Romancing the Son of Heaven

Stratagem 13: Persist on All Fronts! (1)

When Jing He returned to his palace in the evening, he was in a bit of a daze. Two years. It had already been two years since he met Longjun for the first time. In these two years, Longjun's enthusiasm for pursuing him hadn't waned in the least. Today especially ...

Jing He nodded at the two guards at the door and then went inside, trying to find some tranquility from the familiar place. Unfortunately, nothing of the like happened. On the contrary, he couldn't help but remember the many days they had spent here, quietly drinking tea or that afternoon in his study where they had painted together, Longjun's calm gaze directed at him. Today, he had looked at him with very much the same look.

Jing He went to sit in his study, blankly looking at the stationery on his desk. In the beginning, he had believed that the dragon king would soon give up and forget about him, developing affections for somebody else. He felt that there was no way that Longjun could have fallen so deeply for him after just a glance so he had only treated him with the same superficial politeness that he used for everybody else. But now ...

Two years weren't short. They weren't long for either the gods or the dragons as well but it was still unexpected that Longjun's fervor hadn't cooled off by now. Maybe he had misjudged this man? Maybe his feelings were deeper than he had originally assumed?

Jing He reached out and pulled over a blank paper scroll. He brushed it with his fingers, making it lie flat and then fixed it on the table before picking up a brush. He tried to ignore these random thoughts and instead focused on the painting.

As for what he painted ... It was the very same person facing him with his back. The black hair reached down to his hips while his broad shoulders and straight posture gave him a heroic feeling. Handsome and with undeniable charisma. This was how Tian, the supreme ruler of all realms, was described in the stories.

Who knew how many people had fallen for him when he first appeared in the Nine Heavens without revealing his true identity? But not many had stayed interested because this place that teemed with gods of high positions would pay way too much attention to a person's status. Only Xing didn't care about it. Only he could love this man wholeheartedly, not rejecting when he was proposed to and letting him into his life for eternity without hesitation.

Jing He sighed and put down the brush, looking at that figure. The one he painted was supposed to be that unreachable person, the kind of man he had longed to meet since the day his heart felt the first stirrings of longing for a romantic relationship. He knew his partner needed to have the appropriate status for them to marry. After all, he was the Heavenly Emperor's only son. But more than that, he longed for a man that would be able to love him as wholeheartedly as Tian had loved Xing.

Yes, he might not be like Xing, he might not deserve such affections, but he still wanted to experience this feeling of being loved even when he reached the lowest point of his life.

Now, after receiving a man's affection for a full two years, he couldn't help himself but question whether this person could be the one destined for him. If he waited another year or another two years, would Longjun still chase after him with as much fervency? Would his gaze still be as burning, his touch still be as gentle, his words still be as sweet?

With his hand lightly trembling, Jing He reached out again, adding another figure next to the first one. He didn't think of Tian and Xing any longer. That figure that would normally show his ancestor, was now much more reminiscent of himself and a few additional strokes to that first one that he had already pinned onto the paper made it look much more like a certain uninvited guest.

Jing He looked at the painting and closed his eyes. Imagining the future ... If they really got married, then there would be troubles. But if this man loved him enough, they would be able to overcome it.