Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 184

“We’re not here to see you,” Yu Jiao said coolly. “Sister Fuling and I came to visit Fifth Brother.”

Yu Jinshu frowned but, mindful of the Mu household servants present, held back from speaking harshly. Instead, he shut the door with a cold expression.

Servants in wealthy households were always sharp, knowing when to look the other way. The attendant boy simply acted as if he’d seen nothing and led Yu Jiao to the last room in the corridor. “This is the Fifth Young Master’s room,” he said.

He knocked lightly, and a moment later, Yu Qizhe opened the door. When he saw Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling, he didn’t look surprised at all and invited them inside.

The table inside was strewn with scrolls and half-written pages of calligraphy. The ink was still wet, showing he’d been interrupted mid-study.

“Did we disturb your reading?” Yu Jiao asked as she stepped in.

Noticing the rain-dampened patch on her temple, Yu Qizhe pulled a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped her hair. “It’s no bother,” he said.

Yu Fuling’s shoulder had also gotten wet. She pulled out a handkerchief of her own, laughing teasingly, “Little brother, we grew up together, how come your eyes only see Yu Jiao getting wet? You don’t care about your big sister at all?”

Yu Jiao, a little embarrassed, took the cloth from Yu Qizhe’s hand and awkwardly dabbed her forehead herself.

“Ah, Sister…” Yu Qizhe said with a helpless smile.

Seeing them both flustered, Yu Fuling grinned. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing. Pretend I didn’t see anything. Poor me, nobody cares about the big sister.”

Yu Jiao saw she was getting carried away and returned the handkerchief to Yu Qizhe with a squint of her almond-shaped eyes. Smiling playfully, she said, “Wait until you’re married after the New Year, then I’ll make sure to tell brother-in-law to take extra good care of you!”

Yu Fuling blushed and laughed, reaching out to tickle Yu Jiao. “What nonsense are you spouting! Who wants him to dote on me!”

Yu Jiao dodged behind Yu Qizhe, laughing as she spoke boldly, “If you don’t want your husband to pamper you, who do you want? Sister Fuling, better be careful, your future husband might get jealous!”

Yu Fuling’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “You little rascal! I ought to tear that mouth of yours apart!” She said, lunging for Yu Jiao’s sleeve.

Yu Jiao instinctively clung to Yu Qizhe’s waist, using him as a shield. She grinned mischievously, “No way, good sister! I need this mouth to eat, drink, and keep you company!”

Yu Fuling sidestepped Yu Qizhe and grabbed Yu Jiao’s sleeve. “I don’t need you to talk to me anymore, your mouth is the worst!”

Yu Jiao clutched tightly at Yu Qizhe’s waistband as she dodged and pleaded, “Quick, help me block her, she’s gone mad missing her fiancé!”

That only provoked Yu Fuling further. She set her mind to “punishing” Yu Jiao.

Yu Qizhe, caught between the two of them, couldn’t help but laugh. His peach blossom-shaped eyes shimmered with amusement as he raised his arm to block Yu Fuling’s hand. “Come on, Sister, have mercy on her.”

“No way! Don’t you defend her, I have to teach her a lesson today, so she remembers who her big sister is!” Yu Fuling pushed aside his arm and went for Yu Jiao’s ticklish spot at her waist.

She’d done it before and knew Yu Jiao was extremely ticklish.

Yu Jiao burst into breathless laughter, writhing as she tried to escape. She clung to Yu Qizhe’s robe and gasped, “You… haha… help me…”

Her cheeks flushed from laughing, her almond-shaped eyes were misty and bright. Yu Qizhe’s heart skipped a beat as he wrapped his arms around her and turned his back to Yu Fuling. “Sister, tickle me instead.”

Yu Fuling stood hands on hips, laughing smugly. “So? Still want to run that mouth?”

Yu Jiao peeked out from Yu Qizhe’s arms, her eyes curving like crescent moons. “Good sister, I surrender. Your tickles are deadly. When you get married, I’ll be sure to warn your husband to beware of your ‘special skill’!”

“You brat! Still spouting nonsense?” Yu Fuling huffed in mock anger, reaching around to push Yu Qizhe away. “Move! Don’t protect her, I want to see if she dares say another word without you hiding her!”

Yu Jiao quickly ducked deeper into Yu Qizhe’s embrace, giggling. “Sister Fuling’s going feral! Help me hold her off!”

Then she kept taunting, “Sister Fuling, if your future husband sees how fierce you look right now, he might think twice about marrying you!”

Utterly flustered and laughing, Yu Fuling dove toward Yu Qizhe to grab Yu Jiao again. But with him shielding her, she couldn’t get a grip, so she went back to tickling under Yu Jiao’s arm.

Yu Jiao trembled from laughter, unable to hold still. Pressed against Yu Qizhe’s chest, she tugged at his robe and pleaded softly, “Help me, she’s gone crazy!”

The body nestled in his arms was soft and warm, its curves accentuated by the closeness. Yu Qizhe instinctively tightened his hold, her slender waist barely spanned the width of his hands.

Yu Jiao was no longer a child. After the New Year, she’d come of age, a young woman ready for marriage. For them to be clinging to each other like this, if anyone saw, it would seem improper. And yet, the way she nestled into his arms so trustingly and affectionately made Yu Qizhe unwilling to pull away.

He held her close and said gently, “Sister, let me handle her for you.”

Yu Fuling raised a brow in disbelief. “You? You’d rather protect her than scold her! As if you’d ever lift a hand to her!”

Gasping for breath, Yu Jiao said in a small voice, “Good sister, I really know I was wrong this time. I won’t tease you again.”

“Now you know? Too late for that!” Yu Fuling said with a laugh, but she didn’t attack again.

Yu Jiao peeked up from his arms, her voice sincere. “Truly, I won’t say another word.”

Finally, Yu Fuling relented. After all that laughter, she was a little tired herself. She sat by the table, poured a cup of tea, and took a sip.

Only then did Yu Jiao dare to slip out of Yu Qizhe’s arms. She noticed the half-written essay on his desk and remembered that she and Yu Fuling had interrupted his studies. Quickly, she urged him to get back to work.

Yu Qizhe resumed his reading. Yu Fuling, seeing this, didn’t dare disturb him further and let Yu Jiao off the hook.

The two sisters stayed quietly in his room for quite some time. After the three of them shared lunch, a maid arrived to say that Mu Yan was asking for Yu Jiao. Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling then left Yu Qizhe’s room.

Outside, the rain had stopped without anyone noticing. The trees and flowers in the courtyard gleamed with new life, washed clean by the rain, refreshing to the eyes and spirit.

Following the maid to the front hall, Yu Jiao found several unfamiliar faces inside.

Madam Mu smiled and invited Yu Jiao to sit, introducing her to a richly dressed woman in her thirties seated beside her. The woman was the wife of Mu Yan’s third younger brother. Yu Jiao smiled politely and greeted her, “Third Madam.”

Third Madam Mu studied her with a pleasant smile. “Have you been settling in well at the residence? I meant to meet you yesterday, but Second Master said the journey must’ve tired you out. He thought it best to let you rest before bringing you to me.”

Yu Jiao answered with an easy smile, calm and composed. “Second Master arranged everything most considerately.”

Second Madam Mu added with a smile, “We had planned for Miss Rong to keep you company, but she sent word today that she’s gone to her maternal grandparents’ country estate for a short visit. She won’t be back for a while.”