Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume 12, Part 2)

272 Not a Sensible Person

Qiu Ling kept quiet for a while longer and finally sighed. "Well, I've said what should be said. I hope you'll remember in the future." He tilted his head and smiled faintly, the solemn gaze turning a little humorous. "Apart from that ... if your father's attitude shifts even just slightly toward being more favorable toward me, I hope you know that I'll swoop in at once and that I won't accept any excuses. At that time, you're definitely mine."

Qiu Ling got to his feet again and reached out, rubbing Jing He's cheek. "I'll wait until then. For now though, let me bring you back." He stooped down and picked Jing He up again, motioning in the direction they had followed before. "I can bring you to the capital city itself. Alternatively, the next bigger city would also work."

Jing He wasn't sure how to choose. He held onto Qiu Ling's shoulder but looked forward instead. They would need longer to get to the capital city but if they stopped in another city, they could also wait there together until someone came to get him. They wouldn't be alone though which wasn't as good. He didn't want it to get back to his father that Qiu Ling had picked him up and brought him over. That would only cause new issues.

"Well, let's see how the next city looks. It won't be too late to decide then."

Jing He nodded and turned back, examining Qiu Ling's expression. He seemed ... calm. He couldn't say if he truly was but right now, nothing seemed to indicate otherwise. Was he ... not angry at all that he had decided against him? If that was true, then ...

Jing He lowered his head again, his gaze doubtful. He didn't want to think that maybe Qiu Ling's feelings weren't as strong as his own. After everything they had gone through together, that didn't seem right. But he himself had cried so much even though he made the decision himself. How could Qiu Ling stay calm like that? Or maybe this was because he believed that there was still a chance?

Thinking of what Qiu Ling had just said, it indeed seemed like he hadn't completely given up. He seemed to have understood that this was his final decision but he apparently believed that the circumstances might change. And yes, if his father were to change his mind ... they could indeed be together without issue. It was just that this was doubtful.

Looking up again, Jing He's gaze overflowed with a feeling of resignation and a hint of softness. "I wish he would."

Qiu Ling turned to look at him and raised his brows.

"My father, I mean. I wish he would change his mind. If he did ... I would want you to come. It is just ... I don't think he will and I don't think you should waste your time waiting. You ... you deserve better than this." Yes, Qiu Ling definitely did and he also deserved to be told so. He couldn't hold him back.

Qiu Ling looked at him wordlessly for a while and then sighed. Turning back to the front, he faintly shook his head. "Let's wait. Anyway, it's not too late to give up later. Why do so when there is still a chance, no matter how small it is?"

Jing He gave a faint hum and continued to look up at that familiar face. He knew his father well enough. Without a good reason, how could he ever change an opinion he had once formed? In fact, he never would. He hated being wrong so even if he was, he would never admit to that unless the other option was even worse. In this case, what was there to lose for him? No matter how one thought of it, there was nothing so, of course, he wouldn't change his stance.

The reason all of this was so troublesome was because his father didn't even put the alliance in his eyes. He was dissatisfied with it but destroying something his own ancestors had worked hard to establish step by step wasn't something he'd do either. If he was given enough reason though, he was likely to abolish the alliance with the dragons.

Jing He was well aware of this. How often had he heard his father's rants in the past? The only reason he himself had a different opinion was probably because he also listened to his uncle. Between one person powerlessly raving about something that irked them for no discernible reason other than feeling that it wasn't needed any longer while another person quietly told you about the benefits of that thing they had personally experienced again and again, it was clear which would be more convincing. Thus, he had slowly learned to listen to his father's words but to think twice about whether or not they made sense.

No one person knew everything and nobody was infallible. People made mistakes in their judgments because they lacked information or experience or due to being too emotional. The ruler of a realm was no different in this regard. Not a single one of them could boast of having never made a wrong — or at least not the best possible — decision during their reign. If any of them did, then they couldn't have sat on the throne for too long.

Jing He wasn't all that familiar with the specific situation in the demon realm or the dragon realm but he knew the history of the Nine Heavens well enough. If you asked him to, he could point out the most controversial decisions each of his father's predecessors had made and he had his own thoughts on whether each of them had been good or bad or could have been done better under the circumstances.

Comparing each of those people to what he had observed his father do and what he had read of the things written about him ... it seemed that his father was a little lacking. The reason for that was, undoubtedly, the emotional side. His father couldn't stay calm when he should and personal grudges would get the better of him while he was doing his duties. Such a person, you couldn't rely on them being sensible when it mattered. Instead, you had to be afraid that they would escalate an already precarious situation. That was why he had been afraid to make his decision for so long.