I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Is the Brother a Childish Brat?? — Before Shen Youqing could react…

“Ahem,” Feng Xiuyan coughed twice to hide his loss of composure, his fingertips brushing his lips unnaturally. He suppressed his surging emotions, leaving only a trace of gravity in his voice: “It is nothing. Perhaps I was merely distracted by my thoughts.”

Shen Youqing shot him a suspicious glance, feeling that this Dragon King was acting a bit strange, but he didn’t dwell on it. Following the conversation, he asked, “So, did you see that person in the cave? After all, he saved me, and I haven’t had the chance to thank him yet. I wonder how he is doing now.”

Feng Xiuyan’s voice grew deeper, yet it held no malice, only the honest truth: “You need not thank him. That person is my half-brother, Chu Heng.”

“Chu Heng? Your brother?” Shen Youqing’s eyes went wide. No wonder they looked alike! It wasn’t just a coincidence of faces; they were blood brothers!

Great, the dog-blood trope of brothers turning against each other from transmigration novels is officially on the schedule, he thought.

After digesting this for a moment, he clicked his tongue. “Man, I was wondering why he was both saving me and kidnapping me. So it’s your family drama affecting an innocent bystander like me? But he didn’t seem like a bad person; he even got hurt to save me.”

“He is not inherently evil,” Feng Xiuyan spoke slowly, his voice heavy with a profound, historical exhaustion. “He is merely obsessive and stubborn. Having been exiled to the Far North Cold Abyss for a century, his resentment has only deepened.”

He sighed, his words carrying the weight of the past. “His biological father was a thousand-year-old giant python, a childhood friend of my mother. That python was a master of disguise. Seeing my mother marry my father, he grew envious and constantly plotted against them in the shadows.”

“Later, while my father was away on duty in the North Sea, my mother’s ‘Rain and Dew’ period (heat cycle) arrived early. Her spiritual energy was in chaos, and her consciousness was blurred. The python seized the opportunity, disguised himself as my father, and took advantage of her vulnerability.”

He paused, his throat bobbing. “When my father returned and discovered the truth, he executed the python. But my mother was already pregnant—with Chu Heng. Chu Heng’s temperament largely follows his father’s; he was cunning and jealous from a young age. He always felt our mother favored me. Later, when my parents sacrificed their dragon cores to save my life after a travel mishap, they both perished.”

Feng Xiuyan’s eyes misted over. “Because of this, Chu Heng is convinced I killed our mother. He hates me to the bone. When he failed to seize power within the clan, I had no choice but to exile him.”

He frowned, puzzled. “What I do not understand is how he escaped the Cold Abyss. Only I and the late Elder Gu knew the secret to the seal. The token to release him should be held by Elder Gu’s grandson, Gu Li.”

He turned to Shen Youqing, his worry genuine: “He approached you by mimicking my personality. It was not as simple as saving you. Most likely, he wanted to use you… to spite me.”

…

The Realization

Shen Youqing was stunned. He blinked, his jaw dropping.

“Wait, what?!” He blurted out. “You mean to tell me he went through all that trouble—the kidnapping, the cliff-jumping, the whole drama—just to annoy you??”

Feng Xiuyan nodded with a brotherly sense of helplessness. “Yes. He has been like this since we were children. Whenever he is unhappy, he uses extreme methods to get attention or make me miserable.”

“I…” Shen Youqing was so speechless he rubbed his temples. “I’m going to say it: your brother’s brain… is it maybe missing a few gears? This is so childish!”

He got more indignant the more he thought about it. “So I was tied up by bandits, fell off a cliff, caught a high fever, and Little Black was traumatized… all because he felt like giving you a hard time on a whim?!”

Feng Xiuyan seriously reflected on this. From stealing jade pendants to breaking magical artifacts to this current farce, it truly was immature. “Indeed… he is quite childish.”

“Even if he’s a brat, escaping that abyss is no joke,” Shen Youqing pondered. “He couldn’t have picked the lock himself. Someone must be helping him. Could it be Gu Li? Does he dislike you too?”

“Elder Gu was always loyal,” Feng Xiuyan said, his brow furrowing. “Gu Li was raised to be the same. I cannot imagine him betraying me. This requires investigation.”

…

The “Fever” Returns

As the serious talk died down, Shen Youqing leaned back against the headboard. His eyes inadvertently drifted to Feng Xiuyan’s face, specifically his lips. They were full, slightly pale, and looked… soft. It was a “gap-moe” contrast to his cool, majestic aura.

He stared at Feng Xiuyan’s mouth, dazed. Damn, those lips look so familiar, like I kissed them in a dream or something, haha.

Before he could stop himself, the thought slipped out of his mouth!

Feng Xiuyan froze, looking up at him in shock. “What?”

“Holy crap!” Shen Youqing snapped to his senses, his cheeks exploding in heat. He waved his hands frantically. “I mean—listen to my explanation! No, wait!”

Seeing he couldn’t talk his way out of it, he just went for it, scratching his head while panicking internally. “Okay, fine! Actually—during my coma, I think I dreamed about… about kissing you!”

It wasn’t just a joke; it was a vivid memory. But unlike a sweet dream, it felt… bitter. “I remember the taste was so bitter! Worse than Chinese medicine! Guess I’m a permanent ‘solo-dog’ for real—can’t even have a sweet dream, how pathetic!”

He didn’t notice Feng Xiuyan’s ear tips turning a deep crimson. The memory of mouth-to-mouth feeding from the night before flooded the Dragon King’s mind. His throat tightened, his voice turning husky. “You…”

Shen Youqing’s heart was hammered. He couldn’t look Feng Xiuyan in the eye. “It was probably just the fever making me have useless dreams! Don’t… don’t take it to heart…”

But his eyes wouldn’t listen. They fell back to those lips. Gosh, they look way softer than in the dream. Pink and tender…

Suddenly, a strong, irrational urge surged within him. He was a boyfriend, right? Kissing was legal! The urge broke through his logic.

“Um… Feng Xiuyan? Can I… can I kiss you for real?”

…

The Dragon’s Saliva

Shen Youqing immediately wanted to slap himself. What is wrong with me today?!

Ever since he woke up and saw Feng Xiuyan, his brain hadn’t been his own. There was an irresistible force deep in his subconscious, egging him on to get closer, to touch, to be near. The desire was so strong it was almost physical.

“!!!”

Help, am I in heat? He felt his body temperature rising again. His ears were tingling with heat. He looked down, wanting to tell Feng Xiuyan to leave before he did something like pouncing on him like a hungry wolf.

But Feng Xiuyan saw everything. He noted the abnormal flush and the hazy, desperate look in Shen Youqing’s eyes. He realized what it was: these were the exact symptoms of a dragon’s mate reacting to Dragon Saliva—the residue left behind from the medicinal transfer the night before.

Feng Xiuyan didn’t hesitate. He leaned in, his large, cool hand gently cupping the back of Shen Youqing’s neck. His touch was firm yet incredibly soothing.

Shen Youqing hadn’t even had time to react before those cool, soft lips pressed against his own.