Chapter 31: Three kisses
A snow-white, beautiful, soft little bird landed in his palm, and suddenly, Long Ling couldn’t take his eyes off it.
His first reaction was that his phoenix was so beautiful and cute.
His second reaction was, oh no, the phoenix was indeed drunk. When it sobered up the next day, it might turn him into a twisted knot.
The little phoenix, unaware of Long Ling’s thoughts, stared at him with its ruby-like, crystal-clear eyes for a few seconds before tilting its head.
“Chirp?”
Aren’t you going to touch my feathers?
Long Ling remained still.
He knew that in the eyes of the phoenix tribe, touching feathers was the most intimate thing, even more intimate than certain other things. So, before meeting someone they truly like, and before fully entrusting themselves to that person, they would never easily reveal their feathers or let anyone touch them.
Knowing this, he preferred to touch the soft and fluffy feathers of his phoenix when it was sober, rather than taking advantage while his phoenix was muddled from drink.
Seeing that Long Ling remained unmoved, the little phoenix, puzzled, folded its wings and hopped around in his palm, occasionally looking up and giving him a few “chirps.”
Long Ling: “……”
It’s really so cute!
So, he lifted his hand and gently stroked the phoenix’s… head.
The little phoenix: “Chirp.”
Its small head rubbed against Long Ling’s fingertips and then nestled into his palm, curling up like a baby bird returning to its nest, full of affection.
Long Ling’s dark golden eyes were filled with a smile. Though his phoenix was drunk, it had revealed its true feelings to him.
The phoenix liked him, was attached to him, and at the bottom of its heart, was willing to show its feathers and let him touch them.
Everything was falling into place, it was almost there.
Long Ling felt a heart full of joy. He transformed back into his dragon form and encircled his phoenix, as if guarding his most precious treasure, silently and attentively.
The little phoenix yawned slightly, found a comfortable spot on the black dragon, and soon fell asleep.
After a night passed, the phoenix woke up sober and reverted to human form on its own.
Then came a long silence.
What did he do last night?
Su Muluo lowered his head and saw the dragon coiled around his waist. The memories of last night came flooding back… and then he froze in place.
The black dragon opened its eyes at that moment, seeing his phoenix, now human, lazily and affectionately wrapping its arms around his waist.
“Phoenix,” Long Ling rested his chin on Su Muluo’s shoulder and laughed in his ear, “Good morning.”
Su Muluo: “……”
He didn’t feel good at all!
Who knows why he got drunk after just a few sips of beer yesterday, reverted to his original form in front of the dragon, and let the dragon touch his feathers… and he didn’t even know if the dragon actually touched them!
Just thinking about it made him very angry!
So, with a blank expression, he gave Long Ling a push. “Go away, don’t hug me.”
Long Ling knew his phoenix would definitely be grumpy upon waking, but even if it was grumpy, his tone remained soft, with a smile on his face as he buried his face in the phoenix’s shoulder.
“Not letting go,” he said, “The phoenix was so cute last night.”
Su Muluo: “?”
He immediately gave Long Ling another tap on the head, but Long Ling grabbed his wrist and gently stroked his fair skin with his fingertips.
“I’m not happy,” Su Muluo said, sulking, “You took advantage of me.”
Long Ling responded with a casual “Oh,” and without any guilt, he said, “Then the phoenix can take advantage of me too.”
Su Muluo stared at him for a few seconds and said, “I don’t want to take advantage of you. You’re all dark and covered in scales, there’s nothing to take advantage of.”
Long Ling laughed, “But the phoenix used to pinch my horns and touch my scales.”
Su Muluo: “That’s because you let me pinch you!”
Long Ling: “I didn’t let the phoenix pinch me; it clearly thought I was cute and was tempted by my body!”
There was a hint of pride in his tone.
Su Muluo: “……”
Su Muluo ignored him.
Because he was still a bit dizzy from last night’s drinking, he didn’t want to chat much with this dragon. Long Ling also knew that if it were the usual phoenix, it might have already twisted him into a knot.
But then he thought, maybe not, since the phoenix didn’t seem angry about last night… It seemed his guess was right; his phoenix was indeed willing to let him touch its feathers.
With that thought, Long Ling became happy again. He got out of bed and made a cup of honey water for his phoenix.
“Have some sweet water,” he said, “It will make you feel better.”
Su Muluo didn’t move and was fed half a cup of honey water by Long Ling. Still feeling a bit sleepy, he said, “I want to sleep.”
Long Ling: “Then sleep. I’ll stay with you.”
Su Muluo murmured, burying himself back under the warm covers, and then remembered something with a bit of joy, “I didn’t lose any feathers yesterday.”
Long Ling boastfully said, “I told you, as long as I’m by your side, there won’t be any problems.”
Su Muluo glanced at him and pulled the blanket over his head, too lazy to deal with the dragon.
It was nine in the morning. Su Muluo originally wanted to sleep a bit longer and go to the coffee shop later… but things didn’t go as planned, and soon he opened his eyes again.
The mark he had left for Lin Chengcheng had reacted.
—
On the other side, Lin Chengcheng, holding a black cat, was fleeing in distress through the forest.
Behind him, the sounds of flapping bird wings grew closer and closer. Lin Chengcheng could even imagine their expressions, like cats toying with mice, leisurely and casually.
What should he do? Will he die here? What should he do?
Lin Chengcheng was full of anxiety and even began to wish he could grow wings like those bird demons. But no matter how much he wished, it was of no use. His hope turned into despair, gradually consuming his anxious heart.
The black cat curled up in his arms, probably squeezed too tightly, let out a few anxious meows.
Hearing the cat’s meow, Lin Chengcheng looked down at it.
This was his cat, which he had only brought home a few days ago, thinking it would be the start of a new life… but now, everything was coming to an end.
Lin Chengcheng closed his eyes and said softly, “Run as far as you can.”
Then he let go, allowing the black cat to fall to the ground while he himself stopped in his tracks.
The sound of flapping bird wings was already closing in behind him, just a meter away. At that moment, Lin Chengcheng felt as if the Grim Reaper’s scythe was hanging over his head. He couldn’t help but close his eyes.
The next second, the sound of wings and wind vanished. Several bodies fell heavily to the ground and then rolled down the hillside.
Lin Chengcheng: “……”
He stood frozen in place, unable to react for a moment.
The black cat circled around his feet, biting his pant leg and letting out a soft “meow.”
The cat’s meow seemed to have a magical power, pulling Lin Chengcheng’s soul back from the brink. He shivered and suddenly came to his senses, then cried out loudly, hugging his cat tightly and burying his face in its fluffy fur.
Heaven didn’t abandon me! Indeed, heaven didn’t abandon me!
Having escaped death, his cold limbs began to warm up again. He felt his blood boiling, a surge of energy coursing through his veins and straight to his brain.
Could I be the protagonist of legends, possessing a special bloodline, and now that my bloodline has awakened, I am destined to be the greatest, invincible in the world?!
Lin Chengcheng jumped up from the ground, and at that moment, he almost wanted to put his hands on his hips and laugh three times at the sky—
Then he looked up and saw two people standing in front of him.
“…… Boss?!” Lin Chengcheng exclaimed, “Why is it you again?!”
……
Moments later, Lin Chengcheng squatted under a tree, banging his head against it.
Several unconscious bird demons lay in the forest, and Su Muluo glanced around before saying to Long Ling, “Next time, could you not use so much force?”
Long Ling innocently replied, “I didn’t use much force. They were just too weak.”
Su Muluo was helpless. At least his dragon hadn’t really killed the bird demons; they were only seriously injured… That’s fine. It would probably be a long time before these bird demons woke up.
On the other side, Lin Chengcheng had recovered from his extreme embarrassment.
He had just thought he was some kind of genius protagonist, the chosen one, almost laughing triumphantly at the sky… Fortunately, his kind boss didn’t laugh at him or say anything about it.
But it was still so embarrassing!
Lin Chengcheng hugged his black cat tightly and squatted under the tree, unwilling to get up.
Su Muluo glanced at him and then said to Long Ling, “Let’s head back. Conceal the aura here so the bird tribe doesn’t discover our presence.”
Long Ling took his hand and said, “Don’t worry, with their strength, they won’t be able to find us.”
Half an hour later, the group returned to the coffee shop. Su Muluo closed the shop door and made a cup of coffee for Lin Chengcheng, who was still holding the black cat.
Lin Chengcheng accepted the coffee with repeated thanks. After taking a sip, he found that even though it wasn’t the special coffee, it was still very good.
He couldn’t help but sincerely praise, “Boss’s skills are really impressive. No wonder you’re a high-level expert hiding in plain sight.”
After the last encounter with the supernatural agency and this meeting, even if he was foolish, he could see that Su Muluo’s identity was extraordinary. He even guessed that the boss might be some kind of great figure, a daily demon-slayer and benefactor of the people.
Su Muluo saw through his thoughts and calmly said, “To be honest, I had a purpose in saving you.” He then added, “Tell me about your past.”
Lin Chengcheng was stunned by this and fell silent for a few seconds before taking another sip of coffee.
“When I was young, I lived with my grandmother in the deep mountains,” he said. “She wasn’t my biological grandmother, but she treated me very well, even better than a biological grandmother… But three years ago, she passed away.”
“Before she died, she told me that my parents had died in an accident shortly after I was born. She hoped I wouldn’t investigate my parents’ death and would live like an ordinary person. She also gave me an ID card and some money, saying it was what my mother had asked her to prepare before she died.”
Su Muluo asked, “Did she say anything about your identity?”
Lin Chengcheng shook his head and said, “After that, I came here with the ID card and the money and lived alone for two years until now.”
Yesterday, after being taken back by Mu Ge, they didn’t explain much, only telling him that he was the son of the former leader of the bird tribe and that they were going to take him back to the bird tribe. But he didn’t expect that as soon as their car left the forest, those bird tribe members would attack him.
“Who am I really?” Lin Chengcheng asked, holding the coffee cup, both apprehensive and confused. “Boss, why did they want to kill me, and why did I become a half-demon? I don’t have anything special about me; I’m just an ordinary person.”
“For the first part of your question, I’m not sure,” Su Muluo said, “but I can probably tell you about the second part.” He continued, “It’s because you drank my coffee.”
Lin Chengcheng: “……”
Huh?
Su Muluo cleared his throat and said, “I added some rare herbs to my coffee. For ordinary people, it can improve their constitution. But if a demon drinks it, their demonic power increases dramatically, as if undergoing a complete transformation.”
In reality, if a half-demon doesn’t awaken their demonic power in their youth, it’s very hard to awaken it later in life. Lin Chengcheng was already over twenty years old; he would have likely remained an ordinary person for the rest of his life until he drank his special coffee—especially since the phoenix feather essence in the coffee was also effective for half-demons.
Lin Chengcheng’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing this, his face full of disbelief. After a long pause, he finally managed to utter a sentence: “No wonder… no wonder I was able to carry fifty kilograms of rice and a sofa up the stairs that day!”
He had thought it was due to some special ability he had awakened!
And it turned out it really was!
Su Muluo continued, “It might be a coincidence, or perhaps your awakening drew the attention of the Bird Clan. In any case, they came here. However, not all the Bird Clan members want you dead, as they are divided into two factions.”
He informed Lin Chengcheng about the Bird Clan situation that Feng Xuan had told him about. Lin Chengcheng looked confused, but what concerned him the most was still his own background.
“Wait, what does that mean? My father was with my mother only after getting married?” It was as if his world had collapsed. He was deeply distressed. “Then… then doesn’t that make me a bastard??”
Su Muluo thought for a moment and said, “It seems that way.”
Lin Chengcheng’s mouth fell open, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.
Seeing Lin Chengcheng’s incredulous expression, Su Muluo comforted him, “But maybe the customs of the Bird Clan are different from human society, or perhaps your father had his reasons.”
After all, according to Feng Xuan, Feng Hen was forced to marry the eldest daughter of the elder, which was not his own choice.
“…Is that so?”
Lin Chengcheng weakly asked, feeling distressed as he held his head in his hands. After a few seconds, he looked up at Su Muluo and asked, “But boss, why did you save me?”
He clearly wanted to change the topic from his father. However, unfortunately, Su Muluo’s next question was related to his father.
“The Bird Clan has a treasure, a relic of the Phoenix Clan,” Su Muluo said. “I heard that this relic was taken by your father and is now with you, so they came to find you, hoping to see that relic.”
Lin Chengcheng was stunned. “A Phoenix relic? That sounds impressive!”
He tried to recall and added, “But I’ve never seen any Phoenix relic. All my parents left me was that ID card and some money.”
Su Muluo remained silent. In fact, he didn’t quite believe that Lin Chengcheng had what he was looking for.
Since it was a relic of the Phoenix Clan, it would definitely carry the aura of the Phoenix, which he should be able to sense. However, during their encounters, he had not detected such an aura on Lin Chengcheng.
If the relic wasn’t with Lin Chengcheng, could it still be with the Bird Clan… or perhaps the Bird Clan has clues about it?
Su Muluo fell into deep thought. Lin Chengcheng looked at him anxiously and said after a while, “Boss, what should I do next? The Bird Clan still wants to kill me. Where can I hide?”
Su Muluo looked at him and then glanced at Long Ling.
Long Ling had been quiet, just listening to the interaction between his Phoenix and Lin Chengcheng. Upon meeting Su Muluo’s gaze, he instantly understood his intent.
He immediately frowned, looking displeased.
Su Muluo clicked his tongue.
He then turned to Lin Chengcheng and said, “Wait a moment. We need to discuss this.”
Lin Chengcheng, holding his coffee, looked confused. “Oh, okay. Boss, take your time discussing.”
In fact, when he asked that question earlier, he was seeking protection from Su Muluo. He could tell that this coffee shop owner was no ordinary person, and his boyfriend seemed very powerful too… Moreover, they were now the only ones who could offer him protection.
If he could stay with the boss, even returning to the Bird Clan would be safe.
Lin Chengcheng hugged his black cat and thought silently.
It would be great if the boss could help him… He would be willing to repay him even if it meant going through fire and water.
In the employee lounge, Qian Sui had already left, so only Su Muluo and Long Ling were present.
Su Muluo looked at the displeased dragon and cleared his throat. “I want to go to the Bird Clan.”
Long Ling frowned. “There’s no need for the Phoenix to get involved in the affairs of the Bird Clan. What does it have to do with us?”
“It might not have much to do with us,” Su Muluo said, “but maybe I can find the Phoenix relic there.”
He wasn’t particularly interested in obtaining the relic; he just wanted to see if there were any clues about their past on it… Or if he was lucky, the Phoenix who left the relic might be related to him?
However, with the whereabouts of the Phoenix relic unknown, he only knew it had once been with the Bird Clan, and the only link he had to the Bird Clan was Lin Chengcheng.
“The Bird Clan is divided into two factions: one led by the Elder and the other by the former clan leader Feng Hen,” Su Muluo said. “The faction pursuing Lin Chengcheng is likely the Elder’s faction, but there is also a faction led by the clan leader who wants to protect him. If we can get him back to the Bird Clan and contact the clan leader’s faction, we might be able to find clues about the Phoenix relic.”
With him and Long Ling around, the Elder’s faction wouldn’t be able to touch Lin Chengcheng. Moreover, once in contact with the clan leader’s faction, Lin Chengcheng would be fully protected by people related to his father.
Of course, he would first consult Lin Chengcheng’s opinion. If the other party disagreed, it would be a no-go… But before that, he had to appease his dragon.
Long Ling remained silent after hearing this.
Su Muluo grabbed the corner of Long Ling’s clothes and shook it.
“Come with me,” he said, “After all, it’s a relic of my clan. If there are any clues about dragon relics, I’ll accompany you as well.”
Long Ling still remained silent.
Su Muluo shook him again, looking at him with his beautiful dark eyes, full of anticipation.
Long Ling met his gaze and, after a while, said, “Alright, but the Phoenix has to agree to one condition.”
Su Muluo said, “What condition?”
Long Ling looked at him, his lips curling into a slight smile. “I want seven kisses.”
Su Muluo: “?”
“One kiss each day,” Long Ling said. “If you can’t return within seven days, then kiss me more.”
Su Muluo: “??”
“If it’s more than ten days, then double the kisses every day!”
Su Muluo: “????”
He realized that the dragon had been reluctant from the start and had deliberately tried to take advantage of him!
Long Ling had clearly planned to exploit the situation!
Su Muluo immediately scowled and turned to leave.
Long Ling immediately grabbed his hand and said, “How about five? Even though the phoenix hasn’t been close to me before, I want a phoenix’s favor.”
Su Muluo originally wanted to say none, but seeing Long Ling’s pitiful expression, he hesitated for a few seconds and said, “Only one.”
Long Ling’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, “No, at least three!”
Su Muluo replied, “Just one. No more.”
Long Ling was adamant, saying, “I want three!” Then he declared confidently, “The road to the Bird Tribe is so far, I’ll definitely need to help the phoenix with the luggage. The phoenix will be tired and need to sleep on me, and I’ll have to hold and comfort him—so three favors are already a good deal.”
Su Muluo said, “Forget it. I’m not going to sleep on you or let you comfort me.”
Long Ling retorted, “The phoenix was still in my arms last night!”
Su Muluo replied, “That was you taking advantage of me, taking me to your bed while I was drunk. I haven’t even settled the score with you.” He narrowed his eyes and asked, “So, did you really touch my feathers yesterday?”
Long Ling was silent.
He locked eyes with Su Muluo for a few seconds, clicked his tongue, and then his gaze became filled with grievance.
Su Muluo was at a loss.
Long Ling said, “The phoenix always needs me to stay with him to fall asleep at night, but he won’t admit it.” He looked at Su Muluo with a look of deep resentment, like he was looking at a scumbag who started something and then abandoned him. “Yesterday, you clung to me, asking for favors and hugs. Today, you’re turning your back on me.”
Su Muluo asked, “When did I ask for favors or hugs?”
Long Ling ignored him and continued, “You take advantage of me every day. When I was still a little dragon, you would touch me all over, pinch my horns, and rub my belly. It was so unfair.”
Su Muluo said, “Before you say that, take a look at your own hands! You’re still holding me tight!”
Long Ling said, “I don’t care, I’m upset! If the phoenix doesn’t favor me, I won’t let go!”
Then he hugged Su Muluo tightly.
In the next moment, he thought for a while, transformed back into his black dragon form, and wrapped himself around the phoenix without letting go.
Su Muluo thought, “How shameless!”
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~
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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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