The Amnesiac, Sickly Beauty Is Pregnant With My Dragon Cub - Chapter 55.2

Cang Lan glanced up at the pillars. “Wife, the Old Phoenix still has a place for me to sleep here. Do you think we should stay here tonight and go home tomorrow?”

Lu Xuan looked at her coldly and refused, “No. Go back to your own house. That broken shack of yours has long become a storage room. If you want to stay, clean it yourself. Don’t think about getting a free ride every day.”

Cang Lan huffed back, “Who wants to stay here anyway? I was just saying it in passing. I didn’t expect you to not even offer a polite word. Truly cold-hearted.”

Lu Xuan asked blankly, “Are you even human?”

Cang Lan argued, “My wife is, so that makes me one too.”

Ming Huang said nothing, simply drinking her soup and eating several pieces of tender, golden chicken. Seeing the two of them at each other’s throats, she shook her head helplessly.

The two were still arguing over who was at fault when Yu Xuanji’s head began to throb. She saw Ming Huang set down her bowl, wipe her lips with a handkerchief, and walk to the door, gesturing for her to follow.

Yu Xuanji followed her out. Standing behind Ming Huang in the courtyard, she breathed in the air scented with the dark fragrance of plum blossoms and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Looking at the scene of the two arguing inside, Ming Huang said with a smile, “Before A-Lan started her own household, she and A-Xuan were like this every day. My ears would ache, and I couldn’t even sit in meditation quietly.”

Yu Xuanji looked at the scene inside with envy. “A-Lan has been very happy with you all these years. I’m used to being alone, I—”

Hearing Yu Xuanji’s hesitation, Ming Huang looked up at the full moon. “Xuanji, the world is full of twists and turns. You don’t need to be so troubled.”

Yu Xuanji gripped the railing, lowering her eyes and slowly closing them. “Yes, I understand. After so many years, being able to see A-Lan again and see her healthy and happy… I would be willing to wait another thousand years.”

Ming Huang turned back, her eyes hiding something that Yu Xuanji couldn’t quite grasp. Yu Xuanji asked, “Senior, you—”

Ming Huang smiled. “There’s no need to lie to me. Only you know how you came to the Great Desolation, and only you know how you got those fatal wounds.”

Yu Xuanji’s lips trembled. The endless bitterness in her throat poured out at that moment. “Senior, you know?”

Ming Huang plucked a plum blossom and placed it in Yu Xuanji’s palm. “As I said, the world’s coincidences never cease. You fell into the Great Desolation and happened to be picked up by A-Lan—that is the best answer.”

Ming Huang reached out and tapped Yu Xuanji’s heart with her finger, smiling. “I know you still don’t know how to state the facts. Why not let nature take its course? If you keep hiding it, it will only cause friction between you and your wife. Do you understand what I mean?”

Yu Xuanji opened her mouth and finally nodded. “I understand.”

Just as the words left her mouth, Cang Lan came out carrying a jar of wine. Yu Xuanji saw it was the jar of plum wine she had dug up from under the wintersweet tree earlier.

A faint, sweet and sour fragrance wafted out. Cang Lan sniffed the aroma, her mouth watering. “Wife, this wine is so fragrant! Old Phoenix, you have such good stuff and didn’t even think to invite me and my wife to drink.”

Lu Xuan stood nearby, reaching out to snatch the jar from Cang Lan, but Ming Huang took it first.

Ming Huang said, “A-Xuan, go and get the glazed cups I collected. How about the four of us drink until we’re drunk tonight?”

The plum wine was a clear yellowish-brown. As it poured from the jar, a rich plum scent hit them.

Cang Lan sniffed the wine greedily. Once the first cup was filled, she impatiently placed it in front of Yu Xuanji.

As soon as the second cup was ready, Cang Lan held it with both hands and downed it in one go.

Seeing this lack of poise, Lu Xuan couldn’t help but roll her eyes again, muttering, “Truly pathetic. With such a poor tolerance, you dare to drink it all at once.”

Seeing Cang Lan finish the cup, Yu Xuanji reached out and took the cup away. “A-Lan, don’t drink so much. Your tolerance is low.”

Cang Lan’s cheeks turned red, and the corners of her eyes were flushed with a hint of rouge. She stammered, “How… how does Wife know my tolerance is low?”

Seeing her dazed and foolish look, Yu Xuanji helplessly pressed her palm to her forehead. She thought to herself: Do I even need to look? Anyone could see you’re drunk just by looking at you.

Ming Huang resealed the plum wine. She finished the wine in her own cup and laughed. “A-Lan’s tolerance is indeed poor. A few years ago, she stole a jar I had buried and slept under the tree for three days and nights. No one could wake her.”

When Cang Lan got drunk, she became very clingy. Although she was usually like that, a drunk Cang Lan was even more so. She hugged Yu Xuanji’s waist tightly, ignoring the other two as she leaned in to kiss Yu Xuanji’s lips.

Seeing this, Lu Xuan covered her eyes and took Ming Huang’s hand to lead her out. “Master, don’t look. Those two are far too shameless. Xuanji doesn’t stop her; instead, she—”

Ming Huang’s finger tickled Lu Xuan’s palm. “Instead, she what?”

Lu Xuan squeezed Ming Huang’s fingers tightly and said through gritted teeth, “She’s pampering her wife to no end.”

Ming Huang burst out laughing. “Where did you learn those words?”

Lu Xuan lowered her eyelids and whispered, “From the storybooks I bought from Tushan Bai.”

From inside the room came Cang Lan’s soft, coaxing voice, giving Lu Xuan goosebumps. She looked to Ming Huang for help. “Master just said we should go to bed early, but those two won’t leave. Especially that evil dragon. Master, you can’t go back on your word.”

Ming Huang looked at the little dragon cub inside, who had grown a tail to wrap around Yu Xuanji. Taking Lu Xuan’s hand, she said, “How about this? We’ll go out and find an inn. There are many inns built by demons in the Great Desolation; they’re actually quite nice.”

Lu Xuan gripped Ming Huang’s hand tightly, her hand trembling involuntarily. “Then… then I’ll listen to Master. We’ll stay at an inn.”

Back in the main hall, Yu Xuanji sat in a chair while Cang Lan, like a flexible and clingy water snake, wrapped her arms and legs around her waist. She kept rubbing against her, murmuring, “Wife… Wife, where are you going?”

Yu Xuanji craned her neck, holding the table with one hand. “A-Lan, I’m right here—”

Her words were cut short. A weight hit Yu Xuanji’s belly. Cang Lan’s face fell right against her stomach, and she promptly fell asleep.

Yu Xuanji was stunned. She stroked Cang Lan’s hair with one hand and cupped her chin with the other, calling, “A-Lan, A-Lan.”

Cang Lan’s face down to her neck gradually turned a deep red. She hugged Yu Xuanji and began to talk in her sleep: “Wife—”

The voice was tiny. Yu Xuanji pressed her ear to Cang Lan’s lips and asked, “A-Lan, what did you say?”

In her daze, a youthful and pure face appeared in Cang Lan’s mind. The nose, eyes, and mouth merged perfectly with the mature and steady face before her.

Yu Xuanji’s pale red lips kept moving. Cang Lan cupped her cheeks with one hand and kissed her uncontrollably.

“Mmph—”

A suppressed groan of pain came from her ear. Cang Lan snapped her eyes open to see a blushing girl before her, eyes wide and body trembling with tension.

Cang Lan’s arms, which had been wrapped around the girl’s slender waist, slowly loosened. Seeing tears welling in the girl’s eyes, her heart ached. She uncontrollably pulled her arms away and took half a step back.

Yu Xuanji grabbed the blanket to cover herself. She carefully looked at the dejected Cang Lan sitting beside her, slowly reached an arm out from under the covers, and poked the back of Cang Lan’s hand twice. “What’s wrong with you?”

Cang Lan shook her head and rubbed her temples. “I… I seem to be losing control. Could it be—”

Yu Xuanji curled up like a little rabbit seeing a big bad wolf, her lips trembling as she asked, “Be what?”

Cang Lan looked at her with a heavy expression, then lowered her eyelids and said helplessly, “A dragon’s mating season.”

“Mating season?” Yu Xuanji had never heard of such a thing and asked curiously, “What is that?”

Cang Lan took a breath and said in a hoarse voice, “Nothing. It’s late. Go to sleep. I’m going out for some air.”

With that, Cang Lan got off the bed, put on her shoes and outer robe, closed the door, and left the room.

Yu Xuanji sat on the bed, watching Cang Lan’s lonely back as she left. Her hand on the bedding curled up, her fingertips gripping the sheets.

Cang Lan stood in the courtyard, her gaze fixed on the bright candle light in the room. She sat on the swing she had built for Yu Xuanji, her hands gripping the hemp ropes and her feet scuffing the ground, swinging back and forth to try and disperse the fire in her belly.

Cang Lan didn’t understand why dragons had mating seasons.

Like many other magical beasts, dragons had a mating season. As their strength grew, the period would lengthen. After each season, her scales would become harder and her spiritual power stronger.

Past seasons had been just as hard to endure. She was the only dragon in heaven and earth. Before meeting Yu Xuanji, Cang Lan had always endured the seasons alone.

She didn’t want to just find any beast to be her partner; she could only suffer through it in agony. Even without mating, as long as she survived those difficult days, she would emerge radiant, as if she had undergone a cleansing ritual, and her body would grow larger.

Sometimes she would fly to the frozen lands and dive into the water, soaking her body in ice to try and soothe the heat. The effect wasn’t great, but it solved the immediate crisis.

Cang Lan wanted it. She wanted it badly. She had never craved it as much as she did today.

She craved Yu Xuanji’s touch, craved her hand stroking her scales, craved for her tail to slowly, slowly enter, to taste a sweetness she had never known.

Cang Lan only had to think of it to lose control of her desires. But her little human was too fragile; if she took her by force, she feared the opposite effect.

During a dragon’s mating season, the body would emit wisps of incense from the inside out, attracting beasts from thousands of miles away.

However, those beasts only dared to hide in their caves and sniff the scent; they didn’t dare find Cang Lan in person to mate. They knew they were no match for the Black Dragon, so they could only stay hidden. But there were always some who weren’t afraid to die and dared to confront her.

Rustling sounds came from the courtyard. Cang Lan sat on the swing, the sound of falling leaves hitting her ears. She looked over to see a massive black python slithering in.

During the mating season, Cang Lan’s power and senses were at their peak. She had sensed the python when it was ten miles away.

Cang Lan never liked fighting and always preferred peace, so she hadn’t bothered with the small demon, assuming it would retreat after smelling the scent. She hadn’t expected it to climb over the wall.

The black python hissed as it slithered toward Cang Lan. It opened its mouth, letting out a continuous hissing sound.

Cang Lan frowned, remaining still on the swing. The snake demon pressed against her, rubbing its smooth cheek against her ankle, attempting to slowly wrap itself around her.

With a quick probe of spiritual energy, Cang Lan knew this snake demon was a large demon of about two thousand years. She said deeply, “Leave. I already have a wife.”

The snake demon paused and in the blink of an eye transformed into a slender, beautiful woman with a charming face. She lay across Cang Lan’s knees, tilted her head, and pointed toward the bedroom window. “Is the wife you speak of that weak and delicate human girl in the room?”

Hearing the words “weak and delicate,” Cang Lan thought about it and smiled. “Indeed. I married her a few days ago.”

The snake demon was puzzled. “Are you tricking me? You are a Divine Dragon, and she is but a common human. Do you really plan to stay with her forever?”

Cang Lan smiled and asked, “Why not? Since I love her, I naturally won’t care about her human status or the length of her lifespan.”

The snake demon shook her head. “I have cultivated for a thousand years to gain human form. I have seen many demons lose their power or even their lives because they loved humans. Those humans deliberately get close to great demons, lure them into love, and then take the chance to dig out their inner cores or steal their most important treasures. Because I have seen it often, I don’t dare get close to humans. Dragon God, you are full of treasures, especially that heart-protecting scale. If it were stolen by a villain—”

Cang Lan smiled. “You speak too absolutely. Besides, if my wife wants it, I’ll pull it off and give it to her, so she can share my lifespan.”

The snake demon sat on the ground, looking up at Cang Lan. “Please don’t joke. I know you’ve only recently come to the human realm. What I’m saying comes from the heart; it’s the truth of what I’ve seen and heard over the years. Human hearts are more terrifying than demons. They are greedy, selfish, and cold-hearted. To gain immortality, they will use any means, even killing the great demons they lived with to take their cores. Please, don’t be deceived.”

Cang Lan’s lips curved. Her gaze remained on the window with the lit candle. She murmured, “I was deceived by her long ago.”

The snake demon rested her chin on her hand. Seeing that the dragon wouldn’t listen, she sat on her tail and pleaded, “Great King, you are a Divine Dragon; your life is endless. But she is just a mortal who can only live a hundred years at most. To you, that’s just a blink of an eye. If one day she is gone, then—”

Cang Lan looked down. “What are you trying to say?”

The snake demon stroked Cang Lan’s foot, looking up at her with pleading eyes. “If she is gone, why not look at me? I am a snake demon and will soon be able to transform into a flood dragon. If I cultivate well, I can become a dragon in a thousand years. Please, give me a chance.”

Cang Lan stood up, her hands behind her back. “I know it wasn’t easy for you to cultivate for a thousand years, and I know you didn’t mean to offend my wife, so I won’t be angry with you. I’ll act as if I never heard those words today. Go, and don’t come back.”

The snake demon unwillingly hugged Cang Lan’s calf, looking up and pleading, “Dragon God, please grant me some of your grace! I fell in love with you at first sight and only wish to follow you forever!”

Cang Lan looked down at her coldly. “I cannot grant your wish, and don’t mention my wife again. I know her body and her lifespan; I don’t need you to remind me.”

The snake demon slowly loosened her grip. She bowed her head low and whispered, “I understand.”

Then, a dragon scale emitting a faint golden light appeared on her forehead. The snake demon looked up in shock, only to hear Cang Lan’s voice fading away: “This scale is for you. May it help you transform soon. Consider it a conclusion to our meeting.”

The snake demon touched her forehead and held the scale. Her eyes widened. She wanted to chase after her, but was blocked by a barrier and couldn’t move.

Cang Lan returned to the main hall, clutching her heart and taking a deep breath.

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her waist. Yu Xuanji’s cheek pressed against Cang Lan’s back as she asked softly, “Just now you said you were fated with that snake demon. Could you tell me exactly what kind of fate you share?”