Destined

"We're here."

Liu Yuru faintly heard Gu Jiusi's voice. She felt somewhat disoriented. Where were they? The underworld, or...

Liu Yuru struggled to open her eyes and saw the characters for "Youzhou."

Was she dreaming?

She had actually... actually made it to Youzhou alive?!

"Jiusi..." she managed to utter. Hearing her voice, Gu Jiusi immediately responded, "Yuru, I'm here!"

"We've arrived..."

"We've arrived!" Gu Jiusi's voice trembled with excitement. "We made it!"

"That's wonderful."

Liu Yuru closed her eyes, her voice weak. "We can see Mother now..."

Gu Jiusi couldn't describe the turmoil in his heart, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions he had never experienced before—ecstasy mingled with bitterness, pain intertwined with hope. Carrying Liu Yuru on his back, he trudged step by step toward Lucheng, the first city in Youzhou. Though there were still five li to go, Gu Jiusi felt boundless hope.

He could make it. He would definitely make it.

He had already traveled so many li, endured such cruel hells. Now that Youzhou was right before his eyes, how could he not complete this final stretch!

Yet hunger and exhaustion reminded him of his limits. His legs trembled as he gritted his teeth and pressed forward. After only a few steps, he heard the rapid clatter of hooves. The rider reined in his horse abruptly and cried out in surprise, "Jiusi?!"

Gu Jiusi looked up sharply and saw Zhou Ye on horseback. For a moment, he was dazed, then exclaimed joyfully, "Brother Zhou?!"

"It really is you."

Zhou Ye quickly dismounted and steadied the swaying Gu Jiusi. "Your mother arrived in Wangdu and came to find me immediately. I had already heard about what happened to your family and sent people to investigate multiple times. I guessed you would cross Qing and Cang Provinces to get here. I've been waiting at the gates of Lucheng for over half a month, calculating the days."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi was deeply moved. He wanted to say something, but seeing Zhou Ye felt like finally reaching the other shore. All the willpower that had sustained him dissipated. He managed a faint smile before collapsing into unconsciousness.

When Gu Jiusi woke again, he was lying in a soft, warm bed. He sat up abruptly, anxiety in his voice. "Yuru?!"

"Don't worry," Zhou Ye's voice came from outside. He entered with a bowl of porridge, sat beside Gu Jiusi, and said, "Your wife is in another room. She's too weak, so I've already had a doctor prepare medicine for her. She's still asleep."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up and said urgently, "I need to see her."

"See what?" Zhou Ye stopped him. "Take a good look at yourself first. Your injuries are much worse than hers."

"I'm fine," Gu Jiusi waved it off, insisting, "Is she alright?"

"Nothing serious, but her vitality has been severely depleted. The doctor said if she wants to have children, she may need several years of recovery."

Gu Jiusi froze. Zhou Ye spoke with concern, glancing at him hesitantly. After a moment of deliberation, he added, "Jiusi, though we haven't met often, our conversations have been deep. In my heart, I consider you a brother."

"Brother Zhou, please speak frankly," Gu Jiusi understood that Zhou Ye had something difficult to say. "In my heart, you are like an elder brother to me. There's nothing you can't say."Zhou Ye hesitated for a moment, sighed softly, and still said, "Yu Ru is a good girl, and you're still young. She has accompanied you through life and death without regard for her own safety. There's no rush about having children. Treat her well..."

Halfway through hearing this, Gu Jiusi finally understood Zhou Ye's implication—he was afraid that Gu Jiusi might consider divorcing Liu Yu Ru because she couldn't conceive quickly.

A marriage could be dissolved after three years without an heir.

Gu Jiusi felt both amused and exasperated. He replied helplessly, "Brother Zhou, what kind of person do you take me for? She has shared life and death with me. Something as trivial as a child is of little consequence. What truly matters is whether she is willing to stay with me. No matter what happens in this lifetime, I will never let her down."

"You two share a deep bond," Zhou Ye said with a hint of envy. "Then I am relieved."

As Gu Jiusi listened to Zhou Ye's words, he realized that each sentence made him pause in thought.

Hearing the phrase "deep bond," he felt a momentary confusion.

He didn't know what exactly confused him. The words weren't wrong, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something had subtly changed in their meaning.

After watching Gu Jiusi finish his porridge, Zhou Ye had a servant bring medicine and insisted he drink it. Feeling much stronger, Gu Jiusi hurried to see Liu Yu Ru.

Zhou Ye had brought them to Lucheng and sent word to the Gu Family, planning to resume their journey to Wangdu once they had recovered sufficiently.

Though Gu Jiusi was impatient to return to Wangdu, he suppressed the urge, thinking of Liu Yu Ru's health.

He rushed to Liu Yu Ru's room and found her already awake, sipping porridge slowly. Despite her extreme hunger, her rationality and upbringing restrained her from eating hastily.

Gu Jiusi stood at the doorway, staring at her blankly. She wore a plain inner garment, her long hair cascading around her, and she ate with gentle, calm movements. She and her surroundings formed a serene and beautiful picture, as if expressing another version of a perfect, peaceful, and tender world.

Not daring to disturb her, Gu Jiusi stood quietly by the door, watching. Only after Liu Yu Ru finished her porridge did she notice him. She looked up at the young man standing there.

Dressed in simple clothes with his hair casually tied back, she smiled softly and said, "You're awake."

With just those words, Gu Jiusi felt his eyes sting. He walked over, half-knelt before her, and rested his head against her leg.

Liu Yu Ru reached out to smooth his hair and asked gently, "What are you doing?"

"We both made it back alive," he said hoarsely. "You're still here, safe and sound. I'm so happy."

Liu Yu Ru didn't respond. As she combed his hair with her fingers, her gaze fell on his exposed arm, covered in countless wounds—cuts he had made to feed her his blood.

Her eyes fixed on the injuries, she froze.

Fragments of memories flashed through her mind. What she had thought were dreams now began to make sense.

Noticing Liu Yu Ru's prolonged silence, Gu Jiusi followed her gaze and immediately understood what she was looking at. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Liu Yu Ru held it firmly. She pushed up his sleeve, revealing the dense array of scars.

Feeling somewhat ashamed, Gu Jiusi turned his face away and muttered sheepishly, "It's nothing..."Liu Yu Ru's fingertips rested on his wound. Her fingers carried a coolness and the uniquely girlish softness and smoothness, tracing over Gu Jiusi's injury, causing his entire body to tremble involuntarily. An indescribable tingling sensation traveled from the wound all the way up, abruptly shooting into his brain. He froze in place, his mind utterly bewildered, as he heard Liu Yu Ru softly ask, "Does it hurt?"

Gu Jiusi was completely dazed. The sensation just now had been too strange—this unfamiliar experience had startled him so much he nearly jerked his hand back. But he didn't dare. Hearing Liu Yu Ru's question, the words passed through his mind but left no impression, leaving him utterly at a loss for how to respond. His mind was solely occupied with one thought...

What was happening?

What was it about Liu Yu Ru's fingertips that made him feel so... so...

He couldn't articulate what kind of wondrous feeling it was—not dislike, even carrying a hint of small fondness—yet it also made him afraid, somewhat embarrassed, and completely unwilling to let anyone know.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Liu Yu Ru lifted her eyes to look at him and asked seriously, "Does it still hurt?"

This time, Gu Jiusi snapped out of his daze. He hastily withdrew his hand, lowered his head, and said, "N-no... not anymore."

Liu Yu Ru thought he felt embarrassed about her discovering his wound and didn't know what else to say.

After a long while, she chuckled softly and said, "Earlier, when I asked if you would leave the last mouthful of water for me, you said you would feed me your flesh and blood. Now, you've truly done it."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi looked up at her, feeling much more at ease, and replied with a smile, "When you asked me that, was it because you had already resolved to leave your last bit of food for me?"

Liu Yu Ru pressed her lips together and didn't answer. She turned her head away and merely said, "It's a good thing we both made it through."

Gu Jiusi didn't respond. He studied Liu Yu Ru.

Along this journey, she had grown much thinner. Perhaps because of the weight loss, she seemed to have suddenly stretched and matured, her features becoming more defined. She now exuded a delicate and graceful beauty. Though her skin still carried a sallow tone, her facial features were already exceptional. Especially striking was the resilience forged through hardship, mingling with the gentleness in her every lowered gaze and glance, creating an indescribable charm.

It seemed as if she had suddenly transitioned from a girl to a woman, transforming from mere innocence and cuteness into true beauty.

What's more, this beauty existed despite her imperfections. Gu Jiusi could almost imagine how captivating her radiance would be as she continued to grow.

As he stared blankly at her, Liu Yu Ru noticed. She turned to look at Gu Jiusi and couldn't help but laugh. "Have you gone stupid from hunger? You used to retort ten times for every one thing I said. Why have you turned into a mute today, saying nothing at all?"

Gu Jiusi smiled, somewhat embarrassed as he snapped out of his reverie. Afraid that Liu Yu Ru might detect his unusual state of mind, he turned his head away and said with a laugh, "It's just that I don't know what to say."

"Why is that?"

"You think it's good that we made it through," Gu Jiusi's smile carried bitterness, "but all I can think about is how difficult this journey has been."

Liu Yu Ru watched him quietly. Gu Jiusi turned his gaze back to her face, sighed, and said, "You have no idea how hard it was for me during those days when you were unconscious.""Gu Jiusi," Liu Yuru's expression shifted slightly as she listened to his words. After a long while, she finally said, "You could have actually abandoned me."

Gu Jiusi frowned. Liu Yuru lowered her eyes: "You and I were only forced together by a marriage contract. If it's out of a sense of responsibility, that's one thing, but if I were gone, you actually don't need to grieve too much. After some time passes, just find someone beautiful instead."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi felt inexplicably stifled in his heart. Liu Yuru stared at the bed, not quite knowing what she was asking, and merely said: "Actually, there's no need for this either."

"Then what about you?!" Gu Jiusi couldn't help retorting with some irritation, "If I die, you can just marry someone else. Find someone better-looking than me, who treats you better than I do, with brighter prospects than mine. Then why would you come back?!"

"What nonsense are you talking?"

Liu Yuru lifted her head to look at him, her expression serious: "Finding someone with better prospects than you might be possible, but finding someone more handsome than you—where would you have me look?"

All the words he had prepared got stuck in his throat. Gu Jiusi stared at Liu Yuru, completely bewildered. He felt the helplessness of having mastered peerless martial arts only to find his opponent gone.

Liu Yuru smiled, gazing at him: "You're my husband. Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. Naturally, I must stay with you."

When Gu Jiusi heard these words before, he would always joke with her. But for some reason, hearing them today filled him with an indescribable frustration.

Unable to understand why himself, he simply dropped the subject. He stood up and pulled the quilt over Liu Yuru, asking stiffly: "Have you taken your medicine?"

"I just drank it."

"Then get more sleep." With that, he helped her lie down, tucked the quilt around her, and said: "I'm going to bed."

"Gu Jiusi," Liu Yuru grabbed his hand. Gu Jiusi paused above her, looking into the girl's smiling eyes as she said, "Why is it so difficult to get a kind word from you?"

Gu Jiusi remained rigid. Liu Yuru said softly: "Tell me, why were you so panicked when I was unconscious?"

"I was afraid you'd die!"

"Why were you afraid I'd die?"

Liu Yuru pressed on. Gu Jiusi glared at her and finally said: "If you die, where would I find another Liu Yuru?"

Hearing this, Liu Yuru finally smiled. She released him and said gently: "Go to sleep."

Gu Jiusi felt like he had somehow suffered a silent defeat. Still unable to figure it out, he stood up and walked out. But before he had gone far, he suddenly turned back and said inexplicably: "We're husband and wife! What's the meaning of making us sleep in separate rooms?!"

Liu Yuru was taken aback. Then she watched as Gu Jiusi came back, squeezing onto the bed and complaining unhappily: "Move over."

Liu Yuru didn't know why he was so angry, but she smilingly shifted inward. Gu Jiusi lay down, closed his eyes, and said to Liu Yuru: "Alright, let's sleep."

Liu Yuru lay quietly. Actually, she knew Gu Jiusi had come back because he was worried about her. She closed her eyes with a smile.

She felt very happy.

Having experienced disaster, she understood that being able to sleep peacefully like this, with someone who would accompany her for life by her side, was happiness enough.After a night's sleep, the next morning when Gu Jiusi opened the door, he saw Zhou Ye standing outside with a worried expression.

Gu Jiusi asked curiously, "Brother Zhou?"

"Jiusi..." Zhou Ye sighed, then said, "Though I understand young people tend to have stronger... urges, both you and Yu Ru have just recovered. Your vitality has been depleted, so it would be better to rest for a while longer."

Gu Jiusi was completely baffled and said confusedly, "We are resting quite well. We've been eating properly, sleeping soundly, and I've been making sure Yu Ru takes all the medicine prescribed by the doctor."

"That's not what I mean," Zhou Ye led Gu Jiusi aside, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Some things... as your elder brother, I shouldn't spell out too clearly. You should read between the lines."

Gu Jiusi indicated he couldn't grasp the implied meaning.

After a moment of silence, sensing Zhou Ye seemed particularly concerned about this matter, he finally said, "Brother Zhou, I'm from Yangzhou. Perhaps due to our different upbringings, some things need to be stated directly for me to understand. Please just say it plainly - what do you think I've done wrong?"

Zhou Ye hadn't expected this southerner to be more direct than himself. Being unmarried, most of his knowledge came from barracks talk. After struggling for a long time, he finally said, "You... just returned and already shared a bed... isn't that a bit too hasty?"

Gu Jiusi was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood.

Though he'd never experienced it himself, he'd heard enough to know what it meant!

His face instantly turned crimson, feeling more embarrassed than ever before in his life, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

He didn't know how to explain to Zhou Ye - he couldn't possibly say they still hadn't consummated their marriage.

After struggling for words, he finally managed, "Brother Zhou needn't worry. I was just concerned about my wife, we didn't... we haven't..."

"But," Zhou Ye looked puzzled, "sleeping in the same bed like this, if you restrain yourself, that's also harmful, isn't it?"

"No... no need to concern yourself... no..." Gu Jiusi couldn't even form complete sentences.

He didn't know what was wrong with himself - as soon as Zhou Ye mentioned this, all he could think about was how Liu Yu Ru looked lying beside him at night.

Feeling he couldn't continue this conversation, which was getting increasingly awkward, he abruptly said, "Brother Zhou, I have matters to attend to, I must go."

With that, he fled like escaping. Brother Zhou stared at Gu Jiusi's retreating figure for a long while before finally muttering, "How can a married man be so easily embarrassed?"

After some thought, Zhou Ye attributed it to southerners simply being more bashful.