Ch 63: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

The boy was dressed warmly in thick robes that covered most of his neck, making it hard to notice anything unusual unless he bent down and revealed the back of his neck, as he had just done.

Jing Li touched his neck and indeed felt a cold patch.

“Strange…” Jing Li murmured. “Why didn’t I feel anything at all?”

He had become quite proficient at transforming, and unless he was overly emotional or extremely fatigued, he almost never reverted to his original form.

So, what was going on today?

Qin Zhao motioned for him to sit down and took his wrist to check his pulse.

Jing Li obediently sat beside him and waited.

Qin Zhao’s hands were beautiful, with long, slender fingers. Since he had just come back from outside, his fingertips were still warm.

As Jing Li watched, he couldn’t help but recall how those same hands had slowly traced every inch of his body last night. The rough calluses on Qin Zhao’s fingertips had grazed his skin, sending shivers down his spine…

“No abnormalities.” Qin Zhao released his hand and spoke gently, “Just be mindful for the next few days. If you feel uncomfortable in any way, let me know immediately… Xiao Yu?”

“Huh?” Jing Li snapped back to reality, his cheeks flushed. “I—I know.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Qin Zhao raised his hand to touch his forehead, but Jing Li dodged him. “I’m fine! Let’s just hurry to the west of the city, buy what we need, and go home early!”

Qin Zhao watched him walk away, a trace of concern flickering in his eyes.

For the rest of the time, Jing Li intentionally avoided any further close contact with Qin Zhao and didn’t experience any more strange reactions. However, his enthusiasm for the outing was gone, and after finishing their shopping, they returned home.

In the afternoon, after lunch, Qin Zhao said, “You rest here in the room. I’m going to the outer courtyard to help A Yi with the shop.”

Jing Li, still reluctant to be too close to Qin Zhao, was secretly relieved. Qin Zhao pulled the blanket over him, tucking him in. He leaned down to kiss him, but Jing Li turned his head to avoid it.

Qin Zhao’s eyes flickered briefly, but he didn’t say anything, and he left.

The bed, heated by the warm stove beneath, was cozy. Even in summer, Jing Li never felt too hot, but now, under the blanket, he was starting to sweat.

He kicked off the blanket with one foot and rolled over in bed, feeling a strange, inexplicable restlessness.

He couldn’t sleep.

Jing Li, with his messy hair, sat up and thought about putting on some clothes to take a walk in the courtyard.

On the rack beside the bed, along with Jing Li’s clothes, hung the padded jacket Qin Zhao had worn when they went out that morning.

The pharmacy also had a heated bed, so there was no need to wear heavy clothing. After they returned, Qin Zhao had changed into a single-layer robe, and this jacket had been casually hung on the rack.

Jing Li, as if guided by some unknown force, leaned over and buried his face into the clothes, taking a deep breath.

The distinct medicinal fragrance that belonged to Qin Zhao filled his senses, and the restlessness in his heart eased a little.

Instinctively, he glanced toward the door.

The pharmacy wouldn’t close until the sun had set, and with Qin Zhao’s serious nature, he definitely wouldn’t leave early.

So… he probably wouldn’t be caught, right?

Jing Li gently tugged at the garment, and it fell into his arms.

By the time the pharmacy had closed, Qin Zhao brought the prepared meal into the main hall, but Jing Li still hadn’t shown up.

Xue Ren didn’t think much of it. “He’s probably tired from playing outside today. Didn’t A Yi also nap for an hour and a half when he came back?”

But Qin Zhao said, “You all go ahead and eat. I’ll go check on him.”

He quickly returned to the side courtyard, finding the door still shut, and quietly pushed it open.

The sun had already set outside, and the sky was dimming. The room was unlit, making it hard to see anything. Qin Zhao lightened his steps and, with the remaining faint light, stepped inside. What he saw made him stop in his tracks.

The blanket had been kicked off the bed, and the bed was now a chaotic pile of clothes. In the middle of the heap lay Jing Li, fast asleep.

Qin Zhao chuckled silently.

Avoiding his touch, yet secretly stealing his clothes to sleep with—what kind of logic was this?

He bent down, picking up the clothes scattered on the bed one by one, folding them neatly and placing them aside. Only one piece remained, tightly clutched in Jing Li’s arms, and he couldn’t pull it away.

It was the padded jacket Qin Zhao had worn that morning.

Qin Zhao didn’t bother to fight him for it anymore. Instead, he leaned down and kissed the corner of Jing Li’s eye. “Slept the whole afternoon, still not getting up?”

Jing Li shifted groggily, not fully awake yet, instinctively lifting his head to return Qin Zhao’s kiss. “Sleepy… want to sleep a bit more…”

Qin Zhao: “It’s time for dinner. Aren’t you hungry?”

“Not hungry…”

Qin Zhao sighed softly, then thought for a moment before taking off his shoes and socks and lying down on the bed.

A living person was far more enticing than a piece of clothing, and even in his sleep, Jing Li seemed to understand this. Sure enough, before long, he abandoned the jacket and wrapped himself around Qin Zhao, limbs entwined.

Qin Zhao let him hold on, lying there for a good half hour until Jing Li finally woke up.

Or rather, hunger woke him up.

“Are you finally getting up for dinner, you lazy little fish?” Taking advantage of Jing Li’s groggy state, Qin Zhao pinched his cheek in the dark and asked softly.

Jing Li had slept so long that he felt disoriented, unsure of what time it was. It took him a while to fully wake up, and when he remembered what he had done before falling asleep, he shot up. “I—I—I—what—what are you doing here?!”

“Who told someone to hold onto me and refuse to let go? Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn’t,” Qin Zhao said. “So, madam, may I be released now? Your husband has been hungry for a long time.”

Jing Li’s face flushed bright red, and he quickly let go of him.

By now, the moon was high in the sky, and naturally, A Yi and Xue Ren hadn’t waited for them to have dinner, leaving a portion in the kitchen for them.

When Qin Zhao reheated the food and brought it into the room, he casually glanced toward the bed.

His little fish was still sitting at the edge of the bed, hugging his knees, with the tips of his ears showing a bit of red. The clothes that Jing Li had secretly taken earlier, which Qin Zhao had neatly folded and placed at the foot of the bed, were nowhere to be seen now, most likely returned to their original spot.

Qin Zhao chuckled to himself and nonchalantly called him over to eat.

Jing Li had been starving and quickly devoured everything Qin Zhao brought him.

After they finished eating and put the dishes away in the kitchen, Qin Zhao asked, “Are you full?”

“Mm…” Jing Li had wanted to say he could eat a bit more but, thinking about how much he had already eaten, he nodded instead. “I’m full.”

Qin Zhao: “Since you’re full, it’s time we talk about something important.”

Jing Li was washing the dishes when he heard this, and his hands froze. “W-What important thing?”

Qin Zhao didn’t answer.

He stepped in front of Jing Li, took the last two dishes from his hands, and quickly finished washing them. Then he grabbed a clean towel to gently dry Jing Li’s hands before leading him back to the bedroom.

Qin Zhao kept holding Jing Li’s hand as they sat by the bed. Jing Li wanted to ask again, but Qin Zhao suddenly said, “Xiao Yu, do you even remember what I told you this morning, or did you forget it entirely?”

Jing Li blinked in confusion.

Qin Zhao said, “I told you that if you feel uncomfortable in any way, you have to tell me immediately.”

Jing Li pursed his lips and whispered, “I didn’t…”

Qin Zhao glanced at him, and Jing Li reluctantly closed his mouth.

With a sigh, Qin Zhao said, “I’m your husband, Xiao Yu. You can tell me anything that’s bothering you. Don’t keep it to yourself, and definitely don’t avoid me.”

“But…” Jing Li lowered his eyes guiltily. “I’ve been feeling strange lately…”

These past two days, he seemed especially sensitive to being close to Qin Zhao. Every time they got too close, he would—

It had been the same yesterday, but he thought it was just because they hadn’t done anything in a long time and he was overly sensitive to the teasing. But even after they had been intimate last night, instead of easing, it had only gotten worse today.

He had never been like this before.

“What’s so strange about that?” Qin Zhao chuckled. “Have you been human for so long that you’ve forgotten you’re a fish?”

Jing Li: “Huh?”

Qin Zhao explained calmly, “In winter, fish reduce their movement and eating, hiding in the warmer parts of the water to get through the season. But once the weather warms up, they enter… their breeding period.”

Jing Li stared blankly at him, as if he didn’t quite grasp the meaning of Qin Zhao’s words. “B-breeding period?”

“That’s what the books say.” Qin Zhao elaborated, “You’ve been feeling strange these past few days, and the pulse doesn’t show anything wrong. I thought it might be related to your constitution, so I specifically went to the bookshop this afternoon.”

Qin Zhao had spent a full two hours at the bookshop, reading through every book on fish breeding that he could find.

Whether it was winter lethargy, lack of appetite, or the surge of energy and desire to reproduce after the weather warmed, these were all typical signs of the pre- and post-breeding period.

Qin Zhao’s explanation was earnest and scholarly, while Jing Li, unable to bear listening anymore, averted his gaze. “…”

This person really was treating him like a fish!

But what Qin Zhao said wasn’t without merit.

Jing Li had been human before he transmigrated and had never known or cared about fish habits. If the books Qin Zhao read were accurate, then perhaps… his strange symptoms really were due to his physique.

“Fish are highly sensitive to their environment. You suddenly moved from the village to this place, and the temperature change threw your body off balance, causing these symptoms.”

Qin Zhao kissed the corner of Jing Li’s lips and said softly, “I’m sorry. I should have understood all this sooner.”

Jing Li couldn’t handle this kind of affection and asked in a low voice, “So… what do I do now about this breeding… breeding period?”

“The books don’t cover that part.”

Qin Zhao paused for a moment, then added, “But there is one more thing the books said.”

With a teasing smile in his eyes, he leaned close to Jing Li’s ear and whispered slowly, “Animals follow their instincts. There’s no need for external interference.”

Before Jing Li could process the meaning behind those words, Qin Zhao pressed him down onto the bed.

…After that, there was no room for any further thoughts.

In the following days, Qin Zhao fully embraced the idea of “following one’s instincts,” to the point where even Jing Li was struggling to keep up.

One afternoon, Qin Zhao carried Jing Li to the bath, and as soon as he touched the water, his lower body couldn’t hold back and transformed into a fish tail.

“How long is this breeding period going to last…” Jing Li lay in the water, listlessly swishing his tail across the surface.

“I don’t know.” Qin Zhao finished washing Jing Li’s upper body and began to move his hand lower, but Jing Li quickly dodged him.

Jing Li gritted his teeth. “D-don’t touch it right now!”

His tail was at its most sensitive, and there was no way he could endure Qin Zhao touching it again.

Qin Zhao hesitated for a moment and then asked, “So, will you handle it yourself later? Don’t forget, or you’ll feel uncomfortable.”

Jing Li: “…I know.”

Actually, Jing Li never felt uncomfortable, but somehow Qin Zhao had gotten the idea that whatever was put in must come out, or else it would lead to illness.

He was a fish. One, he wouldn’t get sick, and two, he certainly wouldn’t get pregnant, so he had no idea why Qin Zhao was so concerned.

Qin Zhao had skipped his morning duties at the shop just to spend time with Jing Li, but now it was getting late, and he needed to head back to the outer courtyard soon.

He kissed Jing Li’s eyes gently and whispered, “Soak in the water a bit longer. I’ll head to the shop. If you still want… you can come find me in the outer courtyard.”

Too exhausted to open his eyes, Jing Li flicked his fish tail in response.

Qin Zhao quickly cleaned up, got dressed, and left. The door opened and closed, and Jing Li stretched out in the water, soon falling asleep.