Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 12, Part 1)

98 If He Could Gather Enough Courage

Qiu Ling sighed deeply when he realized this. The two of them sure were in a difficult situation.

At first glance, they seemed so evenly matched as if there was no candidate more suitable for them than the other. After all, one was the incumbent dragon king and one was the current crown prince of the Nine Heavens. They were both well-loved by their people, both paid attention to appearances, and both wanted that kind of all-encompassing love that would never fade no matter what others said or did.

Even where they weren't the same, they complemented each other well. Just like how Jing He was familiar with much of the history of the immortal realms while he ... well, he had skipped out on the bigger part of his education and had only made up for some of that. Or how Jing He was more timid but he was a warrior through and through, ready to pick up his weapon and fight if it was necessary to defend his people.

In this way, one person's strengths could make up for the other's shortcomings. Could there be a better couple reigning over one of the three immortal realms? But then, both of their positions and their personal history came with their own issues which didn't align all that well.

Jing He could not have more than one child while he would have loved to have a big family. Sure, he had later found Jinde and his father's reincarnation. Those two would also have a child soon, giving him a sibling, and then there was Jing He's family that would also more or less become his own. But the thing was that they had only found out about all of that much later. At the time when Jing He started to think about this matter, none of these relatives had been anywhere on the horizon which made it look like he'd have to give up his dreams to be with him.

On the other hand, there was his mixed blood which was in direct violation of Jing He's wish for perfection. Sure, it could be hidden from others for the time being but if it ever came out, then what about the image he cared so much about? In this regard, he also wasn't the best fit for him. If he managed to change the situation of the half-bloods in the dragon realm and maybe in the Nine Heavens as well, it might be as bad but that was still far in the future. They only just started to work on that, after all.

The two of them were like that: Perfect for each other in almost every way but with one big issue on each side that had the power to separate them forever unless they were willing to compromise. They hadn't dared to bring these up at first because they knew that everything might change if they did but they had also both understood that there was no way to keep this quiet forever. In this regard, as well, they were both in agreement without ever having to say a word.

Bai Fen raised her brows at him. "Are you worried that he'll reject you because of this? I mean ... you are going to accept it if he does, won't you?" Qiu Ling might have said that he would accept the consequences but she wasn't so sure if he would really just give up if her son decided not to be with him. She just couldn't imagine it after all this time. He had fought so long and so hard to finally get Jing He's promise. How could he give up now that he had finally gotten his wish?

Qiu Ling could only smile wryly. "I don't have much of a choice, do I? Jing He ..." He fell quiet and then sighed again. "He is already in that state. If he truly manages to make it out of that by making a decision, how could I not accept whatever it will be?

"As for whether I believe he will reject me ..." Qiu Ling lowered his gaze, glancing at the spatial ring he was wearing on his right hand. This one had been a gift from Jing He. Well, officially, it was a gift from the gods for the anniversary of his coronation but ... Jing He had chosen it and his uncle had personally delivered it so it could be said to be Jing He's gift to him. And considering that this was a family heirloom ...

"Actually, I don't think he will." He looked up again, his brows furrowing slightly. "Jing He loves me, I know that. The question is whether he loves me enough to gather the courage to say no to his father."

Bai Fen inclined her head. Of course, that was what all of this was about. It was just that she was somewhat doubtful what the outcome would be. After all, Jing He wouldn't have fallen if this decision was easy for him to make.

Qiu Ling lightly rubbed the ring, his brows slowly smoothing out. "The thing is ... if it had been a few years ago, I would have said he doesn't. Well, maybe it's not that his feelings for me are lacking but his courage sure is. He doesn't dare to face up to his father. But this was then. Now, it might be different.

"Three weeks ago, he confessed to his father that he loves me and even wants to marry me. I was ... shocked, to put it lightly. His father flew in a rage and I am sure that set Jing He back but for just a moment, he had the courage it takes. That ... should mean that he can do it again. If he truly has the time to figure out what he wants, I am sure he can confront his father and not back down. Having been a fallen god might actually make that easier." After all, a fallen god didn't really have to be afraid of anyone save for maybe Tian. Maybe that would actually boost his beloved's confidence.