Qiu Ling sat there on the grass while the sun slowly climbed up the horizon. He didn't notice how time went by, though. In his head, he was still replaying that scene of Jing He rejecting him and then running away. He really didn't want to see him anymore. It seemed there was no chance for them.
He unsteadily stood up. What now? His whole reason for coming to the sect had been because he wanted to be close to Jing He. He had never thought it might turn out like this.
Slowly, Qiu Ling made his way through the outer sect, not noticing the disciples around him. He didn't see them much less hear their greetings. He just walked on toward the gates to the inner sect. He passed by them without paying attention to the disciples guarding them and then continued on even further. Somehow, his steps brought him back to the formation Zhangsun Xun Yi had shown him.
He hesitated for a moment, then he stepped inside and found himself in the special dimension again. He walked to the lake in the middle and sat down on the boulder, silently staring off into the distance.
At the bottom of the lake, Jinde opened his eyes. He blinked and leaped out of the water, his magic drying his hair and clothes before he sat down next to Qiu Ling.
"Why are you back so soon?"
Qiu Ling kept mum. He didn't want to say it. Maybe if he didn't, it wouldn't become reality?
Jinde observed his expression and continued to sit next to him. He didn't say anything and just waited.
Finally, Qiu Ling sighed. What was there to say anyway? Speaking about it wouldn't help. It wouldn't change the fact that his beloved had already rejected him.
"Back then … how did it feel?"
"Mn?" Jinde turned around but Qiu Ling wasn't looking at him. He still stared blankly.
"When he told you that he had decided on her how did it feel?"
Jinde averted his face. "Is that something you should ask?"
Qiu Ling took a trembling breath and stood up. He went over to a tree and started to dig.
"Heh!" Jinde frowned. "What do you think you are doing?"
A moment later, Qiu Ling came back with two big flasks of wine. He handed one of them to Jinde and then woodenly sat down next to him again. "Let's drink."
"Drowning our sorrows? I feel like I'm a little old for that." He peaked at Qiu Ling and his expression derailed. That boy had already opened up the flask and was really starting to drink!
He observed as Qiu Ling emptied half the flask, then he sighed and put the flask in his own hands onto the ground. "Alright, what happened? Does that mortal already love somebody else? Is that it?"
Qiu Ling kept silent and just continued to drink.
"Haish. Didn't your father teach you anything? Who knows what dumb things you'll do once you're drunk?" He sighed again. It seemed the younger generation really hadn't learned anything from their faults. Mn, if he had a son he probably also wouldn't have dared to tell him those stories from back then.
Qiu Ling emptied the first flask and gripped the one Jinde had put down.
"Heh!" Jinde grabbed his wrist. "What's with this senseless drinking? At least, tell me what happened!"
Qiu Ling wrested his hand back and still took the flask. "He rejected me." He opened up the second flask but didn't start to drink immediately. Instead, he stared into the flask and at the sweetly smelling wine inside. "He said we were not meant to be."
"That's harsh."
"I begged him. I knelt down in front of him and begged him to give me a chance but he turned around and ran away." He fell silent for a moment and just continued to stare at the flask. "What did I do wrong?"
Jinde turned away and looked at the still surface of the lake. "It's not always about doing something wrong."
"Then what is it about? I don't understand. I love him so much. I'd do anything for him. Why … Why can't he accept me?"
"Well, I don't know anything about your situation. But there could be many reasons."
Qiu Ling took another sip of the wine. "Tell me one I can live with."
Jinde turned back toward him. "You've already joined your soul with his, haven't you?"
"Of course."
"Then you won't be able to live anyway if he actually rejects you. Why ask for the reason?"
Qiu Ling stared at the wine. "Maybe I could at least understand. I … I always felt like … we were meant to be. When I first saw him …" He shook his head. "You don't understand that. I suddenly …" He stopped speaking, unable to find the right words.
Jinde took the flask from him and took a sip himself. "Actually, I do understand. It's not like I haven't fallen in love myself. It just … never worked out. And thankfully I wasn't dumb enough to join souls with him. Well, you …" He shook his head and gave the flask back. "Since you've done something stupid already there's no way back. Either you make him fall in love with you or you'll die. Sitting here and drinking won't solve anything."
Qiu Ling nodded but still put the flask to his lips and continued to drink. "Mn, I was right. You don't understand." He tipped his head back and emptied the flask before giving it back to Jinde. "Get me more."
Jinde's brow twitched. "Tch. You do remember that I'm your elder and that this is my wine you're drinking here, don't you? Now you even want me to serve you?"
Qiu Ling just turned around to stare at him.
Jinde cursed under his breath and went to dig out some more flasks. "I'm only doing this because you're Chun Yin's son!" He brought the wine back and sat down next to Qiu Ling again. "Alright. I don't understand. So tell me: What is this actually about?"
"I'm not drunk enough to tell you."
Jinde's face darkened. "How bad can it be?"
Qiu Ling stared at the wine and smiled self-deprecatingly. "I'll let you in on a secret. The person I love …" He shook his head. "He isn't a mortal."
Jinde frowned. "Then what was the Amethyst Lightning pill for? It only works on mortals."
"Well, he is now. He's on his trial in the mortal realm right now. In fact, he's a god." He shook his head once more. "You probably think that it's not that bad."
"It's quite bad." Jinde lifted his brows and opened one of the other wine flasks. It wasn't like there had never been couples of mixed heritage but it wasn't this easy in Qiu Ling's case. After all, he was the king of the dragon race at the moment. He would be expected to marry a dragon.
Jinde thoughtfully started to drink. It wasn't impossible, though, just a little tricky. Well, he still didn't know enough about their situation so he couldn't actually give any advice. Had they known each other before the start of the trial? Or had they only fallen in love now? Ah, no, the question should be: Had Qiu Ling fallen in love with this god while he was attempting his trial?
Qiu Ling gave him some time to think it through before he smiled. "It's even worse. The god I fell in love with … he's the son of heaven."
Jinde choked on the wine. "What did you say?"
Qiu Ling nodded with a smile. "Mn, he's the son of heaven. Isn't it funny? I fell in love with the heavenly emperor's son. I. I of all people." His voice shook and his face scrunched up. He continued to drink, not bothering about talking to Jinde anymore.
His predecessor also kept quiet and drank. It seemed heaven loved toying with people. It just had to be the son of heaven he fell in love with.
"Does he know? That you … aren't a full-blooded dragon?"
Qiu Ling laughed darkly. "Of course not. If he knew, do you think I still would have had any chance to be with him? The Heavenly emperor already despises me now. He'd probably try to off me if he found out about that, too."
Indeed. Jinde really had no words to comfort Qiu Ling anymore. In the end, he could only sigh.
The two dragons continued to sit on that boulder at the edge of the lake and drink. Soon, one of them was dead drunk.