Chapter 36
On the day Ao Guang left, he only took a small portion of the elite underwater troops with him, and set off with his younger siblings.
Yinglong thought he would be gone for several months—in fact, a month or so passed before the Little Dragon King returned.
And just as he returned, she was about to give birth.
The Little Dragon King didn't even rest; he immediately went into a state of protecting her during childbirth.
When Yinglong asked him in surprise why he had returned so quickly, he simply replied, "I didn't spend too much time on the road. I mainly helped them with some matters, which took a long time."
With a new king in office, there were many things to teach, but he rushed back as quickly as possible.
"Oh, really?" Yinglong was quite disappointed; to be honest, she had actually hoped he would come back later...
But Ao Guang wasn't joking at all. Just like the first time she was about to give birth, he stayed by her side without leaving for a moment. But this time, he was filled with fear—what if he hadn't come back in time? What if he had come back a few days later... He didn't dare to think about it anymore.
It's still his fault for leaving at this crucial moment.
Yinglong, however, didn't care. She was actually hoping that the fool would come back later, leaving her and the child alone, free and happy.
Recalling the happiness of the past few days, Yinglong felt a pang of sadness, then suddenly a wave of pain washed over her, and she couldn't help but gasp...
Of the three family members, she is probably the only one who can feel somewhat relaxed; the other two are under immense stress.
Jia'er didn't actually know why he was nervous. He was simply infected by his father. Seeing his father so flustered, he also became flustered, and then both of them affected their mother—in severe cases, they would both be kicked out of the house.
Once outside the door, Jia'er and his father didn't go far—the two of them, one big and one small, stood at the door like two door gods, waiting until they figured their mother's anger had subsided before they happily went inside.
The father and son kept watch for three days and three nights, neglecting to eat or sleep for three days and three nights.
By the time the second prince of the East Sea was finally born, his father and brother were already on their deathbeds.
Chun was so nervous he was about to collapse. If he didn't come out soon, his father and brother would be so nervous they wouldn't be able to eat or sleep properly.
Fortunately, he was born safely in the end.
"My little brother and sister are finally out!"
After an unknown amount of time, a gasp came from beside the bed, and a perfectly round egg appeared. It was like a dream; it just appeared like that. Meanwhile, Yinglong on the bed was already exhausted...
Upon seeing the egg, the three people in the Dragon Palace immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, finally, the little guy is out...
Two people collapsed by the bedside, but then struggled to their feet and used both hands and feet to take care of the person in bed.
Ao Guang was busy protecting his wife, while Jia'er was busy taking care of his younger brother and sister.
No, to be precise, it's his younger brother; he's confirmed that now.
So he stared intently at his younger brother—even though his brother was still just an egg.
Yes, an egg.
"What a beautiful egg!"
It complements the azure sea perfectly, with such a clear blue hue.
Everything seemed to gradually quiet down in this blue...
After a short period of silence, the area outside the Dragon Palace gradually became noisy again.
A grand celebration is about to begin, solely to commemorate the birth of the second prince of the East Sea...
I vividly remember the grand and solemn celebration in the East Sea when Jia'er was born. This time, it's no less spectacular. It's rare for such a joyous occasion to occur in the East Sea, and whenever it happens, all the tribespeople will seize the opportunity...
Thus, the East China Sea was in an uproar for a long time, and the festive atmosphere lingered for a long time. Today, double happiness arrives, with two young princes standing side by side. This is an auspicious sign of a prosperous family, and all the people of the four seas are overjoyed!
As the commotion in the East Sea gradually subsided, the Dragon Palace also slowly calmed down.
This was Jia'er's first time experiencing anything like this, and he followed his father to do everything perfectly. Now that his father was inseparable from his mother, he would follow suit. No matter what, he and his father would protect their mother and younger brother together.
After guarding the palace for several days, some other sounds began to appear. If you listened carefully, you could hear that someone was preparing to incubate the eggs.
Hatching eggs is a skill; some people are experienced, while others have zero experience.
The father was experienced, while Jia'er had zero experience, so Jia'er could only watch his father incubate the eggs.
Ao Guang thus officially began his second round of egg-hatching. He spent his days happily in the palace, licking the dragon eggs on his body as if he could never finish.
Oh, so that's how eggs are incubated?
Jia'er also stuck out his little tongue and licked it, but he couldn't reach his younger brother.
The younger brother was firmly held in the center of the father's body.
"Father, how long will it take for my little brother to come out?" Jia'er asked, looking at the azure egg, he couldn't wait to become the older brother.
"It will be a long time." Ao Guangpan calculated, thinking back to when Jia'er was hatched, it took him a very long time to hatch.
"It'll be a long time." Jia'er climbed onto his father and stared at the egg in the center of the circle.
Will it be a long time before I can see my younger brother again?
I really wonder what my little brother will look like when he grows up.
Jia'er lay down and gently touched the eggshell with her little hands.
Looking at the scene before him, Ao Guang felt a pang of tenderness in his heart. He truly wished that time could stand still so that he could stay by his two children's side forever.
Perhaps we don't need to stay, and things will continue like this in the future?
Thinking this, he slightly raised his head, first nudged Jia'er with his claws, and then gathered the dragon eggs on his body with his claws—and so on, one by one, he placed the two children on his body with satisfaction.
As for the child's mother, well, Yinglong, she ran off to pursue her freedom long ago.
As soon as she recovered, she ran out, mainly because:
Every morning, she couldn't stand the idiot licking and licking his baby, going around and around in circles, then circling himself and placing the baby in the middle... The idiot was completely absorbed in the whole process, as if it were an orderly routine, every step perfectly executed, all while looking utterly silly. Later, Jia'er was also influenced by him, calling him "little brother" all the time. After the father and son finished their tasks, they would tacitly lie down on the bed, sometimes for the entire day, gazing lovingly at her newly hatched dragon egg...
She clearly told them that the seabed temperature was suitable and that the baby would be born normally under normal circumstances, but those two idiots just wouldn't listen.
If they don't want to listen, then so be it. Given how bizarre their behavior was, she abandoned the father and son every morning and ran away.
She ran outside the Dragon Palace—she now found the area outside the Dragon Palace quite enjoyable to explore.
But she leaves early and returns late every day, which makes people miss her.
Because the father and son had "important responsibilities" to fulfill, they could not leave. Therefore, whenever she left or returned, a "grand ceremony" was always held in her palace. This ceremony terrified her, for example:
As she left, Jia'er called out loudly, "Mother's going for a walk!"
When she returned, Jia'er called out loudly again, "Mother, you're back!"
Upon hearing that she had returned, the father and son looked up together, first with expectant eyes, and then with joyful expressions, showed her the results of their egg-hatching efforts.
Yes, the dragon egg was safely and securely protected in the middle.
Very good, Yinglong gave a thumbs up.
Upon receiving this praise, the fool turned around with lightning speed and happily licked the egg again—his speed was astonishing.
Yinglong: "..."
*
After a period of persistent efforts by the father and son, one day...
"Xiao Yi."
"Xiao Yi."
Why aren't you out yet?
Inside the bedroom, Jia'er murmured to her "younger brother" in front of her, but the azure egg remained motionless.
Jia'er slumped down and pressed his face against the eggshell.
When will my little brother be born? Father and Mother have already chosen a name for him.
His name is Ao Yi, but I call him Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi
Xiao Yi
Jia'er counted the days on her fingers, realizing she had been watching over her younger brother for approximately...
He counted and counted, but found he couldn't count anymore. It had been a very, very long time. During this time, he and his father stayed with his younger brother and never left.
Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi...
A series of mutterings drifted through the air.
Yinglong lay on the soft couch, and she stroked the child's head.
Having reached the end of the East Sea and having nowhere else to go, she simply stayed in the Dragon Palace every day, keeping the father and son company and watching over her unborn child.
Strangely enough, why hasn't the second child come out yet?
Judging by the timeline, Jia'er should have hatched by now, after incubating for so long.
Is this a calm and unhurried personality?
It's so frustrating... Looking at the eggs gathered together, the family of three had different expressions and were lost in thought.
After some time, the little guy remained unmoved by wind and rain, which made not only Jia'er anxious, but also Yinglong and Bendan.
"What's going on, little guy? How can you be so calm?" Yinglong muttered to himself, stroking the azure egg.
The idiot next to him was very uneasy. Had he done something wrong? Was he doing it poorly?
Seeing the fool's somewhat bewildered expression as he lowered his head, Yinglong suggested:
"How about we put the child in the warm room? Let's see if that will make him come out?"
That warm pavilion is where the East Sea Dragon Clan conceives and hatches their offspring. The water temperature there is higher than in other places, and many dragon eggs are placed there.
Sending the child there at this time would perhaps be the most appropriate option.
"But what if my little brother gets cooked there?" Jia'er asked worriedly, touching her younger brother.
"Boom."
His mother hit him on the head.
"The temperature there is only slightly higher than other places, how could it have cooked my younger brother?"
"Oh." Jia'er rubbed his forehead, relieved.
So the family of three carried the dragon egg and walked out. As they walked, they stopped at the door.
Looking at the blue, motionless egg, all three of them had the same thought in mind:
"I can't be separated from my child!"
"I can't be separated from my brother!"
So I'm not going!
In the blink of an eye, without saying a word, the three of them turned around in unison and put the egg back on the bed.
No matter what, they will hatch the child themselves.
right!
"I must protect my brother's birth!" Jia'er clenched his little fists and vowed in his heart.
The family waited and waited until the annual Mudian Festival, but the egg still hadn't hatched.
There's a problem, there really is a problem.
Listening to the loud noise of gongs and drums outside, Jia'er pressed his face against his younger brother's "body"... He felt the cool touch of the eggshell on his cheek and felt a little sad.
"I wish my little brother were born soon, so he could come with me to the Mudian Festival."
The Bathing Festival is a day for the dragon race to rest, clean, and tidy up. At this time, all sea creatures are free from duty and can simply relax at home, sweeping and cleaning, and celebrating joyfully.
The underwater world will be incredibly lively, with everyone doing their utmost to welcome and celebrate this new beginning.
Although it was still morning, the outside was already bustling with activity.
"Jia'er, go out and play. Your little brother has his father and mother with him." Yinglong and Aoguang patted their son's fluffy head, wanting him to go out and participate in the grand event.
But Jia'er seemed a little listless, staring intently at the egg in front of him.
"Your mother will be watching over your younger brother. Today is a holiday, so you can go out and have fun without worry."
Yinglong and Aoguang both knew what kind of person their son was; barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would definitely not miss this grand event.
“But my younger brother…” Jia’er still couldn’t let go of her younger brother.
"Your younger brother wouldn't have appeared while you were away."
What a coincidence that things in this world are like!
"All right."
Jia'er struggled with this decision for a while, but in the end he felt that his mother was right and it couldn't be such a coincidence. So he squatted down, hugged the dragon egg, and gently kissed it: "Xiao Yi, you have to wait for me to come back."
Sunlight pierced through the depths of the sea, illuminating the water until it was crystal clear. After the little dragon's lips gently touched the eggshell, a tiny crack suddenly appeared on the azure shell...
But no one noticed...
After Jia'er finished kissing him, he stood up, took his tools, and left, looking back every few steps.
Upon arriving outside the Dragon Palace, the area was indeed brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. In the center of the ocean, numerous groups of luminous fish formed an ever-changing array of lights, illuminating the entire seabed as bright as day. Some mermaids danced gracefully in the sea, their tails forming delicate veils that swayed in the water, creating a scene of dreamlike beauty.
"It's so beautiful." Looking at it, Jia'er felt her worries disappear.
"Young prince, would you like to join us?"
Marine creatures from various groups have already started swimming in a line, the entire procession winding and stretching for over a kilometer, creating a very lively scene.
"OK."
Jia'er quickly threw away the shovel she had brought, then grabbed the sleeve of the person in front of her and began to wander into the distance behind the group.
"oh!"
Rows of houses are neatly arranged, and the pearl curtains, coral window frames, dragon-shaped pillars, and other architectural features flash by like a carousel. The entire procession will suddenly drop down and then plummet. In this extreme joy, one thrilling and exciting exclamation after another rises from the seabed!
In just half a day, Jia'er had a great time. If a stone hadn't hit him, he would still have been spinning and flipping around.
"Young prince, what's wrong?"
A dragon cub suddenly fell from mid-air, and the people guarding the beach all rushed over to ask what was going on.
"Uh..." Jia'er was dizzy and didn't know what had happened. He only remembered that he seemed to be hit by something and then knocked down.
Watching the creatures above still happily tumbling up and down, Jia'er rubbed his head, thankfully it didn't hurt.
"Are you alright?" a large turtle asked with concern.
"Hmm, it's nothing." Jia'er got up, looked around, and saw nothing unusual. He didn't even see the stone that hit his head.
"Young prince, why don't you rest for a while and have some food first?" a squid suggested from the side.
Jia'er looked up and saw that everyone was coming down one after another. The celebration would continue in the afternoon, so he went to eat with everyone.
The tradition of dining during the Mu Dian Festival is to have long queues, with each household bringing out their best dishes to entertain everyone. Looking at the rows of long tables, Jia'er slowly moved between them. Just as he picked up a soft piece of jade slices, his hand was suddenly hit by something.
"Ouch!" Xiao Long quickly withdrew his hand. He cried out softly, and no one around him heard him. Everyone was busy greeting each other and sharing the news.
This time, Jia'er was a little wary. What was going on? There were no small stones on the ground or the table. What had hit her?
"How strange." Xiao Long's heart was pounding, as if something was about to burst forth from his heart.
Never mind, having eaten and drunk his fill, he was going to check out another lively place, which seemed like a lot of fun too.
Holding a glass of fine wine, he walked briskly, taking two steps at a time. Just as he was getting excited, "Crack!" the glass in his hand shattered.
Ah, how could this cup break in the sea? And even break into a crack in the rocks.
Jia'er was restless as he pondered, wondering what was going on with all of this.
As he was thinking, a faint "click" sound suddenly came to his mind, a very, very faint sound...
Where did that sound come from? Jia'er's breathing quickened. He seemed to have heard the sound in his mind, but he had ignored it, or perhaps it didn't exist at all...
The surroundings were bustling with activity, but Jia'er stood quietly in a corner with his back to the crowd.
Ah! My little brother!
Suddenly, Jia'er thought of the blue egg.
Ah, it's my younger brother! It must be my younger brother!
He's acting so strangely today, experiencing so many odd things. It must be as if God is telling him that his little brother is about to be born!
Yes, that must be it!
Thinking this, Jia'er turned around quickly, not caring about the celebrating tribes around him, and ran away.
"Make way! Make way quickly!" Jia'er shouted as he ran.
"oops."
The surrounding fish and shrimp were thrown into disarray by the current, spinning around several times. After finally regaining their footing, they saw the little prince rushing rapidly toward the Dragon Palace.
Jia'er ran with great urgency; this matter was extremely important! His younger brother was about to be born, and he was determined to make sure that the first person his brother saw upon entering this world was him.
It must be him!
This was something he had talked about with his father and mother for a long time, and something he had been looking forward to for a very, very long time.
It has to be him!
Run faster, run faster, run even faster! Jia'er wished she could fly all the way home!
Having finally arrived at the Dragon Palace, the moment Jia'er stepped into the bedchamber, he gasped for breath: "Father, Mother! Has Xiao Yi been born yet?"
His shout startled his father and mother, who were dozing off. Seeing their son return in such a flurry, they found it somewhat amusing.
"No, look, your little brother is safely on your father's back."
As usual, Ao Guang curled up obediently, placed the child on his body, and incubated it peacefully.
The baby hasn't even moved all morning, let alone been born.
Jia'er felt a little relieved, and then he scrambled to his father's side and began to carefully examine the eggs on his father's body.
He had observed the egg very carefully over the past few days. He knew even the slightest difference in color or the presence of spots on this round thing.
Looking around in the sunlight, in a very tiny spot on the bottom of the egg... Ah! Found it!
"Look! The little brother is about to be born! There's a gap here!"
ah?
Yinglong and Aoguang immediately craned their necks to look. This round, blue, perfect baby had no gaps at all.
“Here!” Jia’er pointed proudly.
Yinglong and Aoguang blinked their eyes simultaneously, their pupils almost glued to the egg, before they finally noticed, oh, right near the bottom, there was an extremely thin and shallow slit.
"You can see that?" Yinglong exclaimed in amazement, while Ao Guang was stunned. Was his child really about to make a move?
"Of course! I'll be the first person my little brother sees after he's born, so of course I have to observe him carefully," Jia'er said proudly.
"But, but it's just such a shallow crack, who knows when it will hatch."
Jia'er finally caught his breath and, recalling what had just happened, added, "I had a feeling it would happen today! Xiao Yi definitely won't let me down!"
"That's unlikely." Yinglong looked at its second child, who was being tightly protected by its foolish father—it looked very calm.
But as soon as she finished speaking, a "click" suddenly came from the space. It was still a faint sound, but it made everyone hold their breath.
"Father, Mother, did you hear that?" Jia'er asked in a small voice, and Yinglong and Aoguang nodded slightly.
The family of three instantly became very cautious, afraid of disturbing the person they had surrounded in the center...
Then came another series of "clicks, clicks".
This time the sound was continuous and significantly stronger than the first one.
Jia'er and Yinglong heard this and quickly leaned over the edge of the bed to look. As for the fool, he couldn't resist any longer and suddenly transformed into human form, placing his child safely in the center of the bed.
"Click, click."
Ouch! This time, not only did it make a sound, but the entire egg also moved twice.
Ah, the family of three looked at each other, and they all saw great joy in each other's eyes.
Their second child is about to be born!
"My little brother is about to be born!"
The three of them held their breath, not daring to make a sound, and watched the dragon egg on the bed "struggle".
After moving slightly in place twice, the "click-clack" sounds in the bedchamber grew louder and louder, eventually turning into a rather rhythmic concerto.
"Click".
"Click".
The three of them stared wide-eyed as the dragon egg rolled around.
After rolling around a few times, the little guy inside finally ran out of patience and began frantically searching for a way to hatch.
The family of three watching from outside were on tenterhooks; they could tell the little one inside was struggling and trying very hard.
Keep it up, little brother!
Jia'er prayed for his younger brother in his heart. It was really hard for him to bear. He couldn't help but want to reach out and help his brother, but he knew he couldn't.
So the azure egg rolled around on the bed on its own, while a constant scrambling sound came from inside the shell, making one feel breathless and on edge.
This is going to be a long process, so we must persevere. Yinglong and the fool are also praying for the child.
As the cracks in the eggshell grew larger, finally! A small, pointed tip on the top of the eggshell was broken through, and something seemed to shine out from inside.
ah!
Upon seeing this, Jia'er immediately stuck his head out, thus casting a shadow on the bed.
He wanted to peek inside through the small hole, but unfortunately he couldn't see anything. Jia'er clenched his fist.
With the first breakthrough achieved, the rest became much easier.
The little dragon inside kept spinning and coiling, until finally, the eggshells around it shattered one after another...
Ah, the upper body is showing, a tiny head is peeking out of the eggshell, so blue, so crystalline, so translucent…
Gasps of surprise emanated from all around, just before Xiaolong was about to lean half his body out—
"Click!"
The entire eggshell shattered, and a tiny, radiant dragon emerged from within.
Ah! My little brother!
Jia'er immediately sat up, wanting to look into her younger brother's eyes, but alas, the little guy was new to the world and extremely unaccustomed to it, only rolling around on the bed.
Yinglong and Bendan were extremely anxious. As the baby was born, they were so nervous that they couldn't speak, but thankfully the baby could breathe.
"Little brother~"
As time seemed to slow down, Jia'er murmured softly.
After initially adapting to the world outside the eggshell, the little dragon stopped rolling around. As if familiarizing himself with his surroundings, he stretched slightly and then quietly opened his eyes.
The three people by the bedside suddenly:
"ah!"
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