The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1086 - 1086 525 A Family Reunion (Second Update)

Chapter 1086: 525 A Family Reunion (Second Update) Chapter 1086: 525 A Family Reunion (Second Update) Didn’t you say there were five kills to watch for injuries?

Gu Jiao’s eyes widened as she shook her head vigorously in his embrace: “No, no! Definitely not!”

Falling ill doesn’t count as being injured!

She didn’t lose a single hair!

Xiao Hen felt the fuzzy head in his arms moving around, tickling his chest. Taking a deep breath, he held Gu Jiao’s shoulders and made her sit up straight.

He then looked into her eyes without blinking, “You really didn’t get hurt?”

Gu Jiao faced his gaze with candor, “I really didn’t get hurt!”

She would never admit that she had nearly died several times, had turned into a small ice sculpture on the tundra, and had suffered a serious illness.

Did Xiao Hen not understand her?

Even if the sky were pierced with a hole, she would never show a trace of guilt.

But she had changed the subject too quickly just now. It was impossible that nothing had happened on the border.

Xiao Hen directly asked, “Where are you hurt?” Xiao Hen asked.

Gu Jiao would not fall for his trap, “Nowhere is hurt!”

Guess if you can that I almost froze into a tiny ice sculpture! Or almost died from a small disease!

How could anyone guess that?

If she hadn’t experienced it herself, even Gu Jiao wouldn’t have guessed it.

Seeing that he still didn’t believe her, Gu Jiao spread her arms, leaned back against the chair, and played her trump card: “Then why don’t you check?”

Xiao Hen: “…”

Xiao Hen looked at her deeply, then suddenly, he rose from his own chair and leaned over her.

With one hand on the armrest, his tall figure loomed over her, and with the other hand, he gently clasped her soft waist, with a hint of masculine danger, “Are you sure you want me to check, Jiaojiao?”

That call of Jiaojiao made Gu Jiao’s ears melt.

She looked at his handsome face so close to her, feeling the heat of his breath. The warmth from his palm spread through her clothes to her waist, which felt as if it caught fire in an instant.

He wasn’t using much force, yet it was his domineering yet restrained manner that was truly hard to resist.

Gu Jiao blinked and suddenly reached out to wrap her arms around his muscular waist.

He inhaled sharply, “Jiaojiao…”

Gu Jiao said softly, “Jiaojiao wants it.”

“What do you want?” His voice was husky as he asked.

Gu Jiao hugged his waist tightly, using the strength of her arms to slightly lift herself up, her breath almost mingling with his.

Xiao Hen’s hand clasping her waist tightened as he hugged her soft body. His arms supported her back, and his palm cradled the back of her head, careful not to let her bear any weight.

“What does Jiaojiao want?”

“Why aren’t you speaking?”

“Are you shy?”

Xiao Hen didn’t get an answer from Gu Jiao. When he gently lifted his head to check, he saw that Gu Jiao had already fallen asleep in his arms and palm.

Xiao Hen: “…”

Gu Jiao was indeed exhausted. It goes without saying how difficult it was to cross the snowy mountains. After coming out of the mountain, she had traveled day and night nonstop. At each post station, she would change for the strongest horse. But while horses can be changed, the rider cannot.

She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for many days.

Xiao Hen gently picked her up and carefully placed her on the bedchamber.

Actually, she was so utterly exhausted that nothing would wake her up, yet Xiao Hen still moved softly and gently.

Xiao Hen removed her shoes and outerwear, took off her hairband, pulled over the quilt to cover her.

He tucked in every corner of the blanket, wrapping her tiny body up snugly. Then he looked at her with moved eyes, bent down, and gently kissed her forehead.

…

At dawn, Xiaoshun woke up as usual. The dreadful brother-in-law was not there, which was nothing surprising, as he typically woke up earlier than Xiaoshun.

Today is New Year’s Eve.

It’s a pity Jiaojiao hasn’t come back; he’s so spiritless that he can’t even be bothered to wear his new clothes.

He sluggishly put on an old set of clothes and trudged outside, head drooping.

It was his habit to first wander around Gu Jiao’s room and then go wash up.

He entered her room like a soulless little puppet, dull-wittedly spun around by the bed, turned, and left.

In the backyard, he picked up the horsetail toothbrush and started brushing. While brushing, his slow mind suddenly flickered with an image.

There was someone on the bed!

Jiaojiao!

“Ah, ah, ah!”

Xiaoshun immediately turned around, dropping his cup and toothbrush, and scurried toward Gu Jiao’s east room!

At this moment at the door of the east room, the Yao family, Gu Yan, and Gu Xiaoshun also arrived.

It was not surprising that Yao family and Gu Xiaoshun woke up early, but it was indeed surprising for Gu Yan, who loved to sleep in, to be up as well.

Perhaps it was the twin connection, but Gu Yan had actually awakened in the middle of the night, and then he lay down beside Gu Jiao.

Smelling his sister’s scent, holding her hand, he finally felt as if the half that had been chopped off and taken away had returned to him.

“Jiao—”

Just as Xiao Jingkong started to speak, Gu Yan covered his little mouth.

Xiao Jingkong anxiously looked at the sleeping Jiaojiao in bed, humming several times before giving up the struggle.

Although he missed Jiaojiao so much, he couldn’t disturb her.

“Shall we step outside first?” Madam Yao whispered.

Everyone nodded, and with reluctance, they sat down in the main hall.

Fang Mama entered excitedly from the back door of the main hall, asking softly, “I just heard from next door that the son-in-law and Marshal Huo were saying the eldest miss has returned?”

The Old Master had also been very worried about Gu Jiao, so as soon as it was light, Xiao Hen first informed Madam Yao of her return, and then went to assure the Old Master of her safety.

Madam Yao couldn’t hide her excitement either, smiling and nodding her head, lowering her voice to say, “She’s back.”

Fang Mama clasped her hands together, “Amitabha, thank heaven and earth!”

Before she had left, Gu Jiao had left a letter at home, saying she was going to become a doctor, and everyone except Xiao Hen and Gu Yan believed it.

But even to become a doctor was very dangerous.

In the midst of war, even Lord Hou had been captured; for a young lady like Gu Jiao, self-preservation became everyone’s biggest worry.

Now that they saw her return safely, everyone’s hearts could finally settle back into their chests.

Gu Jiao slept straight through to the afternoon.

Having traveled for so long, when she opened her eyes, she was momentarily bewildered, almost thinking she had traveled through time again; otherwise, how could she be waking in such a warm place?

Then she saw one, two, three, four little heads peeking through the door crack: “…”

They were Xiao Jingkong, Gu Xiaoshun, Gu Yan, and the barely three-month-old Gu Xiaobao.

Gu Yan held Gu Xiaobao in front of his chest with both hands, and the little one’s black grape-like eyes were rolling around, sucking on his fingers with smack smack sounds.

The whole room was filled with the sound of him sucking his fingers.

Gu Jiao: “…”

Gu Jiao sat up.

Xiao Jingkong’s eyes lit up, and with a bang, he pushed the door open, the first to rush to the side of the bed: “Jiaojiao, you’re awake!”

Gu Yan snorted through his nose, “Hmph, Jiaojiao is not awake, she’s sleeping.”

Stupid little monk, running so fast!

Hmph!

Xiao Jingkong didn’t bother with the smelly Brother Yan, Jiaojiao was back, and he just wanted to talk to Jiaojiao!

Xiao Jingkong came to the bedside, burrowed into Gu Jiao’s arms, and adorably shook his little head: “Jiaojiao, I missed you! I missed you so much!”

He had simply wanted to act cute, but as he did, his nose began to feel sour, his heart filled with grievance.

He hadn’t seen Jiaojiao for so many days, it felt as if his life was wasted!

He wanted to relive these past three months!

“Your hair has grown,” Gu Jiao said.

When she left, he still had a buzz cut, now it was almost a mushroom cut, and by the turn of the year he should be able to tie little tufts.

“Mhm,” Xiao Jingkong replied dejectedly, not wanting to talk about his hair right now, “Jiaojiao, next time you leave, remember to take me with you, I want to go with you too.”

Gu Yan, holding Gu Xiaobao, walked in, glanced at the little tyke, and said, “What do you think that place is? Can a child go there?”

Xiao Jingkong stood up straight from Gu Jiao’s embrace, hands on his hips, looking at Gu Yan: “I will grow up!”

Gu Yan enjoyed arguing with the little tyke: “Even when you’re grown up, you can’t go there. It’s a battlefield, very dangerous. A delicate scholar like you can only stay in the Capital City.”

These words managed to silence Xiao Jingkong.

Gu Yan thought he had finally won an argument with the little tyke for once, and after a while, Xiao Jingkong suddenly spoke with a hurt tone: “So, did Jiaojiao go to a very dangerous place?”

Being a child, the family intentionally protected him and naturally didn’t tell him that the place Gu Jiao went was a battlefield.

They only said it was the borderlands, and this was also what Gu Jiao had written in her letter.

Xiao Jingkong thought it was just a very long, very far house call.

Gu Yan hadn’t expected his argument with the little tyke to accidentally reveal too much, he cleared his throat and said, “All right, all right, Jiaojiao is back safe and sound, so you don’t need to worry anymore.”

As if he hadn’t been worried himself.

“Jiaojiao,” Xiao Jingkong said solemnly, looking at Gu Jiao.

“Yes?” Gu Jiao was a bit confused by this sudden reaction, wondering if the little one had been frightened by the thought of war, something so scary for such a small child.

She was about to comfort him, to stroke his little head, to tell him that she really was okay, as Gu Yan had said, and he didn’t need to worry about her.

But then Xiao Jingkong suddenly looked at her and said very seriously, “Jiaojiao, don’t go to dangerous places anymore.

If you really have to.

I’ll go for you.

If you really have to fight.

I’ll fight for you!”