"My love …"

Qiu Ling’s voice was just as pitiful as his gaze and Jing Yi couldn’t help but feel remorseful. Although senior martial brother Qiu’s behavior hadn’t been right, he shouldn’t have slapped him. "I … I’m sorry." He looked into that pair of dark eyes, wanting to communicate his feelings but his expression blanked and he was unable to look away. Those eyes … they were a little strange. At the very least, they were unlike the eyes of any other person he had seen before. The form of his iris seemed different and there seemed to be a hint of bloodred hidden in the depth of it?

Those beautiful eyes widened slightly and the elegant brows above them arced in a questioning manner.

Jing Yi’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Right. That wasn’t important now. He still had to explain his rude actions just now. "I … I became afraid. I woke up and someone was so close so I …"

Qiu Ling lowered his hand and smiled brightly again. "So it was like that! Mn, don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t fault you. Being a little more cautious is the right thing to do. You’re so cute, it’s to be expected that people with bad intentions will try to get close to you!" Mn, to think that his beloved would defend himself so vehemently against scoundrels … This had to be a sign of their deep love! He shouldn’t leave everything to him though.

Jing Yi frowned. Why did it sound as if he was issuing a warning?

"Ah, but you don’t have to worry!" Qiu Ling cupped Jing Yi’s cheeks again. "I’m right here. I won’t let any of those shameless men take advantage of you."

Jing Yi’s lips twitched. The only person who had tried to take advantage of him was the man above him. So where did he take the confidence to spew such nonsense? "Senior martial brother Qiu …"

"Ah, don’t say it, my love!" Qiu Ling put his forefinger against Jing Yi’s lips. "I know you’re deeply touched. But you don’t have to be. It’s only natural. As your future husband, I should do these things."

Jing Yi opened his mouth to refute that there was no future husband but Qiu Ling used this moment to finish what he had originally tried to do. He retracted his finger and bent down.

Their lips met.

Jing Yi’s eyes went wide. This … What was happening? What was with all the talk about nobody being allowed to take advantage of him? This shameless guy was doing exactly that!

His hands twitched. He wanted to slap him again! Especially since that guy didn’t seem to want to stop at all!

Jing Yi was right with that observation. Qiu Ling didn’t think of stopping. Quite the contrary! He was finally kissing his beloved and he wasn’t struggling or trying to evade him so, in his opinion, that could only mean that Jing Yi liked it and wanted to continue. When had he ever gotten such a chance?

After ten years of wooing Jing He, they had kissed quite a few times but Jing He was rather restrained. It had never gotten out of hand. He had never minded a little peck since they were a couple but there had been only a few deeper kisses between them. Their wildest kiss had probably been the one right before Jing He descended for his trial which was a form of torture all on its own.

Ah, really, how could he just kiss him like that? It had felt as if he urgently needed that kiss, as if he couldn’t go on without it, without him … Qiu Ling had never felt this good. In fact, he had almost lost control and was just one step away from pushing Jing He down then and there. But just when his hands had moved to explore further and fan the flames of their lust, his beloved had actually drunk the water of the River of Forgetfulness, disengaging himself.

The loss Qiu Ling had felt at that moment … it was more than just the disappointment of not being able to continue. But it probably couldn’t be understood by anyone who wasn’t of the dragon race.

The humans and gods were many times more complicated in matters regarding the heart than the dragons. For them, there would be courtship and rituals and many customs to be observed. For the dragons, it was different. They saw someone, they liked someone, they took them to bed. As long as there was even a single witness, they would be considered a married couple from then on.

After spending a decade to make Jing He fall in love with him, Qiu Ling desired to have this kind of official relationship between them. More than once had he looked at him with a heated gaze, silently begging him to let him have his way with him so he would be considered his consort in the eyes of the dragon race’s people.

On that particular day, he had hoped for such a thing to happen even more so. After all, Jing He would be gone for a while. Who knew what the trial might bring? It would have been good to ascertain his right before that. But Jing He wouldn’t have agreed to it even if he asked and Qiu Ling would never force him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited for him to come to terms with their relationship for ten years.

The heartache and desire accumulated over that time poured out in this day’s kiss. If he wasn’t told to stop, he wouldn’t do so. He hugged Jing Yi as close as possible and tilted his head. His lips pressed against Jing Yi’s. Mn … One of his hands snaked up his back and curled around his hair, tilting Jing Yi’s head up to meet his.

Jing Yi frowned and pushed against Qiu Ling’s chest but his arms didn’t seem to have any strength. Qiu Ling only felt like his beloved was caressing him to show his affection. In a happy mood, Qiu Ling returned the favor. While one of his hands still combed through Jing Yi’s hair, the other one stroked his side. Mn, maybe today would be the day …

Jing Yi shuddered. He had just wanted to push Qiu Ling off but now he felt … He couldn’t do it. And not just because Qiu Ling didn’t react. Somehow, his fingers had curled around the lapel of Qiu Ling’s robe. They even unconsciously pulled him closer. He also didn’t know why he was doing this. He just felt comfortable.

Qiu Ling sighed with satisfaction. It was true. His beloved really had reconsidered! He peeked at Jing Yi’s face and saw him slowly shutting his eyes. Mn … His beloved was way too sweet.

Qiu Ling cupped his cheeks and deepened their kiss, gently sucking on his lower lip. A hand slowly slid upward from the lapel of his robe to his neck and then even further onto his shoulder. There wasn’t any strength behind that movement but Qiu Ling felt like Jing Yi was trying to pull him closer.

He left Jing Yi’s lips and trailed his chin with light kisses until he finally arrived at his neck. His hands slid down and grabbed that white robe. Mn, since his beloved had reconsidered they could just do it now so that they would be officially married. It had been long enough anyway. After ten years in the Nine Heavens and fifteen years in the mortal realm … Wasn’t it time to finally seal the deal?

He slowly pulled the fabric apart, revealing a jade-like collar bone. And then …

Someone knocked on the door.