The taste couldn’t be described with any adjective, especially bitter, yet not entirely so, all in all, quite distasteful.
Gu Youyou turned her head to vomit, but Jin Zijin covered her mouth.
"You can’t spit it out, didn’t I tell you? No matter how bad it tastes, you have to endure it."
With her mouth covered by him, Gu Youyou mumbled, "It seems it’s not you who has to eat it?"
As she spoke, she saw a deepening in his eyes, and he bent down to kiss her lips.
Gu Youyou’s eyes widened as she saw the flickering of his pupils, growing deeper and more profound, reflecting her face.
He released her, and her cheeks flushed, almost matching the color of red sesame seeds.
Did he actually choose this way to feed her those disgusting things? To share her bitterness?
Taking a deep breath to slow her almost racing heart, she spoke softly, "You didn’t have to do that; one person’s suffering is surely better than two."
"Nonsense," Jin Zijin brushed the snowflakes off her head and said, "If we share the hardship, then it’s no longer hardship."
Gu Youyou strangely thought of that saying: men and women working together will not feel tired!
But she etched his words deep into her heart: If we share the hardship, then it’s no longer hardship.
At that moment, she didn’t understand why it was no longer hardship.
"Come on up." Her thoughts, drifting who knows where, were interrupted by his voice.
Jin Zijin had slightly bent his knees, turning his back toward Gu Youyou, signaling her to climb onto it.
This wasn’t the first time he had carried her on his back, but ever since her health had improved, it seemed they hadn’t played this "carrying the bride" game.
Looking ahead at the fairly even mountain path, Gu Youyou smiled and jumped onto his back.
Uh, a bit awkward. She was dressed too warmly and didn’t manage to jump up, which might make it difficult for him to carry her.
Just as she was thinking of jumping down to try again, his sturdy arms already lifted her by supporting her hips.
Uh, embarrassing. He used to hold her legs.
"I... I should probably get down," she said.
He actually gave her bottom a playful squeeze and said, "This is quite comfortable."
Wrapped warmly, Gu Youyou lay on his back, finally not appearing so fragile.
In the quiet snow-capped mountains, their faint laughter could be heard:
"Banxia said there’s snow lotus on this mountain, why haven’t we reached it after walking so long?"
"We’re not high enough; we should find some if we climb that mountain ahead."
"Oh, right, snow lotuses require a very high altitude to grow."
"Yes, altitude is the height measured from sea level. By the way, Zijin, have you ever seen the sea?"
"Of course, I’ve seen it. Eight hundred li to the southeast, there’s a sea. That... Gangqin you played last time at the Marquis Residence was from across that sea."
"Ah, do you know what’s on the other side of the sea?"
"Haha, I knew you wouldn’t know, but I do."
"You know? What is there?"
"Blond-haired, blue-eyed monsters!"
Their overlapping silhouettes progressed further away, their voices gradually fading into the snowy wind. In the lonely mountains, only their footprints remained.