Chapter 525 Family Reunion (Second Update)

Are you letting me see a pentakill since I'm not injured?

Gu Jiao's eyes widened, and she shook her head repeatedly in his arms: "No, no! Absolutely not!"

Being sick doesn't count as being injured!

She didn't lose a single hair!

Xiao Heng felt the fluffy little head in his arms turning around, tickling his heart. He took a deep breath, held Gu Jiao's little shoulders, and helped her sit up straight.

Then he stared intently into her eyes: "You're really not hurt?"

Gu Jiao met his gaze frankly and openly: "I'm really not injured!"

He absolutely refused to admit that he had almost died several times, frozen into a small ice sculpture on the ice field, and suffered a serious illness.

Doesn't Xiao Heng understand her?

They would never feel guilty even if they tore a hole in the sky.

But she changed the subject too quickly; it's impossible that nothing happened at the border.

Xiao Heng asked directly, "Where are you injured?"

Gu Jiao wasn't going to fall for his tricks: "I'm not injured anywhere!"

If you're so good at guessing, you can guess that I almost froze into a little ice sculpture! Or that I almost died from a little plague!

How could I have guessed that?

If she hadn't experienced it herself, Gu Jiao wouldn't have guessed it.

Seeing that he still didn't believe her, Gu Jiao simply spread her arms and leaned back in her chair, using her trump card: "Why don't you check it yourself!"

Xiao Heng: "..."

Xiao Heng gave her a deep look, then suddenly stood up from his chair and leaned over her.

He braced himself on the armrest of the chair with one hand, his tall frame pressing lightly against her, while his other hand gently held her soft waist. With a hint of masculine danger, he said, "Are you sure you want me to check you, Jiaojiao?"

That one "Jiaojiao" made Gu Jiao's ears melt.

She stared blankly at his handsome face so close to hers, feeling his burning breath. The warmth of his palms traveled through her clothes to her waist, and her previously cold waist seemed to catch fire in an instant.

He didn't have much strength, but it was precisely this domineering yet restrained feeling that was truly irresistible.

Gu Jiao blinked, then suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his strong, masculine waist.

His breath hitched: "Jiaojiao..."

Gu Jiao said softly, "Jiaojiao wants it."

"What do you want?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Gu Jiao hugged his waist tightly, using the strength of his arms to gently lift her body up, her breath almost touching his.

Xiao Heng's large hand, which was lightly holding her slender waist, suddenly tightened. He hugged her soft body, supported her back with his arm, and cupped the back of her head with his palm, not letting her bear any force.

What does Jiaojiao want?

Why aren't you saying anything?

Are you shy?

Xiao Heng didn't get a reply from Gu Jiao. He gently raised his head and saw that Gu Jiao had fallen asleep in his arm and palm.

Xiao Heng: "..."

Gu Jiao was indeed exhausted. It goes without saying how difficult it was to cross the snow-capped mountains. After leaving the mountain range, she traveled day and night without stopping. At each post station, she would change to the strongest horse. But while the horse could be changed, the rider could not.

She hasn't had a proper night's sleep for several days in a row.

Xiao Heng gently picked her up and carefully placed her on the bed.

In fact, she was so exhausted that she wouldn't have been woken up by any means, but Xiao Heng still moved gently.

Xiao Heng removed her shoes and coat, took off her hair ribbon, and pulled the quilt over her.

He tucked every corner of the blanket in, wrapping her small body up tightly. Then, looking at her with deep emotion, he bent down and gently kissed her forehead.

...

As dawn broke, Xiao Jingkong woke up as usual. His bad brother-in-law wasn't there, which wasn't surprising, since his bad brother-in-law always woke up earlier than him.

Today is Lunar New Year's Eve.

Unfortunately, Jiaojiao didn't come back, and he was so listless that he didn't even want to wear his new clothes.

He slowly put on an old set of clothes and walked out with his head drooping.

He habitually went to Gu Jiao's room first before washing up.

He entered the room sluggishly, like a soulless little wooden puppet, circled around the bed, turned around, and went out.

He picked up a small toothbrush made of horsehair in the backyard, and as he brushed, a picture suddenly popped into his slow-moving mind.

There's someone in bed!

Jiaojiao!

"Ya ya ya!"

Xiao Jingkong abandoned his little cup and toothbrush, turned around in a flash, and ran towards Gu Jiao's east room!

At this moment, Yao Shi, Gu Yan, and Gu Xiaoshun also arrived at the door of the east room.

It wasn't surprising that Yao and Gu Xiaoshun woke up early, but it was quite astonishing that Gu Yan, who always loved to sleep in, also got up.

Perhaps it was a connection with the twins, but Gu Yan actually woke up in the middle of the night and lay down next to Gu Jiao.

Smelling his sister's scent and holding her hand, he finally felt that the half of him that had been cut off and taken away had returned to him.

"Jiao—"

Xiao Jingkong had just opened his mouth when Gu Yan covered it.

Xiao Jingkong looked anxiously at Jiaojiao, who was fast asleep on the bed, and made several "uh-huh" sounds before giving up struggling.

Although he missed Jiaojiao terribly, he couldn't disturb her.

"Shall we go out first?" Yao said softly.

Everyone nodded and reluctantly sat down in the main room.

Granny Fang walked in through the back door of the main room with an excited expression and asked in a low voice, "I just heard the young master and Master Huo talking next door that the eldest young lady has returned?"

The old chief priest was also very worried about Gu Jiao, so after dawn, Xiao Heng first told Yao Shi the news of Gu Jiao's return, and then went to report to the old chief priest that she was safe.

Yao could not hide her excitement. She smiled and nodded, lowering her voice to say, "You're back."

Granny Fang clasped her hands together and said, "Amitabha, thank God!"

Before leaving, Gu Jiao left a letter for her family, saying that she was going to become a doctor. Everyone except Xiao Heng and Gu Yan believed it.

However, even becoming a doctor is extremely dangerous.

In this war-torn land, even the old Marquis was captured. For Gu Jiao, a young woman, self-preservation became everyone's biggest concern.

Now that she has returned safely, everyone can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Gu Jiao slept straight through until the afternoon.

Having been away from home for so long, she was momentarily disoriented when she opened her eyes, almost thinking she had traveled back in time again. Otherwise, why would she wake up in such a warm place?

Then she saw one, two, three, four little heads peeking through the crack in the door: "..."

They are Xiao Jingkong, Gu Xiaoshun, Gu Yan, and Gu Xiaobao, who is just three months old.

Gu Xiaobao was held in Gu Yan's arms, his big, dark eyes darting around as he sucked on his fingers.

The whole room was filled with the sound of him sucking his fingers.

Gu Jiao: "..."

Gu Jiao sat up.

Xiao Jingkong's eyes lit up, and she pushed open the door with a bang, rushing to the bedside first: "Jiaojiao, you're awake!"

Gu Yan snorted and said, "Heh, Jiao Jiao isn't awake, she's asleep."

That brat monk runs so fast!

snort!

Little Jingkong ignored Brother Chouyan. When Jiaojiao returned, he only talked to her!

Xiao Jingkong came to the bedside, buried his head in Gu Jiao's arms, and shook his little head cutely: "Jiaojiao, I missed you! I missed you so much!"

He originally just wanted to act cute, but as he continued, his nose started to sting and he felt really wronged.

He hasn't seen Jiaojiao for so many days, he feels like he's wasted his life!

He's going to have to start all over again in these three months!

“Your hair has grown long,” Gu Jiao said.

When he left, he had a buzz cut, but now it's almost a mushroom cut. He should be able to tie his hair into a little topknot by the new year.

"Mmm." Xiao Jingkong responded with a pitiful look. He didn't want to talk about his hair right now. "Jiaojiao, remember to take me with you next time you go out. I want to go with you too."

Gu Yan pulled Gu Xiaobao in, glanced at the little guy, and said, "What do you think that is? Is it a place for a child to go?"

Xiao Jingkong straightened up from Gu Jiao's arms, put his hands on his hips, and looked at Gu Yan: "I will grow up!"

Gu Yan loved to argue with the little guy: "You can't go there when you grow up. That's a war zone, very dangerous. A weak scholar like you can only stay in the capital."

These few words successfully silenced Xiao Jingkong.

Gu Yan thought she had finally won against the little one in their bickering, but after a while, Xiao Jingkong suddenly asked, sounding hurt, "So, Jiao Jiao went to a very dangerous place?"

He was a child, and his family, wanting to protect him, naturally wouldn't tell him that Gu Jiao had gone to the battlefield.

They only said it was the frontier, and that's what Gu Jiao said in her letter as well.

Xiao Jingkong thought it was just a house call from a very, very far away.

Gu Yan hadn't expected that his argument with the little guy would have let something slip. He cleared his throat and said, "Alright, alright, Jiao Jiao is back safe and sound, so you don't need to worry anymore."

He talks as if he himself isn't worried.

"Jiaojiao." Xiao Jingkong looked at Gu Jiao solemnly.

"Hmm?" Gu Jiao was a little confused by this sudden reaction. She wondered if the little guy was frightened. War is a scary thing for such a young child.

She was about to pat his head reassuringly and tell him that she was really fine, just like Gu Yan said, and that he didn't need to worry about her.

Xiao Jingkong suddenly looked at her and said very seriously, "Jiaojiao, you must not go to dangerous places anymore."

If you absolutely must go.

I'll go in your place.

If war is absolutely necessary.

I'll call it for you!

Xiao Jingkong's feelings for Jiaojiao were far greater than Jiaojiao realized.

(End of this chapter)