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

159 Being Proactive

Jing He didn't move from his spot in his study for a long time. He didn't do anything either and just silently looked down, his thoughts spiraling. He didn't know when he'd see Qiu Ling again or if at all. Even if they did, what would the circumstances be at that time?

Halfway through his musings, An Xin finally came rushing over, nudging his arm with its head before squeezing past and climbing up into his lap. It stared up at him with big eyes, calling out softly.

As a mythical beast, even though An Xin could not take human form right now, it did possess intelligence. Maybe only that of a child but it was able to recognize people, judge them, and also somewhat read their emotional state.

From the moment it saw him, even though there hadn't been a soul in the body, An Xin had taken a liking to Jing He and it had been even happier since he woke up. On the contrary, it didn't particularly like Qiu Ling and had originally hoped he'd stay away more. But seeing Jing He now, it took that wish back.

No, it was best if the bad person came over again. It might not like him but it liked Jing He and wanted him to be happy. Anyway, with Jing He around, he wouldn't dare to bully him. On the contrary, it just had to act cute and Jing He would make sure it was well taken care of. He definitely wouldn't allow for anything to happen to it.

Jing He was pulled out of his thoughts when An Xin demanded attention. He sighed faintly and reached up, gently brushing the little flame heart's fur. "It's alright. Don't worry. I am sure ... I am sure everything will turn out fine." Yes, he could only comfort himself like this now and tell himself that this situation would solve itself somehow. He shouldn't worry too much yet.

His fingers continued to brush over the soft fur but his thoughts already wandered off again. In these weeks, he had remembered more of his trial. Specifically, he was aware of the time in the immortal realms now.

The breakdown of his relationship with Qiu Ling while he was Zhong Jing Yi hadn't hurt any less than if it had been his own. Just seeing such a possibility ... it had struck fear in his heart. What if they ever reached such a time in their relationship?

During his trial, it had been a difficulty of reconciling their two individual standpoints. If it was this, he wasn't afraid. He would naturally always defer to Qiu Ling. But contrary to Zhong Jing Yi who had already been the sole remaining member of his family and didn't even have other affiliations in the mortal realm in the form of a Master, he was tied to other people. And maybe the influence of the one person in his life who was against this relationship could have a similar effect as the seemingly irreconcilable differences between Qiu Ling and Zhong Jing Yi had had.

Thankfully, he had always seen the resolution of the conflicts first so he knew very well that the two of them had made things work despite the circumstances. This gave him hope that it would be the same even after the end of his trial. It was simply a question of time and some effort on either side.

At the very least, it should be that way. But then, Qiu Ling had already told him about the curse on the dragon race so he knew he wouldn't give up on him. As for himself ... well, that was also impossible. He might not be as proactive as he had been during his trial but he absolutely wasn't any less in love with Qiu Ling.

And how could that be? If anything, he should be even more infatuated with him. After all, the trial usually only projected a sliver of one's self. His love for Qiu Ling, he had forced it to be a part of the trial as well but that didn't mean that all of his feelings had been transported into that mortal body. Well, it mattered little. The important thing was that he likely hadn't done anything to betray Qiu Ling during the trial. That was what he had wanted to ensure anyway.

He smiled faintly when he thought of that and gently scratched An Xin's furry ears. "It's not easy but there are ways to ensure there will be a positive outcome, aren't there?"

Yes, he had been able to find a way to make sure that he didn't misstep while his true self's memory was sealed. He might also be able to find a way to ensure that he wouldn't have to marry anyone else. In this matter, he didn't only have to rely on Qiu Ling. In fact, maybe it was good if he didn't.

Usually, it was Qiu Ling who did things for him. Now, the situation was like this. He couldn't very well wait for him to solve everything on his own, could he? No, he should show some initiative at least. That way, he could also show Qiu Ling that his own feelings were unwavering. After all, while he knew about the curse on the dragon race now, Qiu Ling wouldn't be aware that he had carved his own soul. How was he supposed to stay reassured if his father forced him to meet with other men?

Thinking until there, Jing He's thoughts started to travel in another direction. He didn't dare to go directly against his father's wishes but surely, there would be circumstances under which he couldn't force him to see others or might even lessen how rigorous he was in regard to shutting out Qiu Ling. Yes, as long as he could find something like that, he could solve at least one issue even if it wouldn't bring them closer to getting married yet.