Zhu Hong woke up with a smile. He looked at the ceiling of the familiar room, feeling as if things were suddenly different. Well, that wasn’t wrong. From today onward, he was not a single man any longer. Instead, he was somebody’s husband.

Going forward, it would be his task to take care of Zhen Zhu, to make sure that he wouldn’t get into danger and would not suffer from hunger or cold. He had to ensure his happiness. In that way, he would also ensure his own.

What had originally seemed a little daunting was now something that filled him with excitement for the future. Not living alone in this house, waking up together with somebody, going to sleep together, … he felt that this was something that would enrich his life.

Even though he didn’t share the feeling that other dragons held for their phoenixes, that didn’t mean that he was unhappy. Having a person at your side that you could share your life with … that was a special type of joy. At the very least, it was to him. Maybe others would not be able to live like this but he felt that if he had the choice again, he would do it all over. He would pick that pearl-white egg with the faint apricot markings that had looked a dusty gray at first and carry it down the mountain, presenting it as the one he had chosen as his spouse. And then, he would use every following day of his life to stand behind that decision.

Serenity entered his eyes and he reached up to his chest where he could feel a faint weight. As it seemed, his husband had snuggled up to him at night. That, as well, was something that he quite enjoyed.

Zhu Hong wanted to rub Zhen Zhu’s head, sliding his fingers through the silky white hair but instead, he was greeted by fluffy feathers.

His brows shot up and he looked down, finding a little white bird on top of his chest. Well, that was unexpected. Even more unexpected was the fact that the small bird that had still fit between his two hands yesterday without needing to spread his fingers too far apart was now at least twice the size. Apparently, he had grown quite a bit overnight.

Zhu Hong continued to look at him, not quite sure what to make of this. Contrary to other species, a phoenix was supposed to be an adult when it hatched. So to be honest, he had been a little surprised when he saw Zhen Zhu still being so small yesterday. His heart had only calmed down when he saw him transform into a youth that was clearly not a child anymore. Otherwise, that really would’ve been too awkward.

Now, it seemed that the phoenix form was slightly lacking behind. Was this something that was usually like this? Or could it be that something was wrong with Zhen Zhu because of the long time he had spent as an egg on the mountain?

Zhu hong immediately started to worry when he thought of that question. He might be able to ask Zhen Zhu himself when he woke up but he was afraid to hurt his self-esteem if there really was something wrong. No, it would probably be better to go and ask Elder Bi later on. He had a spouse of his own so he should differently now. And at his age, he’d also definitely seen several weddings happen already.

To be honest, even Zhu Hong himself had been a guest to a handful of weddings since the whole tribe would usually come together to celebrate. But, unfortunately, he had still been young at that time and not really cared about it. Somebody else taking a spouse … he had never felt that it had anything to do with him. Also, the scene of the phoenix being handed over was something he had never seen since it was usually only the Elders that were around at that point unless one was family. Now, his lackadaisical attitude at the beginning of his life came back to bite him. Well, he probably deserved it. In the future, he would need to make up for it so that he could ensure that he was able to take care of his spouse well.

While thinking about all these questions, Zhu Hong had started to absentmindedly brush through the feathers of the little phoenix.

Zhen Zhu happily snuggled up closer against his chest, enjoying the feeling of that big, warm palm brushing over his body in his half-asleep state. He was clearly far from really waking up.

Zhu Hong also noticed that his husband didn’t seem to be too interested in getting up for the first day as a married couple but he didn’t bother waking him up. In any case, he felt that it was alright to let him sleep in a little.

Outside, the sun slowly climbed higher and the other dragons all got up one by one. Seeing that Zhu Hong’s house still had no movement, a few of them couldn’t help but gather to gossip.

"I say, is this the right attitude to have after just getting married? If you’re a single dragon, you have to make sure that you get your house in order so you can welcome your spouse. As a married dragon, shouldn’t you be up and busy about, making sure that your spouse can have a good life?" This was one of the female dragons talking, that felt that it was a bit of a shame for Zhu Hong to act like this. Even though he hadn’t had as much time as others to prepare for the arrival of his spouse, everybody had helped him to put things in order. Could he really just turn lazy the day after the wedding? That definitely wasn’t a good sign!

One of the others clicked his tongue and shook his head. "The ceremony wouldn’t be the problem. But who knows how long the two of them were up yesterday? I say, we should probably hope that they sleep in a little longer. That at least means they were busy back then. Who knows? In a few months, there might already be a small addition to our valley."

The female dragon laughed, nodding her head. "If you say it like this, I really can’t be annoyed at him any longer. Well, let them sleep then. Although I honestly can’t deny that I am curious about that spouse of his."

The other dragons sighed, looking over at the house again. "Who isn’t? Who isn’t?"

The group continued to talk a bit longer and finally dispersed when it didn’t look like Zhu Hong and Zhen Zhu would come out anytime soon.

Inside one of the houses, the phoenixes that were currently living in the valley were having a discussion of their own.

"That little phoenix was on the mountain for such a long time. I hope he’s alright."

"Grandelder Lan Jing never said that there was anything wrong with being up there longer. At the very least, I’ve never heard of that. I guess we shouldn’t worry too much. If it really was a risk, she probably wouldn’t have left yet. She would’ve made sure beforehand that he was alright."

"Yes, ah, Grandelder Lan Jing and the Elders returned to the forest immediately. If there was any risk, they probably wouldn’t have done that and would’ve stayed here instead."

The second phoenix nodded, her expression already smoothing out. "In any case, Zhu Hong will return to the forest with his spouse in a few days for the first visit. By that time, Grandelder Lan Jing will certainly take a look at him. We shouldn’t worry too much. Instead, let’s make sure we make him feel welcome. I still remember how it was when I arrived here. Knowing nobody, I was really nervous. If I could have, I would’ve stayed with my wife every day."

The others laughed, nodding immediately. "You’re definitely not the only one. Who wants to leave their spouse? In any case, this little one shouldn’t be any different. I watched it with my husband yesterday. Seeing them return from the temple, they clearly seemed very happy. I think they are a good couple."

The other phoenixes nodded with relief, happy to hear that. Although just taking a look from afar couldn’t compare to having a talk with the new phoenix and observing for a while how his spouse treated him, it was already a good sign. After all, just because a connection was felt, not everybody was a good couple.

Some people — even though they were destined to be — just did not mesh well. If their personalities clashed, then there really was nothing that could be done. Often enough, the phoenixes would return to the forest after their first child had been born. It really was a pity each time it happened. And while it wasn’t often, it was still something to worry about each time a new phoenix was born. Thus, even the slightest sign that the new phoenix wouldn’t need to suffer such a fate, made them quite happy.