Sealed Divine Throne II: Twin Sons of Dragon
Chapter 911 - 457: Pain and Pride

Chapter 911: Chapter 457: Pain and Pride

Ling Menglu gently took Long Dangdang’s hand without speaking, but communicated through a Spirit Crystal.

"Dangdang, are you okay? Ever since we came here, I’ve sensed that you’ve been feeling down," she transmitted.

Long Dangdang replied through sound transmission as well, "Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. In the Wraith Kingdom, it’s natural for emotions to be affected."

Ling Menglu leaned her head against his shoulder. "Then can you tell me why, ever since you returned from the Wraith Kingdom, you’ve been distancing yourself from me?"

Long Dangdang was stunned for a moment and instinctively responded, "No! Why would I distance myself from you?"

Ling Menglu sighed. "You have to understand, girls are very sensitive. The old you, when you saw me, your gaze would sometimes fixate, and although you covered it well, occasionally your eyes would still drift over to more embarrassing parts of me. I just pretended not to notice, we’re both young, and it’s all normal."

"Cough cough cough..." Long Dangdang coughed a few times, audible to everyone and not through sound transmission, causing the resting companions to look over.

"It’s nothing, just a sudden itch in my throat," said Long Dangdang, his expression clearly stiff but obscured in the deep darkness of the cave.

Ling Menglu couldn’t help but laugh softly, snuggling even closer to him as she continued through sound transmission, "But since you returned from the Wraith Kingdom, something has changed. You’ve hidden it very well; at least no one has noticed any difference. But it’s different with me, I’m your girlfriend, and I can clearly feel that something is off. Since your return, you no longer have that occasionally mesmerized look in your eyes, nor have you ever taken my hand or kissed me voluntarily, and it seems like you’re deliberately avoiding something. At first, I thought it was because Kongkong was captured, and you were too distressed to care about these things. But since you’ve received some recognition from the Eternity and Creation God’s Seal Cathedra Rex, I can feel your heart has calmed down and you’ve recovered. Yet, your attitude towards me hasn’t, and you treat me no differently than anyone else. Dangdang, do you know how much it hurts me? But I know and believe that you don’t like me any less and are deliberately avoiding me. Can you tell me why? I’m your girlfriend, and I’m also your cousin. Last time, you wanted to save your parents and left me behind to go alone. I was really angry. No matter how dangerous, wouldn’t I have gone with you? However, when you returned from the Wraith Kingdom after Kongkong fell, I couldn’t bear to blame you, though it doesn’t mean I held no resentment. And now you’re still distancing yourself. I don’t understand what you want to handle on your own, but why can’t you share with me? What is it that you are unwilling to open up about?"

Long Dangdang fell silent. He had indeed been working hard to conceal his feelings. He distanced himself from Ling Menglu because he didn’t know what his future would be like, not because he feared dragging her down, but for fear of falling too deeply in love. If something truly happened to him, he feared she wouldn’t be able to endure it.

Seeing he wasn’t speaking, Ling Menglu snuggled even closer, as if trying to merge her body into his, quietly sensing the changes in his aura, and gently said, "Dangdang, you’re so tired. You’ve really been too tired since you returned. You’ve been working non-stop for the past six months, pushing yourself too hard. But as humans, don’t we all need hope? I don’t know what you encountered in the Wraith Kingdom, and I understand that uncle, auntie, and Kongkong being captured was a huge blow to you, but why won’t you let me share the burden with you?"

Finally, Long Dangdang sighed and stretched out his arm to hold her tightly, bowing his head to rest his forehead in the crook of her shoulder. Ling Menglu could even feel his body trembling at that moment.

"Menglu, you should know that I have always been a strong person. Even when my parents were taken, my heart remained strong. I didn’t bring you with me then because I knew it was likely a rescue operation with slim chances of survival. But even so, my heart did not hesitate for a moment. As a son, it’s my duty to save my parents; our lives were given to us by them. You don’t know what I faced, you’re right, people need to live with hope. But after what happened in the Wraith Kingdom, my heart lost all hope. Do you know that? Until now, I’m not certain about the future, how can I let you bear all these uncertainties with me?"

Ling Menglu felt the pain and struggle in Long Dangdang’s words, and couldn’t help asking, "What exactly happened to make you so pained? Tell me, let me share it with you, no matter what, I will support you. I don’t want your distance; I can even feel a resignation to death in you, and it worries me the most. I understand that you’re afraid of leaving me behind if you die. It doesn’t matter to me; I can honestly tell you that I won’t consider anyone else in this world. Only you could be my husband. When we return from this mission, I’ll tell grandfather I want to marry you. So if you die, I won’t live alone either; alive, I am your person, and dead, I will be your ghost. If you dare to abandon me again, I’ll die right before your eyes."