ADLH Chapter 10: The Dragon Has Two...
In a room with modern design, the iron-gray curtains were pulled open, revealing the bustling city lights outside.
Amidst the lively city, there was an underlying sense of loneliness, and when looking up, the stars seemed even more distant than in ancient times.
A dragon lord, who had formed a pact with humans and was revered by them, looked down from his high perch with his head bowed.
His golden slit pupils were no different from those of any cold-blooded animal, and when he blinked, a protective membrane would pass over his eyes.
"The demon clan has fallen, and humans have risen to such heights over the past thousand years," Qian Ji sneered, not sure what he was thinking.
Behind him, Ruan Xingzhou slowly approached, as if getting closer to a great lion, wrapping his arms around the man's waist. His expressionless face rubbed against him.
Qian Ji turned his head to look at Ruan Xingzhou but did not push him away.
Ruan Xingzhou, with his small tail dragging behind, stood with his arms folded by the window. He asked, "You mentioned something about a sickness before. What's going on? You seem like a normal human, but your actions sometimes seem so foolish."
Ruan Xingzhou paused in his action of stroking the dragon's scales, his dark eyes blinking. "That's emotional detachment disorder. Also, I’m not foolish."
"This lord says you're foolish, so you are," Qian Ji teased, pinching his face.
Ruan Xingzhou's cheek was squeezed and contorted.
For some reason, when faced with this man, Ruan Xingzhou suddenly didn't want to talk about his illness. A sense of hesitation, inferiority, and sadness grew within him.
Revealing one's flaws in front of those they care about makes anyone feel vulnerable. It's a difficult thing to do, but Ruan Xingzhou didn’t know what was happening to him.
"I’m sick," he said quietly.
The three words didn’t harm anyone else, but they hurt himself first.
His chest tightened painfully. After speaking, Qian Ji signaled for him to continue, but Ruan Xingzhou pursed his lips, burying his face in the man’s chest and resumed stroking the dragon’s fur.
His fluffy head nuzzled against the chest, so soft, as if it could shatter with the gentlest touch.
Qian Ji didn’t like anything weak, and when he did like something, he needed to protect it with all his attention and affection.
"Are you done?"
Qian Ji frowned, pushing Ruan Xingzhou away with annoyance. His red hair covered his sharp ears, tinged with a slight blush.
His push was a bit too forceful, and Ruan Xingzhou staggered backward, his left slipper falling off. Barefoot, he stood on the carpet, staring at Qian Ji with an expressionless face, looking somewhat pitiful.
Seeing Ruan Xingzhou like this made Qian Ji feel inexplicably guilty, as if he had done something wrong. His brow furrowed, and he glared at the man with a terrifying expression to maintain his dragon lord aura.
Ruan Xingzhou lowered his head and opened his arms, disregarding the slipper on the ground, wanting to embrace the man again.
Qian Ji's lips twitched, and he pushed him away again.
Ruan Xingzhou stumbled back, the other slipper falling off as well.
He reached out again—to be pushed away.
Once more, he tried—again, he was pushed away.
Finally, when he reached out again, Qian Ji’s patience was tested. Ruan Xingzhou lowered his head even further, his bangs swaying, and said, "Can you stop pushing me away? I feel uncomfortable."
Uncomfortable. He didn’t know why.
Ruan Xingzhou's lips pouted. His face didn’t show any sign of illness, but Qian Ji scanned his body and found no physical issue. His body and soul were healthy.
What was he uncomfortable about? What was he feeling down about?
Ruan Xingzhou’s head rested against Qian Ji’s chest, his soft hair brushing the skin. Qian Ji’s face softened for a moment, even though he was annoyed.
"You’re so delicate."
The young dragon lord muttered, offering his chest for this "delicate" human to lean on.
After stroking the dragon for a while, Ruan Xingzhou felt that he wasn’t as upset anymore. He opened his mouth and said, "Since I became aware, I’ve always had fewer emotional fluctuations than others..."
For four or five minutes, he spoke about his psychological issues, detailing them one by one.
Qian Ji remained silent, standing tall and strong like a mountain.
After a moment, he suddenly said, "Sleep."
Ruan Xingzhou was swiftly lifted under his arms, his feet leaving the ground. It was the first time someone had picked him up like that, and he stared at Qian Ji blankly.
His face froze, then he was unceremoniously tossed out of the room.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, the wind blowing Ruan Xingzhou's bangs up as he stood there, staring at the door, looking like a resentful wife.
Ruan Xingzhou: Stare—
The door: ...
Ruan Xingzhou: Stare—
The door: ... I’m just an ordinary security door, not a bronze door. This pressure is too much.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Qian Ji snapped his fingers, and his clothes vanished. His muscular body radiated immense power as he lay down in bed and covered himself with a soft blanket.
Although humans had evolved to live in smaller spaces, the things they used were much more refined and convenient.
The bed he lay on was far more comfortable than the mountain he had once rested on, and he no longer had to worry about scaring humans with his dragon form.
Ruan Xingzhou's presence outside had disappeared.
Qian Ji closed his eyes, thinking about the burden he carried. He thought about the dwindling dragon race, the fact that he was the last one, and the impossibility of continuing his line.
The dragon clan's bloodline was nearly extinct, and he needed to find a partner quickly, but if a human were to bear his child, the body wouldn’t have the strength to survive the process, and it would likely die during childbirth.
He thought of Ruan Xingzhou's face.
Tch.
So delicate.
Qian Ji frowned again, the thought of the fragile human potentially dying during childbirth making him uneasy.
Maybe it was time to find someone else.
Later that night, Qian Ji opened his eyes, his golden pupils glowing fiercely in the dark. A figure stood silently at the foot of his bed.
The figure’s head was level with his, and as Qian Ji's eyes opened, they met in a direct stare.
The person, seeing his eyes open, stared back, a grin slowly curling onto his face.
"Hehe—You’re awake—"
"Hehehe—"
Qian Ji: ...
The young dragon lord sat up expressionlessly, turned on the bedside lamp, and looked at the figure standing at the bedside, resembling a ghost.
He blinked, then opened his palm, a golden-red flame igniting with a loud 'boom.'
"Explain!" Qian Ji growled through gritted teeth, glaring at him.
Ruan Xingzhou stood there for a moment, then carefully placed his pillow next to Qian Ji's.
With a serious expression, he said, "I want to sleep with you."
"..."
"I swear, you're trying to get me killed!" Qian Ji shouted.
Ruan Xingzhou, his face expressionless, carefully lifted the blanket and began to slide under it, inch by inch, as if carrying out the most daring task in the most cautious way.
"..."
Damn it!
Qian Ji was so angry that he nearly laughed.
A minute later, the door swung open, and Ruan Xingzhou, wrapped up in the blanket, was thrown out once again.
He rolled twice before coming to a stop, staring at the door.
Ruan Xingzhou: ...
He looked at the door and retrieved a key from his pocket.
"I have a key."
So…
The sixth time Qian Ji opened his eyes, he had no more energy to get angry. His veins were practically popping from his forehead, and his dragon horns had fully emerged.
He gazed at Ruan Xingzhou’s emotionless face, finally understanding the determination of humans.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Get in."
Ruan Xingzhou’s face lit up with a sparkle, and with a joyful smile, he finally climbed into bed beside Qian Ji.
"Really?" Qian Ji thought. But his forehead throbbed, and his body was full of tension.
Now, he could finally sleep.
Just as Qian Ji was about to doze off, he suddenly felt something poking him in the stomach.
"One, two… you have two?! Dragons have two?" Ruan Xingzhou said in shock.
"..." Qian Ji.
Ruan Xingzhou's curiosity piqued, and he tried to peek beneath the blanket. Qian Ji’s large hand grabbed his head and lifted him up.
Breathing heavily, Qian Ji's red hair fluttered as his golden pupils glared, and his dragon horns stood tall on his head.
Ruan Xingzhou: "Behave."
Qian Ji: "Get out—!"
"Bang!"
Ruan Xingzhou was thrown out once again, rolling across the floor. The key broke in half, tumbling after him.
Ruan Xingzhou: ...
The key... is gone.
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