While a certain couple tried to reestablish the mood, Zhong Jing Yi finally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was an unfamiliar pair of legs clad in a violet robe. He blinked. Just what was going on here?
The last thing he remembered was that a man had appeared that claimed to be Tian but he hadn't felt even an ounce of familiarity from him. Whoever he had been, he definitely wasn't his past life's lover. Especially since he was almost certain by now that Qiu Ling had said the truth. He really was the king of the dragon race and he had indeed been the one he had fallen in love with back when he was Jing He. He didn't fully understand the ins and outs but that could wait until later. For now …
He raised his head only to freeze right after. He had expected that the person opposite him would be the one that looked so similar to Qiu Ling but … This person and Qiu Ling had nothing in common.
The man's hair was copper-colored and his eyes of a shocking light brown. It was as if he wanted to tell the world with his appearance alone that he wasn't human. Jing Yi stared at him, unable to look away for the moment. He looked completely different from Qiu Ling although he felt as if he had seen him somewhere before or maybe he just reminded him of somebody else. He couldn't come up with who that should be though. He certainly would have remembered if he had ever seen someone like this.
Jing Yi sat up and looked at the man warily. "Who are you?"
"Jin Ling."
Jing Yi frowned. He had never heard this name, had he? "I don't know you."
"Mn, that's true." Jin Ling leaned to the side, resting his chin on his hand. Ah, kidnapping Qiu Ling's beloved sure was interesting. He could imagine how much that guy would freak out right about now. He should be seething with rage.
"Then why am I here?"
"Well … You're my guest, of course."
"Your guest?"
"Mn." Jin Ling gave a charming smile. "Naturally. Or do you want to be a prisoner instead? But then I would have to tie you to the bed."
Jing Yi frowned. Why would he tie him to the bed out of all places? Shouldn't a prisoner be tied up in—
Jing Yi froze. Come to think of it … it seemed he was sitting on a bed? He tried to glance around as unobtrusively as he could. Indeed. He was sitting on a bed and compared to where he had lived before it was a luxurious one. There wasn't much else in the room either as if … nothing else was used here.
Jing Yi gulped and looked up at Jin Ling again, a sinking feeling in his gut. "Why are you doing this?"
Those copper-colored eyebrows raised. "You still have to ask? I thought it was obvious?"
"Not really?"
Jin Ling continued to smile but stood up, slowly walking over to the bed. "You know … even though we demons aren't shy with expressing our feelings and even though we don't even keep to just one partner, it can be pretty … lonely here in this palace." He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Jing Yi, watching how his expression froze bit by bit. Ah, if only Qiu Ling could see this … He sighed and tried to look desperate and bitter despite his good mood. "You see, we have to find ways to fight that loneliness. Ah, if we could just have someone at our side, someone willing to accompany us through all those days …" He reached out toward Jing Yi.
Before his fingertips could touch anything, Jing Yi recoiled, pulling his legs up against his chest and looking at Jin Ling even more warily. His hands trembled. What was he supposed to do now? He had managed to cultivate to the third stage but he didn't know how to fight. If this guy tried to do something to him … And Qiu Ling wasn't here to help him this time. He had to find a way out by himself.
Jin Ling sighed. "Ah, it hurts me to see you recoil so much. Is that man from the Yun Zou Sect really so much more lovable than me?"
Jing Yi couldn't help but glance at Jin Ling when he brought up Qiu Ling. Could it be that … this was on purpose? He had said himself that he was a demon. Was it possible that this had something to do with Qiu Ling? He had said, after all, that part of his family lived here in the demon realm.
Wait, could it be that this man seemed a little familiar because of that? Did he have some similarity to Qiu Ling, after all? He tried to find some trace in his face but he couldn't detect anything. In fact, the longer he looked at him, the more he felt that he must have had imagined it.
There was no reason to think about it anyway. Qiu Ling obviously hated his mother's side of the family. It was no wonder after what she had done. So even if this had something to do with his family, he couldn't get comfortable. Qiu Ling wouldn't like him being here. No, he would worry a lot as long as he didn't return. So he had to get out of here as fast as possible.
"That man is my fiance and I want to return to him."
"Your fiance …" Jin Ling sighed again. Ah, it seemed those two had already made up. Well, considering how they had been hugging and kissing in the Yun Zou Sect, it was to be expected.
Mn, that would make things more difficult but then again … they might also become more interesting. After all, seducing Qiu Ling's beloved while he thought of him as his past life's lover was easy. But if he managed to make this person fall in love with him while Qiu Ling thought everything was alright … Wouldn't he feel even worse?