Chapter 125 - Sweet-Talking His Mother-In-Law (1/2)

By the time Shun Tao adjusted Jing He's scroll of fate once again, Qiu Ling had already tossed everything the heavenly emperor said far out of his head. Instead, he had done exactly what the heavenly emperor wanted to prevent and returned to the mortal realm. He was now standing in front of the teahouse, looking at the entrance with indescribable happiness.

Ah, I'll see him again soon. Mn … Qiu Ling closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had to calm down. He didn't want to storm right in, sweep his beloved off his feet and hug him. Well, he did want to do that, but no, he couldn't. It would make a bad impression on his mother-in-law. And as his other mother-in-law had said: Repairing his relationship with Jing He's mortal mother was one of his highest priorities now!

Thus, Qiu Ling stormed right in, grabbed Madam Zhong's hands and showed her a brilliant smile. ”Mother-in-law, I'm back!”

Madam Zhong was stunned. She had just bid her son farewell and now this man had returned. And he was extremely excited it seemed. ”You …”

”Did you miss me?” He only smiled wider, not at all noticing that Madam Zhong was feeling a little out of sorts. Neither did he notice the three dragons sitting at a table and watching his antics.

Fu Min nibbled some of the snacks Madam Zhong had brought them a while back, clearly enjoying the show in front of him. Ai Hua sipped her tea as if all of that didn't pertain to her. Xiao Dong, who had never before actually seen their king, stared at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed. That man was … the awesome and mighty king his uncle and father were always talking about? Why did it seem as if he was sweet-talking a human woman?

When Qiu Ling didn't get an answer his face fell and he started to look as pitiful as he had in front of the heavenly empress Bai Fen. Mn, this was a deeply practiced move that would be able to melt every woman's heart. Who told him to have such expressive eyes?

”Mother-in-law, don't blame me any longer. I know I did wrong.” He grabbed her sleeve and looked at the ground at his feet. ”You were right all along. I shouldn't have gotten so jealous. It's just … I love him so much. It hurts me when I see him getting along so well with somebody else while I can only watch from the sidelines. So, I thought that when all others would only be able to watch from the sidelines, too, it wouldn't be as bad. I didn't really think … Well, I did think of what it would mean for him but I just couldn't help myself.” He looked up at her again, his eyes seeming as if he feared she would blame him but still hoped otherwise.

Madam Zhong indeed couldn't help being moved by these words and this gaze. She sighed and patted his hand, meanwhile using the opportunity to pluck it off just how Bai Fen always did. Qiu Ling marveled at that similarity. Jing He had really reincarnated into a family not that different from the one in the nine heavens. Well, his mortal father didn't have such an irascible temper as his immortal one but he was just as reliant on his wife.

”It's alright. I know you meant no harm. Just hold back a little in the future.” She smiled slightly. It seemed like the worries she had had about him trying to force her son into something he himself didn't want were ungrounded.

Qiu Ling smiled brightly at her again. Then, his gaze flitted around. ”So … Where is he?”

Madam Zhong patted his hand again. ”He isn't here anymore. Jing'er left the capital. Some days ago, a few disciples of the Yun Zou sect came by. They tested Jing'er and found out that he had the aptitude to become a cultivator. I thought … Well, things kept happening. Maybe he'll be safer when he goes there and becomes a daoist immortal, too.” She looked at Qiu Ling, hesitating a bit, but finally, she still told him. ”You probably don't know but my husband died some weeks ago.”

Qiu Ling furrowed his brow. Madam Zhong didn't know but he had already heard about that in the nine heavens. Qiu Ling gripped her hands again and pulled her into his arms. ”I'm sorry, mother-in-law. I should have been here. I … I wouldn't have been able to help in that case but … I should still have been here to help you. All of this … it's probably my fault.”