Mr. You's fictitious marriage

Epilogue

What if they married first, then fell in love, and only thereafter became lovers? They weren't like other couples, or perhaps other couples were also like them; who knows what form the love would take?

For him, merely having the opportunity to fall in love with his darling anew every passing day was quite enough.

In the aftermath of their financial troubles, they were forced to part with a multitude of valuable properties in order to rectify their losses. Curious about his lover's sentiments regarding the relinquishment of their wealth, Qin Jiu inquired of You Huo whether he lamented such a loss.

You Huo's own bank account remained mostly unscathed. Qin Jiu had generously compensated him for his efforts in training the recruits, and he had been frugal with his expenditures, save for sums of money he regularly shared with his cousin to ensure the prosperity of their uncle's shop and a few expenditures incurred during his travels.

Without mincing words, You Huo succinctly responded, "Fuck it to hell and back."

They made the audacious decision to relocate permanently to the countryside. Not content with this drastic alteration alone, Qin Jiu resolved to move the headquarters of his company. For he believed with fervent conviction that it was an affront to good taste to confine the greatest businesses solely within the bustling capital. With the company staying and growing in the countryside, its infrastructure would also grow and, a few decades later, flourish to its betterment.

***

They had just returned after a customary visit to the esteemed widow of the fourth prince and their lovely and cheerful daughter, for whom they had gotten a new gimmick from Lao Yu's toy store, - a marvelously crafted miniature railway train model. The young child developed an endearing fondness for both the enchanting contraption and her newfound "uncles," asking for their presence even between their visits, much to her mother's despair, as she complained to Qin Jiu and You Huo later.

The little princess happened to be the only legitimate child in the royal family, so suddenly her mother was faced with the reality of raising the heir to the throne. Because the government had finally increased their financial support, they were no longer in danger of starving, unlike during the prince's sickness and passing, when only the help from Qin Jiu and You Huo kept them alive.

Prince's widow passed onto them her late husband's last words: "I was too afraid to say anything before, but looking at things now, from the death bed, puts them in a new perspective!" A portly man laughed at his own jokes. His wet laughs mingled with weak coughs, creating an odd symphony of sound. "I know now that I cannot, in a good conscience, let things go like that. Innocent lives could not be ruined because of my brother's greed!"

Thus, in the end, he sent all the evidence he could gather to help in Qin Jiu's trial.

Now, the first prince was serving his prison term, surrounded by many of his accomplices. Including the cunning officer Zhang, whose sly machinations sought to shift the burden of a heinous murder onto Qin Jiu.

The two of them only returned from their trip on the previous eve. Despite his travel weariness, You Huo refused Qin Jiu's kind offer to rest for a few days and resumed his duties without delay.

Alas, it appeared that Qin Jiu could not refrain himself from being a bother and decided to pay an impromptu visit to You Huo and pester his dearly missed husband. The trainees had grown accustomed to the inevitable occurrence whenever their esteemed leader graced the training grounds with his presence—they were about to be subjected to very blatant public indecency.