At that moment, steps sounded outside. Jinde turned to the door and faintly raised his brows. “Seems like your husband is finally back. In that case, I had better leave or I’ll just be a nuisance.”

“Qiu Ling …” Jing He got to his feet as soon as he heard that his husband was back and turned to the door. Only then did Jinde’s subsequent words register. He blushed in embarrassment and hurriedly shook his head as he turned back. “No, how could that be, father-in-law? You are very important to Qiu Ling. Of course, you’re always welcome and would never be taken as …” He didn’t even dare to say that thought out loud.

Jinde just chuckled and walked over, lightly patting his shoulder. “You’re newly married. You ought to spend more time as a couple and not with others hanging around. I won’t think too much about it and neither should you.” Anyway, he himself wouldn’t have wanted to be disturbed right after getting married to his husband. No, those moments were theirs alone.

He didn’t give Jing He the chance to get entangled again and simply walked out of the room, meeting Qiu Ling right in front of it.

Qiu Ling looked at him in a daze and then leaned closer, hugging him.

Jinde’s brows shot up and he looked down at the person who suddenly acted like a child seeking comfort. “What’s the matter? Did the talk not go well?” He didn’t want to keep Qiu Ling out here for too long considering that it was still his wedding day but after a short moment of hesitation, he still reached up and rubbed his head. Anyway, if he wanted to act spoiled, then let him.

Qiu Ling kept hugging him and hummed faintly. “Not bad but … it made me think of some things.” His youth had long since passed and he seldom thought of it if he was honest. Anyway, after a certain number of years, he just couldn’t bring himself to dwell on it. But no matter what, when he was reminded of it, it still hurt.

Of course, the matter of his parents had had a big effect on him but if he was completely honest, then the separation from Jinde and later on the news of his death … that hadn’t been any less hard on him. It had been difficult to process and he had channeled his grief into anger at this person, cursing him for not holding onto his father better, for not preventing his mother from separating all of them and damning him to this life.

As a powerless child, this was the only thing he could do and even after that, he held onto that thought because the alternative was too much to bear. Knowing how he had died and how not even his soul had survived … he had to try and convince himself that he actually hated this person or he would have gone crazy for real.

Those wounds had only started to heal after he found him again. To a degree, this might be the biggest impact Jing He’s trial had had on him. Sure, he had learned other things and had found the courage to confront his past but … without having met Jinde again, some wounds never would have been able to heal.

He didn’t think about this often. Anyway, in the mortal realm, a millennium had passed after they met again. It was just that … this was barely even a tenth of the time he had lived without this person’s presence in his life and today’s talk with Min Jun had reminded him how narrowly he had escaped the possibility of never seeing Jinde again. He just … wanted to hold him for a moment to remind himself that Jinde was really there and wouldn’t simply vanish again.

Jinde wasn’t sure what exactly Qiu Ling had remembered but he patted his back for a moment. Then, he still patted his shoulder and lightly pushed him away. “I’m glad if seeing me helps but today is your wedding day. Go and hug your husband instead. You can still come and act like a child to me tomorrow.”

Qiu Ling indeed pulled back and looked at him with a difficult expression. “That isn’t called acting like a child. It’s called showing my affection.”

“Mn. So show your affection to your husband. He has been waiting.” Jinde patted his shoulder again and stepped past him but then thought of the conversation between Qiang Yan and Bai Fen earlier. Turning back, he grabbed Qiu Ling’s shoulder and pulled him closer. “Speaking of your husband … don’t forget that he’s a god, not a dragon. They’re fragile so you’d better treat him that way.”

Qiu Ling blinked his eyes in confusion but then nodded slowly. Anyway, when had he not treated Jing He as if he was a fragile treasure he ought to hold in his hands to protect? It was absolutely unnecessary to remind him of this.

Jinde peered at his face but figured that Qiu Ling should have this understanding at least so he finally hummed and waved for him to go in before he left to look for his own husband.

Qiu Ling watched him walk away and shook his head, not sure what that had been about. But then, he threw that question straight to the back of his head. Anyway, no matter what, Jinde was right about one thing: His husband was in there! His Jing He was waiting for him … and they were finally married!

He gulped and stepped into the room, quietly closing the door behind him while his gaze was already glued to the person who was standing next to the table, looking at him with wide eyes.

“My love …” He quickly strode over and pulled Jing He into his arms, doing just as Jinde had told him and hugging his husband gently. Ah, he had waited much too long for this moment.