Never before in his life, had Shun Tao felt frustrated, because the passage of time was different in the mortal and immortal realm. But on this day, he dearly wished, that heaven would just send lightning, aligning both realms and giving him a little more time to finish his task.
But however much he wished for it, something like that of course wouldn't happen. His lips pressed into a straight line, Shun Tao took a biscuit and bit into it.
Mn. Hong Bao's biscuits were the only good thing in this whole mess.
What it was, that had dampened Shun Tao's mood so much? Of course it was, because he still didn't know, who had messed with Jing He's fate. Hong Bao had tried really hard and each day, she came over to share with him, what she had found out.
It was already the fourth day, since he had asked for her help. Unfortunately, that also meant, that Zhong Jing Yi in the mortal realm had aged by four years. He was seven now and Shun Tao really didn't want to know, what would happen, if he couldn't find out soon, who was sabotaging his work.
He was indeed right, thinking like that. In another palace in the nine heavens, a seemingly middle aged man sat at a writing table, holding a cup of tea and peering into space. A woman was eying him strangely from the other end of the room.
"What are you spacing out for?"
"Ah?" The man emerged from his thoughts. "I'm sorry. What did you just say, my dear?"
"I asked, why you were being so strange today."
"Oh. Well … It's been seven days now."
The woman sighed. "What are you being all nervous for? He's grown up! He won't have a problem passing one mortal lifetime."
"What if something goes wrong?"
"What could go wrong? Didn't Shun Tao read his whole fate to you?"
Yes, the man, who looked to be middle aged, was none other than Tianjun Rong Su. And the woman with him was Jing He's mother, the heavenly empress. While Jing He's father was more than nervous concerning his son's trial, his mother didn't think much of it.
"He did, but … I'm still worried. Jing He never had it rough here. What if he can't handle it?"
The heavenly empress sighed and nudged her husband. He stood up and started pacing through the room, while she sat down, crossed her legs and just watched him.
"What if it's too much for him? Shun Tao prepared quite a lot of things for him. You know." He turned around and looked at his wife agitatedly. "Some days ago, I was taking a stroll with Qian Yan and we met Shun Tao. And do you know, what he said? He said, he added 'a little something' because he wanted to 'spice things up a little'! Just one love trial might already be too much for Jing He! He never was in love before!"
The empress averted her gaze, but the heavenly sovereign didn't even notice. He only paced around faster.
"How can he face being betrayed by a woman he falls in love with? Oh no." He stopped and turned around to his wife. "Maybe I should order Shun Tao to remove the love trial. Isn't it enough, if he experiences the other things? First love is always the most memorable. What if he can't get over it? His love life could always be overshadowed by it! Wouldn't it be better, if he experienced his first love here in the nine heavens? I feel like that would be much more dependable. Maybe we should start picking out possible —"
"Rong Su", the heavenly empress interrupted him and stood up. She walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Calm down. Just take some deep breaths and calm down. Jing He isn't a child anymore. The trial in the mortal world won't be too much for him to handle. He'll grow up there again, so it'll be like a completely new life. When he wakes up here again, he will have a lot of valuable experience. That is all."
"Then the love trial —"
"Is nothing you should worry about. He is old enough for experiencing love."
"I feel like … that could wait a little longer."
"He is more than old enough for that. And now stop thinking about it. Shun Tao wrote a good fate. Just let it unfold."
"Then maybe we should send —"
"No." The heavenly empress didn't relent. Tianjun Rong Su could only comply.
If asking who was the mightiest person in the nine heavens, it would be Tianjun Rong Su. But concerning this wife of his … he couldn't bring himself to disagree with her.
"Fine, then. I won't send anyone." He went back to his table and sat down. But even though he had decided as such, he couldn't really calm down. Each day, his son spend in the mortal world, he grew more nervous. "Maybe —"
"No!"
Tianjun Rong Su sighed. Fine, his wife was right. As always.
The heavenly empress nodded satisfied. It really seemed like her husband wouldn't do anything rash for now. She turned around and went to her son's palace.
The two men, Qiu Ling had left with Jing He's immortal body, looked up. "Heavenly empress", the two of them greeted.
The empress nodded. "Do you know, what Longjun is up to in the mortal realm?"
Qiang Wei shook his head. "The king didn't contact us since then. But he is probably following him closely."
"Should he need any help, just send someone to me."
The two men nodded.
The empress came over, sitting down beside her son's immortal body. She looked at the face, she knew so well. It was eerily still now. Looking at him like that, she somehow understood her husband's fear. What if something really happened down there? What if he couldn't return? Never seeing her son again … She also wouldn't be able to take it.
"Damn it!", the heavenly empress cursed. What had that husband of hers been thinking? Now he had gotten even her all nervous!
She breathed in deeply, patted her son's pale cheeks and turned to Qiang Wei and Yi Zan again. They seemed like they hadn't heard her curses, but it was more like they had experienced the heavenly empress' unladylike behavior too often, to still be shocked.
The heavenly empress lifted her hand to her lips and coughed. "I'll come by again in some days. Tell your Longjun to visit me, if he comes here."
"Yes." The two of them bowed, their gazes following the heavenly empress on her way out.
The door closed behind her and Qiang Wei couldn't help but turn to Yi Zan. "How did those two raise a good-natured child like the crown prince?"
Yi Zan's brows lifted. "How could a good-natured child fall in love with our king?"
Qiang Wei shut up. That was indeed right. Maybe the crown prince was just as good as his mother with hiding his real temperament … Well, their king most probably wouldn't care.