CH 40

The next morning, sunlight from the huge window filtered onto the bed through the thin silk bedcurtains, shining gently on Chen Ziqi’s face.

He’d suffered quite a bit yesterday, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was still deep in sleep even though the sun had risen, and had a peaceful expression on his face, his cheeks a healthy pink. 

Dan Yi supported his head with one hand on the bed, observing him quietly.

That morning two years ago, he’d fled from Chen Ziqi in embarrassment, but not because Chen Ziqi had laughed at him. The real reason was that, in his dreams the night before, the person lying beneath him was Chen Ziqi.

The youth in his dreams was crying a little as he begged for mercy, and called him ‘Fengyuan gege’. After he awoke, he came face to face with the real life and incredibly curious Chen Ziqi, and he didn’t know how to deal with it at all.

After he returned, what had his dad said? 

“Your dreams at night reflect your thoughts in the day. Whoever you see in your wet dreams is the person you want to lay eggs with!”

Did he want to lay eggs with Qiqi? That was too absurd. Qiqi was a boy, and couldn’t lay eggs for him. This question had puzzled him for a long time, until his father said something else to him.

“If your lower bird turns into a pillar reaching for the sky when you get close to someone, then that’s the person you like…”

So that was liking someone? He knew lots of things from the day he hatched, those were imbued in his memory from the time he was still in his shell. However, he was only just finding out what liking someone meant.

He carefully moved closer to Chen Ziqi and planted a light kiss on his soft, warm cheek, then quickly shrank back, tilting his head to observe him. When he was assured that Chen Ziqi didn’t show any signs of waking up, Dan Yi couldn’t help pressing his lips together in a small smile, then reached out to gather Chen Ziqi gently into his arms.

“Mm…” Chen Ziqi mumbled. He nuzzled against Dan Yi’s chest, opened his eyes blearily, and found that he and Dan Yi had tangled together in their sleep. He paid no mind to this, and rubbed his eyes as he raised his head to look at Dan Yi. “What time is it?” he asked, his voice a little hoarse.

The worm must have damaged the soft tissues in his throat yesterday. Dan Yi frowned a little. “It’s still early. You can sleep a while more,” he said, his voice gentle.

“Mm… okay…” Chen Ziqi felt really fatigued, as if he’d lost a lot of blood, but he couldn’t fall back into sleep. His throat was too dry and painful. 

Lingguan, Linghe, Qing He and Qing Ping came in to wait on them.

“Zjxf j meq bo tbcfs kjafg,” Gjc Tl lcragemafv Olcutf. Olcuuejc kjr jrrlralcu ab vgfrr tlw.

“P’ii vb la,” Hlcu Ulcu rjlv lc j ibk nblmf yfobgf Olcutf mbeiv gfqis. Vtf qlmxfv eq j ktlaf qbgmfijlc ybki, wlzfv tbcfs jcv kjafg lc la, atfc rwlifv jr rtf boofgfv atf ybki ab Gjc Tl.

Qing He, on the other hand, was looking curiously toward the bed, trying to get a look at Chen Ziqi. 

Dan Yi took the small bowl and walked to the bed. “Qiqi, get up and drink some water first. You can sleep again after that,” he said.

Chen Ziqi was thirsty, so he sat up immediately and took the bowl, gulping the liquid down noisily. The sweet honey had the fragrance of flowers and was particularly delicious. When Chen Ziqi had drained the bowl, he couldn’t help licking his lips. “This honey’s really good,” he said.

“This honey is made by bees raised in the Cloud Palace. They only eat bamboo flowers,” Linghe said, taking the empty bowl and giving Chen Ziqi a hot towel with a smile.

Chen Ziqi took the towel and wiped his face with it. “Bamboo flowers? Do bamboo produce flowers?” he asked. 

“If you keep talking, you probably won’t be able to sleep any more,” Dan Yi said, giving him a look. Chen Ziqi immediately put on an obedient expression, and on seeing this, Dan Yi’s tone softened. “I’m going to go to the front palace to deal with some matters. I’ll be back in a bit to eat breakfast with you.”

“Nn,” Chen Ziqi acknowledged in a complaisant manner. He lay back down on the bed and drew the blankets over himself.

Linghe smiled, then let down the bedcurtains at the corners of the bed to block out the sunlight. She didn’t say anything as she followed the neatly dressed Dan Yi out of the room and closed the door behind her.

After Dan Yi left, Chen Ziqi couldn’t resist rolling around on the big bed in glee, smiling happily to himself. Dan Yi seemed to care about him even more than before… 

After rolling around a few times, he really couldn’t sleep any more. He felt that everything was too quiet – why weren’t there any birds chirping? Just as he thought this, a cacophony of bird calls sounded from outside. Long screeches, short chirps, you name it, Chen Ziqi heard it.

Since he couldn’t get back to sleep, he decided to get up and walk around.

Linghe was standing watch outside the house, and when she saw that he was up, she started looking for some clothes for him to put on. “Your clothes from yesterday are being washed. You can wear some of the Palace Master’s old clothes,” she said, pulling out robes from a clothes chest. These were the clothes that Dan Yi had worn when he was fourteen.

The inner layers were narrow-sleeved and plain-coloured, and the outermost layer was a sky blue robe with wide sleeves. It fit Chen Ziqi like a glove, and he was very pleased with it. He walked out of the Wutong forest with his hands behind his back. The Tiande Emperor was also out and about exploring the Cloud Palace, and they met each other by chance at a covered corridor next to the waterfall. 

The Tiande Emperor looked Chen Ziqi up and down. He saw that his footsteps were a little shaky, and that his face was rather pale and wan. He immediately assumed that they’d spent the night doing certain vigorous activities, and started to comfort Chen Ziqi. “Little Seventh, you’ve really suffered,” he said.

Chen Ziqi blinked at him, then realised what the Emperor was getting at. He turned to look at the water flowing below the corridor, not wanting to speak to him. The blackworm in his body had been purged, and there was no reason for him to  be afraid of the Emperor any more.

This didn’t sit well with the Tiande Emperor, and he awkwardly tried to comfort Chen Ziqi again. “You and Dan Yi have been close since you were young. Zhen can see that he really likes you in that way. I’m certain he will treat you well,” he said. “This is for the greater good of the Chen family, so bear with it for now. In another two or three years, when you’re older, he’ll probably get tired of it.”

The Chaofeng Palace in the Cloud Palace functioned as Dan Yi’s office. It was the place where he conducted the Cloud Palace’s usual business. Dan Yi sat on the throne at the front of the main hall, pointing at the two green-clad servant girls. “I have no use for these two servant girls. The two of you can go back home,” he said. 

A green-clad old man walked out, and on seeing the two sisters clutching at each other and crying nonstop, he bowed respectfully toward Dan Yi. “I don’t know how they have displeased you, Palace Master, but I will pick others and send them over,” he said.

“Even if you picked another ten girls from your clan, the result would be the same,” Dan Yi said flatly.

The Qing Clan did not have any responsibilities within the Twelve Golden Wings, but they had a privileged status in the Cloud Palace nonetheless. The only reason for their high status was the fact that the mothers of each generation of Palace Masters came from their clan. The old man speaking to Dan Yi was the current Clan Leader of the Qing Clan, Qing Jue.

“The old Palace Master’s intent was for you to take in a few girls from the Qing Clan. The girls in my clan are a little prideful, and I humbly ask that you tolerate them patiently,” Qing Jue said, refusing to give in. 

Dan Yi’s expression turned cold in an instant. “I’ve never known what it means to be tolerant,” Dan Yi said coldly. “It has been thus since the day I hatched.”

The moment Dan Yi finished speaking, the Dark Cloud Envoy, Diao Lie, flashed out from his position next to the throne. The next thing anyone knew, Diao Lie had caught hold of the two girls, one in each hand, and looked like he was about to strangle them to death. The two girls immediately started kicking and screaming, and the leader of the Qing Clan immediately fell to his knees before Dan Yi. “Palace Master, have mercy! Please have mercy!” he pleaded in panic.

“Ha,” Dan Yi laughed once coldly, as if he didn’t see Diao Lie holding the two sisters by their necks. “Chen Ziqi is my Dragon, and if anyone dares to show him disrespect, you will suffer the consequences at my hand.”

At this point, Diao Lie released one of the girls and took out a few sharp steel claws from his vambrace. The threat was as plain as day. 

Qing Jue didn’t dare to say more as he continued to kneel before the throne. The other two frantically acknowledged what Dan Yi had said.

Dan Yi raised his hand slightly, indicating to the Dark Cloud Envoy that he could let them all go.

After the official business was done, the Qing Clan Leader trembled with anger as he watched the two sisters being carried off, but there was nothing else that he could do.

Lan Jiangxue smiled blandly as he walked out of the palace with Qing Jue. “The Palace Master is young and impatient, and doesn’t have the best of temper. I strongly suggest that you leave him be. When he wants women, he will naturally ask your clan for them. There’s no need to rush,” he said, trying to soothe Qing Jue’s ruffled feathers. 

Qing Jue was indeed soothed, and his expression became much calmer. He clasped his fists respectfully toward Lan Jiangxue in thanks. “Many thanks to the White Cloud Envoy. I’ll be leaving now,” he said.

After Qing Jue left, Diao Lie floated in as if out of nowhere. “What’s the point in advising him? People who misbehave should just be given a sound beating,” he said.

“Don’t you know why there’s a White Cloud Envoy and a Dark Cloud Envoy? It’s because one needs to look threatening, and the other needs to look friendly,” Lan Jiangxue said, smiling lightly.

“However, the saying goes that the one who looks friendly need not necessarily be a good person,” Lan Shanyu said, his head suddenly appearing between them. He was hanging upside down from one of the rafters. 

“You’re so clever, aren’t you?” Lan Jiangxue said sarcastically, smacking at Lan Shanyu’s head with annoyance. Lan Shanyu dodged nimbly, then jumped down to clasp the hand that Lan Jiangxue had tried to use to hit him, pulling Lan Jiangxue off to eat breakfast with him.

The Dark Cloud Envoy was left behind, scratching his head in confusion.

The author has something to say: Mini-theater

Tiande: In two years, he won’t like you any more

Qiqi: Eh? You mean he actually likes me?

Birdie Gong: Yeah, did you only realise this now?

Qiqi: Ah, I’m so embarassed

Birdie Gong: Muacks

Qiqi: Muacks

Tiande: Hello?!