I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Dragon King? Like Ao Bing’s Dad? Floating in the Dragon Palace’s Warming Hall…

The sweet fragrance of spirit grass drifted through the Dragon Palace’s Warming Hall.

The little duckling squatted on a stone platform by the pool, pecking at the spirit grass; flecks of tender green stuck to its snow-white feathers.

Feng Xiuyan sat on a nearby white jade stool, pinching a tuft of yellow feathers in his hand. They had just been shed by the duckling this morning, and by now, he had rubbed them until they were limp and flat.

The table was piled high with memorials from the Four Seas. The ink was ground and the brush rested on the rack, yet he hadn’t touched a single one. His soul had long since drifted off to who-knows-where.

He had been so bold and tough when talking big at the Dragon King’s Hall during the day, but the moment he returned here, that toughness evaporated, leaving nothing but sheer panic.

He was wondering: Does that kid know about the marriage alliance yet? If he finds out he’s been forcibly shoved into an alliance, will he get all huffy?

Will he think I’m overbearing, making decisions for him without even asking?

If Shen Youqing finds out that “Xiao Bai” is him, and that he is the Dragon King, will he feel like he’s been tricked and start to hate him…

The more Feng Xiuyan thought, the more agitated he became.

“Father, what’s wrong?” The little duckling finished its spirit grass and tilted its head to look at him.

Seeing that Feng Xiuyan hadn’t moved for ages, it waddled over to his feet and gently pecked at the hem of his robe with its bill.

Xiao Hei sat on a low stool not far away, holding a crystal bowl the size of a sea-basin, grabbing and eating spirit food that was round, plump, and shimmering with iridescent light.

Hearing the duckling speak, he also looked up, staring at Feng Xiuyan and stammering, “Fa… Father, are you unhappy?”

Feng Xiuyan looked down at the duckling at his feet. His irritation softened slightly, and his voice grew gentle. “What if your Daddy… hates me?”

The duckling froze, blinking its round eyes as it thought for a long time. Then, it wagged its tail vigorously, making white feathers flutter. “No way! Daddy won’t hate Father!”

It leaned against Feng Xiuyan’s hand, rubbing its head against him. “Daddy likes me, so he definitely likes Father too. Father brings me spirit grass every day—it’s way tastier than the stuff at the villa!”

In its eyes, “liking” meant giving yummy food. Daddy had done that, and Father did it too, so Daddy must like Father.

Xiao Hei also nodded frantically. “Y-yeah, Father! Daddy likes fish!” He patted his chest, his tone incredibly certain.

“Back when I was a fish, Daddy fed me every day!” He only knew that Feng Xiuyan had transformed from a little white fish. “Father is… a big, powerful fish! Daddy likes fish, so he definitely likes Father!”

He figured since he was a fish and Daddy liked him, and Father was also a fish, there was no reason Daddy wouldn’t like him.

Feng Xiuyan stared at the two of them, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

He froze for a moment, then slowly began to process it.

That’s right! When Shen Youqing first saw the duckling, he raised it like a precious treasure. It showed the kid was kind-hearted and loved small animals.

Xiao Hei said Shen Youqing liked fish—and isn’t he exactly that little white fish that Shen Youqing fed for a month?

The first time they met in his human form, that kid had told him that if Xiao Bai weren’t a fish, he would definitely fall in love with it!

The more he thought about it, the more right it felt. The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.

He reached out and stroked the duckling’s head. “You’re right. Daddy won’t hate Father.”

His brain was already uncontrollably hallucinating the scene of their meeting tomorrow…

…

Late at night, the Dragon Palace’s sleeping quarters were silent, save for the warm glow emitted by the night-luminescent pearls.

On the long table in the center of the hall, robes were piled up like a small mountain. Every piece shimmered: dragon patterns embroidered in gold thread, sea waves woven from mermaid silk, collars adorned with pearls—it was enough to make one dizzy.

The sea servants stood by the table, not daring to breathe loudly, holding two more robes they hadn’t had time to lay out yet.

Feng Xiuyan stood before the table, pinching a silver-white robe embroidered with hidden dragon patterns. The material was rare ice-silk, cool and smooth to the touch, glowing with a faint pearlescent sheen under the light.

He unfolded the robe and compared it against the water mirror, but his brow slowly furrowed. “Is this one a bit too plain?”

As he spoke, he tossed the robe onto the table. The silver-white fabric landed on the heap without making a sound.

A sea servant quickly handed over a dark green one embroidered with wave patterns, whispering, “Your Majesty, this one was a tribute from the South Sea last month. The wave patterns are embroidered with gold thread; it’s steady yet noble. Would you like to see?”

Feng Xiuyan took it and unfolded it. The dark green base made the gold thread stand out exceptionally well. The wave patterns crawled from the hem all the way to the cuffs, indeed exuding an air of elegance and transcendence.

But after staring at it for less than two seconds, he shook his head again. “The color is too dark. Will I look too serious?” With that, he put the robe back.

The sea servants exchanged glances and brought forward a bright red robe with gold trim—one that had previously been dismissed for being too flashy.

The moment this one was unfolded, all the light in the hall seemed to be sucked toward it. The night pearls at the collar were dazzling, and the gold-embroidered dragon coiled from the shoulder down to the waist, looking incredibly arrogant.

Feng Xiuyan’s eyes lit up when he saw this one.

It was eye-catching enough. That kid would definitely notice him at first glance.

But before the servants could breathe a sigh of relief, his face suddenly fell. “This is too garish!” His voice was full of conflict. “I’ll look like a peacock in full display. If that kid sees it, will he laugh at this King?”

The pile of robes on the table grew larger, yet Feng Xiuyan hadn’t picked a single one.

The sea servants didn’t dare make a sound, thinking to themselves that the young master of the human race was truly lucky.

Their Majesty was actually becoming this agonizingly picky about clothes just to see him. In the past, he never cared whether others thought he looked good or not.

…

Shen Youqing had been living quite comfortably these past two days.

Eating, drinking, and spending all day holding a newly bought storybook—his life was leisurely beyond measure.

By this time, he had long been fast asleep, meeting the God of Dreams, having no idea that a certain Dragon King had spent the entire night picking out clothes just to see him.

Early the next morning, Shen Youqing was still sprawled on his bed, dreaming about eating hotpot.

The red oil was bubbling in the pot; the freshly blanched tripe was coated in dipping sauce and just about to enter his mouth when suddenly, a “thump, thump, thump” sound of knocking came from the door.

Whoosh! The tripe that was practically in his mouth vanished into thin air!

Shen Youqing’s face instantly slumped. He grumbled from under the covers, “Who is it? Disturbing a beautiful dream so early in the morning…”

He had stayed up until nearly dawn reading his book last night, so his head was still groggy. In his daze, he actually thought he was back in his rented apartment and that the landlord had come to collect rent.

But the knocking didn’t stop; instead, it became more urgent, mixed with an aged voice: “Qingqing, are you awake?”

Huh? Isn’t that his “cheap” grandfather’s voice?!

Only then did Shen Youqing fully wake up. He scrambled out of bed, shuffled to the door in his slippers, and muttered to himself: What time is it? What does the old man want with me this early?

But when he opened the door, he froze.

Outside the door stood not just his grandfather, but his “cheap” parents as well.

All three were dressed neatly, looking like they were heading out for serious business.

Shen Youqing felt the atmosphere between them was strange. Shen’s mother, in particular, had eyes swollen like walnuts—she had clearly been crying.

Shen’s father managed to maintain his usual decorum, but his face was inexplicably haggard.

Most obvious was Old Master Shen; his back seemed more hunched than the last time they met, and his brow was furrowed deeply enough to crush a mosquito.

Shen Youqing’s heart skipped a beat. His intuition told him that their coming to find him was definitely not good news.

Could something have happened to the Shen family? Are we going bankrupt?!

No way! I’ve only been a rich second-generation kid for a few days, and it’s already over?

“Grandpa, Dad, Mom… what happened? Did something go wrong at home?” Shen Youqing suppressed his wild imagination and asked tentatively.

Hearing this, the expressions of the three across from him became even more complex. Shen’s mother’s eyes turned red on the spot.

Crap, are we really going bankrupt?

Shen Youqing quickly tried to comfort himself: “It’s okay, it’s okay. No big deal, I can handle it…” Anyway, he used to be a poor office worker; if he wasn’t meant for wealth, he wouldn’t force it.

Standing under the corridor, Old Master Shen watched Shen Youqing comfort them instead, and felt even worse. Finally, he just let out a sigh, his voice full of helplessness.

“Sigh, how did he end up picking you?” He reached out and patted Shen Youqing’s shoulder. “Hurry up and get ready. Change into some clean clothes and come with me to see the Dragon King.”

“Okay.” Shen Youqing nodded with a look of grief, reacting purely on instinct. Then, he suddenly froze. “Wait, see who?”

His eyes went wide as saucers. “Dragon King? What Dragon King? Grandpa, are you sleepwalking? There’s no such thing as a Dragon King in this world.”

Old Master Shen didn’t get annoyed. He just urged, “You’ll know when you get there. We’ll wait for you in the carriage outside. Hurry up, don’t miss the auspicious hour.”

“Oh…” Shen Youqing still hadn’t grasped the situation and responded blankly.

Watching the three of them turn and walk out of the courtyard, he scratched his head.

Could it be the handsome dad of Ao Bing from ‘Ne Zha: I Am the Destiny’?

Pfft. Shen Youqing was amused by his own thoughts. Sadly, he had traveled to a plain old ancient society—where would mythical characters come from?

Maybe it was some prince with the surname “Long”? But he didn’t know anyone like that. Why see him?

Whatever. As long as it’s not bankruptcy.

Thank goodness! My status as a rich second-gen is safe.

Shen Youqing didn’t dawdle. He washed up quickly, grabbed a random set of clothes from the wardrobe, threw them on, and hurried out.

At the main gate, he saw a carriage waiting.

The servant standing by saw him come out and quickly stepped forward. “Young Master, the Old Master and Madam are waiting for you in the carriage.”

Shen Youqing nodded, stepped on the footstool, and boarded.

Lifting the curtain, he saw the Old Master sitting at the back, with his parents on either side. A low table was set in the middle of the carriage.

He found an empty seat and sat down. As soon as he settled, he felt the three people in the carriage sizing him up simultaneously.

Shen’s mother was the first to push the pastries on the table toward him. “Qingqing, are you hungry? Have some snacks first.”

“Yeah, thanks Mom,” Shen Youqing replied, taking a bite of a pastry.

He had only chewed twice when his father spoke up: “Why did you wear this outfit? Those new ones made last month in your wardrobe—why didn’t you pick one of those?”

Shen Youqing looked down at his clothes, not seeing anything wrong. “What’s wrong with this?”

“Is it a bit too plain?” Shen’s mother added.

Plain?! Shen Youqing was incredulous.

The clothes in his wardrobe were all fine fabrics and the latest styles. Even the set he was wearing was clearly expensive. How was it “plain” to them?

“I think it’s fine,” he asked, puzzled. “Why? Does the person we’re meeting today like bright colors and flashy styles?” Does this person have some kind of issue?

At that moment, Old Master Shen spoke: “Forget it, this will do. Let’s go, don’t miss the hour.”

“Yes.” Only then did Shen’s father signal the driver outside, and the carriage slowly began to move.

Shen Youqing, holding half a chewed osmanthus cake, could only keep his eyes down and his mind quiet.

He felt like something was wrong…

Why does this feel exactly like the scene when my mom used to force me to go on blind dates??