Who Is the Husband

Watching Chu Muji's awkward, forced smile, Beigong Qiyi curled his lips into a mischievous grin. He walked over and sat opposite Chu Muji, teasing, "What's wrong? Why does our Young Master Chu look as if he's swallowed poison?" Chu Muji covered his face with his hand, glared at Beigong Qiyi, and muttered under his breath, "Why did your brother come, too?"

Beigong Qiyi glanced at Beigong Juechen, who approached Chu Muji at a measured pace. The mischievous smile on Beigong Qiyi's lips grew wider. Chu Muji huffed in annoyance, just as he turned to see Beigong Juechen standing before him. Startled, Chu Muji hastily stood up, "Haha... Master Beigong, hello... haha..."

Beigong Juechen swept his gaze from head to toe over Chu Muji, his expression unreadable. Wherever his eyes landed, Chu Muji felt a chill. He couldn't fathom it—apparently, Beigong Qiyi and Beigong Juechen were as close as ever. Yet, on the day of the wedding, Beigong Qiyi's actions should, by Beigong Juechen's temperament, have warranted death. How could it be...

"Brother, come sit." Beigong Qiyi spoke up just in time. Beigong Juechen withdrew his gaze and sat beside the youth. Chu Muji finally breathed a sigh of relief, quietly soothing his pounding heart, and managed a smile for the two.

On the table, only a plate of peanuts remained, nearly eaten. Beigong Qiyi raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Chu Muji, you asked me here to drink, but where's the wine?" Chu Muji replied irritably, "You're the one who owed me a drink and made me wait so long." As he spoke, he clapped his hands.

Not long after, a graceful young woman entered, carrying wine and dishes. The aroma of food, the fragrance of wine, her beauty—these should have delighted anyone. But Chu Muji, sneaking a glance at the indifferent Beigong Juechen, felt no enthusiasm at all.

He waved off the maid who was about to pour him wine. The maid obediently placed the wine jug by Chu Muji's hand and was about to leave when Beigong Juechen suddenly spoke, "Stay." The maid paused, smiled, and curtsied to Beigong Juechen, then poured wine for all three.

Beigong Qiyi cast a subtle glance at the maid, narrowing his eyes and laughing, "Since I made you wait so long, perhaps I should punish myself with three cups?"

"Huh?" Chu Muji was taken aback, evidently not expecting Beigong Qiyi to redirect the topic. Once he recovered, he laughed and scolded, "With such tiny cups, three are nothing. If you truly want to be punished, you should use a large bowl!"

Beigong Qiyi arched his brow and laughed, "A bowl it is," then pointed at the maid, "Go fetch me a large bowl." The maid answered and left. Beigong Juechen watched Beigong Qiyi with an ambiguous smile. The youth tilted his head and smiled back, "I was late because of you, Brother. Shouldn't you join me in this penalty?"

"Because of me?" Beigong Juechen raised his eyebrows, his gaze deep as he looked at Beigong Qiyi. The man's stare made Beigong Qiyi uneasy. He pursed his lips and laughed softly, "Because I wanted to spend more time alone with you, Brother. So in a sense, it was because of you."

Beigong Juechen listened to his excuses in silence, then snorted coldly and ignored him.

Chu Muji, seated between the two, watched their interaction. He was clever; a moment's thought told him what Beigong Qiyi had just intended. Chu Muji couldn't help but laugh—Beigong Qiyi's jealousy was thoroughly unreasonable...

"What are you laughing at?" Beigong Qiyi squinted at him. Chu Muji waved his hand quickly, "Nothing, just remembered something amusing." Beigong Qiyi propped his head on his hand, gazing sideways at Beigong Juechen's profile, and asked casually, "What amusing thing?"

Chu Muji's eyes spun mischievously, "Recently, someone gifted me a peculiar stone. When I asked, I learned it's a 'Longing Wife Stone.' Hahaha."

"Oh, that is rather amusing," Beigong Qiyi lazily turned to glance at Chu Muji, "Hearing you say so, I'm quite interested in that stone. Would you be willing to give it to me?"

The way Beigong Qiyi called his name made Chu Muji's skin crawl. He laughed it off, "How could I carry a stone around with me?" He had only made up the story to match Beigong Qiyi's expressions—where would he find a 'Longing Wife Stone' for him?

"No matter," Beigong Qiyi smiled lightly, "I'll have someone fetch it from your residence." Chu Muji swallowed hard, stammering, "Well... well, I thought its shape odd and tossed it aside. I can't recall where I left it. It's just a stone—if you say the word, people would cart crates of them to 'Li Manor.'"

He'd only meant to tease Chu Muji, but his words stirred something in Beigong Qiyi. Procuring a 'Longing Wife Stone' might not be a bad idea. Beigong Qiyi pondered, losing interest in tormenting Chu Muji further. Beigong Juechen, seeing the youth's expression, knew what he was thinking and suddenly spoke, "Having you as my 'Longing Wife Stone' is enough; I don't need another."

Chu Muji, inwardly celebrating his narrow escape, had just taken a sip of wine to steady himself. Hearing Beigong Juechen's remark, he nearly spat his drink.

"Brother..." Beigong Qiyi leaned close to Beigong Juechen's ear, laughing softly, "Brother, between the two of us, who is the husband? You know well, don't you?" As he spoke, his hand slid onto Beigong Juechen's inner thigh, caressing up and down.

Beigong Juechen's expression didn't change as he brushed Beigong Qiyi's hand away. He looked down at the youth leaning against him, his smile ambiguous, "If I didn't indulge you, do you really think you could succeed every time?"

Beigong Qiyi was momentarily stunned, his dark eyes blinking. Then he broke into a broad grin.

Chu Muji, sitting across from them, was lost in confusion at their exchange. When he saw Beigong Qiyi's smile, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly looked down, cursing to himself, "Damn brat, why do you have to look so good..."

Catching Chu Muji in his peripheral vision, Beigong Juechen narrowed his eyes. Beigong Qiyi was still grinning foolishly beside him. Annoyed, Beigong Juechen shoved him aside and, with a cold, regal air, asked, "What are you smiling at?"

Beigong Qiyi licked his lips, speaking softly, "Brother, may I take your words to mean that you indulge me because you like me?"

His hand resting on Beigong Juechen's thigh tightened unconsciously. Beigong Juechen glared at him coldly, scoffing, "You're awfully confident." Beigong Qiyi's smile grew even brighter, "Brother, it's not confidence, but faith. I believe you'll always like me. I've laid my heart bare for you. Heart for heart—you're not made of ice, after all."

Hey, hey... can't you two keep a low profile? There's someone else sitting here! Chu Muji silently drank, grumbling to himself.

Seeing Beigong Juechen remain silent, Beigong Qiyi ignored his cold smile, reaching out to grasp his hand. That the man would come to like him was something he had always known. He had done so much, all for this. Though Beigong Juechen hadn't admitted it, he hadn't denied it either, had he? At this thought, Beigong Qiyi's smile widened.

A faint crease formed between Beigong Juechen's brows as he gazed at the youth's radiant smile. He felt something was amiss, or perhaps everything was. There were no gaps in his memory, yet Beigong Juechen vaguely sensed he'd forgotten something. Maybe it wasn't he who forgot, but someone had deliberately hidden it from him.

Who could accomplish such a feat? His gaze instinctively swept over Beigong Qiyi, whose smile bloomed like a flower, the vermillion mark between his brows dazzlingly bright—so red, just like the flash of blood in the boy's dark eyes that night, shockingly red.

Beigong Qiyi, what have you done?

Just then, the maid Beigong Qiyi had sent for a bowl returned gracefully, filled it with wine and handed it to Beigong Qiyi. In excellent spirits, Beigong Qiyi no longer cared about the maid, taking the bowl and drinking it in one gulp.

"Well done!" Chu Muji cheered as Beigong Qiyi finished the bowl. Beigong Qiyi lifted his chin, signaling the maid to refill it. Beigong Juechen watched silently. He knew Beigong Qiyi's tolerance—a mere three bowls would not affect him.

Beigong Qiyi drained three bowls in succession, his pale skin showing not a hint of flush. Chu Muji laughed, "Beigong, your drinking prowess has improved quite a bit!" Without swallowing his own wine, Beigong Qiyi casually tossed the bowl aside, then did something that left Chu Muji utterly dumbfounded.

Suddenly, he grabbed the man's chin and kissed his lips. Beigong Qiyi had said Beigong Juechen should share the penalty with him, so that last mouthful of wine must be split. Not expecting Beigong Qiyi to be so bold, Beigong Juechen froze for a moment as Beigong Qiyi tried to pry open his lips to pour the wine in.

A layer of anger flashed in Beigong Juechen's narrow, jade-green eyes. He grabbed the youth by the nape and flung him aside. Missing his mark, Beigong Qiyi shook his head in disappointment and swallowed the wine. He had intended to feed the wine while the man was unguarded; this failure meant he would not get another chance.

Silently pressing his nearly dislocated jaw back in place, Chu Muji forced a laugh under the cold stares of Beigong Qiyi and Beigong Juechen, "The wine accidentally splashed my eye just now. Did something happen? Why are you both looking at me? Let's drink, let's drink." He hurriedly raised his cup, using the moment to wipe the cold sweat from his brow.

"Brother, let's drink." Smiling, Beigong Qiyi lifted his cup and nodded at Beigong Juechen. Beigong Juechen's lips curled into a chilling smile. The cup that had rested safely on his table suddenly rose into the air without anyone touching it, aiming straight for Beigong Qiyi's cup.

Infusing his cup with force, Beigong Qiyi maintained his smile, enduring the blow. The two cups collided with a piercing screech. Chu Muji instinctively leaned back, but in the next moment, the airborne cup returned to Beigong Juechen's hand, not a drop spilled.

Yet Beigong Qiyi's cup had lost half its wine.

Author's note: The little deviant never misses an opportunity to tease his brother~