Jing He felt happy inside. He had been worried about how he would be perceived by the dragons and that he might only bring trouble to his husband. Now though, there was a task ahead. Of course, this meant even more so that he needed to learn more fast so he wouldn’t embarrass Qiu Ling out there but he was certain that he could do this. Knowing what would be expected of him made it a lot easier as well.

Also, apart from finally feeling that he could do something for Qiu Ling instead of it always being the other way around, he had to admit that the idea of traveling with his husband was very tempting. He had never had such an experience.

Traveling … that was something unimaginable before he came of age and after that, he had still felt anxious at the thought. The only times he actually left the familiar roads he walked regularly was when Qiu Ling took him out to the vicinity of the capital city. But, of course, that couldn’t be compared to actually traveling through a whole realm. He hardly knew what to expect.

Jing He’s thoughts were full of the journey he and his husband would go on, half thinking of it with anticipation and half with worry. When it came to traveling … “Then, for such a journey, what should be prepared? Will we need anything? And is there something I should know about?” He didn’t know too much about Jinde but his father-in-law had been king for so long. Certainly, he had traveled a lot as well. He should know what he had to take note of.

Jinde smiled teasingly. It seemed that for once, this child acted a bit like his age, getting excited about something like this. Thinking of how thin Jing He’s skin was, he hurriedly restrained his expression though and took the questions seriously. “There won’t be much to prepare and anything you’ll need, I’m sure Qiu Ling already has with him. He’s lived outside for so long that some habits are bound to have been formed.”

Jing He nodded again. “Right, that should be the case.” He did remember that Qiu Ling seemed to be carrying an astonishing amount of things in his spatial ring. Once, he had even taken out a big pot and ingredients when he was sick and cooked for him. Most likely, he was prepared for any journey. In other words: It seemed there was little he himself could do.

Jing He’s excitement dimmed somewhat when he realized this. He really wanted to do something for his husband but somehow, it always ended up with his husband being the one to take care of everything for him. He’d have to work harder in the future.

Still, the preparation ahead of time was only one of many things to do. The actual time of travel was what mattered. As long as he did well then, it would count as helping his husband. He just had to wait a little longer.

Meanwhile, Jinde thought about what there was to know about traveling outside. Jing He was a sheltered child so chances were he knew absolutely nothing about that. On the other hand, his Master had thrown him and Chun Yin outside to train early on. Even though he had never needed to accomplish as much as Chun Yin to be counted as having passed, being outside for a few days or weeks at a time wasn’t considered a rare occurrence. In fact, for many dragons, this was something they wouldn’t even consider an inconvenience.

“Most dragons like to travel.” This was probably the most important bit. “As a race that is tied to the wind and water, you could say that we were always meant to travel wherever they carried us. It’s not rare to go out just to feel closer to this homeland of ours. There is a certain beauty in spending a night under the stars, maybe coiled up at the bottom of a lake or atop the highest mountain you can find. It makes you feel like the troubles of the world are far away.”

This was something he himself had always liked to do. Not necessarily the kind of trips his Master had made him go on but the kind that he later decided on himself. To simply see the beauty of the dragon realm … “For me, this kind of journey was always a reminder of what I fought for: I wanted to preserve the beauty of this place and the freedom of our people to spend such leisurely moments to admire it. Ultimately, this is the purpose our race has fought long and hard for. We have earned this right through those countless battles and this is the reward we have gained. It is special to us in a way it might not be to the other races.”

Jing He thought of what little he knew about the history of the dragon race and that of his own people. It indeed made a lot of sense when Jinde explained it this way. There was only one thing that worried him. “For Qiu Ling, is it the same?”

His husband had lived outside not because he was looking for that freedom but because his parents had died and he did not dare to return to where he had lived before. To him, maybe this beauty had already been lost. If that was the case, he should take it into consideration when outside.

Jinde hummed. “I suppose it is a bit different. He likely isn’t out there looking for special moments but he has lived in the wilderness for so long that it has probably become second nature to him. Even after such a long time of being in the capital city again, it might actually feel more familiar to him. When you go … you might see a new side of your husband altogether.”