CH 49

Chapter 49: Snowy White Plum Blossoms

Bai Ze sighed as he used his magic to tidy up the scattered flower leaves that had been ravaged by wind and rain in the courtyard. He heard the faint sound of rustling leaves behind him.

Turning around, he was surprised to see two people returning.

Ao Yu's robe was tattered and stained with blood, though his complexion wasn't too pale. He held a young man in his arms as he walked towards Bai Ze.

Bai Ze quickly went up to him, giving his friend a thorough once-over and exclaiming, "Heavens, how kind of the Heavenly Dao! I see no difference between you now and before being struck."

"Then you should try it yourself," Ao Yu glanced at him sideways, his response indifferent.

Bai Ze forced a dry laugh and muttered under his breath, "I wouldn't dare provoke a thunder calamity. The Heavenly Dao likes obedient and sensible divine beasts like me."

Ao Yu couldn't be bothered to respond to him. He held the person in his arms tighter and continued walking towards the house.

Within the redwood corridor, the mountain flowers bloomed tranquilly. Bai Ze curiously followed behind, tilting his head to look at the young man leaning against Ao Yu's chest. He asked, "What happened to Yun Zhao?"

"He was affected by the residual pressure of the thunder calamity. He just needs to sleep for a while," Ao Yu gazed at the young man's peacefully sleeping face, his eyes filled with indescribable tenderness.

"I've been saying not to let him enter the bamboo forest. Now look what happened. He couldn't even go a few days without falling into a deep sleep. He really doesn't take care of his body. We can't let those brats learn from him, otherwise, it will be difficult to manage in the future..."

Bai Ze continued to prattle on behind Ao Yu, getting more and more excited as he spoke, without realizing he was about to collide with a suddenly closed door.

"Um!" Bai Ze rubbed his forehead, which was sore from the impact, and slapped the door, shouting, "I'm worried about the two of you too! Why don't you listen to what I have to say!"

However, the only response he received was a warning from inside the house: "Keep making noise, and I'll shave off all your fur."

Bai Ze: "..." He was furious.

He discreetly kicked the door threshold, tucking his hands into his sleeves, and left grumbling like an angry old man, "You heartless bastards..."

...

Yun Zhao slept deeply, and when he woke up, his head was still a little dizzy. Thin layers of gauzy curtains were draped in front of the bed, making it hard for him to distinguish whether it was daytime or nighttime. Only the familiar and comforting fragrance lingered around his nose.

Instinctively, Yun Zhao turned his head and saw Ao Yu leaning beside him, flipping through scrolls.

The little dragon's horns were retracted, and his cascading white hair mingled with the black strands near the pillow.

As if sensing the young man's gaze, Ao Yu turned his head and said, "Awake? Go back to sleep a little longer."

Yun Zhao still felt a bit dizzy, staring blankly at the person in front of him. In the deep, light golden eyes, he could only see his own foolish expression reflected, prompting him to instinctively wrap his arms around the waist of the little dragon.

"Um..."

The crisp and refreshing breath was like sparse white plum blossoms peeking over the wall during a light snowfall. Yun Zhao took a deep breath, finding the scent so delightful that it made his heart tremble.

Ao Yu couldn't help but chuckle at the way the young man seemed to be nuzzling against him like a cat. He pinched the black tip of Yun Zhao's hair and lightly scratched his cheek, teasing him, "No sense of shame."

Yun Zhao, filled with bliss, almost fainted. He continued to play dumb, holding onto the little dragon and giggling foolishly for a while before letting go and sitting up, stretching lazily. "My back feels so soft. I have no idea how long I've been asleep."

"An entire day and night," Ao Yu chuckled. "Fortunately, the pressure dissipated quickly, otherwise sleep alone wouldn't have restored your energy."

Yun Zhao breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that. The aftermath of the thunder calamity was unexpectedly potent. No wonder he had fainted just like that while being affectionate...

Thinking back to that moment, Yun Zhao's cheeks couldn't help but flush. He discreetly glanced at Ao Yu and saw that he was the same, his ears turning red as he looked down, fidgeting with the scrolls.

Yun Zhao's gaze fell between the curtains of the bed, and a subtle joy surged from the depths of his heart.

He touched his lips with his fingers, unable to suppress a smile. So it wasn't just a dream...

Ao Yu raised his eyes and saw Yun Zhao squinting, smiling like a fox that had stolen honey. Feeling embarrassed, he lifted the covers and got up, turning his back to Yun Zhao as he whispered softly, "If you're not going to sleep, then get up."

"Alright," Yun Zhao also got up, putting on the clothes hanging on the screen. When he turned around, he saw Ao Yu still sitting on the bed with his hair disheveled.

He asked, "Aren't you going to groom yourself?"

Ao Yu locked eyes with him for a few seconds, seeing the bewildered and dazed expression in the young man's eyes. He couldn't help but reach out and grasp his own hair.

The usually noble Dragon Lord now had uncertain eyes and spoke softly, "When I was young, I heard..."

"Heard what?" Yun Zhao approached, and for the first time, he felt that Ao Yu's voice was so gentle.

Ao Yu made a soft clicking sound and turned his face, saying in one breath, "Dragon companions help them groom their hair!"

"Oh, I see." Yun Zhao reached into a small box and took out a jade comb, gently combing through the little dragon's silky hair like satin.

His voice carried an unmistakable smile, "You should have told me earlier."

Ao Yu's ears turned red and hot as he allowed the young man's slender fingers to weave through his hair.

Yun Zhao's hands were skillful, and in no time, he had smoothed out the hair and secured a strand with a jade hairpin that the little dragon loved the most.

He held up a mirror with satisfaction and tilted his head, asking, "Is the Dragon Lord satisfied?"

"It's alright, just average," Ao Yu glanced at himself a few times and casually responded.

Yun Zhao put down the mirror and lamented, "It seems my skills aren't good enough."

"That means you'll have to practice every day," Ao Yu stood up, his gaze falling on Yun Zhao's smiling face. He held his wrist lightly and squeezed it a few times, repeating in a soft voice, "Every day."

Yun Zhao was momentarily stunned, his heart tickled by Ao Yu's barely audible voice, as if it were the sound of crushed ice tinkling on a scorching summer day.

He leaned closer into Ao Yu's embrace, completely immersed in the intoxicating fragrance, and responded softly, "Okay."

Ao Yu relaxed completely, his hand gently caressing the young man's back, greedily feeling the addictive warmth through their clothes. 

The two of them indulged in each other's company in the room for a long time, until several small shadows appeared by the window. Yun Zhao chuckled and left the embrace of the little dragon.

Ao Yu's face was filled with annoyance at the interruption, and Yun Zhao soothingly caressed his cheek before approaching the window. Then, with a sudden pull, he opened the window.

"Clang! Clang!"

"Meow, meow!"

"Squeak, squeak!"

Startled by the sudden scare, the little ones jumped around on the window ledge, meowing incessantly, and the scene became chaotic.

Yun Zhao hadn't expected such a big reaction from them and couldn't help but laugh as he reassured each of them.

"Who asked you to come over and eavesdrop? Now you're scared, aren't you?" Yun Zhao playfully tapped the black cat's head with his bent finger. Needless to say, this troublemaker was the instigator.

Wu Mu used its front paws to cover its head and grumbled, "You slept for so long, and we were worried!"

The ferret hurriedly cupped its face and made small cooing sounds, and when it saw Yun Zhao looking over, it quickly approached and rubbed against his palm.

Turning his head, he asked Ao Yu, "I'll play with them for a while. Are you still going to the bamboo forest to cultivate?"

Ao Yu understood Yun Zhao's attachment to this group of little ones, so he had no intention of completely monopolizing him. He replied, "I'll take Sun Yang to the bamboo forest. It has been restored to its former state. We'll come back later for dinner."

With that, he went out and called Sun Yang, heading towards the back mountain together.

The gentle breeze brushed through their white hair as Ao Yu pinched a strand of stray hair and chuckled softly. After all, there was still plenty of time to spend with Yun Zhao, so there was no need to rush.

...

Yun Zhao played with the little ones in the courtyard for a while, pushing the swing that Wu Mu was sitting on, flipping through the satisfaction levels of each of the little ones in his mind.

"Xuanming and Luo Xue's satisfaction levels are already maxed out?" Yun Zhao exclaimed in surprise.

The system calmly replied, [You were asleep at that time and didn't hear the report.]

Yun Zhao couldn't believe it. "So fast!"

The system responded, 【Look at your own little one.】

Yun Zhao looked up and saw Luo Xue lying on the head of the black panther, while Xuanming jumped directly to the top of the slide and slid down with a whoosh.

The snow-white kitten squinted its eyes and meowed, asking for another round, and the black panther gently poked the kitten's head with its tail before leaping up again to repeat the game.

The system sarcastically commented, [Xuanming's satisfaction level is probably all earned by Luo Xue.]

"..." Yun Zhao chuckled dryly and asked, "What about the ferret?"

The system's electronic voice sounded even more speechless, 【From the moment it formed a contract with the Fairy Xiaguang, its satisfaction level was already close to maximum. It seems to be very satisfied with your skills.】

Yun Zhao couldn't help but laugh and cry. Indeed, it was a little one with a straightforward and direct purpose.

The weather was pleasant today, and the sun had made Wu Mu drowsy. It flipped over onto its back on the swing, closed its eyes, and swayed its long tail.

Yun Zhao couldn't resist extending his finger and poking the top of the little cat's head, gently rubbing the innermost fluff.

The top of his head was scratched, making it itchy. Wu Mu, using his front paws, held the young man's hand that was causing trouble and pulled it into the warm and cozy fur on his neck, rubbing against it. He gently bit the fingers with his sharp teeth.

After only a few bites, the black kitten yawned and fell asleep, tilting its head. Its front paws, which were holding Yun Zhao's wrist, gradually loosened their grip.

Yun Zhao found it amusing and pinched the kitten's protruding little tongue, playing with it for a while.

As a reflex, Wu Mu kicked and scratched the air with his hind legs a couple of times. Unfortunately, he was too tired and ended up lying on his back, allowing Yun Zhao to knead and play with him as he pleased.

Seeing that the kitten had fallen asleep, Yun Zhao got up and headed towards the side hall.

He thought the side hall would be damp due to the backlighting, and today happened to have good lighting, so he decided to take out the bedding and clothes to air them out.

Although no one lived in the side hall, Wu Mu and his friends often wandered there and occasionally dug up bird nests. When they got tired, they would curl up in the side hall and take a nap.

The sun-soaked bedding would surely be more comfortable to sleep on.

Yun Zhao thoughtfully considered their well-being and spent a while rearranging the clothes in the side hall's wardrobe before hanging all the bedding on the drying rope.

He wiped the thin sweat off his forehead and thought since he had already done it, he might as well bring out the kittens' small toys and clothes to dry together.

The clothing chamber in the wardrobe was becoming more and more crowded, mostly filled with rare materials sent by immortal friends. Ao Yu probably thought some of the patterns were not good-looking and dumped them all here.

Yun Zhao recalled the scene when he sought Fairy Xiaguang's help in making clothes and couldn't help but chuckle. The level of pickiness displayed by the little dragon was probably only bearable by Fairy Xia Guang.

As he bent down to pick up the box containing the ferret's clothes, he accidentally bumped his elbow against the cabinet corner, causing him pain and making him recoil. In doing so, he knocked down an entire wardrobe behind him, and objects fell to the ground like a domino effect. Yun Zhao was momentarily dumbfounded but quickly lifted his robe, crouching down to tidy up the mess.

With a wry smile, he started putting the scattered clothes back into the box, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a familiar small box.

Wasn't that Ao Yu's accessory?

Yun Zhao picked it up, and the jade lock hanging on it had already been shattered, barely hanging on the clasp.

Although he had never seen Ao Yu use it, judging from the extent of his concern, it must have been a particularly cherished item.

Yun Zhao's heart tightened, silently hoping that the item hadn't been shattered! He quickly opened the box to check, only to find that it didn't contain the jade accessory he had imagined.

He carefully lifted the delicate piece of clothing by its corner, his head tilted as he gazed at this intriguing garment, a faint sense of confusion appearing in his eyes.

This thing belonged to Ao Yu?

**** 

Translator’s note: Hahahaha, he found it!