I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Dragon King’s Possessiveness — Feng Xiuyan, hiding within the water weeds of the pond…

Shen Youqing stared at the little white fish swaying in the water, which was completely ignoring him, and started rambling again. “Little White, why are you still ignoring me? I’m bored to death.”

His skimming net got snagged on a pagoda tree leaf. As he struggled to pull it free, he continued, “Yuan Yajun and the others are actually pretty nice, they just don’t like playing with me. Do you think they actually hate me?”

“But if they hate me, why do they show up on time every single time to help me fetch spring water?” He frowned, dumping the retrieved leaf into the wooden bucket. “What a strange group of lords and ladies…”

Hiding in the weeds, Feng Xiuyan couldn’t help but sigh internally.

The kid was bundled up today, looking quite round. When he bent over to scoop leaves, his arched back made him look like a clumsy little hedgehog. It was a wonder he could work and talk non-stop at the same time—didn’t that mouth ever get tired?

Whether it was out of boredom or simple accident, the kid’s net had nearly scooped him up several times. Listening to the youth’s chatter all morning, Feng Xiuyan felt like his ears were growing callouses.

Feng Xiuyan flicked his tail and moved a bit further away. Why would those people dare stay in this courtyard? Last time Wen Shubai entered, he had docked his assessment points on the grounds of “breaking the rules.”

While it was admittedly a bit selfish, the effect was significant. Now, the others left the moment the water was delivered, not daring to utter a single unnecessary word. As for them not getting close to Shen Youqing, that was also his doing. He had instructed them not to bother “the Master,” implying they should minimize contact with Shen Youqing.

To put it bluntly, it was pure possessiveness. He didn’t want to see Shen Youqing mingling with irrelevant people. Having his company was enough; it saved the kid from “attracting bees and butterflies” everywhere.

However, a doubt lingered in Feng Xiuyan’s heart. Those candidates knew Shen Youqing enjoyed close contact with him in this yard—why did they have no objections? Logically, they were here to become his consort; they shouldn’t let a competitor have such an advantage. Could Old Man Shen be pulling strings behind the scenes? He flicked his tail, too lazy to think further.

Fortunately, the kid was well-behaved and never overstepped the rules. He was quiet and kept things stress-free—mostly. Except for the constant talking that gave him a headache. And he was a bit dim; he still hadn’t recognized him.

Staring at the tip of Shen Youqing’s nose, which was red from the cold, a thought suddenly flashed through Feng Xiuyan’s mind: Is this kid pretending to be dumb, or does he truly not know?

He became increasingly convinced it was the former. Of all the people sent to the manor, who didn’t know his identity? They were all here for the trial to become the Dragon King’s consort. How could Shen Youqing be unaware?

Hmph. He looks innocent, but he might actually be a master of schemes. Feng Xiuyan snorted inwardly, his tail stirring a ripple in the water. Is he pretending not to know just to make me lower my guard? This kid’s mind is deeper than I thought.

“Quack… quack-quack…”

A crisp, unfamiliar animal cry suddenly shattered the silence of the courtyard. Shen Youqing, who had been struggling with a tangle of dead leaves on his net, froze. His fingers were stiff from the cold as he snapped his head up.

“!!?”

He squinted, scanning the yard. Finally, his gaze landed by the flower bed beneath the wall: a fluffy little yellow duckling was squatting there!

The duckling was as round as a ball of yellow yarn, tilting its head to peck at grass seeds. Its flat beak opened and closed, letting out a cheerful “quack.”

“Hey! Where did this duckling come from?”

Shen Youqing instantly perked up. He tossed the net onto the ground, ignoring his freezing hands, and ran toward the flower bed. The hem of his cotton robe brushed against the dry grass, kicking up dust. His eyes sparkled as if he had discovered a new world.

Startled by the footsteps, the duckling scurried toward the rose bushes on short legs, its tiny wings flapping in a panicked “quack.”

“Don’t run, little ducky! I won’t catch you, I just want to look!”

Shen Youqing chased it on tiptoe, but his robe was too thick; he nearly tripped over himself while turning. He lunged forward a couple of steps, which only sent the duckling deeper into the bushes until even its shadow vanished. He tried several times, but either his steps were too loud and scared the bird, or the flower branches snagged his feet.

After a lot of effort, he hadn’t even touched a feather, but a thin layer of sweat had broken out on his forehead. Shen Youqing stood with his hands on his hips, panting. Watching the yellow shadow flash through the bushes, he grumbled defiantly, “I must be wearing too much today. I’m too clumsy to catch you.”

With that, he simply untied the belt of his cotton robe, took off the heavy garment, and hung it on a nearby tree branch. Wearing only a moon-white padded vest underneath, he felt much lighter. He rolled up his sleeves, his eyes gleaming. “Let’s see where you run now!”

In the pond, Feng Xiuyan’s silver scales almost stood on end. He had just been brooding over Shen Youqing’s “hidden motives” and intended to ignore the kid. But the next second, he saw the boy toss the leaf-cleaning aside and focus entirely on chasing a wild duck that had appeared out of nowhere.

Feng Xiuyan slapped the water with his tail in a rage. Again! Is this kid never satisfied?

Is my company not enough? It was one thing to bring back that wild fish, but now he’s after a duck? Am I, the Great Dragon King, not even equal to these random little beasts?

What alarmed him even more was that the kid had started taking off his clothes while chasing it! The late autumn wind carried a sharp chill that he could feel even through the water. Feng Xiuyan swam in circles, bubbles escaping his mouth.

It’s so cold; what if he falls ill again? He still remembered the boy’s pitiful look when he was sick last time.

He watched Shen Youqing hopping around the flower bed, his vest fluttering in the wind. He saw him reach into the rose bushes, his sleeve catching on a thorn as he leaned in with a smile, completely oblivious!!

Feng Xiuyan’s tail beat faster and faster, the splashes sounding increasingly impatient. Looking at Shen Youqing chasing the duck in a thin vest, the sweat on his forehead cooling in the wind, his eyes only for that yellow-feathered beast…

No. He couldn’t hold back anymore.

…

The water surface suddenly erupted in a silver ripple. Before the droplets could fall, a tall figure stood firmly by the pond. Dark hair was partially bound, draped over broad shoulders; his moon-white robe carried a hint of mist.

Having just transformed into human form, Feng Xiuyan felt the chill of the water on his fingertips. His gaze swept over the hopping figure in the yard, and his anger flared.

This kid is truly heartless!

A person had appeared in the yard, and he didn’t even notice. Those round eyes, usually full of smiles, were glued to a wild duck, not sparing him even a glance. Feng Xiuyan suppressed his temper and strode toward the flower bed.

Just as the duckling was about to slip away from Shen Youqing, he reached out and precisely scooped up the fluffy yellow ball. Caught, the duckling flapped its tiny wings frantically, its quacks turning shrill as it pecked at Feng Xiuyan’s fingers.

Shen Youqing was in the middle of his excitement, shouting, “Don’t run, little ducky, I’ll give you something to—” The second half of the sentence died in his throat.

He reached the moon gate at the corner of the yard and looked up straight into a pair of cool eyes. The man stood behind the gate, his dark blue robe accentuating his tall stature. He was holding the duckling that Shen Youqing had chased for ages. His dark hair blew in the wind, and his profile carried a coldness that warned others not to approach.

It’s him! Why is he here?

Shen Youqing froze, forgetting to move. His mind was a mess of confusion. This man had left so abruptly last time; why did he suddenly pop up again? The gate isn’t even in this direction… did he climb over the wall?

But before he could think further, the duckling began to struggle violently in Feng Xiuyan’s hand. Shen Youqing forgot his questions and rushed over, reaching out to pry Feng Xiuyan’s fingers open. “What are you doing! Gentle, don’t squeeze it to death!”

His fingers touched Feng Xiuyan’s hand, and only then did he realize the man’s grip was actually very light. The duckling was quacking loudly but wasn’t being strangled; it was merely held firmly. Not a single feather was damaged.

But Shen Youqing was so focused on “saving the duck” that he didn’t notice this fine motor control. As his warm fingertips covered the back of Feng Xiuyan’s hand, the man’s body stiffened imperceptibly.

He hadn’t intended to hurt the duck; he was just angry that it had stolen Shen Youqing’s attention. He wanted to catch it so the boy would look at him. But now, the kid hadn’t even asked why he was here; instead, he immediately accused him without a word of concern.

The nervousness he felt from transforming so suddenly was instantly replaced by a mix of grievance and irritation. Feng Xiuyan didn’t let go of the duck, but he lightened his grip even more. He looked down at Shen Youqing’s worried face, his voice cooling several degrees: “If I wanted to squeeze it to death, would it still be quacking?”

Shen Youqing blinked and looked down at the duckling. Indeed, the little thing was quacking loudly but looked perfectly healthy, even kicking its legs in Feng Xiuyan’s palm. He realized he had misunderstood. His hand was still resting on Feng Xiuyan’s knuckles; he sheepishly pulled it back. “I-I didn’t mean it. I just heard it quacking and was afraid you didn’t know your own strength…”

Seeing the apology in his eyes, Feng Xiuyan’s anger softened slightly. But thinking about the boy’s excitement while chasing the duck, he couldn’t help but add: “Taking off your robe to run in the wind for a wild duck… are you trying to get sick again?”

As soon as he said it, Shen Youqing finally felt the chill. A gust of wind blew, sending a shiver through him and raising goosebumps on his arms. He hugged himself instinctively and remembered his robe was still on the tree. He turned to grab it, but Feng Xiuyan caught him by the wrist.

“Put your clothes on first.” Feng Xiuyan’s voice was still a bit cold, but he led him toward the tree without room for argument, the now-quiet duckling still held in his other hand.

When Feng Xiuyan handed the robe to Shen Youqing, he pointedly avoided touching the boy’s hand. The spot where he had just held the boy’s wrist felt strangely warm and lingering.

Shen Youqing took the robe and wrapped it around himself haphazardly, pulling the collar up before even straightening it out. A dead leaf was stuck to the hem; Feng Xiuyan found it an eyesore and reached out to brush it off.

“There.” As he retracted his hand, his voice softened. But the moment the word left his mouth, Shen Youqing froze. He blinked his round eyes, as if he had just remembered something.

Shen Youqing’s fingers paused on the robe’s tie. Confusion slowly crawled across his face. He looked up at Feng Xiuyan, his gaze full of curiosity. “Wait a minute.”

“How did you know I was sick last time?”

His last cold was two weeks ago. He had gotten drenched while changing Little White’s water and caught a chill. But he had slept it off and felt fine the next day; as far as he knew, nobody else knew he had been sick. How could this man know?

Feng Xiuyan’s heart skipped a beat. His fingers tightened instinctively. In his rush to scold the boy, he had forgotten that detail.

He certainly couldn’t say: “I saw you were sick, so I broke the rules to give you spiritual essence and stayed up all night to tuck you in.”

“I guessed,” he blurted out, a clumsy excuse he didn’t even believe himself. His eyes darted to the side, landing on the little yellow duckling he had just placed on the stone table.

Shen Youqing stared at him, clearly not buying it for a second.