Jinde stared at the portray unblinkingly. His heart raced and his cheeks flushed pink. So this was … what Chun Yin's reincarnation looked like? They indeed seemed quite different. And still … Why was his chest so tight suddenly?
"Master …" Xin Lan watched him and regret welled up inside him. He shouldn't have let that guy go! What reporting to the Nine Heavens? He could have done that later! His master had already waited for so long, he shouldn't have to do so even longer.
"He's …" Jinde fell quiet again. He couldn't even express what he felt at this moment. This was just a painting. Who knew … "How accurate is it?"
Xin Lan smiled wryly. He had just seen the man himself. Naturally, it would be as accurate as possible. But he couldn't say that or his master would know that Leng Jin Yu had gone to the Nine Heavens instead of returning to the Yun Zou Sect. Wouldn't his heart hurt then? "It should be very similar to his real appearance."
"He's … different from Chun Yin. He seems more … refined?"
Xin Lan refrained from commenting on that. Love made people go blind, especially dragons. Even if the person on the scroll looked like a pig his master would certainly still praise him. Well, at least in terms of appearance this person wasn't too shabby. He might be able to bear seeing him next to his master in the future. Not that he was good enough for him.
"He looks quite young though." Jinde touched his cheek. "Do you think … he'll find me attractive?"
Xin Lan's lips opened and closed again, unable to utter a single word. Unfortunately, Jinde's worry grew even worse at that.
"You're not sure, mn? Well, it's to be expected. I've grown older. He'll probably —"
"You're beautiful."
Jinde laughed. "There's no need to humor me. I also know that a lot of time has passed. I'm not the youth anymore that stupidly fell for his senior brother. I guess I can't pretend to be cute anymore."
"You …" Xin Lan shut up. Honestly, he also couldn't say that his master was cute.
He took a peek at his face and his heart quivered. Cute really wasn't a word that should be used to describe him. He was gorgeous though. He really couldn't imagine that there could be a man that wouldn't fall head over heels for him as soon as he saw him.
Jinde turned to Xin Lan and smiled mischievously. "Maybe I have a mature charm now?"
Xin Lan averted his gaze. If he wasn't sure that he had hidden his feelings deeply, he would think his master was teasing him. Especially since he still held onto his arm. The place where his fingers lay, only separated from his skin through the fabric of the robe, seemed to burn.
Ah, mature charm it was? Yes, he had that. If not for that curse, if not because his master didn't regard him as anything but a follower he would have long given in to that special charm and tried to seduce him. Unfortunately …
Jinde sighed as if in response to Xin Lan's thoughts. "I guess it'll be difficult. In human years … you could probably say he looks like he's in his mid-twenties? Or maybe his late twenties?" He turned to look at Xin Lan who hurriedly nodded. "Then what about me?"
"You …" Xin Lan looked from Jinde's face to those hands on his arm and back up.
Jinde sighed again. "See? That's what I'm talking about." He let go of Xin Lan and stood up. He disappeared into one of the other rooms and came back with a bronze mirror. "I guess if I want to be nice to myself, I could pretend I look like I'm in my early thirties."
"You definitely don't look older than that."
Jinde glanced at Xin Lan before turning back to the mirror. "It's probably closer to my mid-thirties. I should probably thank the Heavens that I'm going to age even slower in the future. Ah, if only my magic still worked like back then. Glamoring my appearance a bit wouldn't have been a problem. Now I really have to let him see me like this."
Xin Lan got up and quietly took the mirror from him. "You're beautiful regardless of how old you are or look."
"How come you're still not married, Xin Lan?"
Xin Lan turned away and put the mirror down. "If you're really worried about it, then use the next few days to relax. It'll show and you'll certainly look stunning when he gets back."
Jinde smiled. "This is what I like about you. Thank you."
"It's what I should do. Come, let me help you." Xin Lan took his hands and led him back to the table, making sure he sat comfortably. "Is there anything else I can do?"
"Mn. You know I'm normally not that vain but … it's the first time seeing him again, after all. Could you … get me something nice to wear? Something that will dazzle him so he'll only think about me from then on?"
Xin Lan nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
"Ah, if there's some problem, you can go ask Qiu Ling for help. He should also be quite free since the Son of Heaven is still imprisoned. Rather than waiting it's better he does me some small favors." His lips lifted into another mischievous smile. "After all, I'm going to be his stepfather soon."
Xin Lan cleared his throat and nodded. Then he hurriedly left the house. He really didn't want to think about that time. Although … maybe it would be easier to bear when he saw him with that man again. After all, when his master was happy there was less reason for him to indulge in flights of fancy.
Xin Lan shook his head at himself and closed the door. When he turned around he came face to face with a down-looking Qiu Ling. He frowned, grabbed him by the lapel and dragged him away. "Whatever it is don't go and bother His Majesty."
"But —"
"Don't." Xin Lan shoved him away and turned to guard the house.
His master was beautiful even on a normal day. Whatever he wore, as soon as a genuine smile lit up his face from seeing that man again, that Leng Jin Yu would have to be blind and heartless if he didn't lose his heart to him right away. Thus it was more important to make sure that that boy didn't go and ruin his master's mood by telling him that the secret realm had already been opened. He definitely couldn't let his master find out.
Faced with Xin Lan's rigid attitude Qiu Ling could only roll away. Without anything better to do, he went to the dimension at the foot of Grandmaster Zhangsun's peak. Mn, the old geezer certainly would have some more wine buried there. He just had to find it, then he could at least get dead drunk and forget about his problems for a little while.
Thus, a not-so-mature dragon king went to dig the dimension over.