After returning to the dragon’s lair, Yao Zuizui felt that the black dragon’s gaze was extremely, utterly, and particularly strange.
He was actually staring at her chest the whole time?!
This perverted dragon, what on earth does he think he’s doing?!
Yao Zuizui quickly covered her flat chest with her tiny hands: “Daddy, why… why are you looking at me like that?”
Panicked and unsure of what to do, she wanted to turn and run.
Fortunately, the black dragon’s next words put her at ease.
“Roar, I just wanted to see if the ice dragon hurt you. He’s so clumsy—what if he damaged my precious treasure?” The black dragon continued to stare nervously at Yao Zuizui’s chest, examining it with great care.
Yao Zuizui thought to herself: Oh, haha.
So he has no interest in me. Good.
She let go of her hands and no longer felt like entertaining him.
Turns out, this greedy black dragon was just worried about his precious crystal, which was why he kept staring at Yao Zuizui’s heart—not because of any peculiar preferences.
Yao Zuizui turned and walked away, taking the black dragon’s prized fox-fur blanket with her. She found a random corner, spread out the blanket, and immediately buried herself in sleep.
The black dragon watched Yao Zuizui’s angry little figure with confusion, unsure what he had done wrong.
His mind began racing with wild thoughts.
Would anger have any effect on his precious treasure’s heart?
Would his crystal crack from her rage?
Why wasn’t she crying even though she was angry?
He had hoped to collect more pearls to make up for today’s losses!
The dense, steel-straight dragon brain was filled with endless question marks, his wide dragon eyes following Yao Zuizui’s every move.
Yao Zuizui tossed and turned but couldn’t fall asleep.
Who could sleep with such enormous dragon eyes staring at them? It was like being watched by the abyss.
After a long while, her anger finally subsided. She decided the black dragon was already foolish enough—she shouldn’t hold it against him.
So she got up and trotted over to the black dragon.
The dragon was five times her height, forcing her to crane her neck to look at him.
He seemed rather silly at the moment, his massive dragon eyes fixed on her, pupils slightly shifting with her movements.
Yao Zuizui gently placed her small hand on the black dragon’s claw.
A little frustrated, she could only reach his claw.
“Daddy, are you cold? Let me warm you up. Digging tunnels must have frozen you stiff~” Her soft, delicate hands pressed lightly against the dragon’s rough, thick-skinned claw.
“Haa~” She leaned in, blowing warm air onto his claw.
His skin was indeed cracked from the cold, but it was so tough that no blood seeped out.
Yao Zuizui carefully touched it, then looked up with concern: “Daddy, does it hurt? Let me blow on it.”
The black dragon no longer felt cold or in pain.
Born without parents, he had never known care or affection. This was the first time he felt the warmth of familial love.
So warm…
Her hands were so soft, her breath so warm, her voice so gentle.
Overwhelmed with happiness, the black dragon lifted his head and let out another “Roar!”
“Daddy isn’t cold or in pain. You should sleep now.” The black dragon carefully lifted Yao Zuizui with his claw and gently placed her back on the blanket.
Then, he slowly lowered his head beside her, his dragon eyes fixed on her.
His daughter was truly a precious treasure.
He wanted to watch his treasure sleep.
“Daddy, goodnight~” Yao Zuizui tucked herself in and gave the black dragon a sweet smile.
The dragon’s heart felt as if it had swallowed a hundred cotton candy clouds—soft and sweet.
So this was what having a daughter was like. He loved it.
“Goodnight.” The black dragon watched Yao Zuizui until exhaustion finally closed his eyes.
===
Yao Zuizui stood before the black dragon, wearing her little dress—the one he had accidentally burned.
“Daddy, do you notice anything different about me?” She spun in a circle, pouting.
“Hmm… no!” The guilty black dragon averted his gaze upon seeing the singed corner of her dress.
If he just refused to admit it, he could get away with it! He had dodged responsibility for far worse things before.
But Yao Zuizui wasn’t upset about the ruined dress.
She had realized she was growing unnaturally fast—so fast that the zipper on the back of her dress no longer closed.
At this rate, in another month, she’d look like a sixteen-year-old girl.
By then, she’d be like a ripe, sweet, and tempting fruit—and she feared the black dragon might not resist falling for her.
Chiding herself for being presumptuous, Yao Zuizui reminded herself to trust in the black dragon’s pure paternal love.
So, she decided to tell him directly.
“Daddy, I’m growing really fast! I’m already like an eight-year-old now, and soon I’ll be sixteen!” She watched his reaction carefully.
“Oh? Eight years old?” The black dragon was pleasantly surprised, examining her closely.
Then, his massive head tilted. “Why are you still so short?”
“…” Yao Zuizui gritted her teeth. “My dress doesn’t fit anymore, and you burned it! Daddy has to replace it!”
Cornered, even the thick-skinned black dragon couldn’t bring himself to weasel out of it.
Faced with his daughter’s innocent, pure gaze, his heart softened.
Still, he protectively covered his treasured storage ring: “H-how much do you want?”
“…” Just yesterday, he had promised her anything she desired!
The black dragon craned his neck, fearing she’d demand something exorbitant from his hoard.
To his surprise, Yao Zuizui shook her head. “Just get me a new dress, Daddy.”
Her obedience and understanding made the black dragon hang his head in shame.
How could his daughter be so well-behaved? No wonder people said daughters were like warm little quilts!
Immediately, the black dragon gently lifted her onto his back with his claw: “Alright, let’s go! Daddy will get you the prettiest dress in the world! Hold on tight!”
They raced through the skies, Yao Zuizui lounging comfortably in a magical shield on the dragon’s back, nibbling on cotton candy clouds.
Soon, they arrived.
The black dragon cleared his throat. “We’re here. Get down.”
Yao Zuizui hadn’t yet taken in their surroundings, but his tone sounded odd—almost guilty.
When she hopped down and looked around, she understood why.
He had brought her to a mass grave!
Her cheerful expression darkened, replaced by an uncharacteristic maturity.
Before her stretched a vast pit, its edges disappearing into the horizon.
Standing at its rim, she felt impossibly small.
The pit was filled with skeletal remains, stretching from her feet all the way to the distant horizon.
“Daddy, you brought me here… to find clothes? To strip them off the dead?” Her lips pressed into a thin line, the sparkle in her eyes dimming.
The black dragon couldn’t meet her gaze.
As a dragon, he never wore clothes.
He realized this might not have been the best idea, but…
He tentatively asked, “Is… is that not okay?”
Yao Zuizui nearly exploded with rage, wanting to smack his stupid head!
She reminded herself—he’s an idiot. Don’t take it personally.
After a long internal struggle, she suppressed her fury.
The black dragon remained silent, lying on the ground and watching her.
He was the father, she the daughter—so why did her stern expression make him so nervous?
So nervous that he lay there, tail almost wagging like a dog’s to appease her.
Even he found his behavior baffling.
Why would a mighty black dragon feel this way? He couldn’t understand it.
Seeing the dragon slumped dejectedly beside her—a massive beast acting like a scolded puppy—Yao Zuizui sighed.
Fine. She’d be the bigger person.
She kicked a pebble and pointed into the distance. “There’s treasure over there.”
“Where? Where?!” Instantly reinvigorated, the black dragon shot into the air, eyes wide with excitement.
“…” Used to his greed, Yao Zuizui lazily continued, “Fly straight, turn right, then another hundred meters. It should be on one of the bodies.”
“Roar!” The black dragon zoomed off, tail wagging joyfully.
Yao Zuizui sat on the ground, watching his gleeful departure with resignation.
Why was he so obsessed with wealth?
He never got this excited over her. Sigh…
Fifteen minutes later, the black dragon returned.
His eyes were bloodshot from excitement, his entire body trembling.
“Precious! I found a treasure! Do you know what it is?!” His voice quivered with exhilaration.
He was moments away from scooping her up and kissing her.
But Yao Zuizui’s reaction was—
“Waaah! It was so dark and scary without you! I thought you abandoned me…!” She clung to his claw, bursting into tears.
Her sobs were soft, her voice trembling with pitiful fragility. Each hiccup made the black dragon’s heart ache.
Immediately, he wrapped his wings around her, gently patting her head.
“Don’t be scared. I’ll always protect you.”
“Really?” She looked up at him, teary eyes glistening, melting his heart.
The black dragon nodded firmly. “Of course. I swear!”
Dragons rarely swore oaths—they took vows seriously, willing to die to uphold them.
Seeing Yao Zuizui cry so pitifully made his chest ache. In his panic to comfort her, he even forgot about the scattered pearls.
The high ground caused the pearls to roll away, disappearing into the bone piles.
Wiping her tears, Yao Zuizui pointed. “Daddy, the pearls rolled in there.”
“…” The black dragon snapped back to reality. “My pearls!”
He frantically dove to retrieve them.
As he sifted through the bones for the luminous pearls, a thought struck him.
Though each pearl was priceless, and he adored them…
If they came from his daughter’s tears, he’d rather not have them.
Her crying shattered his heart, leaving him restless and pained.
He much preferred her smiling—sweetly, radiantly, her eyes lovelier than the crescent moon he admired nightly.
For the first time, he realized something mattered more than gold and jewels.
Perhaps, the black dragon mused, this was what they called “a father’s love, steadfast as a mountain.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage