Ch 78: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

“Come back, don’t run.” Jing Li called out in exasperation, swishing his tail as he chased after the little fish egg.

The fish egg trembled all over and fled backward in panic, though, being just a tiny egg, it couldn’t control its body well yet. It wobbled in the water, soon floating to the edge of the fish tank and making tiny jumps on the surface.

Qin Zhao: “…”

Was it asking him for help?

This father and son really had the same personality.

With a helpless smile, Qin Zhao reached his hand into the water, shielding his little one behind his palm. The tiny koi couldn’t stop in time and bumped right into Qin Zhao’s palm.

Qin Zhao stroked its dorsal fin soothingly. “Fish eggs left in water will hatch on their own—you know that, don’t you?”

“I do know that.”

The little koi was so comfortable from the stroking that he quickly abandoned his attempt to catch his child. His fins relaxed in bliss. “But it’s been days, and there’s still no sign of him changing at all. Waiting like this, who knows how long it’ll take before he hatches…”

The little fish egg pressed pitifully against Qin Zhao’s hand.

Qin Zhao said, “Baby fish like to swim freely. If you keep him confined in one spot, he won’t be happy.”

The little koi was about to roll over in pure relaxation but lifted his head at this. Qin Zhao met his gaze for a moment before adding, “However, you’re not wrong, either.”

The fish egg: “???”

Qin Zhao gently returned the little fish egg to its bamboo-leaf bed, stating calmly, “Our little one is developing too slowly. We should think of a solution.”

The fish egg seemed a bit stunned, remaining motionless even after being let go. Jing Li swam over and gave it a little pat with his fin. “See? I told you—it’d be trouble if he never hatches!”

The fish egg had a bit of bounce to it, soft to the touch. Each time Jing Li tapped it with his fin, it sank slightly before springing back.

Jing Li was thoroughly entertained.

Watching silently, Qin Zhao began to suspect that his little koi might simply be looking for an excuse to play with their child.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Let’s eat first. I brought your favorite treats, and they’ll get cold if we wait too long.”

Hearing the word “treat,” Jing Li’s attention snapped up, and his baby was promptly forgotten.

A flash of red light sparkled in the tank, and, in the blink of an eye, Qin Zhao saw a fair figure grab a robe and slip behind the screen.

The screen cast a silhouette of the young man as he dressed.

Despite having been together for so long, even having a child, Jing Li still felt shy about dressing in front of Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he looked away.

Returning to the table, he opened the food box and took out each dish and pastry one by one. Just as he finished setting the table, a slender, fair hand reached over, going straight for the steaming soft pastry.

Qin Zhao lightly swatted it away.

“Eat first.” He shot him a look, frowning slightly. “And why aren’t you wearing shoes again?”

“It’s not cold.”

Jing Li sat at the table, stretching his bare feet to rest them on Qin Zhao’s legs. His feet were still damp, leaving a small wet patch on Qin Zhao’s robe.

Qin Zhao remarked, “Cold or not, you should still wear them. You’ve just had a child.”

Jing Li was probably the luckiest person in the world when it came to childbirth. Not only had he hardly suffered through pregnancy, but his body also seemed unaffected afterward. Within days, he was back to his lively self.

“I don’t get why you’re so worked up…” Jing Li muttered quietly.

Qin Zhao looked at him expressionlessly, and Jing Li immediately fell silent, obediently bowing his head to eat. Only then did Qin Zhao lower his gaze, using his robe to dry Jing Li’s feet and wrapping his warm hand around Jing Li’s cold ankle.

The warmth of Qin Zhao’s palm radiated through him, making Jing Li flinch slightly, only to have his ankle held even more firmly.

That heat, far higher than his own body temperature, spread from his ankle throughout his body. Jing Li’s foot tensed as if a current had run up his spine.

But Qin Zhao didn’t do anything else, only warming his feet and then bringing over a pair of shoes to put on for him before heading back to change.

Jing Li continued eating, but somehow, the food now seemed flavorless.

It had been a long time since they’d done that sort of thing together.

At first, it was because of his pregnancy; then Qin Zhao had to go on a long trip; and after his return, they’d had the baby. Thinking back, the last time had been almost two months ago when he’d teased Qin Zhao in the study, which had led to half an hour of intimacy when they’d returned home.

After abstaining for so long, Qin Zhao still found ways to stir him up.

So annoying.

Jing Li sometimes couldn’t understand whether Qin Zhao actually wanted him or not. He was still young and full of energy—how could he have so much self-control?

Or maybe… not necessarily.

Qin Zhao didn’t even remember his own birth date, let alone his age.

With his handsome face, people might think he was only in his early twenties. Jing Li recalled that when the village chief had helped register his residence information, he had asked Qin Zhao his age, but since Qin Zhao couldn’t remember, they’d randomly written twenty-five.

But he was definitely older than that.

Maybe he was quite a bit older, which would explain why he didn’t have much need in that regard.

Jing Li’s thoughts drifted further and further, until Qin Zhao finished changing and found him sitting there, absentmindedly nibbling on his chopsticks.

“What are you thinking about?” Qin Zhao asked.

“I was just wondering how old you actually are,” Jing Li muttered.

Qin Zhao: “…”

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Qin Zhao calmly shifted the subject. “I spoke with Chen Yanan today—he’ll be leaving for the county in a couple of days.”

“And us?” Jing Li asked.

Qin Zhao paused, mid-motion as he reached to serve Jing Li some food, without replying immediately.

Jing Li had been thinking about this a lot lately.

The people in the village didn’t know how far along he’d been in his pregnancy, nor had anyone seen his belly, so they could keep things under wraps for now.

But it wasn’t a permanent solution.

He certainly couldn’t make his belly magically reappear.

On second thought, Jing Li realized it might actually be a good thing that their little one was slow to hatch.

If his belly hadn’t grown and a baby suddenly appeared at home, it would be impossible to explain.

For the same reason, they couldn’t go to town or the county right now.

Both places had people they knew, and secrets were harder to keep there.

Even with the closest of friends, Jing Li wasn’t ready to reveal this yet. He wasn’t too worried for himself, but he didn’t want their little one to be treated as something strange.

If he did decide to tell, it would be when their child was a bit older.

To keep the secret, there was really only one good option for them.

Jing Li spoke up. “Why don’t we move to the capital?”

Qin Zhao froze.

“Let’s keep looking; we’re bound to find a cheaper place. After all, our little fish doesn’t need food or drink right now, and it’s just the two of us. If we’re frugal, our expenses won’t be too high,” Jing Li said. “Plus, I can help you earn money. As long as we’re together, there’s no problem we can’t solve.”

Qin Zhao was a bit surprised.

Last time they’d gone to the capital, Jing Li had been quite reluctant about the idea.

For the past few days, Qin Zhao had even considered that if Jing Li truly didn’t want to go, they could live in a nearby county instead. As an imperial exam candidate, he could probably negotiate with the county magistrate to rent a house without too much difficulty.

He hadn’t expected that before he could even persuade him, Jing Li would bring it up himself.

“You don’t have to force yourself. If you’re really unwilling…”

“I’m not unwilling,” Jing Li said with a smile. “You need a place for your studies, and the capital is the most convenient. Plus, didn’t you want to look for more clues about your memory loss?”

“But you were…” Qin Zhao began, unsure how to proceed.

“That was before.”

“You can’t always just go along with me. I don’t want to hold you back,” Jing Li said, clutching Qin Zhao’s sleeve with a serious expression. “I said I’d trust you, and I mean it.”

It was true that Jing Li had once felt uneasy about the capital. But since their last talk, something had shifted, and he felt much more at ease.

He should trust Qin Zhao—and he wanted to.

Qin Zhao looked into those clear, bright eyes, his heart brimming with a warm feeling that filled him completely.

His little fish had changed so much for him and grown a lot in the process.

Qin Zhao collected himself and said, “I plan to find someone to lend us money so we can buy that house you liked.”

Jing Li frowned. “But isn’t it too expensive?”

“It is, so once we’re there, we’ll have to pinch pennies and eat less,” Qin Zhao said slowly.

Jing Li swallowed hard, hurriedly grabbing a slice of meat and stuffing it into his mouth.

“…I was joking.” Qin Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle. “Borrowing money would just let us buy the house sooner. Once we’re in the capital, I’ll see if I can sell the recipe for the Cold Relief Pill. Don’t worry, I’d never skimp on food for you.”

Even in their poorest days, Qin Zhao had never skimped on food for Jing Li. Now, he certainly wouldn’t.

“We won’t move immediately,” Qin Zhao added. “There are still some things in the village to wrap up, and we need to prepare the living arrangements in the capital first. The earliest we could go is June.”

Qin Zhao glanced toward the room with the fish tank. “Of course, that depends on whether this little one suddenly decides to hatch within the next couple of months.”

Jing Li whispered, “With your child, who knows? He loves catching us by surprise.”

Qin Zhao just chuckled.

After dinner, Jing Li lay by the bed, playing with the little fish egg.

Jing Li didn’t think the baby fish had changed much, but Qin Zhao noticed its color had deepened slightly since birth; it would probably end up with the same color as his little koi.

Maybe due to its unique nature, the little fish egg had self-awareness and seemed to have far more energy than an ordinary infant.

Jing Li spent nearly two hours trying to get their child to rest before finally giving up in exhaustion. When he turned around, he found himself wrapped in a warm embrace.

Qin Zhao embraced him from behind, his warm breath grazing Jing Li’s nape in soft puffs. Jing Li shivered, trying to escape but unable to pull away.

“Qin Zhao…”

Qin Zhao whispered by his ear, “Xiao Yu, thank you.”

Jing Li froze mid-motion.

Stroking his hair, Qin Zhao spoke in a sigh, “Sometimes, I wonder if the heavens took pity on me and let me meet you.”

“Don’t say silly things,” Jing Li replied. “If anyone should be grateful, it’s me. Without you, I would’ve starved ages ago. There wouldn’t be a ‘me’ today.”

“True,” Qin Zhao chuckled softly. “Who else but me could afford to take care of a little fish like you?”

His voice, usually so clear and cool, was dangerously tempting in this low, hushed tone. Jing Li felt his body go weak, and he bit his lip, inching slowly away. “I…I think I’ll sleep with the little fish egg tonight.”

“No way.” Qin Zhao pulled him back, locking him in his arms. “You’ve played with him all night already. What, now that you have a child, you’re done with your husband?”

“It’s not like that…” Jing Li’s face was on fire, yet he had no good explanation.

Qin Zhao found his flustered look adorable. He leaned down to kiss him but paused when he noticed something.

In the fish tank, the little fish egg had crept to the edge of the bamboo leaf bed, half its chubby, round body peeking out as if curiously watching its two fathers.

Qin Zhao: “…”

Sitting up straight, Qin Zhao pulled the curtain down beside the bed.

The soft drapes fell, blocking the view of the fish tank and leaving the little fish egg outside, bouncing with curiosity.

Qin Zhao lowered his head and captured Jing Li’s lips in a kiss.

This time, Jing Li surrendered faster than usual, his fingers curling tightly, gripping Qin Zhao’s sleeve. Yet, Qin Zhao suddenly stopped, gently pushing him away.

Jing Li: “?”

“We can’t,” Qin Zhao whispered, his breath slightly uneven, voice rough. “You just had a child.”

Jing Li was so exasperated he nearly passed out.

…Damn man.