Don’t Discriminate Against Species

"You're already my dragon and you still blank out when with me?" Noticing that Zhuang Qing was standing there in a daze, Fu Li tugged on his sleeve, shaking his hand like a little master. "Let's go."

Zhuang Qing gazed at Fu Li absent-mindedly.

"Let's go, let's go," Fu Li waved a hand at the girls before moving off, pulling Zhuang Qing along by the arm.

The girls covered their faces, smiling. A gutsy girl called out courageously, "Chairman Zhuang, Assistant Fu, wishing you loving affection till old age and a century of happiness."

After shouting out this statement, the girl bashfully hid behind her friend. Unexpectedly, Chairman Zhuang, who had been the epitome of an aloof male god from start to end, suddenly came to a stop and turned around to look at them.

The girls grew a bit nervous. Had the shout been too loud and made Chairman Zhuang unhappy?

"Thank you for the blessings, although it's not a century but ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years." Zhuang Qing turned from the passive party to the active party - he stretched an arm around Fu Li's shoulder and walked into the stream of people amidst the fluttering snowflakes.

The girls covered their mouths, shrieking softly.

"Zhuang Qing looked so serious just now."

"Yeah, as if he and Little Assistant can live for tens of thousands of years."

"Maybe Chairman Zhuang meant that he will be with Little Assistant in every life."

"Dying from sweetness, dying from sweetness."

On the forum, a netizen had already captured a photo of Zhuang Qing and Fu Li holding hands at the public square. Furthermore, this photographer netizen was an expert - the photo taken was both aesthetic and overflowing with a romantic air.

Heavy snow gently floated to the ground, and the crowds of people faded into the background. The two men holding hands seemed to have formed their own world; a world with only them, inaccessible to any other person.

Cloud: It's the Lunar New Year and watching the New Year Gala isn't very interesting, so I ran over to the forum to eat dog food. My brain must not be very good.

Stunning Little Witch: OP took the picture really beautifully. We bumped into Chairman Zhuang and Little Assistant at the public square today. Their relationship is extremely good, not at all like a couple who has just confirmed their romantic status.

Crabs Taste Bad: The entire world already knows that the two of them are together, only Little Assistant doesn't. Who knows how happy Chairman Zhuang is now that Little Assistant realized it?

Cloud: Say, do you think Chairman Zhuang knows that Little Assistant made this post? If he knows, will he get the forum moderator to delete this post?

Crabs Taste Bad: …

Stunning Little Witch: …

Panda's Tail: Does it matter whether or not he knows? He definitely won't let the forum moderator delete a post like this that proves Assistant Fu and him are together.

Stunning Little Witch: The person upstairs is speaking too absolutely. You aren't Chairman Zhuang nor do you know him, on what basis can you determine that Chairman Zhuang won't allow the deletion of this post?

"Laozi not only knows Zhuang Qing but also Fu Li," The crested ibis threw his phone onto the bed. Pulling up his pajamas, he glanced at his injured chest. At this point, it was as bright and unmarred as it had been previously. There was no indication that there had once been an injury there.

There was a rumor in the yao world that Fu Li had cultivated together with very powerful great yao before leaving his mountain, which was why his cultivation was so profound. He had previously turned his nose up at this rumor, thinking that the yao in the yao cultivators' world had lived for too long and liked coming up with all sorts of nonsensical rumors, asking for trouble when there was none. But after today, he no longer thought so. Fu Li was a second generation nouveau riche, a great figure that others knelt down and called daddy.

The occasional crackling sound could be heard outside the window, caused by someone setting off fireworks. The crested ibis lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

By the time Fu Li and Zhuang Qing returned, they were only in time to watch the last bit of the New Year Gala. The moment it struck twelve, Kang Gu carried a bunch of firework tubes out. “Let’s go back to the flying palace to set off the fireworks.”

There was a barrier inside the flying palace and it was far from the ground, so even if they secretly set some off, it wouldn't be discovered by the humans.

The four yao flew back to the flying palace with Fu Li following behind Kang Gu, tubes in hand. "How should we arrange them so that they'll look better?"

"Put them down, let me do it."

"I want to do it myself."

Feng Ruizhong stood on the steps, arms crossed over his chest. He turned to speak to Zhuang Qing, "These two people are just so senseless."

Zhuang Qing… remained silent. All he did was fix his line of sight on Fu Li, who was playing around.

"What a bear child, it's all because those old yaoguai on the mountain spoiled him. He's already more than four thousand years old but he doesn't have the image of a mature yao at all. Truly worrisome." Though Feng Ruizhong blamed Fu Li, he about-faced and said, "It's been hard on you, tolerating this kind of bear child."

Zhuang Qing shook his head. "No, Fu Li is very good."

Feng Ruizhong wanted to say a bit more, but when he saw Zhuang Qing's earnest and serious expression, he only laughed. Turning his head, he watched Fu Li and Kang Gu arranging the tubes with their butts sticking out. He gave a faint smile. "Childish."

"Uncle Feng, quickly come, there are still many tubes here," Fu Li waved Feng Ruizhong over.

"Ai, coming," Feng Ruizhong trotted over to Fu Li's side and took the tubes from him.

Zhuang Qing stuck his hands into the pockets of his trousers, shaking his head helplessly. Seriously, juniors took after their seniors. He saw too much of Fu Li in them.

"I can't give you this, I'm keeping it to play with Zhuang little dragon."

"Forgetting your father now that you have a wife, I raised you for nothing."

"Uncle Feng, you already took so many, you should at least leave my family's little dragon some, right?" Fu Li hid the tubes behind his back, turned tail, and ran. Feng Ruizhong took two steps in pursuit of him. He saw Kang Gu still laughing when he turned around and cursed, "Laugh laugh laugh, look at how all you elders spoiled this little rabbit."

Kang Gu felt very wronged by his cursing. Unresigned, he said, "Who was it who played with Fu Li every day during those years so that he didn't have the thought of even learning swordplay?"

These words choked Feng Ruizhong up till his temper dissipated. Snorting, he didn't say anything.

Fu Li couldn't be bothered about whether or not these two elders were bickering. He heartlessly shoved the firework tubes into Zhuang Qing's hands and said in a low voice, "Us two can play in secret later."

Zhuang Qing had always had the notion that only children would play with fireworks, but when he saw Fu Li so earnestly helping him to snatch them, these small toys suddenly became interesting. "Okay."

"King, set them off!" Fu Li stood on tiptoe, telling Kang Gu, "It's already past twelve."

"Humph, let me set them off," Feng Ruizhong blew out a puff of air and the fireworks exploded one after another. Dazzling firework flowers blossomed in the sky, accompanied by shrill whistles. It was a beautiful and dream-like sight.

"Happy new year," Fu Li hugged Zhuang Qing's neck.

"Happy new year," The corner of Zhuang Qing's mouth raised and he hugged Fu Li.

This new year was a beautiful one, so beautiful that it seemed like a dream.

Feng Ruizhong was looking up at the fireworks in the sky when he suddenly thought of something. "Where did you get the fireworks from?"

"From a firework and firecracker factory. I specially chose a firecracker factory with a very good reputation, quality definitely isn't an issue."

"You secretly took them and didn't pay the humans?"

Kang Gu: …

He stroked his chin somewhat guiltily. "I didn't have money, but I placed a bag of golden beans in the boss' house. That should be enough to pay for these fireworks."

Feng Ruizhong: …

The first day of the Lunar New Year, all sorts of passages roasting the New Year Gala circulated on the internet. A piece of news rose above all this ridicule and received the attention of countless netizens.

<Shocking! A certain firework factory lost nearly fifty-thousand yuan worth of fireworks. The boss discovered a bag of golden beans on the desk in his house appraised by an expert to be worth more than five hundred thousand!>

<What is the chivalrous hero's motive behind exchanging five hundred thousand gold for fifty-thousand worth of fireworks?>

<Mysterious bandit stole countless fireworks in one night but left behind a bag of golden beans. The police have stated that they are temporarily unable to lock onto the suspect!>

Upon seeing this piece of news, many netizens expressed that they were seeking for this sort of great bandit to visit their house so they would become several hundred thousand richer in one night.

There were even some who suggested that this boss had encountered the God of Wealth, indicating that they would strike it big in the Year of the Dragon.

As Zhuang Qing was scrolling through the news on his phone, he glanced at the three yao seated in a row in the living room watching a dog blood drama on family morality. He replied to the message from a certain department.

[I'm not sure, maybe some rich person was bored. Since the boss of the firework factory won't pursue this matter and the other party doesn't have any malicious intentions, then there's no need to make a big deal out of it.]

Zhuang Qing placed the plate of washed fruits onto the side table and noticed that Fu Li was looking at him. "You can continue watching, I'll go cook."

Seeing Zhuang Qing enter the kitchen again, Fu Li shifted all over the couch before eventually jabbing a toothpick into a slice of honeydew and slipping into the kitchen.

"Terrible," Feng Ruizhong rolled his eyes. "This is why I say he forgot his elders after gaining a wife, thankless wretch."

Kang Gu smiled simple-mindedly. "It's a good thing that the kids have a good relationship. You just can't bear the child leaving your side. It's fortunate you're an uncle and not Little Li's mum, otherwise you'll definitely be an evil mother-in-law."

Feng Ruizhong: …

"Shut your mouth if you don't know how to say anything good!"

"What's for lunch?" Fu Li leaned against Zhuang Qing's back, holding the honeydew out to Zhuang Qing's mouth. "This piece is very sweet, I specially picked it for you."

"Thank you," Zhuang Qing ate the honeydew. "There's a lot of oil and smoke in the kitchen, go watch television with the elders in the living room."

"How will they have the time to look at me when watching television," Fu Li rolled up his sleeves. "I'll accompany you."

Zhuang Qing scanned the kitchen and then pointed at the carrots in the sink. "Wash those then."

"Carrots again…" Fu Li inwardly looked down on them. Dunking the carrots into the water, he scrubbed them vigorously, to the point where the poor carrots either missed an arm, had a broken leg, or lost a thick layer of skin.

"I'm done washing them," Fu Li flicked the water off his hands. "When I was working at Affinity Moon Hotel, a human grandpa told me that I had to learn how to cook to coax the person I like back home." He smiled in delight. "Now that I have you, I finally don't have to think about it."

Zhuang Qing looked at the pitiful carrots in the basket and was silent for two seconds. "En, things are indeed better this way."

"Come here," Fu Li crooked a damp hand at Zhuang Qing.

Zhuang Qing's hands were oily. Worried that he would dirty Fu Li's clothes, he could only place his hands behind his back and lean towards him.

Muah.

Warm, soft lips met before swiftly parting.

Zhuang Qing dazedly remained in his original position, somewhat unable to react.

"The wok, the wok!" Fu Li pointed at the wok. In the end, the water on his hands splashed into the deep fryer, causing bits of oil to splatter and land on the back of his hand. He hastily took two steps back.

Zhuang Qing switched the gas off in a fluster, rubbing his hands on his apron. "Were you scalded?"

"It's fine, it's fine. I've cultivated for so many years, how can I be scared of this little bit of oil," Fu Li nonchalantly touched the back of his hand. "Although the sound of the oil splattering is a little scary."

"Then stand further away," Zhuang Qing pecked him on the forehead. "After I'm done frying, come over again and serve the food."

"Oh," Fu Li touched the spot where he had been kissed, the rabbit in his heart bouncing at lightning speed.

Zhuang little dragon's lips were pretty soft.

On television, the male lead's mother resented the female lead in all aspects, and the female lead was weeping endlessly, pleading for this mother to acknowledge her.

Feng Ruizhong stared at the television as his hands worked on shelling peanuts. "Should we find Zhu Yue?"

"No rush," When Kang Gu wasn't revealing a simple-minded smile, he did bear some semblance to a king of a mountain in the yao world. "At least we can be sure that Zhu Yue is still alive, the rest…"

The punishment they had been subjected to these years was to live a life worse than death. They didn't know how many of the yao from Reflecting Mist Mountain could endure it.

"There is no benefit in overthinking, don't mention this in front of Little Li," Feng Ruizhong looked towards the kitchen. The two juniors were all lovey-dovey, in great harmony.

"Being alive is more powerful than anything else."

"Green pepper stir-fry with julienned potato is pretty easy," Fu Li dumped potato strips into the wok while Zhuang Qing did the stir-frying. Along the way, Fu Li threw in some Sichuan pepper and minced garlic, feeling like he had contributed to the green peppers and julienned potato dish that left the wok.

"En," Zhuang Qing nodded.

As long as you're happy.

Ilyz: thank you Ziplen for sharing your lovely fanart on discord~