Chapter 162: Warm Tea

Jiu Yu was dressed in a blue Taoist robe, exuding a subtle and refined sandalwood fragrance. When Jiu Ge crashed into his arms and hugged him, she realized that his body was frail, so thin that he seemed to be all bones.

Her nose stung even more, and tears poured down uncontrollably as she felt an unbearable ache in her heart. “Brother, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have disobeyed you, and that’s why I lost you. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

Jiu Yu’s hands stiffened at his sides as Jiu Ge’s remorseful apologies echoed in his ears. Her scalding tears soaked through the thin fabric of his robe, and his eyelashes trembled slightly as if fine sand had been blown into them. His eyes stung with a raw pain, and he couldn’t hold back the hot tears that started spilling out.

He lowered his head and gently wrapped his arms around the frail girl in his embrace, restraining himself from using too much strength, afraid that her delicate body might be crushed under his grip.

Regret and guilt, joy and excitement—these emotions collided, intertwined, and tore at him.

“Ge’er, it’s your brother’s fault for not protecting you,” Jiu Yu said, cherishing her like a precious treasure as he softly patted her back, his throat choked with emotion. “I’m so grateful that you’ve come back to me again. This time, I will never lose you again.”

Jiu Ge clung tightly to Jiu Yu’s clothes, crying uncontrollably in his arms.

Su Wan stood to the side, watching the siblings reunite in tears of joy, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Previously, when she set out to find Jiu Ge, Su Wan had her own motives; she didn’t want to be at odds with Jiu Yu and hoped to bring him over to her side.

But now, witnessing this heartwarming scene, all her personal intentions vanished completely. She only felt that this was truly wonderful. The reunion of long-lost family members was the most beautiful and perfect picture.

Noticing some curious tourists stopping to watch, Su Wan gently reminded, “Perhaps you should find a place to talk?”

Jiu Yu, with red eyes, looked at Su Wan, then at Jiu Ge, who was still sobbing. “Let’s go into the hut to catch up.”

Jiu Ge held onto Jiu Yu’s hand, reluctant to take a step forward. With her other hand, she grasped Su Wan’s hand, and only then did she start walking toward the temple.

Jiu Yu glanced at Su Wan, easily noticing Jiu Ge’s reliance on her.

He wondered where Su Wan had found Jiu Ge.

Before he could piece together any clues, Jiu Ge had already stopped crying. As her excitement settled, she remembered how she had lost her composure earlier, and a blush spread across her cheeks. She said embarrassedly, “Brother, it was Sister Su Wan who saved me. If it weren’t for her, we siblings would never have met again in this lifetime.”

Jiu Yu paused in his steps. “Oh?” he asked curiously, “How did you two meet?”

“When I escaped, I fainted from hunger on the road. Sister Su Wan happened to be returning to her hometown from the capital and saw me passed out on the road. She revived me, gave me some food, and asked where I wanted to go, offering to give me a ride.

Having suffered from easily trusting others before, I was very guarded with Sister Su Wan, afraid that she might have ill intentions. I lied to her about the direction I was heading, telling her it was the opposite way and not really on her route. Sister Su Wan didn’t insist; she gave me two taels of silver, left behind a pair of shoes, and then took her people and left.”

“I didn’t dare eat her food, but when I was about to throw it away, I saw a bracelet fall to the ground—it was the one that belonged to my brother. I thought that my brother must trust Sister Su Wan to have given her his bracelet.”

Jiu Ge, feeling ashamed, continued, “My straw sandals had worn out, and my feet were full of blisters. Since Sister Su Wan might be Brother’s friend, I accepted her kindness, put on her shoes, ate the food, and followed her.”

Hearing this, Su Wan couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “Jiu Ge was all alone and worried that showing her true face during her escape might attract people with ill intentions. Her face was dirty and unrecognizable, her cheekbones protruding, and her eyes sunken in—how could anyone tell that the two of you were siblings? She ended up suffering a bit because of me.”

“Sister Su Wan, if you had worn the bracelet on your wrist, I would have recognized it and followed you,” Jiu Ge said, showing a hint of girlish charm now that she had reunited with her brother.

Hearing this, Jiu Yu turned his head to look at Su Wan.

Su Wan looked helpless. “I did wear it on my wrist at first, thinking you might recognize me and approach me on your own. But this bracelet belongs to your brother, and I am a married woman. Wearing another man’s bracelet on my wrist would be improper.”

Jiu Ge thought of Gu Huaizhi and smiled quietly, her lips pressed together in a gentle expression.

“If it weren’t for your kindness in giving Ge’er the money, this connection wouldn’t have been formed. Thank you for bringing her back. From now on, you are my benefactor.”

Jiu Yu’s smile grew more sincere as he invited Su Wan into the hut. He picked up a teapot, scooped snow water from a jar, and took out some tea leaves to put into the teapot, setting it on the stove to brew.

“Brother, let me help you.” Jiu Ge picked up a fan and began to fan the fire in the stove to make it burn brighter.

Suddenly, Jiu Yu grasped her hand. What had once been chubby, soft hands, as white as snowballs, were now covered with thick calluses. Her knuckles were large and her skin was crisscrossed with scars. He quickly pushed up her sleeve, revealing that her arm was similarly marked and not a single part was unscathed, a testament to the hardships she had endured over the years.

It felt as if an invisible hand had gripped Jiu Yu’s heart and was tearing it apart, causing him unbearable pain.

Jiu Ge was startled, and instinctively pulled her arm back into her sleeve. Her tear-filled eyes looked at Jiu Yu’s tense face, his eyes so dark that no light could penetrate them.

She said nervously, “Brother, I’ll take good care of my hands. Sister Su Wan specially made an ointment for me that can remove scars. Soon, they’ll be fair and soft again.”

Jiu Yu felt as though he had been dealt a heavy punch. His throat moved as he tried to speak, but it felt like a wad of cotton was stuck in his throat, preventing any sound from coming out.

“Brother…” Jiu Ge called out softly, seeing the redness in Jiu Yu’s eyes. “I have you now, and everything that happened before is in the past.”

Jiu Yu squeezed his eyes shut tightly, not knowing how much effort it took to restrain the violent anger surging within him.

“It won’t happen again. From now on, your brother will never let you suffer.”

Jiu Yu gently patted Jiu Ge’s head with affection.

Jiu Ge’s smile was pure, filled with trust and reliance.

Jiu Yu released her hand.

Jiu Ge pulled down her sleeve and sat beside Su Wan, clinging to her arm and whispering secrets into her ear, with her brows arched in a playful, carefree manner.

Jiu Yu felt a deep pain in his heart, yet he was also greatly comforted. No matter what hardships she had endured, she had returned as her original self.

The tea on the stove came to a boil, and a light, refreshing tea fragrance wafted out with the rising steam.

Jiu Yu took out a bowl, poured the tea into it, and placed it in front of Su Wan.

The tea was a pale green color, and the delicate fragrance was soothing. Su Wan took a deep breath, and immediately felt her foggy mind clear up considerably. She couldn’t resist taking a small sip—the tea was slightly bitter at first, but then a hint of sweetness spread, filling her mouth with a refined tea aroma.

Su Wan really enjoyed the taste, sipping the tea slowly until she finished the bowl. The hot tea seemed to spread through her limbs, making her feel warm all over. Her fatigue dissipated, and she felt light and refreshed.

“What kind of tea is this? It’s really good!” Su Wan stretched her arms, and said with sparkling eyes. “I feel like after drinking a bowl of this tea, my backache and fatigue have eased. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been so tired lately or what, but I constantly felt exhausted and weak. Now, I feel especially energetic and strong.”