When the heavenly empress, Bai Fen, came to visit her son's palace the next morning, she found two dragons guarding the door next to the heavenly guards her husband had arranged. She smiled at the two.
"His Majesty Longjun is inside?"
Yi Zan and Xiang Yong both nodded. The heavenly guards grimaced at this reaction. One of them stepped out of the line and knelt before the heavenly empress, cupping his fists.
"This servant greets Her Majesty, the heavenly empress."
"Rise. Do tell."
"Longjun came by yesterday evening and entered the crown prince's palace." He hesitated a bit but finally stayed silent. Who knew how far the others had investigated? If even the heavenly emperor didn't know about that assassination attempt until now, he certainly couldn't inform the heavenly empress. Moreover, they certainly couldn't trust the dragons. What if they had made up a story to deter them from stopping that brazen Longjun?
"Oh. So it's like that." Bai Fen smiled. No wonder the heavenly guards were looking like that. They had the same dislike for her future son-in-law as her husband. They all felt like he was trying to take advantage of their beloved crown prince.
She nodded at the guards and the two dragons and entered herself. Of course, what she found was Qiu Ling who had climbed into her son's bed and still hugged him to his chest.
Bai Fen sat down at the bedside and sighed. "Haish, this child … What if my husband had found them like this? He might even start a war with the dragons. Shouldn't you be a bit more responsible?"
She patted his shoulder but Qiu Ling only sighed in his sleep and started to smile. Who knew what he was dreaming of right now?
"Jing He …" He rubbed his beloved's back and his hand glided into Jing He's hair as if of its own accord.
Bai Fen looked at him and sighed. "Longjun, it's not your lover, it's your mother-in-law who's trying to wake you up."
"Mn …" Qiu Ling smiled even brighter and buried his head in Jing He's hair.
Bai Fen leaned forward and put her hands next to her mouth. "Qiu Ling, oh no! It's my father!"
"What?" Qiu Ling's eyes flew open and he leaped up, his gaze locking onto the folding-screen in front of the door at once. He couldn't see anyone and finally, he noticed the woman next to them. "Uh … Mother-in-law?"
"Mhm."
"Mn … I … didn't know you were coming over."
"I didn't tell anyone."
"Then … the heavenly emperor …?"
"Is probably in his own palace?"
"Oh." Qiu Ling sat back down and glanced at Jing He. After hugging him for a whole night his hair was spread out on the whole bed and his robes were crinkled. Qiu Ling conscientiously rubbed at them a few times and tried to arrange Jing He's hair. Bai Fen caught his wrist, though, before he could touch even one of the silky strands.
"Longjun, I know you good enough. Don't even start with that."
Qiu Ling took his hand back. She was right. He'd probably not be able to hold back after he started arranging Jing He's hair. Mn, who could fault him? The feeling was just too exhilarating.
Bai Fen sighed, seeing her future son-in-law absentminded again. "So, what did you run over here for yesterday? Weren't you accompanying him in the mortal world?"
Qiu Ling pressed his lips together, threw himself to the ground in front of Bai Fen and buried his head in her lap. "Mother-in-law! It's terrible!"
Bai Fen's brows twitched. "Longjun, have a bit of self-awareness. What if anybody saw you like this?"
"What about it? I don't care for my image."
"Well, but I care for mine! What if people said I was cheating on my husband with you?"
Qiu Ling tilted his head and looked up at her grumpily. "But I'm your son-in-law."
"You … You're not. Not officially anyway."
Qiu Ling's lips quivered and he hugged her. "Indeed! Mother-in-law, I feel wronged! Do you know what your son did in the mortal realm? How are you going to compensate me?!"
Bai Fen sighed and patted his head. "So something happened. Come on then, child, tell mother-in-law how her son bullied you." She glanced at her own son's face. I wonder if you would have fallen in love with him had you known this side of him. What will happen when you find out in the future?
"He kissed another man!". Qiu Ling looked at her accusingly.
Bai Fen's brows lifted. "Why are you looking at me like this? I'm only kissing my husband. Even if I was kissing someone else, it would be none of your business."
"It's your son we're talking about here! Do something!" Qiu Ling looked wronged but Bai Fen didn't relent.
"Seriously, how old is he now? Eight? He's just a child! How can you make such a fuss just because a child kissed someone? This doesn't count."
"How does that not count? I had to see him kiss another man!"
"So, what's their relationship? It couldn't have been his father?"
Qiu Ling shook his head.
"His uncle?"
Qiu Ling shook his head again, his expression getting worse. "Would I be making a scene then? It's my love rival we're talking about here! Take this a little more seriously, mother-in-law!"
"Yes, yes, yes. You're such a poor child." She patted his head again and Qiu Ling's mood lifted a bit.
"Indeed!" He looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Aren't I pitiful, mother-in-law?"
"Yes, you definitely are." Bai Fen stroked his head.
"Don't you feel like I'm losing out because of this trial?"
"Certainly you are!"
"Then don't you think you should help me?"
"But of course!"
"Then, if your son brings home some other guy in the future you have to chase that man away! You can't accept him no matter what! And you should advise your son not to fool around with other men anyway! Tell him, he should save himself for me!"
Bai Fen answered him with leaning forward, grabbing his nose and twisting. "You! Do you think I'm like Jing He? Easily talked into anything just because of your flimsy excuse of an argumentation?"
"Ah, mother-in-law, I was wrong!" Qiu Ling escaped her grip and moved back a step, grumpily rubbing his nose. "I don't know what you're talking about, though. I certainly didn't talk Jing He into anything."
"No? I somehow remember a day where my son came to me, paced up and down in my palace and finally asked what I thought of him taking a trip through the immortal realms with you."
"Uh … That … didn't have to do anything with argumentation, though? Just have a look at my eyes! Your son just couldn't help being swayed looking at them. It must be that my endless love moved his heart and made him want to go."
"Really?" Bai Fen raised her brows. "If I remember correctly he didn't think it was a good idea based on the places you proposed to stop at."
Qiu Ling's eyes widened and he scurried closer again. "Why that? Weren't the places I proposed great? We could have had so much fun!"
This time, Bai Fen went for his ear. "Fun, my ass! He told me everything! Weren't you just trying to seduce him to make him marry you sooner? There was even a visit to a hot spring planned!"
"Aiya, mother-in-law, what's bad about hot springs? It's beneficial for your health to go there!"
"Yes, yes. And there was no special reason you decided on a hot spring in the dragon realm instead of the nine heavens, was there?"
"Of course not!"
"Mhm. I'd believe you at once. If your record wasn't this bad, that is."
Qiu Ling pouted. "I don't know what you're talking about. I always treated him like a princess."
"I hope you're not serious with that. If not for Jing He's stellar reputation before knowing you, he might have been ruined by now if he was a girl."
Qiu Ling pouted even more and slid back to the other side of the bed, looking at Jing He. "Do you hear what your mother is saying, my love? Now even mother-in-law doesn't like me anymore! I was just earnestly trying to win your heart, though. It seems she doesn't want a handsome son-in-law after all." Looking at his beloved again, Qiu Ling's expression slowly worsened. He couldn't help remembering the trial and the years still in front of them …
Seeing her future son-in-law so depressed, Bai Fen couldn't help but sigh. It seems he really didn't take in a good way whatever happened in the mortal realm. "Qiu Ling …" She went over and patted his head again. "There's no need to look like this. I'll advise him as soon as he comes back, alright?"
Qiu Ling looked up but still seemed depressed.
"Well, I doubt there is a need anyway. Jing He loves you so much. Why would he even think of getting together with another man? I'm sure all of this only happened because he is a child now. When he's grown up, wouldn't his taste get better? Who would he fall in love with then if not with my handsome son-in-law? You're such a good catch! I trust my son that he'll be able to see that."
Qiu Ling looked a bit better after that but he still refused to answer. Bai Fen grew a bit anxious.
"What is it? Why are you still looking at me like this?"
"Mother-in-law …" Qiu Ling bedded his chin in her lap and looked up pitifully. "You need to help me devise a plan to capture my beloved back!"