Jing He managed to sleep through the night without issue. Maybe it was that the relief of finally seeing Qiu Ling again was bigger than the worry over tomorrow’s conversation or maybe he had simply been too exhausted to fret for another night but his sleep was uninterrupted until the early morning hours. When he opened his eyes though, his first care was once again for how to explain the issue of his trial to Qiu Ling.

He sighed, sat up, and brushed his hair to the side. Knowing Qiu Ling, he should come by early today since things were well between them again so it was best to get up and ready himself for the day. Looking put together wouldn’t make the conversation any easier but not being ready by the time Qiu Ling arrived would certainly make it worse.

Since there was no sign of Qiu Ling yet, Jing He took some time to carefully look through his robes. To leave a good impression despite the bad news … he should go with something special. After hesitating for a while, he finally pulled out the white robe Qiu Ling had gifted him for the Jiyi festival. Wearing this should communicate that he truly wished to be his, shouldn’t it?

He smiled to himself and went to wash up before carefully putting on the robe. Conjuring up a water mirror, he nodded to himself. This wasn’t bad. As for his hair … it would likely be good to go with the same hairstyle from that day as well but … he was already feeling self-conscious because of what he had to say. If he tied back his hair like that, he would feel even more exposed.

In the end, he decided against it and only lightly brushed his hair behind his shoulders. If Qiu Ling arrived and asked him to do his hair like he had that day though … he wouldn’t say no. It wasn’t like he could ever say no to him for such things.

He smiled faintly to himself and then looked at the door, wondering when Qiu Ling would come by. Now that he looked presentable, it seemed more difficult to keep calm while waiting. His thoughts were once again whirling around the conversation they needed to have and all the ways it could go wrong.

He sighed when he realized that this truly wouldn’t be over until the conversation actually happened. For now, he could only keep busy and hope that it would indeed not be long until Qiu Ling appeared in front of him.

As for what to do … well, he first went to make tea in case the dragon king would walk through the door the next moment but unfortunately, he was out of luck. By the time the tea was arranged on the tray, nothing could be seen of him yet. He faintly drew his brows together, wondering if this was a bad sign, and then picked up the tray carrying it outside to the pavilion.

Maybe Qiu Ling would be there in just another moment. Maybe something had kept him busy in the dragon realm. Ah, hopefully, it wasn’t because of their engagement. Could it be that his advisers — at least some of them — were against this as much as his father would likely be?

His worry got worse when he thought of this and he hurriedly turned around, picking up the jar he used to water the plants in the garden. He shouldn’t think of such things. Qiu Ling had never given him reason to believe he wouldn’t be welcomed by the dragons. On the contrary, he had learned a lot from adviser An Bai and always been treated with a lot of respect by him. Surely, that represented the attitude the dragons had toward him and the Nine Heavens.

Yes, why was he worried? Wasn’t he aware that his own father was a bit unreasonable when it came to their relationship? Surely, the dragons wouldn’t be the same. In any case, the reason his father acted like this was because of their familial relationship, not the official relationship between the gods and the dragons. Since Qiu Ling had no living relatives left, there was no need to worry about not being accepted.

He faintly nodded to himself and started to water his flowers. Yes, he didn’t have to worry about any other person’s opinion. This matter was only about Qiu Ling. Still, that alone was more than enough to make his heart race in fear. The more time passed, the more worried he felt again.

How was he supposed to tell him? Knowing his lover, he wouldn’t take the news well. He couldn’t fault him though. This really was mistimed.

Jing He sighed once more and straightened up to bring the jar back. Clearly, watering the plants wasn’t making him any less anxious. He should go and sit quietly in the pavilion. That way, he at least wouldn’t like a mess when Qiu Ling arrived.

Just then, a pair of strong arms snaked around his waist, catching him by surprise. “Did you miss me, my love?” Qiu Ling’s breath brushed over Jing He’s cheek like a second greeting supposed to reassure him.

“You’re back.” Jing He leaned back against his chest, the corners of his lips finally lifting in a smile. Now that he didn’t have to wait for his lover’s arrival any longer, he indeed calmed down a little. Holding the jar in one hand, he reached out with the other, stroking Qiu Ling’s arm to try and dispel the last of his worry.

“Mn. I couldn’t wait to see you.” Qiu Ling kissed his cheek, his lips lingering on Jing He’s skin before he reluctantly pulled back. Just yesterday, they had gotten engaged. If possible, he wanted to stick to Jing He the whole day. Unfortunately, there was still a lot left to discuss. But, well, since it was about their impending wedding, he naturally wouldn’t loathe to bring up the topic either. “Did you tell him already?”

Jing He’s heart seemed to jump and he averted his face, feeling guilty. “I … I went to see him yesterday after you left.” He didn’t say whether he had brought it up or not. His mouth felt dry as if he would be unable to utter another word. Ah, just why had things turned out like this? Clearly, he had planned so well yesterday. How come the topic he wanted to bring up had finally not been mentioned with a single word?

Qiu Ling didn’t respond and the silence between them seemed to stretch endlessly. With the worry already having tormented him since the previous day, Jing He’s heart beat even faster. He had thought Qiu Ling would be unhappy but now, thinking of how they had been apart for a week and how they had only just reconciled … Qiu Ling wouldn’t be angry, would he? Would he leave in a huff next, never to return?

Behind him, Qiu Ling was actually just trying to come to terms with what Jing He had insinuated. In fact, he wasn’t all that surprised. It was great that Jing He had finally accepted his proposal but … this was his father they were talking about here. The guy was unreasonable and certainly not inclined to accept Jing He’s own opinion when it came to his son’s marriage. It was already good if he didn’t ban him from the Nine Heavens again after hearing about it.

So really, this matter couldn’t be blamed on Jing He. It was no wonder he was afraid. It was just … he still felt a little disappointed because it meant the wedding would have to be held later. But then, he had waited ten years to get Jing He’s promise of a future together. How could he be small-minded when it came to a few more days?