Ch 61: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

“This—this isn’t right!” Jing Li exclaimed anxiously.

Qin Zhao patted his back gently, soothing him with a warm voice, “Dr. Xue was just joking with you.”

Jing Li paused and then noticed that Elder Xue in front of him was indeed holding back laughter.

Xue Ren chuckled, “Why did you expose me so quickly? I wanted to tease him a little more.”

Jing Li, having spent the entire morning in the cold with a brain half-frozen, only now realized, belatedly, “You two were in on this together to fool me?”

“Well, it’s not our fault you’re so easy to trick.” Seeing that Jing Li was about to get upset again, Xue Ren quickly added, “Alright, enough joking. Your symptoms are most likely from being chilled. Rest here in the county for a few days, and you should recover. No need to worry.”

Jing Li muttered, “That’s more like it…”

How could it be pregnancy? That would be too strange.

Xue Ren didn’t bother them further, telling them to rest well before heading back to the pharmacy to smoke his pipe.

Qin Zhao led Jing Li inside.

The room was warmed by the heated brick beds, making the entire space toasty. The room had been cleaned beforehand, with everything in place, and the bed was covered with a thick layer of cotton bedding.

Jing Li collapsed onto the bed, not wanting to move a single finger.

Qin Zhao took out their luggage and began organizing it. When he turned back, he saw his little fish lazing about and couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s a good thing you’re not pregnant. You’re still a child yourself—how would you take care of one?”

Jing Li wasn’t happy to hear that. He rolled over and propped his head on his hand, looking at Qin Zhao. “What, you don’t want a child?”

“Of course not,” Qin Zhao shook his head but didn’t elaborate further.

Jing Li found this strange.

Weren’t ancient people very concerned with passing on their lineage? Why didn’t Qin Zhao seem to care at all?

Watching Qin Zhao busy himself around the room, Jing Li couldn’t help but ask again, “I’m not a shuang’er—do you really not mind?”

Qin Zhao didn’t even look up, smiling as he replied, “You’ve been with me for so long, and you’re only now thinking to ask this question? Isn’t it a bit late?”

“I do need to ask clearly,” Jing Li said seriously. “There are stories of couples who can’t have children and end up unhappy, even splitting up. What if you mind deep down and one day don’t want me anymore?”

Qin Zhao paused.

He set down the clothes in his hands, walked to the bedside, and gently kissed Jing Li’s cold lips.

“Have you… been worrying about this all along?” Qin Zhao asked in a low voice.

Jing Li blinked, turning his gaze away. “No, I was just asking casually. If you don’t want to answer—”

“I wouldn’t,” Qin Zhao interrupted him.

Jing Li fell silent.

Qin Zhao’s thumb gently brushed across Jing Li’s cheek, tenderly cupping his face and guiding his gaze back to meet his own. “If you want to ask, I can explain everything to you today.”

“You’re not a shuang’er, and yes, I did feel regret once,” Qin Zhao said. “But that regret was only because we can’t have a child together. I don’t care about my past, and I don’t have any deep desire to leave behind a bloodline. People like me shouldn’t even…” He hesitated for a moment before continuing as if nothing had happened, “So, you don’t need to worry about any of that. I will never leave you for anything because nothing matters as much as you do.”

Jing Li’s heart raced. His face was still cold, making Qin Zhao’s palm feel burning hot against it. The warmth spread through him, and his once cold, stiff hands began to sweat slightly.

“I… I understand now,” Jing Li whispered. “I won’t ask again.”

Qin Zhao smiled. “It’s alright. You can ask.”

“I don’t mind telling you as many times as you want to hear it.”

He kissed Jing Li’s now-warm cheek before letting go. “Take off your clothes and relax. I’ll go ask Ah Yi for some hot water. You’ll feel better after a bath and some rest.”

With that, he turned and left the room.

Jing Li slowly began to untie his belt.

They had worn layers upon layers of clothing for their outing today, and the clothes were complicated. The room felt as warm as a spring day, and as soon as Jing Li lay down, he became drowsy. He found himself too lazy to even finish undressing.

When Qin Zhao returned, he found his little fish halfway through taking off his clothes, curled up on the bed, fast asleep.

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh softly. He walked over and carefully freed Jing Li from the rest of his cumbersome clothing.

…

Ah Yi’s house had three small courtyards. Aside from the outer courtyard connected to the pharmacy, there were two more—one large and one small. The smaller courtyard, where Qin Zhao and Jing Li were staying, had three rooms: a main room and two side rooms.

Qin Zhao removed Jing Li’s outer robe, wrapped him tightly in a thick cloak, and carried him out of the main room.

As the cold wind outside hit him, Jing Li shivered and buried his head in the crook of Qin Zhao’s neck, groggily asking, “Where are you taking me…?”

“To bathe.”

In the village, people weren’t particular about such things, and bathtubs were often placed in the main room, shielded by a screen. However, this house had a dedicated bathhouse, located in the side room next to the main quarters.

In the middle of the bathhouse was a sunken bath, already filled with water, and a herbal bath sachet was floating on the surface.

Qin Zhao placed Jing Li on a wooden chair beside the bath, gently pinching his cheek. “Wake up, take a bath, and then you can go back to sleep.”

Jing Li, wrapped snugly in a dark animal fur cloak, his soft hair falling limply, looked small and still, curled up on the lounge chair. It was unclear whether he had heard anything.

Qin Zhao knew he was just being lazy, and in a low voice, he warned, “If you keep this up, I’ll carry you down into the bath myself.”

At home, there had been occasions after their intimate moments when Jing Li was too tired to move and had been carried into the bath by Qin Zhao.

But the aftermath was always, to say the least, less than ideal.

Jing Li, too sleepy to fully open his eyes, mumbled, “I’m still sick, and all you do is bully me.”

“Be good, listen to me.” Qin Zhao, unwilling to let him be, kissed and coaxed him until he was too bothered to sleep.

Annoyed, Jing Li pushed his hand away. “Alright, I get it.”

Slowly, he stretched his leg out and dipped it into the bath to test the water temperature. Since his body was much cooler than most, he couldn’t tolerate overly hot water.

Clearly, Qin Zhao had already adjusted the water temperature in advance. It was just right—neither too cold nor too hot.

Jing Li closed his eyes again, and a flash of red light enveloped him. When the light faded, a small koi slipped down the stone steps into the water.

The little koi swam comfortably, flicking its fins and swishing its tail. With a quick turn, it promptly fell asleep.

Qin Zhao: “…”

Sometimes, being a fish has its advantages.

Qin Zhao bent down to pick up Jing Li’s clothes that had fallen on the ground, casting a glance at the little koi floating on the water’s surface. His expression suddenly stiffened.

The little guy hadn’t been eating much these past few days. Today, he had only taken a sip of porridge. Yet, why did he seem a little… plumper?

Xue Ren’s words echoed in his mind—”The world is full of strange things. What if Xiao Yu has a unique constitution that doesn’t show up in his pulse?”

If there was anyone with a unique constitution, it would be this little fish.

After all, he wasn’t human to begin with…

Qin Zhao crouched by the bath and gently ran his fingers over the little koi’s belly.

The little koi liked to sleep on his back, floating on the surface of the water. His body was only palm-sized, and his round belly stood out even more.

Feeling Qin Zhao’s touch, the little koi happily wiggled his tail.

Qin Zhao stroked down the fish’s belly scales all the way to its tail. The smooth, cool fish scales were soothing to the touch, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

He was probably just overthinking things.

It had been a while since Qin Zhao had seen Jing Li’s original form, and maybe he had just gained a little weight from the previous weeks when his appetite had been better before the weather turned colder.

It must have been Xue Ren’s words getting to him, making him paranoid.

With that thought, Qin Zhao sighed quietly in relief.

Just as he was about to pull his hand away, he suddenly felt a small bump near the base of the little koi’s tail. Before he could process what he had touched, the little koi flicked his tail with a sharp smack against Qin Zhao’s hand.

The little koi snapped awake, swimming quickly to the other end of the bath, furious. “What are you doing?!”

This person actually dared to touch him… touch him there while he was in his original form!

Pervert!!!

It took Qin Zhao a moment to realize what he had touched. He hurried to explain, “I… I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry…”

The little koi’s tiny body quivered in anger, his sleepiness instantly gone. He glared at Qin Zhao, puffed up with indignation.

What made him even angrier was that, with just one touch from Qin Zhao… he had actually reacted.

The little koi’s lower body was hidden under the water, and he suddenly felt grateful that he was in fish form. Otherwise, Qin Zhao would surely have noticed how red his face had become.

After a brief standoff, both Qin Zhao and the little koi felt awkward. Qin Zhao, for once, seemed a bit embarrassed and tried to comfort him, “Don’t be mad. I really didn’t mean it. How about I wait outside? You can take your time in the bath.”

With that, he picked up the clothes Jing Li had taken off and left the room.

As soon as he stepped outside and felt the cold wind, Qin Zhao began to realize something strange. He had touched the little fish like that before, but he had never felt that area before.

Why had it happened this time…?

In the bath, Jing Li quietly shifted back into his human form and glanced toward the door.

Qin Zhao had already closed it and left, and the bath was surrounded by curtains, so even if someone came in, they wouldn’t immediately see what was happening in the bath.

Jing Li breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the edge of the bath and looking down at the water.

… He felt too energized.

How strange. Before, it wasn’t like this—he could be touched without any issue. Could it be because it had been more than half a month since they’d done anything?

Since the weather had turned colder, Qin Zhao hadn’t touched him much. Even when they got intimate, it was limited to hugging and kisses, or Qin Zhao helping him with his hand. First, because the room had been too cold and Qin Zhao didn’t want him to get sick, and second, Jing Li’s own interest had waned due to the chilly weather.

So now, after moving to a warmer place, did his mood return so quickly?

But what should he do now?

He was too embarrassed to bring up such a request to Qin Zhao.

Jing Li sat quietly in the water for a while, but the heat inside him didn’t subside. Resigned, he stretched out his hand, recalling the way Qin Zhao would usually do it, and awkwardly attempted to imitate him.

That evening, Ah Yi personally prepared a welcoming banquet.

The young boy had been living on his own for years, with no one to talk to aside from Elder Xue. So when Jing Li arrived as a guest, he eagerly showed off his cooking skills, preparing a large table of dishes.

The four of them sat in the dining room, eating and chatting.

Ah Yi, a little nervous, asked in a soft voice, “Is the food to your liking?”

Jing Li nodded. “Yes, I like it very much.”

“Great! I was worried you might not like it,” Ah Yi said, beaming with relief. “Usually, it’s just me and Grandpa Xue, so I cook pretty simply.”

Jing Li replied, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble. Qin Zhao and I could’ve cooked…”

Qin Zhao placed some food on his plate and corrected him, “I would cook.”

If Jing Li were to try cooking, he’d probably set the whole kitchen on fire.

This was the conclusion they had both agreed upon.

Ah Yi initially thought that since the rooms in his house were just sitting empty, he might as well let them stay for free. However, both Qin Zhao and Jing Li refused to take advantage of this and insisted on paying rent based on the county’s rates.

But Ah Yi wouldn’t accept any money, and in the end, it was Elder Xue who slammed the table and made the decision: during their stay, the two would help with the shop and cook meals, and that would count as rent payment.

Since it was their first day here, Ah Yi had volunteered to cook the welcoming banquet for them.

“It’s much livelier with you two here,” Elder Xue remarked. “In previous years, it was always just me and Ah Yi for the New Year. Although this good grandson of mine doesn’t say much, I can tell he’s been quite lonely. He really needs some friends his age to keep him company.”

Ah Yi felt a bit embarrassed but didn’t deny it. He turned to Jing Li and said, “You’ve never spent New Year’s in the county before, right? It’s really festive here. There’s a lantern festival, acrobatic performances, and opera shows. I’ll take you to see them.”

Jing Li responded eagerly, “Sure!”

Xue Ren added, “Perfect timing, since the streets are selling New Year’s goods these days. You two can go shopping tomorrow while this one stays behind to watch the shop.”

He pointed at Qin Zhao.

Before Qin Zhao could respond, Jing Li jumped in, “Great, I’ll go with Ah Yi to shop.”

Qin Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly.

Before they arrived, they had agreed to go shopping together, but this little rascal had already forgotten him.

Ah Yi hesitated, though. “That doesn’t seem quite right…”

Curious, Qin Zhao waited to hear what he was going to say. After a brief pause, Ah Yi spoke seriously, “Isn’t Mr. Qin going to take the county exam in February? Watching the shop might take up too much of your study time.”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Qin Zhao was silent for a moment before calmly replying, “It’s fine. It won’t interfere.”

And so, the matter was settled.

After dinner, Jing Li, who hadn’t seen Ah Yi in a long time, stayed to chat with him. They talked until the moon was high in the sky, only returning to their room when Qin Zhao urged him to do so.

Since Jing Li had taken a nice bath and slept well in the afternoon, his energy seemed to have returned, and he even ate more during dinner than he had in the past few days.

Seeing this, Qin Zhao felt even more certain that spending the New Year in the county was the right decision.

In comparison, not being able to go shopping together seemed like a minor issue.

Late into the night, after the two finished washing up, Qin Zhao stood with his back to Jing Li, bending over to tidy up the bed.

Jing Li sat at the table, watching him.

The room was as warm as a spring day, and Qin Zhao was only wearing a thin undergarment, which accentuated his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. As he moved, a sliver of pale skin peeked out from under his clothing, taut and smooth.

Jing Li couldn’t help but swallow.

He hadn’t really felt satisfied earlier in the bath.

Even though Qin Zhao often helped him the same way, when he tried to imitate it himself, he just couldn’t seem to get it right. After struggling for a while, he ended up losing interest completely.

But he still wanted…

“All done. Time to sleep,” Qin Zhao’s voice broke his thoughts. Jing Li snapped back to reality, realizing that Qin Zhao was now standing right in front of him.

Qin Zhao bent down slightly, reaching out to touch his face. “Why’s your face so red? Are you hot?”

“No, not hot!” The touch sent a jolt through Jing Li’s body, and he quickly stood up, turning away to hide his embarrassment as he rushed to the bed. “I’m tired. I’m going to sleep.”

He climbed into bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and turned to face the wall, not moving.

Qin Zhao gazed at his back, amused. Chuckling quietly, he extinguished the oil lamp and climbed into bed as well.

The room fell into silence.

The moonlight outside was bright, and after an unknown amount of time had passed, Jing Li quietly turned over. Qin Zhao lay beside him, on his side, his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

Jing Li stared at his face, feeling his heart race and that same unfamiliar heat rising in his body again.

It was so strange.

He had never felt this way before.

Unable to bear the feeling any longer, Jing Li reached out and gently hooked his fingers around Qin Zhao’s.

Suddenly, the bed shifted as Qin Zhao turned over and pinned him down. Looking into Jing Li’s eyes with a playful smile, he asked, “Do you want it?”

Jing Li was completely trapped under him, unable to move.

He bit his lip, trying to suppress the trembling in his fingertips. “I don’t…”

“Don’t?” Qin Zhao kissed his cheek, his voice low. “Then should I just go to sleep?”

Jing Li’s breathing grew heavier, his eyes reddening, unable to utter a single word.

Qin Zhao’s hand trailed down Jing Li’s arm, interlocking their fingers, his voice gentle yet patient as he whispered, “One last chance. Tell your husband—do you want it or not?”

…

Thandar: AHHHHHHHHHHH