Dreaming With My Dragon Lover

"Wow! You … You're really something! Such an attainment! What a hidden talent!"

Qiuchen's singing left Yuan Ge wanting more, but he knew that his praise was not enough to concretely express how good his singing really was. Perhaps the boy's singing skills could indeed rival those of famous artists. He really should seek expert opinions at some point. Suddenly, he remembered the piece that he had heard Rong Qing sing in his dream, 'Lord Longyang Weeps for the Fish to Secure the King's Favour', and on a whim, he asked Rong Qiuchen to sing it.

However, when Rong Qiuchen heard this, his expression instantly changed, gone was his proud look, almost in tears again, he said, "Childe Yuan has treated Qiuchen very well, and I respect you and thank you for all your kindness, but why are you making such an insulting request all of a sudden?"

Yuan Ge carefully recalled how the Third Lord behaved in the dream, and his words and actions were indeed frivolous. In the eyes of a professional actor, the lyrics of this opera piece must have been something that showed inappropriate intimacy to men, but just now he had thoughtlessly asked Qiuchen to sing it …

Thinking of this, he regretted his words and apologized sincerely, "My apologies. I was too presumptuous. It's just that I remembered an unfinished scene from my dream, a scene that seemed very realistic to me, yet unreal, so I wanted to hear Master Rong sing the piece to verify some doubts I had. I did not mean to offend you. I hope you will forgive me." He stood up and made a deep bow..

When Rong Qiuchen saw how sincere Yuan Ge was, and that he had specifically used ancient terms in his apology, he changed his tone and said with a smile, "Childe Yuan, please do not condescend to yourself. Qiuchen is no longer a well-known singer in this world, having nowhere to go and no one to turn to. It is entirely thanks to your kindness that I have a place to stay. I wish to do anything to show my gratitude."

Yuan Ge also smiled and said, "I have not been a good host, and I may have aggravated you. It's pretty late already. I have a tough battle to face tomorrow, so let's say good night now."

He took the boy to the bedroom and let him have the bed, while he took a spare pillow and blanket and settled himself on the sofa in the living room.

In the middle of the night, feeling a chill coming from his wrist, Yuan Ge woke up in a trance and immediately saw a pair of big bright eyes staring at his face, while his left hand was being held by a pair of cold palms. He jumped up in panic and turned on the floor lamp, then he realised it was Rong Qiuchen. He was kneeling by the sofa and seemed to have been there all along.

"Why don't you go to bed in the middle of the night? What are you doing here?"

"I'm not tired, Childe Yuan. It's only when I am with you that I feel at peace."

"What kind of crappy habit is this... you're not a child, why are you afraid of sleeping alone?" Yuan Ge looked at his hand that was being held by Qiuchen, "Is the room temperature too low? Why are your hands so cold?"

The boy looked depressed. After a long silence he said, "I don't know why, but I can only feel any warmth when I come in contact with your body. If I am away from you for a long time, I start to lose my senses and my body becomes stiff, as if I were dead."

Yuan Ge thought about the state he had been in since he first met him and sighed, "I'm afraid I must take you to the hospital as soon as possible; I'll have to make an appointment with a psychiatrist to take a good look at you. So you're delusional and see yourself as a Qing dynasty person, but why am I your charging station? And a contact charger, pretty advanced, eh? Well, I really have important things to do tomorrow. Please go to bed, I don't have time to humour you."

"As you please, Childe Yuan. Qiuchen shall be here at your service."

"Alright. Suit yourself."

Yuan Ge turned off the light and lay back down under the blankets on the sofa, feeling in the darkness that Rong Qiuchen was still there. Then he seemed to sense that he began to massage his thighs and calves. Yuan Ge wanted to ask him to stop, but Qiuchen's superb technique and just the right amount of kneading pressure made his tired body feel so relaxed and comfortable that he actually drifted off to sleep. The second before he fell asleep, he had been thinking to himself, "It sure is nice to have a servant to wait on you, even though it's not so politically correct to have such feudal ideas!"

It wasn't until his phone alarm rang loudly that Yuan Ge woke up from his sleep. Strangely enough, it was the best night's sleep he had had in days, no interruptions and dreamless. Just as he was about to get up, he realised that Rong Qiuchen was still kneeling next to the sofa giving him a massage.

"You've been doing this all night?!"

"Childe Yuan said that there is an important battle to be fought today, and Qiuchen only wishes that you are well rested and have speedy success."

"Uh … I'm not really going to war... how can I enjoy your service with a clear conscience." Yuan Ge sat up and stretched. The massage had worked wonders. The fatigue accumulated over the past few days had all but gone, and he was feeling quite refreshed.

"Childe Yuan, you have taken me in, provided me with food and shelter, and I would like to return the favour." There was no sign of tiredness on Rong Qiuchen's face, his gaze was gentle and sincere, and he answered as a matter of course.

Yuan Ge, however, could not accept it with ease, wondering if his actions would be perceived as taking advantage of a homeless child.

"You are a stubborn silly boy. Do catch up on some sleep while I'm gone!"

Then he got up quickly and rushed into the kitchen to make breakfast for the two of them.

Today was the big day of auditions for King Guan Entertainment. Remembering Fat Chow's great expectations and the eager faces of the young actors, Yuan Ge knew he had a daunting task ahead of him. He only hoped that Dragon Dreams would make it through today's audition.

Yuan Ge quickly finished his breakfast, then he saw that the coffee and toast in front of Rong Qiuchen hadn't been touched. He took out a few hundred yuan from his wallet and handed it to him. "I don't have time to explain to you in detail. If you don't like the food, take this money and the spare house key and buy yourself something to eat whenever you want. You know how bustling this street is, with countless shops selling all kinds of food, you can get whatever you want, just remember to lock the door when you leave. If you're still afraid to go out, you can drop a basket from the window and someone from the shop below might bring you food."

Yuan Ge showered, dressed and put on his overcoat, and instantly became the distant and aloof director again. Rong Qiuchen looked at him and seemed reluctant to let him go.

"Today is a big day for us at DDP and I don't know when I'll be back. Tell you what, I'll teach you how to use the TV and you can watch films or TV if you're bored. Like that rubbish drama 'Cixi and Her Old Lover' …"

Yuan Ge went on to teach Qiuchen in detail how to use the "Magic Box", then added, "I don't always stay in this flat, so I don't have my favourite movies in my collection here. You will have to make do with these TV dramas. They're mostly quite old-fashioned and more popular in my mum's generation. Be a good boy. I'll take you to the police station when I get back tonight and try to get you home soon!"

Rong Qiuchen did not respond, just stood sadly at the door to watch Yuan Ge leave.