Jing He calming down seemed to be a sign. Qiu Ling leaned in again, gently kissing him while his fingers moved to pull aside the belt he had opened earlier.

Jing He could not help but lower his gaze, watching as his lover’s fingers brushed over the part of the robe that had been hidden beneath. The outer robe he wore was peach-colored with embroidered apricot blossoms that also reached this part of the fabric. Qiu Ling’s fingertips followed their outline as if admiring the fine workmanship.

The faint touch sent shivers up Jing He’s spine and his body tensed but this time, there was no fear. He only felt that … Qiu Ling touching him this way seemed very special. Even though they had been close more than once in the past and Qiu Ling had done some acts that would be frowned upon among the gods, it had never been like this. Maybe it truly was the occasion that heightened his senses or maybe there was just something different about the way Qiu Ling did things. He truly couldn’t tell. He didn’t want to either.

Jing He squeezed his lover’s hand which was still holding his, wanting to feel even closer to him. “Qiu Ling …” He had nothing specific he wanted to say. He only wanted to call out to him, to show him that his thoughts were all on him and them taking this step in the direction of their shared future. If possible, he also wanted to hear a few reassuring words from him, just for the sake of his peace of mind. After all, even though he had managed to relax earlier, this didn’t mean that he wasn’t aware of what kind of outrageous deed he was committing here.

Qiu Ling seemed able to read his mind. He didn’t continue what he had been doing, even his fingertips stilling on the embroidery. Instead, he raised his head and smiled, his eyes filled with a glow Jing He had never seen before. “I have waited for this for so long. From the moment I saw you, I was looking forward to the moment when you would become mine. It has taken a long time but now, it is finally happening. Today, I must be the happiest man in all three immortal realms.”

Jing He smiled sweetly in response. He was always weak to Qiu Ling’s compliments and confessions. Usually, he would blush and evade his gaze but today, he dared to look into his eyes directly. This was his fiance, after all, the one who would soon be his husband after they continued what they were doing. Why shouldn’t he look at him like this?

He gazed deeply at his lover, noticing the hint of red in those dark eyes that were a reminder of the demon blood in his veins. He didn’t mind it. He had noticed it in the past and hadn’t thought much about it. The gods didn’t have the same aesthetics as the dragons and Qiu Ling looked similar enough to how a god would that he wouldn’t stand out only based on appearance. Well, as much as not standing out was possible with his good looks.

Either way, the red part of his iris didn’t take away from it and only added a touch of mystery. In a way, this seemed to fit Qiu Ling very much. As the dragon king who had reigned for such a long time and led his realm out of a precarious state based on his own strength, what was he, if not a mysterious existence that most people could not dare to touch?

Yes, most people were unable to even lay eyes on this man, much less be this close to him.

The thought hit Jing He out of nowhere and he couldn’t help but reach up with his other hand as well, encircling Qiu Ling’s shoulders.

Somehow, he had managed to attract this man’s attention and he held it not just for a decade after that as his true incarnation but even during the time of his trial when he was a different person altogether. Now, this man was still here, defying the Heavenly Emperor of the Nine Heavens and risking the alliance between the gods and the dragons only to make him his. How … flattering.

Jing He couldn’t help himself and moved his hands over Qiu Ling’s shoulders, admiring the way his muscles moved beneath the skin as his lover pushed away his outer robe, exposing the thin inner robe that barely concealed anything. At this time, he couldn’t spare his indecent appearance a single thought though. All his thoughts were on the man above him, completely captivated.

Qiu Ling seemed to feel that his mood had turned from apprehension to anticipation and leaned closer. His fingers brushed aside the last layer of fabric and then, their skin truly touched in a way that it had never before.

Jing He gasped faintly but he didn’t reject the touch. Instead, he pulled Qiu Ling even closer, wishing that they would never separate again.

“My love …” Qiu Ling whispered in his ear, his hot breath caressing him before his lips followed, slowly wandering over his exposed skin.

Jing He stared at the ceiling of his bed in a daze, not sure what else to do now that they had reached this step. Nobody had told him what exactly this wedding of the dragons entailed other than it being a passionate union between the two of them.

He sure felt that there was passion between them at this moment. At the very least, he could not imagine anything else fulfilling this better. So this, this had to be what he had waited for: the moment when he would officially become Qiu Ling’s. From now on, no person or matter could come between them and they would be together forever.

He closed his eyes, sighing faintly to himself, feeling fulfilled. Unfortunately, just when he relaxed, steps sounded from outside, breaking the passionate atmosphere behind the bed curtain.