Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 102

Seeing him silent, a faint joy rose in Yu Jiao’s heart. Though this little stick-in-the-mud had a cold personality, she knew he must be worried about her, otherwise, he wouldn’t have come all the way to the He residence to find her. The corners of her lips curved into a soft smile.

Yu Qizhe heard her laugh, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red. He quietly stared at her for a while. “Did they give you any trouble?”

Yu Jiao stopped smiling, turned her head, and looked at his handsome features. “And if they did, what would you do?”

Yu Qizhe’s hand, resting by his side, tightened slightly. Her words brought on a sudden wave of helplessness, as if he couldn’t hold on to anything, just empty air. He pressed his lips together, his cool voice laced with a rare firmness. “There won’t be a next time.”

“Hm?” Yu Jiao tilted her head, puzzled.

Yu Qizhe turned away, saying nothing more, but he engraved those words deep in his heart.

Understanding what he meant, Yu Jiao couldn’t help but grin. This little stick-in-the-mud’s words were actually kind of heartwarming. Whether or not they were true didn’t matter. Smiling, she explained, “They didn’t trouble me. Old Master He isn’t terminally ill. I’ve already prescribed medicine, he’ll be fine soon.”

The summer evening breeze carried a faint scent of magnolia blossoms, adding a touch of sweetness to the air. Yu Qizhe gave a quiet “Mm” as the two walked side by side toward the guest room where Yu Jiao was staying.

A maid came in with tea and snacks. Yu Jiao picked up a piece of mung bean cake and slowly ate it with her tea. “Should I ask Master He to prepare a carriage to take you home?”

Yu Qizhe set down the pale green tea cup and shook his head. “I’ll stay with you. I’m not going back.”

Yu Jiao had thought he’d only dropped by to check on her. She didn’t expect he planned to stay. Tilting her face up, she gave him a smile. “I’m doing fine here at the He residence, as you can see. There’s nothing to worry about, you don’t have to stay just for me.”

Yu Qizhe frowned and shook his head stubbornly. “I’m staying.”

Seeing how insistent he was, Yu Jiao bit her lip. She wasn’t good at dealing with people, especially when they were kind to her. She hated feeling like she owed anyone, always trying to find a way to pay it back.

She had never planned to get too entangled with the Yu family. The fact that Yu Qizhe came to find her already meant a lot.

Lowering her eyes, she thought for a moment before speaking softly. “You don’t have to do this. I promised to cure your illness, I won’t go back on my word.”

Yu Qizhe’s expression turned serious, his long, narrow eyes locking tightly onto hers. His voice was tense. “This has nothing to do with my condition. I just don’t feel at ease with you staying here alone.”

His clear, piercing eyes were hard to meet. Yu Jiao’s heart skipped a beat. She looked away from his ink-like brows and eyes, her gaze drifting to his well-manicured fingers. His hands were beautiful, long and slender with clean, glossy nails.

After a long silence, she said in a low voice, “Then I’ll ask someone to inform Master He.”

She called out to the maid standing outside. “My family’s worried about me. He wants to stay and keep me company. Please let Master He know and ask him to prepare another guest room.”

“No need,” Yu Qizhe said to the maid. “Please inform Master He that I’m her husband and I wish to stay here with her.”

Yu Jiao gave him a quick glance and nodded to the maid, who finally curtsied and left.

Master He didn’t say much when he heard the news. Later that evening, he simply had two servings of food delivered to their room.

Yu Jiao ate distractedly. There was only one bed in the room. She couldn’t figure out why Yu Qizhe insisted on staying with her. Was he suddenly… interested in sharing a bed?

She quickly shook the thought away. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, Yu Qizhe’s upright and proper image had left a strong impression on her. Besides, they were in someone else’s house, no matter what, he wouldn’t do anything inappropriate on someone else’s bed.

After dinner, Yu Jiao went for a walk in the courtyard to digest, and Yu Qizhe stood up to follow her, quietly walking laps with her around the small yard.

“…Does Aunt Song know you’re here?” After two silent laps, Yu Jiao broke the silence, turning her head to look at him.

He had a slim build, and it was hard to believe they’d let him come alone. Yu Ruhai probably wished he had nothing to do with her, so why let Yu Qizhe come to the He residence?

Dressed in a blue robe, Yu Qizhe looked tall and upright despite his thin frame. Under the moonlight, their shadows stretched across the stone path. Hearing her question, he turned his head.

They were walking side by side, so when he turned, his handsome face was suddenly very close to hers. Their breaths nearly mingled. Yu Jiao startled and stepped back, nearly tripping over herself.

Yu Qizhe reacted quickly and caught her by the waist, murmuring, “Watch your step.” Then he let go.

Yu Jiao’s cheeks grew warm. Maybe it was the summer heat, but even her breathing felt restless.

Yu Qizhe tucked the hand that had touched her behind his back, his palm curling slightly, as if the softness still lingered between his fingers. He smiled faintly. “My parents know. They’re worried about you too.”

Yu Jiao rarely saw him smile. In truth, he looked amazing when he smiled, his usually cold and gloomy features transformed into a lively ink-painting beauty. His long, alluring eyes turned charming, and that faint weakness in his expression gave off a forbidden, almost intoxicating contrast that made it hard to look away.

A phrase suddenly popped into Yu Jiao’s head, ‘A refined scoundrel.’

“You really don’t need to worry. I can handle things myself,” she muttered awkwardly.

“I know,” Yu Qizhe replied immediately.

He knew she was different from other girls, she faced everything alone, never cried or relied on others. She always carried everything on her own shoulders.

Even though he knew she could deal with the He family’s issues just fine, he still wanted to come find her. Even if he couldn’t help at all, just being by her side made her feel less alone.

Another long silence fell between them. Feeling a little tired from the walk, Yu Jiao returned to her room. The maid brought hot water. After washing up, she sat in front of the bronze mirror, slowly undoing her hair, twirling strands around her fingers, staring at the only bed in the room, feeling a little troubled.

Yu Qizhe, having finished freshening up, saw her still sitting there. He could read her thoughts and found it amusing. Normally, she spoke without a filter, completely shameless, he had thought she was bold and brash, unafraid of anything. But now it turned out she was just a paper tiger.

Thinking of all the times she had teased him, he walked up behind her and bent down, speaking in a low voice right above her head, “It’s time to rest, my dear wife.”

His sudden closeness startled Yu Jiao. She jumped up, and before Yu Qizhe could step back, she accidentally bumped into his chin.