Wish You All the Best - Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Outside the door, there was no more sound, nor was there any further movement.

Since arriving here, he was busy by day and often unable to sleep through the night; even regulating his breath was of no use, and his physical health had begun to deteriorate. He had started coughing some days ago, but his hearing remained as sharp as ever.

Just moments ago, as he turned to pour water, he had heard the crisp creaking sound of snow being trodden upon from outside the door and window.

Although the sound was very light and extremely brief, it reached his ears with perfect clarity.

Pei You'an could not imagine who would come to this fodder yard to seek him out at the end of the year, in the wilderness of this lonely city beyond the passes, in the dead of a night filled with swirling snow.

He thought of the little white wolf that had snuck in to steal food days prior, only to be caught and have its foot injured by a trap set by old guard Ding. Later, he had treated its wound, fed it, and released it. But in such freezing, icy conditions where food was nowhere to be found, perhaps the little creature, regardless of its own life, had stumbled back.

The sound of footsteps on the snow just now might have been made by it.

Pei You'an coughed as he walked to the door and opened it. A fierce gale mixed with snowflakes rushed in to meet him.

He glanced to the left and the right.

A petite female figure appeared within his line of sight. She was covered in ice and snow, leaning against the side of the window, motionless, like an exquisite snowman that had just been piled together.

Snowflakes danced above her head, clinging to her hair, flake by flake. She gazed at him, and silent droplets of tears rolled down from her cheeks, which had been frozen to a deep red.

Pei You'an's gaze paused on the woman's face for a heartbeat.

"Fu'er!"

He actually let out a startled cry.

Having lived for over twenty years with the composure of one who remains calm even if Mount Tai were to crumble before him, he had never been so shocked that he lost his composure as he was in this moment.

For an instant, he even thought he was dreaming and could not believe what he was seeing. His figure froze.

"Cousin, I've come to find you."

Jiafu choked on her words, her voice trembling as she spoke.

She could no longer hold it in. For over half a year, ever since the day he left Quanzhou, day after day, all the worry, longing, expectation, grievance, and indignation that had piled up in her heart transformed into tears and this simple address of "Cousin" the moment she saw him. She broke into sobs, her tears falling like pearls.

Pei You'an strode before her and extended his arms to embrace her, tightening his hold with such force that it felt as if he might break her delicate frame.

"Fu'er! Fu'er!"

He could say nothing else; he only held her tightly, repeatedly whispering her name.

A gust of wind blew, causing the wooden door to slam against the wall with a loud bang.

The body in his arms was ice-cold and shivering violently. Pei You'an touched her hand, felt a chill, and his mind immediately cleared. He swept her up horizontally and carried her inside, placing her on his bed. He stripped off her half-damp outer cloak and boots, which were soaked through with snow, pulled over the quilt to wrap her shivering form, and ordered her to lie still. He then closed the door and went to add charcoal to the stove.

As he was busy with the task, a pair of arms suddenly slipped in from both sides of his waist, wrapping tightly around his abdomen.

Jiafu had slid off the bed and hugged him from behind, pressing her face against his back.

"Cousin..."

She called out to him softly, her voice still carrying the sweet, soft, nasal tone of one who had just finished crying, filled with longing and contentment.

Pei You'an paused, turned around, embraced her once more, and carried her back to the bedside. This time, he lay down together with her.

The old wooden bed, which seemed ready to fall apart, suddenly bore the weight of two people, causing the bed legs to emit a slight creak.

He used his palms to caress her cold cheeks, still stained with remnants of tears, and rubbed her frozen hands to warm them. He then reached for her feet, using his own body heat to warm them as well.

"Fu'er, you little fool, why did you suddenly come to such a place..."

His tone carried a hint of reproach. He looked at her and saw her watching him with wide, tear-misted eyes. He stopped, and the two of them gazed into each other's eyes; for a long while, neither spoke again.

The room was extremely quiet. The dim flame of the bean-oil lamp flickered slightly. The only sound in their ears was the mournful howling of the north wind blowing across the wilderness. The stove fire grew stronger, and the room slowly warmed, mirroring her returning body heat.

Pei You'an's face slowly pressed down toward her.

Jiafu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly closed her eyes. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, he stopped himself.

"Cousin, don't you want to kiss Fu'er?"

Jiafu opened her eyes and murmured the question, her slightly tearful gaze filled with disappointment.

A faint blush appeared on Pei You'an's pale face. He shook his head and whispered, "I want to kiss you. But I have been coughing these past few days. Wait a little longer; in two days, when I am recovered from this illness, I will kiss you..."

Jiafu hooked one arm around his neck and pressed down on his back with the other.

Perhaps because he had been ill for days, he was indeed weak. Under the pressure of her weight, he softened and fell onto the bed, completely devoid of strength to resist.

Jiafu pounced on him like a small beast, kneeling beside him, pressing against his face, kissing and nibbling at him. He felt the pain and tried to dodge her sharp little teeth. Jiafu, who had initially been laughing with a bit of pride, slowly stopped. She buried her face into his chest where his robes had been pulled open, her head turned away from him, and she wept silently to herself.

Pei You'an remained motionless, eyes closed for a moment, before suddenly opening them. He turned over, pinned her beneath him, and stared at her, saying nothing as he surged into her.

Jiafu awoke the next day. The snow had stopped, and the sun had risen, casting golden rays of light through the cracks in the wooden doors and windows. The room was as quiet as if it had fallen into a dream.

Pei You'an had likely been truly exhausted the night before, almost to the point of collapse. At this moment, she did not know what time it was, but he was still fast asleep, not yet awakened.

He faced her with his eyes closed, one arm wrapped around her waist, his breathing gently brushing against her forehead.

It was warm, and she felt completely at ease.