Author: hoenibean (Page 10 of 78)

Chapter 82 – The contradictions of a cub

Chapter 82 (Extra 5)

 

After their transformation, the four little pups could also speak.

 

Soft, murmuring voices filled the air, and from all directions came cries of “Daddy,” melting Si Lan’s heart. A smile as warm as spring blossoms spread across his face, uninterrupted and continuous.

 

He felt like the happiest person in the world, having completely forgotten his initial reluctance and resistance to having children.

 

Now, his favorite thing to do was bury his head in the four babies’ bodies, gently sniffing and savoring the faint milky fragrance that surrounded them.

 

It smelled so good, so captivating.

 

However, joy came with its share of pain.

 

The four babies competed for his attention, each not giving in to the other. Every time he appeared, just after calling out “babies,” the four little bundles would already be fighting over who he would hold first, who he would kiss first.

 

“…”

 

He finally understood what it meant when people said, “One word can cause four people to be jealous and fight to the point of bloodshed.”

 

Eventually, he had to establish a rule: they would decide using rock-paper-scissors, whoever won got to be held first. So every time he appeared, he had to watch the four babies play rock-paper-scissors first, before he could reach out to pick them up.

 

Balancing things was really tricky.

 

Especially when there were four to balance.

 

One day, Si Lan finally found the opportunity to be alone with two of the little dragon pups and asked them about their fights with Xiao Yujia.

 

Xiao Zhen remained silent.

 

Xiao Kan pouted, grabbing Si Lan’s clothes, and angrily said, “It’s because those two always bully me and my brother, even when we were in Dad’s belly.”

 

Si Lan: “Why do they bully you?”

 

“They think my brother and I look weird and ugly.”

 

Xiao Zhen nodded in agreement, looking sad.

 

When they were still eggs, they couldn’t talk, but they had a telepathic connection, and could convey their thoughts to each other through their minds.

 

At that time, Xiao Xun and Xiao Dui were already incompatible with them, always squeezing them. On the day they were born, they were kicked out ahead of time by Xiao Xun and Xiao Dui.

 

Si Lan was surprised. He had never thought that the conflict between the little dragon pups and Xiao Yujia was actually due to their different appearances.

 

“They say my brother and I are shameless and always naked.” Xiao Kan wrinkled his nose and said innocently, “But we clearly have scales on us.”

 

Si Lan couldn’t help but bow his head, touching Xiao Kan’s head gently and comforting him: “Yes, Xiao Zhen and Xiao Kan are not shameless at all. Next time I’ll talk to them. Don’t let them say that to you.”

 

“Okay, Dad, hug…” Xiao Kan coquettishly held Si Lan’s thigh, while Xiao Zhen held the other. Si Lan seemed to be carrying two oil drums, so he couldn’t walk.

 

He was half helpless and half indulgent as he looked at the two children. He recalled what Haowei said last night. The godmother wanted to take the four babies to the Palace of the Sky.

 

He was reluctant at first, but now he felt that he might send them to exercise. Otherwise, they would be tied to his legs every day and grow up to be Daddy’s boys and Daddy’s daughters.

 

After talking to the little dragon pups, Si Lan went to Xiao Xun and Xiao Dui again. Xiao Xun and Xiao Dui were combing each other’s hair at the moment, with a deep sisterly love.

 

Seeing him, the two immediately took human form, each hugging Si Lan’s arm and rubbing their heads against Si Lan’s arm.

 

Si Lan’s heart softened. He reached out and touched the heads of the two little girls, giving them some candies.

 

He didn’t require them to drink the immortal dew or follow phoenix habits. He just reminded them that besides him and Haowei, they couldn’t randomly reveal themselves to others.

 

“Xiao Xun, Xiao Dui, why do you always fight with Xiao Zhen and Xiao Kan?” Si Lan asked.

 

Xiao Xun, who was eating candy, put down the candy paper. Her bright black eyes looked at Si Lan with a little water, and she pulled Si Lan’s sleeves: “Daddy, did my brother say something?”

 

“No…”

 

“Wu, Dad, it’s our fault. My brother didn’t mean to bully us, and he didn’t mean to take away Xiao Kan’s nutrition and almost hurt Xiao Kan. Wu, Dad, if you blame me, blame Xiao Kan.”

 

“We are sisters. We should give all the chances of living to our brother and make our brothers stronger and stronger. Sisters should suffer a little, nothing.”

 

Si Lan smashed his tongue, never thought that Xiao Xun, who has always been gentle and obedient, would say so much, the tone was strange, full of tea.

 

At this time, Xiao Dui snorted: “Dad, what did the two little dragons say in front of you? I think they deserve it.”

 

“…” Si Lan.

 

“Xiao Dui, don’t say that. Whether my brother beats us or scolds us, it’s because we sisters did something wrong.” Xiao Xun pulled Xiao Dui’s sleeves.

 

“…” Si Lan.

 

Si Lan couldn’t help but persuade him: “Xiao Zhen and Xiao Kan didn’t say anything. Dad was just curious. Why do you four always like to fight when you meet? Just now, Xiao Xun, you said that your brother almost killed Xiao Dui. What does it mean?”

 

Xiao Xun’s delicate eyebrows were about to wrinkle together, the corners of her eyes were red, and she looked pitiful: “In fact, Dad, this matter can’t blame our brothers. At that time, Xiao Xun and Xiao Dui formed in Dad’s belly. Xiao Dui was still small, and she was not enough nutrition. As a result, the brothers came out again and squeezed Xiao Dui into the corner and took away Xiao Dui’s nutrition. Xiao Dui almost… Almost died.”

 

Si Lan had never thought about it, and there was such a thing in the middle. When he felt the babies in his stomach, it was a month later, when the four eggs were formed. He didn’t know that Xiao Dui had experienced such a thing in his stomach!

 

Thinking about this, Xiao Xun started a fight with the two dragon eggs, looking like she was always unreasonable, but actually favoring Xiao Dui.

 

It may also be because of this partiality that Xiao Dui, who came out later, did not look weaker than the dragon cubs.

 

Si Lan bent down and gently patted Xiao Dui’s head, saying, “Brothers were probably unconscious when they were in Father’s belly. Fortunately, Xiao Dui, you had your sister to protect you. Now you’re healthy with no issues.”

 

Xiao Dui’s mouth curled up slightly.

 

Si Lan turned to pat Xiao Xun’s head and continued, “Xiao Xun, you’ve done well in protecting your sister. Earlier, Father misunderstood you, and he apologizes to you.”

 

Xiao Xun pouted, “Father, please don’t say that.”

 

“Xiao Xun, I heard from the brothers that they’ve been letting you and Xiao Dui have your way more often since they came out. They must have realized their mistakes. Shall we give them a chance?”

 

Xiao Xun fidgeted with her fingers, blinking her pretty eyes. “Whatever Father says is true. Xiao Xun dares not contradict.”

 

Si Lan sighed inwardly.

 

Si Lan’s lips twitched. Where did this tea-filled conversation style come from? Neither he nor Haowei were like this.

 

It seemed true as the ancient texts said, “Dragon breeds nine sons, each with a different personality.”

 

So, this matter should be blamed on Haowei.

 

“I heard from the brothers that you said they don’t wear clothes, just their bare bodies…”

 

“But they never wore clothes to begin with, just bare bodies covered in cool scales.” When Xiao Dui first crawled out of his shell and saw the true forms of the two brothers, he felt like he was seeing some ugly monsters.

 

They didn’t even have a single hair!

 

Si Lan chuckled softly at this revelation.

 

This was probably discrimination between species.

 

Xiao Xun added, “Brother also said we’re furry and black like moldy eggs. Although it hurt us to hear, Xiao Dui and I never blamed them or dared to complain to Father.”

 

Si Lan couldn’t help but ruffle Xiao Xun’s hair, intending to have a serious talk with her, but her peculiar remarks gave him goosebumps.

 

But when he met Xiao Xun’s watery eyes, his heart was instantly softened, and he couldn’t bring himself to scold her.

 

Unconsciously, he spoke gently, “The brothers’ words were hurtful. We shouldn’t speak like that about girls. I’ll make sure to teach them.”

 

Si Lan had initially come to “teach” the two little girls, but as he left, he promised to educate the two little boys instead.

 

At this moment, Xiao Zhen and Xiao Kan had just climbed into their newly built dragon’s nest and inexplicably shivered, causing Xiao Zhen to sneeze.

 

 

Under Si Lan’s mediation, the four children turned hostility into friendship and no longer fought incessantly. After a while, the Goddess Mother’s people came to take the four children to play at Yuqing Palace.

 

Si Lan felt reluctant, giving careful instructions to the four children before they boarded the carriage. He kept watching until the Heavenly Horse carrying the carriage disappeared into the floating clouds.

 

Haowei seemed indifferent, even a hint of relief in his expression.

 

Finally, those four little troublemakers were gone.

 

Si Lan complained, “You didn’t say anything to the children.”

 

Haowei reached out, lifted Si Lan around the waist, and carried him into the room. Warmth radiated from his body as if his internal fire was spreading out.

 

Si Lan instinctively hugged Haowei’s neck, staring at him with wide eyes.

 

Haowei said calmly, “There’s no need to worry about the children. They’ll be happier with the Goddess Mother than at Yuqing Palace.”

 

Si Lan glanced around; luckily, there were no celestial servants nearby.

 

“What are you doing? Put me down.”

 

“I can’t wait any longer.”

 

He had indeed waited too long. After finally sending the children away, he didn’t want to wait any longer.

 

As soon as the two entered the room, Si Lan felt a strong pressure envelop him. Turning around, he saw that the person holding him had transformed into a dragon.

 

The enormous dragon wrapped around him, slowly undoing his clothes.

 

“Haowei…”

 

Si Lan called out softly, his voice becoming gentle as he too revealed his true form. Golden feathers were pressed against the dragon scales, casting a golden hue.

 

They rarely engaged in this form of intimacy because it usually required at least three days of rest afterward.

 

Si Lan was about to speak when his voice was muffled, and his hands were firmly held above his head as Haowei murmured beside his ear.

 

“Si Lan, you smell so good.”

 

Especially after giving birth, Si Lan’s body became even more fragrant, as if every bone seam was sprinkled with spices, exuding a mesmerizing scent drop by drop.

 

Haowei greedily savored every inch of fragrance on Si Lan’s body.

 

Si Lan’s thoughts quickly became muddled, entangled in the desire woven by Haowei.

 

Dazed, Si Lan heard Haowei ask, “You haven’t been eating Childbearing fruits again, have you?”

 

Si Lan: “…”

 

It seemed that having these four children had left some shadows for Haowei, so he needed to make sure.

 

It’s clear he really doesn’t want children now.

 

Si Lan suppressed a smile. “No.”

 

After a pause, Si Lan added, “But I really want a little dragon daughter.”

 

His original idea was one dragon son, one dragon daughter, one Yujia son, and one Yujia daughter, but it didn’t turn out as he envisioned.

 

He felt having a little dragon daughter would be quite interesting too.

 

Haowei coolly responded, “No, two daughters are enough.”

 

Si Lan fell silent, choosing not to speak further. Haowei flipped him over again, and he found himself lying face down on the soft couch, with the iridescent feathers on his tail swept up to the back of his neck by Haowei.

 

After a moment, Si Lan felt like his bones were about to dissolve. He lifted his head and saw feathers from his body scattered everywhere.

 

“Stop… stop…”

 

“I can’t stop.”

 

“…Damn it.”

 

Si Lan gritted his teeth and uttered these words, a kiss falling on his lips. Haowei’s hoarse voice sounded in his ear, “Fine, I’m a damn fool.”

 

His magnetic voice, like the rustling of leaves in the wind, almost instantly made Si Lan surrender.

 

Unconsciously, Si Lan curled up in Haowei’s embrace, his body trembling slightly, his gaze slightly unfocused.

 

This damn fool.

 

Originally planned for three days, now it might be seven.

 

He suspected he would eventually perish in the Yuqing Palace. This was probably Haowei’s way of unifying the Six Realms through intricate means!


T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 

Chapter 34 – I want to buy a brain that can't remember anything for a large sum of money!

Chapter 34 – I want to buy a brain that can’t remember anything for a large sum of money!

 

After He Changzhou left, Zhao Qi once again fell into a state of isolation.

 

Last night, both He Changzhou and Rong Tang had come to Yonghua Palace. He Changzhou had just dropped him off and left, making Rong Tang the prime suspect—especially given his past record.

 

Jiang Dehai brought over a plate of cracked walnuts. “Your Majesty, have some walnuts to nourish your brain. Maybe then you’ll remember what happened last night.”

 

“Oh.” Zhao Qi stiffly stuffed the walnuts into his mouth and tried again to recall the details of the previous night. Perhaps the walnuts really did help, as a scene flashed through his mind—

 

He was lying on a man’s chest, panting heavily. The unfamiliar, strange sensation left his gaze dazed, his mind and vision completely blank.

 

The man’s hand brushed over his waist, his voice hoarse, “Do you want more?”

 

After a brief pause, Zhao Qi moved closer and kissed the man’s lips, his voice tinged with sobs, “More… I want more…”

 

The man chuckled, “Your Majesty can take it yourself.”

 

 

Zhao Qi automatically pictured Rong Tang’s face, his mind instantly flooded with blood. His face and ears turned crimson. He spat out the walnut with a “pfft,” as if he’d eaten something wild. “Take it away, take it away!”

 

He’d rather never remember what happened last night! He would pay a fortune for a brain that remembered nothing!

 

Zhao Qi was downcast for most of the day. In the evening, a maid from Ci’an Palace came with a message, saying Empress Dowager Wen invited him for dinner.

 

Zhao Qi had no appetite, but he had to accompany his mother. The moment Empress Dowager Wen saw him, she couldn’t hide her concern. “I heard that the Emperor was so drunk last night that you couldn’t even walk steadily. You know you can’t handle your liquor well, so why drink so much—what happened to your mouth?”

 

“I accidentally bit it myself,” Zhao Qi sighed. “Drinking causes trouble.” Big trouble—it had cost him his first night.

 

Empress Dowager Wen personally served him a bowl of soup, watching as he drank half of it. She then asked, “How does Your Majesty plan to handle the matter with Western Xia?”

 

Zhao Qi asked, “What matter with Western Xia?”

 

The Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised. “The crown prince of Western Xia died in the Imperial Garden after last night’s banquet—does the Emperor not know?”

 

Zhao Qi paused, holding the bowl in his hands, then shook his head blankly. “No, I didn’t know.”

 

Western Xia was a vassal state of Dajing, having submitted to Dajing when it was first founded. Although small, Western Xia was rich in resources and often sent various rare treasures as tribute. This year, for the Emperor’s longevity festival, the king of Western Xia had sent his eldest son on a long journey to the capital to extend birthday wishes. Zhao Qi had even drunk the wine the crown prince had offered at the banquet. Who would have thought that the man would die so suddenly?

 

“I thought the Emperor already knew,” the Empress Dowager said gravely. “If it were just an ordinary envoy, it would be one thing, but now it’s the crown prince of Western Xia who has died, and in the Imperial Palace no less. I’m afraid the king of Western Xia won’t let this go easily. The Prime Minister has been dealing with the envoys from Western Xia all day, but we don’t know the progress.”

 

Zhao Qi temporarily put aside his own issue of losing his virginity. “I’ll go find the Prime Minister and get a clear understanding.” Such a major event had occurred, and he, as the emperor, knew nothing about it. Normally, in any emergency, Xiao Shiqing would include him in the handling. What happened this time…

 

After leaving Ci’an Palace, Zhao Qi went directly to Qinzhen Hall. The hall was brightly lit, and outside, besides the palace guards, there were several burly men in Western Xia attire, casting subtle glances at Zhao Qi.

 

When the guards saw Zhao Qi, they were about to salute, but Zhao Qi waved them off and asked, “Is the Prime Minister inside?”

 

The Imperial Guard said, “Your Majesty, the Chancellor has been in the Hall of Diligence all day.”

 

“Oh,” Zhao Qi peeked inside, “what’s the situation in there?”

 

The Imperial Guard replied, “I do not know.”

 

Zhao Qi braced himself and walked in. Inside the hall, Xiao Shiqing sat in his usual spot, his expression cold and his aura keeping others at a distance. The envoy from Xixia stood before him, angrily ranting, “…if we don’t get an explanation today, we will not leave!”

 

Xiao Shiqing smiled, “Feel free to stay, but I won’t be accompanying you.”

 

The Xixia envoy was taken aback and hastily said, “Are you planning to abandon us here?!”

 

Xiao Shiqing replied, “I have wasted a whole day here with you. Do you realize how many of my matters have been delayed because of this?”

 

The Xixia envoy fumed, “What could be more important than finding the true culprit behind our Crown Prince’s murder?!”

 

Xiao Shiqing calmly said, “My matters are such that even if your Crown Prince died ten times over, they would still be more important.”

 

The Xixia envoy’s face turned red with anger as he struggled to maintain his composure, “Chancellor Xiao, our Crown Prince has always respected you greatly, even more than the Emperor of Dajing. Is this how you repay him?!”

 

“Then that is his mistake,” Xiao Shiqing said coldly. “The Emperor is the ruler, and I am his minister. If your Crown Prince cannot distinguish between the two, I wonder if Xixia even understands the principles of sovereignty.”

 

Hearing this, Zhao Qi almost choked on air. He realized Xiao Shiqing truly held double standards. To outsiders, he spoke of “principles of sovereignty,” but in private, those principles seemed non-existent. Should he be grateful for being given such face in public?

 

Seeing the Xixia envoy on the verge of exploding, Zhao Qi quickly stepped forward, hoping to play the good cop. “Oh, everyone is here.”

 

When Xiao Shiqing saw him, a strange look flashed in his eyes. He stood up and said, “Your Majesty.”

 

The Xixia envoy also made a perfunctory bow, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

 

“No need for formalities,” Zhao Qi said as he walked towards the dragon throne. As he brushed past Xiao Shiqing, he whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me about such a big matter, brother?”

 

Xiao Shiqing looked at him, ignoring the question, “What happened to your lips?”

 

Before he could finish asking, Zhao Qi answered, “I bit them myself.”

 

Xiao Shiqing gave a faint smile, “Is that so.”

 

“I have heard about the matter. I deeply regret the Crown Prince’s death and hope you can bear your grief,” Zhao Qi said as he sat down, feeling a sharp pain in a certain embarrassing place, causing him to hiss.

 

Xiao Shiqing frowned, “Who allowed the Emperor to come?”

 

Zhao Qi looked puzzled, “Am I not supposed to come?”

 

The Xixia envoy angrily said, “Your Majesty, our Crown Prince, such a strong and valiant man, was murdered overnight. Shouldn’t you give us an explanation?”

 

“I never said I wouldn’t,” Zhao Qi replied kindly, “Moreover, your Crown Prince died in my palace, not on the street.”

 

The Xixia envoy retorted, “Your Majesty!”

 

“Don’t be impatient,” Zhao Qi said, “I will certainly give you an explanation, but you need to give me time. Chancellor, who is investigating the case now?”

 

Xiao Shiqing answered, “The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.”

 

“Minister Chen?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Zhao Qi took a sip of tea, “Oh, him. Rest assured, Minister Chen is a top-notch investigator. Last time I lost a little peach at Muyang Temple, he investigated thoroughly, surprising both me and the Chancellor.”

 

The Xixia envoy was on the verge of losing it, “God, how can you compare these two cases?!”

 

Xiao Shiqing coldly said, “Watch your tone. Do you know who you’re speaking to?”

 

“It’s fine,” Zhao Qi acted as a peacemaker, “I understand your feelings, but neither the Chancellor nor I can investigate the case. So let’s wait. You take your people back to the inn, and I’ll keep an eye on the case for you. As soon as Minister Chen finds a clue, I’ll summon you to the palace—how about that?”

 

The Xixia envoy pondered, “Fine! I’ll give you three days. If you don’t find the culprit in three days, I’ll take the Crown Prince’s body back to Xixia and report everything you’ve said to our Emperor!”

 

“Isn’t three days too short? How about ten days?” Zhao Qi suggested.

 

“Five days!”

 

“Eight days?”

 

“Seven days!” The Xixia envoy shouted, “Your Majesty better not push too far! Though Xixia is a small country, we all have unyielding spirits!”

 

“Alright, seven days it is,” Zhao Qi agreed, “Escort the envoy out.”

 

The Xixia envoy snapped, “No need, I can walk myself.”

 

The Xixia envoy left in a huff, leaving Zhao Qi and Xiao Shiqing alone in the hall. Zhao Qi slumped on the dragon throne, muttering, “First day of being nineteen, and it’s already this intense. Impressive.” Now he had two cases to handle. The Xixia case could be left to the capable Minister Chen, but his own case he had to solve himself.

 

Xiao Shiqing poured a cup of tea and handed it to Zhao Qi, “What other exciting things do you have to share?”

 

Zhao Qi recalled an inappropriate scene and choked on the tea, coughing violently, “Cough, cough—”

 

Xiao Shiqing smirked, “Can’t even drink tea properly.” Despite his mocking tone, he honestly reached out to pat Zhao Qi’s back.

 

Zhao Qi quickly changed the subject to clear his mind of the inappropriate thoughts, “You still haven’t answered my question.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I heard the Crown Prince’s body was found in the Imperial Garden last night. Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

Xiao Shiqing withdrew his hand and leisurely said, “I saw you were enduring quite a bit last night, so I thought I’d let you rest.”

 

Zhao Qi’s body stiffened—enduring quite a bit?

 

What did that mean?! Could it be that Xiao Shiqing was also at Yonghua Palace last night?

 

F*ck, how many people have actually been there? Just line up and report your numbers!

 

Xiao Shiqing watched him with interest, “What, you don’t remember?”

 

Zhao Qi stammered, “R-remember… some parts.”

 

Xiao Shiqing squinted, “Which parts?”

 

Zhao Qi felt uneasy, unable to grasp Xiao Shiqing’s intention behind this question.

 

Xiao Shiqing said, “Speak.”

 

Zhao Qi was mortified. How could he describe that scene to Xiao Shiqing in words? Just kill him already!

 

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Qi said, “When did brother Prime Minister go to Yonghua Palace, and what did you do after you went there?”

 

Xiao Shiqing smiled, “You really don’t remember.”

 

At this moment, an attendant entered the hall to report, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister, Prince Zhaonan requests an audience.”

 

Zhao Qi, impatient, said, “What’s he here for again? Can’t he see I’m busy? Tell him I’m not seeing anyone.”

 

Xiao Shiqing glanced at Zhao Qi and said, “Let him in.”

 

Attendant: “Yes.”

 

Zhao Qi was speechless, “Brother, Li Chisu definitely isn’t here for anything serious, why see him?”

 

Xiao Shiqing replied, “Someone saw Prince Zhaonan in the Imperial Garden last night. I called him here for questioning.”

 

Zhao Qi: “…Fine.”

 

The attendant led Li Chisu into the hall. Li Chisu met Zhao Qi’s disdainful gaze and smiled, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

 

One had to admit, Li Chisu was indeed good-looking. When he smiled, his eyes seemed to hold affection, and if one wasn’t careful, they could easily get lost in his charming eyes.

 

However, in Zhao Qi’s eyes, no matter how good-looking Li Chisu was, it was useless. Even though he knew Li Chisu’s flirtatious behavior was a façade, why couldn’t he pretend to be an idiot or act impotent like Prince Huai? It must be in his nature to be a flirt. As a fellow man, Zhao Qi despised people like him the most.

 

Zhao Qi said coldly, “At ease.”

 

Li Chisu said, “Your Majesty seems to be in a bad mood.”

 

“Isn’t that obvious,” Zhao Qi said, “with such a big incident, how could I be in a good mood?”

 

Li Chisu: “Oh? I thought Your Majesty was angry with me. Seems that’s not the case.”

 

Xiao Shiqing said sternly, “What have you done this time that would make the Emperor angry with you?”

 

Li Chisu smiled, “If His Majesty doesn’t say, how dare I speak.”


T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

 

Chapter 46 – Don't Come In

Chapter 46: Don’t Come In

 

At six in the morning, a little phoenix blinked its eyes open from its slumber.

 

Still half asleep, it snuggled against the black dragon’s body where it was nestled, until the dragon affectionately nudged it a few times with its head, prompting a disgruntled “chirp” from the phoenix.

 

Transforming back into human form, still groggy, it sat up and noticed it was still dark outside.

 

“Pheonix,” Long Ling also transformed into a human, his arm around Su Muluo’s waist, planting a kiss on his slightly drooping eyelids. “Go back to sleep, it’s still early.”

 

Su Muluo leaned against his dragon tiredly. “What time is it?”

 

He had planned to wake up early today and set off sooner.

 

“It’s only six,” Long Ling stroked his soft hair, saying, “we’re not in a rush anyway. No matter what, we can set off today.”

 

Su Muluo agreed with this reasoning, so he sluggishly burrowed back under the covers, burying his face into Long Ling’s chest.

 

Long Ling happily hugged his phoenix, rubbing his head against the phoenix’s. He enjoyed how the phoenix stuck to him, relying on him, looking all sleepy and cute.

 

And during winter, the phoenix was so soft and lazy, making him just want to hold the phoenix and stay snuggled in the blankets without ever wanting to leave the house.

 

Su Muluo didn’t know what Long Ling was thinking, but in his half-asleep state, he felt his dragon sneakily kissing him and patted him in response.

 

Two hours later, Su Muluo opened his eyes and felt less sleepy.

 

He tried to sit up from the bed, only to find Long Ling still holding onto him. He gently pushed him, “I want to get up.”

 

Reluctant to let go, Long Ling, remembering how the phoenix had willingly snuggled into his embrace while asleep, grabbed hold of his clothes… it was incredibly cute.

 

So he said, “Just a little longer, please.”

 

Yawning, Su Muluo lazily stayed put. Long Ling buried his face into the crook of his neck, savoring his favorite scent.

 

After being snuggled like this for a while, Su Muluo felt like he was being treated like a cat by this dragon and didn’t feel like being “sucked dry” by him, saying, “I need to change clothes!”

 

Long Ling responded with an “Oh,” releasing his hold. “The phoenix is so stingy.”

 

They had only snuggled for a short while.

 

Su Muluo: ?

 

Was this dragon complaining about being taken advantage of?

 

Immediately, he messed up Long Ling’s hair, got out of bed, and went to freshen up.

 

After changing into fresh clothes, Su Muluo entered the living room, picked up the jade pendant, and asked, “Are you awake?”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, a spirit entity swiftly floated out from the jade pendant, saying, “I’m awake! As long as phoenix calls for me, I will be!”

 

“Your Highness Phoenix, just call for me, and I’ll come out!” 

 

Long Ling looked at the jade pendant and asked, “What about when he doesn’t call for you?”

 

The spirit within the jade pendant probably remembered the embarrassing conversation from yesterday and replied dryly, “When His Highness doesn’t call for me, I remain in a dormant state. You can treat me like an ordinary jade pendant.”

 

Upon hearing this, Long Ling glanced at his phoenix with a slight smirk. “So, during those times, you can’t hear or see anything?”

 

Su Muluo clicked his tongue. He understood the implication in the dragon’s words and promptly patted him.

 

“Yes,” the spirit in the pendant answered innocently, not understanding, “since His Highness the Phoenix created me thousands of years ago, he instructed me not to be disturbed, so I’m usually very well-behaved.”

 

Long Ling continued playfully, “Oh, it’s all about what the Phoenix says—”

 

He drew out the last syllable, and Su Muluo fell silent for a second.

 

Though the words didn’t sound significant, he felt something peculiar.

 

Surely this dragon was up to no good again!

 

He calmly told the spirit in the pendant, “You can go back to sleep. I’ll call for you when we’re ready to leave.”

 

—Then angrily patted Long Ling’s head, saying, “Stop talking!”

 

Long Ling obediently let him pat, looking a bit aggrieved and innocent. “I didn’t say much. It’s clearly the Phoenix who thinks so much. The Phoenix is naughty.”

 

Su Muluo: ?

 

“Alright, I’m naughty,” Long Ling quickly corrected himself under Su Muluo’s gaze, then affectionately nuzzled against his phoenix’s soft face. “But just now, that pendant said, thousands of years ago, the Phoenix didn’t want it to disturb you… But back then, only I and the Phoenix lived together. Why would the Phoenix be afraid of being disturbed?”

 

Su Muluo replied expressionlessly, “I have no idea. Now move away. If you keep blabbering, I’ll hit you.”

 

Long Ling grabbed his wrist, unafraid, and loudly continued, “It must be that back then, the Phoenix was always demanding affection from me, doing this and that, yet afraid of the pendant seeing it, so it kept the pendant asleep!”

 

With that, he defiantly turned and ran off, showing no sign of backing down.

 

Su Muluo: …

 

Several minutes later, Su Muluo calmly walked out the door, fingers hooked around a tangled, squealing little black dragon.

 

In the coffee shop, an orange cat lay fast asleep on a bed in the staff room. Su Muluo shook it awake, saying, “Sorry to disturb you, I need to talk to you.”

 

“Meow!”

 

Qiansui woke up very displeased, initially not realizing who it was until it opened its eyes and saw Su Muluo, freezing immediately.

 

Then, its fur bristled all over, and it swiftly darted to the end of the bed.

 

Su Muluo wondered why it was so afraid of him. “I—”

 

Qiansui interrupted anxiously, “I didn’t see anything yesterday! Really!!”

 

Su Muluo fell silent.

 

Oh, he had almost forgotten about that embarrassing incident yesterday when Qiansui caught him kissing his dragon.

 

So he immediately reached into his pocket and pinched the little black dragon.

 

Moments earlier, it had just managed to untangle itself from a knot when the phoenix reached in and, not understanding, grabbed its fingers and refused to let go.

 

“Squeak.”

 

Su Muluo tried to pull his finger free but couldn’t, so he let the little dragon hug him tightly and said to Qiansui, “Don’t worry, I just wanted to ask if you could help look after the coffee shop for a few more days.”

 

Qiansui asked, “Are you going out again?”

 

Su Muluo nodded.

  

Thousand Years remained silent for a moment, then said, “I feel like this shop might be going out of business.”

 

Su Muluo thought to himself that he had the same feeling, but reassured Thousand Years, “Don’t worry, it won’t go out of business. I still have some savings on me.”

 

Thousand Years’ expression slightly improved upon hearing this. He nodded and said, “Alright then, take care on your way.”

 

“Thank you,” Su Muluo replied.

 

He then stood up and walked out of the staff break room.

 

Coincidentally, just as he stepped out, two girls entered the shop—Song Nan and Yang Yueyue.

 

“Boss!”

 

Both girls were carrying heaps of things, ranging from fruits to snacks of all sorts, a dazzling array that startled Su Muluo, making him think they were here to sell something in his shop.

 

“What’s all this?”

 

“It’s a thank-you gift!” Song Nan smiled. “Boss, you’ve helped both Yueyue and me. We had to give you something in return, but since we didn’t know what you liked, we decided on food!”

 

“Yeah!” Yang Yueyue chimed in. “Thank you, boss! If it weren’t for you this time, I might have been possessed forever, wuwuwu.”

 

Observing her recovered demeanor, Su Muluo said, “Be more careful next time. Don’t touch those unidentified things again.”

 

He had considered whether the man behind the demonic spirit had intentionally targeted Yang Yueyue, but quickly dismissed the idea; she had no real connection to him. His henchmen were likely lurking in Lincheng long before, and Yang Yueyue had just been unlucky. Even without her, the man would have encountered other demons.

 

Yang Yueyue nodded vigorously. “Starting the day after tomorrow, I’ll go back to my hometown to lay low. That darn ghost has stirred up too many people, and now they’re all after me… sigh, I should’ve never trusted that marriage charm.”

 

“This kind of thing doesn’t rely on external forces. Maybe after you return home, you’ll find your own destiny,” Su Muluo comforted.

 

Yang Yueyue smiled at his words. “Thank you, boss! I’ll borrow your good wishes then!”

 

After they left, Su Muluo picked out some perishable fruits from the gifts and gave them to Thousand Years, taking the rest back to his rented house.

 

Before officially setting off, he sent a message to Liu He. Upon hearing that Su Muluo had found Suyuan, Liu He was very surprised and sent him a crying emoji:

 

“Sorry, Mr. Su, we couldn’t find this place earlier qaq.”

 

Su Muluo thought to himself that this was the Fallen Phoenix Clan from thousands of years ago, so they probably wouldn’t have found it either. He comforted Liu He briefly—then his phone was snatched away by the little black dragon watching nearby.

 

“Ah!”

“No more chatting with the phoenix!”

“We’ve been chatting with this woman for so long!”

 

Su Muluo glanced at the chat history, which didn’t even exceed ten messages, tapped the little dragon’s head, and said, “Got it, jealous little vinegar.”

 

After making all the preparations, he took out the jade pendant and awakened the spirit inside, asking, “Can you guide us?”

 

“Don’t worry! Leave it to me!” The jade spirit confidently agreed, expanding and projecting a map in mid-air.

 

Su Muluo looked at the crooked map for a few seconds and said, “I don’t understand.”

 

“It’s okay if you don’t understand. I can guide you… um, let’s head east for three hundred miles first!” The jade spirit said.

 

Su Muluo initially thought it was very confident and must know the route to Suyuan well… but soon he realized he was wrong.

 

—At six o’clock in the evening, Su Muluo looked at the desolate grave in front of him, lost in thought.

 

Although the jade spirit could sense the aura of Suyuan and roughly knew where it was, it was just a rough location… Throughout the day, he and his dragon had been led astray by this jade pendant three times.

 

So why did they trust this jade pendant so much from the beginning?

 

“Wuwuwu, I’m sorry, Phoenix Lord!!” The jade spirit cried, “My energy is not enough… But believe me, we’re very close! Tomorrow! Tomorrow I’ll definitely get you there!”

 

Su Muluo: “… Really?”

 

He didn’t believe it at all.

 

Jade Spirit: “Ah ah ah, I’m sorry!!”

 

It probably really didn’t have enough energy. After saying this, it “whooshed” back into the jade pendant and fell asleep.

 

Su Muluo looked at the jade pendant in his hand, then at the desolate grave before him, at a loss for words.

 

The little black dragon coiled around his wrist, laughing “ufufufu.”

 

Su Muluo immediately pinched the little black dragon, took out his phone, opened the navigation, and checked for the nearest city from their current location.

 

Luckily, there was still a weak signal. Half an hour later, Su Muluo found a hotel in a small county and decided to stay overnight there.

 

The hotel room environment was decent. Su Muluo placed the little black dragon on the bed and prepared to take a shower before going to sleep.

 

Because the little black dragon wasn’t allowed to transform into human form, it could only crawl restlessly on the bed, flicking its tail and staring at the bathroom.

 

It planned that once the phoenix got into bed, it would transform back and cling to the phoenix.

 

If the phoenix pushed it away, it would take the opportunity to… with the phoenix.

 

The little black dragon silently schemed in its mind, then happily spun in place.

 

After a while, the sound of running water in the bathroom stopped. The little black dragon thought its phoenix would soon come out… but it didn’t.

 

“Ah?”

 

What was the phoenix doing?

 

There was no response from the bathroom.

 

“Huh?”

 

Phoenix?

 

Still no response from the bathroom.

 

“… “

 

The little black dragon transformed back into human form and walked quickly towards the bathroom, saying, “Phoenix, what’s wrong?”

 

He had intended to push open the bathroom door directly, but as soon as his hand touched the door handle, he heard Su Muluo’s voice from inside, “Wait… don’t come in…”

 

The voice was low, tinged with some pain, and the breath was somewhat urgent, unlike its usual calmness.

 

Long Ling’s eyes darkened abruptly. “What’s going on? Did the phoenix fall?”

 

He still wanted to push the door open to check on his phoenix, but Su Muluo stopped him again.

 

“Don’t come in!” Su Muluo said, “I… haven’t put on clothes yet…”

 

This time the voice was louder, with a slight tremor in the tone, carrying a hint of secrecy, ambiguity, and suggestive moans.

 

Long Ling was taken aback, sensing the unusual tone of this statement, and suddenly realized what was happening.

 

Inside the bathroom, Su Muluo was trying to conceal something, his voice intermittent and unable to control his gradually accelerating breath.

 

“I’m fine, really… Just let me be alone for a while…”

 

“… “

 

Long Ling didn’t reply, just tightened his grip on the door handle.

 

At this moment, he and his phoenix were separated by only a door. He could even imagine what his phoenix looked like now—curled up in the billowing steam, fair skin tinted with a flush, trembling all over, those beautiful ink-black eyes gleaming with a watery sheen.

 

There was no sound from the bathroom. Long Ling took a step forward, whispering softly:

 

“Phoenix… is it like last time, in heat?”


T/N: Hello hello! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 

Chapter 33 – My head can’t stand this torture

Chapter 33 – My head can’t stand this torture

 

Zhao Qi came out of the bath feeling much more comfortable, and his expression had shifted from “life is not worth living” to “I will have my revenge.” However, his eyes were still red, and his voice had a nasal quality to it, making him seem somewhat pitiful.

 

He dismissed everyone except for Jiang Dehai. The two of them closed the doors and windows tightly, attempting to think seriously and analyze calmly to find the real culprit.

 

“Who brought me back last night?” Zhao Qi asked.

 

Zhao Qi’s hair was still wet. As Jiang Dehai helped him dry it, he replied, “Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

 

“Don’t know?” Zhao Qi questioned loudly, “You are my head eunuch, and you say you don’t know?”

 

Jiang Dehai smiled bitterly, “Your Majesty has been staying in Haiyan Hall recently. All the servants attending to you have been there. Last night, we waited and waited but couldn’t find you. After searching everywhere, we finally found you in Yonghua Palace.”

 

Zhao Qi frowned and gradually remembered. He had promised Rong Tang to stay in Yonghua Palace but forgot to inform Jiang Dehai. “What was I doing when you found me?”

 

“Your Majesty was sleeping. Seeing you sleep so soundly, I didn’t dare to wake you.”

 

Last night was so chaotic for him; sleeping soundly must have been something that happened in the early hours. This meant that when Jiang Dehai found him, he had already… already been defiled by that scoundrel!

 

The thought of this made Zhao Qi breathless. He took a deep breath and asked, “What time did you find me?”

 

Jiang Dehai recalled, “Just past the hour of the ox. Your Majesty, should we summon the eunuchs and maids of Yonghua Palace for questioning? They might know who brought you back.”

 

Zhao Qi nodded, “Find someone tight-lipped.”

 

“At once, Your Majesty.”

 

Soon, Jiang Dehai brought a eunuch named Xiao Jinzi, known for his discretion, hence his name.

 

Xiao Jinzi knelt before Zhao Qi, “Your Majesty, before yesterday’s banquet, Young Master Rong told us that today is the grand celebration of your birthday, so we didn’t need to be on duty. We didn’t know you would come, so we returned to our quarters early to rest.”

 

Zhao Qi glared at him, “So you don’t know who brought me back either?”

 

Xiao Jinzi nodded, “No, Your Majesty.”

 

Jiang Dehai suspected, “Your Majesty, why would Young Master Rong send away all the eunuchs and maids? Could there be something fishy about it?”

 

Xiao Jinzi said, “Your Majesty, Young Master Rong has always preferred quiet. Not just last night, he often orders us to leave him alone.”

 

Jiang Dehai suggested, “Your Majesty, should I summon Young Master Rong for questioning?”

 

Zhao Qi raised his hand, “Wait, let me think.”

 

All the eunuchs and maids of Yonghua Palace were absent last night, and he remembered that Rong Tang had left the banquet early. If Rong Tang returned to Yonghua Palace after him, then there would have been a period when only he and that scoundrel were there. If Rong Tang returned before him, he should know who brought him back and might have seen something. There was also a possibility that Rong Tang was…

 

!!! Stop thinking, Zhao Qi! What are you thinking?! Rong Tang, how could he! He’s an aloof immortal lord, he wouldn’t roll in bed with a mortal, let alone press you down and order you to spread your legs!

 

However, another voice in Zhao Qi’s head reminded him: Dear, remember, he did force you a few times before.

 

 

Ahhh, this is too confusing! His brain couldn’t handle this kind of torment!

 

Xiao Jinzi, seeing the pained expression on the emperor’s face, timidly said, “Your Majesty, I have a suggestion, if I may?”

 

“Speak.”

 

“Why not ask those who attended the banquet? They should know who brought Your Majesty back.”

 

Zhao Qi and Jiang Dehai exchanged a glance: Right, why didn’t they think of that!

 

Jiang Dehai took the initiative, “Your Majesty, I’ll go inquire right away.”

 

As soon as Jiang Dehai left, Rong Tang arrived. Zhao Qi felt like he was facing a great enemy and had no idea how to confront him. Instinctively, he rushed to the bed, preparing to play dead.

 

Unfortunately, his waist couldn’t handle such a sudden movement. When Rong Tang entered, he saw Zhao Qi kneeling by the bed, one hand on his waist, grimacing in pain.

 

Rong Tang: “…What happened?”

 

Zhao Qi, gritting his teeth through the pain, forced a smile, “I twisted it accidentally.”

 

Rong Tang walked over, looking down at him for a moment, then bent down and picked him up.

 

Zhao Qi: !!!

 

Rong Tang was probably not good at this kind of thing, as he wobbled a bit while lifting Zhao Qi, making Zhao Qi instinctively wrap his arms around Rong Tang’s neck.

 

The faint scent of medicine surrounded him, and Zhao Qi felt bewildered and shocked.

 

Rong Tang’s body had recovered so well that he could carry him in a princess hold.

 

Rong Tang placed Zhao Qi gently on the bed, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Qi’s lips, “Last night…”

 

Zhao Qi clutched the quilt tightly, his heart racing.

 

What about last night? Nothing happened last night! Hurry up and tell me you don’t know anything, hurry!

 

Rong Tang seemed uncomfortable, pausing for a long while before saying, “Thank you for your hard work last night.”

 

“…”

 

Zhao Qi’s vision darkened, his head buzzing.

 

Why was he thanking him? How did he know he worked hard? What did he do to him?!

 

Zhao Qi screamed internally, but couldn’t say a word, just staring blankly at Rong Tang.

 

Seeing his stunned expression, Rong Tang suddenly smiled.

 

That smile melted all his coldness. “I understand everything.”

 

Zhao Qi was full of question marks—what did he understand?!

 

Lying on the bed, Zhao Qi watched as Rong Tang sat beside him. Their positions were now reversed from before. The scene felt unfamiliar, and the Rong Tang before him also seemed different.

 

Rong Tang looked at him for a long time, then reached out and stroked Zhao Qi’s cheek before leaning in.

 

Zhao Qi’s eyes widened. What was he doing?! Was he going to kiss him again? Wait, why again?!

 

While Zhao Qi’s thoughts were running wild, Rong Tang’s face was only inches away, becoming a blurry close-up.

 

Rong Tang’s slightly cool lips pressed a kiss on his forehead, and he smiled contentedly at Zhao Qi’s lack of resistance, “Come home with me.”

 

Zhao Qi’s mind went blank, “—What?”

 

“You said you’d release me from the palace.”

 

“Y-yes.” Zhao Qi tried to stay calm, “When do you want to leave?”

 

“That depends on you.”

 

Zhao Qi still didn’t understand what Rong Tang was talking about.

 

“Think of it as a disguised tour?” Rong Tang stood up, looking out the window, “I haven’t been home since I came to the capital with my father at eight. It’s been ten years.”

 

Only then did Zhao Qi realize Rong Tang meant going back to his family home in Cangzhou, where his family currently resided. “This…”

 

Rong Tang looked down at him, “You promised to listen to me in everything. Does Your Majesty intend to break his word?”

 

“No…”

 

Rong Tang nodded slightly, “Then I’ll wait for your message. Rest well, Your Majesty.”

 

Zhao Qi called out, “Wait.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Zhao Qi frowned. What should he do, ask directly? Did you sleep with me last night?

 

That would be too embarrassing! And if it wasn’t Rong Tang, wouldn’t that expose that someone else had slept with him?!

 

Zhao Qi hesitated for a long time, unable to say anything, and finally gave up, “Nothing, you can go.”

 

After Rong Tang left, Zhao Qi lay on the bed, feeling utterly defeated.

 

He had a strong suspicion that the scoundrel was Rong Tang. He replayed the scene in his head: last night, he was dead drunk, went to Yonghua Palace to pester Rong Tang, and when Rong Tang got fed up, he…

 

Zhao Qi silently curled up under the covers. It wasn’t the first time he’d gotten drunk, but he didn’t know he had a habit of getting aroused when drunk. If it was really Rong Tang, should he castrate him?

 

As he was in deep distress, Jiang Dehai returned, “Your Majesty, I found out that it was General He who brought you back last night.”

 

Hearing this, Zhao Qi felt even more despair. He and He Changzhou had a pure, straight male friendship. He was confident that even if he danced naked in front of He Changzhou, nothing would happen. So, it was Rong Tang after all.

 

Zhao Qi said in frustration, “I see.”

 

“Your Majesty, I have invited General He. Do you want to see him?”

 

Zhao Qi replied indifferently, “Fine.”

 

He Changzhou entered and greeted Zhao Qi properly, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

 

“Oh, you may rise.”

 

He Changzhou stood up, and when he met Zhao Qi’s gaze, his face turned red in an instant.

 

Zhao Qi: ???

 

What’s this sudden development? Why are you blushing out of nowhere?

 

“You…”

 

“Your Majesty…”

 

They both spoke at the same time. He Changzhou pressed his lips together and said, “Your Majesty, you go first—wait, what happened to your mouth?”

 

Zhao Qi touched the wound at the corner of his mouth and suddenly realized something. Rong Tang hadn’t asked about his lips earlier. Did Rong Tang not notice, or was he the one who caused it?

 

He Changzhou squinted, “Your Majesty?”

 

Zhao Qi made up an excuse, “I accidentally bit it. Let’s not talk about this. You brought me back last night?”

 

A flash of guilt appeared in He Changzhou’s eyes, but he maintained his usual cheerful smile, “Yes, Your Majesty. Have you gained weight recently? It seems no one else can carry you but me.”

 

“Nonsense, I’ve lost weight recently—wait, you’re distracting me. Why did you take me back to Yonghua Palace?”

 

“Huh?” He Changzhou looked puzzled, “Didn’t Your Majesty say you wanted to go back there yourself?”

 

Zhao Qi blinked, “Did I? I don’t remember.”

 

“Your Majesty did drink a lot last night. It’s normal not to remember.” He Changzhou asked casually, “So, does Your Majesty not remember what happened afterward either?”

 

Indeed, Zhao Qi couldn’t remember, but his body told him everything. “After you brought me back, what did you do?”

 

“What did I do…” He Changzhou’s face turned even redder. “I didn’t do anything. I just put Your Majesty on the bed and then left. I didn’t come back!”

 

Zhao Qi trusted his brother but couldn’t help teasing, “What’s with you today? Why are you blushing so much?”

 

He Changzhou cleared his throat, “It’s a bit hot today.”

 

Zhao Qi looked at him suspiciously for a moment, “Alright, never mind, you may leave.”

 

“Okay.” He Changzhou breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave. At the door, he looked back, “Your Majesty.”

 

“Yes? Anything else?”

 

He Changzhou hesitated, “Does it hurt?”

 

Zhao Qi didn’t catch what he said, “What?”

 

He Changzhou quickly said, “Nothing, nothing. I’m leaving.”


T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

 

Chapter 45 – Circle it

Chapter 45: Circle it

 

At this point, it was winter in Lincheng, and the cold wind rustled at night. The little Phoenix lay on Long Ling’s head for a while, and suddenly felt a little cold.

 

It looked down at Long Ling, jumped on his shoulder slowly, and fluttered its wings, snuggling into his coat pocket.

 

Long Ling watched as the fluffy lump poked out of his pocket.

 

Little Pheonix: “Chirp!”

 

It pecked fiercely at Long Ling.

 

Long Ling hesitated for a moment, then swiftly inserted his hand before the phoenix could peck him again, gathering the fluffy creature into his palm.

 

Little Pheonix: “???”

It felt that Long was taking advantage of it again, so it angrily chirped and twisted its little head, looking for a spot to peck the dragon again… But after a while, it found Long Ling’s palm warm and comforting, sheltering it from the cold wind outside, which felt very cozy.

 

So it stopped chirping and silently nestled in Long Ling’s palm, not moving.

 

It looked very obedient.

 

Long Ling’s lips curled slightly. When his phoenix pecked him, it looked fierce, but it didn’t actually hurt. Now it was peacefully curled up in his hand, pretending to be good and adorable — it made him want to hold it in his palm, cuddling it affectionately.

 

After a while, he took his phoenix back to the rental house and asked, “Is Phoenix cooking today?”

 

Little Pheonix flew onto the sofa, looking like it didn’t want to cook or turn back into a human, hopping around on the sofa.

 

It didn’t want to turn back.

 

In case it turned back and the dragon took advantage of it again, and kissed it… After the kiss just now, if Qiansui found out within twenty-four hours, the phoenix would have a psychological shadow about kissing.

 

Besides, it was originally a phoenix, and it wouldn’t matter if it didn’t eat. Sometimes it was too lazy to cook, and it and its dragon wouldn’t eat anything.

 

Long Ling looked at the bouncing little phoenix and smiled, “Does Phoenix want some soup? I can make soup for you.”

 

Although it was always the phoenix who cooked, he had learned a thing or two from watching. They had bought some beef this morning, which was still in the fridge untouched.

 

When Little Pheonix heard there was soup, it tilted its head and thought for a moment, then chirped.

 

It wanted some.

 

Long Ling extended his hand to it.

 

Little Pheonix flapped its wings and flew into his hand, being carried into the kitchen by him.

 

A few minutes later, a pot of beef soup was ready, clear and fragrant with a sprinkling of green onions on top.

 

Confidently, Long Ling scooped a bowl and presented it to his phoenix, saying, “Phoenix, try it!”

 

Little Pheonix was obviously excited. After all, the beef soup smelled delicious. But now it seemed not quite appropriate to drink soup in this form, so it thought for a moment and turned back into human form.

 

Then it cautiously kept some distance from its dragon.

 

Long Ling: Tsk.

 

He should have just gotten rid of that cat earlier.

 

Su Muluo took a sip of the soup with a brightened eye.

 

Indeed, it was delicious!

 

Even better than what he made!

 

So he said to Long Ling, “Next time, you cook.”

 

Long Ling’s lips curved up. “Okay.”

 

Su Muluo happily finished a pot of beef soup with his dragon, then returned to his original form and jumped onto Long Ling’s hand.

 

Long Ling looked at the small phoenix in his palm and felt that he might not take advantage of the phoenix in human form tonight… Sure enough, next time he kissed his phoenix outside, he should use some diversionary tactics first to be safe.

 

But if the phoenix didn’t want to turn into a human form, besides preventing him from taking advantage, there was another problem — how would it bathe?

 

Long Ling asked, “Does Phoenix want me to help you bathe?”

 

Little Pheonix thought for a moment, spread its wings at him, and chirped.

 

It wanted to bathe.

 

Long Ling happily carried the small phoenix to the bathroom.

 

In the bathroom, Long Ling first filled the bathtub with shallow warm water, tested the temperature, and when he found it suitable, he put the phoenix in.

 

The phoenix’s feathers didn’t get wet or dirty. After Little Pheonix entered the water, it floated in the bathtub.

 

Like a fluffy little ball of fur.

 

Long Ling: “… Haha.”

 

This appearance was quite cute, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

 

But Little Pheonix thought he was mocking it again and immediately raised its head, angrily chirping at him.

 

What’s wrong with floating!

 

It’s not because it’s fat!

 

“I’m not laughing at you, Phoenix,” Long Ling said seriously, “I think you’re cute and beautiful.”

 

He even touched Little Pheonix’s head.

 

Little Pheonix somewhat proudly rubbed against his fingers, knowing it wouldn’t sink, and started swimming in the water.

 

Long Ling was silent for a moment, thinking, like a little duckling.

 

Of course, he had never feared death, so he directly voiced his thoughts: “Phoenix in this posture looks like a duckling.”

 

Little Pheonix: “…”

 

Long Ling: “But cuter than a duckling.”

 

Little Pheonix: “…”

 

This conversation was almost like yesterday’s replay. Little Pheonix remembered how it had pointed at the dragon egg and called it a duck egg, feeling a little guilty for a moment, so it didn’t say anything.

 

Forget it, it endured for the sake of the beef soup.

 

After bathing, Long Ling lifted Little Pheonix out of the water, wrapped it in a soft towel, and gently dried the water droplets from its feathers.

 

Little Pheonix: “Chirp chirp chirp.”

 

Don’t take advantage of the opportunity to touch its feathers.

 

“I’m not touching your feathers,” Long Ling said, “and I could have touched them soon.”

 

Little Pheonix was silent for a moment. “Chirp.”

 

Not letting you touch.

 

“Really not letting me touch?” Long Ling raised an eyebrow, smiling, “Then when Phoenix is in heat again, I can only watch from the side.”

 

Little Pheonix: “…”

 

This person is so bad!

 

It immediately turned its little head away, ignoring him.

 

Long Ling laughed and wrapped his phoenix in the towel, placing it on the big bed, saying, “I’m going to take a bath too, Phoenix, wait for me.”

 

Little Pheonix sluggishly buried itself in the soft blanket, calling out to indicate it understood.

 

A moment later, the sound of splashing water came from the bathroom. Little Pheonix boredly jumped around on the bed, suddenly noticing the ancient jade pendant left at the bedside was glowing faintly.

 

It returned to its original form, picked up the ancient jade pendant from a thousand years ago, and saw the light converging into a constantly jumping spiritual body.

 

“Phoenix Lord!” The spirit of the jade pendant was very happy. “I’m awake! Look, I’ve accumulated a little more power! I can transform without entering a dream!”

 

Su Muluo was about to say something when he heard Long Ling in the bathroom shout, “Who is Phoenix talking to?”

 

The spirit of the jade pendant was startled and said, “Is that Lord Long Ling?”

 

Su Muluo said, “Yes.” Then he turned his head and shouted back towards the bathroom, “I’m not telling you!”

 

Long Ling: “…”

 

The bathroom fell silent.

 

Su Muluo turned again, addressing the spirit within the jade pendant, “By the way, I have a question—do you know about Suyuan?”

 

Initially just asking casually, Su Muluo didn’t expect the spirit to actually respond. Yet, upon hearing the question, the spirit within the jade pendant became excited, saying, “Of course I do! Suyuan was where you lived thousands of years ago! Lord Long Ling was there with you at that time!”

 

Su Muluo was mildly surprised. “Was it a settlement of the Phoenix clan?”

 

The spirit in the jade pendant shook faintly, “I’m not sure about that. After all, back then, it was just you and Lord Long Ling living there.”

 

This revelation surprised Su Muluo. He had thought he would be with his clan at that time… But suddenly, he recalled something the spirit had mentioned before and a new thought crossed his mind.

 

“Wait, during that time, did you see any other Phoenixes?” Su Muluo asked. “Or was it just me and Long Ling the whole time? Did I never mention my clan?”

 

The spirit in the jade pendant tried hard to remember, “No, I never saw a second Phoenix, nor did you ever mention… I thought you didn’t like your clan at that time.”

 

Su Muluo fell silent. He had always believed that he had turned into an egg with the demise of the Phoenix clan. However, these words from the spirit gave him a new perspective.

 

Upon hearing the words “Suyuan,” he had a faint feeling that it was his homeland. If his intuition was correct, then Suyuan was undoubtedly the former settlement of the Phoenix clan.

 

But when the spirit was born, only he and Long Ling lived in Suyuan, and he had never mentioned his own clan to the spirit… Could it be that by then, his clan was no longer there?

 

If that were the case, he hadn’t left with his clan; instead, he had watched them die one by one before him…

 

Su Muluo’s eyes dimmed. But then, he reconsidered because he distinctly remembered Feng Xuan mentioning that shortly after the Phoenix clan’s chief gave the jade pendant to the avian tribe, the Phoenix clan perished.

 

He shared this doubt with the spirit in the jade pendant. After listening, the spirit said, “I don’t know about that either, but I remember when you handed me over to the avian tribe, you were already prepared to sleep, which means many things might have happened before that.”

 

Su Muluo frowned. If indeed he had handed the jade pendant to the avian tribe, then thousands of years ago, he was the chief of the Phoenix clan. How could he not have lived with his own clan members?

 

Moreover, if his clan was still around, he wouldn’t have been so quick to enter slumber. When he had made all preparations and truly decided to enter deep sleep… Perhaps his clan no longer needed his protection, or maybe they were no longer there at all.

 

Could it be that the demise of the Phoenix clan thousands of years ago wasn’t immediately known to the outside world? Perhaps it was only after he, the last Phoenix, chose to sleep that others discovered there were no more Phoenixes left in the world?

 

But why would the Phoenix clan be reduced to just him?

 

And his dragon companion—why were they the only two left in the end?

 

Su Muluo pondered silently. He had thought about these questions before, and now, this doubt grew stronger in his mind.

 

Another thing that puzzled him was why he didn’t directly tell the spirit in the jade pendant about everything that had happened thousands of years ago and let it pass on to his future self?

 

Or was it that back then, he was afraid that he couldn’t bear the truth, thinking that if his future self didn’t coincidentally encounter this jade pendant, he might as well never remember it again?

 

As countless thoughts crossed Su Muluo’s mind, the bathroom door opened, and Long Ling stormed out.

 

He approached the bed with a fierce aura, finding his Phoenix not speaking with any other woman but instead facing a floating spiritual entity in front of him. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Phoenix, what is this?”

 

Su Muluo said, “It’s the spirit in the jade pendant that I told you about.”

 

Long Ling responded with a casual “Oh,” then stared at the spirit for a few seconds before remarking, “Quite ugly.”

 

The spirit replied hesitantly, “…”

 

Su Muluo lightly slapped Long Ling and said, “Don’t say that about them. Apologize.”

 

Long Ling obediently took the slap and muttered, “Sorry,” then sat down beside his Phoenix.

 

Su Muluo pulled over a bit of blanket for him and asked the spirit in the jade pendant, “Since you know where Suyuan is, can you take us there?”

 

“No problem!” exclaimed the spirit, jumping up. “Even though the world has changed a lot over these thousands of years, I can still find that place because you specifically left a mark there!”

 

Su Muluo thought to himself that over these thousands of years, he must have wanted his current self to slowly uncover the truth, perhaps wanting him to know yet also not to know everything, which is why he hadn’t told the spirit everything.

 

Was that past truly so unacceptable to him?

 

Su Muluo sighed silently and said, “Alright then, after everything is prepared tomorrow, we’ll set off.”

 

The spirit replied, “Okay, I’ll go rest now and save up my energy for tomorrow!” With that, it retreated back into the jade pendant.

 

Su Muluo intended to place the pendant back on the bedside table, but Long Ling took it and tossed it into the living room outside.

 

Su Muluo asked, puzzled, “What are you doing?”

 

“If it has its own consciousness, we can’t let it stay in the room,” Long Ling explained. “What if it hears things when we’re… doing this and that?”

 

Su Muluo’s expression was deadpan. “I’m not doing this and that with you.”

 

Then he pulled the blanket and thought it wouldn’t be fair to let the dragon take advantage, so he transformed back into his original form.

 

Long Ling watched the little Phoenix trying to burrow into the blanket on the bed, finding it very cute as it fidgeted around. Unable to resist, he poked it.

 

The little Phoenix chirped and its feathers were ruffled!

 

Long Ling chuckled softly, transformed back into his dragon form, and rested his head next to his Phoenix.

 

The little Phoenix glanced at the dragon, flapped its wings, and flew up to settle on him.

 

For the little Phoenix, its dragon was clearly more comfortable than the bed. It quickly found a comfortable spot and contentedly nestled down on the dark dragon.

 

The dark dragon wrapped it in circles in its arms, its dark golden eyes watching its Phoenix quietly and attentively.

 

The little Phoenix met the dragon’s gaze, chirped softly after a few seconds, and pecked it gently.

 

“…,” the dragon said.

 

A smile flickered across the dragon’s eyes. It nuzzled the little Phoenix gently, as if guarding its most beloved treasure, and watched over its Phoenix until it fell asleep.


T/N: Hello hello! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 

Chapter 81 – Baby becomes a cub

Chapter 81 (Extra 4)

 

Four little ones stacked together like a pyramid, with a small dragon at the bottom, its body pressed into a purplish hue yet still using its claws to swat at the small black-winged Yujia on top.

 

Black-winged Yujia wasn’t faring any better; atop it was a curled-tail little dragon, pulling its neck feathers and making it cry out in pain.

 

And on the curled-tail little dragon, there was a gray-winged Yujia, biting its tail and twisting its face into a grimace, emitting strange squeaks.

 

Seeing this, the Heavenly Emperor couple hurried forward to separate the four little ones.

 

These four little things looked small but were surprisingly strong; despite their efforts, they couldn’t be pulled apart. Haowei then used a immobilization spell to fix their positions, finally managing to separate them.

 

Si Lan arranged them by size in a row. The eldest was a small white dragon that resembled Haowei the most, the second also alike, with a slightly curled tail. The third looked almost identical to Si Lan, black-winged with black hair and a small green mark between its eyebrows. The youngest, born last, had lighter colors, discovered to be a gray Yujia rather than black.

 

The four little ones had different expressions, showing anger, distortion, and a desire to fight on their faces.

 

Si Lan couldn’t understand why they were fighting. They had fought from the womb and even in their shells. Si Lan frowned and asked coolly, “Why are you fighting?”

 

“Roar.”

 

“Squawk.”

 

The little dragons and Yujias opened their mouths together, emitting strange chirping sounds that were incomprehensible to them.

 

But judging by their expressions, each seemed to think they were in the right.

 

Si Lan chuckled helplessly, leaned down, and carefully inspected them to ensure none were injured before allowing Haowei to release the immobilization spell.

 

“If you fight again, it won’t be as simple as immobilization; you’ll be confined to a small dark room.” Seeing their puzzled looks, Si Lan added, “A small dark room is just like an eggshell, pitch black with nothing inside.”

 

At these words, fear flashed in the eyes of the four little ones.

 

The little dragons hugged each other, the Yujias did the same, and their dry eyes looked at Si Lan.

 

Si Lan suddenly felt like an old witch scaring children, coughed softly, and said, “Let me introduce myself first?”

 

“… ” Haowei gave Si Lan a sideways glance.

 

Is this what it’s like to be a first-time father? Introducing oneself first?

 

“I am the Demon Lord, your father. This one…” Si Lan reached out and pulled Haowei over, smiling, “This one is the Heavenly Emperor, also your father.”

 

The two little dragons glanced at each other. “Roar.”

 

The two Yujias spread their wings and hugged their heads. “Squawk.”

 

Si Lan didn’t understand what they meant, but vaguely guessed they were contemplating something. He couldn’t help but reach out and gently rub their little heads; they were full of secrets despite just being born.

 

Quite intriguing.

 

The little dragon’s touch was smooth and cool, while the Yujia’s touch was soft and warm.

 

They both looked adorable.

 

Si Lan’s eyes revealed a tenderness and fondness he didn’t realize he had. Unconsciously, he had already accepted the fact that he had these babies.

 

The four little ones had just come out of their shells and were still dirty. Si Lan didn’t want to leave it to others, so he and Haowei took the four babies to bathe in a wooden tub.

 

During this, he also checked the babies’ genders and found that the two dragons were boys and the two Yujias were girls.

 

Unexpectedly, the feisty Yujias were all girls.

 

The two Yujias were closer to Haowei, while the two dragons were closer to Si Lan, which surprised him.

 

Haowei seemed to favor the Yujias more, leaning over the tub, teasing the two fluffy gray Yujias.

 

The Yujias nibbled gently on Haowei’s fingers; his eyes softened with tender affection, as if his gentleness was melting away.

 

Meanwhile, the two dragons seemed “ignored” by Haowei, so Si Lan quietly bathed them. Their scales were not as hard as adults’, still tender and pinkish after soaking in warm water, looking incredibly cute.

 

Their horns were as small as pimples on their heads, barely visible unless you looked closely. Their bodies were tender and had a faint pink hue after being soaked, making them look adorable.

 

Si Lan cleaned every scale of the little dragons thoroughly, then kissed each one on their forehead.

 

Across from them, the two Yujias who had been playing with Haowei suddenly stopped and looked at Si Lan with melancholic eyes.

 

Si Lan pursed his lips and tactfully walked over, planting a kiss on each of the Yujias’ heads. But these two Yujias still seemed dissatisfied, chirping something.

 

Si Lan smiled helplessly, “Don’t call out; I don’t understand.”

 

With that said, he looked at Haowei, realizing they hadn’t named the four babies yet.

 

“We should give them names.”

 

“Yeah, you go ahead.” Haowei, abiding by male propriety, handed the naming authority to Si Lan.

 

Si Lan rubbed his chin and pondered, “Let’s name them in order: Zhen, Kan, Xùn, Duì.”

 

These four names respectively meant the eldest son, middle son, eldest daughter, and youngest daughter in the Eight Trigrams.

 

Haowei nodded in agreement, quite pleased. Before the four eggs hatched, Haowei had seen Si Lan reading the Book of Changes, intending to name the babies.

 

Si Lan chuckled, calling out each baby’s name to them. The two little dragons responded obediently, while the two Yujias squawked in a somewhat haughty manner, reluctantly accepting their names.

 

Si Lan turned to Haowei and said, “Xiao Long inherited your temperament but my blood essence. Xiao Yujia inherited my blood essence but your temperament.”

 

Haowei remained silent. Why did he have a feeling that this statement had deeper implications?

 

He didn’t think Xiao Yujia’s temperament was bad; a girl should be a bit delicate to avoid being bullied. Boys, on the other hand, should naturally be steady and honest.

 

After Si Lan finished his tasks, he felt a bit tired and rested on the couch. Meanwhile, Haowei took the four kids out to meet the immortals and demons.

 

These four children were not only theirs but future rulers of the Six Realms, destined for greatness from birth, attracting much attention.

 

Haowei cast a spell, enveloping Xiao Yujia with a protective barrier that made them look like phoenix chicks to anyone outside.

 

Though the babies squabbled among themselves, they behaved obediently and calmly in front of others, their little faces solemn as they were scrutinized.

 

It was the first time many had seen dragon and phoenix babies together, eliciting both surprise and envy.

 

To have four in one birth—true dragon, divine phoenix, boys and girls—remarkable.

 

Who would have thought that dry-looking Demon Sovereign could bear such offspring? Perhaps it was Haowei’s doing.

 

After everyone admired the babies, Haowei entrusted them to fairy attendants and went to find Si Lan. Since Si Lan’s pregnancy, his health hadn’t been great; laying eggs and tirelessly incubating them left him exhausted.

 

Haowei gently pushed open the door and approached the bed. Si Lan lay on his side, buried in the blanket, only his fair neck exposed.

 

Haowei was deeply grateful to Si Lan for entering his life, giving him a profound and sweet love, and blessing him with four precious babies, making his life colorful and less lonely amid the vast celestial realms.

 

Bending down, Haowei kissed Si Lan’s cheek. Sensing the familiar touch, Si Lan turned and embraced Haowei, his voice soft, “Xiao Xun and Xiao Dui’s identities haven’t been discovered, right?”

 

“No.”

 

“Sigh, sometimes one lie requires countless others to cover it up,” Si Lan chuckled softly.

 

Haowei lay on the outer side, his arm around Si Lan’s waist, pulling him close.

 

“Don’t worry, I plan to set up divine formations on Xun and Dui. Even if their identities are suspected in the future, no one will be able to harm them.”

 

Si Lan didn’t understand the intricacies of divine formations but felt it couldn’t be that simple. As drowsiness overcame him, he opened his eyes and looked up at Haowei.

 

Their gazes met as Haowei lowered his eyes.

 

“Will setting up the divine formations affect you?”

 

Haowei replied truthfully, “It may hinder my cultivation a bit, but with fifty thousand years of cultivation within me, it won’t harm me fundamentally.”

 

Si Lan hesitated, “Four of them—does that mean setting up four divine formations?”

 

“No, the formations are only for Xun and Dui.”

 

Si Lan fell silent for a moment, “In that case, Xiao Zhen and Xiao Kan might think you’re biased.”

 

“They will understand my good intentions.”

 

Si Lan doubted they would understand; they were still babies, only interested in satisfying their immediate desires, unable to grasp such profound matters.

 

“Although they are young, they are sensitive. We should treat them equally,” Si Lan advised.

 

“Well, I’ll compensate Zhen and Kan in other ways,” Haowei said, kissing Si Lan’s forehead lightly. Initially intending it to be brief, Haowei continued downwards, lifting Si Lan’s chin and kissing his full, lush lips.

 

Their last intimate encounter had ended poorly, with Si Lan in pain and calling for a celestial doctor. Since then, they had restrained their instincts like beasts lurking in the dark, waiting for an opportunity.

 

Si Lan blushed faintly, “I’ve gained a bit of weight on my stomach.”

 

Though his skin remained fair and smooth, his body had become more full. He felt somewhat uneasy.

 

Little did he know, Haowei loved him even more in this state, unable to resist caressing him affectionately.

 

The supple waist in his palms felt as soft as water, tempting Haowei to press his fingers firmly into it, leaving bruises.

 

Haowei’s breath was hot, “Your little belly is so cute.”

 

Si Lan’s face grew even redder. Then he heard Haowei continue, “Every part of you is adorable.”

 

At that moment, Haowei’s hand moved to little Si Lan, adding, “Including this delicate cutie.”

 

“…” Si Lan.

 

Describing it as “delicate and adorable” didn’t seem entirely flattering.

 

He stretched his leg out to kick Haowei away, but Haowei caught his ankle.

 

Kisses continued, inch by inch.

 

“Si Lan…”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Si Lan closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the sudden intimacy, making him abandon all restraint. But then Haowei’s movements abruptly stopped, oddly.

 

Annoyed, Si Lan opened his eyes, ready to say something, and followed Haowei’s gaze. To his surprise, both Xiao Yujia were standing at the edge of the bed, staring wide-eyed at them.

 

The two Xiao Yujia were even stepping on the heads of two little dragons. The dragons struggled to lift their heads, their four paws clinging to the edge of the bed as they stealthily observed the scene on the bed.

 

“Roar… squeak…”

 

“…” Si Lan.

 

“…” Haowei.

 

Haowei quickly pulled the blanket over their bodies, creating a gust that knocked the four babies off the bed, sending them tumbling to the floor.

 

The little ones immediately protested loudly, chirping and squeaking incessantly.

 

Si Lan hurriedly leaned out to look down at them, “Are you okay? Come, let Daddy hold you.”

 

As soon as Si Lan reached out his arm, the four babies pounced on him, climbing up his arm and into his chest. They squirmed against each other, on the verge of fighting until Si Lan preemptively warned, “Anyone who fights will sleep under someone’s butt.”

 

The babies quieted down immediately, each finding a corner and settling on Si Lan’s chest.

 

Si Lan found them surprisingly heavy when pressed against his chest. It made breathing difficult, so he reverted to his original form and gently enclosed them with his wings.

 

Meanwhile, Haowei’s heart was still burning, casting a resentful glance at the babies nestled in Si Lan’s arms.

 

What to do…

 

He had just thought the babies were the cutest creatures in the world, but now he felt like throwing these brats out.

 

Si Lan comforted Haowei with his spiritual sense, “Why don’t you take a cold bath first, and we… have a long way ahead of us.”

 

Haowei remained silent, withdrawing his resentful gaze like an unnecessary bystander feeling dejected.

 

Si Lan watched Haowei leave and couldn’t help but smile.

 

This was exactly what married couples with children inevitably went through. And they had four children, making their task even more daunting.

 

Si Lan’s gaze passed over each of the four babies. After they settled in his arms, their breathing soon steadied as they fell into deep sleep.

 

The little dragon curled up like a snake.

 

The little phoenix tucked its wings and buried its tiny head, resembling a dark ball.

 

Si Lan adjusted his wings and inadvertently pulled the little dragon closer to the little phoenix. Though Xiao Yujia didn’t open their eyes, they used their wings to push away the dragon, who grunted in response.

 

Si Lan chuckled silently, looking at the four babies, lost in thought.

 

What had caused them to start squabbling?

 

He sighed, then turned to the two little dragons, “Regardless of the reason, you two are the older brothers. You must protect your sister and not fight with her.”

 

Then he turned to the two little phoenixes, “And you two are sisters. You should respect your brothers and not bully them.”

 

Whether the four babies understood or not, the next day they woke up and, for once, peacefully coexisted without any fighting.

 

They began to behave, eat properly, and before long, each baby had transformed into a chubby little child.

 

The eldest, Xiao Zhen, was calm and reserved, his chubby face giving him a dignified air.

 

The second, Xiao Kan, was simple-minded and honest, his large, bright eyes innocent and curious.

 

The third, Xiao Xun, was a beauty in the making, charming and delicate, far from the wildness of Xiao Yujia.

 

The youngest, Xiao Dui, was proud and assertive, his face full of arrogance, looking down on others with his nose up. With Si Lan’s patient guidance, he eventually learned to use his eyes to observe people.


T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 

Chapter 80 – Breaking out of the shell and fighting

Chapter 80 (Extra 3)

 

“Is it coming out?” Haowei’s face tensed instantly. He reached out to touch Si Lan, but seeing Si Lan’s pale face, he withdrew his hand anxiously and said, “Does it hurt? Do you want me to help?”

 

Si Lan could only manage weak breaths, the pain rendering him speechless. He gestured for Haowei to help him lie down. Standing like this, the egg might break when it comes out.

 

Haowei quickly held him, guiding him to the bed, and called for the midwife.

 

As Si Lan sat down, a stifled groan escaped his throat, and amniotic fluid soaked his clothes. He endured discomfort and parted his legs.

 

Somewhere within the soaked fabric, a round, swollen object began to take shape.

 

This was the first egg being born.

 

Seemingly pushed out by the other eggs, it trembled with anger as it emerged from the birth canal, causing Si Lan intense pain.

 

Haowei’s arms trembled with excitement as he carefully lifted layer after layer of blue fabric, revealing the golden dragon egg wrapped in amniotic fluid and specks of blood.

 

The surface of the dragon egg was not smooth, dotted with brown pits, likely warm from just being birthed.

 

Haowei delicately took it out and placed it beside Si Lan, guessing that Si Lan would want to see it.

 

Si Lan glanced at the egg, closed his eyes, and emitted a painful groan from his chest.

 

There were three eggs this size!

 

He felt like dying.

 

Summoned by the call, the midwife and celestial physician hurried over. Si Lan was now birthing the second egg, which got stuck.

 

The midwife instructed Haowei to soothe Si Lan’s emotions; he was too tense and might crush the hatchling.

 

Haowei spoke, diverting Si Lan’s thoughts. “Si Lan, it’s my fault that Xiezhe’s tooth has been bothering him lately. I give him candies whenever I go to the Demon Realm.”

 

Amid the midwife’s repeated calls to push, Si Lan rolled his eyes at Haowei. He knew it wasn’t Xiezhe’s doing; it was his own.

 

“And there’s more good news. I was planning to tell you once everything was certain, but it won’t hurt to share now. The snow in the Northern Plains is nearly melted.”

 

Upon hearing this, Si Lan grabbed Haowei’s hand excitedly, and the second egg emerged from him.

 

The midwife held the glittering dragon egg and congratulated, “Congratulations, Your Majesty, and Your Highness. This is a dragon egg.”

 

Haowei placed both eggs side by side. He hadn’t expected the eggs that depended on Si Lan’s blood essence to come out first, meaning the remaining two should be Yujia eggs.

 

Two precious little Yujia still hid behind.

 

Haowei’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he looked at Si Lan’s abdomen.

 

Si Lan glanced at the second egg, similar to the first but slightly sharper at both ends and rounder in the middle. Another wave of pain swept over him, sweat breaking out on his face as he gasped, “Is it… going to… snow…”

 

Haowei dared not let Si Lan speak too much and hurriedly continued, “Yes, there have been movements in Zhonghuang Star recently, signs of the impending return.”

 

Si Lan hadn’t expected that the prophecy “When the snow in the Northern Plains melts, I will return” from Xiezhe was actually true.

 

If that were the case, then Fanyu would revive soon.

 

Si Lan looked up at Haowei, who knew what he wanted to ask, and continued, “Upon his return, Xiezhe should first go through reincarnation, then into the world, without his previous memories and abilities. So he won’t scare the Six Realms again.”

 

“Fanyu passed away later and will revive in some time.”

 

Si Lan nodded, his attention returning to his stomach. The pain seemed to have stopped at some point, leaving no other feeling.

 

The midwife looked awkwardly at the celestial physician, who tied Si Lan’s elbows with a string and checked his pulse.

 

Seeing Si Lan’s and Haowei’s worried expressions, the physician said, “These… these two eggs don’t seem to have any problem, they just don’t want to come out.”

 

Si Lan.

 

Haowei.

 

Si Lan suddenly remembered the pain in his stomach from earlier. It seemed that those two Yujia eggs had been kicked out by the others…

 

These two little brats kicked me out!

 

He would wait for them to come out and make them understand why the flowers were so red!

 

“What should we do then? How about using a spell to induce labor for the Empress Mother?” suggested the midwife.

 

At this point, Si Lan’s stomach began to ache again. The two Yujia eggs seemed to understand the midwife’s words and showed dissatisfaction by shaking inside Si Lan’s belly.

 

Si Lan groaned in pain, clutching his abdomen. He didn’t believe he couldn’t handle these two little brats: “The eldest and the second are out now. So… let’s see who comes out last and becomes the youngest, becoming the youngest brother or sister.”

 

The two eggs inside his stomach quieted for a moment, then another wave of pain suddenly came over him. Si Lan grabbed Haowei’s hands tightly. Before he could catch his breath, he heard the midwife’s exclamation.

 

“So big… such a big chicken egg!”

 

Si Lan.

 

Haowei.

 

“Oh my, another big chicken egg!”

 

The midwife seemed shocked, staring blankly. Presumably, in her many years of birthing in the Six Realms, she had never delivered such large chicken eggs!

 

Haowei hurriedly took out the two “eggs” from under Si Lan. At first glance, these eggs indeed resembled ordinary chicken eggs, with a bright red shell tinged with yellow, slightly uneven. However, upon closer inspection, something seemed off.

 

The shells appeared fragile but were actually remarkably sturdy and hard, even tougher than dragon eggs. Haowei speculated they could withstand being dropped without damage. Faint silver glimmers could be seen between the eggshells, barely discernible unless closely observed.

 

Haowei tentatively tapped the outer layer of one shell and was surprised to find it peeling away, suddenly understanding.

 

The Yu Jia clan had evolved over the years to evade pursuit, forming a disguise on their eggshells to resemble ordinary chicken eggs. When they transformed, they appeared as wild chickens. After being burned in the Lu Jing Clean Furnace, they could be reborn, revealing their true forms.

 

Since Si Lan had entered the Lu Jing Clean Furnace previously, his true form had undergone a change.

 

He gave a cold glance to the midwife and the immortal physician. “As for today’s birthing room matters, do you know what to say when you go out?”

 

“Y-yes.” The physician and midwife wiped their foreheads nervously, then promptly left to inform the various immortals and demons who had already gathered outside.

 

Shortly after, Si Lan gave birth to two dragon eggs and two phoenix eggs.

 

For a while, the Six Realms were filled with joy.

 

Inside the bedchamber, Si Lan felt as though his entire being had been hollowed out. His once prominently protruding belly had now deflated after delivering four eggs.

 

The skin on his stomach didn’t seem like his own anymore; he felt nothing there.

 

Haowei carefully cleaned him up, laid him on the bed, and tended to him with soup to replenish his strength. Meanwhile, the four eggs were placed aside and covered with silk cloth.

 

After Si Lan had eaten a bit, feeling much better, he asked, “How long does it usually take for dragon eggs to hatch?”

 

“About a month.”

 

Si Lan vaguely remembered his mother’s incubation period for him was also about a month. It seemed these four eggs could be hatched together.

 

He supported his forehead and fell into silence.

 

Giving birth was just the first step; there was still incubation, then nurturing, and worrying about marriage in the future…

 

Haowei seemed to sense his thoughts and comforted him, “Once the children are weaned, we’ll send them all to the Extreme Domain for training, and you and I can resume our normal lives.”

 

When Haowei was young, he had been sent to the Extreme Domain in a similar manner by Taiwei.

 

Si Lan looked at Haowei faintly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

 

Haowei felt sorry for Si Lan. Originally intending to help with the incubation, he found that these four eggs seemed to dislike him, probably because they found his scales too cold, unlike Si Lan’s feathers, which were soft and gentle. Thus, he had just set the four eggs on the tray, and they rolled around, avoiding his touch.

 

Haowei had no choice but to entrust the incubation task to their “mother,” Si Lan.

 

Whenever Si Lan touched the four eggs, they behaved very well, staying still. However, he still had some reservations, making many mental preparations before sitting on the four eggs with a flushed face, enduring his embarrassment.

 

Ever since he arrived in this world, Si Lan knew it was full of bizarre things, completely different from the world he used to live in. But he never expected to give birth, to hatch eggs…

 

Indeed, the longer one lived, the more absurd things one encountered.

 

Si Lan guessed that these four eggs were similar to himself back then; although not fully formed, they already had consciousness. Thus, he started pondering about egg teaching.

 

Every time he “nested,” he would read children’s literacy books and self-composed fairy tales. Even when the children were still a mass of sticky egg fluid, he had already rolled them up in advance.

 

He wanted them to become the smartest offspring in the Six Realms.

 

 

On the other side, the Divine Mother summoned Haowei, taking his hand and advising with tearful eyes, “I never expected him to love you so deeply that he would swallow four pregnant fruits for you in one breath. I used to have some bias against him, but now I’ve completely changed my view. When marrying a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. He is so considerate and understands the bigger picture. You must treat him well, so don’t think about taking more concubines.”

 

“Concubines?” Haowei looked puzzled.

 

“Yes, a few days ago, didn’t the Dragon King of the East Sea send a little Seven to you?”

 

Suddenly, Haowei remembered there was such a thing, but at the time, the Dragon King of the East Sea said the little Seven was not good enough, weak, and sick from childhood, and wanted to use the Qingyao spring in the Nine Layer Sky.

 

He didn’t think much and agreed.

 

“They all say that Little Seven is the concubine sent to you by the Dragon King of the East Sea. You have already agreed to the order.”

 

“…” Haowei.

 

Haowei nodded at the time, clearly agreeing to let Little Seven stay in the palace to recuperate, so how could there be any agreement to take her as a concubine?!

 

How did this rumor spread?!

 

After thinking for a moment, Haowei understood what was going on. Quze had successfully ascended to become a dragon after overcoming his tribulation, though he hadn’t yet sought revenge on the Green Prawn Demon Clan. It was only a matter of time before he did.

 

Back in the day, the Green Prawn Demon Clan managed to destroy the Jinhe Carp Clan with the support of the East Sea.

 

Now that Si Lan had become the Divine Mother and Quze was Si Lan’s master, it was akin to Quze being backed by the Heavenly Realm.

 

The Green Prawn Demon Clan and the East Sea couldn’t sit still, so they thought of sending a beauty over to divide the relationship between Haowei and Si Lan.

 

Haowei couldn’t believe that he had fallen for the Dragon King’s tearful expression, and thought he was deeply moved by his father’s love. As a result, the Dragon King spread such a rumor behind his back

 

“Haowei, he bore four children for you as a man. You must not betray him. Taking concubines while he is in postpartum weakness is not right,” the goddess-mother couldn’t help but advise, patting Haowei’s hand.

 

Haowei’s face turned pale and then red, embarrassed as he explained, “Goddess-mother, please rest assured, I won’t do such a thing.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice transmitted through his divine senses.

 

This celestial attendant was assigned to take care of Si Lan.

 

Usually, unless it was something major, celestial attendants didn’t dare communicate with him.

 

“Your Majesty, you must return quickly, the goddess… the goddess is fighting with someone.”

 

Si Lan was recently engrossed in the “egg teaching” and normally wouldn’t leave her four eggs. So, who was she fighting with?

 

While Haowei bid farewell to the goddess-mother, he also communicated with the celestial attendant, “Who is she fighting with?”

 

“It’s… the Seventh Prince of the Eastern Sea.”

 

“…” Haowei.

 

Haowei didn’t dare delay and quickly flashed back to the Jade Palace to find her, only to see that she was still in confinement, grabbing a disheveled man, and was holding a teacup while sitting comfortably on a chair.

 

Seeing Haowei appear, Si Lan didn’t even raise her head, just continued drinking her tea.

 

When the Seventh Prince of the Eastern Sea saw Haowei appear, he immediately wept like a beautiful woman and begged, “Your Majesty, please save me.” After Yuzi finished speaking, he tried to throw himself at Haowei, only to be caught by Si Lan’s neck, and obediently fell down beside Si Lan.

 

Haowei glanced at the scene in the bedchamber. The thin robe on the prince was so light it was almost transparent, and the lingering fragrance in the bedchamber made it clear what was going on.

 

The guessed Prince of the East had come to the bedchamber and, not waiting for him, was waited on hand and foot.

 

Then the two people started fighting.

 

In the heavens and on earth, there were now few who could rival Si Lan. Prince Yuzhe, disheveled with tears in his eyes, looked pitiful.

 

  

But Haowei dared not look at him, approaching Si Lan and asking, “Who is he?”

 

  

“…” Yuzhe.

 

  

Si Lan set down his teacup, knowing Haowei was pretending to be clueless, and smiled, “He’s the Seventh Prince of the Eastern Sea, only two hundred years old and just coming of age.”

 

  

“Oh, I vaguely remember.”

 

  

“At your age, you could be his ancestor. Why would you want to recognize him as your grandson without first greeting me?”

 

  

“Your Highness…” Yuzhe’s voice was like a nightingale, pleading gently.

 

  

Haowei was taken aback by Si Lan’s words and continued awkwardly, “Si Lan, some time ago, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea claimed he was unwell and wished to recuperate using the Qingyao Spring. I agreed to let him stay in the Ninth Heaven.”

 

  

“Oh, what illness has him bedridden?”

 

  

“…” Haowei.

 

  

Seeing Si Lan’s tight expression and dark, intense eyes, Haowei realized he was genuinely angry. He dared not feign ignorance anymore and confessed, “It was only today that I learned from the Heavenly Mother that I was deceived by the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. He wanted this child, uh, to enter the Jade Pure Palace as a consort.”

 

  

“Even in the mortal realm, taking a concubine requires the consent of the main wife. The Eastern Sea Dragon King’s disregard for me is likely due to your indulgence,” Si Lan said with a slight redness in his eyes, seeming to feign strength as he turned away from Haowei.

 

  

Seeing this, Haowei panicked. He had never made Si Lan cry out of anger before. He hurriedly said, “Si Lan, I did not indulge him! How could I allow him to bully you? It was the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea acting on his own. I will punish him.”

 

  

“Enough, why punish the Eastern Sea for my sake and risk affecting your relationship with them?”

 

  

“Si Lan… Please don’t say that. This matter, indeed, was my fault. I will give you an explanation.”

 

  

“You don’t need to give me an explanation. If you truly think the Eastern Sea is wrong, then agree to one request of mine.”

 

  

“Alright, tell me.” Under pressure, Haowei agreed to anything.

 

  

Si Lan’s eyes flickered slightly, his voice intentionally trembling, “From now on, Tianjie is not allowed to interfere in the affairs between Qize, Eastern Sea, and the Blue Shrimp Demon Clan!”

  

Upon hearing this, Haowei was momentarily stunned, realizing what Si Lan meant.

 

He had been deceived.

 

Si Lan was never really upset, nor did he get angry. Moreover, Si Lan probably knew long ago that the Eastern Sea had sent someone, which allowed him to conveniently catch Yuzhe in the bedroom scene and then confront Haowei.

 

Everything Si Lan did was for Qize.

 

Haowei originally couldn’t avoid managing the affairs between Qize, Eastern Sea, and the Blue Shrimp Demon Clan. Now Si Lan was seizing the opportunity to force him not to intervene in Eastern Sea and Blue Shrimp Demon affairs.

 

Haowei sighed helplessly, “Alright, I’ll abide by your wishes.”

 

He felt increasingly incompetent.

 

Si Lan finally released Yuzhe, who lifted his tearful eyes and wanted to say something to Haowei, but seeing Si Lan’s murderous gaze, he was frightened and fled in his nearly scant clothing.

 

Although Haowei was deceived, he didn’t feel angry. He feared that he had really hurt Si Lan. Si Lan’s words just now reminded him of what he needed to do to prevent future incidents from drawing attention to the Jade Pure Palace.

 

“Si Lan.” Haowei reached out and held Si Lan’s hand. Si Lan didn’t dodge, knowing that things were settled.

 

“I’m sorry,” Haowei suddenly apologized.

 

Si Lan was surprised, looking up at Haowei. Haowei should have realized that today’s events were deliberately provoked by him, so why was he apologizing?

 

“You…” Si Lan hesitated to speak, and Haowei reached forward, pinching his chin gently and saying, “Si Lan, what you said was right. I do need to do better to prevent them from inserting people like this in the future.”

 

With that, Haowei leaned closer to Si Lan. Just as their lips were about to touch, an immortal servant responsible for guarding the eggs hurriedly came to report.

 

“Your Majesty, Goddess, the young prince and princess have hatched!”

 

The two were interrupted by this voice, forgetting their intimacy and rushing over immediately.

 

At this moment, all four eggs placed on the Silk and Jade Furnace had cracked open.

 

Two white little dragons and two black little Yujia were born and immediately started fighting.

 

White dragons helped white dragons, and black Yujia helped black Yujia.

 

“…” Si Lan.

 

“…” Haowei.


T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 

Chapter 32 – I must find that man and castrate him!

Chapter 32 – I must find that man and castrate him!

 

Zhao Qi was becoming increasingly dazed, his mind feeling like it was burning with something, thick smoke billowing, crackling sounds echoing. His vision gradually blurred, and the sounds around him seemed to come from another dimension, like a breeze passing by. He clearly heard and understood what others were saying, but the next moment, he forgot everything.

 

In this strange sensation, his sense of touch and smell became sharper.

 

He felt himself being carried horizontally. The person carrying him had a familiar and pleasant scent of fragrant grass. They walked steadily without any signs of strain. However, Zhao Qi felt extremely uncomfortable, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. His throat was dry, he was hot and thirsty, and the new dragon robe he was wearing seemed too tight, sticking to his skin and making it hard for him to breathe.

 

“Don’t carry me.”

 

The person lowered their head, “Hmm?”

 

Zhao Qi struggled to express his thoughts, “Don’t carry me, carry me on your back.” Perhaps a change in position would make him feel better.

 

The person chuckled softly, “Alright, let’s switch to carrying you on my back.”

 

Then Zhao Qi was lifted onto their back. The person’s back was broad, and Zhao Qi wrapped his arms around their neck. With his upper body upright, his breathing difficulties eased somewhat. He felt much better, closed his eyes, and rested his cheek on the person’s shoulder.

 

“Is His Majesty returning to the Haiyan Palace?”

 

Zhao Qi frowned, vaguely remembering that he had promised someone to stay in Yonghua Palace tonight. “Yonghua Palace,” he murmured, “I want to go to Yonghua Palace.” After speaking, the last string of clarity in his mind snapped.

 

When he woke up again, Zhao Qi found himself lying on a large bed. He rolled over several times but didn’t fall off. Opening his eyes in a daze, he saw nothing but a bright yellow hue. A clear thought suddenly flashed in his mind—he was lying on the dragon bed in Yonghua Palace.

 

But Zhao Qi’s clarity lasted only a moment. Soon, the nameless fire inside him flared up again, more fiercely than before he fell asleep; his head was dizzy, and the world seemed to spin.

 

A figure walked into his vision. “Your face is so red, are you that drunk?”

 

The person reached out and touched Zhao Qi’s forehead. Zhao Qi shrank back as if burned, trying to avoid the touch.

 

“You…” The person withdrew their hand, seemingly a bit unwilling, “I’ll go find the imperial physician.”

 

Zhao Qi instinctively grabbed their clothes, “Don’t go! Don’t, don’t leave me alone…”

 

The person’s body noticeably stiffened.

 

Zhao Qi, struggling to remove his dragon robe, muttered weakly, “It’s so hot, why is it so hot, can we turn on the air conditioner…” He pleaded, “Help me, help me take it off.”

 

The person didn’t move for a long time.

 

Seeing no help coming, Zhao Qi had to try on his own, but after struggling for a while, he couldn’t find the buttons. When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with tears, “Call 120, call 120, I’m going to die! No, I’m going to burn to death—”

 

Hearing his delirious words, the person finally realized he was truly in distress. They made up their mind and reached out to him again.

 

Zhao Qi thought he would be relieved, but unexpectedly, the person just tugged at his dragon robe, exposing his shoulder to the air, followed by a sudden pain—

 

In that pain, Zhao Qi blacked out again.

 

After an unknown amount of time, he heard a voice with a hint of amusement, “Do you really want me to help you?”

 

Zhao Qi’s throat was terribly dry, and he couldn’t say a word.

 

“But I’ve never taken off a dragon robe,” the person said with interest, “Can Your Majesty teach me?”

 

“No teaching? Then I’ll have to do it slowly. After all, you brought this upon yourself, you can’t blame me.”

 

“Your scent, this is…”

 

The dragon robe was removed piece by piece, leaving only an inner garment. But Zhao Qi’s body temperature did not decrease at all. He was so uncomfortable that he rolled around on the bed until a pair of icy hands grabbed his face, almost roughly, and asked, “Look carefully, who am I?”

 

Zhao Qi winced from the pain, struggling weakly. He couldn’t see anything clearly, only a blurry figure, but he remembered the scent of this person and stammered, “You, you are…”

 

Hearing his answer, the person smiled and pressed a finger to Zhao Qi’s lips, “This time, you can’t escape.”

 

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

Zhao Qi opened his eyes again, his vision filled with vibrant colors, as if he were in a dream.

 

“Did you let him touch you just now?”

 

Unintentionally, Zhao Qi saw a pair of eyes—deep as a pool, revealing no emotion. He didn’t understand what the man was asking, only instinctively shook his head, then crawled to the man’s side and hugged him.

 

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, showing no reaction, only his Adam’s apple bobbed gently. He pried Zhao Qi off himself, “Something happened, I must handle it, you…”

 

Zhao Qi lay alone on the bed.

 

Gone, they were all gone… What should he do!

 

Zhao Qi’s patience had reached its limit, but no matter how he shouted, no one answered him.

 

Just as Zhao Qi was about to collapse, someone returned and held him in their arms.

 

The last piece of clothing on his body was removed, and he heard a voice, “Your Majesty, your legs.”

 

Zhao Qi, in a daze, felt like he was dreaming, “Hmm?”

 

“Spread them.”

 

The moon was bright and the stars sparse, the candlelight flickering. The thin veil swayed and was pulled down by a hand, falling to the ground.

 

The day after the Longevity Festival was traditionally a day off from court. The nobles and ministers at the palace banquet, if they drank too much, could stay overnight in the palace. The Longevity Palace had dozens of rooms prepared for this purpose. The civil officials remained dignified, not indulging too much; the military officers, on the other hand, drank heartily, and if they got drunk, lay down wherever they pleased, impossible to be moved.

 

So at the time court should have been in session, the hungover ministers gradually woke up, drank the prepared hangover tea, supported each other out of the palace, chatting and laughing all the way, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

 

Unfortunately, the equally hungover emperor was not in such a good mood.

 

Hearing rustling sounds from the bed, Jiang Dehai walked over lightly, “Your Majesty?”

 

“…”

 

“Your Majesty, are you awake?”

 

“…”

 

Jiang Dehai found it strange, there was clearly some noise inside. “Your Majesty, you drank too much last night. Are you feeling unwell? Should I call the imperial physician?”

 

“…”

 

“Your Majesty?” Jiang Dehai couldn’t help but carefully pull back the bed curtains, only to see the young emperor sitting on the bed in a daze, with a cut on his slightly parted lips. The quilt had slipped off, exposing his delicate collarbones, which were covered with deep and shallow marks.

 

Jiang Dehai was shocked, trembling as he spoke, “Your, Your Majesty… what happened to you…”

 

Zhao Qi turned his head very slowly, “I think… I was… taken advantage of.” After saying this, he gasped for air and fell back onto the bed.

 

Jiang Dehai rushed forward to check on him, “Your Majesty, hang in there! Someone, call the imperial physician, quickly call the imperial physician!”

 

Although Zhao Qi hadn’t really fainted, his waist hurt so much that even a slight movement made him gasp. Apart from his waist, his whole body ached, especially in a certain unspeakable place…

 

Gritting his teeth, trembling all over, Zhao Qi’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, “Who was it!”

 

Jiang Dehai was heartbroken, “Your Majesty!”

“Which reckless fool dared to take advantage of me? I will… I will…” Zhao Qi couldn’t finish his sentence as a muscle in his waist was pulled, causing him to cry out in pain. He thumped his chest and lay on the bed, wailing, “You can’t treat me like this, I’m still just a child, waah… I’m tainted, waah…”

 

Jiang Dehai wiped his tears, “Your Majesty, please look on the bright side…”

 

Zhao Qi clutched the quilt and cried loudly, “How can you expect me to look on the bright side if it happened to you? It’s easy to talk when you’re not the one suffering! Go away, let me cry for a while!”

 

Jiang Dehai tried again, “Your Majesty, you should really let the imperial physician take a look.”

 

“No, no, no! If anyone finds out about this, how can I face them!” Zhao Qi sobbed and hiccupped, “Don’t stop me, I want to go out in the rain, let the rain wash away the filth on me!”

 

Jiang Dehai glanced out the window to see the sun shining brightly and a cloudless sky.

 

Zhao Qi also felt it was shameful for a grown man to cry like this. But as the saying goes, men don’t cry easily, it’s just that they haven’t been hurt deeply enough. If being violated isn’t deep enough, then what is? Getting pregnant? So, crying over this wasn’t shameful. Anyone in his position would cry, and those with less mental fortitude might even bash their heads in.

 

Jiang Dehai didn’t dare call the imperial physician, nor did he leave; he stayed by Zhao Qi’s side. When Zhao Qi’s crying subsided, Jiang Dehai handed him a warm cloth and suggested, “If Your Majesty doesn’t want to see the physician, how about taking a hot bath to check for any injuries?”

 

Zhao Qi, eyes red and face full of despair, agreed, “Fine.”

 

Zhao Qi never allowed anyone to assist him during his baths, and today was no exception. Jiang Dehai waited outside, feeling uneasy, and asked, “Your Majesty, are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

 

Zhao Qi mumbled an affirmation, trembling as he removed his newly donned clothes and stepped into the bath.

 

In fact, aside from the temporary marks that wouldn’t go away, there was nothing else on his body. That… that incredibly infuriating bastard must have cleaned him up, so when he woke, he was relatively fresh and unhurt.

 

Sitting in the water, Zhao Qi tried to recall the events of the previous night. His complete memory stopped at He Changzhou toasting him. After that, he could only remember fragments, like familiar scents coming and going, the dragon robe he couldn’t take off, the pain in his shoulder, and the intense pain of being… during that moment.

 

He looked down at his shoulder and saw a faint bite mark.

 

This was why he was furious but hadn’t lost all reason. He vaguely realized that what happened last night seemed to be initiated by him.

 

He had pulled that bastard, preventing him from leaving, asking him to help undress; when the bastard told him to assume various positions, he complied.

 

But! That doesn’t excuse the bastard from surviving!

 

Fine, even if he initiated it, couldn’t that person push him away? Knowing he was drunk and not in his right mind, why comply so obediently? Would defying an order once kill him?

 

Oh, defying an order was indeed a capital offense.

 

… What a mess. No matter who started it, anyone daring to take advantage of him would not have a good end!

 

Zhao Qi’s eyes turned dark and sinister, his fists clenched tightly under the water.

 

Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable. I will find that person and have them castrated!


T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

 

Chapter 44 – Suyuan

Chapter 44: Suyuan

 

“A thousand years ago… he was your true fiancé. Please don’t forget.” 

 

With these words echoing in the room, silence descended.

 

Li He: “…”

 

What happened?

 

Why aren’t Mr. Su and Zhenlong speaking?

 

Looking left and right, although she didn’t quite understand the words just now, she felt like there might be some gossip to hear… But just as she was puzzled, Su Muluo raised a barrier with a wave of his hand, keeping her outside.

 

Outside the barrier, she couldn’t hear or see anything. Li He stood still for a few seconds, dragged over a chair, and silently sat down.

 

Inside the barrier, Su Muluo’s icy gaze fell on the demonic spirit, saying, “How pathetic, this is just your own imagination.”

 

The demonic spirit pulsated silently, as if someone behind it was laughing loudly, their voice tinged with mockery: “Though you’ve lost your memories, your eyes are still the same as before, unchanged.”

 

“However, it’s precisely because you’ve lost your memories that you’ve forgotten our past together, right?”

 

“Phoenix, I wonder if you’ve dreamed of me in your dreams?”

 

The mention of “Phoenix” made Su Muluo feel a wave of nausea. This disgust was a physiological reaction, just like when he heard that strange man call him “Phoenix” in his dreams before.

 

But in those dreams, he was alone, whereas now his dragon was by his side. Su Muluo immediately turned his gaze to Long Ling and found Long Ling’s eyes dark and stormy, which confused him.

 

Seeing his Phoenix’s emotions fluctuate, Long Ling knew he had misunderstood and immediately soothed him by taking his hand and softly reassuring him, “Phoenix, don’t worry, I don’t believe him, I just find him disgusting.”

 

In Long Ling’s eyes, the man behind the demonic spirit was as ugly as a dead c0ckroach and trying to lay claim to his Phoenix was laughable and disgusting.

 

Listening to his low and gentle words, feeling the warmth Long Ling’s dragon brought him as their fingers intertwined, Su Muluo’s originally unsettled heart suddenly calmed down, and he smiled faintly.

 

Then he leaned over and gently rubbed his forehead against Long Ling’s.

 

The demonic spirit: “…”

 

Perhaps they found such intimacy stimulating, as the person behind the demonic spirit didn’t speak for several seconds. But no one responded to him.

 

After this silence for a while, the person realized that if this continued, he might really be ignored. His voice turned colder: “Phoenix, don’t you want to know what happened a thousand years ago?”

 

Even if there are individuals of the same level as Zhenlong, as long as Mr. Su and another Zhenlong are here, plus the combined strength of all the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings, they won’t fear the other side.

 

The only concern now is whether that person will, as Su Muluo said, stir up trouble between humans and demons again.

 

“I will immediately report this situation to headquarters,” Li He sighed, “No matter what, it seems that the human world may really become turbulent.”

 

Su Muluo nodded slightly and said, “There’s one more thing, do you know about Suyuan?”

  Li He asked in surprise, “What place is that? I’ve never heard of it before.”

 

Su Muluo said, “It’s a place left by that person. I plan to go there and see if I can find something about my past with my dragon.”

 

He didn’t elaborate further, and Li He didn’t press for more details. She knew she had already received enough useful information, and further inquiries would delve into Mr. Su’s private matters.

 

“Mr. Su, rest assured, we will find that place for you,” Li He said, “In addition, we will send out the elite of the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings to ensure your safety.”

 

Su Muluo said, “No need for protection, just me and my dragon will go.”

 

Li He wanted to say something more, but Long Ling said lightly, “With you around, it might become a burden.”

 

Li He: “…”

 

Seems a bit too real.

 

Afterward, the three separated. Li He went to report everything to Zheng Hechun, while Su Muluo, after obtaining Yang Yueyue’s hospital address, sent a message to Song Nan.

 

Upon receiving it, Song Nan immediately replied with a series of excited gratitude, even wanting to send money to Su Muluo as thanks, but Su Muluo refused.

 

He and his dragon came out of the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings and found it was still early, so they went to a coffee shop first.

 

“It feels like we’re going to go out again after just coming back,” in the coffee shop, Su Muluo looked at the empty shop and said, “Just came back for a day, and now we’re leaving again.”

 

Long Ling leaned his chin on Su Muluo’s shoulder and chuckled, “It’s okay, I’ll support the Phoenix in the future.”

 

Su Muluo looked at him and said, “How are you going to support me?”

 

Long Ling said, “I’ll have money soon, and then I can buy a big beautiful house for the Phoenix.”

 

There was a hint of pride in his tone.

 

But Su Muluo just took it as a joke and smiled, “Alright, then I want a house with a small yard. I can grow flowers and plants later.”

 

Long Ling readily agreed and kissed Su Muluo’s cheek.

 

Su Muluo was silent for a moment, feeling that since they kissed, this dragon had become more and more adept at taking advantage of him.

 

So he patted Long Ling, saying, “I suspect that person is manipulating the Elder, and he probably has more than one force.”

 

The incident of the Avian Clan’s transformation can be traced back fifty years ago, which means that person might have started acting around that time.

 

As for Long Ling’s hatching, although the Bureau of Strange Affairs had immediately suppressed the news, the aura of a true dragon’s birth had already shaken thousands of miles around… Other monsters might still be confused, thinking it could be the tremor caused by some millennium-old monster. But as a monster contemporaneous with Su Muluo and Long Ling, that person must have sensed it as the sign of a true dragon’s birth, immediately focusing their attention on Lin City.

 

Unlike Su Muluo and Long Ling who lost their memories, this person, on the contrary, knew many things that these two didn’t know. From the very beginning, they came prepared.

 

Long Ling said, “So does the Phoenix still plan to go to the place he mentioned, Su Yuan?”

 

Su Muluo nodded, “We will meet eventually. I’m not afraid of him. Besides, this place always gives me a very familiar feeling… Anyway, I want to go there and take a look.”

 

When he heard the words “Su Yuan,” it felt like hearing about his hometown. This place naturally attracted him, likely being where the Phoenix Clan once lived.

 

So no matter what schemes that person might have, he would find this place and uncover his past.

 

Long Ling hugged his own Phoenix without objection, smiling, “Wherever the Phoenix goes, I’ll follow.”

 

Like Su Muluo, he also felt a strong familiarity with Su Yuan and a sense of fondness.

 

Su Muluo made a sound of acknowledgment, remembering there was something else he hadn’t clarified with his dragon. “By the way, about that person mentioning a marriage contract between him and me…”

 

Before Su Muluo could finish, Long Ling interrupted, “Phoenix doesn’t need to say anything.”

 

Su Muluo looked at Long Ling, who gently touched his Phoenix’s forehead and said, “I don’t believe his words. Even without past memories, I know the Phoenix has always belonged to me alone.”

 

With their bond, there couldn’t possibly be a third party proposing a marriage.

 

Therefore, that person must be lying.

 

Su Muluo smiled at hearing this, realizing he had been thinking the same. He gently rubbed against Long Ling’s cheek, like a sticky little bird.

 

Long Ling: “!”

 

Long Ling felt his Phoenix was incredibly adorable, immediately taking advantage and saying, “I don’t want the Phoenix to rub against me, I want the Phoenix to kiss me!”

 

Su Muluo: “…”

 

Long Ling hugged him to prevent him from leaving and said, “I want the Phoenix to kiss me!”

 

Su Muluo stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, “There are people outside.”

 

Upon hearing this, Long Ling knew his Phoenix was willing, lightly laughing, “They won’t see us here. I’ll shield the Phoenix.”

 

Then he adjusted their position so his back faced the door, ensuring that people passing by wouldn’t notice what the two were doing inside the shop.

 

Su Muluo: “…”

 

He remained silent again, just looking down with his eyes lowered, his long eyelashes trembling slightly as Long Ling lifted his chin and slowly leaned in.

 

Long Ling’s hand rested between Su Muluo’s slender waist, feeling the warmth and breath of his Phoenix in his arms, lowering his head to kiss those soft lips.

 

His Phoenix could only belong to him alone.

 

Long Ling thought to himself.

 

No one could take him away.

 

The morning light was just right, and this kiss flowed gently like a stream, tender and intoxicating… But as they kissed, Su Muluo suddenly heard a voice.

 

He immediately turned his head—seeing an orange cat frozen at the coffee shop’s entrance, one paw half-raised in mid-air, completely motionless.

 

Su Muluo: “…”

 

Long Ling: “…”

 

Qiansui: “…”

 

Qiansui said, “I didn’t see anything. You can continue.”

 

Then swiftly turned around, using all four limbs to quickly run away.

 

Su Muluo: “…………”

 

Su Muluo looked quietly at Long Ling.

 

Long Ling’s heart skipped a beat, fearing his Phoenix might hit him, immediately hugging him tighter and not letting go.

 

Su Muluo said expressionlessly, “Go away. I won’t let you hug me!”

 

Long Ling replied, “I won’t let go. If the Phoenix isn’t angry, then I’ll let go.”

 

Su Muluo tried to pat him, saying, “I’m ignoring you!”

 

“But the Phoenix won’t ignore me,” Long Ling laughed, “Clearly, the Phoenix enjoyed that kiss just now.”

 

Su Muluo: “…”

 

Su Muluo was almost driven mad by him, so he decided to transform back to his original form. A little Phoenix flapped its wings and flew out of Long Ling’s embrace, reaching a place he couldn’t reach.

 

Long Ling: “!”

 

He thought his Phoenix was about to fly away and immediately felt remorseful. Unexpectedly, the little Phoenix just jumped onto his head and playfully messed up his hair with its small claws.

 

Long Ling: “…”

 

After messing up his hair, the little Phoenix angrily settled down there. Despite looking a bit ruffled, it was still round and very cute.

 

Long Ling remained silent for a moment.

 

He couldn’t help but start laughing.

 

Little Phoenix: “Chirp chirp chirp!”

 

Seeing Long Ling daring to laugh, it immediately angrily chirped and pecked Long Ling a few times.

 

Long Ling quickly suppressed his laughter, and very seriously said, “The Phoenix is right, I was wrong.”

 

Then he attempted to reach out and pet this shiny little Phoenix.

 

Little Phoenix: “Chirp!”

 

No touching you!

 

It spread its wings threateningly.

 

This threatening gesture almost made Long Ling burst into laughter again. However, to avoid being pecked by the Phoenix, he struggled hard to contain his amusement and said, “Does the Phoenix want to go back?”

 

Seeing his Phoenix looking so angry, it probably didn’t want to change back again.

 

The little Phoenix turned its head away, ignoring him.

 

Long Ling smiled slightly, with a fierce little Phoenix on his head, they returned to the rental.


T/N: Hello hello! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 

Chapter 31 – It’s my birthday

Chapter 31 – It’s my birthday

 

Zhao Qi returned to the Haiyan Hall, where a eunuch immediately brought warm water for him to wash his hands. Noticing that the eunuch holding the basin kept sneaking glances at him, Zhao Qi asked, “Is there something on my face?”

 

The young eunuch quickly lowered his eyes, “Your Majesty, your divine appearance and profound blessings are such that this servant can’t help but look a few more times to gain some fortune.”

 

Zhao Qi touched his chin in front of the mirror, “I do look quite divine, hahahaha, hic!”

 

After Zhao Qi finished washing his hands, the young eunuch withdrew with the water basin and then slipped out of Haiyan Hall when no one was looking.

 

Outside Mingcui Palace, a palace maid named Fu Die was pacing anxiously. When she saw the young eunuch approaching, she hurriedly greeted him like he was her savior, “Xiao Xiazi, you’re finally here!”

 

Xiao Xiazi whispered, “What’s going on? Why did the Emperor return to the palace unscathed?!”

 

Fu Die replied, “I don’t know either! My lord clearly followed your instructions and took the Chang Xiangsi that can make men pregnant, and then put the second dose into the cakes for the Emperor. But the Emperor showed no reaction. Instead, my lord fell ill upon returning, with a high fever that won’t subside, and…” She blushed, “He tried to do that with me. Luckily, I ran away quickly, or I would have been caught red-handed by the Emperor!”

 

Xiao Xiazi murmured, “This shouldn’t be happening…”

 

Fu Die said, “Whatever the case, my lord is still ill. What should we do—call the Imperial Physician?”

 

Xiao Xiazi exclaimed, “No way! If the Imperial Physician finds out, won’t it be obvious that the medicine was stolen by you?!”

 

Fu Die’s eyes welled up with tears, “Then what should we do?”

 

“What can we do,” Xiao Xiazi said impatiently, “Just endure it, it’ll pass.”

 

Fu Die sobbed, “We shouldn’t have taken such dubious medicine. Now we’re in trouble, let alone producing a dragon heir…”

 

Xiao Xiazi snapped, “Crying won’t solve anything! Go back and take care of your lord. I sneaked out; if I don’t return soon, it’ll arouse suspicion.”

 

Mingcui Palace was in turmoil all night, but it didn’t attract much attention. After all, Jiang Bao’er was just an unfavored male consort without a proper title. The entire palace was busy preparing for the Emperor’s longevity festival; who had the time to care about his life or death?

 

By April, the weather had completely warmed up. After lying in bed for half a month, Rong Tang’s health had visibly improved, and his face had regained some color. Although Zhao Qi didn’t visit him, he inquired about his condition daily. Upon learning that Rong Tang could now get out of bed and walk around, he ate half a bowl more of rice to celebrate.

 

The day before the longevity festival, the Ministry of Rites sent over a new court robe for Zhao Qi to try on, assisted by Jiang Dehai. The bright yellow dragon robe symbolized supreme nobility, with nine majestic dragons vividly embroidered. However, once Zhao Qi wore it, it only made his skin look paler without adding much effect.

 

Zhao Qi couldn’t help but sigh, “I still lack some imperial dignity. I think the Prime Minister’s official robe looks more imposing than my dragon robe. Maybe I should have the dragon robe made in black in the future.”

 

Jiang Dehai laughed, “Your Majesty, anyone can wear black, but only you can wear bright yellow.”

 

Zhao Qi casually remarked, “Only I can wear bright yellow, but many people can take it off.” Referring to Jiang Dehai and the other eunuchs who served him personally.

 

Jiang Dehai was taken aback, then responded, “Indeed, in the future, when the Emperor has three thousand beauties in the harem, it won’t be my turn to take off the dragon robe for you.”

 

Zhao Qi imagined returning from court to a beautiful, fair-skinned empress helping him out of his dragon robe—ah, the simple happiness of a man.

 

Soon, a palace maid named Jin Ning, who served Rong Tang, walked in. Zhao Qi was quite surprised to see her, “Is Rong Tang sick again?”

 

Jin Ning shook her head, “Your Majesty, the young master wishes to see you.”

 

After many days, Zhao Qi stepped into his bedchamber again. Yonghua Palace, the residence of the Emperor, had the best location and furnishings, second only to Cian Palace, making it ideal for recuperation.

 

Rong Tang, still dressed in snow-white robes, looked ethereal and otherworldly despite his thinner frame.

 

Zhao Qi looked at him, finding it hard to believe that this celestial-like figure was the same person who had been sick and vomiting blood before.

 

Rong Tang gazed at him quietly, eyes slightly lowered, and after a long while, he called out softly, “Your Majesty.”

 

Zhao Qi responded with a “hmm” and, searching for words, said, “You’ve lost weight.” He regretted it immediately. Of course, he had lost weight after being sick for so long.

 

Rong Tang said, “Your Majesty will turn nineteen tomorrow.”

 

“Yes,” Zhao Qi smiled, “I remember you are a year younger than me, so you are eighteen now.”

 

Rong Tang nodded slightly, “The birthday gift is on the table. Your Majesty can take it.”

 

Zhao Qi was stunned—Rong Tang had prepared a birthday gift for him? Really?

 

“Does Your Majesty not want it?”

 

Zhao Qi snapped back to reality, “Of course, I want it!” He quickly walked to the table and saw a long, rectangular box, “Is it a painting?”

 

Rong Tang nodded lightly.

 

Zhao Qi asked eagerly, “Did you paint it?”

 

Rong Tang averted his gaze, “Yes.”

 

As a talented scholar, Rong Tang was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Zhao Qi had seen his calligraphy but had never admired his paintings. He immediately wanted to open it, “What did you paint?”

 

Rong Tang said, “Your Majesty can look at it later.”

 

Zhao Qi stopped himself, smiling, “Alright.”

 

Zhao Qi was genuinely happy. He had thought Rong Tang wanted to argue with him but was pleasantly surprised that he spoke calmly and even gave him a gift. Although Zhao Qi still couldn’t guess Rong Tang’s thoughts or understand his change in attitude, he was content as long as Rong Tang could let go of past grudges and recover his health.

 

Holding the long box, Zhao Qi asked, “Do you want to attend the longevity festival banquet tomorrow? I’ve kept a seat for you.”

 

Rong Tang was silent for a moment, “Does Your Majesty want me to go?”

 

Zhao Qi replied without hesitation, “Yes.”

 

Rong Tang smiled faintly, “Alright.” After a pause, he added, “When will Your Majesty move back?”

 

“No rush,” Zhao Qi said, “We’ll talk about it when you’re fully recovered.”

 

Rong Tang looked at him, “Move back.”

 

Zhao Qi was puzzled, “Huh?”

 

“You said you would give me whatever I wanted.”

 

“I did say that. But…”

 

Rong Tang interrupted, “I don’t like you living in Haiyan Hall. Move back tomorrow.”

 

Zhao Qi didn’t understand Rong Tang’s insistence on this matter. But since he had been staying at Haiyan Hall for a while and Rong Tang was almost recovered, it made sense for him to move back to his own chamber.

 

“Alright.” Zhao Qi agreed readily, “Do you have anything else you want? Just say it, don’t be shy.”

 

Rong Tang said slowly, “No rush, there’s plenty of time.”

 

“Oh, then… I’ll take my leave?”

 

“Take care, Your Majesty.”

 

Holding the painting, Zhao Qi walked to the door, then turned back to Rong Tang and said, “Rong Tang, I’m really glad you could move on.”

 

Rong Tang remained silent. He indeed had moved on.

 

Whether out of guilt or strategy, as long as he could keep the person by his side, it was enough.

 

Back at Haiyan Hall, Zhao Qi opened Rong Tang’s gift—a painting of a blooming peach blossom, pink and white, radiant and charming, with a “Rong” character in the bottom right corner. Zhao Qi couldn’t find the words to praise it and simply said, “Awesome! Old Jiang, have this painting framed. I want to hang it on the wall!”

 

On the day of the longevity festival, Zhao Qi got up early. According to custom, he had to first pay respects to the Empress Dowager and then lead the royal family to the Ancestral Temple for a sacrificial ceremony.

 

When leaving Haiyan Hall, it was still dark. Zhao Qi glanced at the hall opposite, “Is the Prime Minister still asleep?”

 

Jiang Dehai replied, “Your Majesty, the Prime Minister returned to his residence last night. He will enter the palace with the civil and military officials today.”

 

At Cian Palace, Zhao Qi performed the grand ceremony for the Empress Dowager.

 

The son’s birthday is a mother’s day of suffering. With everything that had happened recently, the Empress Dowager felt deeply moved seeing Zhao Qi respectfully bowing to her. She personally helped him up, her fingers brushing over his lively eyebrows, and smiled, “Xier has really grown up.”

 

Zhao Qi sighed, “I wish I could grow a bit taller.” His height was really worrisome; even Jiang Bao’er was slightly taller than him.

 

The Empress Dowager laughed, “You’ve aged a year, but you still have a child’s heart. I must quickly find you an Empress. Once you have a prince, you’ll become more mature.”

 

Zhao Qi felt exasperated: Ah, here we go again.

 

The topic of the Empress and the prince accompanied Zhao Qi through breakfast. The royal family members within three degrees of kinship had been waiting at the front hall of the Ancestral Temple for some time. Leading them were Zhao Qi’s several uncles, and behind them was Zhao Qi’s only full brother. Zhao Tong was still the same as the last time Zhao Qi saw him—quiet, humble, and graceful, always wearing a gentle smile that endeared him to everyone.

 

Zhao Qi glanced at him a few more times, then turned and walked into the Ancestral Temple.

 

The sacrificial ceremony was lengthy and cumbersome, lasting several hours. Finally, it was over, and Zhao Qi had to summon the civil and military officials to issue a decree of general amnesty. It wasn’t until the evening banquet that he had a chance to eat something.

 

The banquet was held in the Wanshou Palace, where the royal family, civil and military officials celebrated together. The only person with a special status was Rong Tang, who sat with the civil officials. He wore his regular clothes, sitting alone at a table, expressionless.

 

The newly appointed top scholar was displeased, “Isn’t this person the emperor’s favorite? Even if he has to attend, he should be with the empress dowager and the rest of the harem. Why is he here with us?”

 

“The emperor must have his reasons for doing so,” the third-place scholar, Xu Qiu, said indifferently. “Speaking of which, Young Master Rong is exceptionally talented. I’ve admired him for many years. If I have the chance today, I definitely want to share a drink with him!”

 

Their conversation drifted into Rong Tang’s ears, but he remained unmoved. Someone approached him and asked, “May I sit here?”

 

Rong Tang looked up and met the person’s eyes. “Prince Huai, please go ahead.”

 

Sitting in the highest seat, Zhao Qi observed the scene and felt a bit unhappy. What was Prince Huai trying to do? Was he still trying to recruit Rong Tang even though Rong Tang had already expressed his unwillingness?

 

“Your Majesty,” Li Chisu walked forward with a wine cup in his hand, his peach blossom eyes filled with a smile, “I toast to Your Majesty’s long life and prosperity.”

 

In the presence of Empress Dowager Wen and others, Zhao Qi couldn’t refuse. He picked up his wine cup, gestured towards Li Chisu, and drank half of it.

 

After toasting, Li Chisu presented his gift, “Your Majesty, twenty years ago, my father and I hid a jar of peach blossom wine in the palace’s peach grove. I retrieved it during my last visit to the palace and now present it to Your Majesty.”

 

Zhao Qi found it odd. Others’ gifts were either priceless or extremely rare, but what was the significance of this aged wine?

 

Though Zhao Qi didn’t understand, the Empress Dowager and Xiao Shiqing, who sat beside him, understood clearly. “Twenty years ago, during the reign of Emperor Gaozu, I was just the crown princess and often saw Emperor Gaozu and the old Prince Zhaonan sparring and discussing ancient topics in the palace, closer than blood brothers,” Empress Dowager Wen explained.

 

Xiao Shiqing nodded, “Prince Zhaonan’s gift of this wine shows his sincerity.”

 

Hearing their words, Zhao Qi understood that Li Chisu was using this wine to remind them of the friendship between Emperor Gaozu and the old Prince Zhaonan.

 

“I am humbled,” Li Chisu said with a smile, looking at Zhao Qi, “Your Majesty, today you haven’t grown a beard, have you?”

 

Feigning a cough, Zhao Qi changed the subject, “Prince Zhaonan, enjoy your food and drink, and don’t stand on ceremony with me.”

 

Li Chisu smiled, “Of course.”

 

Returning to his seat, Li Chisu suddenly found a note under his plate. He looked around, quickly scanned the note’s contents, and left his seat.

 

Later, Empress Dowager Wen, feeling tired, returned to Cian Palace. Gradually, many others came to toast Zhao Qi, including high-ranking ministers and envoys from allied countries. Each toast required Zhao Qi to show some courtesy. After several rounds of drinks, Zhao Qi was slightly drunk and didn’t notice when Rong Tang left early. By the time He Changzhou arrived, Zhao Qi was already quite tipsy.

 

“Your Majesty, I toast to you as well. I hope Your Majesty will favor me more in the future?”

 

Under the influence of alcohol, Zhao Qi spoke freely, “What is our relationship! One cup is not enough, at least three!”

 

He Changzhou laughed, “That’s what Your Majesty said. Someone, bring more wine!”

 

“Your Majesty,” Xiao Shiqing frowned, “you cannot handle your liquor. Do not overindulge.”

 

“It’s fine,” Zhao Qi’s voice had softened, “It’s my birthday, why can’t I get drunk once.”

 

Xiao Shiqing, unwilling to argue further, directly took the wine cup from Zhao Qi’s hand, “Your Majesty is already drunk.”

 

“Give it back to me, the cup…”

 

Zhao Qi lunged forward to grab the cup, but Xiao Shiqing blocked him with one hand around his waist. “Jiang Dehai, take the emperor back to his palace.”

 

Suddenly, Zhao Qi shouted, “Xiao Shiqing!”

 

The surrounding area fell silent.

 

Perhaps the alcohol was too strong, Zhao Qi felt an unbearable heat throughout his body. He squinted at Xiao Shiqing for a moment, then leaned uncontrollably against him. “Prime Minister brother…”

 

Xiao Shiqing steadied him, “Hmm?”

 

“Everyone else has given me gifts, where’s yours?”

 

Xiao Shiqing’s eyes flickered, and his voice was as gentle as if coaxing a child, “Your gift will be given to you later.”

 

“Alright…” Zhao Qi obediently agreed and closed his eyes.

 

Jiang Dehai looked at Zhao Qi, “Is His Majesty asleep?”

 

Xiao Shiqing, “Yes, I’ll carry him back.”

 

“Prime Minister Xiao,” He Changzhou pointed below, “The palace banquet is not yet over, the officials have not finished celebrating, and both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have left. As the head of the officials, you should stay here to preside. As for the Emperor, I can carry him back to the palace. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done so.”


T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

 

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