Dreaming With My Dragon Lover

"It's sitting right in the middle of his room, safe and sound!" Yuan Ge rolled his eyes helplessly at his mother.

"Well done!" Professor Fu had an excited look on her face, "This coffin is certainly no ordinary thing!"

"How so?"

"Those photos of the talisman papers you showed me last time, although the writing on them were blurred, my students analysed them through image restoration and found that they were indeed closely related to the Great Roxy Heaven civilisation!"

Professor Fu's tone is full of excitement and she continues, "Do you know how many fanatical scholars and believers around the world are currently researching the GRH civilisation? Unfortunately, none of them have made a breakthrough and are unable to argue for its existence in time and space. However, many of the world's mystical civilisations are indeed closely related to the Roxy culture and can be traced back to it, such as the symbols at the bottom of that coffin board, which bear a striking resemblance to the tablet symbols excavated in the Himalayas a few years ago!"

Yuan Ge is surprised at his mother's words, "Is it really that magical? I thought the Great Roxy Heaven was just a legend. It's something people made up, what with the Great Emperor, the Holy Consort, and dragons and mermaids, it feels like a jumble of religions and cultural phenomena from various countries meshed together. You scholars then add to the confusion, mixing truth with falsehood, making it sound even more dramatic and mysterious. I can't believe that so many people are willing to believe it. When something can't be explained, they just say it has something to do with the Roxy civilisation."

"Don't follow your father's example and believe only in science. There are so many things in this world that we don't know yet. Archaeology is not just about exploring the past, it's also about discovering the future. I will go into more depth on this topic when we see each other next. Anyway, just remember this, son, the coffin should not be thrown away under any circumstances. It is very valuable. You must not let the Guan family or any archaeological enthusiasts know about it!"

"Fine, fine! You think everyone is like you, treating a coffin like a piece of precious treasure." Yuan Ge replies full of disdain.

"Of course it's a treasure! That coffin not only has scientific research value, it's also a proper antique …"

Professor Fu then puts on a gloomy face and starts to tell her "ghost stories'' again.

"Let me tell you, that talisman paper in the coffin translates roughly to - Ing Dragon from the Heaven, eternally subdued in cold water, never to be released. In addition to the talisman paper at the bottom of the coffin board, there is also the Dragon-Suppressing Seal engraved on it, so the owner of that coffin is no ordinary person!"

Seeing the mixed emotions on the face of Rong Qiuchen beside him, Yuan Ge cannot help but ask curiously, "What is the Dragon-Suppressing Seal?"

"It is said to have come from the 'art of deception' by Tong Yin, a divine prophet of the Ming Dynasty. It can suppress dragons and seal gods. Legend has it that Tong Yin used this seal to kill Emperor Zhu Qiyu of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Momps, are you saying that this coffin was prepared for an Emperor[1]?!" Yuan Ge is also astonished at her words, "Could that be this coffin was prepared for Emperor Guangxu after the Empress Dowager Cixi poisoned him with arsenic?"

"It's not out of the question!" Professor Fu doesn't seem surprised by this bold hypothesis of Yuan Ge's.

"Gege … is that true? How could the Old Buddha have killed the Emperor …"  Rong Qiuchen has been listening quietly on the side, but now he cannot help but interject, looking all horrified.

"Wait, let's not talk about this for now, your dad is back with the dumplings." Seeing Yuan Fen enter the room, Professor Fu hurriedly moved off the topic, raising her voice and beginning to gossip with an exaggerated eagerness, "By the way, son, how exactly did you become the leading man in King Guan's annual blockbuster? Tell mum about it!"

"There's not much to tell. I took our young actors to King Guan's audition to see if I could try my luck in applying for the assistant director job, and somehow I ended up getting the lead role. You ask me how, I'd like to know that too."

"Son, you seem to have made a name for yourself this time!" Yuan Fen's serious face couldn't hide a hint of pride, "The news has spread in our Chinese circles here. There are also those overseas Chinese media, such as 6park, Literature City, Overseas Matters, anyway, they are all buzzing about the filming of this historical drama. Even people like me who never watch TV have heard about it, so it seems that the audience has high expectations for the film."

"What your dad said is true. I've been bragging to my friends for three days straight, and now all your aunts and uncles are looking forward to seeing you perform!"

"Momps, you've gone too far! Why are you broadcasting it among our family and friends and making them anticipate it as if waiting to see a monkey show? If I don't do well, it'd be so humiliating." Yuan Ge feels helpless, and his mind conjures up images of a group of elders stretching their necks and eagerly discussing his performance.

"Yuanyuan, why are you talking with no confidence this time? Haven't you always been very determined in this film path of yours?"

"Dad, you don't understand the industry. There are too many unpredictable factors, and I'm not the director this time, there's no autonomy at all …"

Talking to his parents about his work in the New Year, Yuan Ge doesn't hold anything back and says whatever is on his mind. Rong Qiuchen listens in silence, gazing at the kind faces on the screen, and has become so emotional that he barely eats any dumplings on his plate.

"Didn't you say that you never have enough to eat? Why do you eat so little of such delicious dumplings, which you made with your own hands?"

"I have never met my parents and am homeless. When I saw Uncle and Auntie Yuan on the screen, I felt so close to them that I couldn't control my emotions …"

When Yuan Fen and Violette Fu see Rong Qiuchen with his head bowed and his eyes red, their parental love is unconsciously aroused. They give Yuan Ge a look that clearly asks where did you get such a poor child from, but the words coming out of their mouths are full of pity.

"Yuanyuan, you need to take good care of your little brother. We are not there, but our house is big enough for him to stay if he has nowhere else to go."

"No need to tell me, I've already done that. By the way momps, he loves your room, and has cleaned it up and completely transformed it! Let me show you in a minute, and I guarantee that you won't want him to leave once you've seen it!"

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[1] In Chinese tradition, the dragon represents the emperor.