Romancing the Son of Heaven

Stratagem 10: The Skills of a Mature Man (2)

Qiu Ling very happily prepared for his meeting with Jing He the next morning. He made sure to pick one of the robes he looked best in, picked out some fitting jewelry and then took some extra care to arrange his hair. Mn, this should work. He was definitely his most handsome self today too. Jing He would be delighted seeing him like this.

He gave himself a smile in the water mirror and then turned around, leaving the dragon realm without a gaze back. He made his way over to the Nine Heavens, once again evading the guards and stepping into the palace to take a look at Jing He. Currently, his beloved was sitting in front of his dressing table, combing his silky black hair.

Qiu Ling's fingers twitched. He really wanted to walk over and take the comb from his hand, asking him to let him do his hair for him. Unfortunately, he was well aware that that wouldn't be a mature thing to do. So he could only gulp that sentiment down and then step out again to make sure Jing He wouldn't notice him.

Ah, such a beautiful sight! He definitely couldn't be overly eager and greet him just so they could talk if that would rob him of the chance to watch this. Thus Qiu Ling stood in front of the door, half-hidden behind the wall from where he eagerly watched Jing He do his hair.

Jing He had no idea that he already wasn't alone anymore. Meticulously, he combed one strand after the other, making sure that he took care of all of them equally. If he wasn't wrong, then the dragon king seemed to like his hair. At the very least, he had seen him steal glances at it a few times over the past two years already. In that case, he should take special care to prepare himself today so he would leave a good impression.

Painting ... It was a quiet activity. In the past, he wouldn't have thought it fit this person but after everything that had happened in the last year, he wasn't so sure anymore. Most likely, the dragon king was much deeper than he had thought.

Jing He put down the comb and opened a few chests holding hairpins. He looked at them, wondering just which one he should take. The robe he had chosen today was pastel green with beige-colored embroidery. Looking at it in the mirror, he felt that it was somewhat reminiscent of the leaves of a tree in spring. A green that had just unfolded, young and tender ...

Speaking of tender ... the age difference between them was rather big.

Jing He lowered his hand and stared at his image blankly. Longjun ... Did he think of him as immature sometimes? Maybe that was the reason for his behavior? He had felt that he wasn't mature enough but had liked him nonetheless so he tried to make himself appear younger? So he pretended for over a year and then thought that he couldn't take it any longer? Could that be it?

Jing He tried to think back to all the occasions where they had met each other. If it was the private meetings here in his palace or in his garden, then it could be. But what about that first meeting at his father's birthday banquet? That should have been the first time they saw each other. Furthermore, there had been many guests.

Would the dragon king really risk making a fool out of himself just to win his heart? In front of all the people? He could hardly imagine that. No, he was probably thinking too much. There had to be another explanation for the dragon king's behavior.

Jing He shook his head at himself and finally picked a wooden hairpin. The tip was engraved with a few simple lines while the end was decorated with an artificial flower, the blossoms and leaves made out of thin pieces of jade. The craftsmanship was fine, the design lovely and befitting of his age. This should fit very well with the robe.

He held part of his hair back and then inserted the hairpin, securing the strands at the back of his head. He picked up the water mirror, trying to take a look and make sure that his appearance was sufficient. With the hair secured in the back, his face was revealed, accentuating his high cheekbones. It seemed youthful but not too young. It was obviously the appearance of somebody who was just maturing. Well, his coming-of-age ceremony hadn't been that long past.