More Than a Decade

Leng Jin Yu refrained from commenting. Whether he was proud or not of this son from his previous life … It really was hard to say. Suspecting him of seducing his lover. Almost killing him. Twice. And this 'father and son relationship' was only ever brought up when he was in trouble or needed a favor. Well, the latter might have been rather typical in a relationship that involved someone as capricious as the dragon king.

He sighed. Actually, this was something that didn't even need to be considered. He didn't remember his previous life and in this life, he wasn't close enough to Longjun to actually regard him as his son.

Ah, even thinking of having children … Although he wouldn't mind it. Jinde liked children. If they were in the situation from back then with a child that one of them had with somebody else, then he wouldn't mind raising it. He had lived so long in the mortal realm, he should be able to do this much, shouldn't he?

He couldn't help but glance at Qiu Ling again. This person … had probably been a handful even when he was young. But maybe that had also been because of how he grew up. If Jinde had had the opportunity to take care of him, things might have turned out differently.

"What?" Qiu Ling frowned when he saw Leng Jin Yu look at him. "You wouldn't want to say that you aren't proud of me, would you?"

"I …" Leng Jin Yu sighed again. "I was thinking of —" He stopped himself and glanced around. Who knew if there was someone from the dragon realm around? If Jinde's name was heard by the wrong people and somehow reached the ears of the demon king, this would turn out badly.

Ah! Right. Thinking of that person that had been raised by Jinde, he really had to question his previous assumption. Even though that Jin Ling had been raised by Jinde, he had still turned out weird. Mn, it really made him wonder what had happened back then but asking Jinde wouldn't help. Whenever he brought up Jin Ling he would change the subject after just a few sentences. He obviously didn't want to talk about him.

Qiu Ling wasn't too happy with Leng Jin Yu's answer but he hadn't expected anything else. His father had always cared more about the old geezer than him. Why did he expect anything different now?

He harrumphed and turned back to Bai Mu. "Eh, why don't we talk about your other problem now? Even if mother-in-law knows where her brother is, she'll still need a few minutes to get there if he hasn't walked into her palace right when she cut the connection. And since the time runs differently …"

Bai Mu nodded. He might never have been there but he also knew that there were differences between the realms. After all, his maternal grandmother had been part god. She had passed down some knowledge.

"So what's the problem with cousin-in-law?" Qiu Ling propped his chin up on his hands and looked at Bai Mu with sparkling eyes. "She has probably waited for you all this time. Why didn't you go see her immediately after we freed you? Don't you want to see her?"

Bai Mu sighed. So that was the problem he had mentioned. He hadn't really wanted to talk about it but since they didn't have anything else to do he might as well. After all, there was nothing else he had to do. Returning to that spot from where he could see Nie Huang was depressing as well. "Is it that hard to imagine? I don't know how long I was imprisoned exactly but looking at her, it was about a decade or maybe a little longer. Returning now might be worse than never returning."

"Ah? But won't she miss you if you don't?"

"Maybe she will." Bai Mu frowned. "Actually, I'm surprised she isn't married yet. Her family didn't like me very much. I thought they would have forced her by now."

"Mn. But since they haven't and she still isn't married doesn't this mean she's still waiting?"

"Maybe she is."

"Then why don't you go?"

Bai Mu looked at the person opposite him. He really seemed just curious. And, well, he had saved him. "You also know I was imprisoned in the Chun Feng Sect. Part of my blood is demonic and to them, one part means you are a demon even though the demons wouldn't acknowledge you as one of them. Back then they defeated me and took me with them. Nie Huang saw but that also means that they know about our relationship. If I go back and they search for me, wouldn't they look here first? In the worst case, I'll be killed this time or maybe they'll be gracious and just imprison me again. In any case, she'd lose me a second time and this time it would likely be forever. Can I do that to her?"

"Mn, but you don't know if that will happen."

"I don't know but even if not … we might always live in fear that it could. That is the problem with being part demon. It won't go away."

"Oh."

"Other than that …" Bai Mu looked out of the window and at the people walking down below. Who knows what it is with this capital? But the woman who heads the teahouse has a niece that seems to have married a while ago. I saw her husband once since I came to look for Nie Huang and … he's a demon. He will likely implicate me and it will bring trouble to Nie Huang and to that girl if people figure out what we are. So I feel that maybe … not going back will be better." He narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the person.

All of what he said was true but he had left out what made him even more worried: This person was probably closer to him than he would have liked. There was no way they could avoid suspicion if he returned now. Unfortunately, that also meant that Nie Huang would have to see someone who looked similar to him every now and then while she could only accept that her own fiance might never return. It truly was too bad.