Ye Jiu slept for a long time and woke up naturally when it was time.
When she opened her eyes and saw that it wasn't the pure white space, her brain short-circuited for a moment. Huh? She's gone? Then where is she now?
She sat up and looked down at the blanket covering her. The blanket was thick and made of good quality material; it wasn't cheap.
Ye Jiu clicked her tongue in amazement; this quilt was truly excellent.
She moved her legs and felt a little numb; she wondered how long she had slept. Then she lifted the blanket, bent her knees, and rubbed her calves with her hands.
Just then, Yun Jia pushed open the door and entered. Ye Jiu looked up at the sound and their eyes met.
When Yun Jia saw her sitting on the bed, she looked so vibrant, as if she had just woken up after a nap.
Tears flowed uncontrollably like a burst dam. Yun Jia walked step by step to her side, afraid that it was just his imagination.
Ye Jiu watched him approach with a pained expression. When he reached her side, she reached out and lifted him onto the bed, placing his thin frame in her arms to warm him with her body heat.
"Why have you lost so much weight? Have you been eating properly or taking your medicine?"
Yun Jia stared at her blankly for a long time, then raised her hand to touch her face and murmured, "You're back, you're back..."
Ye Jiu tilted her head and kissed his palm, then wrapped her hand around his. "Yes, I'm back."
"Have you been waiting long? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Yun Jia raised the corners of his mouth, but tears kept flowing. For the past six months, he had been like a gambler, gambling every day on the hope that she would come back to life. He thought he would lose everything, but unexpectedly, God smiled upon him...
Ye Jiu raised her hand and used her fingertips to wipe away his tears, while also warming his face with her own warm hands.
"It won't happen again, I promise, okay?"
Based on the system's level of incompetence, Ye Jiu couldn't determine how long her soul had been missing, but it would only grow longer and never stop. She would just kowtow and apologize first. After all, Yun Jia couldn't have become this thin overnight.
Most importantly, it was winter outside, but it was summer when she left! At least half a year, at most several and a half years.
Yun Jia buried her face in her arms and sobbed softly against her chest, "I... I almost thought I wouldn't be able to wait for you again."
“They all said you were beyond saving and told me to prepare for your funeral. I didn’t believe it. I gritted my teeth and stayed by your side, day after day…”
"Xiao Jiu, thank goodness, thank goodness."
Ye Jiu patted his back, silently comforting him. He cried until he was exhausted, then looked up with red eyes, shyly pushing himself out of her arms, his voice thick with nasal tone, "Your... clothes are all wet."
"What's this?" Ye Jiu waved her hand dismissively and hugged him tighter again. "Don't move, let me hold you."
Yun Jia nestled in her arms, feeling safe and secure. Sleepiness washed over him, and his eyelids began to droop. Ye Jiu felt even more sorry for him and moved him aside to lie down.
"Go to sleep, I'm here."
Outside, snow was falling heavily, but inside, the two huddled together for warmth, making this winter no longer cold.
——
As Yun Jia slept, he curled up like a cat, a sign of extreme insecurity. Ye Jiu wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly.
She didn't know what he had been through, how he had managed to get through it all alone, or how to comfort him. All she could do was hold him tightly to make him feel safe.
Ye Jiu had slept enough but couldn't fall asleep. Afraid of disturbing him, she could only stay in this position without moving, and would look at his face when she was bored.
The more I looked at him, the more alarmed I became. His face was so thin, and his complexion was terrible. Moreover, when I held him in my arms, his bones felt hard against my skin, which was enough to imagine how thin he was.
It's such a pity, she lost all the weight she had gained, and is even thinner than before.
Ye Jiu had a few worries. How did her body recover? Such a serious injury. And what's the situation outside? Who won? Who took over? Never mind, none of that matters. She was more interested in knowing why Yun Jia had become like this.
He slept from noon until evening without showing any signs of waking up. Ye Jiu carefully withdrew her hand, intending to change his clothes and make him something to eat. However, as soon as she lifted the blanket, Yun Jia woke up.
His eyes were still red, and he pitifully grabbed her hand, pleading, "Don't go...please don't go..."
Ye Jiu reluctantly retreated back into the covers. "I'll get something to eat. I'm hungry. Aren't you hungry?"
Yun Jia rubbed his eyes, and only after hearing Ye Jiu's words did he belatedly realize that his stomach was burning. Indeed, he hadn't eaten anything all day.
“I’ll stay with you.” Yun Jia didn’t want Ye Jiu to leave his sight, because it would make him feel like he was dreaming when he saw her wake up. He was afraid that if he couldn’t see her for a second, she would disappear.
Ye Jiu got out of bed barefoot, rummaged through the wardrobe and put on a set of clothes. Seeing a white fur-collared cloak in the wardrobe, she took it out and draped it over Yun Jia.
“Your cape doesn’t have a fur collar, wear this instead,” Ye Jiu explained. Yun Jia obediently let her do as she pleased, staring at her without blinking.
The cloak reached all the way to Yun Jia's ankles, wrapping him up completely. Ye Jiu was satisfied and took his hand.
After leaving the house, she said softly, "You lead the way, I don't know where the kitchen is."
"After your accident..." Yun Jia felt something was off, paused for a few seconds, and reorganized her words, "In short, not long after that incident, I bought a large house again, and then bought a few servants to live here."
Ye Jiu followed him forward and replied, "Yes, it's good that you're not alone in the house."
Ye Jiu pursed her lips, hesitating whether to speak or not, but finally steeled herself and asked, "Why... have you become so thin?"
Yun Jia forced a smile. "It looks terrible, doesn't it?" He reached out to block her eyes from looking at him.
Ye Jiu turned her head away from his hand. "You're not ugly. I like you no matter what you look like. But you must be feeling terrible. Seeing you like this makes me feel terrible too."
Yun Jia's smile became more genuine this time. She grabbed her hand and stopped talking, silently leading her to the kitchen.
The kitchen in this house was much larger than the previous one. When they went in, there were already servants cooking. Ye Jiu and Yun Jia's arrival made them uneasy.
"My lord...do you have any orders?"
Ye Jiu slapped his forehead and retreated with Yun Jia, saying, "We forgot we had servants."
"But I want to eat Xiao Jiu's cooking..."
Yun Jia was unusually willful, so Ye Jiu pushed the door open again and said, "You can all go downstairs. I'll cook."
"This..." The men looked at each other, wanting to say something but ultimately didn't dare to speak. After the men left, Ye Jiu began to look around the kitchen to see what ingredients were available.
Ye Jiu didn't hear it from inside the kitchen, but Yun Jia, who hadn't gone in, overheard the servants whispering.
"Do women still go into the kitchen?"
"It seems she dotes on her lord."
"How lucky you are."
The voice wasn't particularly loud, nor was it particularly quiet; it seemed like it was deliberately meant for Yun Jia to hear, but it didn't matter, as it put him in a very good mood.
His Xiao Jiu finally returned to his side during the first snowfall of the year.
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