Ch 54: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

The light flickered gently in the room as Qin Zhao half-carried, half-supported Jing Li back to the bedroom.

Jing Li was so drunk that he was barely conscious. As soon as he felt the softness of the bed, he immediately rolled over and nestled into the inner side of the mattress.

The bedroom, too, had been transformed.

Red silk curtains hung beside the bed, and the bed itself was covered in vibrant red cotton sheets, clearly decorated for a wedding night. The decorations were simple, and it was evident that Jing Li had arranged everything himself, giving it a somewhat modest appearance.

On the rack beside the bed hung two wedding robes, finely crafted from soft, high-quality fabric, likely quite expensive.

Qin Zhao gently touched the wedding robes, feeling his heart melt.

This little guy… So this was what he had been preparing.

“Qin Zhao…” Jing Li mumbled, rubbing his head against the bed, his words slurred, “Let’s go release the lanterns…”

“Still thinking about releasing lanterns?” Qin Zhao grabbed a cloth to help wipe Jing Li’s face, amused and exasperated. “You wanted to release lanterns but drank so much?”

Jing Li mumbled something incoherent and then fell quiet.

Qin Zhao removed Jing Li’s outer garments, shoes, and socks, pulled the blanket over him, and bent down to plant a kiss on his lips. “You planned everything so well, but you didn’t plan on getting drunk?”

He leaned down slightly, his lips brushing against Jing Li’s soft ones, and whispered, “You silly thing…”

After taking care of his little fish, Qin Zhao went to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of hangover soup and brought it back to the bedroom.

Jing Li was still fast asleep, his features peaceful and relaxed. His handsome face was bathed in the warm glow of the flickering light, soft and defenseless.

He looked so stunningly beautiful that it was almost unfair.

Qin Zhao paused, suppressing certain indescribable feelings that stirred within him, and quietly exhaled.

“Little fish, drink some hangover soup first,” Qin Zhao said softly, placing the bowl of soup on the bedside table and gently calling out to him.

Jing Li furrowed his brow, swatting away Qin Zhao’s hand in irritation.

But Qin Zhao didn’t give up.

He hadn’t tasted the osmanthus wine himself, so he wasn’t sure how strong it was, but he did know that Jing Li’s tolerance for alcohol wasn’t great. If he just slept it off, he would definitely have a headache the next day.

Qin Zhao patiently bent down and kissed Jing Li’s lips again.

He gently pried open Jing Li’s lips and caressed his soft tongue, teasing it lightly. After a moment, his efforts paid off—Jing Li let out a soft moan and slowly opened his eyes, still half-asleep.

Qin Zhao released him at the right moment and said in a gentle tone, “Drink the hangover soup before you go back to sleep.”

Still groggy, Jing Li absentmindedly touched his lips, not understanding where that tingly sensation had come from. He blinked, then suddenly leaned forward, collapsing into Qin Zhao’s arms. “What are you doing?”

“I’m so sleepy…” Jing Li mumbled, resting his forehead on Qin Zhao’s shoulder. “Where are we? Did we buy the lanterns?”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Of course, he’s still thinking about the lanterns.

“We bought them, but we’re already home,” Qin Zhao replied.

“Home?” Jing Li murmured, sounding like he was sleep-talking. “Why did we come home? There’s still—”

His voice suddenly cut off.

He had been planning the same thing for days, and it had become almost instinctual, etched into his mind. As soon as he remembered, all his senses came rushing back. Jing Li sat up abruptly, looking around frantically.

“W-What… How did we—”

Red bed, wedding robes, curtains—this was indeed his and Qin Zhao’s home.

Jing Li: “…”

They were home.

His plan was ruined before it even began, and it was all his own doing.

Qin Zhao didn’t pay any mind to Jing Li’s momentary daze. He picked up the bowl of hangover soup again and brought it to Jing Li’s lips. “Drink this first, we can talk about everything else later.”

The soup was still warm, made with hawthorn, ginger, sugar, and a few other ingredients that Jing Li couldn’t quite identify. The sour-sweet taste cleared his head a bit more.

After obediently finishing the soup, Jing Li said softly, “Qin Zhao, I…”

“Feeling more clear-headed now?” Qin Zhao’s expression was unreadable as he took the empty bowl from Jing Li’s hands and asked, “Do you want to sleep a bit more, or would you rather release the lantern?”

Jing Li blinked in confusion.

Qin Zhao pointed to the table, where a single lantern lay quietly. “I bought one; you can release it in the courtyard if you like.”

The courtyard had a small pond with a hidden stream connected to the creek, ensuring that the water was always flowing.

Tonight was the fifteenth of August, the night when the moonlight was at its best. The entire courtyard was illuminated by the moon, its reflection rippling in the pond, casting a silvery glow on the flowers and plants.

Qin Zhao led Jing Li to the courtyard, worried that he might still be tipsy. He helped him sit on the bamboo chair before turning to fetch the lantern.

He turned his head and asked, “What wish do you want to write?”

“We have to make a wish?” Jing Li, still a bit slow to react, laughed foolishly after a moment. “I’m a koi fish. If I make a wish on a lantern, does that mean it will definitely come true? If I wish for us to be wealthy and never worry about food and drink, will it work?”

Qin Zhao chuckled too. “As long as you make your wish sincerely, it will definitely come true.”

Ever since they met, none of Jing Li’s wishes had ever gone unfulfilled.

Jing Li looked up at him.

Qin Zhao stood against the light, his features obscured by the moonlight, leaving only the outline of his lean figure visible, along with the gaze that had never left Jing Li.

Jing Li reached out his hand. “Let me write it.”

He took the lantern and brush, carefully writing a line of small characters inside the lantern:

—”I wish to be with Qin Zhao forever. I wish for Qin Zhao to be safe, healthy, and have a smooth life.”

Qin Zhao saw what he had written and asked softly, “No wish for wealth?”

“Nothing is more important than you,” Jing Li replied.

Nothing else in the world was as important as the person in front of him.

Together, they lit the lantern and set it afloat on the water. The solitary light drifted across the surface, its flame gently flickering in the night breeze.

The cool night air sobered Jing Li further, and he turned to ask, “Why didn’t you buy more?”

He sounded somewhat regretful. “One lantern, one wish. With ten lanterns, I could make ten wishes. Why waste such a good opportunity?”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Wishes could be bundled up like that?

Perhaps for ordinary people, it wouldn’t be possible, but for this little koi fish in front of him, who knows?

Qin Zhao hadn’t considered that. Earlier, when he saw Jing Li drunk, he was worried about him catching a cold outside and regretting it if he woke up without releasing a lantern, so he quickly bought one and brought it home.

Who knew this little guy would be unsatisfied with just one?

Qin Zhao didn’t dwell on it, instead glancing back at the main house, where the large double-happiness character was visible through the slightly ajar door.

There was still something important to be done tonight.

Qin Zhao turned back to Jing Li, squeezing his hand. “Are you fully awake now?”

Jing Li looked at him in confusion. “Huh?”

Qin Zhao glanced meaningfully toward the main house and said, “Since you’re sober now, shouldn’t you explain this to me?”

“…”

Jing Li mumbled softly, “I just wanted to give you a surprise.”

As Qin Zhao led him into the house, he gently asked, “What made you suddenly think of doing all this?”

“It wasn’t sudden,” Jing Li replied. “Do you remember the wish you made? You said you wanted a husband. I couldn’t find another husband for you, and I didn’t want to look for anyone else, so I just… I just…”

He trailed off, unable to continue.

Qin Zhao glanced at him and said, “So you decided to marry yourself to me?”

Jing Li gave a small nod, his ears turning slightly red.

Qin Zhao gazed deeply at him for a moment, then suddenly looked away, pulling Jing Li along as he strode toward the bedroom. “Whatever else you planned, let’s continue.”

Jing Li blinked at his back, feeling confused.

He sensed something unusual about Qin Zhao tonight. It wasn’t that he seemed unhappy—if anything, he appeared… a bit anxious.

Jing Li had been drinking earlier, and although he was somewhat sober now, his still-foggy mind couldn’t quite grasp where that anxiety was coming from. He followed Qin Zhao into the bedroom and took down the wedding robes from the rack.

Jing Li had previously inquired about the wedding customs of this era. Setting aside the formalities like matchmaking, betrothal, and engagement, the wedding night rituals were simple: don the wedding robes, bow to the heavens, and drink the union wine.

He led Qin Zhao through each step, and the latter cooperated fully.

The wedding robes were custom-made in town, costing five hundred coins—a significant expense for this wedding.

With Qin Zhao having lost his memory and Jing Li having no family or friends in this world, the two of them made the moon their witness and the heavens and earth their testimony.

As for the union wine, Qin Zhao adamantly refused to let Jing Li touch another drop of alcohol, so they used tea instead.

After they drank the tea, Qin Zhao asked softly, “What’s the next step?”

Jing Li’s ears suddenly turned red. “There’s… there’s no next step. It’s late; you should get some rest.”

He tried to stand and put away the cups, but Qin Zhao suddenly pulled him back, tugging him forcefully onto the bed.

The cups rolled away across the floor as Jing Li looked up, meeting Qin Zhao’s deep gaze.

“Tell me, little fish,” Qin Zhao said. “In a typical wedding, does it really end here?”

Jing Li felt his heart pounding so hard it might burst out of his chest. He was so nervous he could barely speak, stammering, “We… we can’t do this…”

Qin Zhao ignored him, reaching up to play with a strand of his hair by his temple.

Jing Li had never seen Qin Zhao wearing red before.

It wasn’t until today that Jing Li realized just how well this man suited such a striking color.

Qin Zhao’s pale complexion was highlighted by the vibrant red, making him appear even more spirited and his already handsome features even more dazzling.

Jing Li couldn’t take his eyes off him.

“You really are a silly fish,” Qin Zhao suddenly said.

Jing Li blinked, and then he heard Qin Zhao continue, “I’ve never heard of a husband-to-be making his partner earn money to prepare for the wedding. If word of this got out, how would your husband hold his head high in the village?”

“I… I just wanted to…” Jing Li stammered.

He just wanted to make Qin Zhao happy and hadn’t considered these things.

He had deliberately not used a single penny from their household.

Every item in this wedding chamber was bought with the money he earned from working in the fields for other families. He wanted to fulfill Qin Zhao’s wish on his own, to show that he could do it himself.

…It was his own wish too.

He wanted to be this person’s true husband.

Qin Zhao said, “But I am very happy.”

“…Thank you.”

How could he not be happy?

To have someone so foolishly willing to give everything for him, clumsily hiding what they thought was a surprise, and even getting themselves hurt in the process.

How could he not be happy?

Jing Li bit his lip, staying silent, and tried to subtly move back a little.

He understood the sentiment, but the thing pressing against him… could it calm down a bit?

But instead of letting go, Qin Zhao moved even closer.

Jing Li, unable to take it any longer, called out, “Qin Zhao.”

“Hmm?”

“Doctor Xue said… said you’re still not supposed to…” Jing Li’s voice was tinged with nervousness.

His body might look small, but he was indeed a grown man, and having lived eighteen years in the modern world, he was well aware of certain things. He knew exactly what Qin Zhao’s current state meant, but…

“You mean Doctor Xue?” Qin Zhao’s eyes glinted with amusement as he got up and walked over to the desk, searching through it.

He quickly found an opened letter and handed it to Jing Li.

Jing Li could read well enough now. After slowly reading through the letter, his face turned completely red.

How could he ask such a question in a letter?

And Doctor Xue actually replied!

“Finished reading?” Qin Zhao looked at him, his eyes filled with laughter. “So, is it okay now?”

Jing Li stammered, “B-but I’m not ready—”

He wasn’t prepared at all!

Qin Zhao didn’t give him the chance to hesitate.

Suddenly, Qin Zhao leaned in and kissed him.

All the gentle restraint from before seemed to be merely a facade; his patience had been completely torn apart tonight.

Under this completely different kind of assault, Jing Li quickly surrendered, unable to hold his ground.

In his daze, he heard Qin Zhao whisper softly in his ear, “Little fish, Doctor Xue said that although my body has recovered, I still shouldn’t overexert myself.”

Jing Li’s ears buzzed, his mind a muddled mess from the new and overwhelming sensations. Without thinking, he asked, “…Then what should we do?”

Qin Zhao whispered a few words in his ear.

Then, he grasped Jing Li’s waist firmly and flipped him over.

In an instant, their positions were reversed.