxin disappeared behind the screen, leaving Shen Yuan alone standing in the middle of the room, his heart raced from the intense emotions that had built up between them.
He could hear the faint rustle as she changed her clothes, his mind wandered as he reflected on their time together. Even though this night was not unexpected to him, it was still something worth making him thrilled and nervous.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, the atmosphere in the room was thick with tension.
He moved to the corner of the room where his clothes were placed. He undressed as he began changing to comfortable nightwear.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something significant was about to happen, something that would forever change the relationship between him and his mother.
As he changed, his thoughts continued to wander, drifting back to the way Shen Yuxin looked at him. It was as if she was silently conveying something that she couldn't muster the courage to speak aloud.
When he finished changing, he came back to the middle of the room and sat down on the bed, his eyes fixated on the screen where Shen Yuxin was changing her clothes.
The anticipation was almost overwhelming as he poured a glass of wine from the table to calm himself. The wine was rich and smooth, soothing his tense nerves.
After a few moments, Shen Yuxin walked out from behind the screen, now dressed in a revealing white nightgown that clung to her figure in all the right places, enhancing her seductiveness.
She looked at Shen Yuan with a gentle smile, but her eyes revealed mischievousness as she looked at his shocked reaction.
Shen Yuan's breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight of his mother. She was breathtaking, and the way she looked at him made his heart skip a beat.
The tension between them is palpable as if only the two of them exist in the entire world.
Shen Yuxin walked closer to him, her steps slow and deliberate. She sat down beside him on the bed, her hand once again finding their way to his chest, "Yuan'er," she whispered, her voice low but filled with passion, "I want you to know how much you mean to you. After all these years…you have become my everything."
Shen Yuan placed his hand over hers, feeling the warmth of her touch. He looked into her eyes, seeing not a shred of falsehood in them and the everlasting love that they conveyed which had only intensified and bordered on craziness, "Mother," he began, his voice trembling slightly as he opened his heart towards her, "I… I don't know what I would have done or what I would have become without you.
You have been my light in this dark world."
For a moment, they simply gazed into each other's eyes, ignoring the rest of the world.
Shen Yuxin leaned closer, her breath warm against his cheeks, "Yuan'er," she murmured, "I want to be with you, to be close to you…forever."