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Lin Qingmo felt like a pancake, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. He was not accustomed to this bed. From home to the Dragon Palace, he had slept well except for the first few days when the weight of his emotions kept him awake. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't settle down here at Mother Ao's place. His mind was filled with many thoughts, but the one that occupied him the most was Ao Yan. Just thinking about him made his heart ache intensely. Although having multiple partners was common in the mortal realm, he couldn't accept sharing Ao Yan with anyone else.
Setting aside the fact that he was a man, even if he were a woman, he would find it unbearable. After he got engaged to Xiaohua, he had resolved to grow old with her and never entertained any other thoughts. But Ao Yan... If he wanted two partners, there was no way he could get past his own feelings.
No matter how long he stayed here, he would eventually have to return home. Lin Qingmo turned over again, blinked his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
He stood on the sandy beach of a small island. In front of him were two palm trees marked with deep white grooves from the ropes used to dry salted goods. Between the two trees sat two people, nestled closely together. Lin Qingmo recognized them from their silhouettes—one was Ao Yan and the other was the Plum Blossom Fairy—he had entered Ao Yan's dream again. Since the first time he entered Ao Yan's dream, it had happened sporadically thereafter, though not regularly. Moreover, the places where Ao Yan and the Plum Blossom Fairy met in dreams were always locations that Ao Yan and Lin Qingmo had visited together.
Standing at a distance, Lin Qingmo could hear their voices carried by the wind. "…Did you miss me?" asked the Plum Blossom Fairy. Ao Yan chuckled softly before his tone turned serious: "How could I not miss you? I missed you so much that you came into my dreams..." As they spoke, they drew closer together, their voices becoming softer until Lin Qingmo could hardly hear them anymore. Suddenly, a surge of anger rose within him; he picked up a large shell from nearby, weighed it in his hand, and gritted his teeth: "Ao Yan, you bastard, you playboy... If I don't show my strength, do you think I'm just a sick cat?" With that, he hurled the shell at Ao Yan's head.
"Ouch—" Ao Yan woke up from his dream, clutching his sore head with a grimace. Just as he had finally fallen asleep, he dreamt of that damned woman again. In the dream, they were being all lovey-dovey. It should have been Lin Qingmo in his arms instead of that woman. Ao Yan rolled over and tightened his grip on the cotton doll he had made to resemble Lin Qingmo. After Lin Qingmo was taken away by Mother Ao, Ao Yan had been unable to sleep for several days. Eventually, with help from Xi'er—who had been stripped bare by an enraged Ao Yan but still devotedly served him—he took matters into his own hands and crafted a cotton doll identical to Lin Qingmo, dressed it in Lin Qingmo's clothes, and painted his features on it. Though the stitching was uneven and varied in thickness, at first glance it looked lifelike enough to slightly ease Ao Yan's longing.
The cotton doll lay bare in Ao Yan's embrace. His finger traced down its side suggestively as he murmured: "Wife, I miss you so much! Please come back! I promise I won't imprison you anymore. Wherever you want to go... I'll let you go." Xi'er lay at Ao Yan's feet and rolled her eyes at this romantic scene before bluntly saying: "Your Highness, what you really mean is if she dares leave again, you'll break her legs. Right?" Ao Yan shot back coldly: "Are you asking for more plucking? Do you want me to skin you too?" Xi'er shrank her head under the covers and muttered softly: "You used to say I didn't know how to flatter or speak sweet words; that honesty is particularly endearing." No sooner had she spoken than Ao Yan kicked her out of bed.
At lunchtime, there was a large plate of braised pork belly on the table. Aozheng placed a piece into Lin Qingmo's bowl. "Thank you, Mother. You should eat too," Lin Qingmo replied as he took a piece for Aozheng’s bowl as well. "I'll cook from now on; I can do it," he added. Aozheng said: "When Ao Yan was little, he went to propose marriage knowing you liked pork belly; he stole a pound from the kitchen and several boxes of jewelry from my room." Lin Qingmo’s face flushed red as he fumbled for words in response. Aozheng smiled and changed the subject: "Did you sleep poorly last night?" "Not really... It’s just... I'm not used to this bed. I'll be fine in a couple of days," Lin Qingmo replied evasively while telling a little lie.
Noticing Lin Qingmo’s intent to conceal something, Aozheng didn’t press further but instead took out a wooden box from her sleeve and retrieved a piece of jade shaped like a small lotus flower wrapped in a warm shell but with a cool core inside it. A red thread coiled around it like a snake.
Aozheng said: "This jade was gifted to me by Master Guanyin for my father—Ao Yan's grandfather, East Sea Dragon King—when I was still young. Master Guanyin discovered this jade in her lotus pond and infused it with spiritual energy from surrounding spiritual beings before keeping it in her pure vase for a hundred years."
Lin Qingmo nodded as memories flooded back of when Ao Yan forced him to swallow longevity pills. Aozheng continued: "Though you've taken longevity pills and your lifespan is endless, external injuries can still lead to an early death. I don’t have much to give you; this jade is meant to protect your safety." She then tied the jade around Lin Qingmo’s neck using the red thread.
"Thank you, Mother." Lin Qingmo felt a wave of emotion wash over him as he lowered his head to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. "You are so good to me." Aozheng patted his shoulder: "You're my daughter-in-law; you're like half my son to me—it’s only right that I treat you well. Besides, I left right after your marriage because I didn’t approve of it; I feel bad for making you suffer."
"Qingmo," she added gently, "do you miss home? After lunch, I'll take you back for a visit. You can see your mother before returning here with me for some time while I work on bringing rain to the mortal realm. During this time think carefully about whether you want to return to Ao Yan or leave him."
Lin Qingmo bit his lip without saying anything but nodded slightly.
As they stepped onto Aozheng's colorful cloud and ascended into the sky, looking down at the earth below which appeared tiny enough to be covered by a single hand palm, Lin Qingmo felt elated as they flew slowly through gentle breezes brushing past them. He had almost dulled into nothingness during his time at Dragon Palace—a life completely disconnected from how things used to be—and now returning to the mortal realm revived his lost vitality once more.
"Mother," he exclaimed joyfully, "this cloud is beautiful!"
Aozheng smiled: "If you like it so much, I'll teach you how to ride clouds in the future."
"Really?" Lin Qingmo asked excitedly.
Aozheng nodded affirmatively as Lin Qingmo struggled to contain his joy at escaping Dragon Palace where he had been pampered and waited upon without purpose each day; now heading back home made him even happier.
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