CH 62

Chapter 62: Seaside Fireworks

Wu Mu mumbled, wanting to pounce on Yun Zhao and act spoiled. However, Ao Yu, who was by his side, swiftly grabbed the black kitten by the nape of its neck.

"You dirty ghost," Ao Yu said in disgust, tossing Wu Mu aside. "You smell like the sea. Stay away."

"Hmph!" Wu Mu unwillingly rubbed against Yun Zhao's boots. In the next moment, he twisted his little butt and ran away when faced with a deathly stare from Ao Yu.

Ao Jing wiped off the water droplets from his face and approached, bowing respectfully. "Elder brother."

Ao Yu responded with a faint "Hmm" and caught a glimpse of a broken seashell fragment in the young boy's hair, causing him to furrow his brow slightly. He reached out and removed the fragment from his hair.

"Thank you, elder brother," Ao Jing said, pleasantly surprised. Then he continued, "I played and delayed the time with them, so I didn't have time to prepare the food. I will immediately send someone to bring it."

Perhaps feeling that he appeared dirty and disheveled, Ao Jing hesitated to step back, but he was stopped by Yun Zhao.

The young man gently brushed aside the strands of hair sticking to Ao Jing's face and smiled. "Did you have fun?"

Upon hearing the question, Ao Jing looked at the companions around him, lowered his gaze, and softly replied, "Yes."

"That's good then. Ao Yu is familiar with this place, so there's no need to arrange everything," Yun Zhao said, pinching the boy's cheek and meeting his bewildered eyes. "Your own happiness is the most important."

With that, Yun Zhao stood up and glanced at the seafood on the ground, a miscellaneous collection of various items.

After a day of playing, Yun Zhao made a casual proposal. "Let's have a simple meal. Let's just grill some skewers!"

"Meow, sounds great!" Luo Xue, never picky when it came to Yun Zhao's cooking skills, was the first to agree.

The other cubs nodded one after another and resumed their previous tasks.

Yun Zhao sat down by the fire and took the cleaned squid handed to him by Ao Yu. He skillfully skewered it on a tree branch and used a small knife to spread the seasoning.

After spreading it a couple of times, Yun Zhao suddenly chuckled, seemingly reminded of something.

Ao Yu turned his head to look at him, and the firelight tinted his hair with a golden hue. "What are you laughing about?"

The fire crackled as it burned, occasionally making a sizzling sound when the damp firewood encountered the heat.

Yun Zhao inserted the seafood skewers near the fire and chuckled as if reminiscing. "I remember the first time I cooked squid. You were extremely disgusted, but ended up eating a lot of it."

A faint blush crept up Ao Yu's neck, and he absentmindedly grabbed a tree branch and fiddled with it in the sand. "The presentation was so ugly that I was afraid no one would buy it, so I just wanted to give it a try."

Yun Zhao giggled and moved closer to him, sharing the grilled seafood skewers with him.

Ao Yu accepted it, lowered his head, and took a few bites. Seeing this, the other kids immediately crowded around, clamoring for a taste.

Sun Yang, Luo Xue and the others skillfully tore and nibbled on the seafood skewered on the branches. The scallops were sweet and plump, and Luo Xue chewed with his eyes squinted, his snow-white tail swaying from side to side while Xuanming quietly pressed it down with his paw from behind.

Wu Mu handed a skewered grilled fish to Ao Jing. "Here, eat it."

Ao Jing reached out and took it, looking at the golden fish skin soaked in rich oil. He took a few small bites. The fish was caught by Xuanming, and the black panther carefully selected a type with plenty of meat and few thorns. The golden and crispy fish skin cracked open, revealing the tender white flesh inside.

Because Yun Zhao only sprinkled a little salt, the remaining seasoning was made by squeezing the juice of some fruits brought by Le Huang and casually brushing it on the fish. The meat was delicate with a hint of fruity acidity, refreshing and not greasy. Unconsciously, Ao Jing ate the fish skewer in his hand, leaving only the fish bones.

The food they had these past two days was something he had never tasted before. Sometimes, in order to save time for cultivation, Ao Jing simply didn't eat, relying on the abundant spiritual energy to dispel his hunger and cravings.

He looked at Wu Mu who handed over the grilled scallop and clenched his sleeve, hesitating before eventually reaching out his hand and accepting it. "Thank you."

"Hey, no need to be so polite. We've been playing all day, and you're still talking about these formalities with me." The black kitten waved its paw, casually retorting with a mouthful of a large shrimp.

Bai Ze sat on a clean and smooth stone, watching the black kitten acting so carefree as if it were an equal to the Azure Dragon. He smiled helplessly.

He finished his skewer in a few bites and was about to search his storage bag for a handkerchief when he suddenly touched a few things.

Yun Zhao was nearly done eating as well. He held the little phoenix in his arms and gently rubbed its belly, paying no attention to the Dragon's gaze. The little phoenix wagged its claws in satisfaction, enjoying the post-meal service in the young man's embrace.

"Boom!"

In the shroud of darkness, the tranquil beach was suddenly shattered by a loud and unexpected noise. A dazzling arc of colorful light shot up into the night sky, like a reversing meteor pausing for a moment in the darkness, blooming like a splendid and colorful golden daisy.

"Wow! Look at that!"

"Such beautiful fireworks!"

Everyone looked up, unable to resist expressing their admiration.

"Why are there still fireworks?" Yun Zhao turned his head to look in the direction of the rising fireworks, locking eyes with a bewildered Bai Ze.

Bai Ze held the fireworks tube, staring blankly at the object in his hand, and explained, "I bought these at the market. The wolf clan said they're a trendy novelty from the mortal realm, so I bought quite a few."

As he spoke, he raised the fireworks tube in his hand and muttered to himself, turning the outlet of the fireworks tube towards himself. "Is this how you play with this thing? But why does it disappear after just one release?"

Yun Zhao was so frightened by his actions that he broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly ran up to make him turn the fireworks tube back around, afraid that he might become a one-eyed beast one step too late.

Unexpectedly, just as he took a few steps, he kicked a small protruding stone on the beach and fell forward.

"Hey, Yun Zhao!"

Bai Ze was pushed by the fallen Yun Zhao, his hand became unstable, and he threw the fireworks tube away.

At this moment, the fireworks tube made a loud noise and suddenly began its second round of fireworks.

"Boom!"

"Wow! What's happening?"

"Quick, take cover!"

"Waa waa waa, don't step on my tail!"

"Dammit! A spark just singed my butt fur!"

The beach descended into chaos for a while, and when the fireworks finally finished and turned into useless empty tubes on the sand, everyone got up with lingering fear.

Yun Zhao smiled apologetically and, seeing that Bai Ze still had plenty of fireworks left, he asked him to insert all of the fireworks tubes into the sand.

"The weather is nice, let's watch a fireworks display together." Yun Zhao cleared his throat a few times, comforting the frightened kids.

As Ao Yu threw a few sparks into the air, accompanied by a sizzling sound, countless brilliant fireworks soared into the sky and burst open in the night.

The cool moon was illuminated by the dazzling fireworks, shining with a splendid and radiant light. Before the golden threads could descend, new streams of light covered the sky, layer upon layer, like a dynamic and swaying fringe, casting a golden and crimson glow on the sea.

"It's so beautiful! These ones are golden!"

"Well, they are nice. Ah, no, I mean they're still far inferior to my tail feathers..."

"Squeak, squeak!"

Everyone held their breath, watching this magnificent scene over the sea. Sun Yang crouched down, gently swaying his tail, while Luo Xue, afraid of the loud booming sound, covered his ears with both small paws, resembling a little seal.

Ao Jing lifted both kittens and looked up together at the colorful fireworks blooming and disappearing, experiencing an unprecedented sense of contentment.

Yun Zhao watched the fireworks display, and as the rising smoke filled the sky, it felt as if he could trace the Milky Way in the heavens.

A slightly cool finger quietly reached out, tentatively hooking his own index finger before sliding the whole hand between their intertwined fingers. With a gentle sway in that fleeting moment, it revealed the joy in their hearts.

Yun Zhao was amused by Ao Yu's small action and casually turned his head to look at him. Little did he know that Ao Yu also raised his head to gaze at the distant fireworks display.

With white hair swaying lightly and the orange-red glow flickering in the night, his golden eyes appeared particularly profound. If one could ignore the fact that the little dragon's ears had turned red like dripping blood, Yun Zhao would truly believe that he was earnestly appreciating the fireworks.

Perhaps Yun Zhao's gaze lingered on his face for too long, and Ao Yu couldn't help but turn his head and ask, "Why are you staring at me?"

Yun Zhao grinned, "Because you're too handsome!"

Ao Yu snorted softly, but the frequency of his swaying hand increased. If he had a tail, it would probably be standing upright by now.

Bai Ze inserted the fireworks tube into the sand and exclaimed, "Here comes the last one!"

The fireworks, trailing silver tail lights, shot straight into the sky. In the moment of the explosion, Yun Zhao heard Ao Yu lean close to his ear and whisper softly, "You make my heart rejoice."

The lingering note of the last word carried an imperceptible tremor, perhaps from nervousness or embarrassment. But in an instant, all the splendor bloomed in the young man's eyes. Yun Zhao finally understood that fireworks are meant to be shared with someone else.

The brief splendor fades away with the noise, but the people around him leave an indelible mark in his mind.

Yun Zhao leaned in and planted a kiss on the corner of the little dragon's mouth, whispering with a smile, "Buy more fireworks. We'll set them off in the mountains in the future."

Ao Yu loved hearing him talk about the future and tightened his grip on the young man's hand, replying softly, "Okay."

...

As the last firework dissipated over the sea, a sea breeze carrying moisture swept in, causing Wu Mu to involuntarily sneeze.

"See, he's not proactive during bath time, but he loves playing in the water at the seaside. It'll be troublesome if he gets sick now." Yun Zhao wiped the kitten's nose with a handkerchief.

Just as he was about to call out to Ao Yu, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

An unpleasant sensation seemed to assail him, like the venomous tongue of a snake hissing in a swamp, leaving a cold, sticky touch on his ankle.

"Mmm..." Yun Zhao looked down at his feet, but there was nothing there.

【Are you okay?】the system voiced its concern.

Yun Zhao replied, "I'm fine, I just feel a little uncomfortable inside."

After examining the young man's body, the system said, [We're close to the Abyss here. With your pure spiritual power and high affinity, it's likely that you'll experience some repulsion if you stay here for too long.]

Yun Zhao nodded, realizing that it was getting late. He suggested to Ao Yu, "It's getting late, and they all look tired. How about staying overnight and heading back tomorrow?"

Ao Yu glanced at the little white cat already dozing off, nodding helplessly. "Okay."

Upon hearing their decision to stay another night, Ao Jing quickly summoned the rays and spirit attendants.

As Ao Yu led Yun Zhao into the sedan chair on the back of a ray, he turned his head to look at the purple clouds hidden behind the cool moonlight. His golden eyes had a cold expression, and he casually let down the curtain, shielding them from that prying gaze.

****

Translator’s note: I feel like a single dog when I read this; such a contrast to Fang Chaozhu’s crazy love affairs. Hahaha.