The Amnesiac, Sickly Beauty Is Pregnant With My Dragon Cub - Chapter 9

The sky had just begun to turn gray with the first light of dawn when Cang Lan emerged silently from the depths of the Cold Pool.

Two thick, black, glossy dragon whiskers cautiously poked out from the water’s surface. Sensing that Yu Xuanji was still fast asleep, she breathed a sigh of relief and blew a circle of bubbles underwater with a “gurgle-gurgle” sound.

Cang Lan stealthily dove back to the bottom, coiling herself around a massive pillar of Black Iron. This pitch-black iron pillar had once been her weapon when she fought across the lands; later, when no demon in the Great Barrens could match her, Cang Lan thrust this Great Black Iron Spear into the Cold Pool to use as a perch for sleeping.

Before Yu Xuanji was brought back by Cang Lan, this iron pillar and Cang Lan had been inseparable. However, ever since she had set up a soft, large bed for Yu Xuanji, the pillar had gradually fallen out of favor.

Cang Lan rubbed back and forth against the iron pillar for a long while to soothe an itch, then leaped out toward the surface, coming face-to-face with Yu Xuanji, who happened to be pacing by the edge of the pool.

A giant black dragon head lunged from the water. Those two spirited whiskers instantly drooped down; at this point, pretending that Yu Xuanji hadn’t noticed her was impossible.

Yu Xuanji was not frightened by the sudden appearance of the behemoth. The corners of her lips curved upward, and she seemed unable to resist reaching out a hand toward Cang Lan. Just as her hand was about to touch the dragon whiskers, Cang Lan dove back into the water with a “whoosh.”

Two massive, golden dragon pupils blinked gently, staring intently at Yu Xuanji’s reflection on the water’s surface, seemingly detecting a hint of disappointment in the shadow.

It wasn’t that Cang Lan wouldn’t let Yu Xuanji touch her; she was currently in the midst of her estrus period and simply didn’t dare have physical contact with this woman, fearing she might lose control at any moment.

Sometimes Cang Lan thought about how wonderful it would be if Yu Xuanji were also a dragon. If Yu Xuanji belonged to the dragon clan like her, she would surely be a beautiful little white dragon with scales whiter than snow.

But there was only one dragon in this world. Although it was said that localized sea-serpents (Jiao) could turn into dragons and fish could leap through the Dragon Gate, without the right destiny, even thousands or tens of thousands of years would be hard to endure.

Cang Lan felt she must find a time to ask the Old Phoenix if there were any examples of humans turning into dragons. If there were, even if it meant sacrificing half her own life to grant Yu Xuanji the same lifespan as a True Dragon—to live as long as Heaven and Earth—it would be worth it.

The moment this thought surfaced in her mind, Cang Lan’s dragon body shuddered, sending a massive surge through the depths of the Cold Pool, so startling her that she almost slipped off the pillar she was coiled around.

Cang Lan covered the position of her heart with a claw, thinking to herself that how long Yu Xuanji lived depended on her own fate. The two of them clearly had no real relationship, so why was she worrying about such nonsense? She had given Yu Xuanji Dragon Blood Pills and was painstakingly searching for spirit reishi and immortal herbs to extend life, yet the woman seemed unable to enjoy such blessings.

After staying underwater for another half hour, Cang Lan transformed into her human form and climbed out. Yu Xuanji was no longer by the pool. Cang Lan dried the moisture from her body and walked toward the western cave door.

If she guessed correctly, Yu Xuanji should be in the study practicing calligraphy or painting, as she had few other activities to occupy her time.

The sun in the Great Barrens was fierce during the day; even many ordinary demonic beasts could not withstand it, let alone a powerless mortal. To ensure Yu Xuanji’s safety, Cang Lan forbade her from leaving the cave even by a single step.

Cang Lan arrived at the simple “study” and saw Yu Xuanji sitting at a stone table writing on calligraphy sheets. Unable to help herself, she leaned in, pressing against Yu Xuanji’s back and peeking curiously over her shoulder.

From the moment Cang Lan entered, Yu Xuanji had sensed her movement. She calmly continued writing simple, basic Chinese characters on the paper, not giving even a glance to the little dragon rubbing against her from behind.

Cang Lan seemed to have forgotten her previous vow to stay away from Yu Xuanji. Her chin naturally rested on Yu Xuanji’s shoulder, her cheek nuzzling against the other woman’s ear.

A soft, curious voice came from behind as Yu Xuanji heard Cang Lan ask, “Wife, why are you still writing?”

Yu Xuanji put down the brush and said, “There are truly too many Chinese characters. I will write more so you can practice slowly; after all, there is nothing else to do in the Great Barrens.”

Cang Lan sighed. “But Wife, it’s not like I’m illiterate. You’re underestimating me a bit too much.”

Yu Xuanji smiled. “Then, do you know how to write your own name?”

Cang Lan stiffened for a moment but feigned composure. “Of course. This King is gifted in both civil and military arts; a mere name is nothing. Just watch.”

She took out a fresh sheet of yellow paper, grabbed the brush Yu Xuanji had used, and—holding it like a pair of chopsticks—wrote her name across the paper in a grand, sweeping manner.

Yu Xuanji sat in her chair watching her write. The more she looked, the more her brow furrowed. By the end, she took a sharp breath, pursed her lips, and looked up at the confident Cang Lan.

Cang Lan set down the brush and curled half of her lip. “Finished.”

She turned to look at Yu Xuanji and, seeing a faint, inexplicable smile on the other’s lips, she grew even more confident. “What does my wife think?”

After a moment of thought, Yu Xuanji said with a straight face, “The handwriting is wild, uninhibited, and elegant… it is truly unique in all the world.”

Cang Lan laughed. “Indeed. The Old Phoenix always says that handwriting reveals the person; that probably describes me perfectly.”

Yu Xuanji’s lips curled. She placed a hand against Cang Lan’s cheek, stroking it gently for a moment, and asked with a smile, “Besides your name, what else can you write? Why not write it all on this paper, and I will critique it for you.”

Cang Lan quickly said, “No need, Wife! Your injuries have only just healed; you shouldn’t exhaust yourself. Small matters like this can wait until later.”

But Yu Xuanji shook her head. “A-Lan, I am aware of my current situation. If I don’t finish this, I fear I won’t have the chance later.”

Cang Lan panicked for a moment and said anxiously, “Don’t talk nonsense. With me by your side, nothing will happen to you.”

Yu Xuanji turned around and gently caressed Cang Lan’s face, moving from her prominent brow bone to the bridge of her high nose, her fingertip finally landing on the small black mole on the tip of Cang Lan’s nose.

Cang Lan didn’t dare move. She blinked her eyes rapidly. Being stared at by Yu Xuanji’s focused gaze made her feel overwhelmed with emotion.

The sound of water dripping in the cave was slow and steady, but Cang Lan could not stop herself from nuzzling her cheek against Yu Xuanji’s palm. She asked, “Wife, what are you looking at? Is there something dirty on my face?”

Yu Xuanji let out a light laugh and slowly drew closer to Cang Lan. Cang Lan’s pupils constricted sharply; she closed her eye’s, thinking Yu Xuanji was going to kiss her, and grew so nervous her legs felt weak.

A cool nose pressed against hers. Yu Xuanji rubbed her nose gently against Cang Lan’s and let out a sigh from her throat. “A-Lan, sometimes I feel my current situation is just a reflection of the moon in the water—a dream. When I wake up, I will have to leave.”

Hearing these words, Cang Lan grew even more confused. She was standing right there, vividly alive in front of Yu Xuanji; how could it be a dream?

Cang Lan reached out and pinched Yu Xuanji’s cheek, staring into her eyes as she said firmly, “Xuanji, this isn’t a dream. You just hurt your head and lost your memory. If you don’t believe me, pinch me; if I feel pain, it proves it’s not a dream.”

Yu Xuanji shook her head. “I can’t bear to.”

Cang Lan replied with a double meaning, “Accept things as they come. As long as you stay obediently by my side, I will always treat you well.”

Perhaps Cang Lan’s repeated assurances gave Yu Xuanji a sense of security. She nodded with a slight smile and reached out to pinch Cang Lan’s soft, warm earlobe.

Cang Lan’s face flushed, and her white skin took on a shallow pink hue, which Yu Xuanji saw clearly. Just then, the voices of other Great Demons came from outside the cave. Cang Lan muttered, “I’ll go take a look,” and vanished like a gust of wind.

Yu Xuanji watched her fleeing back and picked up the paper with two fingers. To put it in plain language, the characters on the paper could only be described as “ghostly scribbles.”

With another sigh, Yu Xuanji leaned her chin on her hand and drew a pair of black dragon horns onto those two wild, abstract characters.

Once outside the cave, Cang Lan saw the Iron-Eating Beast (Panda) and the Gray Wolf Demon lying on the ground in their original forms, but the Weasel Demon, Huang Liu, was nowhere to be seen.

Cang Lan asked, “Where is Huang Liu? I kicked her out of the cave yesterday; surely, she isn’t throwing a tantrum at me?”

The Gray Wolf Demon wagged its bushy tail and said, “She wouldn’t dare be angry with you. That fox spirit next door recently wrote a few storybooks. Huang Liu is over there serving tea, pouring water, and doing laundry just to sneak a few peeks at them.”

Cang Lan asked curiously, “What storybooks?”

The Iron-Eating Beast reached into the furry pouch on its belly and pulled out two books, handing them respectfully to Cang Lan. “Great King, we traded spirit fruits to the fox spirit for these. But we are illiterate and can’t understand them; we thought they might provide some entertainment for you and the Lady.”

Cang Lan patted the Iron-Eating Beast’s black-and-white furry head and nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad. It seems I haven’t been kind to you for nothing.”

Tucking the storybooks away, Cang Lan prepared to go back to the study to give Yu Xuanji a surprise, but as she turned around, she saw Yu Xuanji’s eyes light up. Cang Lan happily opened her arms for a warm hug, but Yu Xuanji walked right past her.

Cang Lan was stunned.

Turning her head, she saw Yu Xuanji had already reached the Iron-Eating Beast and was slowly extending her hand toward the black-and-white furry ball.

Cang Lan was shocked.

She tilted her head in disbelief, unable to believe that Yu Xuanji would ignore her—a cute little dragon—to go pet a smelly bear that eats bark and grass.

Cang Lan had lost her favor.

The Gray Wolf Demon wagged its soft, bushy tail, making “ying ying” whimpering sounds, and rubbed its long snout back and forth in Yu Xuanji’s palm with a flattering smile.

Yu Xuanji used her free hand to pat its head, getting a hand full of drool. Cang Lan looked on with a murderous expression, but she didn’t dare explode in front of Yu Xuanji and could only endure with all her might. She vowed in her heart to give these two shameless subordinates a brutal beating when Yu Xuanji wasn’t looking.

The Iron-Eating Beast hugged Yu Xuanji’s leg, begging for a rub, and bumped Yu Xuanji so hard she stumbled back several steps until her back hit Cang Lan’s chest.

Cang Lan said crossly, “Be careful, don’t fall.”

Yu Xuanji beamed. “It’s fine, you’re here.”

That one sentence made Cang Lan’s heart blossom with joy, but it was quickly overtaken by a surge of jealousy.

Gritting her teeth, Cang Lan wrapped her arms tightly around Yu Xuanji’s waist and whispered into her ear, “So what if they have fur? What’s so great about that? Are they cuter than me? Do they have scales harder than armor and brighter than gemstones?”

The more she thought about it, the more bitter she felt. Cang Lan grabbed Yu Xuanji’s hand and pressed it onto her own head, saying fiercely:

“You are not allowed to touch them! You can only touch me!”