I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Forgetting to Feed the Dragon King

Hmm? Why does it feel like I’ve forgotten something…

Shen Youqing sighed in his heart and accepted his fate, tucking the letter away before politely addressing the group.

“Since you all arrived so early, you probably haven’t eaten yet. Should I have the kitchen prepare something for you?”

“Don’t trouble yourself, little Youqing. We’ve already had breakfast on the way. But you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“I’m not hungry right now. I’ll eat later—”

Before Shen Youqing could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a contemptuous, arrogant teenage voice that sounded incredibly punchable.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re hungry or not, but don’t starve that Fengling in the courtyard.”

The speaker was the youth leaning against the armchair. He had shed his lazy demeanor and was now sitting upright, propping his chin on one hand as he stared at Shen Youqing.

Shen Youqing rolled his eyes internally and cursed the rude fellow, but maintained his composure on the surface.

He simply replied in a somewhat cold tone, “I haven’t forgotten. I’ll feed it in a moment.” So don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.

After cursing the guy in his mind, Shen Youqing realized something was off. How does this person know I have a fish in my yard, and how does he even know its name??

As if the moment the youth spoke, everyone else in the room went silent. The large hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Yuan Yajun knew that Shen Youqing was unaware the fish was actually the Dragon King. Fearing he might clash with the Third Prince, she broke the silence.

“Little Youqing, let me introduce you. This is the Third Prince, Li Beicheng, the Emperor’s most beloved son. This is Su Yao, the daughter of the Duke of Zhen; and behind her is Wen Shubai, the son of the Minister of Personnel.”

Shen Youqing’s heart felt even heavier. A whole group of high-status ancestors I can’t afford to offend.

“Little Youqing, I brought you some pastries from Yipinzhai,” Yuan Yajun said, taking out two wooden boxes from her luggage. “Their lotus crisps are the best. Take them and have a taste—and remember to share some with Fengling.”

Shen Youqing: “??”

Excuse me, sister? Can fish even eat this stuff?? Are you kidding me??

Just as he was about to decline, the girl in the pink dress produced a cloth bundle from somewhere. With a heavy thud, the bundle landed on the table.

“These are fruits my brother brought back from out of town. They’re rare finds in the capital—juicy and very sweet.” Su Yao chattered through her introduction, not forgetting to add, “Fengling can eat these too. Remember to give it some.”

Then, the scholarly youth beside her stepped forward with something. “Pear blossom white wine. For Fengling,” Wen Shubai said. Sensing something was amiss as he retracted his hand, he added, “You can drink it too if you like.” He then retreated back to the curio shelf to continue reading the book he had been looking at earlier.

Shen Youqing stared blankly at the two wine jars on the table, which were already wafting a faint aroma of alcohol…

Pastries and fruit are one thing, but are you sure a fish can drink wine? How? Do I just pour it into the pond for a wine bath? Turn it into a tipsy fish??

Three of them were done; only the “tough guy” was left.

Sure enough, the “tough guy” stood up from his chair and approached with a palm-sized brocade box. Li Beicheng had specifically researched the preferences of the Dragon Tribe and heard they loved glittering gold and jade. He had begged his imperial father for a long time to get this. The Emperor cherished it, but upon hearing it was for the Dragon King, he agreed without a second thought.

“Here. If it weren’t for the fact that we aren’t allowed to disturb him, we wouldn’t need to go through you to give him things.”

Shen Youqing rolled his eyes into the back of his head internally but maintained a strained, smiling mask. “Don’t worry, everyone. I will make sure these are delivered.”

After more chatter, the crowd dispersed, led by servants to choose their rooms. Shen Youqing stood there in a daze for a long while, his hands full of the items he’d been given…

…

By the time Shen Youqing moved everything back to his courtyard, he was drenched in sweat. If the servant hadn’t helped, he probably would have dug two pits into the gravel path with his feet. The weight of the bundle alone made his arms ache.

He stood under the corridor with his hands on his hips, staring at the bundle the servant had dropped on the floor. The thick cotton cloth was bulging. He wiped his brow with a sweaty palm.

“Crap, this thing must weigh at least twenty pounds.” He nudged the bundle with his toe. “Tsk, that girl looks so delicate, but she’s a total ‘Iron Barbie’…”

He squeezed his own arm. “Great, I almost grew a bicep just from that.” Pouting, he turned and walked into the house, his steps feeling heavy and floaty.

By the time he washed his hands and returned to his bed, the sun had climbed to the treetops, casting dappled shadows through the window onto his quilt. He let out a long yawn, his eyes tearing up slightly from the sheer exhaustion felt in his bones.

Waking up too early and dealing with those newcomers all morning made his eyelids feel like lead. He stripped off his clothes carelessly, leaving them in a crumpled heap on the stool. He crawled into bed and wrapped himself tightly in the quilt.

As his consciousness blurred and he prepared to fall into a sweet dream, a flash of an old man nagging him crossed his mind for a split second.

Hmm? Why does it feel like I’ve forgotten something…

Shen Youqing frowned in his sleep, his eyes moving beneath his closed lids. But the thought was quickly drowned out by a wave of sleepiness. He couldn’t open his eyes. Smacking his lips, he comforted himself.

Whatever, I’ll deal with it when I wake up…

A second later, his even breathing filled the room, accompanied by a faint snore, soft as a kitten stepping on cotton.

…

The pond in the courtyard was not as quiet as the room.

Fine ripples spread across the surface, and the sunlight shattered into glinting gold leaf upon the water. A small white fish was darting around anxiously, its tail splashing water everywhere. Every so often, it would leap out of the water with a splat, its round eyes glancing toward Shen Youqing’s closed door.

The door remained shut, and only the faint sound of steady breathing could be heard from within.

The little fish leaped a few more times. Seeing no movement, its energy began to fade. It sank listlessly to the bottom, its tail brushing against the smooth pebbles without making a splash.

The sun rose higher, heating the pond water until the coolness at the bottom began to dissipate. After a moment, the little fish seemed to give up, blowing a small bubble from its mouth.

The moment the bubble burst, the fish’s body suddenly glowed with a soft, lustrous light, as if coated in a thin silver veil of moonlight. The light intensified until it transformed into a streak of radiance that shot out of the water. With a fine spray of droplets, it arched gracefully through the air and landed steadily on the bluestone floor by the pond.

The radiance faded from the feet up, revealing a pair of black boots with dark embroidered patterns. The soles were stitched with exquisite cloud motifs, and water droplets slid off the fabric instantly. Above the boots was a magnificent silk robe of deep blue, embroidered with intricate cloud and water patterns that looked as natural as if they had grown there.

A black “dragon-silk” belt was fastened at the waist, adorned with a blue jade pendant. The pendant featured a lifelike dragon carving, with two translucent pearls for eyes that swayed gently with his movements.

Finally, the light reached his head, revealing a handsome and extraordinary face. His hair was black as ink, falling straight to his waist. With brows like ink paintings, eyes like cold stars, a high nose bridge, and pale lips, he possessed a detached, ethereal nobility like an immortal descended to earth.

Feng Xiuyan stood under the corridor, his black robe fluttering slightly in the draft. He stared at the closed door, his mist-blue eyes clouded with a faint gloom. The sun was nearly at its zenith, yet the boy inside hadn’t stirred.

“This child… what time does he think it is…”

His fingers unconsciously brushed the dragon jade at his waist. The cold touch couldn’t suppress the rising irritation in his heart. A hollow growl came from his stomach—a timely echo of his dissatisfaction.

He, the dignified Dragon King who had lived for over a thousand years, was actually being left to starve while waiting for a feeding. He let out a soft snort, his lips tightening into a cold line, causing the air pressure around him to drop.

There was one month left until the marriage union with the humans. According to tradition, during these thirty days, the Human Emperor would send several youths to stay at the villa so he could secretly observe them and choose a suitable future partner. However, he was not allowed to meet these candidates—a rule he had set himself.

Feng Xiuyan had always detested dealing with people, especially the idea of picking a spouse from a crowd; it made him feel like a commoner picking cabbages at a market. He considered himself a devoted dragon. While the nature of dragons could be somewhat profligate—and the mating season for an adult dragon was notoriously difficult—he had cultivated his mind for a thousand years, and his self-control was absolute.

He had always looked down on fleeting romances. If he were to have a companion, it had to be a genuine connection of hearts; otherwise, he preferred solitude.

He had chosen the Shen family estate for this trial because he liked the peace here. The flowing water, the bamboo shadows—even the air smelled of faint greenery. It was perfect.

He hadn’t expected that Old Man Shen, who looked muddled, would actually be so shrewd as to place his own grandson in the courtyard closest to him. He even designated that the child personally handle daily tasks like feeding, cleaning the pond, and fetching spring water.

His intentions were as clear as day.

Feng Xiuyan looked down at his reflection in the pond, a flash of coldness in his mist-blue pupils. Old Man Shen usually acted fairly, but he had blundered this time.

Having cultivated for a millennium, Feng Xiuyan’s power was at the world’s peak. He only needed to release a sliver of divine sense to monitor every movement in the villa. He had seen the farce in the hall earlier and the behavior of those youths clearly.

Among the other candidates, their appearances were all quite exceptional. Yet for some reason, in his eyes, none of those carefully selected youths were as pleasing to look at as that noisy child. The way the boy grimaced while moving things, his silly complaints while pinching his own arm, and his current state of being completely dead to the world…

It was clearly a list of flaws, yet somehow, it appealed perfectly to his aesthetic.

Feng Xiuyan rested his chin on his finger, his brow slightly furrowed. Perhaps it was just how it was; after all, there’s often no logic to one’s preferences in this world. But this boy… aside from his face, everything else…

“Tsk.” He clicked his tongue, his brows knitting tighter.

The morning feeding time had long passed, yet this child was still lounging in bed. To be this lazy and negligent—did he really expect to win favor through the convenience of being close by? It was far too insincere.

Feng Xiuyan looked at the silver chain on his wrist, made of deep-sea cold iron. The scale patterns on the links glinted in the sun.

He would wait another fifteen minutes. If the child still didn’t come out…