Reborn To Be The Imperial Consort [BL]-Chapter 63: Thalassotélos — VI

When they reached Long ZhenHai’s living quarters, the dragon stopped, giving Hu Lijing a respectful bow, he clasped his hands in front of himself and murmured.

"I do not have the permission to enter Young Master ZhenHai’s residence." He explained, straightening up as Hu Lijing waved at him. "But one of the servants will lead you to the Young Master, Clan Leader Hu. I pray that everything is resolved peacefully."

Hu Lijing nodded at him, as he clasped his hands inside either sleeves and walked through the gate, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

"You have my gratitude for leading me here."

The dragon nodded and watched the divine fox walk further, his amber hair swaying and shimmering as the light of the warm sun fell on him, casting around him a mesmerising glow.

When the nine-tailed fox disappeared from his sight, the dragon smiled with a shake of his head and turned to return to what he had been doing.

As soon as Hu Lijing walked in, a servant came rushing to him with an anxious look on his face.

"Pardon me for my tardiness, Clan Leader Hu." The young dragon bowed nervously as Hu Lijing observed him. "I had not anticipated Clan Leader Hu to arrive so soon."

The young dragon was between two to three hundred years of age, stark white scales adorned his skin as he continued to apologise while Hu Lijing observed him with a tilt of his head and a slight furrow marring his face.

A dragon with white scales meant that this youngling had yet to find his calling—the element he should be able to harness.

The nine-tailed divine fox spirit’s eyes flashed with displeasure as he canted his head slightly and pursed his lips.

For an undifferentiated dragon to be serving in the courtyard wherein Long ZhenHai lived. He could only imagine how nerve-wrecking it must be for this youngling.

Was the clan of Dragons mistreating Long ZhenHai?

As the question appeared in his mind, Hu Lijing’s frown deepened, dismay leaking throughout his body as it rolled off his person like invisible waves, making it hard to breath for the young dragon bowing down to him.

Finally remembering where he was, Hu Lijing snapped out of his musings and quickly spoke.

"Don’t be so anxious, little one," he tried to offer the youngling a comforting — well about as comforting as he could afford amidst his darkening thoughts — smile. "It is but a small matter and you were hardly too late."

The young dragon straightened up sheepishly at his words, nodding emphatically as Hu Lijing’s reassurance sunk into him.

Inexperienced.

A young dragon who wore his emotions on his sleeves and painted them on his face.

How could a mere babe like him be fit to serve the mightiest of the dragons?

Hu Lijing hid away his displeasure as he gestured for the youngling to lead him.

"Now, if you could lead me to your master.." Gently, he hinted and watched as the young dragon’s eyes widened in panic. It would have been almost comical had it not been due to his lax conduct.

How could an untrained youngling like him be serving Long ZhenHai of all?

Hu Lijing’s eyes narrowed, amber eyes flashing as he glanced at the young dragon then at the servants he saw on the way while taking in the grandiose palace Long ZhenHai lived in.

He bit back a sigh of relief, well, it seemed at least something was of the water-borne dragon’s calibre.

As he followed the young dragon, sauntering through the maze of hallways and corridors, Hu Lijing contemplated a few things, lamenting the others.

He could distinctly feel the fleeting and fervent gazes of other servants as he passed by despite pretending not to. Even the hatchling tasked with leading him to Long ZhenHai would glance back at Hu Lijing every so often.

Regardless, he ignored all of them resolutely. As he walked deeper and deeper into the place Long ZhenHai didn’t visit as often as the clan of dragons would like, Hu Lijing could feel the dragon’s power rolling in the air, crawling on the ground, bouncing off the walls and clinging to every thread of the clothes worn by people who lived here.

With every breath he drew, every step he took, Hu Lijing could feel the power rolling off his person, inspecting him, familiar and inquisitive. He could taste the saline taste of sea water, of the coastal air, of the towering waves on the tip of his tongue.

The sheer abundance of Long ZhenHai’s power filling this space was...

Intoxicating, for the lack of better words. For the words accurate enough to describe the feeling simmering inside Hu Lijing had yet to be created.

Taking a deep breath, Hu Lijing exhaled softly, unwittingly, he had missed this.

But before he could drown in the deluge of Long ZhenHai’s power, of his spirit, Hu Lijing caught himself, reminding himself the purpose of his visit as his eyes darted to the young dragon walking two steps ahead of him.

It seemed like none but Hu Lijing himself could sense and pinpoint the massive amount of Qi gathering in this place.

Well, that was a good thing.

Hu Lijing breathed out a sigh of relief. Because if these younglings could, they would have long since been driven to insanity.

All good. All good. Now he would be able to apologise.

"Master should be resting in there, Clan Leader Hu," the youngling came to a stop as he announced in a low voice, standing in front of the wooden door carved with dragonic figures and several other things to perfection.

Hu Lijing gazed at the door, head slightly raised with his chin tilted upwards, jaws somewhat tense as he took a step forward.

"I wish you nothing but luck, Clan Leader Hu."

Yes, Hu Lijing would need all the luck he could get. Definitely.

Taking a deep breath, Hu Lijing reached his hand forward, a single calloused palm rested on the door as his fingers felt the patterns under them while the sound of retreating footsteps receded behind him.

Hu Lijing bit back a sigh as he mustered up the courage to push the door open, his thoughts were loud, louder than they were supposed to be.

How would Long ZhenHai react to Hu Lijing’s presence within his residence?

Would the dragon of the infinite sea even welcome him? Would he find Hu Lijing displeasing?

Would he even want to listen to anything Hu Lijing had to say?

Did these six hundred years have an adverse effect on their relationship beyond what Hu Lijing could perceive?

Would Long ZhenHai change his mind and hate Hu Lijing?

Most importantly, was Long ZhenHai, his ZhenHai being mistreated by his clan?

If so, why didn’t ZhenHai say anything about it? Was their treatment of him the reason why he preferred living in his lair more than he did in the clan grounds?

However—

—The moment the doors were pushed open and Hu Lijing took the first step inside, all his thoughts, all the noise, all the worries met a swift and suffocating death.

And sure enough, before he knew it, only a peaceful silence blanketed the vaults of his mind.

Hu Lijing walked in deeper, eyes trained on a figure sitting at the edge of the luxurious bed in the room, his amber eyes blazed with veiled determination as he flicked his hand, the door behind him shutting with a bang, closed by an invisible force exerted upon them.

The person sitting on the edge of the bed didn’t move an inch, nor did he acknowledge Hu Lijing’s approaching steps. His lithe torso hunched over as he rested his elbows on his knees, legs spread apart casually and long black hair draped on his back, one too many locks flowing down his shoulders.

Hu Lijing didn’t move his eyes away from the man — the water-borne dragon — as he came to a halt a few feet away from him. His throat bobbed, amber eyes narrowing as his lips parted, quiet noise falling off his lips.

"You knew I arrived." He stated plainly in lieu of a greeting.

His voice seemed to anchor the dragon out of his thoughts, for as soon as his voice fell, Long ZhenHai’s frustratingly still figure moved, head raising as he met the fox’s eyes.

His icy blue eyes met Hu Lijing’s for the briefest moment before those breathtaking eyes raked down his graceful form, their pace slow and deliberate as if drinking in the sight Hu Lijing presented.

"I knew you came here." After a long time, Long ZhenHai spoke, voice somewhat hoarse as he pulled his gaze away, taking to staring at his own feet.

Hu Lijing stamped away the disappointment in his heart and swept his eyes over Long ZhenHai’s — somewhat — unkempt appearance. His pallid face, somewhat silken cheeks, bloodshot sclera and the heavy bags under his eyes.

A stark contrast to his usually impeccable state. Hu Lijing’s heart ached, like a knife twisting in his heart, the realisation struck.

He was most likely the reason behind Long ZhenHai’s state. The way gloom and exhaustion weighed down on his body.

Wasn’t he the reason?

"Why are you like this... So..." The divine fox trailed off, not knowing what exactly to call his state.

Long ZhenHai’s gaze flicked to him, hips lips pressed together as he opened his mouth, returning Hu Lijing’s question with another.

"Why are you here at all?" He paused, raising an eyebrow. "I surmised we wouldn’t be seeing one another unless our estrus commanded?"

It was more a statement than a question.

Hu Lijing bit the inside of his cheeks as he suppressed a wince at the dragon’s blunt response.

"That is what you assumed." His mouth was — unfortunately — faster than his brain when it came to exchanging words of argument. "No, I didn’t—" he rushed to speak but Long ZhenHai cut him off, his voice oddly blank.

"So I’m to blame in this as well?" A derisive laugh. "Of course."

"No, no..." Desperation took over Hu Lijing as he promptly abandoned all the inhibitions binding him and all but rushed to the dragon, kneeling in front of him. "No. No, ZhenHai... I’m sorry. I am sorry." He whispered, hesitating to take his hands as he looked up at the dragon, heartbreaking at the sight of his impassive, nearly lifeless, eyes. "It’s not your fault. It’s mine. It has always been mine."

Long ZhenHai didn’t say a word, throat rolling as he watched Hu Lijing intensely.

Hu Lijing slowly extended his hand, tentatively resting the dragon’s as he gave it a light squeeze.

"I’m sorry. I really am. Will you please give me a chance to explain myself? If you truly do not want anything to do with me, then... Then..." His voice trembled, fingers shaking as he held Long ZhenHai’s hands. "I will never bother you, not even for my estrus. I swear."

Long ZhenHai’s icy gaze moved to his face, it lingered on the welling tears in those amber eyes as he slowly opened his mouth.

"By all means, I will listen... Jing’ge." His voice cracked at the end.

Relief washed over Hu Lijing, a warm current running in his veins as he shuffled closer, settling himself between Long ZhenHai’s parted legs, on his knees as he held onto his hands.

"Thank you, thank you so much, ZhenHai." He murmured in a thick voice, drops of tears hanging on his eyelashes as he brought the dragon’s cool hands to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "Thank you.."

"I’m waiting, Jing’ge." Long ZhenHai’s voice wavered as he watched Hu Lijing’s kiss his hands, heart aching fiercely in his chest.