The night is deep and the stars outside the window are scattered, like a residual dream reflected in the lake.
In the room, only the faint sound of breathing echoed in the silence.
Gu was lying on the bed, his eyes were calm and his breathing was long.
Her tired body was finally healed by his strength, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Song Lufeng sat beside the bed, his eyes fixed on her face.
Her face was still a little pale, but the breath of starlight had quietly returned to her.
Her brows were relaxed, soft like moonlight.
The long eyelashes trembled slightly, like butterfly wings flying on flower petals.
Song Lufeng slowly stretched out his hand with extremely light movements, his fingertips hovering above her face but never falling.
His eyes were filled with her shadow.
He is an iron-blooded warrior and a decisive leader, but at this moment, a kind of softness that he has never felt before surges in his heart.
He wanted to touch her, but was afraid of disturbing her dream.
At this moment, he is no longer the Song Lufeng who swept the battlefield, nor is he the iron-willed man who shoulders responsibility.
He is just an ordinary man, a man who is full of love but dare not express it easily.
His eyes traced her face carefully.
Three hundred years of barrier of time and space, years as long as a river, he never had any extravagant demands.
When he first went back in time and fought alongside her, he felt that she was a star, an unreachable light.
And when she used all her strength to support a victorious future for him, he realized that this star belonged to him.
But she burned herself out for him.
Song Lufeng's heart seemed to be grasped by an invisible hand and it hurt.
He sighed softly and lowered his brows.
Years of fighting had never left him weak for a moment.
But her smile, her word "lufeng", could make his chest tremble so much that he could hardly breathe.
She is Gu Man, the only person he is willing to protect until the end, from the depths of time to the present.
She gave everything for him, but he couldn't give her anything in return.
"Manman..." Song Lufeng called her in a low voice.
His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing something, but this voice contained all his affection and helplessness.
Gu Man didn't wake up.
She was just sleeping with a faint smile on her lips, as if she felt peaceful even in her dreams.
Song Lufeng lowered his head and moved closer to her.
His gaze became softer, and his deep eyes were full of cherishment and compassion.
He stared at her as if she were a treasure, afraid that if he breathed too heavily, she would be blown away from his sight.
He raised his hand, finally mustering up the courage to lightly touch her cheek with his fingertips.
Her skin was cold, but the moment he touched it, he felt like he was burned.
He tightened his palm slightly, covering the side of her face with his palm, and his rough fingertips gently stroked her brow bone with careful care.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice so soft it sounded like a sigh.
"I'm late."
He lowered his head and moved closer.
Her breath was soft and warm against his lips.
His eyes fell on her lips, which were slightly tinged with color, like a petal of a morning flower.
Song Lufeng's Adam's apple rolled slightly, and the affection in his eyes turned into a tide that could not be contained.
He could no longer restrain himself.
He leaned over and kissed her gently.
The kiss was extremely gentle, like a feather falling on the lake, yet it carried all his restraint and heat.
He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers, without any intention of invasion, just feeling her presence with great care.
This was the only moment in his three hundred year journey that he was willing to stop.
Time seemed to stand still.
His chest was boiling, surging with complex emotions - love, regret, pity, cherishment - intertwined into a surging wave that completely drowned him.
He slowly left her lips and stared at her peaceful sleeping face, but his heart still couldn't calm down.
He reached out and held her in his arms, moving cautiously, as if he was protecting a fragile crystal.
"Manman." His voice was very low, as if he was talking to himself.
"You know what... I have nothing left to lose."
"The only one is you."
His eyes fell on the stars outside the window, and his voice was low and hoarse: "I can let go of everything, but I can't let go of you."
He held her in his arms, feeling her breathing becoming more steady and her cold body temperature gradually warming up.
At this moment, he no longer thought about future battles, the enemy, or himself.
His world only consists of her in his arms.
The starlight fell into the room, casting a soft halo on everything.
Song Lufeng's eyes were full of tenderness. He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.
"Sleep well," he said, his voice as soft as a feather.
"With me here, you don't have to be afraid of anything."