When Qin Zhao brought the food back into the room, Jing Li was still buried in the quilt, lying sideways against the wall, with the only visible part of his body being the red tips of his ears.
He is still sulking.
Qin Zhao put the food back on the table and walked to the bed: "Does it still hurt? Let me see."
Jing Li silently pulled the quilt around him and wrapped himself tighter.
Qin Zhao: “…”
It doesn't hurt, but... Qin Zhao really went too far today.
Qin Zhao has helped Jing Li relieve his pain several times because he has been unable to have sex recently. Jing Li originally thought that since he had teased someone too much in school today, it would be okay for him to help him once in return, but how could he use that!
There was still a burning sensation at the base of his legs, and Jing Li clutched the quilt tightly in anger.
Most of them were learned from storybooks.
"Okay, get up and eat." Qin Zhao leaned over and wanted to kiss the tip of the ear, but he was afraid of making the person even angrier, so he could only rub the person's head. "Can you wait until after you finish eating before getting angry?"
Jing Li said in a muffled voice: "I don't want to eat."
"Aren't you hungry now?"
Jing Li pursed his lips and said nothing. A slight sound came from his abdomen: "Gurgle..."
Jing Li: “…”
He turned over and sat up, annoyed, "Feed me."
This is what it means to not be angry. Qin Zhao smiled and turned to the table to serve the food.
The advantage of making money is that their lives are now much better. At least Jing Li can see meat on the table for every meal, and recently Qin Zhao also makes soup for him from time to time to nourish his body.
The milky white bone soup is full of fragrance, and one sip of it warms your whole body.
Jing Li leaned against the bed and let Qin Zhao feed him a bowl of soup. He sighed and said, "Weren't you really a cook before?"
"..." Qin Zhao asked, "Do you think I look like a cook?"
Jing Li tilted his head to think about it, and somehow the image of the chef who was invited by the village chief to prepare a banquet two days ago appeared in his mind. He shook his head quickly: "No."
If the Qin Zhao he met was like that, probably... he would still be a farmed fish now.
Although it can be considered as a domestic fish now.
Jing Li suddenly thought of something and his cheeks felt a little hot.
Qin Zhao wanted to continue feeding him, but Jing Li grabbed his hand and said, "Let's go to the table and eat."
He simply couldn't get angry with this guy. Just like just now, he clearly just wanted to be willful and say something angry, but why did Qin Zhao just agree with him in everything
Aren’t you afraid that he will become more and more willful
Jing Li ate his food while thinking about random things.
After dinner, Qin Zhao was going to the village chief's house to discuss the division of classes in the academy. He was sorting out the essays collected today when he suddenly remembered something: "I will go to the provincial examination by myself. You don't have to follow me."
The provincial examination is in mid-April, and it is only the beginning of March now, so there is still a month and a half in between.
But Qin Zhao felt it necessary to discuss this matter with Jing Li in advance.
Sure enough, Jing Li, who was originally reading "Spring Boudoir Secrets" with great interest, frowned and looked up: "Why?"
"Your current health is not suitable for traveling." Qin Zhao said, "The provincial examination will be held for three consecutive days. I will be back after the exam. It won't take much time."
"But..." Jing Li whispered, "Even if you include the round trip, it will take about ten days."
Since coming here, he has never been separated from Qin Zhao for such a long time.
Qin Zhao stood up and walked to the table, bending down to look Jing Li in the eye: "If possible, I don't want to be separated from you for so long, but the current situation is special."
"Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about our child. He is so young, how can he endure the long journey?"
Jing Li: "Okay..."
Qin Zhao smiled and kissed Jing Li on the forehead, then stood up. He saw Jing Li lowering her head and touching her belly: "Did you hear what your father said? I'll give you another month. Come out quickly, otherwise you'll be wasting time."
Qin Zhao: “…”
It is not suitable to travel long distances while pregnant, so as long as the child is born before the provincial examination, everything will be fine, and he can follow Qin Zhao to the provincial capital.
The logic is so simple and clear.
Qin Zhao opened his mouth, wanting to say that although fish give birth much more easily than ordinary people and can recover after a few days of rest, it does not mean that they can run around after giving birth.
Besides, don’t the cubs born need care
But when he looked at Jing Li's expectant expression, he just sighed and said nothing.
He just hoped that the koi physique wouldn't be so effective in this regard, otherwise he would really be worried about going to the provincial capital by himself.
Qin Zhao thought so.
Abbot Jingchen had said before that Jingli would give birth within three months. Jingli believed it without a doubt and insisted that she would be able to give birth in early April.
After all, he was conceived during the New Year, how could an ordinary koi be pregnant for so long
However, the koi physique did not work this time. Until Qin Zhao was about to leave, Jing Li's stomach still showed no movement.
“Why is this happening…” The little koi rolled over in the barrel and patted its bulging belly gently with its fins.
After more than a month of waiting, the belly has become bigger but there is no sign of giving birth.
The fish's body was already somewhat inconvenient to move due to its bulging belly. Qin Zhao was worried that he would bump into him, so he quickly reached into the water and held the fish: "I told you not to use your body, change back quickly."
"But the fish fry grow faster this way."
The little koi fish shook its tail, but still obediently changed back into human form.
Jing Li casually wrapped himself in an undershirt, fell on the bed, and said in frustration: "This little fish cub is not obedient at all. I will teach him a lesson when he comes out."
"Okay, this kind of thing can't be forced." Qin Zhao hugged his own Xiaoyu in his arms.
After such a long time, Jing Li's belly finally bulged a little. However, he had been pregnant for more than four months, but his belly still looked like the size of an ordinary three-month-old, and the difference was almost unnoticeable when he put on clothes.
Qin Zhao said: "What do you think of the child? It's impossible to just let him be born. Besides..."
He lowered his head and rested it on Jing Li's slightly bulging belly: "You can't give birth now, not within the next ten days. You have to wait for me to come back, otherwise who will take care of you?"
Jing Li burst out laughing: "You just said that you can't force it."
"You can't force it, but you can discuss it." Qin Zhao felt the raised outline and whispered, "Be obedient these few days and don't make Daddy uncomfortable."
"What's the point of talking to him about this? He doesn't understand." Jing Li played with Qin Zhao's hair and muttered, "I talk to him every day, but he doesn't respond at all."
Qin Zhao: "He's still too young. He'll be fine once he grows up."
Jing Li responded softly.
Qin Zhao raised his head, hugged the back of his neck and leaned over to kiss Jing Li on the lips: "Can't bear to leave me?"
Jing Li looked away: "You obviously know..."
"Yeah, I know." Qin Zhao whispered, "I can't bear to leave you either."
"It's already late, and you have to get up early tomorrow, so don't delay any longer." Jing Li said, "Let me help you pack your things."
As he spoke, he broke free from Qin Zhao's arms, picked up the luggage that Qin Zhao had not yet packed and began to sort it out.
While doing this, he also reminded: "It shouldn't be too cold in the city in April, but you should still bring a coat, just in case. Have you packed the rice porridge I made for you? And the soup medicine? You must remember..."
"Xiao Yu." Qin Zhao looked at his profile and suddenly asked softly, "Are you... worried?"
Jing Li stopped moving.
"I thought you were just a little nervous after learning that you were pregnant, but I recently discovered that it's more than that." Qin Zhao pulled Jing Li to sit on the bed and asked him to look up at him. "Tell me the truth, Xiaoyu, do you... not want me to go to the capital?"
They knew each other too well. Even if Jing Li had deliberately concealed something, he could still see the other person's true emotions hidden deep in his heart.
Qin Zhao circled the cold fingers in his palm and said gently, "You actually... don't want me to continue, right?"
Jing Li's eyes moved slightly and his body was a little tense.
"Don't be nervous. I told you that you can tell me anything you think." Qin Zhao stroked the back of the other person's hand and said slowly, "Tell me, what are you thinking about?"
Jing Li was silent for a moment, then said slowly: "I... I don't hope, I'm just... a little worried."
"There are so many people in the city. What if you run into someone who has hurt you before?"
"I asked Grandpa Xue, a large amount of Shen Huan Powder is not something that ordinary people can find." Jing Li said, "I am a little stupid, but I still think of these things. The person who wants to harm you must be powerful, maybe a high-ranking official or a wealthy person. If you continue..."
He paused for a moment and said hurriedly, "I'm not asking you to stop investigating. I... I don't know what to do..."
He was so conflicted that he didn't dare to mention his thoughts to Qin Zhao.
If he gave up at this point, not only would Qin Zhao not be able to swallow this humiliation, even Jing Li would not be able to convince himself.
But if we continue investigating, what if something unexpected happens to Qin Zhao...
He couldn't imagine the outcome.
He will go crazy.
Perhaps influenced by the misfortunes in his childhood, Jing Li always has a sense of insecurity in his bones. The more peaceful and stable the days are, the more he worries about losing them.
Fearful and cowardly, worrying about gains and losses.
Jing Li doesn't like his own temper, but it's not something he can change just because he wants to.
Jing Li suddenly felt a little frustrated: "I shouldn't be like this."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Qin Zhao pressed the other's head into his shoulder and said gently, "You are doing this for my own good, I understand. I understand your worries, uneasiness, and contradictions. These are not your fault."
Jing Li felt a little sour at the tip of his nose.
Qin Zhao said: "Xiao Yu, you still don't believe it. Have you brought me a lot of good fortune?"
"I... I believe it..." Jing Li answered in a low voice.
He no longer doubted his physical condition, but... But this was not the same thing.
No matter how lucky he is, can he allow the mastermind behind the scenes to fall ill and die now
"That means you don't believe me." Qin Zhao smiled, "Don't you believe that your husband has the ability to change this?"
Jing Li was stunned.
Qin Zhao loosened his grip slightly, lifted his chin, and made him look at her: "Don't underestimate me, Xiaoyu, I will definitely do what I said. Have some faith in your husband."
Jing Li looked into the other's handsome and sharp eyes, and his originally uneasy mood miraculously calmed down.
Yes, why should he doubt it.
Qin Zhao is so powerful, why doesn't he believe him
He was clearly the person who should least doubt Qin Zhao.
Jing Li lowered his head and kissed Qin Zhao's fingertips: "I won't do this again in the future. I believe you."
Just like the days when they first met, he always believed that Qin Zhao would be able to properly resolve any crisis.
It would take at least three days to travel from the town to the prefectural city by water. Therefore, Qin Zhao set out four days before the prefectural examination.
The provincial examination would last for three consecutive days, so Qin Zhao could only return to the village on the evening of the tenth day at the earliest.
But on the morning of the ninth day, an ox cart stopped at the entrance of Linxi Village.
"Qin Zhao? You're back now?" It was the time when the villagers were going to the town to attend the market. When many villagers saw him, they asked in surprise.
Qin Zhao looked a little tired and dusty, but he was still gentle and elegant: "Yes, I have finished the exam."
A villager asked him, "Didn't Yan'an come back with you?"
Qin Zhao said, "He has to wait in the city for the results to be announced, and it will probably take a few days for him to come back."
The villager asked again: "Then why don't you wait for the results to be announced?"
"She must be worried about her husband, don't you understand?" A farmer next to the villager said, "Your husband has been coming to the village entrance every day recently. Everyone told him that you won't be back so soon and asked him to go home and wait, but he refused."
After hearing this, Qin Zhao felt sad and tender-hearted.
He knew that Xiaoyu would not be so obedient and stay at home to take care of the baby.
Qin Zhao didn't say much to them and walked quickly towards the bamboo courtyard.
The provincial examination is the same as the county examination, and candidates can submit their papers in advance at noon.
However, the provincial examination is much more difficult than the county examination, and there are more questions than the county examination, so almost no one can submit the paper early.
Except Qin Zhao.
Someone's mind was full of his little husband who was alone at home. He did not waste a moment in the examination room. As soon as the noon bell rang, he immediately raised his hand and handed in the test paper.
When the first batch of cards were distributed, he was the first and only person to leave the examination room.
When he left, even the police couldn't help but look at him a few more times.
Qin Zhao had already chartered a return boat before the last provincial examination began. After coming out of the examination room, he went straight back to the inn to pack his luggage and went to the pier.
After three whole days of non-stop travel, we finally arrived at Linxi Village this morning.
The gate of the bamboo courtyard was closed. Qin Zhao pushed it open quietly and took a look inside.
The door of the main house was open, there was no one in the yard, and a bright red koi was sleeping at the bottom of the pond.
Since returning, Qin Zhao followed the custom of Yunguan Temple and laid stones and water plants at the bottom of the pond for the little koi. Among the dark green water plants, the bright red spot was particularly conspicuous.
The little koi's fins were stretched out, and its body swayed freely with the water flow, and it looked like it was sleeping soundly.
Qin Zhao's heart finally settled down. He walked into the yard, put his luggage aside, and squatted down by the pond.
I originally thought that this guy would be scared and worried and unable to sleep at night, but it turned out that he was overthinking.
Qin Zhao stretched out his hand and gently stirred the water.
Fish are extremely sensitive to water fluctuations. The little koi moved its tail, and after a while, it slowly raised its head.
After seeing Qin Zhao from afar, he lowered his head in a daze.
It was as if I thought I was still dreaming.
Qin Zhao: “…”
He was so sleepy that he probably wouldn't be able to wake up for a while.
Qin Zhao sighed silently and decided to go back to the house to pack his luggage.
Jing Li had been feeling very tired since yesterday. He slept for a long time, and only gradually woke up when the sun was high in the sky.
Did he just... dream about Qin Zhao
The little koi floated up to the surface of the water in a daze, turned into a human form, stepped on the ground barefoot, picked up the clothes thrown aside and put them on casually. The weather in April was no longer cold, and the thin layer of clothes stuck to his skin, which was still covered with water droplets, and immediately became wet.
Jing Li rubbed his eyes sleepily, raised his eyes, and met another gaze.
"???"
Qin Zhao sat on the bamboo chair, put down the book, and smiled at him: "Are you awake?"
"You...how did you..."
Qin Zhao stood up and walked towards him, opening his arms and hugging him: "I was a little worried about you, so I came back early."
Jing Li was still a little confused: "Then your exam..."
"Of course I've finished the exam." Qin Zhao said, "It will take several days to announce the results. Don't worry, the questions are very simple."
Jing Li no longer believed what Qin Zhao said about simplicity, but since he said so, he was most likely to be the first in the case this time.
Jing Li said: "Then we can celebrate in advance, I—"
His voice stopped abruptly and he was suddenly stunned.
Qin Zhao asked: "What?"
"I..." Jing Li frowned, looking a little bewildered, "Qin Zhao, something seems to be wrong with me."
Qin Zhao suddenly became nervous: "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
"No, it's just..."
Jing Li's hand fell on his abdomen, and the place that was originally a little bulge now became flat again.
Where is his cub