Chapter 84 Reunion "What...what is this...what's going on..."

Seeing that no one was moving, Jin Suiqing became even more wary.

She lowered the carriage curtain, concealed the dagger in her cloak, hesitated for a moment, then grasped Huihong's hand. "I'll get out and take a look."

Huihong grabbed Jin Suiqing and shook her head in fear, "Don't go, what if it really is a ghost? I heard from an old miner that people who died in mining accidents in the past could not be reincarnated because their bodies could not be found. They would take the lives of innocent people at midnight so that they could steal their life force to be reborn."

Jin Suiqing chuckled, thinking that this book contained no demons or monsters, only the coffin lids that the fathers of physics couldn't hold down. She teased Huihong, "I've also heard that those who discuss these things will be considered 'evil spirits.' A life taken by a ghost will be recorded on the 'evil spirit's' head. Do you believe it?"

Huihong froze for a moment, then started trembling and didn't say a word.

Jin Suiqing briefly reassured Huihong, telling her to sit still and that if anything happened, she should immediately drive the rhinoceros chariot back to the village for help.

After removing the hairband, Jin Suiqing quickly tied the dagger tightly to her hand before lifting the carriage curtain and jumping out of the rhinoceros carriage.

Upon landing, Jin Suiqing stomped her foot to compact the snow, subtly squinting as she carefully examined the snow-covered ground before her.

There are no tripwires.

She listened intently; the snow-covered ground was extremely quiet, and any sound could be heard clearly. At present, apart from the rustling of falling snow, there were no strange noises in the woods.

Jin Suiqing felt slightly relieved. She tightened her grip on the dagger and moved slowly towards the man in black. As she moved, she said, "Brother, it's so cold, why aren't you home yet?"

As they drew closer, her voice grew louder.

Seeing that no one spoke, Jin Suiqing casually said, "Your family must be worried too, right?"

Judging from his height, he must be married. Jin Suiqing relaxed a bit. "It's so cold. There should be someone waiting by the bedside for you to warm your bed. If you need money, I'll give you some. Please make way for me."

“I don’t need the money,” the man said hoarsely.

Jin Suiqing was taken aback. His voice sounded familiar, yet it didn't quite match his memory.

The sound was dry and astringent, like someone had drunk three large bowls of bitter tea, the bitterness almost overflowing.

He speaks clearly and concisely.

Jin Suiqing paused, her mind screaming that it was impossible—how could someone leave the capital? Yet hope surged uncontrollably within her. A wave of emotion washed over her, her chest, nose, and eyes, a burning sensation spreading through her. Her steps quickened involuntarily. "What does Big Brother need?"

The distance was close enough that the snow could no longer obstruct her view.

She saw it clearly.

He opened his mouth, paused for a moment, then looked down at her face closely, not wanting to miss a single detail.

She's grown up, taller, thinner, and her eyes are bigger, but she's no longer the girl who snuggled in his arms and acted spoiled.

She is a woman who has made a name for herself, achieved great things, and is confident and radiant.

After examining the face, he chuckled and said, "I lost my sister and my wife, and to this day, I am all alone."

Jin Suiqing's eyes reddened, and she looked at him from top to bottom.

She's lost weight, quite a bit. Her eye sockets are slightly sunken, her cheeks are firmer, her jawline is narrower, and her chin is more pointed.

He used to have a fuller face and softer features, which could be described as beautiful; now Kim Si-ok has sharp features and a angular face. Even the cinnabar mole between his eyebrows can't suppress the aggressiveness of his appearance, making people want to stay away and not dare to look at him anymore.

But Jin Suiqing couldn't take her eyes off him.

He has changed a lot, but he is still very tall.

She's clearly grown taller, so why is he still so tall?

Jin Suiqing sniffed, took two steps forward, looked up at him, and tears streamed down her face as she cried, "Jin Shiyu, why are you here?"

When she shed tears, Jin Shiyu panicked. He wanted to reach out and wipe them away for her, but his hands were very cold, and he was afraid of upsetting her. Afraid that the cold wind would blow on her face, Jin Shiyu frowned and said, "Don't cry."

Jin Suiqing's eyes widened, tears welling up in them: "You're being mean to me. What kind of good sister can hold back her tears after not seeing her brother for three years?"

Jin Shiyu sighed; the familiar rascal was still there.

Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, those feelings of trepidation and intimacy faded away with the passing of three lonely years. The newborn butterfly landed in my heart, and my heart beat wildly along with the flapping of its wings.

Jin Shiyu pulled open his cloak, quickly wrapped it around Jin Suiqing, pressed the back of her head against his chest, and only then did he feel himself come back to life.

“My hands are cold, wiping your tears will make you cold,” Jin Shiyu hugged Jin Suiqing tightly. “You can cry, just wipe them on my clothes, don’t leave your face exposed.”

When her father returned, Jin Suiqing suddenly didn't want to cry anymore.

Tears, for her, flowed freely and stopped just as easily. Jin Suiqing rubbed herself haphazardly against his chest, sniffed, and frowned, saying, "Why is it so cold under your cloak?"

Kim Si-ok truthfully said, "I stood in the snow for a long time."

Jin Suiqing stared blankly up at the snow that wouldn't melt on the person's head and shoulders. Her eyes were vacant for a moment before she screamed and broke free from his embrace, reaching out to pull the person towards the car.

Unexpectedly, as soon as her hand emerged from her cloak, the dagger strapped to her palm was exposed.

Jin Suiqing blinked, feeling guilty, and said, "Um... how about I explain?"

“…No need,” Jin Shiyu shook his head, took her engorged hand, and slowly untied her hair ribbon with his frozen, stiff hand. “In this cold weather, ordinary people certainly wouldn’t stand on the road. No wonder you’re scared.”

Look, look, they've been frozen senseless and are now saying they're not normal.

He is definitely not a normal person.

What normal person would be that stupid?

Jin Suiqing used her other hand as well, quickly removing the dagger and putting it back in her waistband. Her warm hands enveloped his icy fingers, making her shiver.

But how can a living human hand be colder than snow!

Jin Suiqing's face twisted together as he gripped the person's hand tightly, saying nothing, and dragged the person toward the rhinoceros carriage, pushing them onto it.

Jin Shiyu wanted to help her into the car first, but Jin Suiqing slapped his back hard, brushed the snow off her head and shoulders, and said nervously, "Hurry up and get in, I don't want to become a widow at such a young age."

Jin Shiyu paused, glanced back at her, and saw that she looked serious and didn't seem to be talking nonsense. His heart pounded faster, but he said nothing and quietly got into the car.

Huihong shrank into the corner of the carriage in fear. When she saw that it was Jin Shiyu, her jaw almost dropped in shock. "Young...Young Master!"

Jin Shiyu nodded to her, and Huihong exclaimed, "Young Master Jin, why does your face look so ashen?"

“It’s frozen,” Jin Suiqing started the rhinoceros chariot, grabbed a clump of snow and crawled into the carriage. He pulled Jin Shiyu’s hand and rubbed it vigorously with the snow. “Doing this will warm it up quickly. It may hurt a little, Jin Shiyu, just bear with it.”

Jin Shiyu couldn't take his eyes off her, staring intently at the whorl of her hair.

When asked where it hurt, she gave a clear and decisive answer. Jin Shiyu lowered his gaze, staring at her profile and the tip of her nose, and whispered, "It doesn't hurt."

"It's...awesome."

Huihong gasped, and Jin Suiqing's face flushed red.

She had heard those words countless times that night three years ago, and they had appeared in her dreams countless times; she couldn't even count them all. Having no other choice, Jin Suiqing looked up and glared at him, then gently patted his smooth forehead with her snow-covered hands.

She dared not look into his eyes, her gaze falling on the cinnabar birthmark between his brows. "What nonsense are you talking about? You've really gone mad from the cold."

*

Following Jin Suiqing's instructions, Jin Shiyu went to take a bath.

It's just that it's been taking a really long time.

Jin Suiqing checked her watch and realized that more than half an hour had passed and no one had come out yet. Then she thought that maybe it was because the person had been in the cold for too long and wanted to soak in the water to warm up.

After waiting for half an hour, Jin Suiqing couldn't sit still any longer and made a move to rush out and rescue the person. Finally, the door opened.

Jin Shiyu wore only a dark crimson undergarment, his hair draped over his shoulders, damp and glistening with water, turning it a pure black despite its light color. Whether it was the darkness of his clothes and hair or the lingering chill, Jin Shiyu's skin appeared even whiter, porcelain-like.

He looks more like a male ghost.

Jin Suiqing quickly looked down. His clothes were thin, and the collar was wide open. He had lost a lot of weight compared to three years ago. His collarbone was protruding, running straight to his shoulders and pulling along his well-defined pectoral muscles, which were hidden in the collar and rose and fell slowly with his breathing.

The deep crimson was soaked through, clinging to his skin in small patches, not forming a continuous mass, yet still able to outline shapes, blurring the light and shadow, creating a deep and ambiguous atmosphere, with a hint of unspoken words.

It was a gorgeous male ghost that had just emerged from the water.

Jin Suiqing swallowed hard, hurriedly closing the door behind her. "Why are you dressed so lightly? It's cold. Close the door quickly, don't let the wind blow on you."

Jin Shiyu's eyes were glued to her, and he gave a light reply. Jin Suiqing closed the door and tried to pull him to the heater, but Jin Shiyu swayed slightly, bypassed Jin Suiqing, and sat down on the farthest chair, slowly drying his hair.

He kept watching Jin Suiqing, wiping her for a long time before draping the towel over his shoulder and reaching out to the heater. "I'll grill. Come on, Suiqing, grill too."

Jin Suiqing stared at Jin Shiyu, narrowing her eyes.

Something's not right.

Something was wrong with him all over.

Jin Suiqing remained calm and went to the cabinet to take something out. Soon, she approached Jin Shiyu carrying a contraption made of two cylinders.

Jin Shiyu tried to back away, but Jin Suiqing held him down. "Why are you hiding? It's just a hair dryer. You won't have a headache if you dry your hair."

Jin Shiyu reached out to take the hairdryer from Jin Suiqing's hand, "I can do it myself."

Jin Suiqing refused without hesitation, saying, "You can't blow on the back of your head."

Helpless, Jin Shiyu could only sit in the chair. When Jin Suiqing touched the ends of his hair, he blinked helplessly.

Jin Suiqing asked in confusion, "Why is your hair so cold?"

Kim Shi-ok said calmly, "It's cold outside."

Jin Suiqing pouted, turned on the hairdryer, adjusted it to a temperature that wasn't too hot, and started drying Jin Shiyu's hair.

The more they blow, the more something seems off.

She lifted his hair and blew on it, the wind sweeping across his skin and causing him to blush. Jin Shiyu trembled; the hot wind hit his earlobe, and Jin Shiyu could no longer bear it, panting heavily as he pulled away.

Jin Suiqing decisively threw the hairdryer aside, touched his earlobe with her hand, frowned and exclaimed, "It's so hot, Jin Shiyu, you seem to have a fever."

Jin Shiyu shook her head, slightly out of breath, and tried to pull Jin Suiqing's hand away, but she was startled by the coldness of his hand. "Why are your hands so cold?"

"It's nothing, it's really not a fever."

Jin Suiqing thought to himself, "You with thick eyebrows and big eyes, after three years, you've started to talk nonsense in a very serious manner."

She abandoned Kim Shi-ok and ran out of the room, but soon returned and called out to Kim Shi-ok, whose face was flushed by the fireplace, "Kim Shi-ok, you actually took a cold bath again!"

I thought he wanted to soak a little longer, which is why it took so long. But I didn't expect him to turn off the thermostat and wait for the water to cool down completely before getting into the wooden tub to take a bath.

No wonder even the roots of my hair feel cold!

Jin Suiqing was furious. How could a person abuse their body like that, standing in the snow for so long and then deliberately taking a cold shower!

Enraged, she grabbed Kim Shi-ok by the collar, pulled him up, shoved him onto the bed, and ripped off the blanket to cover him. But the hotter Kim Shi-ok got, the more labored his breathing became, until there was no way to control himself, and he cried out uncontrollably.

"Jin Suiqing! This really won't do," Jin Shiyu said hoarsely as he pushed back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. "Listen to your brother, it can't get any hotter."

Is this when he suddenly remembered he was his brother?

Jin Suiqing couldn't understand for a moment, and was so angry that she couldn't speak. She stood in front of him, her gaze sweeping aimlessly, not knowing where to settle her anger.

After a while, hearing his unabated panting, Jin Suiqing finally realized something was wrong. She turned her head and examined him inch by inch, from top to bottom.

I saw the trousers that had been crumpled up during the struggle. They looked messy, yet were stretched a little tight, with folds around an object that shouldn't be visible.

Jin Suiqing stopped.

She stared in disbelief, her ears burning instantly, her anger vanishing completely. After a long while, she turned her head away, stammering, "What...what's going on?"

Author's note: Oh dear, hey hey hey hey, he got his comeuppance for forcing people to drink.