Chapter 17: I Missed You!!

' Does someone want to finish me in my weakened state?'

Thinking of this, he struggled hard to spread his awareness. As the blur came closer and closer, the closer it came, the clearer it became.

The blur turned into the figure of a female as soon as it came into his field of view. His eyes widened in shock, realizing who the figure was.

The girl rushed at him with full speed. Even when the distance between them was so small, she did not halt and jumped at the boy who was unable to move. He braced himself for the impact.

As the girl came near him, she jumped on him, startling him, but he did not move and let the figure approach him. The girl he had longed for so long lunged into his arms while burying her face deeply in his arms.

"Tian! I missed you so much."

Despite the internal injuries he had suffered, he did not utter a single whimper and embraced her as well. The amount of pain he had suffered after separating from her was far worse than the pain he was suffering currently.

He suddenly felt an unknown sensation appear in his heart as he looked at the petite figure of the girl in his arms.

This feeling managed to overshadow the pain he was feeling. At that moment, all his thoughts were consumed by the sheer joy of being in her presence.

A smile bloomed on his face despite the pain he was feeling.

"I missed you as well."

His words carried a depth of emotion that conveyed just how much her absence had affected him. Their reunion felt like a balm to the wounds of their time apart. The soft tone in his voice melted her heart as she experienced a familiar feeling in her heart.

Long Tian held Ruo'er in a tight embrace, cherishing the feeling of having her in his arms once more.

A feeling she had when she remembered his face from her memories and her heartbeat started to rise.

With genuine concern, he asked about her experiences while they were separated, his eyes locked onto hers as if searching for any signs of distress.

Ruo'er had a look of relief and longing in her eyes as she inhaled his scent, a scent that felt like home to her.

'Ah! How much I missed this scent.'

In their silence, many words were conveyed without the need for them to be said out loud.

Deciding to break their silence, he whispered, "How were you during this time? Did anyone trouble you again?"

In response to his question, Ruo'er's gaze softened, her eyes reflecting the affection and trust she held for him.

"I am fine. I trained so that I can help you with all my strength. Do you remember how those bastards used to annoy me for my looks? Now they approach me just to get me to marry them."

Her voice showed all of how disgusted she was with those boys who approached her for her beauty. Despite her strength, it was clear that these encounters had tested her patience and resolve, making her appreciate Long Tian's presence even more.

As he heard her words, Long Tian's heart trembled, and his eyes lost their shine, turning dark for a moment. He immediately broke from his reverie and shook his head.

For the moment, he chose to push it aside and focus on their interaction.

He pulled her away from his embrace, causing the girl to pout, an unintentional action that tugged at his heartstrings.

Breaking the physical contact, he spoke after looking at her.

"Well, you have turned out to be even more beautiful than you were before."

His words caused the disappointment on her face to vanish as if it was never there. The radiant grin and the rosy hue on her cheeks were clear signs that his words had a profound impact on her heart.

Little did Long Tian know, Ruo'er was lost in her own world just by hearing those words from him.

'He said I was always beautiful, not like all those horny monkeys who approached me after my current looks.'

His compliment touched upon past memories of unwanted attention due to her appearance, and his words acted as a remedy for those old wounds.

A surge of warmth and fondness swelled within her heart, her care and affection becoming more apparent in her gaze.

*Cough*

The cough interrupted their moment, and Ruo'er's attention snapped back to reality. She turned to look at the source of the sound of a cough.

She was pissed that someone interrupted their sweet time, and killing intent started to leak out of her body, an imposing aura that seemed to materialize from her very being.

Her eyes locked onto the source of the noise, and that was the moment she realized it was her grandfather. Her expression shifted from hostility to one of surprise. Then it finally changed to one of shame, a sharp blush crept on her face.

Observing the man's serene smile and his crescent moon-like half-closed eyes, Ruo'er fell into a state of panic and yelped.

"Eek…"

Thinking of what she just did fueled the panic. She couldn't help but retreat and hide behind Long Tian, her protector.

Amused by her reaction, Long Tian simply chuckled, amused by her antics.

"Long time no see, Grandpa! How's your health?"

Long Tian's greeting carried a hint of familiarity and joy as he gazed at the man before him.

However, his words caused the old man to sigh, and he responded with a mixture of annoyance and irritation evident in both his gaze and his tone.

"Don't call me grandpa, you brat! I am not your grandpa!"

The old man retorted, with irritation evident in his voice.

"Look at what you've done to my granddaughter. Ever since she saw you, she's become foolish. I've had to stop her from doing impulsive things multiple times today."

Looking at the man's annoyance, Long Tian chuckled, as if unfazed by his reaction.

He knew the old man had the habit of showing the pretense of a strict old man, while Ruo'er cheekily stuck out her tongue to tease her grandfather, provoking a visible vein on his forehead. She moved back to hide behind Long Tian in an instant.

This action did not escape Long Tian's eyes, and he slammed a light chop on Ruo'er's head, prompting her to wince while holding her head. She pouted and turned away in mock sulking.

The trace of happiness in her eyes betrayed her true emotions, the happiness she felt from reuniting with him after so many years. Her happiness did not last long as she heard the somber yet serious words of her grandfather.

"As for my health, I am in much better condition than you are right now. I'm amazed at how you're even standing," her grandfather retorted, his words carrying a mixture of concern and recognition.