Chapter 32
As the saying goes, "A wanderer returning home is like a fish in water," and "A dragon returning to the sea, a tiger returning to the deep mountains," Jia'er adapted to his dragon identity very quickly after returning to the East Sea.
Yinglong often saw his child riding a seahorse, wandering around in the sea, with a group of loyal sea monsters following behind him, whenever he left the Dragon Palace.
In just a few days, he even got a mount; it seems he found it for himself...
Whenever Jia'er sees her mother, she smiles brightly.
"Mother!"
He waved to his mother and then rode his seahorse to play elsewhere.
The East China Sea is so vast that it is a paradise for little dragons everywhere.
It seems that traveling with me has been very beneficial. At the very least, it has helped me build courage. This little guy can now swim freely in the East China Sea on his own and no longer needs anyone to accompany him.
With this in mind, Yinglong watched the child's figure disappear into the distance with peace of mind.
But after only a short while, something grasped her palm again.
Upon feeling the warmth, Yinglong couldn't help but sigh.
Ugh, here we go again?
To say that she wasn't idle after the child came back is an understatement; in fact, she wasn't idle either. To be precise, someone was keeping her busy.
She also had a loyal follower by her side.
Turning around, she saw the silly dragon looking at her with sparkling eyes, and she put her hands on her hips and said:
"what?"
Ao Guang smiled, his eyes crinkling, and he took his wife's hand, saying, "Come with me."
Yinglong followed her wherever she went, and wherever they went, it was nothing more than her throne.
These days, whenever he has a spare moment, he pesters her to tell him about what happened to her and the child outside. He is determined to know if they encountered any danger or what fun things they did.
Did the child cause her any trouble? Isn't she tired taking care of the child?
Yinglong reluctantly told him a lot, and the idiot listened with great interest, not getting tired even after several hours.
But, but, she got tired from talking!
After finally managing to entertain the idiot, she thought she could have a few days of peace and quiet, but it turned out that the idiot seemed to have developed a sequela of being separated for too long. He followed her everywhere he went and needed her to accompany him in everything he did.
Right now, he happily pulled her to his throne, and even after sitting down, he couldn't stop gazing at her with a silly grin.
Yinglong immediately guessed what he wanted her to see.
"Who wants to see you processing official documents?"
What's so interesting about your official documents?
This idiot seems incredibly narcissistic now; he even needs her to watch him write.
And this time, he was right; even when dealing with official documents, he would keep her by his side...
So Yinglong watched the idiot write while yawning.
Although the calligraphy is indeed excellent, with a flowing and graceful style, it is like a pearl reflecting on a piece of blue silk.
After finishing writing, and watching the idiot stack up the documents, Yinglong thought it was finally over!
But that wasn't all. As the Little Dragon King picked her up and sat her on his lap, Yinglong felt her bottom go numb from sitting so long.
"Hey, what's up? Who wants to see this stuff anyway?"
Yinglong continued to protest, saying that this idiot had a lot of official business to attend to every day, and that she was just supposed to stay by his side and watch him the whole time.
But this time was different. Ao Guang held her on his lap, pushed aside the official documents, and then, from the bottom of the table, he pulled out layers of silk as thin as cicada wings.
Instead of words, the silk scrolls were covered with portraits. Yinglong unfolded them one by one to examine them; they were all portraits of her and her child.
First meeting, reunion, birth of a child, childhood, one by one, roll by roll, so many.
So many it's astonishing...
It's hard to imagine how many portraits this silly dragon drew while they were away. The stack was thicker than the official documents he had piled up over there. Did he draw them every day?
Seeing this, Yinglong gave up her plan to tease the silly dragon. She turned around to look at him in disbelief, only to find him still just standing there with his bright eyes, grinning foolishly.
This time, it sounded somewhat like he was taking credit for something. He buried his head in her shoulder and then mumbled:
“Whenever I miss you, I draw you.”
He painted images of them that remained in his mind; every move they made was real and so clearly etched in his memory.
When they first met her, when they had Jia'er, when Jia'er was born, when he was incubating the egg, and when the child had just taken human form...
There are so many, he hasn't forgotten a single one.
However, the scene stopped at the moment they left the East China Sea. From then on, he no longer knew what they looked like or what they had experienced outside. Everything was based on his imagination, and he only prayed that they would be safe and sound.
A little more, so that I can return to see him safely and soon.
Looking at the silk handkerchief in his hand, Yinglong felt a lump in his throat, unable to speak. They had been traveling freely outside, never imagining that he would miss them so much in the East Sea…
Yu Guangzhong caught a glimpse of a portrait. He had even drawn the shape of Jia'er when he was still an egg, round and not too big or too small... The sadness he had felt earlier vanished, and Yinglong couldn't help but laugh out loud when he looked at the portrait.
"Why do you draw everything?" she muttered unconsciously, while carefully tidying up the portraits one by one.
Ao Guang didn't care at all; he was just a little embarrassed... Actually, there was nothing to be embarrassed about. He had simply drawn down the images that came to mind.
Yinglong neatly arranged the thick stack of portraits, resembling a book, on the table, and finally commented:
"Hmm, it's alright, the drawing skills are pretty good."
The Little Dragon King was very satisfied with such praise. Now that they were right beside him, right in front of him, he would never have to draw portraits again.
Seeing the fool's delighted expression, Yinglong put his hands on his hips and said arrogantly:
"I only came back this time because I thought the child was a hassle, so I was going to leave him with you. I still have to go out."
Upon hearing this, Ao Guang simply nodded repeatedly. Let her go if she wants to. As long as she knows she will come back, that's fine. He will take good care of the child in the East Sea on his own and will never let her worry.
Besides, she just got back this time, so she'll definitely be spending some time with him. Who knows when he'll decide to go out again? He just needs to cherish the present.
"We'll think about the future later."
The philosopher Donghai Aoguang said this.
*
Jia'er had no idea that the truth behind his return was that his mother was going to leave him with his father while he was still swimming in the East Sea.
Back in the East Sea, Xiaolong was like a fish back in water. Needless to say, he was very free and happy every day. Most importantly, as the young prince of the East Sea, he was the center of attention as soon as he returned. His appearance made the East Sea, which had been quiet for a long time, lively again. So every day, a group of guards would spontaneously follow behind him.
Wherever he went, the guards followed. It was as if a silver thread was stretched behind him, with several soldiers strung on that thread. Therefore, every appearance he made after his return was extremely dramatic, and this humorous scene had become a beautiful sight in the East China Sea.
Yinglong occasionally saw this scene, and although it was comical, he just let the child be, since the entire East Sea was his home.
So after returning for several days, Jia'er just played wildly without a care in the world. Every day, after he finished being affectionate with his father, he would take his soldiers and go off to explore some corner on his own.
For some reason, after writhing and rolling around outside all day, he suddenly remembered something, so he asked the surrounding monsters, and then excitedly ran home.
Since her mother wasn't in the Dragon Palace, she must have sneaked out for some fresh air while her father wasn't looking.
That's wonderful. Only Father is in the bedchamber, which suits Jia'er's wishes perfectly.
He darted to his father in a flash, and Jia'er suddenly burst into tears, saying:
"Father~"
"What's wrong?" Ao Guang was startled. Why was the child crying? Had he been bullied outside?
"Father, sob sob~" Jia'er sobbed twice more.
"What's wrong?" Ao Guang asked anxiously, fearing that the child might be hurt.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Jia'er raised his head and looked at his father with wide eyes, saying:
"Father, when Mother and I came back, we saw candied hawthorns from the human race. I really want to eat them. I... I want to go to the mainland..."
"What?"
Humans' candied hawthorns? Ao Guang was somewhat confused.
"It's that, it's that round one, the one that looks so delicious..." Jia'er made a circle with her hands to show her father, afraid that he wouldn't know.
"You mean, you want to go to the land?" Ao Guang hesitated. This was not allowed. The child was still so young and could not easily go to the land, let alone to the human race. If he were discovered, it would cause a great disaster.
Seeing his father hesitate, Jia'er grabbed his sleeve in desperation and promised:
"I won't go alone. I'll have guards accompany me. Father, please let me go. I'll wear a cloak and make sure the humans don't discover me!"
Jia'er raised her little hand and said confidently.
Ao Guang was still hesitating.
The child has just returned to the East Sea, and he can't wait to give him everything. But is it right to let him go to the human realm on his own? What if something goes wrong?
But he just got back. What can't I do to him?
Seeing that her father was wavering, Jia'er tugged at his sleeve and added another strong dose of encouragement:
"Father, I beg you~"
Ao Guang was in a daze. He didn't know if this was the right thing to do. What if something went wrong? Thinking this, he unconsciously lowered his head. In that instant, he suddenly saw the child's big, watery eyes—those big eyes were looking at him, and the starlight in them was amazing, just like the Milky Way flowing and swaying in the sky.
Wow.
"Okay, alright." Ao Guang was completely powerless against this child, and he didn't know why he agreed.
"Really?"
Jia'er opened his incredibly big eyes and asked in surprise:
"Really? Is it really okay, Father? Please don't tell Mother, okay?" Jia'er was still making a final confirmation—not telling Mother was a very, very important thing.
"Yes," Ao Guang assured the child.
"Great!" Jia'er excitedly straightened up, spun around in the room, and then prepared to leave.
Ao Guang gave the child timely instructions:
"Come back immediately after you buy it. Do not linger, understand?"
“I know, Father.” Jia’er hurriedly agreed, and then he went out and began to float upwards.
Ao Guang watched as the child's short legs thrashed desperately in the seawater beneath his clothes, while behind him followed a group of loyal guards, protecting him as they swam toward the surface...
He had some faith in the child, thinking, "Nothing will happen, he'll be back soon."
As he watched the child gradually shrink into a tiny dot until it disappeared completely, a smile unconsciously crept onto his face.
Unfortunately, before his smile could fully fade, something suddenly wrapped around his dragon horns, followed by a voice:
Where are the children?
The moment that low voice appeared, Ao Guang couldn't help but shudder.
Yinglong's tail suddenly tied to Benlong's horn. Seeing his frightened appearance, she guessed that something must have happened.
That's strange! I just wandered around outside and didn't see the child anywhere. Where could he have gone?
The only answer must lie with this idiot.
"Where is the child?" Yinglong asked again.
Ao Guang turned around stiffly, looking at his wife's slightly puzzled face, and said guiltily:
"Jia, Jia'er, you've gone to cultivate..."
He pointed behind him.
Cultivation?
Yinglong seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. Since his son returned, he had no idea what cultivation was. He was so engrossed in playing in the sea that he had forgotten what the world was like. And his father dared to say that he had gone to cultivate.
"Tell me, did you let him out?"
Yinglong tightened its tail.
The Little Dragon King tilted his head, feeling his dragon horns bound very tightly, yet he simply lowered his head and mumbled:
"No, Jia'er, he just went to cultivate."
Even with the situation dire, he was still thinking of covering for his child, simply because he had promised the child that he would keep it a secret.
Unfortunately, both father and son were complete idiots. Their little tricks were no match for their mother, who was as wise as a prophet.
"Hmph, you let him run around like that. If something happens, I'll come looking for you first."
"Okay, okay."
The clumsy dragon's horns were tightly bound, and his eyelashes fluttered. Knowing he was in the wrong, he could only slowly move to his wife's side—but Yinglong barely glanced at him, and she didn't even bother to acknowledge him.
So the fool had to find the right opportunity—he first slowly clung to the person, and then slowly buried his head in the person's shoulder.
Yinglong disdained this trick.
This is the same old trick again! It's outrageous!
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