Qiu Ling’s expression didn’t look too good. He had expected Jing He to be aware of everything prior to today. But now, it seemed he had thought too much. “Then after we met …”

If he wasn’t wrong, then he had met Jing He seven years after he came of age. During that time, maybe there had indeed not been any suitors that either the Heavenly Emperor or Heavenly Empress took seriously enough to consider telling Jing He the truth. But after he appeared and made it clear that he wouldn’t budge until the day Jing He married him … had they still not taken it into consideration?

Qiang Yan could only sigh. “Bai Fen had that idea in the beginning. But Jing He took so long to requite your feelings and his state wasn’t suitable for another blow during that time. Finally, there was the trial. It just … never seemed like the right opportunity.”

Qiu Ling’s brows furrowed. He could understand where the Heavenly Empress and the God of War were coming from but that didn’t mean that he was happy that Jing He had been deceived like this.

He sighed and looked at the door to the garden. He could still see Jing He’s figure next to the Heavenly Empress, looking at the small pond in the middle of the garden with a complicated expression. How much had he really known? How did he feel now that he was finally told? Those unanswered questions made him worry.

Actually, Jing He had been aware of most. Listening to his mother tell him about her own life experience and what the curse of the Heavenly family would mean for him and Qiu Ling in the future, he couldn’t say that he was surprised. He didn’t even feel aggrieved about being told this late. No, his mind was on a different question: After being officially told, could Qiu Ling bear the thought of such a future?

He turned his head and his gaze coincidentally met with Qiu Ling’s. His cheeks flushed immediately and he hurriedly lowered his head again. In fact, they had talked about it once, several years ago. He wasn’t sure if Qiu Ling even remembered but at that time, he had deliberately asked him about the family he imagined.

Back then, Qiu Ling had told him that he would like to have a big family but that he would also be satisfied with fewer family members. He had insisted that it also depended on his spouse and they hadn’t talked about it further. And yet, he still remembered that Qiu Ling had originally wanted to raise several children.

Jing He raised his head to look up at the sky, feeling that he was really dragging Qiu Ling down. As the dragon king, he could have been with anyone. Whether it was a dragon or a god, it didn’t matter much. All of them could have fulfilled this desire of his. Only he … only he was unable to, forever forcing Qiu Ling to be satisfied with just one child of his blood.

Jing He quietly rubbed the hem of his sleeve, feeling that this was something he might be unable to make up for. Not to mention Qiu Ling’s personal history of losing his family that he wanted to make up for, a man as excellent as him should have a lot of offspring, shouldn’t he?

It would be the dragon realm’s good fortune if their king could sire a few more children. Even though the throne wasn’t passed down through the generations like in the Nine Heavens, talented people were always important in every realm. If his children could inherit even some of Qiu Ling’s strong points, the dragon realm would benefit and thrive for many more years. As their king, this would naturally also be what Qiu Ling wanted to witness.

But now, because of the curse on his family, he was also damning Qiu Ling to be limited to one child for a whole lifetime. Was this not a grave sin? Committing such a crime against the man he loved, Jing He naturally felt guilty. If only there was a way to change this fate of his …

Jing He blinked his eyes, suddenly remembering what Qiu Ling had told him: He had met Tian, the supreme sovereign, and this person had told him something important that he should keep in mind. Maybe … maybe there was still some hope? Maybe whatever Tian had said was related to this issue?

Jing He reached up and rubbed his chest. He hoped he could remember soon so he could know for sure. If this was the case, it would naturally be for the best. But of course, he didn’t dare to hope too much. Anyway, even if the topic was related, how could the news be good?

Come to think of it, since he was from the line of the Heavenly Emperor and his personality was like that, maybe Tian had admonished him in the High Heavens. Yes, even if nobody else did, surely, the supreme ruler would be privy to the blasphemous thoughts he had had in the past and all the issues of his character.

Seeing him, Tian had to feel that he was precisely like the people who made Xing fall back then: too vain, too self-important, unable to put others first. Just like right now, where he was willing to damn Qiu Ling to this kind of life because he couldn’t let go of him.

Jing He closed his eyes, trying to push back against those thoughts that somehow made him doubt everything again. Today was a happy day. Qiu Ling had told his mother about his feelings and asked for his hand in marriage and she had agreed after he affirmed that he returned Qiu Ling’s feelings. Why would he doubt matters between them at this point?

No, whatever he did, he couldn’t allow himself to continue this line of thought any longer. He had to abandon it and just patiently wait for Tian’s words to reveal themselves to him when it was time. After that … after that, he could still see what to do about this.