Leng Jin Yu reached up and stroked Jinde's golden hair. "I'm sorry. You really went through a lot. That Jian Heng must have hated you very much to do all that to you."
Jinde's lips curved up in a half smile. "Well, he's a demon. Saying he hated me …" He sighed. "Maybe it was rather the opposite."
"The …" Leng Jin Yu's brows raised. Had he understood this right? Jian Heng had also liked Jinde? Despite the bad luck, this had brought Jinde he couldn't help but chuckle. "You certainly are something. The strongest fighter of the dragon race, the previous demon king, and even the current demon king all fell in love with you. Is there someone among the gods that mentioned he was interested?"
Jinde's lips curved up further and he happily stroked Leng Jin Yu's neck. "My husband wouldn't happen to be jealous, would he?"
"Mn, not really. It's not like you reciprocated their feelings, after all. It's just a little unsettling to know just how many love rivals I had." His fingers continued to comb through Jinde's hair. "Ah, if not for Chun Yin getting the drop on them, I wouldn't have been as lucky."
"I'm pretty sure you would. We might only be able to love once but that doesn't mean we'll fall in love with just anyone. Most dragons are pretty picky in regards to their spouses. They don't take interest in someone that easily." He furrowed his brows. "Well, that son of yours is a special case."
"My son …" Leng Jin Yu's hands stilled. Jinde had already calmed down so now was probably a good time to ask. Although … He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. His lips twitched just imagining it. He had to ask though.
He cleared his throat. "The Qiu Ling you've talked about before … It wouldn't be that one, would it?"
Jinde turned to look at him, his expression puzzled. "Of course, it is. Who else would it be? Didn't Qiu Ling already call you a bad parent to your face? I thought you knew."
Leng Jin Yu smiled wryly. Now that Jinde mentioned it … "So the dragon king is actually my … former life's son?"
"Mn, your son. What's so strange about that? Chun Yin almost became king too. It was just because of Jian Heng's doing that things turned out differently. So why shouldn't your son be the dragon king? Despite the fact that Chun Yin died early on, he still taught Qiu Ling quite a few years. If he didn't pick up some of his skills at least, it really would be strange."
"I guess that's also true. It's just …" He took a deep breath. "Looking at how our encounters up until now went, I'm feeling a little strange about this. Well, I guess there's no need to fret, is there? That was my past life. He wouldn't expect —" He stopped at Jinde's look. "What?"
"We're talking about Qiu Ling here. He knows you're Chun Yin's reincarnation and he's selfish enough that he will use that to his advantage. Heavens! He even comes running to me when he has problems because he knows I'm in love with his father."
Leng Jin Yu's lips twitched again. Somehow, he could imagine that really well. "So Longjun, how is he?"
"As a person?" Jinde turned around and faced the ceiling, resting his head on Leng Jin Yu's shoulder. "Well, he was a child back then. At least for someone in the dragon race. He was older than a human child by a lot though and children of our race are more mature than them but still. He was just a child. And that child saw his mother kill his father."
Leng Jin Yu frowned. He himself could hardly remember his family. He had been young when he came to the sect and the rest of his life had been spent there. His family … He might have seen them a handful of times afterward but their relationship hadn't been close. In fact, he had been closer to his own Master. He couldn't completely relate to the situation. If his Master had betrayed the sect though … "It must have been hard."
"It was worse. I don't know what exactly happened but it seems Qiu Ling killed his own mother afterward. He knew she was a demon, he knew she was responsible for his father's death, and he also knew that it was the only thing he could do. But he was a child and she was his mother. Just imagining it …" Jinde sighed.
Just like Leng Jin Yu, he didn't have too many memories of his own family. His father had died for his Master's sake while his mother brought him to be taken in as a disciple. He had visited her a few times but their relationship had become more and more estranged. Of all the people around him, he had been closest to Chun Yin and his Master's wife, not even his Master himself.
Jinde sighed again. Well, all those things were long past. There was no need to dwell on it. For now, he should concentrate on his future with Leng Jin Yu.
He reached up once again and his fingers slipped into his lover's black hair. "I guess it's strange for you to be confronted with him suddenly. But if you can, try to accommodate him a bit. Qiu Ling might be a little strange but it's because of how he grew up and the things he went through. He deserves to find a bit of happiness."
Leng Jin Yu nodded but he couldn't help but frown. "Saying that now … I'm afraid I'm responsible for quite a bit of his troubles in the last few years. He's obviously very much in love with the Son of Heaven but because of the trial …" He sighed. "I'm feeling sorry for him now that you said it."
Jinde nodded. "You probably should. I guess in Qiu Ling's mind, the Son of Heaven is the only good thing."