Chapter 5: Perfect  

After the pea cake incident at noon, Ye Miao was no longer surprised when Qin Jin walked in carrying a tray. However, the fact that Qin Jin had personally brought it still made him happy.  

“Brother Jin, let me take it,” he said, standing up and reaching for the tray.  

“Stay seated—you’ve been hungry all day,” Qin Jin replied, shaking his head as he placed the tray on the wooden table by the window.  

The table was made just last year after the family split households. It retained its raw wood color, as the Qin family wasn’t wealthy and avoided unnecessary expenses.  

Obediently, Ye Miao sat down by the table. Before he could take a good look at the dishes on the tray, Qin Jin said, “Start eating. I’m heading out—Elder Brother and the others are still outside.”  

“Alright,” Ye Miao quickly replied.  

Hearing the door creak shut, he exhaled a long breath.  

In truth, he had already passed the peak of his hunger, and with it being night time, the bridal chamber was imminent. Skipping dinner wouldn’t be a problem.  

He sat distracted, unable to stop thinking. Qin Jin didn’t seem to like him—how would tonight’s bridal chamber play out?  

Qin Jin, on the other hand, was also dreading the upcoming night. Admiring his little husband’s looks was one thing; sharing the bridal chamber was another.  

As he stepped out of the room and saw Qin Bing and the others still working, Qin Jin pushed these thoughts aside and urged his older brothers and their wives to return home.  

The borrowed tables, chairs, pots, and bowls had already been returned, leaving only the task of tidying up the courtyard and putting things back in order.  

There wasn’t much left to do—Qin Jin could finish it alone.  

Qin Bing and the others didn’t insist on staying. After all, this was their fourth brother’s wedding night; lingering too long wouldn’t be appropriate.  

Once they left, Qin Jin rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning the courtyard. Sweeping what needed to be swept, wiping what needed to be wiped, he soon finished the cleanup. Then, he went into the kitchen.  

A dim oil lamp burned in the kitchen, its pea-sized flame barely illuminating a small circle, leaving the room cloaked in shadows.  

As he was scrubbing the large pot, Ye Miao came in with the tray.  

Seeing Qin Jin holding a kitchen broom, Ye Miao jumped in surprise. He quickly stepped forward and said, “Brother Jin, you should go outside. I’ll clean up here!”  

How could a man be scrubbing pots and pans? That was his responsibility. Placing the tray on the counter, Ye Miao reached out to take the kitchen broom from Qin Jin’s hand.  

Dodging his grasp, Qin Jin set the broom aside and picked up a ceramic bowl filled with cool boiled water from the counter. Handing it to Ye Miao, he said, “It’s just a bit of cleaning—I can handle it. You should drink some water; you must be thirsty.”  

He hadn’t had a sip of water all day.  

Ye Miao didn’t take the bowl. His eyes stayed fixed on the broom, a look of urgency on his small face. “Brother Jin, please let me handle it.”  

Qin Jin hadn’t expected his little husband to be so stubborn. With a sigh, he grabbed Ye Miao’s hand and firmly pressed the bowl into his palm. “Just listen to me.”  

Those four words immediately reminded Ye Miao of Qin Jin’s earlier remark—“Follow your husband after marriage.” Stunned, he finally held the bowl in both hands.  

“Drink up,” Qin Jin urged. He, too, thought of his earlier words but pushed away the strange feeling they brought as he turned back to scrubbing the dishes Ye Miao had just used.  

Ye Miao lifted his gaze and stared at Qin Jin’s tall frame. Slowly, he sipped the water, finishing the entire bowl.  

His mind was a jumble of emotions—one moment he was worried that Qin Jin wouldn’t want to consummate the marriage, and the next he was reassured by Qin Jin’s considerate behavior throughout the day. Qin Jin hadn’t shown any displeasure and had been exceptionally caring. He must be willing, right?  

His mental scales tilted further toward hope.  

Not only had Qin Jin paid attention to his meals and drinks, but he had also taken the initiative to wash the dishes Ye Miao used instead of pushing all the chores onto him.  

This level of consideration… Surely he wouldn’t turn cold in the bedroom, right?  

When Ye Miao finished the water, Qin Jin had also completed tidying up the kitchen. Seeing Ye Miao set the empty bowl down, he hesitated before saying, “There’s warm water in the pot—go ahead and wash up.”  

At these words, Ye Miao’s gaze immediately turned evasive, and he lowered his head as he replied softly, “Okay.” His hands and feet felt clumsy, unsure of where to place them.  

But his heart was bursting with joy—was this an unspoken hint about the bridal chamber?  

Watching Ye Miao’s shy demeanor, Qin Jin felt a growing headache. This little husband of his was clearly anticipating their wedding night.

“I’ll get you a towel and a basin,” Qin Jin said, as if searching for something to say, then added, “They’re all newly purchased.”  

Ye Miao softly murmured an acknowledgment, his face growing warm.  

Before long, Qin Jin returned with a wooden basin and closed the kitchen door. Letting out a long breath, he thought of the quietly radiant Ye Miao, his lips lifting into a smile he couldn’t suppress.  

Outside in the courtyard, Qin Jin tilted his head back to gaze at the moon. Its gentle and luminous glow reminded him of his grandfather’s stories of how, in earlier times, moonlight was bright enough to see by. Qin Jin had always been skeptical of such tales, but now, seeing it with his own eyes, he realized his grandfather hadn’t been lying.  

Reining in his wandering thoughts, he looked back down and turned in a small circle.  

At that moment, the sound of splashing water came from the kitchen, and he froze in place.  

In his previous life, after graduating, he had inherited the family bookstore. With print media nearly obsolete, much of his time was spent strategizing how to keep the shop afloat. As a result, he never got around to finding a girlfriend.  

Having never experienced the intimacy of a close relationship, he wasn’t exactly filled with restless anticipation now.  

What he did feel, however, was a growing unease.  

Did he absolutely have to consummate the marriage tonight?  

Of course, bringing someone into the family meant that the bridal chamber was an eventuality. From the moment he agreed to the marriage, he had resolved to take lifelong responsibility for Ye Miao. That included sharing the chamber and having children someday.  

But the fact remained—he didn’t particularly like men at the moment. What if they got undressed, and he felt nothing? The potential awkwardness of that scenario was unbearable to imagine.  

These worries accompanied him as he finished cleaning up and returned to the room after washing.  

Inside, red candles burned brightly. Although it was summer, the thatched roof of the house was thick enough to keep the room pleasantly cool.  

Ye Miao lay on the inner side of the bed, a thin blanket covering him. Most of his delicate face was tucked under the blanket, only his clear eyes peeking out to watch Qin Jin.  

“…”  

Qin Jin swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he turned to close the door.  

He thought Ye Miao would shrink entirely under the covers out of shyness. To his surprise, the young man stared straight at him without flinching.  

This little husband—quite bold.  

Qin Jin’s mind whirred as he struggled to break the tension. “Are you tired from today?”  

“No, I was just sitting most of the time. I didn’t do anything strenuous,” Ye Miao answered softly, shaking his head.  

“…Right, makes sense.”  

Turning away again, Qin Jin walked to the bedside, his eyes downcast, and slipped off his shoes.  

“Blow out the candles, will you?” he suggested.  

“Okay.”  

Ye Miao agreed quickly, though if one listened closely, there was a slight tremor in his voice.  

Under the blanket, his hands were tightly gripping the hem of his clothes. Even though he believed Qin Jin wouldn’t ignore him once they were in bed, he had decided to take the initiative just in case.  

After all, Qin Jin didn’t like him.  

Yet he lacked experience and worried that being too forward might make Qin Jin think he was shameless. After much deliberation, the only thing he could come up with was to meet Qin Jin’s gaze bravely and openly.  

And so, he watched Qin Jin from the moment he entered the room, noticing how he avoided looking at him.  

He saw Qin Jin blow out the red candles and then lie stiffly on the bed without pulling up the blanket or saying a word.  

The room grew silent—so silent it felt oppressive.  

He gripped the hem of his clothes tighter, trying to suppress the moisture in his eyes.  

All the joy from today had vanished, not a single trace left.  

Qin Jin was a good person.  

But he really didn’t like him.  

He shouldn’t have been greedy… he should have taken things slow, waited a little longer. Would Qin Jin like him eventually, over time?  

The countryside was quiet at night, only the sound of unknown insects chirping. When he heard the sound of sniffling next to him, Qin Jin couldn’t help but turn to look toward the bed.  

Was he crying?  

“Miao-ge?”  

Ye Miao didn’t respond. He was afraid that if he spoke, the heavy nasal tone would give him away.  

Qin Jin sat up. The room was dark, but the window was open. With the dim moonlight, he saw Ye Miao slide further under the covers, completely hiding himself while the sniffling grew louder. Clearly, he was quietly wiping away his tears.  

…  

Not consummating the marriage on their wedding night was a great humiliation and grievance for someone from this time, especially for someone like Ye Miao, who had been raised in hardship and was sensitive to emotions.  

In the morning, Qin Jin had promised in front of everyone that Ye Miao would never be wronged, but now here he was, reducing him to tears. He couldn’t bear it any longer. It was better to let Ye Miao think something was wrong with his body than to let him keep crying like this.  

“Miao-ge, I… I’ll light the candles.”  

In the pitch black, well, lighting the candles might help things be clearer.  

Ye Miao was a little confused. What was the point of lighting candles now?  

Once the dim yellow light filled the room again, his body stiffened.  

He realized that Qin Jin had gotten back into bed. Ye Miao didn’t dare to move a muscle.  

Making up his mind, Qin Jin tossed aside his confused thoughts and, slowly, he carefully extracted Ye Miao from the thin blanket.  

Ye Miao didn’t look at him, but his eyelashes were wet and trembling. His nose was flushed, and every now and then, he would stifle a sob. His small figure looked both pitiful and endearing.  

“It’s my fault, don’t cry.” Qin Jin silently berated himself, annoyed with his own indecision.  

He pulled Ye Miao into his arms, gently patting his back, waiting until Ye Miao had calmed down a bit before his big hand slowly moved from his back to the front.  

He slowly began to unbutton Ye Miao’s clothes.  

The person in his arms was so slender, almost like paper, which made him wonder just how much hardship Ye Miao must have endured in the past.  

But despite holding such a warm body against him, in such close contact with his neck, Qin Jin didn’t feel any resistance at all.  

His rough hand slipped inside Ye Miao’s clothing, and only then did Ye Miao realize Qin Jin’s intentions. His heart felt both joyous and bitter—this man was indeed soft-hearted. Just a few tears, and he was willing to share the bridal chamber with him.  

Taking a deep breath, Ye Miao placed both hands on Qin Jin’s shoulders, his body trembling as he reached to unbutton Qin Jin’s clothes.  

Qin Jin was actually a little nervous too. He had mentally prepared for Ye Miao’s questioning if he didn’t respond. However, when he had fully removed the clothes of the person in his arms, he froze.  

So pale.  

Paler than Ye Miao’s face.

And it was also delicate, in the dim candlelight, like mutton fat jade.

His throat bobbed again. He embraced the person and collapsed onto the bed.

The intention of the bridal night was to ease Ye Miao’s grievances, and he didn’t resist. He applied the experiences he had from his past life on Ye Miao. Ye Miao, too shy to open his eyes, forgot about the discomfort from earlier.

The night deepened quickly. Qin Jin wiped both their bodies once again. After getting back into bed, he gathered the person hiding under the blankets into his arms.

He cupped Ye Miao’s face in both hands, and, with sincere words, apologized: “It’s my fault, don’t be angry.”

“…”

Ye Miao’s cheeks were still flushed, and he didn’t dare meet Qin Jin’s gaze. His heart was fluttering, making him want to smile.

But in the end, he only held onto the front of Qin Jin’s clothes and softly hummed in agreement.

“Sleep now.” Qin Jin sighed in relief.

Very good.

He had not lost face.

Ye Miao stopped crying.

This bridal night… was alright.

He rolled over, holding the person in his arms even tighter.

This position wasn’t very comfortable, because the little husband was too thin, his body full of bones, which was quite awkward.

But to avoid making his little husband overthink, Qin Jin could only hold him and, at the same time, wonder how he should compensate the little husband in the future.

Ye Miao wasn’t comfortable either. His body was sore from earlier, but he gripped Qin Jin’s clothes tightly and closed his eyes contentedly.

It didn’t matter that he didn’t like him.

After all, this person was soft-hearted.

He secretly curled up the corners of his mouth.