Chapter 73
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Little Zhuyou wasn’t wearing any clothes on his body. When he ran over, his feet picked up dust from the ground. Pei Yunshu simply carried him to the water and gave him a bath.
Little Zhuyou clung tightly to Pei Yunshu’s neck. When he was put down, his hands still grabbed Pei Yunshu’s robe. “Daddy, where are you going?”
Pei Yunshu touched his head. “Daddy is going to get you some clean clothes.”
Reluctantly, Little Zhuyou let go of his hands and watched Pei Yunshu go to get things.
The running water was cold, and it needed to be heated with a fire symbol. Pei Yunshu couldn’t find clothes that Little Zhuyou could wear, so he found a clean outer robe and placed it aside.
He tested the water temperature and felt it was fine, so he held Little Zhuyou and placed him in the water.
However, Zhuyou clung tightly to Pei Yunshu’s waist, unwilling to let go. His black eyes showed fear, “Daddy, I’m scared.”
Pei Yunshu looked at him strangely, never expecting to hear a flood dragon say he was afraid of water. “Afraid of water?”
Zhuyou tugged at Pei Yunshu’s clothes, and Pei Yunshu crouched down. The child threw himself into his daddy’s arms, puckered his small mouth, kissed Pei Yunshu, and with sparkling eyes said, “Kiss daddy, can daddy accompany Zhuyou to take a bath?”
A big smile appeared on Pei Yunshu’s face. Softening his voice, as if he really had a little boy, he said, “Zhuyou is already big enough; he can bathe on his own.”
“Moreover, Zhuyou doesn’t need to be afraid of water,” Pei Yunshu playfully advised. “No matter who is afraid of water, you won’t be afraid.”
Upon hearing this, Zhuyou lowered his head. He pinched the hem of Pei Yunshu’s clothes, looking extremely upset.
Feeling a bit uneasy, Pei Yunshu lifted Zhuyou’s little face. His black eyes already had a layer of watery gloss. The stubborn child bit his lip, refusing to let himself cry.
Is this really Zhuyou?
Feeling helpless, Pei Yunshu comforted him, “Daddy will accompany you, okay? Don’t cry.”
Zhuyou glanced at him, “But… but daddy still laughs at me for being timid.”
Pei Yunshu was truly speechless, “When did I mock you for being timid?”
Zhuyou seemed not to have heard this sentence, continuing in a pitiful tone, “Daddy doesn’t like me either. I kissed daddy twice, but daddy didn’t kiss me back.”
“I…” Pei Yunshu’s forehead was already sweating. He struggled to explain, “Daddy doesn’t dislike you, and daddy didn’t laugh at Zhuyou for being timid.”
He truly didn’t know what to do and could only comfort Zhuyou by holding him in his arms, placing two gentle kisses on his face. “Daddy kissed you back.”
The kisses were quick and light, disappearing before Zhuyou could respond.
Seizing the moment before Zhuyou could react, Pei Yunshu quickly carried him into the water. “Daddy will accompany Zhuyou.”
The watery gloss in Zhuyou’s eyes faded, and he smiled at Pei Yunshu, cuddling in his daddy’s arms.
The earlier distress didn’t result in a single tear… Pei Yunshu sighed inwardly and awkwardly began to bathe him.
It was his first time giving a child a bath, and he made mistakes in the process. However, even with the bumps and knocks, Zhuyou didn’t make a sound. His black eyes remained fixed on his daddy, and he didn’t pay any attention to the bruises on his own body.
After finally finishing the bath, Pei Yunshu wrapped him in a robe, wiped away the water, and looked at the bruises with deep guilt. “Daddy is really clumsy.”
A child’s skin is delicate, one could almost squeeze water out. Pei Yunshu couldn’t help but feel heartache as he looked. Finally, he lowered his head and affectionately kissed the bruised elbows of the slightly swollen Zhuyou. “Does it still hurt?”
He looked at Zhuyou, whose black eyes were clear and watery. Zhuyou blushed as he lowered his head, covered his eyes suddenly, and whispered, “It doesn’t hurt after daddy kisses it.”
Pei Yunshu couldn’t help but chuckle. Following Zhuyou’s lead, he kissed each bruise.
There were no clothes on him that Zhuyou could wear. After letting him stay on the bed, Pei Yunshu began to search the pile of things Zhuyou had brought back. Surprisingly, he found a few small pieces of clothing.
After dressing Zhuyou, Pei Yunshu asked, “Are you hungry?”
Zhuyou touched his stomach and obediently nodded, “Zhuyou is hungry.”
The food in the room had been consumed during the previous days. Pei Yunshu still had a lot of dried meat that Zhuyou had given him in his storage bag. He took it out and gave it to the child, thinking about what to do next.
But suddenly, a gust of wind swept in. Pei Yunshu turned around, holding Little Zhuyou in his arms, vigilantly looking around. “Who?”
A dragon’s roar echoed in the air as a silver dragon, semi-transparent, burst into the secret room. Its white beard fluttered, eyes widened, staring directly at Pei Yunshu, who held Little Zhuyou.
Pei Yunshu used his sleeve to shield Zhuyou, cautiously observing the silver dragon’s every move. “Why has senior come?”
The silver dragon remained silent, fixated on Little Zhuyou in Pei Yunshu’s arms, seemingly entranced.
Little Zhuyou hugged Pei Yunshu’s neck, rubbing against his neck. “Daddy.”
Pei Yunshu patted his back gently, whispering, “It’s alright, Daddy’s here. Don’t be afraid.”
The silver dragon heard the term “Daddy” clearly. It suddenly burst into laughter, a hearty and resounding laughter, mixed with the suppression of centuries. Its dragon body tumbled and turned, too fast to discern its form.
“Good!” The silver dragon soared in front of Pei Yunshu, looking at him with intense eyes. “Good lad!”
Its voice resonated loudly, creating echoes in the secret room. Pei Yunshu frowned, looking at it skeptically.
Unconcerned about his gaze, the silver dragon focused its attention on the child in Pei Yunshu’s arms. The dragon aura on the child was evident, though still somewhat chaotic. A person cultivating truly gave the dragon race hope for the future.
“Child,” the silver dragon’s voice was majestic, but its gaze on Little Zhuyou was incredibly gentle, “look up and let me see.”
Little Zhuyou lifted his face from Pei Yunshu’s robe, and the silver dragon showed satisfaction. It exclaimed three “good”s, and its excited spirit gradually calmed. “As imagined, he’s extremely like his dragon father.”
Pei Yunshu’s expression suddenly became strange.
Little Zhuyou furrowed his brows. Sitting up in Pei Yunshu’s arms, he straightforwardly asked the silver dragon, “What is a dragon father?”
His voice was clear and powerful, showing no fear of the massive silver dragon before him.
The silver dragon’s look of satisfaction increased. Its tone softened, “Naturally, a dragon father is your Daddy’s dao companion.”
“…” Pei Yunshu opened his mouth but, after glancing at the child in his arms, refrained from speaking.
Since when did he and Zhuyou become dao companions?
…But they had even completed the tasks of dao companions.
After hearing the silver dragon’s words, Little Zhuyou’s face suddenly darkened. His still tender and cute face turned gloomy. “When did Daddy get a dao companion?”
The silver dragon burst into laughter, only then remembering that Zhuyou wasn’t present. It looked at Pei Yunshu and asked, “Where did the Black Dragon go?”
Sure enough, after closing the seventy-seven layers of heaven, the dragon eggs had all hatched!
Pei Yunshu was about to speak, but Little Zhuyou hugged him tightly, anxiously saying, “Daddy, I don’t want to stay here.”
“Hmm?”
Little Zhuyou didn’t want to know who the dragon father was, nor did he want Pei Yunshu to wait here for the dragon father to return. His tone grew increasingly urgent, accompanied by a hint of crying, “Daddy, take me away, take me away.”
The silver dragon felt extreme heartache upon hearing this. It rolled up Pei Yunshu and Little Zhuyou, rushing out of the secret room.
Pei Yunshu, caught off guard, quickly set up a barrier around them, fearing any wind might affect the child. “Senior, where are we going?”
“If he doesn’t want to stay here, I’ll take you out,” the silver dragon swiftly swam to the depths of the sea. “The East Sea has been stormy these days. I’ll take you to the west coast, bustling and lively, with simple folk. Our little dragon cubs love playing there.”
Upon hearing this, Little Zhuyou’s eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, “Thank you, Dragon Grandpa.”
The silver dragon burst into laughter once again.
Pei Yunshu knew it was a misunderstanding but, recalling the situation where the silver dragon forced Zhuyou to mate with those female dragons, he chose to remain silent.
Zhuyou was still too young for such matters. Pei Yunshu found an excuse not to speak about it.
There should still be a large array underwater. The silver dragon, speeding quickly, occasionally emitted a faint light from the array. Pei Yunshu lowered his head and asked the child in his arms, “If you feel uncomfortable, let me know in time.”
Little Zhuyou obediently nodded, then looked at Pei Yunshu and hesitated before saying, “Daddy, I don’t want a dragon father.”
Pei Yunshu raised an eyebrow, holding back a smile. “Why don’t you want a dragon father?”
Thinking Pei Yunshu was still thinking about that dragon father, Little Zhuyou’s face immediately turned cold. He buried his face in Pei Yunshu’s neck and fell silent.
Pei Yunshu teased him a bit, but seeing him still not speaking, he thought he might be tired. He held him securely, adjusting his clothes to prevent him from catching a cold.
The silver dragon’s speed was astonishing. The waves kept receding, and there was still some distance from the water’s surface. However, Pei Yunshu could feel the wind and rain on the sea surface.
But soon after, the storm gradually subsided. The silver dragon approached the water’s surface, and Pei Yunshu, holding Little Zhuyou, gradually emerged.
The weather was clear, with a blue sky and white clouds. The silver dragon, under the sunlight, looked almost transparent. Pei Yunshu looked into the distance and saw people bustling at the harbor, with various smells wafting from nearby stalls.
Little Zhuyou raised his head, glanced at the shore, and continued to rest on Daddy’s shoulder with no interest.
“Do you like it?” Pei Yunshu asked Little Zhuyou in a low voice.
Little Zhuyou instantly smiled, vigorously nodding. He kissed Pei Yunshu’s face happily, saying, “Like!”
The silver dragon, watching the lively and healthy Little Zhuyou, was full of joy. It flicked its dragon tail, creating waves. People on the shore noticed the waves, pointing and talking in amazement.
The giant wave covered Pei Yunshu and Zhuyou. A layer of silver light flashed on the silver dragon’s claws, revealing a silver bracelet. The bracelet flew to Little Zhuyou, settling on his wrist as if guided by his hand.
Just as Little Zhuyou was about to smile at the silver dragon, the dragon said, “You two can go ashore and have fun. If the Black Dragon comes back, I’ll make him come and find you.”
The smile disappeared from Little Zhuyou’s face.
His expression changed, and he tugged at Pei Yunshu’s clothes. “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
Pei Yunshu walked on the water’s surface, bidding farewell to the silver dragon, and headed towards the shore with Little Zhuyou.
His figure was like the wind. Before the people on the shore could see them clearly, they had already landed.
Little Zhuyou squinted at the sea behind him, expressionless, filled with malice.
It’s best if that dragon father never appears, and Daddy can never be found.
This way, Daddy will be his alone.
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