Jing He nodded but still felt worried. He hesitated but seeing how open Jinde had been with him, he finally dared to speak up. “I worry because of my father. With the way the wedding went, who knows if I’ll be accepted back in the Nine Heavens? My children … might never get to see the realm.” He furrowed his brows and lowered his head, distraught. He knew he couldn’t have changed anything and he didn’t regret his decision but he still wished things were differently.

Jinde sighed. “Maybe he’ll come around in the future.” But then, he wasn’t sure how much he believed in that himself. He knew from his own family how things could be. After all, after his father’s death, his mother had handed him off to the king and then disappeared. He had seen her since then but … there was no close relationship. Even after he came of age and even after he acceded to the throne, their relationship had never recovered.

Of course, from what he had heard, the relationship between Jing He and his father had been at least somewhat closer so maybe the chances of it recovering weren’t as bad. Maybe with time, the Heavenly Emperor would realize that this son-in-law he hadn’t wanted wouldn’t go away and finally decide that his love for his son outweighed his hatred for his husband. Still, this was only a possibility and he didn’t want to make empty promises. This wasn’t in his hands, after all.

“Family can be difficult and oftentimes, there is nothing we can do to change the circumstances. I don’t know if your father will come around or if your relationship stay as strained as it is now or even completely break down. Only time can tell. But no matter what happens, there are still other people in your life. You should never forget that.”

Jing He nodded. “I know. My mother and uncle are both supporting me. I suppose with them, my children with Qiu Ling will have at least some ties to my people. I just …” He hesitated and quickly glanced at Jinde’s expression, worried he might be making too much of a fuss.

Jinde just smiled in response. “What is it? You know you can speak freely with me. Even if this isn’t something to worry about for a while, you are part of our family now so we’ll naturally help you solve whatever troubles you have.”

Jing He relaxed slightly and nodded. “Well, my father is still the Heavenly Emperor. His word is law in the Nine Heavens. So if he is against my marriage to Qiu Ling to this degree, then … who knows if I’ll even be allowed to enter the Nine Heavens again?” He clenched his hands, panic rising in his heart. Yes, what if this happened?

Jinde shook his head though. “He wouldn’t. He still expects you to regret your choice and come running back. So how could he forbid you from entering the Nine Heavens?”

Jing He raised his gaze and stared at Jinde with wide eyes.

Jinde barely held back from twitching his lips. That … had been a rather uncharitable view of the Heavenly Emperor but he was sure that he wasn’t wrong. Hadn’t that guy been causing issues in his son’s relationship all along? He certainly wouldn’t stop now. In fact, if it wasn’t for wanting to save face, he might be running over to the dragon realm every day to ‘advise’ this son of his.

Still, no matter what he thought of the Heavenly Emperor, that guy was Jing He’s father, after all. Even though this child had finally made his own decision and done what made him happy despite his father’s insistence that he ought to do otherwise, his feelings could likely only be described as ‘complicated’ at best. Hearing someone talk badly about his father had to be hard to hear.

He lightly cleared his throat and tried to put his thoughts a little more charitable. “Isn’t it true? You are his son and he’d love to have you stay home. Now, you’ve decided otherwise but his hope shouldn’t be completely dashed. He’d likely love to see you go home, preferably without Qiu Ling. So I can’t imagine that he would go as far as forbidding you from entering the Nine Heavens. Instead of that, you should be worried that he’ll try to keep you from leaving if you do go back.”

Jing He nodded, his expression complicated. To be honest … even though it was hard to stomach when his father-in-law said so, he also understood that this was true. His father cared little about his opinion but very much about his own face and about being right. He would indeed want him to regret his choice, turn back, and admit his mistakes.

And yes, even if he went there without saying anything of the like, his father would try to convince him that this was what he should do and he’d try everything he could to make him admit it. Trying to make him stay for as long as possible to have more time to do so wasn’t unthinkable.

Of course, he wished that things would be different but he knew his father. This current state of their relationship … it wouldn’t change unless he gave in and that was impossible. He had been torn before but knowing that Qiu Ling couldn’t survive at all without him had finally given him the courage to make his choice and he would never go back on it.

He loved this man. Even if his father couldn’t see that or couldn’t understand it, he did. He wouldn’t stop doing so either and he would make sure to show that to Qiu Ling every day. If that meant never going back to the Nine Heavens and seeing his father … then so be it. Their children could still learn so many other things from him. He didn’t have to bring them there.