Ch 102: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Jing Li had never told Qin Zhao about secretly writing storybooks.

Qin Zhao was a talented writer, and if he helped polish the text, the book would surely turn out better. However, since their arrival in the city, Qin Zhao had been busy preparing for exams, teaching at the Gu household, and managing various other matters. Jing Li didn’t want to add to his burdens.

More importantly, ever since they had been together, Qin Zhao always took care of everything for him.

This time, Jing Li wanted to rely on himself.

He wanted to wait until he had achieved something before telling Qin Zhao.

When the first volume was published, Jing Li hadn’t earned much money, so he hadn’t felt it was worth boasting about. Later, when Boss Chang decided to reprint it, Qin Zhao happened to fall seriously ill, leaving Jing Li no time to focus on the matter.

Now, with the second volume about to be released, if sales went well, he could earn a significant sum.

Not only could he cover Qin Zhao’s medical expenses, but their quality of life would also improve substantially.

When the time came to tell Qin Zhao, he would surely be delighted.

Thanks to Boss Chang’s promise, Jing Li was in high spirits for the next two or three days. He wasn’t good at hiding his emotions, so his excitement was evident even to Qin Zhao. Even Ah Qi had asked him several times if something good had happened.

“It’s a secret,” Jing Li replied each time, feigning mystery without denying it.

At that moment, Qin Zhao was engaged in a battle over the last millet pancake with the little fish fry. The mischievous child had been spoiled recently and had become increasingly unruly, even daring to argue back at Qin Zhao.

“No more pancakes for you. You’re going to end up rounder than your little fish plushie.”

“Wuuu!”

“… Fine. One more hour, then you can eat again.”

“Wuuu wuuu!”

Jing Li: “Pfft.”

This kind of scene played out almost every morning.

Unable to watch any longer, Jing Li picked up the last millet pancake from the table and waved it in front of the little fry. “Say the magic word.”

The cub: “Daa~”

“Not quite. Try again.”

“Daa… daddy!”

The little fish fry had grown quickly and was already taller than the neighbor’s one-year-old, but his speech was still unclear. Even calling them “daddy” had taken ages to teach.

Jing Li pointed to Qin Zhao. “And what about him?”

The baby frowned, mumbling and hesitating for a while before finally managing a garbled, “… daddy.”

Jing Li corrected him, “It’s ‘Little dad.’ You have to keep them straight, okay?”

To help the baby distinguish between the two of them, Qin Zhao and Jing Li had agreed after much discussion that the cub would call Jing Li “daddy” and Qin Zhao “Little dad.”

But for now, the little fry struggled to keep the titles straight, often shouting them randomly at anyone nearby.

Once, he had even called Ah Qi and the street vendor selling wontons “daddy.”

Jing Li patiently corrected him a few more times. Once the baby got it right, he handed over the millet pancake, feeding it to the baby bite by bite.

He opened his mouth wide and chomped down on a big piece.

As for the rest, it ended up in Jing Li’s own belly.

“All gone.” Jing Li showed his empty palm to the cub, his mouth still full. “Go play with Uncle Ah Qi in the courtyard now. Stop thinking about food all the time.”

The little fish fry tilted his head in confusion. After confirming that there was indeed no more food on the table, he obediently slid down from Qin Zhao’s lap and let Ah Qi take him out of the room.

Jing Li swallowed the last bite of millet pancake and patted his stomach. “I can’t keep eating like this. I’m getting fat.”

Qin Zhao calmly poured him a cup of tea. “It’s simply because you’re greedy.”

Jing Li, not annoyed in the slightest, grinned as he took a sip of tea. “Well, you’re the one supporting me anyway.”

Qin Zhao glanced at him briefly, then picked up the coat resting nearby. “Are you going out again?”

Jing Li, unfazed, fibbed without batting an eye: “Yes, I ordered a new storybook at the bookshop and need to pick it up today.”

Qin Zhao asked, “Shall I go with you?”

Jing Li froze mid-action, then turned to glare at him. “Do you think you’re all better now? The weather’s so cold—aren’t you afraid of getting sick again if you go out?”

Qin Zhao raised an eyebrow at Jing Li’s choice of words, smiling faintly. “I’m not well?”

“…” Jing Li felt a chill at his smile and coughed heavily to cover his embarrassment. “I’m heading out. I’ll bring you something delicious!”

With that, he fled the room as if escaping a battlefield.

Qin Zhao watched his retreating figure, his brows knitting slightly in thought.

Jing Li made his way toward the bookshop with practiced ease. However, as he reached the bridge near the western part of the city, he noticed a crowd gathered at the usually quiet entrance of the bookshop.

Several burly men with menacing expressions, dressed uniformly like the household guards of some wealthy family, stood guarding the shop’s entrance. Passersby kept their distance, craning their necks to get a look inside but not daring to get too close.

The bookshop’s door was ajar, and muffled commotion could occasionally be heard from within, but the burly men blocked the view, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.

“What kind of trouble has Boss Chang gotten into this time? How’s he going to deal with this…” Jing Li overheard someone beside him sighing.

He asked, “What’s going on here? Who are these people?”

“You don’t know?” the person replied. “These are men from the Ji family. It looks like Boss Chang has offended them, and things won’t end well for him.”

Jing Li frowned. “The Ji family? Which Ji family?”

“How many Ji families are there in the city? Of course, it’s the one that owns the silk and satin shop,” the person replied.

“Oh,” Jing Li murmured, recalling, “Is it the one under Jiangling Weaving?”

He remembered Qin Zhao taking him to that silk shop a while ago. However, they had only visited the storefront and met the shopkeeper, never the owner behind the scenes.

“That’s the one,” the person nodded. “The Ji family is backed by the Gu family and is one of the most prominent in the city. Boss Chang really picked the wrong people to mess with.”

Jing Li asked, “What exactly did Boss Chang do to offend them?”

Boss Chang ran a bookshop, which should have no conflict with a silk and satin shop.

Seeing that the discussion was getting lively, another person chimed in. “I know the story. It’s all because of Boss Chang’s younger brother.”

“His brother?”

“Yeah, his own younger brother,” the person said, full of disdain. “Apparently, a few days ago, his brother lost everything gambling and even used Boss Chang’s shop as collateral. If they don’t come up with the money by the deadline, the gambling house will seize the shop to settle the debt.”

“And guess what? His brother didn’t even try to raise the money. He fled the city last night, leaving Boss Chang to deal with the mess. The gambling house came for him today.”

“And the gambling house?” Jing Li pressed.

“The gambling house is backed by none other than Ji Zhifei, the eldest young master of the Ji family,” the person concluded grimly.

As they were talking, a tall, slender young man, dressed in luxurious attire, emerged from the bookshop. He held a newly signed deed in his hand. Behind him, someone staggered out, pushed roughly and falling hard to the ground—it was none other than Boss Chang.

“Young Master Ji, please give me a few more days. I’ll definitely bring that scoundrel back to you,” Boss Chang pleaded, his voice filled with despair as he struggled to get up.

“He’s already run off. Where are you going to find him?” Ji Zhifei replied impatiently. At that moment, a servant hurried out of the bookshop, handing him a wrapped bundle. “Young Master, we found this,” the servant announced.

Ji Zhifei barely glanced at it before tossing the bundle onto Boss Chang.

The bundle fell open, scattering soft clothing all over the ground.

Ji Zhifei sneered, “What’s this, Boss Chang? Have you already prepared an escape plan for yourself? Were you planning to run off too? If I had arrived a little later, would I have come to an empty shop?”

Boss Chang opened his mouth but couldn’t muster a response.

Ji Zhifei didn’t bother speaking further. Patting the deed in his hand, he raised his voice, “This shop is mine now. Go, tear it down.”

“No, no, Young Master Ji, please show mercy!” Boss Chang begged. “If you’re taking the shop, then take it, but the books inside have done nothing wrong. At least let me—”

Ji Zhifei looked down at him, cutting off his words with a cold gaze.

He crouched slightly, smiling mockingly at the fallen man. “Let me make it clear: this shop is mine now. I’ll do whatever I please with it. Do you understand?”

“Young Master Ji…” Boss Chang tried to plead again but was shoved aside by the servants, who began beating him viciously.

Watching the once-dignified bookshop owner reduced to such a state, the bystanders murmured among themselves, clearly uneasy.

But such was the world they lived in. Everyone knew that the Ji family was backed by the Gu family, and the Gu family in turn had ties to the authorities. A merchant with this level of influence in the city wielded immense power, bullying and oppressing others without fear. Ordinary citizens wouldn’t dare provoke them.

Despite the crowd, not a single person stepped forward to speak on Boss Chang’s behalf.

As the servants continued their assault, Jing Li finally couldn’t bear it any longer. “Stop this!” he shouted.

His voice drew the attention of many, including Ji Zhifei, who turned to look at him.

Initially irritated, Ji Zhifei’s expression changed the moment he saw Jing Li. A sly, intrigued smile spread across his face.

Where had this little beauty come from?

Jing Li’s interruption caused those standing near him to instinctively back away, as if afraid of being dragged into trouble.

Ji Zhifei eyed Jing Li up and down for a long moment before waving his hand to dismiss the servants beating Boss Chang.

Jing Li, ignoring the stares, stepped forward to help Boss Chang to his feet.

“Boss Chang, are you alright?” he asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” Boss Chang replied weakly. His forehead was bleeding, and his face was smeared with dust and blood. He wiped his face with his sleeve and, upon recognizing Jing Li, managed a faint smile. “It’s you…”

Ji Zhifei sauntered over leisurely. “And who might you be? Do you dare meddle in Ji family affairs?”

“I don’t intend to interfere,” Jing Li said evenly. “But you’ve already taken the shop. Why make things harder for others? If this continues, someone could die.”

Hearing Jing Li’s words, Ji Zhifei didn’t seem offended at all. Instead, he raised his eyebrows, his mood apparently quite good. “You make a good point, but why should I listen to you?”

Jing Li: “You—”

Ji Zhifei continued, “There’s no one in Jiangling who dares meddle in my business. But since you’re so good-looking, I’ll let it slide this once. Just tell me who you are and where you live.”

His tone was frivolous, sending a chill down Jing Li’s spine.

Why were all these rich young masters in the city so insufferable?

Boss Chang quickly stepped in to mediate. “Young Master Ji, you may not know, but this gentleman is merely an author who submits manuscripts to my bookshop. We’ve known each other for a long time. He came today only because I promised to return his manuscript.”

He rummaged through the scattered belongings on the ground and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in oiled paper, shoving it into Jing Li’s hands. “Mr. Zhao Li, your manuscript is here, along with your payment. The printed books have already been distributed to other shops. You should leave now.”

“But—” Jing Li hesitated.

Boss Chang lowered his voice. “Just go. This has nothing to do with you. Don’t get involved.”

Boss Chang’s words were for Jing Li’s sake.

The Ji family wielded immense power in the city. Regardless of Jing Li’s background, he was still just an ordinary citizen who couldn’t afford to cross such people.

Not to mention, if Jing Li caused trouble, how would he explain it back home? Given that he was already not well-regarded by his husband’s family, this could result in him being cast out entirely.

Jing Li could guess what Boss Chang was thinking.

And his concerns weren’t unfounded.

Jing Li was indeed alone now. If he recklessly stepped in to help, he might drag Qin Zhao into the mess.

He didn’t want to create trouble for Qin Zhao.

But if he did nothing, would Boss Chang end up beaten to death by those thugs?

Jing Li clutched the manuscript bundle tightly, momentarily unable to decide.

Before Jing Li could respond, Ji Zhifei spoke again. “Did I say you could leave? I don’t recall giving you permission.”

Jing Li’s irritation flared, and he snapped, “What do you want?”

“Nothing much,” Ji Zhifei replied casually. “But Boss Chang just signed over the deed, which means everything in this shop is mine—including the manuscript you’re holding.”

He raised an eyebrow, smiling slyly. “If you want to leave, fine. Leave the manuscript behind.”