“His life is slipping away.”
As those words fell, it was like a thunderclap striking Shen Tanqi’s head. In disbelief, he took Sandan from Yu Ce’s embrace and whispered, “Mian Mian? Mian Mian, what’s wrong with you?”
Sandan seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber, offering no response.
Whether it was a psychological effect or not, Shen Tanqi held Sandan and felt an extreme chill, devoid of any warmth. He anxiously looked at Yu Ce and said, “Take another look. Do you sense something wrong?”
How could such a thing happen out of nowhere?
Yu Ce had sensed it multiple times and firmly held Shen Tanqi’s shoulders, urging him to calm down. “I’ll find a way. Don’t worry, there must be something we can do.”
The reason he said Sandan’s life was slipping away was because Yu Ce could no longer sense his presence. Dragons could perceive their offspring through blood connections, which only disappear upon the death of one party. Yet now, as Yu Ce’s hand touched Sandan, he felt nothing.
It was as if… Sandan was on the brink of death.
He extended his hand, fingertips trembling, and lightly touched Sandan again, infusing his own spiritual energy bit by bit.
Sure enough, like a clear spring merging into a river, a small stream flowing into the sea, Sandan quickly absorbed and consumed all of this spiritual energy, then returned to calmness.
Regardless of how much spiritual energy was input, there was no sign of easing in Sandan’s diminishing life force, nor did Sandan respond in any way.
Even Yu Ce’s sea-like dantian was the same, let alone Shen Tanqi.
At these words, Lin Tanjiu set down the sword in her hand, approached them, and knelt beside the eggshell, gently brushing over it. Her brow furrowed, “Were you just infusing spiritual energy into Sandan?”
Yu Ce glanced up at her and replied, “Yes.”
Lin Tanjiu’s gaze swept over Goldfish and Taro Ball, confirming her thoughts. She whispered softly, “Feiluan Sect has two Feiluan divine beasts, which give birth to offspring once every hundred years, hatching with spiritual energy. Ten years ago, when Feiluan laid eggs, they showed similar symptoms. There’s a renowned daemonic healer in Wenqiu City who intervened and helped them recover. We’re heading to Wenqiu City for the alchemy trial anyway. We can ask the healer for help.”
Unlike Shuoxia, where humans dominate, Wenqiu City’s lord is also from the daemon race. With daemons outnumbering humans several times over, the city boasts numerous formidable daemon healers.
Shen Tanqi tightly wrapped the small blanket around Sandan, his eyes burning with emotion. He turned away and said, “Alright, we’ll go see the healer when we reach Wenqiu City.”
With that said, he handed Sandan to Yu Ce and stood up, stepping out of the carriage. In a low voice, he added, “I feel suffocated. I need some air.”
Yu Ce looked at him with a complex expression for a long moment before nodding.
Outside the carriage, Shen Tanqi sat at the front, hugging himself tightly.
He knew he shouldn’t be dwelling on these chaotic thoughts right now, but his heart was wrenching.
He couldn’t help feeling that it was all his fault.
Every time he tried to do something, life promptly knocked him down, reminding him not to dream foolishly.
Was it because he altered the course of events that Sandan fell ill?
He would rather live his whole life as a piece of mud, as long as his three children could grow up healthy.
Such thoughts grew wildly like weeds in his mind. Shen Tanqi clenched his fists and forcefully hit himself on the head.
He was too weak.
When he was ten years old, after his parents died in a car accident, Shen Tanwu placed their photo on the table in the living room.
At that time, he wondered if their divorce and the accident on the way to finalize it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been born in this world.
Despite harboring resentment and blame towards them deep down, Shen Tanqi couldn’t help but blame himself when he saw their smiles frozen in the cold photographs.
It’s all because of him. It’s all because of him.
Such thoughts nearly overwhelmed Shen Tanqi’s sanity. He hugged his knees tightly, hot tears dropping onto them, leaving faint traces.
After a while, the curtain of the carriage door behind him was lifted, and Shen Tanqi glanced up slightly. Before he could turn around, gentle arms wrapped around his shoulders.
“Ah Qi,” Yu Ce’s voice was soft as he draped his outer coat over Shen Tanqi, wrapping his trembling shoulders.
“Mm.”
Shen Tanqi wiped away his tears and smiled, “Why are you here with me? Go back inside and infuse some more spiritual energy into Sandan, see if it helps.”
At his words, Yu Ce shook his head, saying, “It’s alright. Daemon creatures are resilient; they won’t perish easily.”
“No matter how resilient, he’s just an egg right now. He hasn’t even hatched.” Shen Tanqi pushed him lightly, his voice tinged with weariness. “Go quickly.”
He didn’t want Yu Ce to see him in this weak and powerless state, as if he hadn’t changed at all from when he was ten years old. It was almost laughable—more than a decade had passed, and he hadn’t made any progress.
Yu Ce didn’t move, sitting beside him and murmuring softly, “Do you want to argue?”
He blurted out these words abruptly, leaving Shen Tanqi momentarily stunned. Tears still hung on his eyelashes like glistening dewdrops as he asked blankly, “What are you talking about?”
Was Yu Ce’s mind also stunned?
Yu Ce extended his hand, casting a spell that created a small secluded space for him and Shen Tanqi, blocking out all external sounds. Then he continued, “I guess you’re thinking that it’s your fault for leaving me and the children behind, stubbornly returning to your own world. You didn’t care for Sandan during these seven days, and even after coming back, you haven’t paid much attention to Sandan’s condition. So, you blame yourself for not taking care of the child.”
Shen Tanqi furrowed his brows slightly, understanding what Yu Ce meant, and resignedly replied, “Yes, it’s all my fault.”
He even thought that perhaps it was punishment for his greediness, wanting to protect both his siblings and his children, so heaven punished him by making sure he couldn’t protect either.
Yu Ce saw through his thoughts, carefully choosing his words without changing his expression. “If you put it that way, then I’m also at fault. I didn’t stop you from leaving initially, didn’t use the children to force you, or tie you down. I should have been more ruthless, hung a thousand-pound lock on you, and let you do nothing except incubate the egg. That would have been best for Sandan.”
Shen Tanqi’s eyes widened slightly, hardly believing these words were coming from Yu Ce. “Do you know what you’re saying?”
“I do,” Yu Ce replied without hesitation. “I know you’re timid, hesitant, soft-hearted, and accustomed to avoiding things. I also know you blame yourself for every mistake, and at the first sign of hardship, you think of giving up and retreating. Because you fear failure, fear things won’t turn out as you imagine, you always choose to stay within your comfort zone, and when things go wrong, you only blame and punish yourself.”
As his words fell, Shen Tanqi looked at him speechlessly, the wind wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes. Meeting Yu Ce’s intense gaze, Shen Tanqi couldn’t find any words to argue.
He didn’t understand why Yu Ce had to say such things, why he had to tear open his wounds and make him see how ugly and weak he truly was. Was Yu Ce only satisfied when he felt this way?
“Yes,” Shen Tanqi’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He suddenly grabbed Yu Ce’s clothes, staring at him with a hint of anger. “I am that kind of person. That’s how I was born. If you were like me, never succeeding in anything from childhood to adulthood, lacking so-called talent, without a wealthy family background, without parents to take care of you since childhood and teach you diligently, only facing failure and ridicule in life—do you think you would be any better than me?”
Despite saying extremely hurtful words, Yu Ce’s response was simply to look at him calmly, leaving Shen Tanqi feeling as if his words hadn’t reached Yu Ce at all. A surge of frustration rose from the depths of his heart, disrupting his thoughts.
“Forget it, whatever.”
He pushed Yu Ce away, muttering under his breath, “Since you know how terrible I am, you should have stayed far away from me from the beginning. Of course, if you regret it now, it’s not too late.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Ce’s eyes darkened. Suddenly, he leaned forward, cupping Shen Tanqi’s face in his hands and fiercely kissing him. Their breaths intertwined feverishly, leaving Shen Tanqi momentarily bewildered, feeling as though he might fall off the carriage.
“Yu…”
Before he could finish speaking, Yu Ce grasped his face firmly, biting Shen Tanqi’s lips, silencing any remaining words between their teeth.
The carriage sped on, wind whistling around them, scattering their ink-black hair.
Their hair tangled together in the wind, reluctant to part.
Yu Ce’s cold hand pressed against Shen Tanqi’s cheek, forcing him to calm down and meet his gaze.
“Ah Qi, I’ve said before,” each tear was tenderly kissed away by Yu Ce, his voice slow and gentle, “you can rely on me, you can trust me.”
“Even if you’ve never succeeded at anything in your life, even with such harsh and bitter parents, even if you’ve encountered countless hardships, so what?”
Yu Ce’s voice was soft, his gaze unwavering on Shen Tanqi’s eyes. He lowered his head, kissing his tear-streaked eyelashes. “You’re not alone in facing all of this. You have me. I’m not here just to eat, sleep, chat, or make you happy. I’m here to help you be brave, to do everything you want to do, without fear of failure.”
“If you’re at fault, then I’m at fault too. If I’m at fault, you can’t escape either.”
“We’ll face everything together, solve every difficulty, until we’re old and buried, until we turn to dust.”
Shen Tanqi stared at him blankly until his hand was grabbed by Yu Ce and placed over his chest.
“Do you believe in me?”
His heart pounded, beating through his palm, knocking on Shen Tanqi’s heart one beat at a time.
In those wordless heartbeats, Shen Tanqi gradually found himself again.
He lowered his eyes, wiped away his tears with a self-deprecating smile on his face, and softly replied, “Of course, I believe in you. A cannon fodder like me naturally has to cling to your thigh. You’re the backbone of our family.”
Yu Ce’s tense heart finally relaxed. He reached out, pulling the coat tighter around Shen Tanqi’s shoulders, and softened his voice, “You’re my backbone too.”
Without Shen Tanqi, he wouldn’t have become who he was now.
At his words, Shen Tanqi pursed his lips, tears threatening to fall again. He hugged Yu Ce tightly, nuzzled affectionately against his neck, and whispered with a hint of grievance, “Thank you, my husband.”
Yu Ce helplessly chuckled, hugging him back, just like comforting Taro Ball and Goldfish, he ruffled Shen Tanqi’s head and teased, “Calling me ‘husband’ now, yet you pushed me away with quite some force earlier. Seems like you’re serious about not wanting me.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Shen Tanqi burst into tears like a dam breaking, soaking Yu Ce’s clothes. He leaned against Yu Ce’s shoulder like a puppy, sobbing softly, “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to push you, but your words were so harsh, sniff…”
Yu Ce: “…It’s okay. At least you didn’t physically hit me.”
As he spoke, Shen Tanqi burst into laughter through tears, taking the handkerchief Yu Ce offered and wiping his face. “When have I ever hit you? You make it sound like I’m always bullying you.”
Yu Ce smoothed the strands of hair on his forehead, feigning confusion. “Did nothing happen? But last night, Ah Qi clearly scratched my back in bed…”
“Shut up!”
“Okay.”
Yu Ce helped him up from the floor; Shen Tanqi’s legs were nearly numb.
“Get back quickly, it’s windy outside. Go talk to Sandan; maybe it’s just asleep.” Yu Ce was confident in the resilience of the dragon race; there had never been a stillborn among them, often young dragons died due to hunting by humans and demons.
In his view, something was indeed wrong with Sandan, but as long as he found the key to the problem, everything would be solved.
He wouldn’t die.
After all, his mother had taken seven poisons and demonic insects, trying to induce miscarriage, wasn’t he able to grow up just fine?
Yu Ce collected his thoughts and silently looked at Shen Tanqi, saying nothing.
“Oh, by the way, I think there’s something suspicious about Mian Mian. I suspect there might be a possibility.”
As he stepped out of the barrier, Shen Tanqi suddenly remembered a crucial thing: he had traveled fifteen years into the future, when all three children had grown up. At that time, out of concern that Yu Ce would object if he knew about Mian Mian, he had kept it secret.
Now, thinking calmly, maybe that is indeed the reason.
Yu Ce glanced down at him, softly murmuring “Hmm,” while his mind wandered, pondering why Sandan’s life was slipping away. Distractedly, he asked, “What possibility?”
Shen Tanqi scratched his face and said, “What if there’s a chance that we can’t perceive Mian Mian’s life, yet the spiritual energy we’ve infused is completely absorbed by Mian Mian like a bottomless pit because… Mian Mian has been demonized inside the egg?”
“Demonized…”
Yu Ce repeated casually, then suddenly froze as he realized what Shen Tanqi had said, raising his head in shock. “What did you say?”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
