Chapter 65
The light elongated the two figures by the screen. Qu Banqing tried to ignore it, sitting stiffly like a delinquent student being lectured by his teacher.
He glanced at the thick photo album in his father’s hand. Most of the photos were taken by Ning Zhixia and his grandfather.
There were photos of him riding a giant inflatable swan, directing a child splashing in the water, and wearing a small crown, his cheeks puffed out as he blew out candles…
The elf, in his human form, initially looked stiff and awkward in the photos, his fingers making a peace sign, then gradually relaxed, posing with his handmade crafts and paintings, his certificates and awards covering an entire wall.
Audrow silently reviewed his time here, realizing there wasn’t a single photo of him, and poked Ning Zhixia’s waist in annoyance, turning to leave.
“Hey, come back, come back.” Ning Zhixia, sensing his mood, quickly coaxed him, “I just bought a new camera, I’ll take pictures of you later, as many as you want…”
The two of them, pulling and tugging, walked past Gliti, who rolled her eyes, thinking, So even a crying fish gets candy.
Behind the screen, Qu Banqing flipped through the photos, quietly recounting his life during that time, then realized he had been talking for a long time and glanced at his silent father.
The lord hadn’t interrupted, listening attentively, and when Qu Banqing’s voice trailed off, he finally spoke, “I’m sorry, Peleg.”
Qu Banqing hadn’t expected an apology from his father. Parental authority was a given, and reprimands and commands were the norm, so he hadn’t expected empathy or understanding, especially with the added constraints of royalty.
But when he actually heard his father’s apology, his eyes widened, and the suppressed emotions he had bottled up for so long finally found an outlet.
Qu Banqing quickly turned away, wiping his wet cheeks.
Withered flowers could bloom, caged birds could fly. From the photos, the lord had seen his son’s most cheerful and confident self, and he felt a surge of emotion. This was how Peleg should be.
“Your talent is exceptional. Both the elders and I, considering the threats lurking beneath the clouds of Shadow Isle, had hoped you would use your skills for creating weapons, but your path has always deviated from our expectations.”
“I’ve thought about it for a long time, Peleg.” The lord paused and said calmly, “What I want to see is the you of now, even if it’s not the path I planned for you.”
Qu Banqing slowly looked up, his breathing slightly erratic.
“So, you think I wasn’t wrong?” he asked softly, his voice slightly nervous.
“Yes, because it was I who was wrong, trapped by the rules of being a lord.” The lord patted his head. “And admitting this is my responsibility as a father.”
Finally receiving the long-awaited understanding and apology, Qu Banqing’s throat tightened, and he threw himself into his father’s arms, sobbing.
Fatty Orange, who had been watching, yawned lazily, triggering a chain reaction, the other kittens yawning one after another, even Audrow joining in.
Sharp teeth glinted in the light, and Ning Zhixia, looking at them, thought they were a bunch of sarcastic snakes.
As he thought this, Audrow’s narrowed eyes met his, and as if activated, Ning Zhixia also yawned: “Ah~”
After their conversation, the lord agreed to let Qu Banqing stay in the human world, only asking him to visit occasionally, and returned his crystal insignia.
Seeing a thaw in their father’s attitude, Gliti, noticing that he hadn’t mentioned the commotion they had caused on Shadow Isle, boldly invited Ning Zhixia and the others to the upcoming fireworks festival.
This was a rare celebration on Shadow Isle, besides fighting the beasts lurking beneath the clouds, and the elves were currently fascinated by manicures, so Ning Zhixia happily grabbed his toolbox and dragged Audrow along.
Gliti had prepared a stall for him at the festival, complete with colorful banners, enthusiastically inviting Teacher Ning to set up shop.
It was rare to see a human, and many elves gathered around, these skilled craftsmen intrigued by his tools, asking questions.
Even a few elf children, taking advantage of their small size, squeezed through the crowd, flapping their wings and standing on tiptoe to watch.
Ning Zhixia had promised Gliti to create a commemorative design for the festival, so he randomly chose a female elf as a model and demonstrated for the excited crowd.
The model elf, surprised that he would also serve commoners, happily sat down.
This time, Ning Zhixia didn’t keep the elves’ usual black nails, opting for a solid color gel polish, and with a stroke of his brush, applied a calming denim blue.
This shade of blue, neither too green nor too purple, was highly versatile, a bright pop of color against the black nails, but not jarring, to the model elf’s surprise.
Of course, Ning Zhixia wasn’t just going to apply a solid color. He picked up a messy-looking brush, and the elves paused, staring at it.
The brush looked worn and frayed, almost unusable, and the elves exclaimed, chattering among themselves. A helpful elf quickly offered, “Human, use our brushes.”
“No need, no need.” Ning Zhixia shook his head, squeezed the bristles between his fingers, dipped it in white painting gel, and brushed it back and forth horizontally and vertically, creating a denim-like texture on the nail.
Steampunk and denim elements were a perfect match. Ning Zhixia wasn’t going for a single color, so he chose a shimmering golden brown for the other hand, creating an AB design.
For the decorations, Ning Zhixia switched to tweezers and rummaged through his toolbox, finding various small gears.
The parts were tiny, and the elves, skilled in intricate work, were surprised to see the human’s dexterity.
With swift and precise movements, he assembled the tiny parts, only two or three millimeters in size, into half of a butterfly wing, the other half painted with white gel.
The delicate creature, now adorned with sturdy metal, seemed to be about to take flight, a blend of science fiction and romance under the flickering neon lights.
Every step Ning Zhixia took surprised the elves, who had never imagined that seemingly unrelated elements could be combined so harmoniously.
After attaching the mechanical butterfly to the accent nail, he decorated the other nails according to the model elf’s preferences, using pearls to create diagonal lines or a French tip design.
For the other hand, the elves expected him to make another mechanical butterfly, but he didn’t touch the small parts.
The dark golden brown was too similar to the color of the gears, and the decorations wouldn’t stand out.
So Ning Zhixia decided to try something new, taking out Qu Banqing’s resin molds.
They were a set of gem-shaped molds. He added some UV resin, then some crushed seashells and pale gold gel polish, mixing it with a toothpick until evenly distributed, then cured it under the lamp, creating a beautiful, shimmering opal.
The elves, always meticulous in their choice of tools for crafting weapons, were surprised by the human’s unassuming tools. They curiously picked up the opal and examined it under a flashlight.
Ning Zhixia let them examine it and attached the resin opal to the base of the elf’s middle finger. Her tail wagged behind her, feeling incredibly lucky to have been chosen as the model.
When the design was finished, Ning Zhixia admired his work with satisfaction, then looked up to see the expectant gazes of the surrounding elves.
The model elf was surrounded by her friends, and the other elves, like commuters spotting an empty seat on a crowded train, jostled for the next spot.
Ning Zhixia, his energy limited, could only make a few more resin opals for the whining children.
Just then, ethereal bells chimed, signaling the start of the fireworks show.
Ning Zhixia, having finished the opals, could only decline the elves’ enthusiastic invitations and started packing his tools.
This was a rare opportunity, and he had to find a good spot to watch the show. Many elf children, hearing that he was leaving, clung to him, asking in their childish voices, “Where are you going, fragrant human?” their babbling like a symphony.
Ning Zhixia hugged his toolbox and spun around, afraid of stepping on their snake-like tails.
“Do you need me to accompany you?” A tall, handsome elf emerged from the crowd. “I know a good spot to watch the fireworks.”
A volunteer guide, Ning Zhixia’s eyes lit up.
“No need.”
A man with an indifferent expression, exuding an aura of authority, appeared from around the corner, pulled away two overly familiar children trying to cling to the young man, and tossed a bag of candy at them.
Audrow’s gaze swept over the male elf’s flashy wings, a warning glint in his light-colored eyes. “So, is there anything else?”
After a few seconds of silence, the elf lowered his head awkwardly and stepped aside.
Audrow, satisfied with his compliance, took the young man’s hand and turned to leave.
“Xiao Ao, I want to see the fireworks…”
“Qu Banqing said the tower has the best view.” Audrow whispered, glancing at the seemingly persistent elf behind them as he spoke.
The elf shivered as if he had fallen into an icy crevice.
Audrow nuzzled Ning Zhixia’s soft hair and said cheerfully, “We’ll just make it in time if we go now.”
Ning Zhixia was happily led to the tower’s rooftop, practically the highest point on Shadow Isle. The tower’s clock ticked, its ornate hands moving, and he felt like he could almost touch the passing airships.
“Wow! Look, look, it’s Banqing and his family!”
From this height, most of the island city was visible. Following Ning Zhixia’s finger, the royal family, including the lord, were asking Qu Banqing to demonstrate the firework launcher he had made.
The elf, unaccustomed to being the center of attention, hesitated, then, feeling a strong hand on his back, he smiled, stepped forward, and activated the launcher.
“Bang!”
Brilliant gold and silver lights lit up the dark sky, clusters of exploding flowers showering the island like a sea of blossoms.
Ning Zhixia, looking up, mesmerized, almost lost his balance and fell backwards, but a hand caught the back of his head.
“Ha ha, thanks, Xiao Ao.” His bright eyes sparkling even more brightly from the fireworks, Ning Zhixia exhaled a puff of white mist.
It was quite cold here, especially at this height, and Ning Zhixia was grateful for his thick winter clothes, although he looked like a ball.
Audrow, glancing down, saw his reddened hands and instinctively reached out, then stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Ning Zhixia asked.
Audrow seemed to be struggling with some internal conflict, staring at his hands, then sighed, “In dramas, this is the time to hold hands, breathe on them, and put them in your pockets.”
Ning Zhixia tilted his head, blinking in confusion: “Hmm?”
“But I forgot my ring, my hands are cold.” Audrow said with a deadpan expression, his tone filled with regret, like a student who had forgotten their exam ticket.
“Ha, that’s no problem!”
Ning Zhixia rubbed his hands together vigorously until they were warm, then grabbed Audrow’s hand, shook it, and shoved it into his thick coat pocket.
The warmth of the down jacket enveloped their hands, and Ning Zhixia said casually, “Don’t worry, that’s just a cheesy romantic trope in dramas.”
“Oh…”
Audrow paused, then, after a moment, pulled his hand out of the pocket.
He held Ning Zhixia’s hand, bent down slightly, his silver-gray hair falling over his shoulder, and gently kissed his warm palm.
A cold wind blew, but Ning Zhixia felt a spark ignite in his palm, spreading warmth to his heart.
He heard Audrow ask softly—
“Can’t we?”
