Ch 113: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Qin Zhao and Jing Li sat on the same side and noticed Yue Qingzi’s small actions.

Understanding the situation, Qin Zhao stood up and returned the courtesy with a bow. “Greetings, Young Master Yue.”

Jing Li followed suit, bowing as well, while the prefect laughed warmly and said, “Please, sit down. Qingzi is exceptionally skilled at making pastries—so much so that even the chefs of the capital’s finest restaurants can’t compare. Mr. Qin, you must try some!”

Qin Zhao replied, “Certainly.”

The pastries had already been placed on the small table between Qin Zhao and Jing Li. Qin Zhao personally handed one to Jing Li. “Here, have some.”

These pastries, shaped like little rabbits and named Jade Rabbit Buns by Yue Qingzi, were his own creation. He had developed the recipe after learning from pastry chefs in his hometown. The flavor was indeed extraordinary.

Jing Li had been craving them ever since he first tried them. And that wasn’t even mentioning the little one in his arms, who was already waving his tiny hands eagerly, impatient for Jing Li to feed him.

Yue Qingzi, after delivering the pastries, didn’t leave but stayed nearby to refill their tea and attend to their needs.

This behavior was not something one would expect from a young master of the household. Yet, no one present found it unusual.

In this era where shuang’er were of low status, even a household’s young master didn’t hold much authority or standing—especially since Yue Qingzi wasn’t the prefect’s biological child.

Jing Li had encountered many shuang’er in this world, but the only one he could say he was familiar with was A-Yi, who ran a pharmacy in the county.

A-Yi was resourceful, much more independent than most shuang’er. If it weren’t for his distinctive appearance and gentler disposition, he would hardly differ from Jing Li’s understanding of a typical young man.

Yue Qingzi, however, was different.

He epitomized the ideal shuang’er of this era—raised from a young age by his parents to be virtuous, well-mannered, and composed. His speech and demeanor made it clear he came from a distinguished family.

Such shuang’er were typically married off to wealthy households. Even if they couldn’t become the main wife, they wouldn’t suffer mistreatment.

For a shuang’er, that was the best possible fate.

Reflecting on this, Jing Li understood why the prefect had specifically arranged for Yue Qingzi to serve tea here.

His emotions became complicated, and he found himself eating the pastry absentmindedly, unable to fully enjoy its taste.

After refilling the prefect’s tea, Yue Qingzi suddenly spoke. “Second Uncle, it’s a rare occasion for Madam Qin to bring the young master here. Sitting and drinking tea must be rather dull. The flowers in the back garden have just bloomed; I was hoping to invite Madam Qin to view them.”

Jing Li blinked and looked up, just in time to see Yue Qingzi smiling at him.

The smile was a little reserved but genuinely friendly.

“Very well,” the prefect said with a smile. “You and Madam Qin are about the same age. You should interact more often—it’s always good to make a new friend. What do you think, Mr. Qin?”

Instead of asking Jing Li, he directed the question to Qin Zhao.

“That depends on my husband’s wishes,” Qin Zhao replied, turning to look at Jing Li. “Do you want to go?”

Jing Li, of course, was willing.

He nodded in agreement and stood up, holding the little fish fry in his arms.

The baby still had a pastry stuffed in its mouth and was reluctant to leave, glancing longingly at the plate of pastries.

Yue Qingzi stepped closer and whispered in the baby’s ear, “There’s more in the back garden.”

After that, he bowed to the prefect and Qin Zhao, exchanged a smile with Jing Li, and led him out of the main hall.

The two youths walked away together, and the prefect, watching their departing figures, chuckled with delight. “It seems Madam Qin and Qingzi get along very well.”

Qin Zhao nodded in agreement.

Stroking his beard, the prefect added slowly, “My nephew is also at the age for marriage…”

…

The prefect’s residence had a back garden larger than the average household’s. It was springtime, and the garden was in full bloom, complete with a modest pond. Yue Qingzi led Jing Li and the little fish fry to a pavilion by the pond, where he had a servant bring over two plates of tea pastries.

“Please, have some tea,” Yue Qingzi said, dismissing the servants and pouring a cup of tea for Jing Li himself. “Madam Qin.”

The last words were emphasized with deliberate weight, though his eyes sparkled with amusement. Jing Li caught the meaning and smiled back. “Thank you, Young Master Yue.”

As the servants gradually moved out of earshot, Yue Qingzi’s rigidly upright posture suddenly softened. He let out a long sigh of relief.

“I thought I was going to suffocate,” he muttered.

Exhausted, he leaned over the stone table in the pavilion, entirely abandoning the poised and proper demeanor he’d shown in front of the prefect.

In that moment, he reverted to the carefree A-Zi whom Jing Li had met before.

Jing Li asked, “What exactly is going on here?”

“You’re asking me?” Yue Qingzi lifted his eyelids to glance at him. “What about you? What’s your explanation?”

“I…”

Caught off guard by the question, Jing Li was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yue Qingzi handed a pastry to the little fish fry, not seeming too bothered by the situation. “Forget it. You didn’t tell me you were Madam Qin, and I didn’t tell you I was Young Master Yue. Let’s call it even.”

“I really didn’t mean to keep it from you,” Jing Li explained. “That day, I wanted to tell you the truth, but you suddenly left. Later, I went to the tea shop to look for you, but you never showed up…”

“My aunt caught me sneaking out to play,” Yue Qingzi sighed. “She’s been keeping a close eye on me these past few days. I haven’t been able to leave the house.”

Given Yue Qingzi’s strict family upbringing, it wasn’t surprising that he wasn’t allowed to roam freely.

Even so, all he had wanted was to wait outside Jing Li’s house.

Thinking about it, Jing Li suddenly felt puzzled. “But since you’re the prefect’s nephew, why would you have to wait outside to see Qin Zhao?”

After all, with Yue Qingzi’s status, there were countless ways he could have met Qin Zhao—why go through the trouble of waiting at his doorstep?

“It’s not the same,” Yue Qingzi said.

“How is it not the same?” Jing Li asked.

“Meeting him here, he’s Mr. Qin, and I’m Young Master Yue. Even if we meet, it’s just polite small talk, like today. What’s the point of that?” Yue Qingzi took a bite of his pastry. “I want to meet Zhao Li, not Mr. Qin.”

“So… you really don’t have any other feelings for him?”

“Do you take me for that kind of person?” Yue Qingzi snorted, then quickly caught on to Jing Li’s implication and laughed. “Oh, I see now. You’re jealous.”

“I-I’m not…”

“Of course you are. The last time I mentioned Zhao Li, you acted weird too,” Yue Qingzi said. “Back then, I thought it was odd. Now I get it. You’re worried I have feelings for Qin Zhao, so you’re jealous, right?”

Jing Li averted his gaze, his ears quietly turning red.

“Mr. Qin is indeed impressive,” Yue Qingzi mused, propping his chin on his hands. “So young and already a top scholar, with impeccable looks and character. He loves his wife and child—he really is an ideal husband.”

“My aunt arranged for me to deliver pastries earlier—wasn’t it because she had that idea in mind?”

Jing Li froze. “You figured it out?”

“How could I not? She even made me wear new clothes,” Yue Qingzi said, gesturing to his outfit. Today, he wore a sky-blue outer robe with subtle patterns. The hem and sleeves were adorned with intricate embroidery, and his tightly cinched waist belt accentuated his slender figure.

“And you… what do you think about it?”

“Me? What could I possibly think?” Yue Qingzi poured Jing Li some tea and smiled. “Silly A-Li, haven’t you noticed? Your Qin Zhao only has eyes for you. Even if countless beauties were placed before him, he wouldn’t notice any of them.”

Jing Li pressed his lips together, the corners curving slightly upward. “Really?”

“Absolutely. Unfortunately, I didn’t meet Qin Zhao before he knew Yue Qingzi,” Yue Qingzi’s gaze dimmed slightly. “If I were to approach him now, he’d probably think I had ulterior motives. And if others found out, who knows what they’d say about me.”

Looking at the youth beside him, Jing Li felt a pang of emotion. “Why do you like Zhao Li so much?”

“I admire the kind of life he represents,” Yue Qingzi said, his tone wistful. “From childhood, whether it was my parents or my aunt and uncle, they all wanted me to marry into a good family, serve my husband well, and avoid being mistreated. But that’s not the life I want.”

He spoke longingly, “The life I want is like the one Zhao Li writes about. A life where his eyes see only me, where he cherishes only me. He doesn’t have to be rich or powerful, but even in the hardest times, he’d save the best for me.”

“Whether Zhao Li’s stories are real or not, the fact that he can write about such things means he must be a gentle and kind person, worth befriending. That’s why I wanted to find out who he was.”

“I searched for a long time. Then one day, my uncle accidentally showed me Qin Zhao’s exam paper from the provincial examinations. I noticed the handwriting on it matched the handwriting on the inscription of Zhao Li’s book cover exactly.”

“That’s when I was finally certain of his identity.”

“So it was the exam paper,” Jing Li said, suddenly understanding.

“Impressive, right?” Yue Qingzi said smugly. “Lately, so many people have been trying to figure out who Zhao Li is, but I was the first to uncover it.”

“But how can you be sure the book cover and the content were written by the same person?” Jing Li asked.

Yue Qingzi froze for a moment, then suddenly thought of something, sitting up straight in alarm.

If the book cover and content weren’t written by the same person, then who else could have obtained a personal inscription from Qin Zhao, the top scholar in three categories?

The content of the story was narrated in the voice of a shuang’er, with delicate and gentle prose…

Yue Qingzi stared at Jing Li in stunned disbelief. “C-Could it be that you…”

“I’ll let you in on a secret.” Jing Li blinked playfully and whispered, “I’m actually Zhao Li.”

…

Qin Zhao and Jing Li didn’t linger long at the prefect’s residence. After they left, Yue Qingzi headed straight to the kitchen to continue experimenting with new pastries, humming a hometown tune under his breath.

He seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

The prefect’s wife noticed and quietly pulled the prefect aside to ask, “Qingzi seems to like Mr. Qin a lot. Did they have a good conversation?”

The prefect was utterly baffled.

He thought to himself, Qin Zhao and Qingzi only exchanged a single greeting. How could that possibly count as a good conversation?

The prefect’s wife, having taken a liking to Qin Zhao ever since meeting him at the Gu residence, had been thinking of ways to strengthen ties with him. Although the prefect had mentioned that Qin Zhao was focused on his aspirations and unlikely to be swayed politically, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to try from a different angle.

With Yue Qingzi staying in the prefect’s city residence recently, matchmaking naturally came to her mind.

After all, even in remote and impoverished areas, it was rare for a man to have only one shuang’er as his main spouse.

The prefect’s wife, knowing little about Qin Zhao, assumed he probably didn’t favor women. If that were the case, sending Yue Qingzi as a prospect seemed like a good idea.

As for the prefect, he had always admired Qin Zhao. If this alliance through marriage could happen, he would certainly be pleased.

Thus, the entire arrangement unfolded today.

However…

“My dear,” the prefect sighed, “I already spoke directly to Qin Zhao, but he has no intention of taking another spouse. He’s clearly deeply devoted to his husband. You should give up on this idea.”

“Then why is Qingzi so happy?” The prefect’s wife asked, puzzled.

“How should I know?” The prefect spread his hands helplessly. “Could it be… the boy really has feelings for Mr. Qin?”

“That won’t do!” The prefect’s wife looked alarmed. “That Qin fellow doesn’t care for anyone else. If Qingzi marries into his family, he’ll only suffer. Absolutely not!”

The two speculated for a long time but couldn’t come to any conclusions. Unable to get anything out of Yue Qingzi either, they had to drop the matter for the time being.

In the following days, Yue Qingzi broke from his usual behavior, leaving the residence every day to visit Qin Zhao’s home, claiming he was going to play with Madam Qin. This left the prefect and his wife suspicious and uneasy. They even asked Gu Changzhou to pass a message to Qin Zhao.

“If Mr. Qin has no feelings for Qingzi, please make it clear to him as soon as possible to avoid the boy clinging to false hopes and to prevent Madam Qin from misunderstanding.”

When Ah Qi delivered the message, Qin Zhao was reading in his study. Upon hearing it, he sighed helplessly and gently pushed open the window.

Through the hanging flowers of the corridor, he could see two youths sitting in the courtyard with chairs they had dragged over, chatting and laughing about something.

Expressionless, Qin Zhao said, “Tell Gu Changzhou to inform the prefect that Madam Qin has no misunderstandings. Madam Qin and his nephew are having a wonderful time.”

So wonderful, in fact, that it seemed Jing Li had almost forgotten he even had a husband.