Chapter 202 - Finally Awake

In the capital, Madam Zhong was sitting next to the bed where her son and son-in-law where lying and cried. Jing Yi had said that he might not live through this but since he had said that there was a chance she had thought that he would definitely be able to overcome this. After all, Qiu Ling had once said that her son would have to face a lot of difficulties but would finally have a good life.

Now, her son was already in this state for half a week and neither he nor Qiu Ling were showing any signs of waking up. She started to fear that this really might be the end. Certainly, Qiu Ling hadn't foreseen that he himself would land in such dire straits. So maybe he also hadn't known that her son would try to help him and thus become like this.

Just at that moment, Qiu Ling's eyelids finally fluttered. The first thing he heard was the sound of a woman crying. He frowned and then noticed the steady breathing of his beloved next to him. A light smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He opened his eyes and turned his head, observing Jing Yi's profile.

He couldn't ignore the crying, though. Qiu Ling propped his upper body up on his elbow and looked at Madam Zhong. "Mother-in-law, why are you crying? Did something happen?"

Madam Zhong's breath caught. She slowly lowered her hands before she leaped to her feet and grabbed Qiu Ling's hand. "Qiu Ling! You're awake!"

"Mn." Qiu Ling nodded and looked at Jing Yi. He gently stroked a strand of hair aside. "He'll wake up soon, too. It just takes a little longer for a human."

Madam Zhong nodded. If Qiu Ling said so, then she believed it. "I'm glad you're awake again. When you fell from the sky just like that …" She shook her had and patted his hand.

Qiu Ling looked up at her in surprise. Maybe it was because of the fact that he had finally dared to tell somebody about his past but he suddenly understood that Jing He wasn't the only person who was there for him. His two mothers-in-law were there, too. The Heavenly Empress Bai Fen, as well as Madam Zhong, cared for him deeply. Maybe they did so just as much as Jing He.

He smiled. "Thank you, mother-in-law."

"No need to thank me. You're part of our family."

"Mn." The two of them looked at Jing Yi's face, both not willing to notice even a second later that he would wake up.

Finally, Jing Yi's brows twitched. Before he could open his eyes, somebody had thrown himself across his body. "My love! You're finally awake! I've waited for so long!"

Jing Yi was still in a daze but the eager tone of voice woke him up instantly. "Qiu Ling …" He frowned. Was this really the same man who had just told him about his tragic past? Why did he sound completely different now?

"Jing'er!" Madam Zhong grabbed her son's hand. Once again, tears were streaming down her cheeks but this time, they were tears of happiness.

"Mother …" Jing Yi finally noticed his mother beside them. He blushed, completely embarrassed that he hadn't paid attention to her and, well, that she was seeing something like that. "Qiu Ling, get up." He squeezed Qiu Ling's hand but naturally, that had the adverse effect to his wishes.

Qiu Ling snaked his other arm around his waist and raised his head, looking into Jing Yi's face. His hair was hanging down at the side, shielding the view at them. "Mn, my love!" Qiu Ling bent down and kissed him, ignoring the fact that his beloved was trying to shove him off.

Jing Yi turned his head aside. "Qiu Ling …"

Madam Zhong smiled and quietly left the room. She felt like she should give her son and son-in-law a little privacy.

"Qiu Ling!"

"Don't worry. Mother-in-law already left." Qiu Ling went for another kiss but once more his lips met slender fingers instead of silky lips.

"You've given her such a bad impression!"

"No, you don't need to worry. Mother-in-law likes me. She won't mind us being affectionate. After all, she was married once. She knows what longing means." He pulled Jing Yi's hands down and at least gave him a peck. He knew he wouldn't get more at the moment.

Jing Yi didn't know what to say. He just looked at Qiu Ling with a mixture of resignation and indulgence. He wouldn't be able to change this man's behavior anyway. Why should he try? It showed at least how much Qiu Ling loved him.

Thinking like that, Jing Yi circled his neck with his arms and raised his head to give Qiu Ling a kiss of his own. "Are you satisfied now?"

Qiu Ling pursed his lips. "No, no. Another one."

"Alright. But get up first."

Qiu Ling hesitated. "I really get another kiss if I get up?"

"Naturally."

Qiu Ling sat up and pulled Jing Yi along. Before his beloved had the chance to change his mind, he pressed him against his chest and monopolized his lips. He didn't stop at one kiss, though. After the first one, he encircled Jing Yi in his arms. After the second, he pulled him onto his lap and after the third, he thought about pressing him down onto the bed again.

"How about we marry right now?", he whispered when he withdrew for a moment.

Jing Yi smiled but shook his head. "Did you forget already what your Master said? We can only marry when I've reached the root stage."

Qiu Ling blinked. Mn, it seemed there had been something like that. "Then what stage are you at right now?"

"The seed stage."

"And the root stage is the next one?"

Jing Yi nodded and got a relieved sigh in return.

"Then it won't take long. Let's go and train right now!"

"Qiu Ling, there are different levels to a stage. It won't be that fast even if we train the whole day. Grandmaster Zhangsun already said that I'd be able to make it in a year but that was under the assumption that I have heavenly spirit veins. Now my aptitude is worse. It'll be a miracle if I actually manage to reach the root stage in a year."

Qiu Ling froze. "You want to say … We can only marry in more than a year?!"

Qiu Ling felt like his whole world was collapsing once again. This couldn't be! He had finally gotten Jing He's promise but now he had to wait a whole year?! Damn this! Just what kind of grudge did Heaven have against him?!