Xin Lan didn't seem to notice Hua Lin Yu's gaze. He just continued to look at Jinde as if he was unable to tear away his gaze. "I guess you haven't changed your mind about how to go forward from now, haven't you?"
Jinde shook his head. "Of course not. It's only been a few days. Do you really think that I'm that fickle?"
Xin Lan shook his head. "Not fickle. Just … now that you finally have the chance to have a child, I thought you could want to have one soon as possible. I'm actually quite amazed that you are able to wait for so long."
Jinde nodded and then inched closer to his husband, waiting for Leng Jin Yu to wrap him in his arms. "Well, you wouldn't understand. I didn't just wait to be able to have a child. I waited for being able to be with my husband as well. Now, I finally have that opportunity. We can finally spend every waking and every sleeping moment together. I just want to use that time for a bit. Afterward, there was still be more than enough time to have a child."
Xin Lan nodded slowly. He could still understand that much. While he knew that Jinde had always wanted a child and had at times been longing for that even more than he had for being with Chun Yin, that had also been because Chun Yin had already been unreachable for him at that time. Now that his husband was back in the picture, things would naturally be different. "I'm sure you will be able to have both in due time. You deserve it."
Jinde nodded but didn't say anything else. Instead, he turned to Hua Lin Yu, his smile turning brighter. This kind of cute youth was definitely perfect for Xin Lan. He also seemed to have gotten quite far in his cultivation already so it was likely that he would manage to ascend in the future. Well, since Xin Lan had taken him to the dragon realm, he really wasn't surprised at that. "You should be Hua Lin Yu, right? Xin Lan has told me a lot about you."
Hua Lin Yu nodded, still feeling a bit conflicted inside. "I am. We actually know each other!" His eyes were slightly widened when he looked at Jinde, hoping that he would remember.
Naturally, Jinde did. "I know. Back then, your Master came to visit us and brought you along. You were clinging to me and my stepson the whole time." He reached out and nudged his forehead, his smile turning even brighter. "You've grown quite a lot since then."
Hua Lin Yu felt a little embarrassed when Jinde mentioned that. He had gotten over his habit of clinging to people quite a long time ago but every now and then, his senior martial brothers and sisters from the Jian Yi Sect would also bring it up again. Now, when he was reminded of it by this person of all people he couldn't help but feel especially awkward.
Jinde slightly raised his brows when he didn't get a response to that. Had he been teasing him too much? Ah, it shouldn't be. A child like this should be able to take a bit more. He glanced at Xin Lan and then looked back at Hua Lin Yu. This whole idea had been to make these two get closer together again. He wasn't quite sure if he would be able to achieve that though. It seemed that things might be quite difficult, in fact. "Xin Lan told me that the two of you got engaged in the meantime?"
"Ah." Hua Lin Yu looked even more put on the spot after he said so.
Jinde wasn't about to let him get away though. "Well, I'm glad. I don't know you very well yet but you seem like somebody who would be able to make Xin Lan very happy."
Xin Lan cleared his throat at that and gave Jinde a deep look. He hadn't known that Jinde intended to do something like this but he probably should've figured. Jinde wouldn't be able to leave this alone after he had finally gotten around to having the two of them here. After all, he had worried for far too long that he wouldn't be able to find anyone else after falling in love with him. It was to be expected that he would want to make sure that things worked out between them. Unfortunately, Xin Lan didn't think that that would help.
"Xiao Yu still young. There really is no reason to rush anything." He reached out and faintly brushed through Hua Lin Yu's hair, trying not to give him any pressure.
Jinde pursed his lips, not quite happy with this. It wasn't that he wanted to force him into anything but telling him just how great of a partner Xin Lan would be certainly couldn't be a problem, right? Unfortunately, this follower of his didn't seem to think the same.
"Well, I guess it's true. Old people like me wouldn't understand. I couldn't wait to get married at all." Saying so, he turned in Leng Jin Yu's arms and smiled at him, his eyes lighting up. "I'm sure you are thinking the same, my dear."
Leng Jin Yu turned to him, his gaze a little resigned. He knew exactly what Jinde was up to. Well, he wasn't necessarily against it. In any case, while he also felt that Hua Lin Yu should make his own decisions, he definitely wouldn't be sad if this so-called love rival of his got tied down with somebody. It would definitely put his mind at ease. "I thought we had counted as being married about a millennium ago already?"
Jinde laughed at that and patted his husband's chest. "Well, not according to your people." He leaned over and pecked his lips, before pulling back again. "Now, it's really official though." His eyes turned into little crescents and his smile became more mischievous while he looked at his husband and then slightly tilted his head, whispering in his ear. "Well, after the wedding night, that is. I think you still owe me that part."
Leng Jin Yu raised his brows but refrained from saying anything. In any case, the people around them had a high enough cultivation base to be able to hear every word they said. He definitely did not want to discuss his private life at length in front of them. He still pulled Jinde a little closer and the corners of his lips rose slightly. "Whatever makes you happy, I'll be sure to do it."