Lang Yuan glared at the emperor with hostility. It was evident from the rare colored eyes the deep emotion seething. One can easily see a very cute bunny puffing both of its cheek while trying to look angry. This only made the human less scary, earning everyone's lovable gaze towards the mortal.
JiDan, who has the greatest mood from the scenario, can't help but to laugh and smile happily as he look down to his mother. No, he's not looking down at his mother figuratively. He is, indeed literally, looking down at Lang Yuan due to the difference of height.
"You told me that he will not grow until ten years later. Why is it that he... he..." He pointed a grown up man with bleary eyes.
Lang Yuan liked the little JiDan very much. He likes watching the little Bun running and playing around, reminding him of his little brothers and sisters. JiDan is his son so he has more special feelings towards the blood kin. Yet, right now, JiDan is no longer that small bun that can only wrap his arms around his waist.
He is even taller than me ba!
JiDan is currently hugging Lang Yuan from the back, his long slender arms wrapped around the neck of Lang Yuan. His head is resting on the crook of Lang Yuan's neck, smelling the familiar scent of his mother. One can easily see the flowers and hearts popping out from JiDan while the shorter person he was hugging has a darkened face.
What is happening ah?
Yu XueQin, the receiver of the said hostility, watched the mother and son tandem with warmth. JiDan noticed the stare of his father and glared at him too, matching the glare of Lang Yuan. Now, two pairs of red irises are looking at the emperor with one asking him what's going on and the other with utter dissatisfaction.
Really, like two peas of the same pod.
"Tell me, what's happening? Why is..." Lang Yuan patted the head resting on his neck. "Why is my little bun become a grown up like this?"
"He did not grow up. He only got taller," Yu XueQin replied.
"That's what I'm asking. Why did he suddenly shot up? Are your kind is the kind of creatures that grows up faster than a bamboo shoot?"
[A/N: I heard Bamboos can grow overnight? That's why it was called bamboo shoots because it 'shoots' up? I'm not sure tho].
"Mother, you disliked this form?" JiDan whined like a puppy. Despite his eighteen-year-old looking body, JiDan clinginess did not even disappear.
"No, why would I dislike it?" Lang Yuan denied. "But I was expecting that it will take for a few more years!"
This is what Lang Yuan is scared of. He was told that the growth rate of a dragon child is fast. Considering that dragons are much larger than humans, Lang Yuan somehow expected that a time will come when JiDan would be looking down at him and not looking up. In this form, he won't be able to carry a small bun that often asks him a hug.
A small JiDan is cute too.
Despite his craftiness of the dragon child, JiDan is actually a sweet boy that often clings to his mother. Lang Yuan liked it when he sees the small child running excitedly from here to there, zooming like a dog that just got out from a cage, hiding in corners while peeking to get his attention, and would sooner tug his clothes to carry him up. The five-year-old dragon boy is already heavy to carry but Lang Yuan will sacrifice all his bones just to have him in his arms.
If this adorable young fellow suddenly grows up overnight, how did you expect Lang Yuan to react?
His little bun-bun suddenly became a teenager! Lang Yuan thought that kids in this age are starting to become independent. It was often called as the 'chuunibyu age'. The kids will develop some self-awareness that would rather want them to explore the world of the adults alone than seeking help from their parents. They thought that they know more than anyone else does and would start doing stuff recklessly without guidance.
He then remembered the bathing episode.
Will JiDan start to avoid asking help from him? Will there be more of those shutting doors before their faces? Will JiDan leave him now?
One can easily see the distressed expression of the mother as his face was painted with grief and gloom. Yu XueQin sighed. This person ah, when it comes to his son, is really doting. If only Lang Yuan would also treat him like that...
"Don't worry, that form is only temporary. Once we go back to the palace, he will return to his small appearance," Yu XueQin said.
Lang Yuan perked up his head. "Really Your Majesty? How? Why?"
"Yes, it is true," Yu XueQin responded. "Our little dragon has not yet reached the right age to study his cultivation. His soul is still young to undergo such process; also, it can be easily damaged since a young soul has not yet formed its core. This is the reason why a little emotion can greatly affect his power. Young dragons are not allowed to get angry or else they will become monsters."
Yu XueQin is just simply explaining for Lang Yuan and telling a warning to JiDan. He had seen this little dragon become angry a lot of times before. His unconditional love towards his mother caused the rift making him a time bomb ticking ready to explode. He is still young and has no control of energy thus makes JiDan a perfect Angry Machine that might destroy their world.
"What does it mean? I don't understand," Lang Yuan said.
"It's because the little dragon has not yet cultivated. He still has no control his surroundings including his appearance. Once he learns how to do it, he would be able to retain his appearance. But since he is still a newborn, he can only follow the age the dimension he belonged."
"He's only a few months old. Why would he grow up here?" Lang Yuan thought.
"What do you think?"
JiDan is only a few months old. Even though he has a five-year-old body, that only means that in the dragon world such appearance is normal. This is comparable to the smaller version of humans that would take five years for a baby to really grow up. So, if the logic says that JiDan follows the age of the dimension he was staying, does it mean that he was already eighteen years old in this place.
Huh?
"Wait, don't tell me that there's a time difference?" Lang Yuan said.
"Correct," Yu XueQin, replied with a smile. He reaches out to kiss Lang Yuan's hand. It's just that the tall JiDan quickly swatted him away after the kiss.
Now that he has this body, JiDan did not think twice and engulfed his mother in a hug. He liked hugging Lang Yuan, and he likes it more now. Since he is bigger than Lang Yuan is, he has a greater chance of protecting his mother. Unlike the small version of him, this adult version can completely block any attacks especially from his father.
He now looked like a spoiled brat hugging his favorite teddy bear not letting anyone to touch it. Though, Lang Yuan is oblivious from what is happening around him. His thoughts are only focused on the fact that JiDan grew up to his adult self.
"But isn't the time difference too much? I'm guessing that the human world is aging a year per week from the higher realm. Does it mean that I'm also eighteen years older?" Lang Yuan calculated the numbers and compared it to his statistics. If this is true, he's already thirty-six years old!
"Mother, you will no longer age. After all, you have cultivated," JiDan is referring to Lang Yuan's unlimited supply of power. "So mother will never age, will always remain like this forever."
"Will not age?" Lang Yuan wondered. "But didn't I stay in the higher realm? Even though I won't age, there should be some affects, right? Eighteen years had passed, I should have felt it."
"You did," Yu XueQin said. "What do you think is the reason why you have to take my blood?"
Lang Yuan slightly blushed. Well, he already knows what happens when he has to take his blood. They have to do those sessions so that his body can contain the blood without problem. Now that they are married, Yu XueQin was able to give him a mark making him a residence of the higher realm. He no longer needed the blood of the emperor. However, due the foreign blood residing his body, the aphrodisiac effects became permanent making him become 'horny' a few times a month.
"The change of energy surge is a reason why humans with low cultivation can't proceed to the higher realms," Yu XueQin continued. "But it also has something to do with age. If a human did manage to cross the higher realms, the human must consider his original time pace. Like what happened to you, the human will receive some setbacks from draining blood to losing consciousness, and probably death."
Lang Yuan remembered the pain the moment one reaches the limit. His body must be reacting to the time lapses. The human time is very fast, and as he started to slowly age, the warmth of the human time left him. This caused his body to react, as it wanted to chase back the original time.
The two dragons saw Lang Yuan relax. He has finally accepted that JiDan will be residing his adult form while they are in the human realm. Once they get back, he will be seeing his little bun again. Thinking about it, this set up is not really bad ah.
Lang Yuan turned around to look at his little dragon. JiDan, slightly whining when Lang Yuan released his self from the hug, is looking lean and good. His features have changed from cute and adorable to a bit mature and handsome. He can see the similarities of his young child, and also the resemblance of JiDan getting closer with Yu XueQin. Seeing them standing side by side, one can easily tell that they are father and son.
Of course, aside from JiDan's wonderful red irises, everything is a carbon copy of Yu XueQin.
"So Ji-ji will also grow up like this ah," Lang Yuan tried patting the taller man. JiDan deliberately lowered his head to let his mother pat him. "Still, I want the smaller version. How can I pat you if you are this tall."
"Mother is so mean," JiDan pouted.
Lang Yuan chuckled.
"A parent will always like his child no matter what age or time. But most do prefer them younger. After all, when their children grow up, it means that they will be feeling of leaving their nests. And once they leave the nest, the parent will feel lonely."
JiDan can feel the sadness from his mother. He is still a child in heart so he did not understand what Lang Yuan means about leaving the nest. Why would he need to leave his mother? If leaving makes him lonely, then JiDan will stay by his side forever. It was that easy. It's nothing complicated. He can do it.
"I will not leave mother, I promise," JiDan said. Lang Yuan can see the determination from his son's eyes. He chuckled, patting the boy in tiptoes again, before stepping back.
"Alright, Ji-ji is still mine right now so no leaving my side until then!" Lang Yuan exclaimed.
JiDan nodded happily and returned to him hugging his mother like a koala. Yu XueQin watched as his family interacted. He can't help but to smile. General Gu approached the resting Emperor and saluted. He waited the emperor to give him the permission to speak.
"The horses have rested enough. We can continue, your majesty," General Gu said.
"Very well," Yu XueQin nodded. "Tell the servants that we will proceed."
"Yes, your majesty," General Gu saluted once again before leaving.
The Emperor and his family returned to their carriage. The general and his men ride on their horses as they surrounded the carriages of the servant and of the carts of food. The parade of the gods illuminated a side of the heaven, giving the humans a sign that the gods are descending. A certain person from one of the five continents has seen this sign and quickly reported to the sect master.
"Mistress Mei," Jiang XeXun bowed before the master of the sect. "The Emperor and his Empress has arrived."
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Yay! I Updated!