GREAT, I CAUGHT AN ANNOYING FAIRY- DRAGON

Chapter 2

There was silence at breakfast. The women were glancing at each other, wondering the same thing: Who was this gentle giant in their home?

Jiang Cheng's great excuse was, "Huan was my classmate back in the university. He wanted to experience country life, and I didn't object to him coming. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." To avoid telling more lies, he kept his mouth full and his eyes glued to his food.

"Thank you for having me for breakfast, Mother Yu. I've never had anything as tasty as this," Lan Xichen's voice rippled with refreshing confidence.

Yu Ziyuan couldn't fault him; he had a trustworthy face and impeccable manners. "Here, have some more pancakes." She restacked the stranger's plate with food. Watching him beam with lips that expressed so much appreciation for her simple act of courtesy brought back a feeling she had long lost. But when she looked at her son, her joy returned to sorrow all over again.

"Please, Mother, let me help with that." Xichen targeted the empty dishes and leftovers as soon as breakfast was a done deal.

"There's no need for that," Madam Yu said with an almost stiff tone.

"You've filled my belly with such delicious food; the least I can do is assist with cleaning up." Xichen bowed. Yanli and Jiang Cheng were too surprised to comment as their mother smiled and let the stranger have his way.

A few moments later, Madam Yu threw a scarf around her neck and picked up a bamboo hat. "Yanli, I'm heading to the farm. Make sure to open the shop at ten," she said as she reached the door.

"Can I come along, Mother Yu?" Xichen popped out of the kitchen.

"Why?" Madam Yu turned with a suspicious look in her eyes. None of her children loved the idea of farming, even though they did help in the past.

"Ignore him, Mother. He watched too many movies about living in a simple town and growing what you eat. He has no idea how tedious that work is," Jiang Cheng said.

"But I love farming. I've done lots of small gardening in my home. Besides, I believe Mother Yu is the best person to teach me such things. Please, let me be of help. I can carry the tools."

"Alright. You can come along. The tools are in the shed outside," Madam Yu said. There was no harm in giving the young man a try.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone so thrilled about rolling in dirt for a day. Look at him, wagging his tail like a puppy," Yanli whispered to her brother discretely as the event unfolded before their eyes. "You said you went to school with him?"

"Uhh- yeah!" Jiang Cheng affirmed.

"Wow. Just wow." Yanli took the U-turn back to her room to prepare for the rest of the day.

*******

Qishan Wen

The Nightless City was built with fire and brimstone, yet its beauty was like no other. Looking from a higher realm, it resembled a priceless painting depicting the conflicted harmony of lava and flora. At the peak of this empire was the Fire Lord's court.

The Fire Lord, Wen Ruohan, was respected by most of the gods if not all. Born as one of the princes of hell, he earned the right to establish his Kingdom in the higher realms. Out of him came sons and daughters scattered on the earth to gather more worshipers in his name...

At the Marble Hall, on the east of the court, Wen Xu, the eldest of the Fire Lord's children, made himself comfortable in one of the chambers. He stood in front of a dressing mirror, reaching for a black hairband left in the open. He sniffed it, savouring the fragrance with a lustful heart.