Jinbao Marries a Wife

Meanwhile, Jinbao stumbled his way out, but the Divine Doctor was drowning in frustration.

He had rushed from Dongting Lake to Qixia Mountain, barely resting for more than an hour or two each day.

He was convinced that every moment he arrived late meant that Xiaohu was spending that much more time with someone else. The mere thought of it was unbearable.

Yet, when he finally arrived at the Ruyi Pavilion, the person was already gone. Fury instantly surged through him. Imagining Xiaohu off somewhere with that brat Lou Jingyu, free and happy, made him so angry he wanted to cry.

It was all Lou Jingyu’s fault, the mess between him and Xiaohu. His hatred for Lou Jingyu was so deep he wanted to tear him apart. Just the sight of anyone with the surname Lou felt like facing a mortal enemy. He stormed through the Ruyi Pavilion, refusing to let it go without an explanation.

Even someone like Lou Jingrong, who had weathered countless storms and remained calm and composed, had his face twisted in rage from Que Siming’s relentless and unreasonable tirade.

Both sides were red-eyed and ready to draw swords, bloodshed seeming imminent.

Luckily, Steward Xiao and Que Qingyuan arrived just in time to pull Que Siming away, dragging him off the premises of the Ruyi Pavilion.

Que Qingyuan looked at Que Siming, who sat on the bed with a clenched fist and a face as dark as thunder, feeling deeply troubled.

That day, when he saw the ridiculous “divorce letter” Jinbao left on the wall, he realized the bond between these two ran far deeper than he had imagined. Perhaps it wasn’t as simple as Jinbao wronging him. Que Siming might not be able to sever ties with Jinbao as cleanly as he’d thought.

Que Qingyuan felt disappointed, sad, and yet, oddly, it felt right.

His junior had always been this way, stubborn and arrogant. Once he made up his mind, no matter what anyone said, he would never turn back. When Que Siming first arrived at the Medicine Valley, no matter how hard Que Qingyuan tried to befriend or please him, Siming ignored him completely. If annoyed enough, he’d even throw rocks at him. Que Qingyuan had suffered plenty of bullying from him as a child.

Thinking back to his childhood, Que Qingyuan couldn’t help but smile. If it weren’t for this leg… He subconsciously touched his leg. If it weren’t for this leg, his junior would probably still be indifferent towards him.

Back then, he was always jealous of someone called “Xiaohu.” Hearing his junior cry and call that name in his sleep filled him with resentment.

“I’m the one by your side. I’m the one who can be good to you, but you don’t even look my way…”

Que Qingyuan gave a helpless smile. From the initial amazement and joy he felt at first sight, to thickening his skin just to befriend him, to eventually growing close as brothers, to the shameful and secret love over the years that repeatedly turned into disappointment, and finally to the calm acceptance he had now—he didn’t ask for much anymore. All he wanted was for his junior to be healthy and happy, to have someone who truly cared for him, and for them to remain brothers for life, meeting every year. That would be enough.

Though seeing Que Siming and Jinbao separated by great distances gave him a bit of unwanted relief, his usual rationality prevailed. He knew that Que Siming’s current situation was far too dangerous. If this issue wasn’t resolved, how could they deal with Yu Mingjing’s increasingly frequent maneuvers?

Que Qingyuan glanced at Que Siming again, coughed lightly, and, using his cane, stood up. He moved over to sit beside Que Siming and softly said, “Siming.”

Que Siming didn’t seem to hear him, his eyes bloodshot, staring blankly ahead as his jaw clenched so hard his cheeks were twitching.

Que Qingyuan reached out, gently yet firmly prying open Que Siming’s tightly clenched fist, one finger at a time. “Siming, say something to your senior brother.”

Que Siming lowered his head, his long, seaweed-like hair cascading over his shoulders, obscuring most of his face and making his emotions unreadable.

“You can’t keep going like this,” Que Qingyuan said quietly. “Yu Mingjing has been acting like a madman recently, probing the Medicine Valley’s situation more and more frequently. I don’t know what he’s so anxious about, but if you run into him in this state, the consequences could be disastrous.”

Que Siming’s throat worked for a moment, and then, in a hoarse voice, he said, “I’m going to kill him.”

Que Qingyuan held his hand with one hand and patted his back with the other. “You must not act rashly.”

“I’m going to kill him,” Que Siming gritted out. “If it weren’t for him, Xiaohu wouldn’t have…”

Que Qingyuan’s face darkened, and he said bitterly, “Junior brother, what’s important now isn’t finding Young Master Jinbao but your blood curse—”

Que Siming cut him off, “I have to find Xiaohu first.”

“Siming, Young Master Jinbao is with Lou Jingyu. He’ll be fine. It’s you we need to worry about—”

Suddenly, Que Siming shot up, his voice sharp and furious, “It’s because he’s with Lou Jingyu that something is wrong! He’s mine! Why should he be with Lou Jingyu?!”

Que Qingyuan was startled by his sudden outburst and stared at him in shock.

Que Siming froze as well, lowering his head and pressing his lips together, not saying another word.

Que Qingyuan sighed. “If you don’t come back with me now, Master might come out to get you himself.”

Que Siming shook his head. “I’m not going back until I find Xiaohu.”

Que Qingyuan didn’t know how to respond. He had already guessed this would be the outcome. He couldn’t exactly knock his junior out and drag him back, and for a moment, he felt at a loss.

Que Siming stood up, his back to him. “Senior brother, you and Uncle Xiao should go back. Don’t worry about me. When I find Xiaohu, I’ll bring him back.”

Que Qingyuan shook his head. “No, leaving you out here alone—if Yu Mingjing finds you, you won’t stand a chance. That’s exactly what he wants.”

Que Siming closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his temples. “Then stop talking and just help me find Xiaohu as soon as possible.”

They stayed near Qixia Mountain for a few days. With the help of the Ruyi Pavilion, they finally learned the direction Jinbao and Lou Jingyu were heading. The moment Que Siming heard, he knew Jinbao was heading back to Dali. Without a second thought, he set off in pursuit.

Jinbao followed Lou Jingyu all the way, eating, drinking, and having fun without a care in the world, just focused on going home.

Lou Jingyu was both pretty and smart, knowing how to talk to people and how to talk to ghosts. When he wanted to charm someone, he could be so obedient and cute that Jinbao was left dumbfounded.

Jinbao had always had a weakness for people being nice to him. As soon as someone treated him well, he’d feel embarrassed, like he owed them something, and he’d desperately want to repay them. So, facing Lou Jingyu, he found it harder and harder to keep a cold face. Lou’s constant “big brother” was making him a little light-headed. Plus, all the food, clothing, and expenses on the trip were covered by Lou Jingyu. Jinbao knew well the old saying: “He who eats from others’ hands can’t be too proud.” The more he thought about it, the less annoying Lou Jingyu seemed. He even started questioning whether he was being too harsh by treating this kid so coldly.

Once that thought crept in, there was no stopping it. Lou Jingyu, sensing the opportunity, stuck to Jinbao like glue, calling him brother, acting as if they were lifelong friends. Before long, Jinbao got used to it. Though he wasn’t warm towards Lou, he no longer pointed at his nose, telling him to get lost.

From Qixia Mountain to Dali, it was a journey of thousands of miles. Having someone to accompany him, to eat and play along the way, kept loneliness at bay. At least, when Lou Jingyu was yammering in his ear, Jinbao could momentarily forget about Que Siming and all the things he heard that day.

When they returned to Dali, it was late autumn, and the countryside was alive with the harvest. The scene was bustling and lively.

As they neared the Su residence, for the first time, Jinbao felt that familiar tension of being close to home.

He imagined seeing his young master and Zhaocai soon. They would definitely ask him why he came back.

And what was he supposed to say? “Que Siming didn’t want me anymore, so I came back”?

Jinbao hung his head, his chest tight with emotion.

It wasn’t that he felt ashamed—well, not that this wasn’t embarrassing. It certainly was. He had eagerly run off with Que Siming, been toyed with for a year, and then slunk back like a cast-off concubine. Sure, it was humiliating, but he figured being humiliated in front of his own people wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

His main worry was that his young master and Zhaocai would be heartbroken.

They had tried so hard to stop him back then, warning him not to go with Que Siming. They said that two men together could never have a good ending. So why had he been so foolish, so stubbornly determined to follow Que Siming, thinking they would live happily ever after? It turned out Que was just playing around, never taking it seriously, while Jinbao had taken it all too seriously. Looking back now, he wanted to slap himself in the face.

Stupid! He wasn’t just a little stupid—he was completely pathetic. Getting dumped was exactly what he deserved.

Now, going back, how heartbroken would his young master and Zhaocai be? He was a grown man with everything he could want, but he let himself be treated like some kind of boy toy, and he did it willingly. If Zhaocai were in his shoes, Jinbao would be furious to the point of vomiting blood.

Thinking about his situation, Jinbao’s nose began to tingle, and he blinked hard to hold back the tears.

If he didn’t go home, he didn’t know where else he could go. The world was so vast, but he couldn’t survive on his own. His only option was to return home.

“I’m sorry, brother, I’ve embarrassed you,” Jinbao whispered to himself, thinking of Zhaocai.

Step by heavy step, as if his feet were weighed down with lead, he walked toward the Su residence.

Noticing something was off, Lou Jingyu grabbed his arm and looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

Jinbao shook his head, avoiding his gaze.

Lou Jingyu suddenly jumped in front of him, gripping his shoulders, and said sternly, “I know what you’re thinking. Let me tell you, none of this is your fault. It’s that bastard Que Siming—his heart’s been eaten by dogs.”

Jinbao shoved his hand away. “What do you know?”

“I don’t know? Wait a moment.” Lou Jingyu firmly pressed him down, preventing him from moving. “Look at me. If you feel embarrassed, when you go back, just say you’re with me now. I promise, you’ll never regret it for the rest of your life.”

Jinbao, irritated, frowned. “Why can’t you let this go? Didn’t I tell you to stop bringing this up? We’re not on the same path. Besides, if I mess around with another guy in this life, I’d really be out of my mind. Stop thinking like that. If you think we get along, I can treat you like a little brother. Stay as long as you want, but cut those feelings out, okay?”

Lou Jingyu stared at him for a long time, then let out a sarcastic smile and shook his head. “No, I can’t. This is exactly how I feel about you. I can’t just be your little brother. You won’t get rid of me.”

Jinbao sighed. “You just don’t listen, do you… Fine, do whatever the hell you want, just stop blocking my way.” He pushed Lou aside and continued walking.

Unfazed, Lou Jingyu trailed behind, his usual shamelessness returning. “What’s so wrong with me? What do I lack? Why are you so damn stubborn…”

Jinbao had heard enough and was beyond annoyed, so he ignored him.

Suddenly, Lou Jingyu called out, “Xiaohu.”

Jinbao froze, disbelief written all over his face as he turned to look at him. “What did you just call me?”

“Xiaohu… He used to—”

“Who told you to call me that?!” Jinbao’s voice rose sharply. “You think you can just call me Xiaohu? Do we even know each other that well?”

Lou Jingyu hadn’t expected two simple words to provoke such a strong reaction. He was stunned for a moment, then his anger flared as well. “It’s just a name. What, are you made of gold or silver that I can’t call it?”

Jinbao’s face flushed red with frustration. Hearing that name, just for a split second, made him feel like it was Que Siming calling him. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest. If Lou Jingyu hadn’t said it, he wouldn’t have realized how much he still longed to hear that person call him that way.

The more he realized this, the more he wanted to hit himself. But since he couldn’t, all his fury got unleashed on Lou Jingyu.

Jinbao didn’t want to fight on the street, so he cursed in anger, “Get lost. Stop following me.” He turned and stormed off.

Lou Jingyu stood there, feeling both aggrieved and furious. He remained frozen in the middle of the street for a long time. When he finally understood why Jinbao had reacted so strongly, a deep bitterness welled up in his heart.

All this time, he had seen Jinbao appear calm, never mentioning Que Siming, and thought maybe he had moved on. But now he realized Jinbao had just hidden it away, not letting Lou see it—nor even himself.

According to Yu Mingjing, the two had known each other since childhood, which meant that the ties between Jinbao and Que Siming were deeper and more complicated than Lou Jingyu had initially thought.

How much more effort would it take for Jinbao to completely forget Que Siming?

Watching Jinbao’s retreating figure, a hint of coldness flashed across Lou Jingyu’s face. Despite the frustration gnawing at him, he still couldn’t let it go and chased after him.

By the time the two of them finally stepped through the gates of the Su residence, Jinbao realized that all the worries and pep talks he had given himself during the journey were completely in vain.

His young master, Zhaocai, and even Master Su weren’t in Dali at all.

His young master had gone off traveling with Zongzheng Huaien, Zhaocai and Miss Xiao Rou had gone to the countryside, and Master Su had returned to Jiangnan.

In that moment, Jinbao was hit with a strange mix of disappointment and relief.

Thankfully, everyone at the Su residence knew him, so they quickly arranged accommodations for him and Lou Jingyu. They were about to send messages to both his young master and Zhaocai, but Jinbao stopped them. The truth was, he wasn’t in a hurry to see them—if anything, he was afraid. Being back home already felt comforting, and he’d rather they take their time coming back.

And so, the two of them settled into the Su residence for the time being.

Kipzi – Btw guys do you think Steward xiao sounds better or manager xiao? Or maybe director xiao? I was struggling with this lol