Thank you, quayA, for the ko-fi~
Feng Yuan tilted his chubby little face upward, pleading with the unfamiliar man before him.
Rong Rong listened as he begged incessantly, still too afraid to lift his head.
The timid little fox buried himself against Feng Yuan, his tiny voice mimicking Feng Yuan’s as he stammered repeatedly, “Pwease, pwease.”
The two little ones huddled together, beseeching the man.
Feng Yuan was quite adept at reading the situation.
He hadn’t pleaded with the Divine Lord, who had wanted to eat them earlier.
He knew it would have been useless.
But now, with this man who had defeated the Divine Lord, Feng Yuan felt it was worth a try.
This was the survival instinct of a young phoenix!
The two little ones clung to each other as the man slowly closed the distance between them, stopping right in front of them.
The man crouched down.
He reached out and grabbed Rong Rong.
Rong Rong: “!”
Rong Rong trembled with fear, his small body shaking uncontrollably.
Seeing how scared he was, Feng Yuan didn’t hesitate to pull Rong Rong behind him.
“Wh-what do you want? Do it to Yuan Yuan!”
“Don’t touch Rong Rong.”
Feng Yuan spread his chubby little arms wide, shielding Rong Rong behind him like a mother hen protecting her chick.
Rong Rong was wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
The sleeves, which had originally covered half his arms, had ridden up a bit during the earlier struggle.
A red birthmark came into the man’s view.
The man had a similar birthmark himself.
He stared intently at the mark on Rong Rong’s small arm for a few seconds before speaking.
“You don’t want me to kill you?”
Feng Yuan: “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Feng Yuan nodded vigorously. “Don’t kill us, and don’t eat us either. We’re still little. We don’t have much meat on us.”
As Feng Yuan spoke about his lack of meat, the man glanced at his chubby little body but made no comment.
“If you want me to spare you, what can you offer in return?”
Demons had never been associated with the word kindness.
To persuade a demon to act mercifully, one had to offer a price that would satisfy him.
Feng Yuan blinked, sensing that there might be room for negotiation.
So, he began to showcase his bargaining chips.
He pointed to his chubby cheeks, still soft with baby fat.
“You can pinch my cheeks. They’re really soft!”
The demon showed no interest.
Undeterred, Feng Yuan extended his chubby little foot.
“You can lie down, and I’ll step on your back! It feels so good, so good!”
Feng Yuan’s plump little feet were fleshy and soft. At home, he often gave the adults back massages by stepping on them.
Uncle, Big Dad, Little Uncle. He’d stepped on all their backs!
The demon lowered his gaze to Feng Yuan’s mud-covered shoes and remained unimpressed by his dirty little feet.
Feng Yuan didn’t give up.
He took a step forward, clenched his small hands into fists, and lightly pounded the demon’s leg.
“I can give you a massage!”
“Going to a massage parlor costs a lot of money, you know.”
Clearly, the only things Feng Yuan could offer were his chubby cheeks, his plump feet, and his meaty little fists skilled in pounding backs.
None of these held any appeal for the demon.
After repeated failures, Feng Yuan puffed out his chubby cheeks and glared at the difficult demon.
“Then… then I’ll perform a talent for you!”
Feng Yuan had learned quite a few talents in kindergarten.
The kindergarten taught all sorts of crafts.
Feng Yuan had even taught himself square dancing!
Just as Feng Yuan was about to showcase his talent, the demon before him seemed to find the surroundings uncomfortable.
With a wave of his hand, the two younglings vanished from the spot.
A moment later.
The demon and the younglings reappeared together in the palace of the “Divine Lord”.
The demon waved his hand again, transforming the place into a decor that suited his taste.
He was in no hurry to leave.
Nor was he in any rush to return the two young ones.
The little fox among the two cubs still had a use for him.
The fox was always trying to escape him.
He didn’t mind repeatedly recapturing the fox.
But he hoped this game would occasionally take a break.
The newly decorated bedchamber looked oppressive.
Two little ones dressed in red stood side by side in the open space.
Feng Yuan sucked in his belly and began to perform.
He waved his little hands and wiggled his waist, earnestly performing a square dance for the demon.
Rong Rong’s waist was suddenly wrapped in a dark mist.
He was pulled directly to the demon’s side.
The demon lay on the bed. Rong Rong was seated beside him, his small face on the verge of tears.
“Rong Rong, don’t be afraid!”
Seeing that Rong Rong was about to cry from fear, Feng Yuan quickly stopped dancing and ran over.
He reached the bedside and comforted Rong Rong with a gentle touch.
Then, he began teaching Rong Rong how to work.
“Give him a little massage.”
With the demon lying down, it was clearly a good opportunity to offer a massage!
Feng Yuan personally demonstrated, teaching Rong Rong how to massage and pound the back.
Tears welled up in Rong Rong’s eyes. But under Feng Yuan’s guidance, he mustered his courage, clenched his little fists, and began to massage the demon’s back.
Feng Yuan was well-versed in how to please others.
In hopes that the demon, in a moment of delight, might release them, Feng Yuan, now acting like an eager little attendant, diligently fetched water for the demon to drink.
Soon.
Rong Rong was in charge of massaging and pounding the back, while Feng Yuan worked hard at dancing.
The two little ones served the demon like tiny servants.
Rong Rong kept his head down as he massaged.
He wasn’t as bold as Feng Yuan. Ever since this demon appeared, he hadn’t dared to look up at him.
The little fox’s hands were weak.
Despite his earnest efforts, the massage felt no more than a tickle to the demon.
Just as the little fox, holding back tears, continued his efforts, the demon’s voice rang out.
“Look up.”
The little fox: “…”
The little fox’s hands stiffened.
He didn’t want to look up.
But brave Yuan Yuan was dancing below and wasn’t by his side.
So, with no one to turn to for help, Rong Rong reluctantly lifted his tear-streaked little face.
He hadn’t been able to hold back and had secretly cried.
The demon gazed at his tear-stained face, his eyes suddenly deepening.
This little face closely resembled the fox’s.
Only, it was a smaller, softer, and more pitiful version.
“You cry a lot.”
The demon said softly, staring at his face. “Much more than the fox.”
Aside from being brought to tears in bed by him, the fox never shed tears at any other time.
Wait, that wasn’t entirely true.
When he was sent by the fox to find this little one, there had been tears in the fox’s eyes as well.
Rong Rong didn’t respond to a single word the demon said.
Rong Rong had never been one to talk much.
And to this demon who frightened him, he wouldn’t speak at all.
The little one below, exhausted from dancing, noticed the demon speaking to Rong Rong and quickly mustered his energy, rushing over.
“Uncle, is Rong Rong not massaging well enough? Let me take over!”
Feng Yuan’s words were more like an announcement. Without waiting for the demon’s consent, he climbed onto the bed himself.
He began massaging the demon’s shoulders and arms.
As he worked, Feng Yuan’s eyes darted around. He started probing into the demon’s origins and whether he knew his dad.
“Uncle, have you ever seen the big phoenix? A super, super beautiful big phoenix, even prettier than Yuan Yuan!”
“Fox… foxy.”
Hearing Feng Yuan mention his father, Rong Rong—who had been too timid to speak—stammered along, trying to ask if this uncle had seen the big fox.
That was his father.
Both little ones were asking about their fathers, their pitiful expressions enough to melt anyone’s heart.
But the demon’s heart remained unmoved.
He replied indifferently, “I’ve seen them.”
Feng Yuan: “!”
His eyes lit up, and his little voice bubbled with excitement: “Then take us to find our dads! When we find them, our dads will repay you!”
Rong Rong nodded in agreement.
The two little ones wanted the demon to take them out to search for their fathers.
Instead, the demon began to negotiate.
No—
To be precise, he was negotiating with Rong Rong.
“I can take you out, but I want the fox.”
Rong Rong didn’t understand what he meant.
Feng Yuan wasn’t quite sure either: “You want a fox… like a fox toy? I can buy you one. I have pocket money!”
“I want the fox.”
The demon emphasized each word: “I want the fox to never dare leave me again.”
Rong Rong: “…”
Rong Rong blinked slowly, his amber round eyes filled with confusion.
Feng Yuan’s quick-witted little brain didn’t linger in confusion.
He caught on immediately: “Do you like Uncle Bo Han? You don’t want Uncle Bo Han to leave you?”
“Do you want to be Uncle Bo Han’s partner?”
“Ah! Then you’d be Rong Rong’s stepdad!”
Feng Yuan’s little voice chattered on without pause.
His analysis wasn’t far off—
Except for the part about the demon being a stepdad.
This demon was, in fact, Rong Rong’s biological father.
Realizing this demon was connected to Uncle Bo Han, Feng Yuan, who had been anxious, finally relaxed, his worries settling back into his chubby little belly.
He pulled the still-confused Rong Rong close.
Turning their backs, the two little ones whispered to each other.
Feng Yuan held Rong Rong’s hand, patting it gently as he explained: “Rong Rong, this uncle definitely likes your daddy. He wants to be with you both.”
“Don’t be sad. He won’t steal your daddy.”
As an experienced little guy himself, Feng Yuan shared his wisdom.
“Having one more daddy means one more grown-up to love us!”
“He’ll love you just like your daddy does.”
The chubby little face beamed with pride as he imparted his insights.
“We’re such clever, cute, and beautiful kids. Grown-ups always love us!”
“If he becomes your new daddy, he’ll love you, too!”
Feng Yuan brainwashed Rong Rong as if handing out pamphlets.
Once the brainwashing was complete, the two turned back around.
All of Rong Rong’s earlier fear and hesitation had been washed away by Feng Yuan’s words.
Now, his little mind echoed only one thought—
“If he’s going to be your new daddy, he’ll definitely love you!”
Although thoroughly convinced, Rong Rong still stayed silent as he looked at the demon.
When he didn’t speak, Feng Yuan took over again.
“Uncle, if you and Uncle Bo Han are a family, then we’re all family, too!”
Feng Yuan chatted familiarly with the demon, “We’re all family here, so we should help each other out.”
Feng Yuan kept chattering nonstop.
The demon’s ears were practically aching from the noise.
The little guy will be exhausted from talking so much.
After a while longer, the little guy let out a long sigh.
“So tired.”
He was now tired, thirsty, and hungry.
“Uncle, let me cook a meal for you!”
Feng Yuan scrambled down from the bed and brought Rong Rong down with him.
The two little ones stood before him, asking for ingredients.
The demon casually waved his hand, piling bloodied rabbit meat, fish, some mushrooms, vegetables, and even a lingzhi mushroom in front of them.
Feng Yuan: “…”
Feng Yuan looked at the pile of ingredients and spread his chubby little hands forward.
“Uncle, can I have a knife and a pot, too?”
The demon obliged.
The two little ones took the ingredients and went to cook.
The demon raised his hand again, this time completely dispersing the aura of the “Divine Lord” from the forest.
With the so-called “Divine Lord’s” aura gone, the phoenix’s sense of smell would no longer be obstructed.
The demon was waiting for them to arrive.
He had two young ones in his possession. Now, it was time to meet their fathers.
The moment the aura dissipated, the phoenix keenly detected the change.
“There’s a path now!”
All the previous illusions could no longer hide from the phoenix.
The phoenix’s spirits lifted, and he hurried forward with Yu Ye.
Halfway there, he heard the fox’s voice in the distance.
“Yu Ye, keep going forward. I sense the presence of Chi Rong and Qing Hao ahead.”
“I’ll go fetch Bo Han.”
Yu Ye: “Mm.”
Yu Ye continued forward while Feng Qi went to find the fox.
With the illusions gone, Yu Ye’s vision was no longer obscured.
He pressed on and soon saw two figures dressed in red wedding attire.
The Divine Lord was dead beyond any doubt.
The restraints he had placed on the two dragons had weakened considerably.
The two dragons could move again.
But their condition was far from ideal.
The envoy, to ensure they served the Divine Lord better, had given them something beforehand.
Under the influence of these substances, they began to hallucinate.
They would mistake the Divine Lord for the one they desired and willingly allow themselves to be used by him.
By the time Yu Ye arrived, the envoy had vanished.
The envoy had sensed the Divine Lord’s complete annihilation and fled.
Before escaping, he had only used the hallucinogenic incense on Chi Rong.
Qing Hao was unaffected.
At this moment, Chi Rong’s face was flushed, visibly uncomfortable.
Qing Hao, seeing his distress, grew increasingly worried.
“Chi Rong!”
For the sake of his brother, Qing Hao gritted his teeth and said, “If you’re really suffering, I can help you! It’s just the two of us here. Once we’re out, we’ll never speak of this again!”
Qing Hao was willing to go to great lengths for his brother!
But Chi Rong pushed him away.
Chi Rong kept his eyes tightly shut, refusing to look, listen, or move.
“Get away from me!”
“Stop talking to me!”
Although Qing Hao was willing to sacrifice for his brother, Chi Rong wanted no part of it.
To avoid humiliating himself, Chi Rong decisively used vines to bind his own wrists.
Just as Qing Hao was about to frantically persuade him again—
Yu Ye approached.
As soon as Yu Ye arrived, he noticed Chi Rong’s unusual state.
He strode over to Chi Rong and lifted his face.
His palm rested against Chi Rong’s cheek.
The heat on Chi Rong’s cheeks felt intense enough to fry an egg.
“Xiao Hong, open your eyes.”
Yu Ye’s voice was low and firm. “What’s going on with you?”
Hearing that familiar voice, Chi Rong instinctively wanted to use vines to cover his ears again.
“Qing Hao, stop talking! Even your voice sounds different now!”
Chi Rong was fully aware of his current state.
He would start seeing anyone he laid eyes on as someone he could sleep with!
That’s why he didn’t dare open his eyes. Now, it seemed he needed to block his ears, too.
Qing Hao, standing nearby, protested pitifully, “I wasn’t even talking to you!”
He was just about to explain that Yu Ye had arrived.
But before he could, Yu Ye’s fingers gently brushed Chi Rong’s eyelids.
“Xiao Hong, open your eyes.”
“It’s me, Yu Ye.”
Seeing that Yu Ye had revealed his identity himself, Qing Hao closed his mouth and said nothing more.
With someone touching his eyelids, Chi Rong reflexively opened his eyes.
And the moment he did, despair washed over him.
“It’s over, it’s over! I’m starting to hallucinate now!”
He was mistaking Qing Hao for Yu Ye!
Next, he was going to throw himself into Yu Ye’s arms!
Feeling utterly doomed, Chi Rong was on the verge of tears.
“Qing Hao! Please, I’m begging you. Knock me out!”
“I won’t sleep with you!”
Chi Rong simply couldn’t bring himself to sleep around. Not with humans, and not even with other dragons.
Up to this point in his dragon life, he had only ever slept with Yu Ye.
Staring at Yu Ye’s face before him, sorrow welled up in Chi Rong’s heart.
“I’m really done for this time!”
Sleeping with Yu Ye hadn’t been something he’d willingly chosen.
Yet now, even in this hallucination, the face he saw was still Yu Ye’s.
This meant that, deep down, he could only accept sleeping with Yu Ye.
The realization shattered Chi Rong completely.
Watching the distraught Chi Rong, Yu Ye turned his head slightly and glanced at Qing Hao.
Qing Hao offered a meek explanation: “Xiao Hong was given something.”
“He’ll see whoever is in front of him as the person he’s willing to sleep with.”
After hearing those two sentences, Yu Ye understood the situation.
He paused for several seconds before speaking to Qing Hao. “Could you give us some privacy?”
Qing Hao: “Huh?”
Scratching his head, Qing Hao wasn’t too keen on leaving.
His friend was still here. He needed to protect him.
Seeing that Qing Hao wasn’t moving, Yu Ye withdrew his gaze.
He lifted Chi Rong’s face and pressed him, right in front of Qing Hao.
“Xiao Hong, tell me, who do you see right now?”
Cornered and overwhelmed, Chi Rong’s eyes reddened, his voice tinged with tears: “Yu Ye… I see Yu Ye.”
Qing Hao: “…”
Qing Hao was a bit confused.
Yu Ye was right in front of Xiao Hong. Of course, that’s who he’d see.
But Yu Ye didn’t stop after just one question.
He asked another, “Is the person in your heart Yu Ye?”
Chi Rong: “…”
In utter despair, Chi Rong admitted defeat: “Yes, it’s him. I’m finished! Our encounter was just an accident. Why am I still thinking about him?!”
As a proud divine dragon of the sea bullied by a mere human, how could he still be hung up on that human?
He must have lost his mind.
Qing Hao looked at Chi Rong, then at Yu Ye, and finally began to grasp what was happening.
He turned and left without another word, leaving the time and space to the dragon and the human behind him.
Once Qing Hao was gone.
Yu Ye gazed at the weeping Chi Rong dressed in wedding robes. The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
“Silly dragon.”
Yu Ye’s calloused thumb pressed against the red dragon’s lips: “Look closely… am I really Yu Ye?”
The man and the dragon remained behind, not emerging.
Qing Hao walked to the entrance, crouched down, and reluctantly stood guard for his friend.
Meanwhile, not far from them, two little ones were bustling about, cooking with great enthusiasm.
Both youngsters were covered in grime from head to toe.
Feng Yuan was busy handling the meat and washing the vegetables, while Rong Rong tended to the fire.
As Rong Rong stoked the flames, a sudden flare startled him so much that he briefly reverted to his original form.
His fur got singed in the process.
Fortunately, Feng Yuan reacted swiftly, pulling him aside just in time.
Feng Yuan didn’t want him near the fire anymore. But seeing how busy Feng Yuan was, Rong Rong stubbornly returned to his post and continued tending to the flames.
Together, the two little ones toiled away, their once-pretty faces now smudged and dusty.
The two young servants puffed and panted as they cooked.
And on the bed, the demon rested with his eyes closed, conserving his energy.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152