Qiu Ling … froze on the spot, even his hand that had been happily stroking his beloved’s hair stilling at once. His thoughts couldn’t catch up with what was happening either. Had he … started to hallucinate due to excess happiness? Because it certainly couldn’t be that his beloved had suddenly started to stroke his hair, right? That didn’t seem like something Jing He would do …

He held still and the longer he did, the more he realized that … indeed, that soft feeling he felt on his scalp which was simultaneously scratching his heart could only be attributed to his beloved’s gentle fingertips. One way or another, he had somehow received this type of display of affection from his husband.

Qiu Ling happily closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his forehead on Jing He’s shoulder. This was an opportunity he didn’t know how he had received it and that he wasn’t sure he’d ever get again. He should enjoy it to the fullest.

A moment ago, he had been considering pulling out a map of the dragon realm and pointing to the most romantic spots they could visit, putting them at the top of their list for their future travels. Now … it suddenly didn’t seem important where they’d go. Anywhere would be romantic as long as he could hug his beloved and touch each other like this.

He didn’t want to ask for too much. Just a few words of love and a few intimate gestures were enough. As long as they were together, the whole world was beautiful, filled with the gentle and soothing presence of his beloved. What more did he need?

Qiu Ling wrapped his arms even more tightly around Jing He’s waist and couldn’t help but think that the atmosphere was really good right now. From Jing He’s worry at first to how he hesitantly opened up to finally becoming a little daring and touching him this way on his own accord … could he take this as his beloved being ready to take the next step?

Qiu Ling slowly opened his eyes, trying to keep calm. He was naturally looking forward to it. This was the one he loved, his husband, his soul-bound partner who he would spend the rest of his life with. He desired nothing more than to be close to him and while he could be close to him in many ways, the dragons had always cherished physical touch. Not to mention … this was their traditional wedding ceremony and while he took that of the gods as the real deal as well, he indeed wanted his own people’s tradition to be followed as well.

Once again, Qiu Ling hesitated. He himself felt ready but it was tough to say whether Jing He was. He certainly didn’t seem to be as nervous as longer but … was that enough? He had sometimes thought about how this day would happen and had tried to imagine Jing He’s reactions but, of course, those were only his own fantasies. It wasn’t the same as reality.

No matter though, his priority was for Jing He to feel cherished throughout and for him to enjoy this new experience with him. Just like with the other wedding ceremony earlier in the day, he shouldn’t be left with any regrets. No, when he thought back to these moments some years from now, he wanted him to do so fondly with a longing for the first time he was touched and was shown his husband’s love in a different way.

This … could he do it?

For the first time since knowing Jing He, Qiu Ling had cold feet. Of course, he wanted this wedding ceremony. He also wanted it to happen on the same day as the other one. He knew that this would mean a lot to Jing He. But … he was afraid he’d screw it up.

Yes, dragons were more physical than the gods and while much of that was due to their past, some of it was an inherent trait of their race. In these moments, it helped to guide them. Finding out what your lover liked and following even the most subtle signs they gave was natural to them. Usually though, that partner was a dragon as well. Would this still work with Jing He who was a trueborn god?

He thought back to Jinde’s words of warning and gulped. He definitely didn’t want to hurt his beloved. At the end of this night, he didn’t want to see even a single strand of his hair being out of its place. If he truly caused him any harm, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. He also knew that his people tended to go a bit wild though. Was that instinct? And if it was, could he resist it?

Qiu Ling’s breath hitched and panic squeezed his heart. Nothing in his life was more important than Jing He. He couldn’t disappoint him and definitely couldn’t hurt him. But what could he do? He hadn’t done this before either and he didn’t know what to expect. Should he … should he go over and ask Jinde and Leng Jin Yu about this? But if he left now, he’d probably hurt Jing He’s feelings …

The person Qiu Ling was thinking about felt puzzled. He had naturally felt that Qiu Ling froze when he originally reached out. He had been afraid that he did something wrong but his husband relaxed after a moment and even pulled him closer. It seemed that he had only been surprised but there was nothing wrong so he carefully continued to brush through his hair with his fingers.

After doing so for a while, he understood why Qiu Ling liked doing this with him. To be close to the other person — close enough to feel their heartbeat — and find your own rhythm to show your appreciation of them, that truly was a blissful moment to experience.

Unfortunately, that bliss slowly faded when he realized that his husband was once again freezing up and this time, he didn’t relax for a long time, simply holding him stiffly. Had he … done something wrong after all?