When Jing He woke up the next morning, he found himself wrapped in Qiu Ling’s arms, his lover intently staring at his face. His eyes widened and he almost pulled back, startled at being so close.

This was the first time he had spent a whole night in Qiu Ling’s arms and woke up next to him. For a moment, he really couldn’t get used to it. Especially since Qiu Ling didn’t seem sleepy as if he had woken up a while ago. It subconsciously made him wonder how long this man had been staring at him and whether his sleeping posture had been bad or if he had done anything odd in his sleep.

Qiu Ling who hadn’t slept for even half a minute this night only felt happy when Jing He woke up. He reached up and gently rubbed his cheek, his lips curving into a bright smile as his gaze softened. “Good morning, my love. How did you sleep?”

“Good … good morning.” Jing He barely got out a greeting before he hastily moved to sit up.

Qiu Ling followed him, still carefully holding him and even moving in to hug him more tightly. “Were you nervous about today?” The day when Jing He would leave for his trial had finally arrived. He himself didn’t understand all of the implications but this seemed to be a big day for a trueborn god so Jing He might have been worried. It wouldn’t surprise him. His beloved always seemed to worry about what was to come.

Jing He calmed down a little when Qiu Ling started to ask more and shook his head. “Not too much. Actually, I slept well.” Maybe it was the exhaustion from the day before or maybe lying in his lover’s arms just gave him peace of mind but he had indeed slept well. There had been no dreams he could recall but he felt rested enough to face his impending trial.

He hesitated for a moment but finally turned to look at Qiu Ling. “What about you?” Qiu Ling seemed to have woken up very early so maybe he hadn’t had as restful a night as he had? That would be bad right before they had to separate, wouldn’t it?

Qiu Ling smiled and leaned down to kiss his shoulder. “Tonight must have been the best night of my life.” In fact, those words were spoken from the heart. He might not have slept a wink but when lying next to the one he loved for the first time, how could he waste a single second on sleep? Since he finally had this chance, he had to use it to the fullest and trace Jing He’s sleeping face in his mind as he marveled at how perfect the whole situation was. If he didn’t, was he even worthy of being given this opportunity?

Jing He’s cheeks flushed. He probably shouldn’t be surprised any longer. Qiu Ling had always been one to speak his mind when it came to his feelings and he didn’t mind letting actions follow those words. Still, there was something special about being told such a sentence and receiving that kind of kiss after just waking up next to each other. Most likely, it was what he associated with it.

The dragons were likely different in this regard since they tended to be more open but for the gods, sharing a bed was something you would only do with your spouse. To allow Qiu Ling to stay over tonight and sleep in the same bed with him … this was him admitting that he regarded Qiu Ling as his other half, the one he would spend the rest of his life with.

Of course, he still knew that he had been brash. He should have waited until after their wedding ceremony. The reason he hadn’t was because he was still afraid that Qiu Ling would change his mind about him during his absence due to the trial. This … was his attempt to forcefully advance their relationship. Surely, a man as decent as Qiu Ling would feel compelled to stay with him after taking this step. He was aware of how the gods regarded this kind of thing, after all.

Jing He felt a little uncomfortable with this kind of manipulation but … he just couldn’t imagine a life without Qiu Ling. He didn’t want to go on this trial and then wake up again in two or three months, only to find out that the love of his life had turned his back on him. So even though he knew that he was wrong to do so, he still allowed Qiu Ling to stay, blurring the lines between them even further. He hadn’t thought it would be a problem but now, on the morning after, he suddenly felt self-conscious about this choice.

Maybe it was because actually waking up next to Qiu Ling had made him more aware of what his actions meant. Maybe those sweet words and that kiss on his shoulder were a reminder of how life as a married couple would be while he was fully aware that they hadn’t had the necessary ceremony yet. Either way, he doubted whether he had made the right decision.

Qiu Ling saw Jing He freeze up and figured that he should probably tread lightly now. His beloved had always been cautious in regard to their relationship and today was a special day. He might be on edge because of the trial so he’d better not add to his worries.

He gently rubbed Jing He’s shoulder, then leaned closer and kissed the top of his head. “Alright, don’t fret too much. Today, let’s just focus on getting ready for your trial. Is there anything left to do?”

Jing He pulled out of his thoughts and shook his head with some hesitation. “Nothing … nothing big, at least. I should probably go and bid goodbye to my parents and my uncle before I leave. After that, I just need to put up the array that was prepared and then I can leave.”

Qiu Ling nodded and slipped out of bed. “Any chance your parents would come over to check on you if you don’t go over first? Because I don’t think I should let your father catch me here this early in the morning.”

Jing He flushed again and hastily shook his head. “I … I don’t … think he would.” But if he did, it would indeed be bad.

Qiu Ling smiled and then glanced over to the other room that was separated by a folding screen. “Well, you’ll have to get busy later. Let me get ready first and then I’ll accompany you to see your mother and uncle. While you’re dealing with your father, I will also organize a thing or two so I’ll have the time to guard you during your trial.”

Jing He nodded and watched as Qiu Ling vanished to wash up and change his clothes. Seeing the black robe that was haphazardly thrown over the folding screen, his whole face flushed once again. He hastily lowered his head, his fingers tightly grabbing the blanket. He … had never seen Qiu Ling without clothes. But now, he had taken them off just a little bit away from him.

He probably shouldn’t think about such a thing but … this would soon also become a regular part of their lives. It was … really difficult to imagine but yes, as spouses, such things would not be an issue. At that point in time, they would likely live in the dragon realm, and with how open the dragons were, maybe there wouldn’t even be a folding screen separating them. Thinking of that … really made his heart beat out of rhythm.