Qiu Ling hunched down a little, resting his chin on Jing He’s shoulder to make sure his beloved would know that he still felt just as close to him. Well, of course, it was also just nice to lean against him like this. He could feel the satiny strands of his hair brush against his cheek, caressing him as if trying to reassure him that this wedding was at most slightly postponed.

His thoughts almost drifted off but he hurriedly reminded himself that they needed to discuss this. His beloved’s words had been a bit evasive so he figured it was best to make clear what he actually meant first. “So you didn’t tell him.”

Qiu Ling was only making an observation to get them back on track. There was no additional meaning so he didn’t even sound disappointed. His voice was calm but to Jing He, who had already felt guilty about the whole matter, that nuance was lost. He immediately thought that this was indeed the precursor to the feared anger.

He wanted to turn around in Qiu Ling’s arms and look at him, to show him the sincerity in his gaze and beg him not to leave. In the end, he didn’t manage to though. Qiu Ling held him tightly and he already felt paralyzed with fear, unable to muster the slightest strength to move. He didn’t manage to get out much either, only barely managing to justify his inaction. “I wanted to. But you also know how he is. It’s not that easy to tell him.”

Qiu Ling truly didn’t mind. He was only concerned with how to make this work anyway. “Then maybe I should go and talk to him. Isn’t it better anyway? Why would you bring our marriage up on your own? As your future husband, I should be the one to do that.”

Jing He’s heart calmed down when Qiu Ling didn’t get angry and even sounded like he still wanted to marry him. He tried to push away his doubts and simply sighed in relief, focusing on what his lover was saying. “Have you forgotten how he reacted when you brought it up back then?”

“That was then. This is now. I doubt it’ll be as bad.” Qiu Ling chuckled and pecked Jing He’s cheek again, a bad idea coming to mind. “Even if he does … I could still kidnap you to my kingdom. After the deed is done he won’t be able to do anything. He’ll have to accept it.”

Jing He smiled, the rest of his fear evaporating with Qiu Ling’s words. It seemed he had worried too much. Qiu Ling wasn’t willing to abandon him yet. No, he was willing to bear this together and find ways to make this work. As for going to the dragon realm and forcing his father’s hand … for a moment, he was tempted to agree. Wouldn’t it be wonderful? To escape together and wed him in secret. When they returned after everything was set in stone, his father couldn’t change it anymore. He would already be his beloved person’s other half by then.

He allowed himself to daydream like that while lying in Qiu Ling’s arms but thinking of yesterday, he naturally sobered up fast. Even if they wanted to, it couldn’t change the current circumstances. This matter, he still had to tell him. Not knowing how to begin, he could only call out to draw his lover’s attention. “Qiu Ling.”

“Mn?” Qiu Ling didn’t have any illusions that Jing He would actually agree to that playful suggestion so he figured there was something else. He raised his brows in question, glancing at the side of his beloved’s face with expectation. He wouldn’t get to hear some heartfelt love words, would he?

Jing He still wasn’t sure what exactly to say so he finally started with a general warning. “There is something you don’t know yet.”

Ah, it seemed it wouldn’t be love words. Well, he hadn’t really expected them either. He was curious to hear what it would be though. With the previous topic, it should concern their wedding or their future relationship. “Then tell me.”

Not wanting to continue staring at the side of his beloved’s face, Qiu Ling loosened his grip and Jing He indeed turned around.

Looking up at the familiar handsome face, he gathered his courage to tell him the actual bad news. Anyway, he shouldn’t circle the topic for too long. He had seen with his father yesterday how that could play out. “As a god, I’ll have to face trials in the human realm a few times in my life. Actually, I should have done that already but father never sent me because he was worried I might be too young. Unfortunately, I can’t delay it any longer.”

Qiu Ling frowned. Don’t mention not hearing love words, this … sounded like it wasn’t even about their relationship. Unless you counted ‘we might need to take a break’ as being part of their relationship. He … he couldn’t have misunderstood, right?

Qiu Ling really didn’t hold much hope that he had but he still tried to ask in case there was a miracle waiting for him. “Your meaning is …?”

Jing He rubbed the hem of his sleeve and averted his face with a guilty conscience once more. “I’ll have to leave for the human world a week from now. It’s already been decided.”

Qiu Ling’s grip around his waist tightened. “You’ll …” Alright, this seemed a lot worse than not telling his father anything. Although, leaving a week from now wasn’t the important part. Instead, he was much more interested in another detail. “How long will that take?”

Jing He peeked at his expression to make sure he wasn’t angry before looking away again. “I’m not sure. The Fate’s Scribe will write a fate for my mortal reincarnation. The time I need will depend on that. But it won’t be more than a mortal lifetime.”

Qiu Ling closed his eyes, trying to deal with this new information. One mortal lifetime … Considering the different time flow, it didn’t seem too long. But considering that a human could live up to sixty or even seventy years, that was still two months without his beloved!

He slowly lifted a hand and stroked Jing He’s silky black hair, unable to calm down for a moment. “Do you have to?” This was his only hope now. He had barely made it through the past week. How could he deal with a full two months without Jing He? It just … didn’t seem possible.

Jing He pressed his lips together. Under Qiu Ling’s pleading gaze, he was tried to give in. He wanted to say that, no, he didn’t have to and that they could ignore this and get married immediately. In the end though, he still nodded. The trials were mandatory. He couldn’t get around them however much he wanted to. If he refused to undertake them, he wouldn’t get out of it alive. What use was a wedding then?

If possible, he would have liked to hold the ceremony first and then leave but there was just no way to make that possible. Thus, they could only wait until after he returned from his trial. “There is no other way. My father told me yesterday. That was why …”

“I see.” Naturally, he was disappointed but he also understood that sometimes, there was no way to get around things. And anyway, it wasn’t like the wedding was off the table.

“But don’t worry!” Jing He reached up, his hands coming to rest against Qiu Ling’s chest. He forced himself to smile, trying to look optimistic even though his own heart squeezed in pain at the thought of their separation and the talk of their wedding being postponed. “When I come back I’ll tell him. He won’t be able to say anything. And then we can marry.”

“I hope so.” Qiu Ling smiled but it was strained. What if something happened again? That damned old man … ah, no, his beloved’s father didn’t like him much. When Jing He told him of his proposal, he would certainly find a boatload of excuses as to why they couldn’t marry. How could he feel reassured?

Jing He was equally worried. A week apart had been troubling enough. Even though he wouldn’t notice the passing time while on his trial, two months were long when apart. With how excellent Qiu Ling was … wouldn’t other people vie for his attention? What if he fell in love with somebody else? He had already waited ten years. Considering what had happened in the past week … could his patience and passion truly survive this new period of being separated?

Jing He looked into Qiu Ling’s eyes, his fingers tugging into his robe while he worried. If Qiu Ling had stopped caring about him by the time he came back … How would he go on with his life? For a moment, he truly considered telling him to take him away to his realm to make him his. In the end, he stopped himself though. He was too afraid that Qiu Ling might look down on him for being too straightforward.

He sighed, patted Qiu Ling’s chest, and leaned against him, trying to find his sense of security back. Qiu Ling had never let him down. Certainly, nothing would happen in these two months either. He had to trust him.

He closed his eyes and basked in the feeling of being so close. Who knew when such an opportunity would come again? He still had to prepare so Qiu Ling couldn’t stay with him all the time. And after this week had passed, he would be gone for a while. He already missed him just thinking of this.

If he compared this to how everything had once started … “Back then, I never would have thought that we would ever get to this point.” Thinking of how he had promised Qiu Ling to marry him just yesterday, he felt a little emboldened for once to speak his mind. Otherwise, these words would have to be kept silent. Right now though, he didn’t want to hold anything back. The near future was difficult enough.

“Mn.” Qiu Ling felt mollified when his beloved made such an observation. Yes, wasn’t this right? They had come to the point where they were discussing their wedding and were both hoping that it would be held fast. Was this not incredible progress compared to any point in the past ten years? He smiled with satisfaction thinking of how he had finally managed to romance his beloved successfully and brushed through Jing He’s hair. “It’s a good thing I have this much foresight or you really would have missed out in your life.”

Jing He almost wanted to laugh out loud for once. The heartfelt words he barely dared to utter, they were responded to this easily by Qiu Ling. His lover was truly not afraid of being judged. But then, why would he?

Thinking of how there was little time left until their separation, he thought for a moment and finally felt that he should make it clear that he was happy with Qiu Ling’s pursuit and the result it had had. “You’re right. I would have. Thankfully, you were so persistent.”

“I’ll continue with that.” Qiu Ling leaned down and pressed a kiss on his hair. Anyway, a trial or whatever, he could bear it. It was enough as long as he continued to pursue their shared happiness until the day they truly got married and he didn’t doubt that that day would arrive soon.