Back in the clearing, one big beauty and one handsome little guy sat next to each other, staring at the pond. It had only started to snow this morning and the temperatures still weren’t low enough for it to have frozen over yet. At this moment, they could even see a few fish swimming around.

Jinde finally turned to look at the little one sitting next to him and raised his golden brows. “So, why did you run away today?” Honestly, Qiu Ling suddenly appearing next to him had already become a habit. It was odd considering that this child was barely over ten years old, so he had only just entered that stage when the growth of dragon children started to slow down. Wasn’t that supposed to be the age when they were the most clingy? So why was he running to his side instead of trying to be a leg ornament for his father?

Qiu Ling looked up at him and pouted. “It’s boring.”

“Oh.” Jinde tried to think of what his advisers were currently up to. It seemed like … they should be discussing measures to counter the recent attacks the demon race had been launching? Well, that sure seemed like it’d be uninteresting for a child. It was just … “Is it more interesting to stay with me?” It didn’t seem like it. His usual days … they consisted of taking care of his herb garden, tinkering with the potions in his study, or having to deal with government affairs. Life like that … could only be called boring as well.

Qiu Ling nodded though. In his mind, staying with Jinde was naturally better. If he could, he would have clung to him all the time and not gone home at all. He just … didn’t like it at home very much.

Jinde watched the child who was now staring at him instead of the fishes and felt a bit of a headache. “What’s better about it? I also talk about the same things your dad does a lot.” After all, even though things had turned out like that, they still needed to work together.

He had started to rely less on Chun Yin these years and further the relationship with his other advisers more but … there were only so many of them and it couldn’t be denied that Chun Yin still understood him best … unless it came to romance. When it came to that, it seemed like the only person who could see into his heart was Xin Lan but it was embarrassing to talk to him about that so, in the end, all of that had to be borne by him alone.

Jinde sighed and tried not to think of it. He didn’t want to deal with Chun Yin but his child was innocent. Even though Qiu Ling had chosen the absolute worst person to cling to, he also couldn’t push him away. Don’t even mention the fact that he liked children in general, this was the child of the man he loved and he looked so much like Chun Yin when they had been young. It was difficult not to instantly have good feelings for him.

In fact, looking at this face … Jinde finally reached out and rubbed the fuzzy head. The black hair had already been blown into a mess by the wind anyway so it didn’t matter if he messed it up a little more. “How about going home to your mom instead?”

Qiu Ling resolutely shook his head and reached out to grab Jinde’s wrist while staring at him with pursed lips. He definitely wouldn’t let go!

Jinde huffed in amusement. “Really not?” To be honest … ah, he was quite happy. That woman had stolen his man but look at this! Her son actually preferred him. That was justice well served! Did she regret making a move on Chun Yin now?

He pressed his lips together, trying not to think about it. No matter how much he disliked her, those three were still a family. He himself knew best how it felt for your family to disintegrate in front of your eyes. How could he wish that on Qiu Ling? No, the child deserved for his parents to be together and to have a good relationship. He deserved them to take care of him well and for him to be happy with all of them together. Every child did.

Jinde sighed to himself and ruffled Qiu Ling’s hair again. “What’s so bad about spending time with your mother? Even if your father’s job is boring, surely, you can do something more fun with her.” Frankly, he felt that that woman should be quite free. Hadn’t she newly settled in the capital city when she got with Chun Yin? She didn’t seem to have any kind of job so … all that time could be spent with her son. Surely, that should be quite interesting to him?

Qiu Ling pulled a face though. “But she doesn’t want to!”

Jinde tilted his head. “No? Why not?”

The little dragon wilted at once. “I don’t know.” He tugged at Jinde’s sleeve, clearly unhappy.

Jinde gave a hum. He hadn’t looked too closely at how things were in their home. Chun Yin had moved out of the palace a while ago, finding a house in the capital city to live in with his family. Even though it made working together more cumbersome, in a way, it had been a good decision because it meant they would run into each other less. Considering how they recently got along … that was certainly for the best. It also meant that finding out what was going on in Chun Yin’s home would require him to either go and personally check it out or ask others specifically and that … didn’t seem like such a good idea.

His advisers were already talking anyway, making jabs about how the two of them must have fallen in love with the same woman. He wasn’t sure if they were trying to make light of the situation with those words because they were embarrassed by the very obvious truth or if they really couldn’t see it and still stayed oblivious. Anyway, they knew about their regular arguments and his inquiring about Qiu Ling’s home life would just add oil to the fire. If Chun Yin found out …

Jinde sighed again. Once upon a time, the two of them had gotten along without having to use any words. Now, no matter what he did or said, all of it seemed wrong. Of course, Chun Yin also didn’t seem very pleasing to the eye at the moment. It was a pity that he loved that man deeply and couldn’t extricate himself. Even if he felt angry the moment he looked at him, his heart would still race in excitement and he’d want to be close to him.

Qiu Ling saw his expression turn downcast and hastily patted his arm. “Don’t be sad! It’s not that bad. Isn’t there still you?”

Jinde turned to look at him again and raised his brows. “Me?”

“Mn!” Qiu Ling nodded fervently. “You’re there so it’s okay if my mom ignores me. I can just come here instead.”

Jinde looked at him quietly, cupping his cheek. This child … if Chun Yin could have such a sweet mouth, he wouldn’t constantly have to argue with him. It was just … “Little rascal, who do you think I am to you?”

Qiu Ling looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well, other children go to their father or mother and if not that, they’ll rush after their older siblings. What am I to you?” The two of them weren’t related at all and with how his relationship with Chun Yin had deteriorated, he couldn’t even be considered a family friend. Well, not that he wanted to be friends with that woman.

Qiu Ling seriously thought about that for a moment before his face lit up. “Well, you’re my parent!”

Jinde almost fell down the boulder and landed in the pond. He looked at the child exasperatedly. “How come I’m your parent now?” Did he even know what a parent was?

Qiu Ling only seemed confused by his question as if it was obvious that this was how it should be. Since Jinde couldn’t see it though, he anxiously tugged at his sleeve. “Why do you not know? I talked about it with Hong Ming and Su Ting. Su Ting said that her father and mother split up and then her father found somebody new and because they loved each other, this was her parent now.”

Jinde nodded along. Su Ting was the daughter of one of the soldiers here in the palace. She was a little over two hundred years old so could be considered to understand things much better than Qiu Ling did. Her biological parents had indeed split up a while ago and one of them had remarried soon after.

In the dragon realm, even though love played a big role, not everyone found someone suitable early on. Sometimes, they would marry someone they weren’t in love with but had a good relationship with for that sense of companionship and so that they could start a family. Oftentimes, love would follow in those arrangements but it wasn’t always the case.

Those two hadn’t managed to make that happen. When one of them fell in love with somebody else, they ended their marriage so he could move on. That was always the expectation in those kinds of marriages: You wouldn’t hold the other back when they found the one meant for them. Instead, you’d split up amicably and let them move on. It was the best for the couple that was newly in love and also the best for the child.

Of course, there was always the expectation that the child from the previous relationship would be treated well. The new lover was seen as a kind of third parent and if the other original partner found their love as well, that person would be regarded the same. Hence why Su Ting regarded the new person as her parent and explained it to Qiu Ling this way. It was just … this had very little to do with him.

Jinde pondered this question and finally couldn’t help but make sure. “But … your mother and father are still married. How am I your parent then?”

Qiu Ling looked at him oddly. “Well, I asked how she knew that they loved each other. She said she didn’t but her mother and father told her. Then Hong Ming told us that you can see if someone loves someone from the way they look at them.”

Jinde nodded. He was a bit afraid to ask about the rest though.

Qiu Ling clearly didn’t see his worries and happily continued to tell the story since he finally had someone to talk to. “Su Ting really didn’t get it so Hong Ming said it was like the king and my dad. And my dad has said you are the king so that means you’re my parent.”

“Oh.” Jinde really had nothing left to say. His own advisers sometimes didn’t seem to get that he had feelings for Chun Yin and treated the two of them as nothing but close martial brothers who had grown up under the tutelage of the same Master. But now, it turned out that even Jie Cheng’s child who clearly understood nothing about how to woo a person himself and would just mope about being misunderstood all the time saw right through them. Were they … that obvious?

Jinde shifted uncomfortably but didn’t mention anything. Discussing this with a ten-year-old child … what would it matter? Rather than that … “So … did you ever mention that in front of your father?” Because if he did, then maybe he shouldn’t be surprised that Chun Yin was that prickly recently.

Qiu Ling shook his head though. “No, I didn’t.” He blinked his eyes at Jinde, then looked around and pointed at the snow. “So, can we build a snow dragon now?”

“A snow dragon?” Jinde had no idea how they had suddenly gotten to that from talking about him being his parent.

Qiu Ling nodded though. “Hong Ming told me this morning that you can build a snow dragon when it snows.”

“Well, you’d need a lot of snow though.” Jinde looked around at the pitifully small amount of snow that had fallen so far. He didn’t think you could build anything much with that.

Qiu Ling just continued to look at him as if he didn’t get that they definitely didn’t have a lot of snow.

Jinde … Jinde finally waved his hands, pushing the fluffy clouds above a little closer to the grove they were in. Well, if his self-proclaimed son wanted to build a snow dragon, then as the one who was apparently his parent now, he should naturally oblige. Just make it snow a little more. What was the big deal?

Thus, one big beauty and one small handsome guy started to gather snow and create a small snow dragon at the side of the pond. Anyway, it didn’t seem like anyone was waiting for them to come back and if there was … they didn’t care either.

~~~

Little Theater:

Small Qiu Ling: Jinde is my parent!

Big Qiu Ling: I am the most handsome man in the immortal realms!

Lovelorn Qiu Ling: The Heavenly Emperor is my father-in-law!

Qiu Ling, who is finally happily married: See? Works like a charm every single time ~