Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 87

Not long after her voice fell silent, Yu Qizhe set down his brush. The yellowed xuan paper bore his refined handwriting, restrained and orderly. His slender, pale fingers picked up the prescription and handed it to Yu Jiao.

Yu Jiao reached out to take it, and as her fingertips brushed his, Yu Qizhe quickly withdrew his hand. She hadn’t minded at first, but the way he recoiled, as if she were something dangerous, stung a little.

She wasn’t some monstrous creature, after all. She shot Yu Qizhe a discreet glare, then handed the prescription to Yu Gancao, reminding her, “Take it before intercourse. Don’t stand up right afterward, best to lie down and rest for half an hour before washing up, or just sleep directly. The two weeks before menstruation are the easiest time to conceive.”

Though Yu Gancao was already a married woman, her face turned red as she took the prescription after hearing Yu Jiao mention intercourse.

Yu Jiao continued seriously, “Missionary or doggy style tends to improve chances of conception.”

That statement made Madam Zhang blush as well. She didn’t even dare glance at Yu Qizhe, mumbling, “You little girl, how do you even know these things?”

Yu Gancao hadn’t expected Yu Jiao to be so blunt either. Embarrassed and unable to stay a moment longer, she quickly tugged Madam Zhang away with her.

Yu Qizhe’s usually calm, handsome face had turned slightly red. Looking at Yu Jiao’s completely unbothered expression, he couldn’t help but scold, “You’re a young lady, how can you be so shameless?”

Yu Jiao, hurt by the baseless accusation, narrowed her apricot eyes slightly and muttered, “You act like everyone’s as stiff as you. Like touching your hand ruined your purity or something, so rigid and dull.”

She hadn’t spoken loudly, but it was already late into the night, and the small room was deathly quiet. Yu Qizhe heard every word.

His dark, cool eyes locked onto Yu Jiao’s face like shadows pooling in the moonlight. He suddenly grabbed her slim wrist, stepping in close, a cold smirk playing at his lips.

“Do you find people like Yu Jinyan or Yu Zhizhou more interesting, then?”

The frail and sickly youth who always seemed weak now radiated a dangerous aura. His grip tightened on her wrist until it began to hurt. His handsome face and breath, closing in on her, made Yu Jiao’s heart flutter with unease. 

She instinctively leaned back and whispered, “You’re hurting me.”

Yu Qizhe lowered his gaze to her wrist, delicate and pale as jade, warm to the touch. Because of his poor health, his own body was usually cold, even in summer.

He loosened his grip a bit, but didn’t let go completely. His peach-blossom eyes fixed firmly on hers, their depths tinged with winter’s chill as he pressed again in a low voice, “Do you think they’re interesting?”

Yu Jiao had no idea what had suddenly set him off. He really was moody. She frowned, trying to pull her wrist away, but he held fast.

“Who said they were interesting? What do they have to do with me?” Her voice was tinged with frustration. She figured Yu Qizhe was still hung up on that incident when Meng Yujiao climbed into his bed. 

For a young man, it was surely a humiliating and pride-wounding event. Softening her tone, she explained, “I was foolish before, swayed by Yu Zhizhou’s provocations and did something incredibly stupid. What’s done is done. I’ll leave the Yu family in due time, I won’t be in your way.”

Her gentle voice did little to ease Yu Qizhe’s expression. He looked up at her with eyes like a bottomless abyss, the candlelight flickering in his pupils, outlining his elegant features. His face, under the glow, looked like moonlight across a starry river, cold yet dazzling.

“No one’s forcing you to leave,” he said quietly.

Yu Jiao scoffed and lifted her right hand to push at the fingers still wrapped around her wrist. “And what’s so great about your Yu family that I should stay?”

Apparently displeased by her words, Yu Qizhe still wouldn’t let go. He turned his face away and said, “From now on, don’t go laughing and joking with other men. You are my wife in name, after all.”

Despite his composed tone, the tips of his ears turned a rosy red. He softened his voice a bit, awkwardly adding, “I held your hand just now, so I’m clearly not that rigid or boring.”

Yu Jiao blinked in surprise, then laughed out loud, her anger melting away. So that’s why he was acting like this, it was because of what she said earlier.

His hand was larger than hers, fingers pale and well-shaped like jade. Though still a youth, his palm easily wrapped around hers. With a soft chuckle, she said, “Alright, alright, I was wrong. You’re the most interesting of all.”

That little bit of flattery visibly brightened Yu Qizhe’s face. His refined features lost their usual chill, his eyes curving slightly at the corners, though he tried to maintain a stoic expression.

“Didn’t you just say I was shameless? What kind of gentleman behaves like you?” Yu Jiao teased, suddenly recalling the first words he’d ever spoken to her upon waking, accusing her of being shameless. Now she was getting her payback.

“I… I’m not like other men. I’m different,” Yu Qizhe stammered, face reddening again. He let go of her wrist, turned his back, and muttered, “You touched me on purpose just now. You got what you wanted, don’t push your luck. And no, we’re not sleeping together.”

Yu Jiao hadn’t expected him to twist things like that. She was momentarily speechless. She hadn’t meant to touch his hand.

“When did I say I was going to sleep with you? I meant I was going back to my own room to sleep,” she clarified.

Though she loved teasing him, she still saw Yu Qizhe as just a boy. After all, she had lived another lifetime and wasn’t truly a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl anymore.

Yu Jiao walked toward the door.

Yu Qizhe turned to watch her back, a faint smile tugging at his lips, his long, narrow eyes filled with amusement.

Back in the west wing, Yu Gancao asked, puzzled, “Mother, how does Fifth Brother’s wife know medicine? She’s so young. Is that prescription even reliable? Maybe I should have Grandfather take a look.”

Madam Zhang, who had never thought much of Yu Jiao before, now couldn’t help but praise her. “Don’t underestimate her because of her age. Her medical skills are far better than your grandfather’s. I heard she studied under a famous doctor in the capital when she was little. She’s truly capable. Your second aunt got lucky with such a daughter-in-law.”

“But didn’t Auntie say her family was dirt poor? If she’s really as skilled as you say, why would they sell her off to be someone’s good luck charm?” Yu Gancao asked casually.

After all, this wasn’t a famine year. Even if a family was struggling, they’d usually just send their kids to work as servants under contract with rich families. The Meng family had clearly been ruthless, selling off Meng Yujiao outright. From now on, she had nothing to do with them.

Madam Zhang didn’t know all the details either. Back then, the old man had believed a fortune teller who said Yu Qizhe needed a marriage to counteract his bad luck. They searched every nearby village for a suitable girl. 

Coincidentally, Yu Huangqi, the old lady’s youngest daughter, had married into Meng Village and told them about a widow there, raising two kids and struggling to survive. The elder daughter was thirteen and quite pretty, just the right age for Yu Qizhe. 

After inquiring at the widow’s home, they found she was indeed willing to sell her daughter for just four taels of silver.