Jing He nodded and stepped outside. As soon as Qiu Ling asked for a beautiful spot, he thought of one. It was a small patch at the back of the garden, behind most of the flowerbeds, and in front of a wall of twines. They were currently in full bloom, giving off a faint floral scent and showcasing their beautiful colors.

Qiu Ling took one glance and couldn’t help but smile. His beloved really had an eye for these things. “After we move to the dragon realm, I guess I should leave the courtyard to you.”

Jing He looked up, thinking of the place he remembered from his trial. It was odd in a way. In his own life, he had hardly ever stepped out of the capital city. He had never seen the place where Qiu Ling lived and could only make guesses based on what he told him. But then, they didn’t speak about those mundane things about his life in the dragon realm most of the time so his understanding of it was low.

During his trial though, he had seen so much. Not just in the mortal realm but also in the dragon realm. He lived in the same room as Qiu Ling and became familiar with everything Qiu Ling would interact with on a regular basis. He even became acquainted more closely with his advisers, and that despite the fact that he hadn’t actually spent all that much time there.

Now, with the memories from his trial regained, he knew all of these things as well so when Qiu Ling mentioned the courtyard, he immediately thought of the place and also thought of what he could do to make it into a nice garden. Of course, he also thought of something else. “Isn’t …” He hesitated and looked back in Jinde’s direction, not sure what to call him.

Qiu Ling considered this person his parent so he naturally did the same. But right now, they weren’t married yet so a relationship with Jinde of his own didn’t exist. Of course, the actual ceremony was only three days away so it also seemed odd to use a more distant address based on his position.

After thinking for a bit, Jing He decided to thicken his skin even though his cheeks flushed just thinking about it. “Isn’t father-in-law using it as a herb garden?” Also, his child was growing there in the pond so … it didn’t seem very appropriate.

Qiu Ling almost lost his balance. It wasn’t like he was unaware that their wedding was fast approaching but … Ah, who’d have thought he’d ever experience the day when Jing He would blush and call his family members his in-laws! This was almost like another cause to celebrate. After all, while he himself had called the Heavenly Empress mother-in-law from pretty much the first day onward, Jing He wasn’t one to flout the rules so he had never expected to hear anything like this from him until after the wedding and that had seemed far off into the future for the longest. Now though, suddenly, things seemed to have changed.

He couldn’t help himself, took out a table from his spatial ring, and put it down below the overhanging vines, putting the two jade tablets of his own family down. Then, he reached out and grabbed Jing He’s hand again, interlacing their fingers. Right now, he just wanted to be close, no matter how. It probably couldn’t effectively share his joy at this small change either but … it was the closest he could do.

Jing He looked up at him, the blush on his cheeks slowly receding when Qiu Ling didn’t show an odd reaction and simply took his hand. He smiled and put down his own jade tablet, looking at the neat row in front of them.

Even though the tablet of his father’s family was missing and he still felt pained about this deep down, he was also happy to have gained the approval of his mother and uncle, as well as Qiu Ling’s whole family, Looking at it that way, it didn’t seem so bad even if things weren’t perfect.

For a moment, neither of them spoke and they simply looked at the jade tablets, both lost in their own thoughts.

Their family members stayed back, not speaking up either to give the couple enough time. These customs ought to have a certain sense of ritual. Needing to rush through all of them in a day and keep it under wraps by sneaking around and not involving anyone but themselves and their closest family members was already bad enough. When they finally had a moment in safety during which they could slow down and truly feel the magnitude of what they were doing, they had to be given the time and silence it required.

Qiu Ling was the one to collect himself first. Anyway, he had just been a little stunned by Jing He’s new behavior. It was … odd, if he was being honest, but it was also a welcome change. If things could be like this in the future more often, he’d certainly be happy.

It wasn’t that he wanted Jing He to change his values but … his beloved really stuck to the rules a little too much. He did so even when it really didn’t matter and he did so to his own detriment. He’d like him to relax just slightly, in the same way he had done just now: To say what he meant even if maybe — according to tradition — it wasn’t exactly the time for it yet. Or maybe to act on impulse every once in a while and indulge himself.

He deserved that. He deserved not to live in fear of repercussions. And as his husband, this was what he wanted to give him. He had thought it might take him years to cultivate the required sense of security in Jing He but … maybe he had been too pessimistic. Maybe after his ordeal in the High Heavens, he had already changed a lot and now just needed a bit more time to adapt. One could certainly hope so.