It took Mu Wanwan some time to digest the fact that the little feather ball was actually a White Phoenix chick.
As she watched Mengmeng gradually grow rounder and plumper, a trace of anticipation suddenly arose within her.
Since it was a White Phoenix, Mengmeng would surely become beautiful and majestic once it grew up, right?
However, Mr. Dragon had said that he had taken Mengmeng from the demon clan. If Mengmeng inherited memories from its previous life, would it leave her?
It was only after waking up that Mu Wanwan learned from Mr. Dragon that Mengmeng’s intelligence was currently comparable to that of a three-year-old child.
It was still in its infancy and actually needed to absorb large quantities of spiritual energy and consume many heavenly treasures every day.
Mr. Dragon said that when he had first taken Mengmeng from the demon clan, he had never expected it to hatch.
At the time, Mengmeng’s life force had been extremely weak. Over the following decades, it had resembled nothing more than a dead phoenix egg.
Mu Wanwan watched Mengmeng become increasingly lively as it played in the courtyard. Feeling a little worried, she set down the spirit plant she had been cultivating.
The little feather ball had kept her company throughout the long period before Mr. Dragon awakened. Her feelings towards Mengmeng had long surpassed those one would ordinarily have towards a pet.
Now that she knew Mengmeng could awaken its spiritual intelligence and might even take human form many years from now, she suddenly developed the mentality of an old mother. *(:3」∠)*
Although she understood that returning to the demon clan might be better for Mengmeng’s growth, Mu Wanwan was still reluctant to let it go.
Besides, Mr. Dragon had brought back a large number of spirit stones this time.
For the foreseeable future, they should still be able to afford raising the plump bird.
“Chirp, chirp!”
Mengmeng desperately flapped its tiny wings, practising how to fly.
Ever since the evil dragon had poked it, its body had become increasingly plump.
Although it had never been particularly good at flying before, it had at least been able to glide for a short distance. Now, however, it had become so heavy that it could no longer leave the ground. QAQ
The little crest feather on Mengmeng’s head fluttered in the cold wind, while the feathers covering half its body were blown in every direction.
Mu Wanwan’s sharp eyes spotted several black feathers falling from its body.
Oh no.
The chubby bird was moulting.
“Tired?”
A somewhat cold voice, carrying an obvious hint of jealousy, sounded beside her.
Mu Wanwan finally tore her gaze away from Mengmeng and turned around to look at her dragon.
The sweet little dragon’s gaze rested on the hem of her skirt.
“The shiny things are enough to support you,” he said indifferently.
Mu Wanwan: “…”
The corners of her lips unconsciously curved upwards.
She shook her head at Mr. Dragon, who was sitting in the middle of a pile of spirit stones.
“I’m not tired.”
She did not know whether this dragon particularly liked the wheelchair she had commissioned from Uncle Tie or whether there was some other reason, but aside from the evenings, when he would shyly stand up with his ears trembling and walk out so she could wash, he generally remained seated in the wheelchair.
Mu Wanwan glanced at the aloof dragon, who gave her a slight nod, and felt caught between laughter and helplessness.
He had brought back a great many spirit stones this time. They were indeed more than enough to support her.
However, she was the only person capable of refining pills that could alleviate the curse.
Although the Special Lifeform Alliance’s leader had helped reduce much of Mr. Dragon’s curse, some of it still remained.
Furthermore, he had gone out this time and returned covered in injuries again. She still wanted to refine more medicinal pills and keep them in reserve.
“Come here.”
Seeing her staring distractedly at the glittering stones on the ground, Mr. Dragon tilted his head and spoke.
Mu Wanwan was slightly puzzled but walked over to him.
In the next instant, the hand wearing her bracelet was gently lifted.
Mu Wanwan’s eyes widened in surprise.
Why was this awkward dragon being so proactive today?
Mr. Dragon raised his dark eyes and glanced at her, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
“This one isn’t good. Replace it.”
Mu Wanwan laughed softly.
Her heart felt itchy, and she could not resist the urge to tease him.
She wanted to say, “I like anything my husband gives me.”
However, the word “husband” seemed lodged in her throat. No matter what she did, she could not bring herself to say it.
In the end, she merely felt the warmth of Mr. Dragon’s large hand, which was considerably hotter than hers, and slowly began to blush.
“Cold.”
Mr. Dragon held his wife’s soft little hand.
Although he felt shy, he was also extremely happy. He simply took her other hand as well and enclosed both of them within his broad palms.
He was very tall, and his hands were correspondingly large.
Mu Wanwan had never considered her own hands particularly small for a woman’s. They had even become slightly rough from constantly cultivating spirit plants.
However, compared to his, they seemed exceptionally delicate.
He could completely envelop her hands within his own, warming them and shielding them from the cold outside.
In truth, she was already a third-rank cultivator. After awakening this time, she had even made a small breakthrough, reaching the late stage of the third rank.
She was perfectly capable of enduring temperatures around freezing. At most, her hands would become slightly cool; she did not truly feel cold.
Nevertheless, being treated this way made her heart feel warm.
He really was wonderful.
After warming her hands for a while, the scheming, shy dragon—who was solemnly taking advantage of her—finally released them.
His face flushed as he took out a new bracelet.
He had found a high-quality yet inconspicuous piece of Heart-Clearing Jade the previous night while his wife was asleep, then painstakingly used his spiritual power to polish it little by little.
It was connected to his mustard-seed space.
Although his wife had not yet reached the fourth rank and therefore could not establish ownership over the space itself, she could use anything stored inside it.
“All the treasures are inside.”
Mr. Dragon slowly slipped the bracelet onto Mu Wanwan’s wrist.
It fit perfectly.
Mu Wanwan looked slightly bewildered.
“Hm?”
Mr. Dragon became embarrassed again.
Seeing the unexpected expression on Mu Wanwan’s face, he felt even guiltier.
She had been married to him for so long, yet she had never received anything particularly valuable.
He had once enjoyed wealth and authority at the very summit of the world, but now he could only retrieve a few treasures he had left outside and give them to her.
“There aren’t many,” Mr. Dragon said hesitantly, his voice slightly hoarse. “I’ll give you more in the future.”
More.
Enough shiny things to surpass a mountain.
She liked dresses made from that sort of material, but it was extremely rare.
It was produced from the essence of a special life-form beneath the sea. In addition to pink and purple, it also came in bright yellow and green.
After some time passed, he would visit the ocean floor and find more of it.
Then he could give her several more dresses.
Fortunately, Mu Wanwan had no idea that Mr. Dragon was planning to give her several additional outfits displaying his peculiar taste.
He had originally been looking forward to seeing her wear the two dresses he had already given her.
She had only managed to brush him off by claiming that the weather was currently too cold for such clothing.
Under his expectant gaze, Mu Wanwan looked at the bracelet around her wrist and established ownership over it.
Her spiritual power entered the bracelet.
Mu Wanwan then “saw” mountains of spirit stones, countless gold coins and gemstones, as well as numerous luxurious treasures.
They completely filled the enormous space.
This was what he considered “not many”?
Had poverty blinded her?
Had she been completely ignorant of the power of money?
She had assumed that the spirit stones scattered across the ground were everything Mr. Dragon had gained from this journey. Just moments ago, she had even worried that they might be unable to afford raising Mengmeng.
But now—
Looking into Mr. Dragon’s earnest eyes, Mu Wanwan fully realised something for the first time.
The impoverished and miserable little Mr. Dragon from his memories, and the utterly wretched adult Mr. Dragon she had first encountered, had truly once been an overwhelmingly powerful and wealthy tyrannical dragon—
A pure, twenty-four-karat, top-grade-spirit-stone-encrusted little tycoon dragon.
Her heart felt both sweet and aching.
However, she did not act overly polite and reject his gift.
She accepted it.
Mr. Dragon pursed his lips slightly.
“Do you like it?”
Mu Wanwan’s eyes curved into crescents as she shook the bracelet on her wrist.
“I like it very much.”
That night, perhaps because they were still embarrassed, the two of them continued sleeping beneath separate quilts.
Unlike before, however, they now spoke to each other for a while before going to sleep.
Listening to Mengmeng’s quiet breathing beside her, Mu Wanwan hesitated briefly before saying, “Mr. Dragon, I need to visit the market the day after tomorrow.”
She had previously made an agreement with Uncle Zong, and she also needed to visit Jiu Qing again, even though they no longer lacked money.
The dragon gave a quiet acknowledgment.
His long fingers tapped the side of the wheelchair.
“I’ll come with you.”
Mu Wanwan: “…”
Had she misheard him?
“You…”
Mu Wanwan looked worried.
“Your injuries…”
Mr. Dragon narrowed his long phoenix eyes. A faintly cold smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
“They are no obstacle.”
Although he had suffered severe injuries during this journey, he had also benefited from the misfortune.
The curse within his body had weakened considerably, and his origin core had successfully connected to its sixth fragment.
Most of the scars Mu Wanwan had touched were traces left behind after the fragments of his origin core had been reconnected.
His true dragon form was actually far more miserable than his current appearance.
In human form, only his broken horn and half-bald ears appeared somewhat pitiful.
In his other forms, however, no matter how much he attempted to conceal it, he could not change the fact that he was already a disabled dragon.
Over the past several days, with the help of large quantities of spirit stones and medicinal pills, his strength had finally recovered to the sixth rank.
Although he was still incapable of opposing the entire dragon clan, the situation was no longer quite as hopeless as before.
The faint lamplight cast a sharp yet warm glow across his brows.
His facial features were deep and pronounced, while indistinct shadows surrounded his eye sockets.
His eyelids were lowered, and a faint yet unmistakable killing intent seemed to gather beneath them.
At the very least, he could keep her safe.
Even if the abyss collapsed.
Even if they faced an ocean of blood and an army of ten thousand.
The thought had been brewing within his heart for a long time.
Gradually, he suppressed the hatred inside his eyes.
During the nearly one hundred years since he had become the ruler, he had forgotten what it felt like for his heart to pound violently.
He had stubbornly walked alone through a lonely abyss, cruelly and tyrannically rejecting anyone who attempted to approach him.
He had broken through to the seventh rank before reaching thirty years of age, yet he had remained stuck there ever since.
Perhaps his defeat this time had occurred solely so that he could meet her.
For the first time, Mr. Dragon felt that taking revenge upon the dragons who had once humiliated and mocked him was no longer quite so important.
Even what sort of creature he truly was no longer seemed particularly important.
He had met her.
There were still scattered curse marks across Mr. Dragon’s face. His long hair hung down, concealing some of them.
Yet in Mu Wanwan’s eyes, the marks resembled trickles of blood.
For a single moment, he seemed to overlap with the little Mr. Dragon imprisoned within the cage in his memories.
Mu Wanwan’s heart swelled with aching sorrow, and she found herself unable to speak.
Mr. Dragon looked at her.
His expression gradually softened, his knotted brows relaxing.
His lips remained pursed, yet at that moment, it was as though thousands of miles of ice and snow had suddenly melted.
“Are you willing to leave with me?”
Awkwardly, he spoke words of affection he was unaccustomed to expressing.
Profound attachment was concealed within his cold eyes. As his long eyelashes lowered slightly, it slowly spilled free.
After speaking, Mr. Dragon turned his head away in embarrassment.
Nevertheless, he gathered his courage and extended a large hand towards her, attempting to reach Mu Wanwan beneath the other quilt.
He was clearly an old dragon who had seen countless beauties, yet at this moment, he resembled a young man desperate to prove himself before the person he loved.
All that remained within him was the urgent desire to earn her approval, together with a powerful and stubborn possessiveness.
The thoughts he had once entertained—of refusing to provoke or approach her until everything had settled—had long since been swept away like a raging mountain flood and completely forgotten by his greedy heart.
All that remained after the storm was the love still rooted within his heart, gleaming with the brilliance of precious gemstones.
He wanted to take her away.
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