Chapter 20: I Don’t Want You Anymore
Although Su Muluo opened his eyes as soon as he noticed something was wrong, there was no one by his side, only a little black dragon looking at him with round, innocent eyes.
“…”
Su Muluo looked left and right but found no one. He poked the little black dragon and asked, “Did you grow bigger again?”
The little black dragon shook its head: “Aow.”
No, it hadn’t. It had been behaving well the whole time.
Su Muluo’s eyes showed a hint of suspicion, “Really?”
But just now, he wasn’t pressed by a bigger dragon; it felt more like someone was holding him… yet there was no one else around.
Unable to figure it out, Su Muluo glanced at the little black dragon again.
Could it be… his dragon turned into a human?
But that didn’t seem right. If it really had turned into a human, this little dragon would definitely be showing off happily and taking advantage of him, instead of sitting here innocently like nothing had happened.
While Su Muluo was deep in thought, the little black dragon’s dark golden eyes stared at him unblinkingly, and after a while, it flicked its tail and let out a soft “Aow.”
It was a bit sleepy.
Su Muluo looked at it and said, “Alright, let’s sleep.”
The little black dragon was about to happily snuggle with Su Muluo when his phoenix calmly added, “Anyway, if there’s a rat’s tail, it will show sooner or later.”
The little black dragon: “…”
It was still early in the morning, and Su Muluo lay back down, pulling the soft blanket over himself and the little dragon beside him.
The little black dragon curled up at Su Muluo’s shoulder, yawning softly. Su Muluo pinched its little horns and said, “Don’t disturb me.”
The little black dragon: “Aow!”
It had never disturbed anyone!
Su Muluo laughed and said, “Then don’t take advantage of me.”
The little black dragon fell silent.
Su Muluo squinted slightly, “Why aren’t you responding?”
The little black dragon: “Chirp.”
Looking innocent again, the little dragon stared at Su Muluo for a few seconds before he quickly reached out to grab its tail.
The little black dragon quickly hugged its own tail, watching him warily.
Su Muluo: Tsk.
He still couldn’t catch the little black dragon’s tail today. He patted its head and said, “Sleep.”
In the second half of the night, the man did not appear beside Su Muluo again. He slept soundly and had a strange dream.
In the dream, it seemed like a distant past, and the surroundings were unfamiliar. It wasn’t a city with tall buildings but a secluded paradise, with a clear stream flowing gently and green mountains stretching far away.
Here, Su Muluo seemed to become someone else, or perhaps he was still himself—his long black hair unbound, casually falling over his shoulders. He wore a loose white robe, walking slowly by the stream alone.
But soon, he realized he wasn’t alone; he was walking with another person.
It was a black-haired boy, not even reaching his waist, with small dragon horns on his head, silently holding onto the hem of his robe, following closely beside him.
Su Muluo’s gaze fell on the boy’s face, but before he could see clearly, the dream ended.
Then he woke up.
“…”
Daylight poured through the window. Still sleepy, Su Muluo buried himself deeper into the blanket.
The little black dragon was already awake, circling around him, its small horns rubbing against his face.
Su Muluo felt a tickle on his face and chuckled, recalling the boy in his dream who also had small horns. His drowsiness vanished instantly.
What kind of dream was that?
Who were the black-haired man and the boy?
Su Muluo opened his eyes and met the little black dragon’s dark golden gaze.
Did the boy in the dream have such dark golden eyes?
…He couldn’t remember clearly.
Frowning, Su Muluo sat up, placing the little black dragon in his palm.
He felt something was off lately, and that dream probably wasn’t just a dream… Maybe it was his past.
But why would he suddenly dream of his past?
While Su Muluo was silent, the little black dragon sensed his dilemma. It hugged his finger and softly called out, “Chirp.”
Su Muluo’s attention returned, and he looked at the little dragon, teasing it with his finger, “I dreamt of someone else last night.”
The little black dragon: “?”
Its eyes widened at Su Muluo, looking shocked and incredulous as if thinking, “My phoenix found another man outside?”
Su Muluo was amused by its expression and said, “What are you thinking? It was just a dream.” He then jokingly added, “Anyway, you can’t turn into a human right now, so what’s wrong with me dreaming of someone else?”
The little black dragon: “???”
Whatever Su Muluo said seemed to hit a nerve. The little black dragon suddenly tilted its head back and started chirping loudly, looking very angry.
Listening for a while, Su Muluo realized he couldn’t understand what the little dragon was babbling about. Finding it noisy, he stuffed it into his pocket and said, “So noisy, let’s go, I’m not listening to you.”
The little black dragon: “…”
Angry, it scratched at Su Muluo’s pocket but got no response. Then it let out a loud “Aow.”
Su Muluo reached a hand in, and the little black dragon clung to it.
“Who told you to babble nonsense,” Su Muluo said with a smile in his eyes, “I can’t understand a thing.”
The little black dragon huffed and turned its head away.
Su Muluo found it adorable and couldn’t help but laugh, patting its head before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.
At ten o’clock, Su Muluo arrived at the coffee shop on time. There were not many customers yet, so he scrolled through his phone, accidentally opening WeChat’s Moments.
He didn’t have many friends on WeChat—his landlord was one, Huang Gaigai was another, and recently, he had added Liu He.
Su Muluo thought that Liu He, being busy with work at the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings, wouldn’t have time for her phone. To his surprise, she had posted on Moments just a few minutes ago.
“Is that dumb leader brain-dead? Inspections, inspections every day, why doesn’t he go climb a mountain!!”
“My vacation, argh!! I want a break, I want to eat hot pot, barbecue, and crayfish!!!”
Su Muluo: “…”
This post was quite different from the Liu He he usually interacted with. However, seeing her post reminded him that he had some questions for Liu He.
So he clicked on Liu He’s profile picture and sent her a message.
“Excuse me, is there anything in the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs that can help someone recall their past?”
The question was a bit strange, but Liu He responded quickly.
“Yes, Mr. Su. You’re referring to the Source Mirror. It allows one to see the past of someone important to them and is a high-grade artifact.”
“If you need it, I can apply for its use, but it might take some time.”
Su Muluo had asked casually and didn’t expect such an artifact to exist. He felt it was fine to wait a while, so he thanked Liu He.
According to Liu He, the Source Mirror shows the past of someone important, not oneself. So if the mirror could be used, he might see the little black dragon’s past…
Thinking this, Su Muluo glanced at the little black dragon.
The little black dragon was also watching him. Seeing him chatting with Liu He, it immediately chirped and blocked the phone screen.
Su Muluo: “Pfft.”
He poked the little black dragon, “Little jealous one, getting jealous over this too.”
The little black dragon chirped indignantly, meaning it wanted to be jealous if it wanted to.
Su Muluo’s eyes curved, and he said, “You’re too small to block the screen. Turn into a human if you can.” He paused, then added, “But you have to be good-looking; I don’t want an ugly one.”
This was meant as a joke, but the little black dragon suddenly fell silent, not moving at all.
Su Muluo: “What’s wrong?”
He raised his hand to touch the little black dragon, but it refused his touch, hugging its tail and curling up into a ball, looking like it had shut down.
Su Muluo fell silent.
He had no idea why the little dragon suddenly shut down, feeling he hadn’t bullied it.
Was it because of that last sentence?
Thinking about it, Su Muluo realized that today the little black dragon seemed very sensitive to the topic of turning into a human. Observing it for a while, he raised an eyebrow and said, “Today, you reacted strongly both times I mentioned turning into a human.”
The little black dragon: “…”
Su Muluo: “So, how long until you turn into a human since you hatched?”
The little black dragon slowly lifted its head, looking up with innocent eyes, “Chirp.”
What’s it saying? It didn’t know.
Su Muluo wouldn’t let it off so easily, leaning in closer, staring at the little dragon, “It didn’t take me that long to transform. Are you really just a little mudfish spirit who can’t turn into a human?”
At
these words, the little black dragon flared up, baring its tiny fangs and claws, growling at him.
Su Muluo chuckled, “Just kidding. What’s the big deal? Anyway, I still want you, whether you turn into a human or not.”
The little black dragon stopped baring its fangs, “Chirp?”
“Really?”
Su Muluo: “Really.”
No matter what you become, as long as you are yourself, I will always accept you.
The little black dragon’s eyes sparkled, and it softly nuzzled Su Muluo’s hand.
Su Muluo smiled gently. Looking at the time, he set the little black dragon aside and began preparing for the day’s work.
Throughout the day, the little black dragon didn’t cause any trouble. It stayed on the counter, watching him work, occasionally chirping softly. It was peaceful and content.
By evening, the coffee shop was busy. As Su Muluo served a customer, he overheard a couple discussing their upcoming vacation plans.
Hearing them, Su Muluo’s thoughts wandered. He hadn’t taken a break in a long time either.
Maybe after sorting out his past, he should take a vacation.
Thinking this, Su Muluo smiled to himself and continued his work.
—
Back home, Su Muluo opened his door, expecting to see his little black dragon zooming around. However, the house was eerily quiet.
He immediately sensed something was wrong. He rushed inside, calling out, “Little Black! Where are you?”
There was no response.
Su Muluo quickly checked every corner of the house but couldn’t find the little dragon. Panic started to set in.
Just as he was about to check the garden, he saw a familiar figure standing by the window.
It was a man in black, with dark golden eyes. He was holding the little black dragon, who looked listless and weak.
“Who are you?” Su Muluo demanded, his eyes filled with fury.
The man turned slowly, his gaze calm and composed, “I’m the guardian of this little dragon. You are not worthy of it.”
Su Muluo clenched his fists, stepping forward, “Let it go.”
The man smirked, “You think you can command me?”
Su Muluo’s eyes glowed with a fierce light, “I said, let it go.”
The man remained unfazed, “If you want it back, prove your worth.”
Before Su Muluo could react, the man and the little black dragon vanished into thin air.
Su Muluo stood there, his heart pounding, his mind racing. The little black dragon was taken from him, and he needed to get it back.
No matter what it took.
This statement had a bit of a fierce tone. After hearing it, Su Muluo fell silent for a moment.
So the little dragon’s sulking earlier was really because of his remark, “I only want good-looking ones, not ugly ones”?
Su Muluo remembered the man in black he had seen in his dream. Although the man’s face was obscured, just from seeing those dark golden dragon eyes, he could tell that he should be very handsome.
So what exactly was this little dragon so hung up on?
Thinking about this, Su Muluo poked the little black dragon and said, “I never said you were ugly. Even if you were, I would still like you.”
This was true. He didn’t care much about appearances. If he did, he would have disliked the little black dragon when it was still an egg—after all, it looked like a duck egg back then.
Besides, looks can’t be eaten. After being together for so long, would he really reject the little dragon because of its appearance?
Su Muluo shared his thoughts with the little black dragon, and upon hearing this, it happily rolled around in his palm.
Seeing its joyful demeanor, Su Muluo was slightly speechless.
So, his dragon turning into a human form wouldn’t actually be that ugly, right?
…Well, ugly is ugly. Ultimately, he still liked this dragon.
He petted the little black dragon, letting it frolic around.
After a while, two young girls came into the coffee shop. They ordered two regular coffees and sat by the window, chatting about dinner.
“Hey, a new hot pot place opened nearby. Want to try it?”
“Definitely! I haven’t had hot pot in ages!”
Hearing the words “hot pot,” Su Muluo perked up.
He had seen many hot pot places in the area, with steaming, aromatic dishes that looked especially delicious. But since the little black dragon hadn’t transformed into a human yet, he couldn’t go, so he could only imagine it.
Now, hearing the girls’ conversation, he craved hot pot again. Although he couldn’t go to a hot pot restaurant for now, making it at home should be possible, right?
Su Muluo immediately took out his phone to search for how to make hot pot at home.
The little black dragon, also interested in hot pot, leaned over to watch. After researching for a while, they decided to have hot pot for dinner tonight.
However, making hot pot required a lot of preparation, so Su Muluo planned to close the shop early this afternoon and head to the supermarket to buy ingredients.
In the afternoon, the coffee shop got busier. A young man with an earring walked in.
Su Muluo remembered him from yesterday; the young man had shown great interest in the little black dragon. He immediately tucked the dragon into his pocket and asked, “What would you like to drink?”
The young man seemed more cheerful today and casually ordered a “specialty coffee,” then enthusiastically said, “Boss, your specialty coffee is amazing! After drinking it, I felt more energetic and even stronger!”
Su Muluo replied, “It contains my family’s secret recipe, which is beneficial to health.”
The young man exclaimed, “Oh! That explains it! This morning, I carried fifty pounds of rice and a sofa upstairs in one go!”
Su Muluo: “…”
Although the essence of phoenix feathers could improve physical constitution, it shouldn’t work like that!
“You must have eaten something else unusual,” Su Muluo said diplomatically. “My coffee alone can’t make people stronger.”
The young man pondered for a moment and then shrugged, “Maybe. Anyway, as long as your coffee tastes good, that’s all that matters.”
He pulled out some cash to pay Su Muluo and glanced at his hand, disappointed not to see the toy loach from yesterday.
Su Muluo, not wanting him to see his dragon, said, “Please find a seat.”
After sending the young man away, he reached into his pocket and poked the little black dragon.
The little black dragon, not understanding, happily rubbed against his finger.
Business was good today, but Su Muluo was eager for hot pot, so he closed the shop early and headed to the supermarket with the little black dragon.
At the supermarket, Su Muluo referred to his phone’s notes while filling the cart with beef, tripe, fresh shrimp, enoki mushrooms, and other ingredients. He also bought several hot pot bases and a divided pot for convenience.
Once they had everything, they returned to the apartment and started preparing for the hot pot.
He boiled water in the pot, added a chicken stuffed with scallions and ginger, and simmered it slowly. Vegetables were meticulously cleaned, beef sliced into tender pieces, tripe cut thinly, and shrimp deveined. Two hours later, the chicken broth was ready. He took out the chicken, shredded the meat, mixed it with soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced scallions, ginger, and garlic. He then poured the broth into the divided pot and added a large chunk of spicy hot pot base to one side.
Next came the meat and vegetables. Beef rolled through the spicy broth, dipped in the prepared sauce, was tender and spicy, with oil dripping.
Recalling the previous water-boiled fish incident, Su Muluo prepared a clear broth for the little black dragon. While the clear broth was delicious, it couldn’t compare to the fragrant and spicy broth.
The little black dragon, eating the beef Su Muluo dipped for it, kept glancing at the spicy pot.
Seeing this, Su Muluo dipped a piece of tripe in the spicy pot and teased, “Want to eat this?”
The tripe, coated in spicy oil, looked very tempting. The little black dragon immediately got excited and chirped.
Su Muluo then ate it himself, “Not giving it to you.”
Little black dragon: “…”
In the dragon’s resentful gaze, Su Muluo laughed, went to the kitchen, and fetched a bowl. He ladled some clear broth into it, dipped the tripe in the spicy pot, then swirled it in the clear broth before feeding it to the little black dragon.
The little black dragon wasn’t good with spicy food; the water-boiled fish last time had it howling. But this tripe, dipped in the spicy pot and then the clear broth, retained the spicy flavor without being too hot.
The little black dragon happily ate it and wasn’t spicy this time, wagging its tail contentedly.
After the meal, the little black dragon, with a round belly, sprawled in Su Muluo’s palm, showing its belly. Su Muluo rubbed its tummy and laughed, “You ate so much, you look even chubbier.”
Hearing this, the little black dragon stared intently at Su Muluo.
Su Muluo: “Got it, got it, even if you’re chubby, I still like you.”
The little black dragon hummed, wriggling in the phoenix’s palm.
Staring at the little dragon, Su Muluo felt that it was particularly concerned about its image today, but still refused to transform into a human, keeping him on edge. Very annoying.
He tapped the little black dragon’s head, and it clung to his wrist with a chirp.
Although hot pot was delicious, cleaning up was a hassle. A few minutes later, looking at the pile of dishes, Su Muluo thought, when the little black dragon turned into a human, he would make him wash dishes every day.
And do all the housework!
The little black dragon, nestled in the phoenix’s pocket because the phoenix had to wash dishes, suddenly shivered and sneezed.
Two days later, Liu He contacted Su Muluo, informing him that the Tracing Mirror had been delivered to the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings If he needed it, he could come over anytime.
“Alright, thank you.”
After hanging up, Su Muluo poked the little black dragon, “We’re going to the Bureau of Extraordinary Beings.”
He had mentioned wanting the Tracing Mirror to the little black dragon earlier, and now the little dragon chirped in agreement.
Su Muluo put the little dragon in his pocket and set off.
The Bureau of Extraordinary Beings was as busy as ever. Liu He was waiting at the door, and when she saw Su Muluo, she quickly walked over.
“Mr. Su,” she greeted with a smile, “Good morning.”
Su Muluo smiled back slightly, “Good morning, and thank you for your help.”
“It was no trouble at all. We often move the Tracing Mirror around, so the procedures are quite simple,” Liu He replied. “Please follow me.”
She and Su Muluo walked into the Special Bureau, and at that moment, a group of people were approaching the entrance. When the two groups met, Liu He respectfully greeted the man at the forefront, “Elder Feng.”
The man she addressed as “Elder Feng” acknowledged her. He hadn’t paid much attention to the two of them initially, but when his gaze landed on Su Muluo, he stopped in his tracks.
Su Muluo remained calm and met the man’s eyes. He didn’t recognize him but could easily discern his true nature—a bird demon.
Based on Liu He’s earlier greeting, this person should be an elder of the bird clan. Although Su Muluo didn’t know why the bird clan elder was in Lincheng, he was confident it had nothing to do with him.
The atmosphere became tense as the bird clan elder stayed still. Liu He coughed and broke the silence, “Elder Feng, we have some business to attend to, so we’ll be leaving now.”
The bird clan elder remained silent for a few seconds before withdrawing his gaze from Su Muluo and nodding slightly.
The two groups then parted ways. After walking some distance, Liu He explained to Su Muluo, “Mr. Su, that was Feng Xuan, the bird clan elder. He arrived in Lincheng a few days ago, looking for someone.”
Su Muluo asked curiously, “Who are they looking for?”
Liu He shook her head, “They’re keeping it very secret. I’m not the one assisting them, so I don’t know.”
Su Muluo didn’t press further. He had never met that bird clan elder and didn’t think the elder knew him, so whoever the bird clan was looking for, it wasn’t him.
A few minutes later, the two arrived at a room. Inside, there was only a table with an ancient mirror on it. The mirror had a simple, elegant design with a unique aura.
Liu He said, “This is the Mirror of Origins. As long as you pick it up, you can see the past of someone important to you.”
A small black dragon curiously poked its head out of Su Muluo’s pocket, climbed onto the table, and circled the mirror.
Seeing it, Liu He’s heart skipped a beat, reminded of the fear she felt when that true dragon dominated her. Even her smile was a bit stiff. “Mr. Su, I’ll wait outside so as not to disturb you.”
Knowing she didn’t want to stay here, Su Muluo nodded gently, “Thank you.”
Liu He gave a forced smile and quickly ran out.
The room quieted down. Su Muluo looked at the Mirror of Origins and said to the little black dragon, “Shall I pick it up?”
The little black dragon responded with a chirp.
Su Muluo picked up the Mirror of Origins and saw his reflection in it—
In that instant, he felt as if he were falling from a great height into a bottomless pool. The icy water engulfed him, and for a moment, the world was filled with the sound of shattering water.
But soon, Su Muluo resurfaced, and the world became clear again. He opened his eyes to see a man dressed in black standing before him.
The man was tall and handsome with cold, dark golden eyes. His gaze held a storm-like intensity, commanding respect and awe.
Su Muluo was taken aback. The Mirror of Origins showed the past of someone important to him, which meant… the person in front of him was the human form of the little black dragon?
Hmm, quite good-looking.
As Su Muluo thought this, he suddenly saw the man walking toward him.
He knew the man wasn’t coming for him but instinctively stepped back, only to see the man walk through him to the other side—
Su Muluo’s gaze followed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He saw another person.
It was a young man wearing a robe adorned with white feathers, with silvery hair that gleamed like frost and moonlight, partly tied up with a few strands framing his face.
The man’s face should have been extremely handsome, but Su Muluo couldn’t see it clearly. Everything around him was sharp and distinct, except for the young man’s face, which was shrouded in mist, making it blurry and indistinct.
Moreover, he felt the young man looked familiar as if he had seen him somewhere before… but he couldn’t recall where.
While Su Muluo was lost in thought, the man had already reached the young man, removed his outer robe, and dr4p3d it over him, gently clasping his slender fingers in his own. He softly called out, “Phoenix.”
Phoenix.
Hearing those words, Su Muluo felt a sharp drop in his heart, leaving a void.
The black-haired man called “Phoenix,” while the Phoenix had silvery hair, entirely different from his own. There was only one Phoenix in the world, so in the Mirror of Origins, in his dragon’s past… who was this Phoenix?
The man was already holding the young man’s hand, leading him away slowly. Su Muluo watched their intimate, almost lover-like backs, momentarily speechless.
He closed his eyes, thinking, I don’t want to be here.
—In the next second, the scene shattered, and he seemed to be swept away by a rapid current, returning to reality.
In reality, the little black dragon was holding Su Muluo’s hand, chirping happily when it saw its Phoenix open his eyes.
It was very curious about what its Phoenix would see in the Mirror of Origins. If it were truly its past, maybe it could even see itself transforming into a majestic dragon.
It was a bit excited at the thought.
However, when Su Muluo lowered his gaze and met its dark golden eyes, he remained silent for a moment.
Then he said, “I don’t want you anymore.”
The little black dragon was stunned, unable to react.
Su Muluo’s tone was somewhat aggrieved, “You have another lover outside, so I don’t want you anymore.”
The little black dragon: “…”
The little black dragon: “???”
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!
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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