Chapter 11 - You and I


You are the call and I am the answer,
You are the wish, and I the fulfilment,
You are the night, and I the day.
What else - it is perfect enough.
It is perfectly complete,
You and I


- Bei Hennef, D.H. Lawrence.


Fengjiu was annoyed. She couldn't fathom what was wrong with Dijun. She wasn't his pet or anything that he snatched her from Zhe Yan. He was just a family friend she had known for a few days, Zhe Yan on the other hand was practically her parent. He wasn't even letting her go, and she couldn't change back even. It would be too embarrassing since he was holding her close. She wondered how he knew how to scratch her fur just right. Maybe Gungun's mother, the red fox she had seen in her dreams, liked being scratched in the same places as her. But now things were going too far. Dijun was actually scratching the fur on her stomach. She wasn't a baby and someone who wasn't intimate with her shouldn't touch her that way. But oddly it felt familiar. She could yell at him later for taking advantage. No it would be too embarrassing. Dijun would laugh at her for even thinking like that. She was not a baby, but for him maybe she wasn't very different from Gungun.


She calmly assessed the situation. She had been kidnapped by the former master of the Universe. But they were still in Qingqiu so there was no reason to panic. She was pretty confident that though her kidnapper had snatched her abruptly from Zhe Yan, he wouldn't harm her. He was the revered Donghua Dijun after all. He must be having mood swings. Old people were weird that way. Her grandfather too got crabby at times and at other he was rather too jovial. Donghua Dijun was way older than her grandfather, so it was a given that he should be even more eccentric. She hadn't done anything to annoy him anyway, so it must be Zhe Yan, who had probably annoyed him, she concluded.


The bamboo hut where he had brought her was really nice. It had a pretty yard with beautiful flowers. The rooms were airy and spacious. This study was particularly nice, it suited Donghua Dijun. She hated living in the fox cave. She decided she would ask Migu to construct a bamboo hut for her as well. This location was pretty so maybe the hut could be right next to this one. Dijun wouldn't mind, anyway he would be staying for a short duration. There was a painting hanging on the opposite wall. There she was, the red fox, sleeping in the shade of lotus leaves. She did really exist, it wasn't just a dream. She looked a little like herself, only she had one tail, maybe she was a spiritual fox. She thought would ask Chengyu if that fox really was Gungun's mother. What had happened  and where was she now. Then maybe she didn't want to know. Maybe she was just his pet. Only a beloved pet.


Zhe Yan barged in with another immortal in tow. He was quite a good looking fellow. For some reason Dijun was glaring at him. "You promised you would never see her. Yet you hardly keep your promise." See her?see who? Maybe he had taken away Dijun's fox. If that was the case, It was natural that Dijun was so angry. It was lucky for that handsome fellow that Dijun was holding her. He was so pissed at that immortal that he might've attacked him with his Cang'he. "Ye Qingti greets Dijun. I only came to convey a message from Grandfather Buddha, may Dijun kindly hear it." The immortal named Qingti replied.


Taking Fengjiu in his arms Zhe Yan stepped out. "Come Xiaojiu let's play. We will teach Dijun a lesson later for stealing you away like that. He has gone crazy." Gungun was waiting for them in the yard. He wanted to show Fengjiu his fine collection of sticks. Zhe Yan ensured that mother and son were secure under Donghua's shield, and stepped inside to join the discussion. Ye Qingti had been sent by Bai Zhen who had gone to consult the Buddha about Xiaojiu's trial. The Buddha had told them that everyone must develop their own virtue. To cultivate one needed to work hard. Bai Zhen had gone to see Ye Hua and Bai Qian and would return soon with them to deliberate upon Buddha's advice.


Gungun and Fengjiu were battling with the sticks he had collected. "Care for a duel with me?" Donghua challenged Fengjiu.


"Sure why not" she rose up to his challenge.


Donghua smirked, he knew his little fox was bold. She knew she would lose but that wouldn't prevent her. He was certain she would take the bait. "Well, care to make a bet then?" He added.


"Ummm it will sure make it more interesting. What should we bet on? Whoever loses will cook all meals for a month?" Bai Gungun was truly appalled at her suggestion. What if father loses just to make his mother happy? After all his Grandpa Zhe Yan had suggested that his father must woo his mother. True she would be over the moon if she won and might fall in love with his father again. But then, What would then become of his stomach? He might not even come out alive at the end. Couldn't she ask him to do her homework instead, she was silly, his jiujiu. He was just about to offer his suggestion when Dijun replied back."that is too easy for you if you lose, you love cooking anyway. Say, let's make a bet on whoever loses must follow the orders of the other for a month without question. Shall we?" Fengjiu found the terms reasonable, Dijun could order her around anyway. But wouldn't it be fun if he lost. She giggled inwardly at the thought and assented.


The Cang'he glinted in the sunlight. Fengjiu appreciated her luck for having the opportunity to watch the legendary blade in action. She countered his movements with her Taozhu. Was it appreciation she saw in his eyes. She was surprised at herself for being able to hold on against him for so many moves. But then was he really attacking her? It seemed more like a beautifully choreographed dance she had danced numerous times. They glided in the air amidst a shower of peach blossoms. Mesmerised, Fengjiu took in the breathtaking sight. Her joy infecting the atmosphere. She found his deep set eyes fixed on her, piercing her soul. She blushed beet red and her Taozhu flew out of her hand. Before she could even gain back her bearings, she was pulled against his warm chest as they twirled around and landed on the ground.


When she slowly came back to her senses, she discovered that she was still clinging on to him. And, unfortunately for her Zhe Yan, Gungun and the immortal gentleman were watching them. Ugh Zhe Yan wouldn't let this go easily, and that annoying tiny fox seemed way too happy for his father's victory, such an ungrateful brat. Drowning in embarrassment, she immediately removed his hands that were gripping her waist and moved away. " xiaobai, why are you panicking. I just held you to prevent you from falling again." he explained. She had her doubts but couldn't object. What she was thinking did not make any sense at all. Donghua Dijun could not have just held her in his embrace because he liked her, could he? She was about to be a monarch, she couldn't afford to become a laughingstock by asking Dijun if he liked her. She was the face of Qingqiu after all.


"Anyway, you lost our bet" he continued. "Come grind the ink for me, I have to send out some letters to Kunlun."


*Always*


Fengjiu was fed up. She couldn't catch a break. Wherever she went, Dijun was present, ordering her around. If she went into the kitchen, he would follow her at the pretext of learning how to cook. She taught him how to make his favourite sweet and sour fish several times. But for someone who was otherwise quite skilled in everything, Dijun's culinary skills hardly showed any improvement. She had to transcribe several Buddhist scrolls for him, under his watchful eyes, in addition to completing her homework. Her handwriting was improving for sure, but her fingers were sore. She truly pitied Siming who ate ink for a living.


To top it off, he had even started teaching at her school and would often pick on her in class. She was lucky it was Qingqiu and her classmates dared not laugh at her. Another advantage was that the weak boys who used to follow her around in vain hopes of courting her had stopped bothering her altogether. She at least did not have to rack her brains to scare them away. There were hardly any servants in Qingqiu as the foxes believed in doing their work on their own. Poor Fengjiu had to manage both the fox den and the bamboo cottage. And Dijun was always present with the excuse of helping her. But more often than not he made a mess of things and then it took ages to clean up everything again.


That tiny fox too was taking advantage of her. She had to feed him all three meals a day as he absolutely refused to eat on his own. She was also responsible for bathing him, dressing him up, doing his hair, checking his homework and making treats for his pet cao cao. He had also taken to sleeping next to her and wouldn't sleep unless she either sang to him or told him a story. Dijun would always come to tuck them both in and light the incense. The only other good thing about this arrangement was that with his tutoring she finally was making teeny tiny progress in Buddhist theories and her swordsmanship was improving by leaps and bounds.


One afternoon she was arranging the wardrobe at the bamboo hut when Chengyu came to visit her."you are quite the dutiful wife, little fox!" She teased her. "Wife!whose wife! Chengyu don't tease me. I am already sick and tired of all the work that Dijun and Prince Wuji have entrusted me with. Come let's steal some wine from Zhe Yan." She dumped Donghua's robes and ran off to the peach forest with her.

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