Jing Yi stayed beside his mother and wouldn't go back to spend time with the girls, regardless of how they or their mothers begged him. Madame Zhong just smiled, when the other women teased her about it. She patted her son's head. "He's just a little shy. What's so bad about it?"
Jing Yi grabbed onto her skirt and refused to budge an inch. His eyes warily darted about. He looked at the mud one time, then at the girls another time, finally even examining the laundry his mother had done.
"What is it, Jing'er?", his mother asked and bent down.
But this time, her obedient son didn't want to answer her. He didn't want his mother to remember he had nearly fallen!
Qiu Ling grinned. Mn, this is just perfect. I would be an idiot, if I didn't make use of this! He followed the two of them home and waited for the night to come. He already had a plan, but he still needed an opportunity to implement it. Considering how the last weeks had passed, he knew that Madam Zhong wouldn't leave her son out of her sight soon. He didn't want to wait that long.
"If there's no opportunity given, I'll just have to make one myself."
Soon enough, night fell and the Zhongs went to bed. Qiu Ling waited a while, then he stood up and went to their bedside. He extended his hand and put the tip of his finger against Mister Zhong's forehead. "Have a sweet dream and don't disappoint me tomorrow." Saying so, he turned around and settled down at Jing Yi's bedside.
Meanwhile, Mister Zhong entered a dream: He saw himself kidnapping his own son under the cover of the night, while his wife was still asleep. He dressed the boy and brought him into the forest. His son woke up with the first rays of sunlight.
He blinked his doe eyes and noticed, that he wasn't at home. He seemed fearful at first, but after looking around, he warmed up a little. He curiously examined the plants and animals around him and followed him all around the forest. They came home late that day and Madam Zhong was furious and scolded the two of them, but father and son just looked at each other and smiled. They regretted nothing.
Mister Zhong woke up with a smile in the dead of the night. He looked at his wife, who was fast asleep. This dream couldn't be a coincidence! Hadn't he fruitlessly tried to coax his son into going outside for a few weeks already? The gods favored his son, he was sure of that, after that daoist master had come by twice for his Jing Yi's sake. So it must be, that the gods were moved by his tireless efforts and also wanted Jing Yi to be more like the other boys, so they sent him this dream as an inspiration how to solve his problem!
Motivated as such, Mister Zhong quietly crept out of the bed and dressed. He stealthily searched for something he and his son could eat, while out in the wilderness, and packed it up. Next, he took Jing Yi's clothes and looked at his sleeping child.
Mister Zhong was at a loss. How to dress him and take him away without him or his mother noticing?
Qiu Ling sighed. Really, maybe he should have just taken Jing Yi himself. But he knew, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to abandon him alone at the forest. The boy would be terrified and probably never sat one foot out of the door for the rest of his childhood days.
With a wave of his hand both Madam Zhong and Jing Yi were caught in a sleep spell.
By now, Mister Zhong had persuaded himself, that everything would go well, if he was just fast. He pulled the blanket away, stripped the clothes for the night from his son and put him into the ones for the day. The child didn't wake up and Mister Zhong experienced a rare feeling of accomplishment.
I'm such a great father! Jing Yi will be elated, when he finds out, that I was right all along. From tomorrow onward, he'll pester me everyday to bring him into the forest again.
Mister Zhong was incredibly sure of this, so he picked up the bundle with their meal, took his son into his arms and glanced at his wife again. Then he left the house and went into the forest.
It hadn't been long since winter ended. This early in the morning, it was bitingly cold outside. Jing Yi curled up in his father's embrace, shivering a little from the wind. Qiu Ling furrowed his brow. Mister Zhong didn't notice anything and Jing Yi was still under the sleeping spell, so he also couldn't wake up to voice his discomfort.
"What kind of father are you?", murmured Qiu Ling, but he had already lifted his hand. The stories about dragons controlling the weather weren't wrong. And Qiu Ling, as the king of the dragon race, was able to do so to an even greater extent.
The wind stilled at his command, the clouds, that had been hanging in the sky slowly drifted aside to reveal the countless stars twinkling over their heads. The temperature rose, until Qiu Ling was assured, that Jing Yi wouldn't get sick. Thanks to Jing Yi, the surrounding villages would get splendid weather today.
Mister Zhong reached a place in the forest he felt to be good. The river was gurgling not too far away from them and the trees stood a little farther from each other in a small clearing, so that he could see the sky. He settled down at the roots of a tree and sat his son on his lap.
How long can it take for Jing Yi to wake up?, he mused and looked around to find the best spots to show to his son later on.
Qiu Ling smiled smugly and lifted the sleeping spell on Jing Yi. Not only Mister Zhong, he himself also couldn't wait for Jing Yi to wake up. But instead of Mister Zhong, who wanted to wow his son with all the new things around him, so he'd take a shine to nature, Qiu Ling's thoughts about this trip were rather sinister.
Just you wait, he thought. Today is the day, I'll make sure you won't have the possibility to bother my Jing He again!
Qiu Ling, the mighty king of the dragon race had inexplicably developed a deep-seated hatred for little girls. Ah, what would the women of his race say, if they ever found out?