Qiu Ling rushed straight to the teahouse, looking at the entrance with indescribable happiness. Ah, he’d see him again soon. Mn … Qiu Ling closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had to calm down. He didn’t want to storm right in, sweep his beloved off his feet and hug him.

Well, he did want to do that but no, he couldn’t. It would leave a bad impression on his mortal mother-in-law. And as his other mother-in-law had said: Making sure that his relationship with Jing He’s mortal mother was a good one had the highest priorities now!

Thus, Qiu Ling stormed right in, grabbed Madam Zhong’s hands and showed her a brilliant smile. "Mother-in-law, I’m back!"

Madam Zhong was stunned. She had just bid her son farewell and now this man had returned. And he was extremely excited it seemed. "You …"

"Did you miss me?" He only smiled wider, not at all noticing that Madam Zhong was feeling a little out of sorts. Neither did he notice the three dragons that were sitting at one of the tables, watching his antics.

Fu Min nibbled some of the cakes Madam Zhong had brought them a while ago, clearly enjoying the show in front of him. Ai Hua sipped her tea as if all of that had nothing to do with her. Xiao Dong who had never before actually seen their king stared at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed. That man was … the awesome and mighty king his uncle and father were always talking about? Why did it seem as if he was sweet-talking a human woman?

When Qiu Ling didn’t get an answer his face fell and he started to look as pitiful as he had in front of the Heavenly Empress Bai Fen. Mn, this was a persistently practiced move that would be able to melt every woman’s heart. Who told him to have such expressive eyes?!

"Mother-in-law, don’t blame me any longer. I know I did wrong." He grabbed her sleeve and looked at the ground in front of her feet. "You were right all along. I shouldn’t have gotten so jealous. It’s just … I love him so much. It hurts me when I see him getting along so well with somebody else while I can only watch from the sidelines. So I thought that if everyone was like me, only able to watch, then it wouldn’t be as bad. I didn’t really think … Well, I did think of what it would mean for him but I just couldn’t help myself." He looked up again, his gaze flickering as if he feared she would blame him but still hoped otherwise.

Madam Zhong indeed couldn’t help being moved by his pitiful act. She sighed and patted his hand, meanwhile using the opportunity to pluck it off just how Bai Fen always did. Qiu Ling marveled at that similarity. Jing He had really reincarnated into a family not that different from the one in the Nine Heavens. Well, his mortal father didn’t have such an irascible temper as his immortal one but he was just as reliant on his wife.

"It’s alright. I know you meant no harm. Just hold back a little in the future." She smiled. It seemed the worries she had had about him trying to force her son into something he himself didn’t want were ungrounded.

Qiu Ling beamed. His goal was achieved! Now … His gaze flitted around. "So … Where is he?"

Madam Zhong patted his hand again. "He isn’t here anymore. Jing’er left the capital. Some days ago, a few disciples of the Yun Zou sect came by. They tested Jing’er and found out that he had the aptitude to become a cultivator. I thought … Well, things kept happening. Maybe he’ll be safer when he goes there and becomes a Daoist Immortal too." She looked at Qiu Ling but hesitated. In the end, she sighed. "My husband died a few weeks ago."

Qiu Ling furrowed his brow. Naturally, he knew. He just hadn’t thought about it too deeply. At that moment, it had only been important that Jing He was alright. Now, in front of his mortal mother … he felt a little ashamed.

Qiu Ling took her hands again and pulled her into his arms. "I’m sorry, mother-in-law. I should have been here. I … I wouldn’t have been able to help but … I should still have been here to help you. All of this … it’s probably my fault."

Although if he hadn’t helped in the beginning, then she herself wouldn’t be here anymore and considering the attack of the bandits the same would be true of her husband. Jing He’s mortal parents, they would both have died and left him all alone long ago. What was it with these shitty trials? Was it that Heaven had something against the gods?

"Heaven … isn’t fair. To actually torment such good people … None of you deserve this."

Madam Zhong closed her eyes. It seemed she had been right. All of this really had to do with her son’s fate. "Daoist Master, there’s something I’d like to know and I hope you can tell me. Will my Jing’er be alright in the future? Will he … will he continue to suffer like this?"

Qiu Ling sighed. This was the moment he had dreaded. But he had to come clean. Well, he didn’t have to tell her everything. Since this concerned the immortal races she wouldn’t understand anyway. The general idea should suffice. "He’s destined to have many trials to pass but … in the end, he’ll have a life brighter than many could imagine."

Indeed. After the mortal Zhong Jing Yi passed all these damned trials, he would wake up as the crown prince of the Nine Heavens, Jing He. Wasn’t that a life many would envy? He would still have two loving parents and a lover devoted only to him, not to speak of the countless loyal subjects that were looking up to him, prepared to give their lives for him at any moment. That counted as a good end for Madam Zhong’s son, didn’t it?

Madam Zhong sighed in relief. "Thank you for telling me. I’m relieved knowing that whatever happens to him will lead to a good end. You …" Madam Zhong hesitated. She knew about his feelings but she didn’t know whether his love was a good thing or not. She shouldn’t expect anything if she didn’t know if Jing Yi would requite these feelings one day.

"What is it? Just tell me." Qiu Ling smiled, not guessing what she was thinking about.

Madam Zhong sighed. There was no harm in asking, was there? "I’m thinking about Jing’er. As long as he hasn’t started cultivating … will you still watch over him?"

Qiu Ling nodded. "Even when he becomes a Daoist Immortal, I’ll still watch over him." After all, what was a human cultivator in comparison to a dragon? He wouldn’t be at ease if he didn’t watch over Jing He personally. His beloved had almost died when he wasn’t there. How could he be so careless again?

Madam Zhong patted his cheek. "You’re a good person."

"Mn. So you don’t have a problem with me marrying your son, right?" Qiu Ling smiled.

Madam Zhong smiled back. It was hard not to in the face of Qiu Ling’s unwavering attitude. "We’ll see about that. If he likes you, you’ll have my blessing. Come, sit down. I’ll get you a cup of tea. These people over there should be waiting for you."

She motioned to the dragons that were watching from their table. Qiu Ling turned around and raised his brows. Fu Min? With a woman and a child? Wasn’t he into Fu Heng? Ah, no, wait, that woman … He examined her dark brown hair. That looked kind of familiar. She was … Yi Zan’s sister? Then that child next to her should be her son? Why were they here?