Qiu Ling gazed at the boy in a daze. While he carried the same soul, his mother-in-law wasn’t completely wrong. Jing Yi grew up differently and with everything that he experienced he would diverge more from how Jing He had been. Even at this point in time, they weren’t the same person anymore. His mother-in-law’s question wasn’t without grounds.

The one he had fallen in love with was Jing He, not Jing Yi. If not for Jing He, he wouldn’t look twice at a mortal boy. There were some things that were quite similar between them but also things differing greatly.

For example, his relationships with his parents resembled one another. In both lives, he was closer to his mother than his father. It was more obvious in the mortal realm but even in the Nine Heavens, he had discussed his problems with the Heavenly Empress Bai Fen instead of asking the Heavenly Emperor.

In contrast, their temperament differed. Jing Yi was easily scared but if you didn’t give him any reason to he would happily explore everything around him and show a curious side that the Son of Heaven probably never had had. Jing He, on the other hand, … he was gentle and refined, an amicable person but also someone reclusive that one couldn’t easily get close to. He would look at people but if one paid close attention, then it was obvious that his heart was never there. His eyes still managed to draw people in.

When Qiu Ling had seen them for the first time, he had felt like having seen the source of the world. Certainly, his beloved’s gaze was the only pure thing out there, untainted by the filthy world outside, without desire or hate. That gaze had been one of the things that made him fall in love with Jing He.

Only much later had Qiu Ling found out that this impression was deceptive. Jing He had desires. He had just learned how to hide them. From others and sometimes even from himself. Because if there was something you wanted, then you could be hurt. That was what he believed.

Qiu Ling’s gaze grew distant when he thought of that. Jing He had felt lonely for such a long time. He had wanted to love but he hadn’t dared to do so. It had taken Qiu Ling ten years to finally tear down the walls he had erected around his heart. And he knew well enough that this had liberated Jing He to a certain extent. Looking at it this way he had given him much in his past life but he had robbed him of just as much in this one.

"Fine." Qiu Ling’s voice sounded hoarse when he made up his mind. "I’ll let it be for now. But I’ll intervene if this goes overboard!" He fixed Madam Zhong with a serious gaze.

She nodded and smiled, unimpressed by his gaze. "Then I’ll get you a new cup." Once again she swept the table and went to the preparation room.

Qiu Ling sighed when he looked back at his beloved that was still held in the arms of another person. "Well, at least, it’s a child. If they were both grown-ups, I wouldn’t hold back. But for now … I’ll let you have some fun if that is what you want. I’ll just … watch over you from afar." His heart was heavy deciding this but what other possibility was there? He’d feel guilty if he continued to meddle. No, he had to at least give his beloved some time to try.

Mn, he’d give him … two weeks. If he found that boy’s sight unbearable at that time, he could still drive him away. That sounded fair, didn’t it? So that brat should better not go overboard until then! He didn’t want to see any more hugging!

Unfortunately, the boys couldn’t hear him and even if they did, they wouldn’t care. Shao Hai didn’t know him and Jing Yi only knew him as the old Daoist Master he called grandfather but not as the one he had labeled the 'strange uncle'. He’d probably be more inclined to trust Shao Hai instead of him.

So, at this moment, Shao Hai still hugged Jing Yi and stared threateningly at Guanyu who was getting up again.

"Why did you do that?!" she complained in a whiny voice.

"Hmph. What were you trying to do jumping at him like that? You could have hurt him!"

"Why would I hurt my big brother Jing Yi?!" She stomped her feet and clenched her fists once again. "Who told you to get involved, Shao Hai! Get away from my big brother Jing Yi!" She tried to push him off but Shao Hai stubbornly held onto Jing Yi, even turning around a little so that Guanyu couldn’t reach him.

"Go away, Zhong Guanyu! He doesn’t like you! Leave him alone!"

Guanyu froze. Her eyes welled up with tears. "You’re so mean!" she screamed and ran away to the preparation room, throwing herself into Madam Zhong’s arms. "Auntie Ru! Wuwuwu, Shao Hai was mean to me! He even caught big brother Jing Yi and doesn’t want to let him go! Wuwuwu, you have to do something, auntie!"

So there she was, the girl that had insulted the Zhongs as beggars just a day ago, crying into Madam Zhong’s arms and trying to get her help. Well, the winds did change with time.

Madam Zhong wasn’t small-minded. She didn’t fault Guanyu for the way she was but she also understood that her son wouldn’t like her and she didn’t want to force him. He was afraid of girls, after all.

Regarding that … Her gaze slid toward Qiu Ling. She had had her doubts all along and he seemed to have admitted to it before. Well, even if he hadn’t, there was no way that girls falling into muddy holes or onto the floor left and right wherever her son walked were just mere coincidences.

She sighed. He had promised to change but she wasn’t sure if she could trust him on this. His previous behavior didn’t really help his image. Ah, how could a Daoist Immortal be so narrow-minded? Could he not stomach anybody else in Jing Yi’s vicinity? The boy was still so young! Where was this even coming from? Well, she could only hope that he would stay true to his words.

Without any better idea at hand, she had to make do with patting Guanyu’s head. "There, there, don’t worry. They are both boys. It’s only natural that they would have some things they want to do alone. Aren’t there also things you want to do alone with other girls?"

Guanyu looked up at her strangely. What was her auntie Ru talking about? Why would she want to spend time with other girls? She’d much rather spend time with her big brother Jing Yi! Hmph, she should still go home and ask her mother! She pursed her lips, stopped hugging Madam Zhong and ran out of the teahouse, hurrying home as fast as she could.

Madam Zhong sighed and continued her work. It wasn’t long before the next customers came in and she grew increasingly busy, without even the time to look at how her son was faring. But with Qiu Ling around she didn’t worry that anything could happen to him.

Indeed, nothing had happened to Jing Yi. He was even quite happy at the moment. Unfortunately, the reason for that wasn’t Qiu Ling but the person the dragon king had dubbed his first love rival: Shao Hai.