I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"What it means to always yearn for what you can't have, and to be fearless when you're favored!"

"..."

Massacre.

The immortal was pinned to the ground and brutally killed.

"..."

The older brother, who witnessed the whole thing, simply smiled and didn't engage in any pointless fighting.

He doesn't belong to any couple pairing; he just wants to enjoy the gossip and have fun.

"..."

Although he successfully sank the immortal, the swordsman was not happy.

This is probably a case of killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own.

"Ugh."

"Ugh."

The same sigh rang out, then vanished in an instant.

Some are still preparing to start, some are about to overtake, while others have already reached the finish line and even won medals.

"..."

Standing at the entrance of the bamboo house in the forest, looking at the two yaks squatting at the door like guard dogs, and the sign standing at the door that read "No mosquitoes or mosquitoes allowed," Zhenlong had a look of both laughter and tears.

"Radishes and greens, it's been a long time."

He reached out to the two gnats, and the gnats he called Radish were excitedly about to lick him, but suddenly seemed to sense something, and immediately straightened up, not daring to move.

"Green vegetables……"

The other one, Ah Yao, was even more formidable. It chose to turn its back to the dragon to avoid incurring the severe punishment of being forced to watch its companion eat fruit by being affectionate with it.

Both Mo Liang were restricted, and the true dragon couldn't force them.

After greeting them, the dragon stepped into the courtyard, preparing to visit the owner of the place.

After knocking politely three times, Zhenlong softly called out:

"Bai Zhou of Yan Kingdom has long admired your name! Today, I have the honor of coming to pay my respects. I hope that you will grant me the opportunity to meet you."

"..."

The room was so quiet it was as if no one was there.

After waiting for about three minutes without any response, Zhenlong tried to knock on the door, but then put it down again.

Even if he despises me, he should at least give me a response or drive me away from here. Why haven't I heard a single word from him?

Just as they were beginning to have doubts, the slightly ajar window next to the bamboo house caught the dragon's attention.

Perhaps he could go there to check on the situation inside. But spying... is truly the act of a despicable person. He considers himself a gentleman; how could he do such a vulgar thing?

"..."

This is not rudeness, but rather a sign of concern for you, sir.

Having found a reason, Zhenlong walked slowly to the window and looked into the room by the light.

They saw a person sleeping on a mat, but the window was too small to see clearly and to get a better view.

"Is he resting? Yes, it is. After all, it's just past noon and he's had a big meal. People are usually tired."

If they are resting, it's best to wait a bit.

So, under the midday sun and scorching sunlight, the dragon stood quietly by the window, waiting.

After a while, the master still hadn't woken up, but Zhenlong wasn't worried. He stood outside the house, waiting for him to wake up.

At some point, he heard a sound of someone turning over inside. Zhenlong hurriedly looked up and saw that the gentleman was about to get up, but then suddenly fell asleep facing the inner wall.

The gentleman seems to be sleeping very well, that's good.

After another hour, noises came from inside the house again.

This time, the gentleman did indeed wake up.

Zhenlong had been standing obediently and quietly at the door for five minutes. Guessing that the master had regained consciousness, Zhenlong knocked on the door again and recited his prayer once more.

A dozen or so breaths later, a sentence slowly drifted out from inside the room.

"I don't know you, you can go back."

Although she received these words, given her personality, if she truly didn't want to pay attention, she wouldn't say a word and would directly take action.

So, they were waiting for him to continue.

"Where should I go, sir?"

"Go back to where you came from."

The true dragon smiled.

“I originally came from your side, sir. Since you have asked me to return to where I came from, then I can only return to your side.”

"..."

The room fell silent, but the dragon heard a sound similar to its tail tapping on bamboo.

Her eyebrows curved, and her eyes held a smile. Zhenlong gently knocked on the door, then slowly pushed it, but it wouldn't open.

"..."

It appears to be a sliding door.

Ignoring the awkwardness of the situation, Zhenlong slowly stepped into the house and was finally able to meet her.

She was leaning over the desk with a pen in hand, and when he came in, she didn't change anything. She neither put down her pen to look at him, nor did she stop drawing. It was as if he was just a wisp of air.

Without uttering a word, Zhenlong sat beside the painter, offering her her favorite dried fruits and pastries, taking the inkstone to grind ink for her, and quietly watching her paint.

The artist still looks exactly the same as she does in the painting; time has left no trace on her.

The true dragon is not the same as before. He has grown with the passage of time, and the unbridled joy he once had has been sealed away in his memory as he has grown older.

but……

A smile and satisfaction appeared on Zhenlong's face, and intense emotions burst forth from his burning heart.

“Sir, even if time passes and countless days pass... I will return to your side.”

Returning to the 54th chapter, it feels like it was there before.

The brush moves, the ink stains the paper.

The flow of the story is vivid and expressive, with bold and unrestrained strokes.

Finally, the artist painted the work on the scroll and inscribed it with the four characters "鳞龙共济" (Linlong Gongji) as the title of the painting.

"Sir, warm tea."

Bai Zhou, who had been quietly serving, immediately offered the prepared tea.

"how?"

The painter took the tea, sipped it, and asked a question seemingly unintentionally.

"Sir's paintings are naturally exquisite."

During the day, one might observe this painting, "Scaled Dragons and Dragons Working Together," depicting a large lake inhabited by numerous aquatic creatures. The scaled creatures, sheltered by the dragon, regard the dragon as their leader and constantly accompany it.

He also roughly understood the meaning behind the painting.

"It's alright, though."

The painter, however, did not seem very satisfied with the painting.

But considering everything, she didn't let it follow in the footsteps of her predecessors, and didn't let it become scraps of paper fed to Ah Yao in the inkwell.

The artist put down the cup, picked up his brush, and prepared to drop it into the brush holder.

But it seems the force of the throw was insufficient; the pen hit the edge of the pen holder with a thud and fell onto the desk.

"Sir, please have some snacks. They're Biyuefang's signature dishes, and they taste quite good."

He pretended not to see her during the day and instead presented her with a large gift of snacks that he had prepared in advance.

"This……"

That's a bit too much.

Looking at the tray of pastry boxes that filled the table, the painter took a sip of tea to hide the drool that inadvertently trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Sir, have some sesame candy tarts, they're very sweet."

"Sir, this is osmanthus cake. It has osmanthus honey in it, so it's fragrant and sweet."

"Sir, this is candied hawthorn. Although it's not skewered, it's the real deal. The hawthorns used to make it are freshly picked. It tastes slightly sour at first, but after chewing it, it has a sweet aftertaste that is quite delightful."

"gentlemen……"

One pastry after another was taken out and fed to the painter during the day. If the painter did not wish to eat, he would not say much, but simply lower his eyes slightly, his tail drooping listlessly on the floor; if the painter was willing to eat, he would smile, his tail slightly raised, and joyfully tap the ground.

There are too many, too many, I can't fit them all in.

Even an artist who loves snacks and sweets couldn't help but feel a little lost looking at the snack box that was only half-open.

I don't know who I am, I don't know what I'm going to do, all I know is that I'm going to have a big feast.

She had considered refusing, but how to refuse was a very serious question.

If you are kind and gentle, the little devil will probably take advantage of your kindness and only increase the amount of food you give him while agreeing with him.

But if she were to speak coldly or glare at him angrily... she would be reluctant to do so.

How can someone get angry with someone they've just reunited with, without even catching up or having a heart-to-heart talk?

"Sir, won't you get tired of eating too much sugar? I brought some fruit with me. Would you prefer peaches or plums?"

As if by magic, Bai Zhou waved his hand out the window, and a peach and a small pile of plums flew in from outside.