The woman saw these stunningly handsome young men and blushed. "Thank you so much for helping little sheng. He is quite naughty and rushed out without telling me," she said with a guilty smile.
"It's okay, it is my duty after all," Bao said with a happy smirk. But in his heart he whispered, 'You and sheng are my family. I will definitely protect them with all my heart,'
Watching him with a blush, sheng's mother slowly backing away with little sheng in her arms. "it's getting later, thank you so much for keeping little sheng company. We shall take our leave now, sheng thank them and say goodbye," she said to the little kid in her arms.
Sheng sheng nodded cutely. He dashed over to the demon lord and hugged his calf. "Goodbye, da—uncle. Goodbye, Uncle Xia and Uncle Long. Thank you so much for your help today," he shouted.
Subtly wiping the tears, Bao too patted him on his tiny back. "be very careful, dear, don't trust strangers," he whispered so only they both could hear.
The little kid shook his head with a smile. "I promise not to trust any strangers again," he cutely exclaimed and rushed over to his mother.
Soon the mother and son pair left with a wave.
Only after that did Xia remember he had bought something for Sheng. He brought out the lollipop from his space and was about to shout out to him. But in hindsight he saw the demon lord with a desolate look watching his family walk away from him. He secretly patted his back with the lollipop and whispered, "Take this to your son." He pushed it into his hands and nodded towards the little kid's direction.
Dazed, Bao watched his master with tears in his eyes. "Thank you, master," he whispered as softly in a mosquito's voice and dashed away towards them. "Wait, I have something for him," he exclaimed as he ran after them.
"yes…." sheng's mother doubtfully looked back.
Bao held out the lollipop like a bunch of roses, to her face. "This….I got it for him," he whispered with a soft blush.
The woman blushed as well. "Y—you shouldn't have. He has such a sweet tooth I'm afraid he would lose his teeth before twenty," she chuckled loudly. Yet she was reluctant to take it from his hands.
Seeing this, sheng sheng plucked it from his hands and held it dearly in her hands. "Thank you da—uncle, it was really sweet of you to," he whispered with a wide smile. His eyes crinkled so much that they became half moons.
Bao was ecstatic, watching his son relish the little sweet in his hands. He mentally noted all his expressions. 'He likes sweet things. I should buy him more,' he thought, nodding to himself.
After thanking him for his gift, the woman left with a soft blush on her face. All along she kept gazing back with a soft smile.
Long and Xia watched this display with a smirk.
"see, he was able to win his wife over with your sweets." Long praised as he happily hugged his shoulders.
Meanwhile, Xia's smile waned away as he watched the family from afar. "Long…." He tugged his sleeves to get his attention.
"Hnn," Long hummed questioningly as he gazed down at him.
"Long, do you think….. perhaps.... my? Father might also miss me. Want me," he mumbled with his head downcast. "Maybe….. he too might be like Bao, staying away from me to keep me safe. Do you think it's a possibility?" he said with tears pooling in his eyes.
"Oh baby," Long hugged him tight and rocked him softly. "Your father, I think he is same as Bao. You see, I think your father is a demon lord or it's highly possible that he is the demon kings himself. If so, it might be more reasonable to leave you with a trusted beast."
"What do you mean by that?" Xia mumbled in his embrace.
Long sighed and continued, "The great war, it was too brutal. Humans being slaughtered, beast being killed left and right. Heaven lost almost all the heavenly dragon population because of it. By the end, the heavenly dragons were able to get an upper hand and all the other demons were either killed or chased into the demon's realm where they were all sealed together," he said, draping a coat over his lover's slender shoulders.
"so…."
"The demons lords on the other hands went into hiding or ran away into distant lands. Yet still they were hunted. Even now, heaven organizes a hunt to capture them each year. I think this might be the reason that your dad might have left you with Yukiya," he explained in a soft tone.
Xia nodded, shedding tears after tears. "Then should I forgive him too. Look at sheng sheng, he is able to forgive his dad even though they barely know each other. Then will I be able to?" he mumbled.
"it will take time, my love. It will take time. In sheng's case he was only waiting for father for just ten years, but you…..you have been waiting for almost two thousand years for him. Take some time. When you finally meet him, take time to assess your feelings. If you feel like it, then forgive him. It's all in your hands." Long held his lover's cold hand and warmed them up with his own.
Xia gazed up at him and nodded. "I think I might forgive him. No one can control such circumstances," he whispered thoughtfully.
"Waa, my love is getting mature by the day," Long whispered and kissed his soft lips.
Xia pouted, "Then was I immature before?"
"Yes, you were very childish," Long nodded quickly.
"Hey, I am very mature. How could you say I was childish?" Xia playfully slapped his shoulders.
"Says the guy who tried to feed me rats," Long mumbled softly.
"It's because you were a snake. Snakes eat rats. Its basic knowledge,"
"But I was not a snake, though. I could not believe you mistook me for a snake. I'm offended," Long playfully glared.
"You were looking like one. Besides, where did you hide your forelimb? I could have spotted you as a dragon if they was visible," Xia added.
"I have a special flap near my ear to hide my forearms,"
"Oh, that's why," Xia chuckled and playfully pinched his cheeks. His sleeved pulled down to expose the small lotus imprint on his palm. Just looking at it reminded him of his dear mother. 'Just wait a little mum, I will come for you and save you from that perverted man,' he thought with determination.
Meanwhile, in the vast realm of void, Yukiya was puking her guts out. And the man Xia assumed as a pervert, Long Ki was holding her hair up and softly patting her back.
Wiping her sweat, Yukiya softy panted. Unsteadily, she stood up and leaned softly against the red dragon. "Oh my god, I'm hungry from all that puking," she mumbled as she took a small gulp of spiritual water. Under her sleeve, she too gazed at the shimmering blue lotus imprint. "I hope my baby is okay,"
"Xia? I'm pretty sure he is okay," Long Ki whispered as he made her sit in a comfortable position. He wiped her sweaty forehead with a silk kerchief. "Why are you so sick? Does being pregnant involve puking so much," the red dragon frowned.
"Yeah, it's called morning sickness. You get it when you are at least a month pregnant," Yukiya mumbled without any thoughts.
"But you are not one month pregnant," Long Ki added with a soft blush.
This made the koi pause. "Yes, I am not. Even if I'm pregnant, I might me only eight or so days along," she mumbled. She swiftly ran over to Lian Hua and shouted, "Are you sure I'm pregnant. I should not be sick so early,"
"You are definitely pregnant. I saw a new life inside you," Lian Hua assured without even looking back at her.
"But…. but according to the time we 'ahem' consummated our relationship, I should be only eight days along," Yukiya added, her face red from mumbling something so embarrassing.
Lian Hua paused his long strides and gazed back at her. "Oh, I think it's because you are a fish. Fish pregnancy tends to be only during short periods," he whispered with his hands on his chin.
Yukiya swooned at this new information.
"WHAT!! What do you mean?" Long Ki also rushed over to him and held his lover in his arms.
"I mean, she might lay her egg soon," Lian Hua said and went ahead to check all the other spatial rifts.
"Egg? I'm gonna lay an egg like an f*ing chicken!" Yukiya exclaimed. Long Ki tried to calm her down, but she was too frightened and anxious.
Lian Hua turned back and said, "No, like a fish. Oh, I forgot to add, you probably are sick because you are away from your habitat for a very long time. You are having fish eggs, so you need to be under water when it arrives,"
"WHAT THE DUCK!"