She was his wife, rightfully wedded and acknowledged by the rules of this world. She had grown accustomed to the warmth of his body, to falling asleep nestled in the crook of his warm arm...
Jin Zijin’s pace did not slow, and after a while, she heard Jin Zijin say, "Let’s go down the mountain."
Gu Youyou was startled, her clear eyes flickering as she asked, "Aren’t we staying on the mountain anymore?"
"Then where are we going? I... I won’t go back to that haunted house!" Gu Youyou said, somewhat agitated, clinging tightly to Jin Zijin’s shoulders like a wounded animal afraid of being thrown back to the tiger’s mouth, desperately grasping at her only lifeline.
"We’re not going to the Gu Family!" Jin Zijin said. "If you don’t want to go back to the Gu Family, then we won’t go."
"Then where are we going?"
"Let’s move into the town, I’ve found a house there."
Gu Youyou was silent for a moment before asking, "Did you go down the mountain to find the house yesterday?"
"Not yesterday, the day before yesterday."
"The day before yesterday?" Gu Youyou was slightly startled.
Jin Zijin said, "Yes, you were unconscious all of yesterday!"
Just then, Gu Youyou’s stomach growled twice, making her sharply aware of her immense hunger.
It turned out she had slept for two days.
Jin Zijin moved quickly, effortlessly carrying her on his back, and it wasn’t long before they saw the familiar village.
Jin Zijin said, "We need to reach the town before we can find something to eat! It’s still a bit far, so bear with it."
What else could she do but bear it? After all, she didn’t want to face the scorn of the women at the Gu Family.
"How much blood did you take from me?"
After a moment of silence, Gu Youyou suddenly asked.
It must have been a lot for her to have passed out.
Jin Zijin stiffened for a moment before replying, "Not much!"
Gu Youyou: "..." Yeah, right!
"Then... that person, who is he to you? Did you come to Lotus Village just to find him? Your hunting trips in the mountains were also just a ruse, weren’t they? You were mainly trying to find him in the mountains, weren’t you?"
"No!" Jin Zijin said calmly.
Gu Youyou did not expect him to answer like that.
The whole situation couldn’t be clearer, and Gu Youyou scoffed disdainfully, "If you didn’t come here for that wild man that day, could it be for me? I don’t believe it."
Gu Youyou scoffed again and continued to berate him, "You’re such a dull man. There are only a few people in this world I could even recognize, so how could I possibly spread the word? You are my husband, I wouldn’t harm you! If it wasn’t for that wild man, why would you chase after him with such desperation? Huh?"
In the face of Gu Youyou’s scornful questioning, all he replied was, "I never lie!"
After a while, Jin Zijin chuckled and shook his head, saying, "I didn’t tell you because I feared you’d be scared! Not knowing everything is the only way to truly live well. I wasn’t looking for that person, but... it might be related to him."
Gu Youyou blinked, stunned for a long while, not expecting Jin Zijin to reveal so much to her all at once.
Although he hadn’t gotten to the crux of the matter, these words were somewhat of an explanation to her, at least showing that his trust in her was growing, wasn’t it?
Suddenly, Gu Youyou felt very happy, and she lay on his back, giggling softly.
"Why are you laughing?" Jin Zijin asked, puzzled.
Gu Youyou covered her mouth, murmuring, "Nothing much, just happy, so I laughed."
She asked again, "So, did you catch that wild man the day before yesterday?"