“Uuu…”
Tao Hua buried her head in Guan Fusha’s chest like a drowning person finally grabbing hold of a lifebuoy. She clung to her on instinct and burst into loud sobs.
“It was so scary… really so scary… uuu…”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
Guan Fusha gently patted her back, not caring in the least that tears and snot were being wiped all over her clothes. Her voice stayed soft and soothing.
“I’m here. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
Guan Fusha’s words were like some kind of spell. Tao Hua’s emotions slowly settled. Her sobs grew quieter, until only her shoulders trembled now and then as she hiccupped and sniffled.
“Junior sister, are you feeling a little better?”
Guan Fusha couldn’t see Tao Hua’s expression from this angle, but she could feel her mood calming down.
Once her emotions cooled, Tao Hua finally realized what kind of stupid thing she’d just done. Her face instantly burned red.
Oh my god. She’d actually bawled her eyes out in Guan Fusha’s arms!
Her heart was caught in a frantic tug-of-war. She wanted to pull away, but she didn’t have the courage to lift her head and see what kind of expression Guan Fusha was wearing.
The worst part was…
She was clearly tangled up over this, so why on earth did she still have the presence of mind to notice that Guan Fusha smelled good and felt soft, and that she kind of didn’t want to let go aaaahhh!
She got it now. It had to be because she’d been in ancient times, empty and lonely and cold for too long. There were no doting family members here, no bored friends messing around and chatting nonsense with her all day. Guan Fusha treated her so well too.
Even if she developed a bit of dependence on her, that was totally normal, okay!
“Junior sister?”
Guan Fusha was still checking on Tao Hua’s condition when she sharply noticed the strange angle of Tao Hua’s feet. It looked like she’d twisted something.
“Junior sister, did you twist your ankle?”
After struggling for a long time, Tao Hua still didn’t dare raise her head to face Guan Fusha. She only nodded, and in doing so buried her face even deeper.
Her breath spilled from her nose, seeping through the thin layer of fabric, brushing against Guan Fusha’s skin—right in that kind of place. It tickled sharply.
A faint blush crept over Guan Fusha’s face, but unfortunately, Tao Hua didn’t see it.
Guan Fusha used her breathing to steady her racing heartbeat. Once she’d calmed down, she lifted Tao Hua into her arms and spoke softly.
“Junior sister, how about I carry you back to your room to rest?”
“Okay.”
Tao Hua finally showed her face again. Her voice was still a little stuffy from crying.
Tear tracks stained her cheeks, the tip of her nose was red, and her eyes were slightly swollen from all the tears. Her skin was pale to begin with; under the wash of moonlight she looked even more bloodless and frail, like some pitiful little thing that tugged at the heart.
Guan Fusha’s chest tightened at the sight. A wave of tenderness rose within her.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.”
“Mm.”
Tao Hua nodded and wrapped her arms around Guan Fusha’s neck.
Guan Fusha gathered her up and leapt lightly onto a treetop. Even while carrying Tao Hua, she moved as if she weighed nothing, skimming quickly across the rooftops.
In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, she landed in another courtyard compound.
Compared to the one from before, this place was a bit smaller, but inside it grew a number of peach trees, all in full bloom. Their fragrance filled the air, lending the courtyard a distinct and delicate beauty.
Guan Fusha set Tao Hua gently down on the bed, removed her embroidered shoes, and examined her ankle.
“Does it hurt here?”
“Ah!”
Tao Hua cried out softly at the touch and pitifully nodded.
Her adorable reaction almost made Guan Fusha laugh.
“It’s just a minor sprain. The bones and tendons aren’t hurt.”
She took a small, exquisitely carved white jade bottle from her robe. As soon as she opened the lid, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out. Pouring a bit of the ointment into her palm, she spread it over Tao Hua’s ankle and began to gently massage.
Tao Hua only felt a cool sensation on her skin, and with Guan Fusha’s careful kneading, it was incredibly comfortable.
She wasn’t worried about the injury at all. The last time she’d twisted her ankle, Guan Fusha had fixed it up in a single day. Her medical skills were the real deal, fully certified by prior experience.
After working for a while, Guan Fusha finally stopped and put the jade bottle away.
“All done. Tomorrow you stay in bed and rest properly. You are not allowed to get up.”
Seeing her tidying up, Tao Hua thought she was about to leave. She hurriedly grabbed her hand.
“Senior sister, are you leaving?”
Her expression was like a little puppy about to be abandoned—so pitiful that there was no way Guan Fusha could just walk away.
Guan Fusha turned her hand over and clasped Tao Hua’s, sitting down by the bed. The coolness from Tao Hua’s palm made her heart ache even more.
“I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here with you. Go to sleep.”
She sent a stream of inner energy into Tao Hua’s small hand, warming it from the inside out. Tao Hua’s taut nerves gradually relaxed, and drowsiness quickly crept up on her.
But fragments of that terrifying memory kept flashing through her mind. She was scared out of her wits, so she stubbornly forced her eyelids open, terrified that Guan Fusha would slip away while she dozed off and that the nightmare would repeat itself.
Watching Tao Hua fight sleep yet not dare to sleep, Guan Fusha couldn’t help but be amused.
“Sleep. I won’t leave.”
Tao Hua yawned drowsily, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
“Really…?”
“Really.”
Guan Fusha laid a warm hand over Tao Hua’s cheek, the pad of her thumb gently brushing her skin. The smile at the corner of her lips held a trace of almost imperceptible fondness, and her voice was so soft it could drip water.
“Sleep.”
Guan Fusha didn’t realize it herself, but if a mirror appeared in front of her right now, she would definitely be startled by how gentle her own expression was.
With Guan Fusha’s repeated reassurance, Tao Hua finally let go of her worry. She couldn’t fight off the wave of sleep any longer and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, she felt the mattress dip beside her as someone lay down. The familiar scent of Guan Fusha wrapped around her.
The corners of Tao Hua’s lips curled up unconsciously. Her heart settled, firm and steady, as if fortified by an army of thousands.
How nice. With this thick and sturdy golden thigh of Guan Fusha right here, she didn’t have to be on edge all night. She could finally sleep in peace.
The next morning.
Tao Hua slowly surfaced from her dreams. Her first instinct was to reach out to the side. Before her questing hand could find that familiar warm body, her fingers were caught in someone’s grasp.
Still sleepy-eyed, Tao Hua blinked her eyes open. Guan Fusha’s face—so beautiful it seemed the heavens must resent it—came into focus before her, bright with a gentle smile.
“Awake?”
She had worried that what happened last night would traumatize her junior sister and keep her from sleeping. Who knew Tao Hua would sleep straight through till dawn?
Guan Fusha honestly didn’t know whether to call her thick-skinned or simply… full of trust in her.
“Morning, senior sister.”
Tao Hua sat up in a daze, letting out a completely unladylike yawn. Her brain had automatically erased all of last night’s embarrassing memories. It was as if nothing had ever happened, and she radiated a mysterious, unearned composure.
That loser who’d clung to Guan Fusha’s chest and cried her heart out last night was definitely not her, hmph!
Seeing Tao Hua about to get out of bed, Guan Fusha quickly stopped her.
“Your ankle is still hurt. Don’t move around carelessly.”
