Romancing the Son of Heaven

Stratagem 39: Comfort the One You Love! (1)

Jing He stared at Qiu Ling, his heart racing. He didn't know what to say. By now, he should be used to his love confessions that didn't bother with their customs at all. But the truth was that no matter how many times it happened, it still affected him very much. Well, maybe this was normal. After all, he wasn't just a random person but the man he liked. If there was ever a day when he wouldn't feel like this anymore, that would be much stranger.

Jing He had no words so he could only turn away and try to push the topic back to safer territory. "You've told me about the time when you were living outside. What was it like in the capital though? I've never been to the dragon realm so I don't know much about it."

Qiu Ling looked at him and didn't insist on pursuing the topic. Instead, he gave Jing He's question serious consideration. "What was it like? It's difficult for me to compare. Anyway, I will admit that my knowledge of the Nine Heavens also isn't that deep. Most likely, I know less about this place than you know about the dragon realm."

Jing He looked back at him, his cheeks faintly flushed. "I can't imagine that." In any case, in his mind, what was there that Qiu Ling didn't know or couldn't do? So to him, this sounded like an understatement.

Qiu Ling gave him a subtle look. Anyway, it had shown pretty clearly that he didn't know much about the gods when they first met. It was a wonder that Jing He was still able to trust in his abilities. Had his recent behavior overshadowed that original impression this much?

If so, that wasn't bad. He couldn't wait to erase that idiocy from Jing He's memory. If he had known that he was the prim and proper type who could be won over with his original personality, he wouldn't have bothered pretending in front of him. Unfortunately, it was too late for that now so he could only try and make up for it. Since he was given another opportunity right now, he would make use of it.

"Well, living there ... I think that my experience also can't compare to that of others. My father held an important position in court and while weren't related, it was clear that my predecessor had fond feelings for me. I guess in the whole palace or even in the capital, I was that child that nobody wanted to cross. It showed in how others treated me."

Jing He wasn't completely sure what to make of this. They had talked about a similar topic back then, both noting that because of their status, people's behavior always needed you to be considered twice. But he wasn't sure how things compared between now and then.

Anyway, Qiu Ling himself hadn't had an official position and since those weren't inherited in the dragon realm, he also wasn't sure how serious people would take cultivating a relationship for a faint future possibility. In the end, his curiosity actually won for once. "How so?"

Seeing as they were just telling each other stories, Qiu Ling finally decided not to bother about politeness and lay straight down, propping his head up with one hand and giving Jing He a lazy look.

He looked relaxed, uninhibited. Seeing him like this, Jing He folded and refolded his hands in his lap several times, a strange feeling in his chest. Qiu Ling was ... he was a really good-looking man. It wasn't like he didn't usually notice but right now, it was even more obvious as if this kind of pose was just made for him.

Qiu Ling pretended not to see his tangled expression and just focused on the question he had asked him. "Well, I guess people were letting me get away with a lot of things. I was ... a naughty child."

His lips curved up and Jing He couldn't help but continue to stare at him in a daze. Qiu Ling was often showing expressions that he himself would never dare to show in public or even in private, really. But to Qiu Ling, they seemed to be second nature. Lazing around like this, giving that kind of smile, it made for a beautiful picture. In fact, it was so beautiful that after gazing at him for a moment, Jing He finally had to look away, nestling at his sleeves to occupy his hands with something.