TTTQF Chapter 125

Jealousy

Pei Che can’t accept it. He’s grown accustomed to the gentle sound of Jiang Miao’s breathing beside him, lingering in his ears. With that sound, he always feels accompanied whenever he wakes up.

“Ah Miao, calm down first,” Pei Che raises his hand and says, “I promise I won’t come home late again!”

Jiang Miao snorts coldly, “I told you, your coming back late has nothing to do with me.”

Pei Che thinks to himself, He says it doesn’t matter, but his face is so dark it could drip water. If it’s not because of me coming home late, what else could it be?

Pei Che has no idea that Jiang Miao has caught the scent of perfume on him, nor does he know that Jiang Miao has previously heard from Brother Fang, the gatekeeper, about the courtesans at Cuiwei Lake. Even more so, he doesn’t realize they’ve unintentionally achieved the goal of provoking Jiang Miao.

“Alright, even if it’s not about me coming home late, then tell me—why did you suddenly say you want to sleep separately?”

“Hmph,” Jiang Miao sneers, “Then you tell me, what reason do we have to sleep together? Don’t say it’s to make room for a study. That place is spacious enough; you could easily fit a bed in there.”

“We’re husband and husband. Not sleeping in the same room might cause people to gossip.” Pei Che cleverly finds an excuse.

Jiang Miao glares at him, “Don’t think I don’t know. In your aristocratic families, husbands and wives don’t sleep together every night. Each has their own courtyard, and at the very least, their own rooms.”

Pei Che is speechless; most people do live that way. Thinking about it, their life seems less happy than that of ordinary folk. At least commoner couples always share a room.

Seeing Pei Che fall silent, Jiang Miao gets out of bed. As he catches another whiff of the perfume on Pei Che, he can’t help but shoot him another glare. Pei Che, sensing the anger but clueless as to what he’s done wrong, is completely bewildered.

...

During breakfast, the atmosphere is tense. Jiang Miao and Pei Che sit on opposite sides of the table, with a clear divide between them. Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu, being sensitive children, quickly pick up on the strange mood. They look back and forth between their guardians, trying to figure out what has happened.

“Hurry up and eat. Afterward, I’ll take you to school,” Jiang Miao reminds them. The two children immediately stop dawdling and speed up their movements.

***

After eating, Jiang Miao drops the two children off at the Children's Hall and then goes to the back kitchen of the dining hall to buy the ingredients needed for the day.

When Jiang Miao returns home carrying the items, he is surprised to find that the table has been tidied, the floor swept, and the dishes washed and neatly placed in the cupboard. Looking outside, he notices a corner he hadn’t paid attention to earlier, where clothes are hanging damply on bamboo poles. Though they are wrinkled like pickled vegetables, at least they are clean.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Miao walks over, takes the clothes down, wrings them out, and carefully spreads them flat before hanging them back up. He stands in the yard for a while, sighs, and then goes to the kitchen to start making today’s snacks for the children’s break.

Although he is somewhat absent-minded while preparing the snacks, the taste is still top-notch. Out of habit, Jiang Miao sets aside a few pieces for Pei Che, then delivers the hot snacks to Master Bai at the Children's Hall to distribute to the children later.

***

After leaving the Children's Hall, Jiang Miao feels a bit lost. That morning, in a moment of anger, he had declared that they should sleep in separate rooms. But here in the Imperial Academy, there are no carpenters available to make custom beds. Unlike modern times, large items like beds are not something carpenters keep in stock; they only start working when there is an order. So, even if he places an order now, it will be a while before he can sleep on it.

Where will he sleep tonight?

Jiang Miao is determined to stick to his word—he’s not about to lose face by going back on what he said. No matter what, he won’t go back to the bedroom tonight!

Maybe he could squeeze in with Xiao Shitou and the others? But as soon as the thought crosses his mind, Jiang Miao dismisses it. The two kids have already gotten used to sleeping on their own. If he joins them now, it will only upset them when they have to separate again next time.

Where can he sleep? The more Jiang Miao thinks about it, the more frustrated he becomes, and he can’t help but start blaming Pei Che again. If it weren’t for that guy ruining their pure brotherly bond with a single kiss, he wouldn’t be dealing with this headache at all! What makes it worse is that after flirting with him, Pei Che had immediately gone off to indulge himself elsewhere, fully displaying the shameless ways of those frivolous sons of noble families to the fullest!

Jiang Miao fumes and grumbles in frustration, when suddenly, a thought strikes him: why does he care so much whether Pei Che had gone off to have fun yesterday?

Jiang Miao stops in his tracks, his expression growing even darker. Could it be that he is... jealous? But jealousy like this—isn’t that something that only happens between couples? Could it be that, subconsciously, he has already accepted Pei Che as his partner, which is why he’s so upset at the thought of him being unfaithful?

Jiang Miao is startled by his own conclusion. He wants to deny it, but what’s the point of self-deception? So, when did he start having feelings for Pei Che? And more importantly, why does he even like Pei Che in the first place?

Jiang Miao speculates that the first reason might be Pei Che’s appearance. He figures he’s probably just a shameless beauty lover. Pei Che’s good looks are enough to make him think that even being with a man isn’t so bad

Second, it could be that Jiang Miao is attracted to Pei Che’s status. In terms of background, Pei Che is the heir to a dukedom, and even among the nobility, his position is prominent. In terms of wealth, he has so much money that Jiang Miao couldn’t spend it all in several lifetimes. Being with him means never having to worry about trivial matters like food, clothing, shelter, or daily necessities.

Third, and in Jiang Miao’s view, the least likely possibility is that he might be drawn to Pei Che simply as a person. Pei Che is well-versed in the Five Classics and Six Arts, neither flattering to those above him nor arrogant to those below. His temperament is gentle, he is sincere in his dealings with others, has a mind of his own without being conceited, and he listens to advice without blindly following it. To put it simply, he is indeed quite admirable.

Jiang Miao’s face grows a bit hot. He hasn’t realized Pei Che holds such a place in his heart. He tries to think of Pei Che’s flaws—like his obsession with cleanliness, his laziness, or his habit of saying one thing but meaning another. But now, looking back, he suddenly feels these are all minor quirks that don’t really matter. In everyday life, there’s always some give and take.

As he thinks more, Jiang Miao’s expression becomes strange. If Pei Che is so excellent, then why did he sneak a kiss on him in the middle of the night? Jiang Miao admits to himself that, in terms of both personality and appearance, he doesn’t compare to Pei Che. The only thing he has going for him is his cooking skills, but what would that mean to someone like Pei Che, who comes from such a noble background?

After thinking it over, Jiang Miao concludes that Pei Che must have been drunk that night. Maybe Pei Che has already forgotten about the whole thing by now, while Jiang Miao has been obsessing over it and even feeling jealous. Thinking about it now, what right does he have to blame Pei Che?

With a gloomy face and heavy steps, Jiang Miao walks back to the courtyard, feeling as if there’s no greater sorrow than a dead heart. Newly caught up in the whirlpool of emotions, Jiang Miao still doesn’t understand that love is something that makes people anxious and uncertain.

Of course, love is fair. While Jiang Miao is fretting, the other person isn’t necessarily having a good time either.

***

After breakfast, Pei Che clumsily tidies up the house before grabbing his book bag and heading out to study. As soon as he enters the room, Han Qin gives him a knowing look, his face full of curiosity, eager to gossip. Pei Che ignores him, pulling out a book to hide his face as he stares into space. In his opinion, if it weren’t for Han Qin’s terrible advice, Jiang Miao wouldn’t be this upset.

Han Qin is very puzzled. After the teacher announces the break, he immediately approaches Pei Che and complains, “Ah Che, that’s not fair. It’s like the matchmaker being thrown over the wall after the wedding! I spent so much time helping you with a plan yesterday, and you won’t even tell me if it worked? Did Brother Jiang argue with you? Did you take the opportunity to express your feelings and let things naturally fall into place?” He raises his eyebrows suggestively at Pei Che, his face full of mischief.

Pei Che gives him a blank stare. “What do you think? If it had gone smoothly, would I still be like this?”

Han Qin is astonished, his face full of disbelief. “That’s impossible! This method always works. How could it have failed this time? Be honest, does Brother Jiang care about you or not?”

Yesterday, Pei Che was absolutely certain that Jiang Miao cares about him as well, but today he isn't so confident. His face is full of hesitation, and whatever crosses his mind darkens his expression, making him look like a wilted eggplant.

Han Qin notices this and thinks, ‘Uh-oh,’ quickly asking, "Tell me, what exactly happens after you get home late last night? Let me help you analyze it again."

Seeing Pei Che's doubtful look, Han Qin adds, "You know what they say: 'The person involved is often confused, while an outsider sees clearly.' Maybe there's something you overlook?"

Pei Che thinks for a moment and agrees—after all, things can't get any worse than they are this morning. He gathers his thoughts and recounts everything that happens from last night to this morning, making sure not to leave anything out. Once he is done, he looks at Han Qin, waiting for his analysis.

After listening, Han Qin begins to question everything. Jiang Miao is obviously showing signs of jealousy—why can’t Pei Che see it at all?

"That's impossible," Pei Che says with certainty. "Ah Miao doesn’t know about our plan, so why would he be jealous? Besides, when I went back to the room yesterday, I washed off all the rouge and powder on me and even changed my clothes. I don’t do anything to provoke him."

Hearing this, Han Qin leans in close to Pei Che and sniffs around him. Pei Che freezes in surprise, and after realizing what is happening, he quickly pushes Han Qin away in disgust. Why is this grown man getting so close to him?

Han Qin, unfazed, chuckles and says, "You didn't wash your hair yesterday, did you?"

Pei Che shakes his head. It was too late last night, so he didn't bother to wash his hair.

"That's it then. The things you buy yesterday must have gotten into your hair. Someone like Brother Jiang, with his culinary skills, likely has a keen sense of smell. He must catch a whiff of something on you and figure out where you’ve been. That’s why he is so angry, feeling jealous. Think back carefully to what he says and see if it makes sense."

Pei Che, seeing how serious Han Qin sounds, begins to recall Jiang Miao’s words from yesterday:

"Not like there’s anything interesting to see at home anyway!"

 "Now you won’t be disturbing me, and I won’t be ruining your fun!"

If these remarks are made because Jiang Miao smells something on him and suspects he has gone out to play around, then it really does seem like he is jealous!

The more Pei Che thinks about it, the more Jiang Miao’s behavior this morning seems like the actions of someone jealous.

Pei Che’s eyes begin to brighten, and his mood lifts, no longer as gloomy as when he arrived. Love has this kind of power—one moment, you're in the depths of despair, and the next, you feel like you're in paradise.

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