Side Story One: The Grand Wedding (1)
Mu Wanwan’s soul was highly compatible with the wood spirit, so Aunt Hua did not have to expend much effort before successfully merging the two.
After the fusion, the wood spirit absorbed a sufficient amount of spiritual energy. From the outside, it resembled a small, tightly closed bud of tender green.
“Once the bud fully blooms, Wanwan’s rebirth will be complete,” Aunt Hua explained.
Mr. Dragon committed her words firmly to memory and asked about several precautions. Only then did he carefully cradle the small bud with his gentlest spiritual energy and carry it into the room where the fat little bird was still undergoing nirvana.
Wanting to give his wife nothing but the best, he awkwardly expressed to Chi Yan—under her puzzled gaze—that he wished to obtain some brocade on credit.
Chi Yan waved her hand, indicating that she could simply give it to him.
And so, Jiu Qing, who had remained at the tavern to recuperate, watched with dark lines covering her forehead as a certain dragon with peculiar taste selected a piece of pale pink brocade. He fashioned it into something resembling an infant’s swaddle, then placed the flower bud containing Mu Wanwan inside.
She dared say that if Wanwan woke up and discovered she had been cared for like this, she would be utterly speechless.
But Jiu Qing’s speechlessness was far from reaching its limit.
Early in the morning on the second day of Mu Wanwan’s rebirth, Jiu Qing—who had finally finished everything and only just managed to fall asleep—was suddenly awakened by a loud series of crashing noises.
Frowning, she pushed open her door and saw that the tightly shut door across from hers had been flung open in a panic.
The Dragon Lord she remembered might have been somewhat prone to tears in front of Wanwan, but he was still immensely powerful. Yet now his face was deathly pale, fear concealed within his ink-black eyes. He held the flower bud—which had grown considerably larger since yesterday—possessively yet tenderly in his arms.
After casting Jiu Qing a hurried glance, he headed straight for Aunt Hua’s room.
Jiu Qing blocked his path.
Aunt Hua and Uncle Zong had been exhausted these past few days. The married couple had finally managed to reunite and get some proper rest. Unless something serious had happened to Wanwan, would it not be inappropriate to disturb them so early in the morning?
More importantly, while they had all been eating together the previous evening, Uncle Chen had excitedly told them not to disturb the couple today. He had even erected a barrier outside their door.
That dragon had been staying beside Wanwan and the white phoenix, so naturally, he knew nothing about it.
When Mr. Dragon saw her blocking his way, his brow rose. A chill gradually spread across his refined face, and his lips pressed into an even tighter line.
“What happened to Wanwan?” Feeling rather unnerved by his glare, Jiu Qing hurriedly changed the subject.
As soon as she finished speaking, the dragon carefully pointed out a spot on the flower bud in his arms.
“The colour here has become lighter.”
Jiu Qing examined it for a moment. “No, it hasn’t.”
“Look carefully.” Mr. Dragon was deeply worried. “Here.”
Jiu Qing frowned and examined the bud with great care. At last, she spotted the tiniest white tip on a tightly closed seam at the very top.
“Could Madam be hungry? She’s already losing colour,” Mr. Dragon asked anxiously.
Jiu Qing: “……”
Faced with such a “piercing” question, she found herself completely speechless.
When she did not answer, a certain noble dragon grew even more nervous. He pulled the flower bud containing Mu Wanwan into his arms, keeping it out of reach when the curious Jiu Qing tried to touch it. Then he lowered his eyes slightly and whispered to the bud as though complaining,
“See? She can’t even tell.”
The way he said it sounded exactly like: *See? She doesn’t care about you at all. I’m still the best!*
Jiu Qing: “……”
She suddenly remembered that she had once stopped Mu Wanwan when she tried to escape with this dragon.
Could it be that he genuinely regarded her as a romantic rival?
“What’s wrong?” While Jiu Qing remained silent, Aunt Hua pushed open her door. Uncle Chen followed behind her, smiling as usual, yet somehow looking indescribably aggrieved.
Jiu Qing glanced hesitantly at Uncle Chen and received a helpless look in return. Aunt Hua, however, behaved perfectly naturally and had already begun speaking with the anxious dragon.
“It’s normal for the colour to fade. I forgot to tell you—the better the nutrients it absorbs, the paler its colour will become…” Aunt Hua explained to the dragon before asking, “Has Chirpy come out yet?”
Mr. Dragon thanked her respectfully, then shook his head.
“That’s understandable. Nirvana could never be so easy.” Aunt Hua sighed. She had grown extremely fond of that large, plump little bird. She had believed the demon clans had lost all their phoenixes long ago, but now it seemed one still remained.
“Mm.” Knowing that his wife was fine, Mr. Dragon’s mood immediately brightened. He said softly, “Madam was the one who found the fat little bird.”
Jiu Qing: “……”
This dragon truly could not go three sentences without mentioning Wanwan. →_→
…
By the fifth day after Mu Wanwan’s rebirth, the once tiny flower bud had grown to a metre in height. Most of it had turned white, and Mu Wanwan, who remained inside, had begun to regain some awareness—
However, she still could not speak. She possessed only a faint sense of her surroundings and could vaguely “see” what was happening outside.
The room was completely silent. Directly opposite her sat an enormous ball of fire, sealed behind a barrier. It was the now-enormous Mengmeng.
The room’s furnishings were much the same as before, but where was Mr. Dragon?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when the door opened with a click. Through her hazy vision, Mu Wanwan saw a certain dragon enter while carrying something in his hand. He called out to her first, then walked over to her side.
“Madam, hurry up and keep your dragon company.”
Despite being such a huge dragon, he spoke in such a childish manner. After saying that, he even bent down, his face turning red, and gave the wood spirit a tiny kiss.
Mu Wanwan felt a little ticklish.
She watched as the childish dragon used spiritual energy to crush the tail of some unknown creature he had brought with him. He then opened a small gap in Mengmeng’s barrier and tossed the pieces inside, his voice strangely gentle.
“Yu’er, Daddy brought you something tasty.”
Mu Wanwan: “…?”
Was there something wrong with her memory? Wasn’t the one inside the barrier Mengmeng? Who on earth was Yu’er? Was that what he was calling Mengmeng now? And since when had Mr. Dragon become so fond of Mengmeng?
Mu Wanwan was still feeling rather dazed when she saw the dragon reseal the barrier, sit cross-legged beside her, and begin cultivating.
Dense spiritual energy swirled around him, making her feel extremely comfortable. Without realising it, she absorbed a great deal of it. By the time she regained her senses, the dragon had already stopped cultivating and was staring at her.
Mu Wanwan looked at his serious expression. A deep loneliness seemed to be hidden within his dark eyes, making her heart ache—
Although he had spoken about it before, the trials within the inheritance grounds could not have been easy. Moreover, rebirth was bound to come at a price. His dragon horns had shattered earlier; he must have been in terrible pain.
Now that he had finally returned, she had undergone rebirth herself. Was Mr. Dragon acting this way because he felt lonely?
However, before she could feel sorry for him for very long, she heard the dragon say solemnly,
“Madam.”
“When Mengmeng wakes up this time, he’ll be a big chirpy bird. We ought to give him a proper name.”
He lowered his eyes slightly and gently poked the wood spirit, speaking with a hint of excitement.
“While I was hunting monsters in the abyss today, I suddenly thought of a very pleasant-sounding name.”
Mu Wanwan: “……”
Ever since learning that Mr. Dragon’s full name was Ao Qi, she had felt both heartbroken and amused. Now that he wanted to name someone else, she had a bad feeling about it.
But…
Something occurred to Mu Wanwan. Mr. Dragon had just called Mengmeng “Yu’er.”
So was Mengmeng’s new name Ao Yu?
It seemed… acceptable?
However, in the next moment, she heard the dragon say with complete seriousness, “My name is Long, so Mengmeng’s surname should naturally be Long too.”
“Madam, what do you think of **Long Mengyu**…?” A smile played at Mr. Dragon’s lips, and his eyes shone brightly. “Doesn’t it sound wonderful?”
Mu Wanwan: “………………”
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