"Longjun …" Leng Jin Yu looked up at this person that seemed to care about him being his father at one time and then completely forgetting about the fact for the rest of the time. "How about … I accompany you to gather the ingredients?"
"Ah?" Qiu Ling raised his brows and touched his ear. Had he misheard?
Jinde scratched his husband's back in response. "What are you saying? You want to accompany him? What about me then? Do you want to leave me at home alone? You just came back from your trip to the capital. Have some basic human decency!"
Leng Jin Yu glanced over his shoulder and raised his brows. 'Human decency'? And that from a dragon? He couldn't help but grin. "Jinde … It's not like I won't come back."
Jinde pursed his lips and harrumphed but he still understood that this was something Leng Jin Yu had to do. He just was that type of person. It was a miracle he hadn't started with getting to know this son of his long ago.
He sighed and patted Leng Jin Yu's back. "You go and enjoy yourself then. I'll try to think of some other people that could refine the pill just in case."
"Mn." Leng Jin Yu tightened his lips and leaned over for a kiss. "I wish you could accompany us."
"What? To witness that bonding time between father and son? Thank you but I doubt I want to see that."
"That's —"
"Don't worry about it, old geezer. You can have a lot of bonding time with your own child in the future. When I get my Jing He back, I won't mind. It's only logical for you to want another child after the first one leaves the house."
Jinde smiled wryly. "Well, wouldn't that be nice."
Leng Jin Yu rubbed his cheek. "I'm sorry. Don't think too much about it."
Qiu Ling pursed his lips. "What's there to think about anyway? Jing He and I won't be living with you and even though the old geezer is, well, old already it doesn't mean you can't have another —"
Leng Jin Yu cleared his throat and got up. He grabbed Qiu Ling by the shoulder and pushed him to the door. "Alright, alright, I think we understood. Now, how about we go outside and let Jinde get dressed?"
"Why do we have to leave for that? Can't he get dressed if someone's there?"
Leng Jin Yu didn't bother to answer. He pushed Qiu Ling out of the room and dragged him to the courtyard. His expression was grave when he looked at Qiu Ling.
"What?"
"Don't bring up children in front of Jinde."
"Why? Don't tell me he's really still hurt that you had a child with somebody else. What about me?"
"What about you? How would I know? I only know that Jinde always wanted a child but your father —"
"You're my father."
Leng Jin Yu sighed. "Chun Yin decided to stay with his wife and took his child with him. Jinde wouldn't have minded raising you but this way, he lost his lover and the child. It's really not a subject that's suitable for you to bring up."
Qiu Ling pursed his lips. "What are you even talking about? I was talking about the two of you having another one. That shouldn't be a problem."
Leng Jin Yu sighed again. Ah, just how was he supposed to get this into his head? Well, never mind. "Let me go and explain to Jinde. After that, I'll accompany you around to gather the ingredients. I've lived in the human realm for a long time. I had a look at the list Jinde wrote. I know where most of the ingredients can be found."
"Oh. That's neat. Then I'll wait here. Don't take too long."
"Mn." Leng Jin Yu nodded and hurried back in.
His husband that was supposed to get dressed … was still sitting on the bed naked.
Leng Jin Yu sat down next to him and reached out, gently cupping his cheeks. "I'm sorry." He leaned over and kissed him. That subject … it shouldn't be raised in front of Jinde.
Jinde smiled though. "What are you being so moody for?" He encircled his neck and melted into his husband's embrace. Mn, it really was a pity that Leng Jin Yu needed to go now …
"He shouldn't have said that. Not him. Not to you."
"How so? He's right, isn't he?"
"Right?"
Jinde chuckled and intimately rubbed Leng Jin Yu's cheek. "Or could it be you don't want a child with me? Qiu Ling isn't even from your current life. Are you really satisfied with staying without offspring this time around?"
Leng Jin Yu couldn't help but raise his brows. What was Jinde saying there? "I'm happy as long as I have you."
"So you don't want a child?"
"What kind of question is that? We're both men. Even if we wanted to …"
Jinde tsked. "Humans. Even Tian married a man and they would have had a child if the gods weren't so stupidly jealous of their own people. Do you really think it's impossible?"
"You …" Leng Jin Yu's brows twitched. Jinde knew very well that he needed to say his farewell and go. Why was he bringing something like that up now? "Jinde … Are you trying to say that the two of us could have a child together if we wanted to?"
Jinde chuckled and his hand that had still been caressing Leng Jin Yu's cheek traveled down to do mischief. "Have you forgotten about the curse of the dragons? The love we feel isn't anything superficial. It's not about appearance or whether somebody is a man or a woman. There are so many marriages between two men or two women … If all those couples couldn't have children, our race would have gone extinct long ago."
"So we … we can have a child."
"Mn." Jinde didn't seem to think much of it.
"Then … how …?" Leng Jin Yu's face flushed red. He really … had no idea how to do this with another man.
Jinde laughed and moved to sit on Leng Jin Yu's lap. "Well … I could tell you but … what will I get in return?"
When Leng Jin Yu awkwardly looked up, he met with a pair of sparkling golden eyes. "That … depends on what you want?"
"How about … you carry the child."
Leng Jin Yu doubled over coughing only to be greeted by Jinde's laughter. This … wouldn't have all been a hoax, would it? Was Jinde serious or not? Could they actually have a child? He really didn't know anymore!