Gu Jianli paused in the act of straightening her cloak, turning her head back in surprise. She glanced at Ji Xinglou before looking at Wujing. Wujing, with his eyes downcast, felt her gaze and lazily lifted his eyelids to look at her.
Gu Jianli’s lips parted slightly, but the words she wanted to say didn’t come out. She hesitated for a moment, then gently patted Ji Xinglou’s head and asked softly, “Xinglou, are you brave enough to sleep alone?”
Ji Xinglou initially thought Gu Jianli would take him upstairs, but unexpectedly…
“Hmph.” Ji Xinglou rolled his eyes. “Do you think I’m as timid as you? I’d rather sleep alone than rely on you. You smell awful!”
He withdrew his short legs from the edge of the kang, stomped heavily on the ground, turned around, and ran out without looking back.
Gu Jianli felt a bit reluctant. She stared at the direction Ji Xinglou ran off to, dazed for a moment, then asked Wujing, “Isn’t this a bit too harsh? He’s always so stubborn…”
Wujing sneered and casually exposed her thoughts, “Gu Jianli, don’t you also want to sleep alone with me?”
“You…” Gu Jianli gasped the word, unable to say anything more. She bit her lip, glared at Wujing with a hint of annoyance, and muttered, “Nonsense, I didn’t hear that.”
Wujing then stood up from the stool, positioned himself in front of the kang, leaned down, and rubbed Gu Jianli’s ear, lifting it slightly. He repeated what he said and then asked with a smile, “Did you hear it this time?”
Gu Jianli pushed him away, covering her ear and glaring at him. “Don’t pull my ear!”
Wujing casually pinched her nose.
Gu Jianli, who was kneeling, fell back onto her bottom. She changed the subject angrily, “You’ve been lying down for days, but I’ve been exhausted and sore all over. If you don’t help, I won’t bother tidying up anymore!”
Wujing glanced at the messy bedding, chuckled, and started to tidy it up. Gu Jianli quickly stood up, walked to the corner of the kang, stood on tiptoe, and avoided stepping on the bedding. She silently watched Wujing tidy up, squatting down to help tug at the edges.
Though there was a fire in the room, the coal was of poor quality, and being in the snow-capped mountains, Gu Jianli felt cold despite wearing thick cotton clothes.
After the bedding was tidied up and they had washed up briefly, Gu Jianli, still in her cotton jacket, crawled into bed. It wasn’t as warm as she had imagined, leaving her somewhat disappointed.
The room was very dark, with a single candle inserted into a small bowl made from a radish. Wujing waved his hand, and the candle went out. Though the candle was extinguished, the brazier in the center of the room glowed with a bright red flame.
Wujing lay down beside Gu Jianli, his hand slipping inside her clothes.
Gu Jianli blurted out, “What are you doing?”
She was dressed very warmly, and it took Wujing some time to navigate through her layers of clothing before his palm rested on her belly.
His hand was very warm, and the heat from his palm gradually spread across Gu Jianli’s abdomen.
Gu Jianli remembered that he had been sitting by the brazier for a long time.
Wujing asked, “What did you think I was going to do?”
Gu Jianli’s eyes flickered with a hint of embarrassment. She smiled slightly and muttered, “Nothing, I was just asking…”
Wujing snorted disdainfully, his tone full of mockery. “In this dilapidated place?”
Gu Jianli lay flat beside Wujing. She gently turned her head, shifting it to the other side, her lips curling into a smile. “It’s cold, tiring, and painful. I’m going to sleep…”
She heard Wujing sit up beside her.
Wujing leaned lazily against the wall, his hand reaching into the quilt to grasp Gu Jianli’s ankle and placing her foot on his leg. His hand began to knead her foot, from her toes, up her calf, and onto her thigh, then back again, patiently and repeatedly.
In the dim, reddish firelight, Gu Jianli quietly watched Wujing, observing the contours of his brow.
“Alright, it doesn’t hurt anymore. Let’s rest.” Gu Jianli spoke softly.
Unconsciously, she extended her hand and lightly pressed her lips with her fingertip. Her delicate skin, exposed to the wind and snow, had turned red, and her tender lips were chapped, causing a stinging pain when she spoke.
Wujing glanced at her, setting her foot down. He leaned over, supporting himself on his elbow near Gu Jianli’s ear, without putting his weight on her. With his other hand, he grasped her chin, squinting slightly as he examined her face, weathered by the wind and snow over the past two days.
“Stop looking…” Gu Jianli’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum.
Wujing lowered his head, extending his tongue to lick Gu Jianli’s chapped lips.
Startled, Gu Jianli’s eyelashes fluttered, and she instinctively closed her eyes as Wujing’s lips met hers.
Wujing gazed intently at Gu Jianli, his dark eyes devoid of much passion, focused solely on gently licking her lips. His tongue carefully explored every tiny crack and fold. Gradually, Gu Jianli’s dry lips became moist and supple, their pale color turning a vibrant red, alluring and inviting.
A tingling warmth spread through Gu Jianli’s body, making her feel soft all over. Her grip on the quilt loosened, and she slowly opened her eyes, looking into Wujing’s.
She saw the smile in Wujing’s eyes.
Wujing’s tongue trailed from the corner of Gu Jianli’s lips, slowly licking along her cheek, soothing the wind-chapped skin.
Gu Jianli raised her hand, gently placing her palm on Wujing’s cheek. Looking at him so closely, her eyes suddenly moistened. She asked, “Are you fully recovered now? Will you be safe from now on?”
“Yes.” Wujing lazily moved to lick the other side of her face. “Uncle is invincible. No one can kill me, except you.”
Tears slipped from the corners of Gu Jianli’s eyes, caught by Wujing’s tongue.
After a moment, Gu Jianli gently nodded and inexplicably said, “Good.”
Softly, yet with a weight.
Wujing stopped his movements, looking into Gu Jianli’s eyes, and said, “In another hour, today will be over.”
Gu Jianli was a bit confused, not understanding his meaning.
Wujing’s finger bent, its back brushing against Gu Jianli’s cheek as he drawled, “On this day last year, those old geezers sent you to my room. It was supposed to be your coming-of-age ceremony, with guests and gifts piled high. This year, your birthday should also be celebrated with a feast, wine, and joy. But again, it’s been a mess. Tsk. The things Uncle prepared for you went unused.”
Gu Jianli suddenly realized the significance of the day; she had almost forgotten.
Wujing abruptly curled one side of his lips into a smile. He said, “This is the last time, Gu Jianli. Next year on your birthday, it won’t be like this.”
His tone was casual, yet it carried weight.
“Okay.” Gu Jianli responded once more. She looked at Wujing, her eyes reflecting him in their bright depths.
She cupped Wujing’s face, raised her head slightly, and placed a gentle kiss on the tear mole below his left eye—finally doing what she had longed to do.
Snuggling into Wujing’s embrace, Gu Jianli quickly fell into a deep sleep, her lips curved in a faint smile. Despite the poor conditions and her fatigue and pain, she slept peacefully.
The next day, Gu Jianli woke up from hunger.
Rubbing her eyes, she sat up in a daze. Her gaze fell on the cotton quilt and fur cloak covering her. She reached out from under the quilt to touch the soft fox fur on the cloak, smiling slightly.
She got out of bed, not as recklessly as she had the previous day. She stood by the edge of the kang for a while, realizing that her legs no longer hurt as much and felt stronger. Only then did she pick up the cloak, wrap it around herself, and walk out slowly.
The sun was shining brightly outside; it was already noon. The sunlight reflected off the snow house, melting some of the snow on the roof, causing water droplets to drip down the eaves. Yet, it was still cold, and the droplets froze before reaching the ground, forming icicles under the eaves. Gu Jianli tilted her head, watching for a while, then reached out to tap the icicles, which broke crisply and fell to the ground in small pieces.
“Hmph!” Ji Xinglou stood on a small stool made from a tree stump, looking disdainful. “You’re a grown-up, and you’re still playing with that!”
Gu Jianli then noticed Ji Xinglou in the corner of the yard. She immediately smiled at him and walked over. Ignoring his protests, she picked him up and carried him back under the eaves. “Here, play with me.”
Ji Xinglou blurted out, “How did you know I wanted to play but couldn’t reach?”
Realizing he had revealed too much, Ji Xinglou’s face flushed red.
A few villagers arrived, peeking through the gate of the small courtyard but not daring to enter. Some had pushed carts over, while others carried things in their hands.
Gu Jianli glanced at the direction of the kitchen, seeing smoke rising and knowing someone was cooking. She looked at the people at the gate and asked, “What do you want?”
The villagers exchanged glances before pushing Chen Wang’s wife forward.
“We didn’t take good care of you before, failing to show proper hospitality. With the new year approaching, we brought some provisions for your family,” Chen Wang’s wife nervously twisted the corner of her clothes. She remembered the commotion the previous night when some villagers climbed over the wall into their house. She knew about it but feared trouble and did nothing. Now, she felt both guilty and afraid of Wujing’s retaliation.
Gu Jianli was silent for a while before saying, “Thank you.”
The villagers immediately smiled and quickly entered the courtyard, not venturing too far. They set down their goods and hurried away. They had brought half a pig, a sheep, two chickens, a bag of mushrooms, a bag of sago, and a bag of flour.
Looking at these items, Gu Jianli suddenly felt like they had transformed from refugees into bandits occupying the village.
Wujing emerged from the kitchen, his expression fluctuating. “Gu Jianli, come in and help!”
Only then did Gu Jianli realize that Changfeng and Yuanshun had gone out to find the others who had scattered. Seeing her sleep so soundly, Wujing hadn’t woken her and had gone to cook himself.
He wasn’t very skilled at using the stove. The only thing he knew how to do was build a fire—primarily for roasting fish.
In truth, Gu Jianli also didn’t know how to use such a rudimentary stove.
The two of them busied themselves in the kitchen for half a day, but still couldn’t manage to get a meal.
Ji Xinglou squatted at the kitchen door, patting his stomach and sighing deeply.