Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 11, Part 1)

121 No Need to Worry

Qiu Ling wasn't thinking as much as Jing He. He simply took advantage of the opportunity when it arose and held onto his beloved as long as he could without making it awkward. In the end, they might have stood like that for half an hour before he reluctantly let go of him. "You know, I could hold you like this for the whole day but I'm afraid that won't bring us any closer to our goal. How about going over now?"

Jing He nodded faintly and quietly took half a step back.

Qiu Ling watched him, feeling reluctant to let go completely. Finally, he reached out and grabbed his hand with a smile. It might not be a hug but it was better than nothing.

Jing He hesitated over how to react but finally said nothing. If they went to ask for his mother's permission to get married, they might as well show their affection a little. Not to mention that Qiu Ling might let go by the time they arrived.

The two of them quietly went over to the Heavenly Empress' palace. They weren't in a hurry and instead walked at a leisurely pace, just enjoying each other's company. It wasn't late yet despite the fact that they had taken their sweet time to leave earlier. The road from his palace to that of his mother usually wasn't frequented that much either so nobody saw the two of them.

Jing He looked up at Qiu Ling. His expression was calm and filled with the tranquility he admired so much. To think that he might soon be his fiance officially as well ...

Jing He's own expression softened unwittingly. At that time, he hadn't dared to tell his mother yet. He knew she wouldn't mind but ... his father would. Back then, he had thought it might be best to tell his father first. If he accepted, then he could tell his mother without worry. Otherwise, he would feel strange if he told her but then his father refused and the wedding never happened.

His heart squeezed at that thought. Right. Even if they told his mother and uncle now, there was a chance his father still wouldn't accept afterward. What they were doing now ... it was mostly to put his mind at ease. It was Qiu Ling's attempt at letting him worry less about his behavior throughout the trial but it meant little for their actual relationship here in the immortal realms.

Jing He retracted his gaze and looked in the other direction where his father's palace stood in the distance. If only they could somehow convince him to let this happen. Unfortunately, he couldn't even begin to imagine how to go about that.

His father's opinion of Qiu Ling had always been bad. His expression had said as much when they first met and his words hadn't been any better. After the banquet ended, he had been even more vicious in his appraisal and he wouldn't waste any opportunity to talk badly about him in the following days. Later, he even put him under house arrest to keep the two of them apart.

The person who did all of this, how could he suddenly agree to let them be together? It seemed completely impossible. Especially now that new grievances had been added during the trial.

Jing He lowered his head, his gaze sad. He loved Qiu Ling and wanted to be with him but it was hard to go against his father. If his father was less stubborn, maybe he could try to convince him. Despite everything, he was sure that his father loved him, after all. It was a pity that this love was so overbearing. His father would never listen to his opinion. Instead, he would feel aggrieved if he dared to say that he had fallen in love with Qiu Ling despite his warnings.

Qiu Ling glanced at Jing He and stopped in his tracks. Reaching up, he gently grasped his chin and turned his head. "What's the matter?" His beloved looked so down, it was hard to watch. As soon as he noticed, he naturally couldn't bear it.

Jing He looked up in a daze, not sure what to say. They had already talked about this and he had nothing new to add. It felt superfluous to tell Qiu Ling. It was just that he couldn't put down the thought. Even if they were taking steps to advance, his mind would inevitably return to such a dark place. This was a problem he had always had.

He lowered his eyelids, unable to take Qiu Ling's gaze. What should he say now? He didn't want to pull down the mood that had been so good earlier. No, going to tell his mother and uncle should be cause for celebration. How could he do anything to jeopardize that?

Qiu Ling sighed lightly and pulled Jing He back into his arms. "I know you're worried. It's understandable. We haven't found a perfect solution, after all. Just ... hold on a bit longer, yes?" He gently cupped Jing He's cheeks and leaned closer until their foreheads touched. "I only need a little more time. We'll tell your mother, then come up with a plan.

"I will also speak to An Bai. He ... well, maybe he isn't that aware when it comes to relationships but his knowledge of both of our races isn't bad. If anyone can think of points for both sides that could help convince your father, it would be him." Well, he and Jinde but that was out of the question right now.

When he thought of this, Qiu Ling couldn't help but sigh. How come he had the luck to meet Jinde again and have this kind of person at his side that could advise him on how to be a good king better than anyone else and still fail to be able to ask him a single question when the time that he really needed advice came? It seemed like his luck wasn't good.

He gently kissed Jing He's temple and then reached down to hold his hand again. "It'll all turn out well. You'll see. Right, after we've told your family and things are better in the dragon realm, I'll also introduce you to my family. I'm sure you'll get on well with them."

Thinking about it, Qiu Ling's lips unwittingly curled into a smile while Jing He's expression that had just calmed down once again turned into one of worry. Meeting Qiu Ling's family ... that seemed even more daunting than telling his own father about his feelings.