Chapter 75: I’ll Do It For You
Qiu Ling gazed at the boy that carried his beloved's soul. They weren't the same person technically. Even though they had the same soul, Jing Yi grew up differently and with everything that he experienced he would diverge more from how Jing He had been.
His mother-in-law's question wasn't without grounds.
The one he had fallen in love with was Jing He, not Jing Yi. If not for Jing He, he wouldn't look twice at a mortal boy. But the things he loved about Jing He … he saw some of them in Jing Yi, too. In fact, the two of them were quite similar, though one couldn't say that he himself didn't have a hand in this.
Jing Yi was similarly closed off from the world, though that was mostly because of his own volition. Like Jing He he had an incredibly good relationship with his mother, though his relationship with his father in this life was kind of lukewarm. Jing He had been a lot closer to the heavenly emperor. But even then comparing both even in the nine heavens he had been more comfortable around his mother.
Just take his relationship with Qiu Ling for example: The person he went to, to discuss this had always been the heavenly empress Bai Fen. Never once had he asked the heavenly emperor Rong Su for his advice.
Disregarding these relationships there was still the issue of his temperament. Jing He … he was gentle, friendly, but always a little distant. He looked at you, but you still felt as if he didn't. He was looking at nothing at all, because his heart was never there. And still, that gaze drew people in. It was refreshing seeing it.
When Qiu Ling had seen it for the first time, he had felt like having seen the source of the world. The only pure thing there was, untainted by the filthy world outside, without desire or hate. Seeing this, Qiu Ling hadn't been able to resist.
Only much later did he find out that this impression was deceptive. Jing He had desires. He had just learned to hide them. If people don't know what is important to you, they can't use it to hurt you. That was what he thought.
Remembering how Jing He had once confessed that, Qiu Ling grew sad. His love … he might have given him much in his last life, but he had also robbed him of much in this life.
"Fine." His voice was slightly hoarse when he made up his mind. "I'll let it be for now. But I'll intervene if this goes overboard!" He fixated Madam Zhong with a serious gaze.
She only nodded and smiled. "Then I'll get you a new cup." Once again she swept the table and went to the preparation room.
Qiu Ling sighed, looking at his beloved that was still in the arms of another person. "Well, at least, it's a child. If they were both grown ups, I'd probably not hold back. But for now … I'll let you have some fun if that is what you want. I'll just … watch over you from afar." His heart was heavy deciding this, but what other possibility was there? He'd feel guilty if he continued to meddle.
I'll give you … two weeks. If I find that boy's sight unbearable at that time I'll drive him away. That sounds fair, right? So you better not go overboard until then! I don't want to see any more hugging!
Unfortunately, the boys couldn't hear him and even if they did, they wouldn't care. Shao Hai didn't know him and Jing Yi only knew him as the old daoist master he called grandfather, but not as the one he had labeled the 'strange uncle'. He'd probably be more inclined to trust Shao Hai instead of him.
So, at this moment, Shao Hai still hugged Jing Yi and stared threateningly at the girl that was just getting up.
"Why did you do that?!", she complained in a whiny voice.
"Hmph. What were you trying to do jumping like that? You could have hurt him!"
"Why would I hurt my brother Jing Yi?!" She stomped her feet and clenched her fists once again. "Who told you to get involved, Shao Hai! Get away from my brother Jing Yi!" She tried to push him off, but Shao Hai stubbornly held onto Jing Yi, even turning around a little, so that Guanyu couldn't reach him.
"Go away, Zhong Guanyu! He doesn't like you! Leave him alone!"
Guanyu froze. Her eyes welled up with tears. "You're so mean!", she screamed and then ran away to the preparation room, throwing herself into Madam Zhong's arms. "Auntie! Wuwuwu, Shao Hai was mean to me! He even caught brother Jing Yi and doesn't want to let him go! Wuwuwu, you have to do something, auntie!"
So there she was, the girl that had insulted the Zhong's as beggars just some days ago, crying into Madam Zhong's arms and trying to get her help. Well, the winds do change with time.
Madam Zhong wasn't small minded. She didn't fault Guanyu for the way she was, but she understood fully well that her son wouldn't like her and she didn't want to force him. He was somehow afraid of girls since a young age.
Regarding that … Her gaze found Qiu Ling, who lifted his brows at her as if he didn't know what was wrong. She had her doubts. Now that she thought about it, all this had probably something to do with him. Girls were falling into some muddy holes or onto the floor left and right wherever her son walked for as long as she could remember. It had been like that in the village, on their way to the capital and now it continued here.
She sighed. How could a man with such a lofty status as a daoist immortal be so … narrow-minded? Could he really not stomach anybody else in Jing Yi's vicinity? The boy was still so young! Where was this even coming from?
But, well, there was nothing she could do on that front, so she had to make do with patting Guanyu's head. "There, there, don't worry. They are both boys. It's only natural that they would have some things they want to do alone. Aren't there also things you want to do alone with other girls?"
Guanyu looked up at her strangely. What is auntie talking about? Why would I want to spend time with other girls? I'd much rather spend time with brother Jing Yi! Hmph, I should still go home and ask mother!
She pursed her lips, stopped hugging Madam Zhong and ran out of the teahouse, hurrying home as fast as she could.
Madam Zhong just sighed, seeing her like that and continued her work. It wasn't long, before the next customers came in and she grew increasingly busy, without even the time to look how her son was faring. But with Qiu Ling around she didn't worry that anything could happen to her son.
Indeed, nothing had happened to Jing Yi. He was even quite happy at the moment. Unfortunately, the reason for that wasn't Qiu Ling, but the person the dragon king had dubbed his love rival: Shao Hai.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
yansusustories
yansusustories Qiu Ling finally convinced himself to allow somebody else near Jing Yi. Though, will he really be able to bear this for two weeks?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone