Chapter 75
Haowei reached out to fasten Si Lan’s belt, his face tense as he asked, “What’s he doing here?”
“He was scared after the incident at Linglong Mountain last time and couldn’t sleep at night, so he came here to sleep with me.” Si Lan sat up from the bed, but after this disturbance, any trace of sleepiness had vanished.
Haowei’s expression remained dark. “He’s already grown up. Why is he still sharing a bed with you?”
Before Si Lan could reply, Xie Li, still nestled under the covers, mumbled in protest, “Even you, Your Highness, sleep with the Emperor.”
“…” Haowei fell silent.
Si Lan stifled a laugh and gently patted Xie Li’s shoulder under the blanket. “Enough, Xie Li. Go to sleep. It’s still early.”
“Mmm.” Xie Li hugged Si Lan’s thigh from under the covers, his body curled up, forming a shape on the bedsheet that Haowei found annoyingly conspicuous, like a plump and bothersome maggot.
Si Lan communicated with Haowei through spiritual sense, “You go rest in the next room. I’ll stay with Xie Li tonight.”
“Or wait until he falls asleep and then come find me,” Haowei replied gravely, his eyes meeting Si Lan’s with an implicit meaning.
Si Lan’s face turned slightly red as he teased, “What’s this? Are you also haunted by psychological shadows from Linglong Mountain?”
“…” Haowei remained silent.
Haowei had originally wanted to say that he had rushed tirelessly from the mortal realm to the Demon Realm just to see him, wanting to spend more time together. But seeing the faint dark circles under Si Lan’s eyes, he simply said, “Forget it. You should rest early too.”
Instead of going to sleep in the adjacent room, Haowei stood under the eaves, gazing into the distance towards the Peak of Drifting Clouds. The quiet night enveloped him completely. He listened to the sounds of turning over and breathing from the palace, a faint smile curling his lips.
After Quze finished his meditation, not finding Xie Li in his room and thinking Xie Li might have come here to find Si Lan, he hurried over. Under the eaves stood a tall and graceful figure, exuding an extraordinary aura. Even without seeing the person’s face clearly, Quze already knew who it was.
Quze didn’t expect Haowei to stand under the eaves, standing there all night, keeping watch over Si Lan.
Quze stood on the other side of the main hall, also keeping vigil throughout the night.
The next morning, Si Lan suddenly felt short of breath, a dull ache in his chest. In a semi-awake state, he had a dream where Yu Wuxia was choking him, smiling as he informed him that the Five-pointed Nine-sky Formation had already been activated, and the Six Realms were destroyed; now all living beings had turned into identical monsters.
He woke up abruptly, gasping for breath. When he lowered his head, he realized Xie Li was sprawled across his chest, pressing on his chest and making it hard to breathe.
Xie Li himself was sound asleep, lips parted, leaving a puddle of drool on Si Lan’s inner robe.
“…” Si Lan sighed helplessly, gently setting Xie Li aside and not bothering to put on his outer robe, lazily stretching as he walked out.
Pushing the door open, he saw a figure in white standing under the eaves.
Not knowing how long he had been standing there, a faint layer of dampness had settled on his shoulders. His handsome face was veiled by the faint morning mist. Upon hearing the door open, his long lashes fluttered before he turned his head to look at him.
“You didn’t sleep all night?” Si Lan exclaimed in surprise.
“I closed my eyes for a while.” Haowei noticed Si Lan had only come out in his inner robe and cautioned, “Be careful, it’s chilly.” He intended to dr4p3 his own clothes over Si Lan’s shoulders, but recalling the cold morning dew that had soaked through his clothes, he instead took Si Lan’s hand and led him inside.
On the bed, Xie Li was still deeply asleep, turning over.
Haowei glanced at Xie Li with a deep look in his eyes, mentally noting Xie Li’s presence, then quietly helped Si Lan into his clothes. Si Lan’s gaze fell and he noticed the other’s Adam’s apple, slightly protruding on his neck, rising and falling with his speech.
Haowei’s Adam’s apple was more prominent, prompting Si Lan to unconsciously reach out and touch it.
Haowei’s breath caught, his eyelids lowering. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s hard,” Si Lan poked at it with his fingertip.
Haowei’s throat moved, his swallowing action somehow unexpectedly sensual. He grasped Si Lan’s wandering hand and placed a silver-white scale into Si Lan’s palm.
Si Lan was momentarily stunned, pinching the scale and examining it. The scale was translucent like jade, shaped like a leaf, exceptionally beautiful.
He tentatively asked, “Could this… be your reverse scale?”
“Mm.” Haowei’s voice lowered slightly.
As Si Lan touched the scale, he felt a faint coolness between his fingers. Glancing back at Haowei, he noticed an odd expression on his face, a blush creeping up from the roots of his ears.
When he brought the scale up to his nose to sniff, the blush on Haowei’s ears seemed to erupt like a volcano, spreading lava over his entire face, reddening his skin and even tinting his eyes with a hint of crimson.
“Si Lan.” Haowei suddenly spoke up, as if afraid Si Lan would do something strange.
Puzzled, Si Lan asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you blushing?”
Haowei tried to explain, “Just feeling a bit warm.”
Si Lan glanced at the scene outside the window. It was deep autumn, with heavy morning dew. How could it be warm? Suspicious, he asked, “Is there something wrong with this scale? Is it really your reverse scale?” Otherwise, why would his face inexplicably turn red?
“Of course. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
Whenever Haowei needed to emphasize his tone, he would use “I” instead of “me,” as if highlighting his noble status. Such a noble status naturally wouldn’t tell lies or do dishonest things.
Si Lan continued, “Oh, you didn’t lie to me. But why are you blushing nervously?”
“This isn’t nervousness.”
“Then what is it?” Si Lan asked, still fingering the scale.
Haowei glanced at the scale, the corner of his mouth subtly tensing. His voice involuntarily lowered, “It’s really just hot weather.”
“…” Si Lan.
Forget it, he didn’t want to ask anymore, and he didn’t want to say anything else.
Si Lan walked to the window, held up the scale in the bright light, and continued to examine it. It didn’t seem much different from any other scale. Why was this one considered a reverse scale?
Behind him, Haowei, seeing his reaction, parted his lips, his face nearly blushing to the point of bleeding.
Si Lan murmured to himself, “I think I’ll carve this scale into an accessory and wear it around my waist.”
Seeing Haowei still silent, Si Lan asked, “What do you think?”
Haowei lowered his voice and said, “Since I’ve given this thing to you, you can handle it however you want.”
Si Lan noticed that Haowei had been acting strangely since he received the scale. When Si Lan asked him about it, Haowei refused to say anything more, so Si Lan didn’t press further.
He carved the scale into the shape of a floating immortal crane, drilled a hole through it, threaded it with red silk, and wore it around his waist. When he showed it to Haowei, Haowei blushed and said, “It looks good.”
Beaming with delight, he plucked a rainbow feather from one of the tail feathers and gave it to Haowei. Holding the feather, Haowei suddenly recalled an ancient record about “Yujia,” one of which mentioned that when Yujia met his beloved, he would pluck rainbow feathers from his tail and give them to the other person until he was bare.
The image of that bird with its tail completely bare couldn’t help but make him smile involuntarily, and he reached out to ruffle Si Lan’s hair.
Meanwhile, they were discussing the details of the alliance between the Demon and Celestial Realms, while in the shadows, those dark and twisted figures were also beginning to stir.
The Phoenix Clan feared that after the alliance between the Demon and Celestial Realms, they wouldn’t be able to handle Si Lan, so they were scheming to sabotage the union.
Ju Zhu privately believed that one reason Haowei was interested in Si Lan was because he mistakenly thought Si Lan’s true form was a Divine Phoenix. If Si Lan’s true identity as a mere chicken were exposed, Haowei would never accept marrying someone who was just a chicken.
Even if, by some chance, Haowei truly loved him and accepted him as a chicken, the Heavenly Mother and other celestial beings would not agree and would surely try to stop the marriage.
At that time, the Phoenix Clan would bring up how Si Lan had harmed the Phoenix Clan and injured two princesses, ensuring that this chicken would meet a miserable end.
If the Heavenly Realm didn’t support Si Lan, it would be much easier for the Phoenix Clan to deal with him secretly.
“Auntie, when do we expose that chicken?” Qu Yu couldn’t wait to ask.
Before Si Lan appeared, the most suitable person for Haowei in the Six Realms was Qu Yu.
Even the Heavenly Mother had intended to bring Qu Yu and Haowei together, so Qu Yu had long positioned herself as Haowei’s supporter, often visiting the Jade Palace and trying to please Haowei with soups and congees. However, she never expected to be intercepted halfway by such a lowly and humble chicken.
Such a lowly creature, not even worthy of licking the Phoenix Clan’s toes, how dare it snatch her beloved? How dare it overshadow their Phoenix Clan?
Ju Zhu leaned against her high seat, her hand propping up half of her face, slowly scraping her cheek with her long, golden nails, and sneered, “We must make sure he faces eternal damnation at his proudest moment, never to rise again.”
“That means I’ll follow Auntie’s lead in everything,” Qu Yu chuckled.
—
Si Lan suddenly sneezed, awakening from his drowsiness within the misty hot spring pool. Feeling like someone had been talking behind his back, he nudged Haowei beside him with his foot. “Were you muttering about me just now?”
Haowei, half resigned and half indulgent, replied, “I can’t help but think of you.”
Si Lan smirked, his hands resting on the pool rocks, feeling the warm mist enveloping him. Haowei mentioned that although he wasn’t visibly injured, his cultivation had declined significantly, and his spiritual energy was weakened. He advised Si Lan to soak more in the hot springs to recuperate.
After a few days of soaking, Si Lan indeed felt much more comfortable.
However, strangely, he hadn’t seen Haowei reveal his dragon tail in the hot spring pool again. Previously, whenever Haowei bathed, he would always flaunt his huge dragon tail, as if deliberately showing off, and even used it to help Si Lan “scrub.”
Now he seemed more reserved, which made Si Lan feel something was amiss.
Could it be that his charm had waned? Was that why Haowei could control himself?
Through the damp mist, Si Lan discreetly observed Haowei.
After Haowei said those words just now, he closed his eyes again, quietly soaking in the bath. The misty steam formed faint ripples on his face, slowly descending along his eyebrows, eyes, and nose.
Si Lan’s gaze lowered, lingering on Haowei’s muscular and well-defined chest, making him swallow nervously. Why not try, to see if his charm had truly diminished?
Si Lan pretended to casually get up, causing a splash of water. Haowei looked up at the sound, and as Si Lan bent his knees to step out of the pool, he slipped suddenly and fell into Haowei’s arms.
Haowei swiftly embraced his waist, his voice deep, “Careful.”
Si Lan, seizing the opportunity, clasped the back of Haowei’s neck, causing Haowei’s body to stiffen.
“Ah, I feel so dizzy. Maybe I’ve been in the bath too long and feel a bit unwell.”
Upon hearing this, Haowei reached out to touch Si Lan’s head. His skin was a bit warm, but not feverish, and when he checked Si Lan’s spiritual energy, he still didn’t notice anything wrong, so he advised, “Next time, don’t get up so suddenly.”
“Mm,” Si Lan nodded, resting his head on Haowei’s shoulder. The breath from his nostrils gently brushed against Haowei’s ear, and Si Lan noticed Haowei’s ears turning slightly red.
It seemed he could still make him shy.
But how…
Lost in thought, Si Lan shifted slightly, and Haowei’s slightly hoarse voice sounded in his ear, “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Huh?” Si Lan blinked innocently at Haowei.
Even though Haowei’s eyes were obscured by steam, they were still as dark as ever, staring unwaveringly at his face. Seeing his innocent look, Haowei said with a hint of concealment but deliberately coughed lightly, trying to appear composed, “Don’t move.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Si Lan felt something was wrong and his face turned slightly red.
But strangely, Haowei’s dragon horns were exposed on his forehead, but still no dragon tail. Normally, Haowei would show his dragon tail first, then his dragon horns.
Si Lan tentatively asked, “How come you didn’t show your dragon tail today?”
Haowei pursed his lips, his earlobes almost dripping with blood, his voice distinctively tinged with concealment but deliberately coughed lightly, trying to appear composed, “You complained last time that the scales on the dragon tail were too cold, so I stopped showing it.”
Si Lan nodded faintly, his gaze wandering over Haowei’s face for a moment before gradually drifting downwards, separated by the rippling water surface. “But I suddenly feel like seeing your dragon tail.”
Haowei’s voice suddenly became hoarse. “Don’t joke around.”
“…Huh? How is that joking?”
What could possibly be wrong with looking at his dragon tail now?
Haowei seemed about to pull Si Lan down, but Si Lan stubbornly refused to budge.
The warm steam raised the temperature around them by a few degrees, intensifying the fragrance emanating from Si Lan.
Haowei’s breathing became erratic, his grip on Si Lan’s hand unconsciously tightening, leaving bruises.
A misty haze enveloped them, like soft silk sticking closely together, their slightly heavy breaths mingling.
Haowei looked at Si Lan with red eyes. “Are you really not coming down? Don’t blame me if you don’t come down.”
“Haowei, do you… not like me anymore?” Si Lan suddenly asked with a heavy tone.
Before, it was always Haowei who was clingy, but now it seemed like Si Lan was the one unwilling to let go of Haowei.
Haowei was momentarily stunned by this question, his expression momentarily blank. Had he unintentionally made Si Lan feel this way? Did he seem like he didn’t like him?
He hoarsely replied, “Of course not.”
“Then why won’t you let me see your dragon tail? You used to… deliberately show it when I was bathing.”
Upon hearing the complaint in Si Lan’s tone, Haowei’s heart felt like it was being crushed and kneaded into a ball, unable to resist pulling Si Lan into his arms tightly.
He hadn’t shown his dragon tail lately because…
After a moment of contemplation, his ears turned red as he coaxed Si Lan, “Then I’ll show you my dragon tail.”
As he spoke, silver scales slowly emerged from Haowei’s waist downwards. Unlike before, it didn’t intentionally grow several times larger, but this time it matched Haowei’s figure.
Si Lan lowered his eyes to examine it and found nothing unusual. He had thought there might be a problem with why Haowei didn’t want to show his dragon tail…
Could it be that he was overthinking it?
Just as he was about to turn around to take a closer look at the dragon tail, Haowei suddenly adjusted his head.
“Si Lan, I originally planned to wait until the day of our covenant… but since you’re so eager, then…”
He whispered the last four words in Si Lan’s ear.
“…” Si Lan.
“Haowei… Haowei… Mmm…”
Amidst the faint steam from the hot spring, Si Lan’s voice occasionally echoed.
…
After what felt like an eternity, he tried to say something to Haowei, but not even a complete word came out.
In a daze, he thought to himself, how foolish he was. Just for a reversed scale, he had sold himself out.
As he drifted into unconsciousness, his head plunging into the water, he suddenly realized that Haowei had been maintaining his lower body in the form of a dragon…
How could this be so despicable?
And it was with this glance that Si Lan noticed something unusual.
The silver scales that had previously covered another part of him were gone…
How could they… be gone?
T/N: Two… more… chapters…!
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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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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