Dong Hua and Feng Jiu got up and had tea.

"I will go to Gun Gun's room. We both will get ready there. You can have this room to yourself. I can't wait to see you all dressed up.", Dong Hua said, smiling.

Feng Jiu half-smiled, almost as if she was not sure of herself. "What if you don't like me in that dress? What if I don't look like your empress, or what if I dress up too much? Dijun, will you please be honest and tell me if I do anything not right? It's a big event, and I don't want to disappoint you in any way." she asked tentatively.

Dijun sighed and held her by her arms. "Xiao Bai, I wish you could see yourself with my eyes. No matter what you do or how you dress up, I will always find you adorable. You don't know the amount of self-control it takes me to stop myself from pulling you close, holding you in my arms, and kissing you all over. You are beautiful, precious, gorgeous. And as for looking like my empress or a queen, well, that's totally up to you. Only you get to decide how you should look. If anyone doesn't like it, it's their problem. They can deal with it themselves. I will always love you in every way you dress. You are the only one in my heart." he said sincerely.

She was listening with all her attention and started biting her lower lip as she began thinking. He slowly traced her jawline with his thumb and lifted her chin. "I love you, my wife, with or without a dress. Especially without. You are irresistible..." he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

As shyness and then desire clouded her eyes, he dipped his cold lips onto hers and kissed her thoroughly. Just like he had told her, he could no longer resist her smell, the softness of her mouth, the rise and fall of her chest as she gasped. He deepened the kiss with a groan. He felt himself getting lost in her and decided to stop. 

Slowly he moved to her ear and whispered, "Do you see what I mean about losing control with you? You do things to me that I had never imagined. You make me feel alive, Xiao Bai. You truly are divine." She turned a shade of peach-pink and lowered her eyes. He stepped back and chuckled.

"All right, all right. I will get going before we completely lose ourselves. Please stay safe at all times, my love. I will see you in a little bit.", he told her as he left the room, chuckling to himself.

----

Meanwhile, on the other side of the demon palace, Ji Heng was getting ready for her big night. Under the expert guidance of her main stewardess, Du Shiyi, several maids were hustling around her. They helped her take a bath in a basin full of flower petals. They washed her hair with scented water.

She had told them that her favorite scent was sandalwood, which was rare in the demon realm. But the demon officials and maids wanted to please their queen. So they procured it along with several other expensive and specialty beauty products.

"You are already beautiful. You will look stunning as a bride today, my queen. Demon Lord will not be able to take his eyes off of you. We know you want to look and feel your best today. For your dear husband.", her maid said, giggling.

Ji Heng smiled and nodded like a shy, bashful bride. She knew she had to play this part well.

Yes, she wanted to look her best.
In fact, she wanted to dress up to kill.
Dress up for Dong Hua.
Kill Feng Jiu and her son.

Ji Heng had planned her make-up, hair, dress, and accessories to resemble a Celestial Goddesses. She figured that since Dong Hua was a God, he would favor Celestial beauty in women. From what she had seen of Feng Jiu, she dressed really simply. It was a wonder that Dong Hua had paid attention to her.

"She acted all demure and naive in front of Dijun. Naturally, Dijun fell for her tricks. Although almighty and all-powerful, he is a man after all. But she cannot be a good empress for him at all. Dong Hua deserves someone like me - graceful, beautiful, and skilled. I need to help him realize his mistake and come back to his senses. My father did such a great service in Dong Hua's army. Dong Hua owes me and should spend his lifetime cherishing me. Only me. Don't worry, Dijun. Tonight, you will see what you are missing. You will come back to me and beg me to be yours. I will relish that moment very much..." Ji Heng thought to herself.

-----

Dijun went to Gun Gun's room and helped him get ready. Then he also changed into the robe his mother-in-law had made for him. When Feng Jiu had asked her mom to make ceremonial attires as gifts for Yan Chiwu and his bride, her mom had also made clothes for Gun Gun, Dijun, and Feng Jiu herself.

Gun Gun's attire was gold plus white. It had embroidered patterns that showed Quing Qui mountains and trees all in gold. He was thrilled with it.

Dijun's robe was purple, white, plus gold. It had intricate embroidery showing the famous Cang He sword splitting foiling flowers petals in half. 

All these were done with expert craftsmanship by the finest embroiderers of Quing Qui. Knowing that these were to be worn by their beloved Queen and her family, the embroiderers had spared no effort in showcasing their superlative skills. 

Dijun was already impressed with his and his son's clothing. He could tell that his mother-in-law had put in a lot of thought into these. He made a mental note to make something special for her when they returned to Tai Chen Palace. 

He was curious to see what Feng Jiu's dress was like. He was certain that it would be amazing, and he was certain that he would love seeing his wife in that dress. 

Uncharistically, his mind drifted to the very private wedding they had had at Bihai Cangling. Xiao Bai had looked absolutely delectable in her wedding gown. And also out of it when he had undressed her. He remembered the way she had looked at him as if she was mesmerized by him. He remembered her shyness. She had trembled when he touched her. It was a night etched in his memory. "Hhmm. I can't wait to see what she looks like.", he thought.

"If our clothes are this nice, I am sure Mother's will be even nicer. And Mother is so pretty she makes even a simple dress look amazing. I am sure Mother will look very beautiful tonight. Don't you think, Father?" Gun Gun asked, looking at himself in the mirror.

For a moment there, Dong Hua wondered if he had said his thoughts out loud. "Yes, you are right, Gun Gun. Your Mother will look amazing. You do look very handsome yourself.", he said, smiling at Gun Gun and extended his hand.

"I guess this is what they call being lost in love.", Dong Hua chuckled to himself in his mind as he walked out of the room holding his son's tiny hand in his own large one.

They walked to the hallway and saw Chong Lin, Si Ming, and others. Dong Hua asked Gun Gun to be with Chong Lin and stepped towards the celestial guards. He started giving special instructions to the guard leader, Po Jun, for tonight. He wanted no lapses in security.

----

At the Demon Lord's Palace, his steward, Jun Ran, was assisting Yan Chiwu to get ready.

"At last, Ji Heng will be mine. When will these last few hours get over? Do we really have to wait to do the three bows and greet all the guests? I just wish I could carry her in my arms already. I wonder how she will dress up for tonight. She did not even allow me to see her dress. Hhmm. Never mind, I will love her no matter what she wears. She is the prettiest one for me in all realms." Yan Chiwu thought as he was getting ready. 

Jun Ran could sense his master's excitement. "I know you are impatient to see your queen, but you must wait for these last few hours. These hours will soon pass, and then you will be united with the love of your life for all eternity." he chuckled.

"Yes! Yes!! I just can't wait. I think I am ready enough. Let's go.", replied Yan Chiwu and patted Jun Ran on his shoulder. He walked out excitedly to get to the banquet hall, with Jun Ran struggling to follow closely. Xiao Yan was really happy today.

----

Ji Heng looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "No one, not even that ancient rock of a man, can resist me when I am looking like that. Even when my head is covered by the veil, they will all be looking only at me. As for Feng Jiu, I will enjoy seeing her face when she sees Dijun looking at me instead of her. Who knows, maybe Dijun will be so decisive that he will take me to Tai Chen Palace today itself!", she giggled but then caught herself. "Wait, I should not get ahead of myself. After all, if the games end in a day, it won't be fun at all. All these years, I have waited to fulfill my dreams. I want to take the time to enjoy Feng Jiu's defeat slowly. I want to savor it. So today, I will only plant the seed of desire in Dong Hua's mind. A seed that will grow into a tree soon and poison Feng Jiu and her son out of Dong Hua's life."

She smiled confidently and told her maids, "I am ready. Let's go."

At the banquet hall, a heavily decorated stage stood on one end. Yan Chiwu and Jun Ran were already waiting there along with the Demon Priest, who would officiate their wedding.

On the left side, black and red sheer curtains were arranged, which concealed comfortable seating for the bride. Ji Heng and her maids walked to this area. Du Shiyi helped Ji Heng to her seat and waited respectfully nearby. A maid was standing close with an ornate tray holding the bridal veil. 

The guests had started arriving. The Demon ministers were welcoming them and leading them to their seats. Appetizers and wine were being served. 

Yan Chiwu kept glancing at the curtains hoping to get a glance of his bride. "Demon Lord seems to be so excited about tonight, my lady. He keeps wanting to steal a peek at you. Isn't he just the most handsome man in all realms? No one can compare to him. You both are the perfect couple.", Du Shiyi whispered to her mistress. 

Ji Heng smiled. She was waiting impatiently too. She wanted to see Dong Hua. She wanted Dong Hua to see her and be captivated by her. 

"What's taking him so long?" she wondered.

----

In the hallway, Dong Hua was wrapping up his discussion with Po Jun. He saw the guard leader's usually expressionless mouth open wide in amazement. Dong Hua understood that Po Jun had momentarily forgotten where he was, to whom he was speaking, and what he was doing. Dijun had never seen anyone react like that in front of him. "He must have seen something he has never seen before.", Dong Hua thought.

At that same time, he heard the sound of tiny bells and delicate feet walking towards them. The peach blossom scent gently whispered to him that it was his wife, even before he saw her. Curious to find out why Po Jun was so spellbound on seeing Feng Jiu, Dong Hua turned back.

It was Dong Hua's turn to be spellbound.

Feng Jiu was walking down the stairs. She was trying to decide how to adjust the long sash of her dress, looking as if she was unsure of what to do with it. She had kept her hair and jewelry classy but simple. Her simple makeup highlighted her birthmark that never failed to attract him. Few strands of her raven hair were playing mischievously on her face. As she looked down, her long black lashes were in stark contrast against her soft milky white cheeks.

Feng Jiu's mother had outdone herself while designing Feng Jiu's dress. It was a long flowy gown with ombre color ranging from dark purple at the top to pearly white at the bottom. A golden phoenix was embroidered on the gown intricately. It spread its majestic wings and flew into gold, white and pink clouds. The long sash had tiny bells that jingled sweetly as she walked. The fabric of her dress hugged the delicate swell of her breasts, accentuated her slim waist, and moved rhythmically with her shapely hips. The dark purple color at her neck brought out the milky white of her skin. The pink color on the embroidery matched perfectly with her luscious pink lips. A dainty pink perfume sachet and dark purple shoes completed her look. 

As Feng Jiu approached them, Dong Hua took in her features slowly from top to bottom. Over the years, he had mastered the art of dual concentration. He forced his mind to quickly get into that state so that he could totally focus on her while still being with others in the hallway. She was wreaking his self-control. He was struggling to keep his composure. 

When Feng Jiu lifted her eyes and saw Dong Hua, she was dazzled by him. He looked so handsome that she stopped breathing. Her doe eyes stared at him with pure love. There was nothing more majestic and alluring to her in the entire universe than this man.

"How ironic!" he thought, "She finds this old rock of me attractive when she herself is looking like that! How did I get so fortunate? What did I do to deserve her? This woman! She is capable of melting the iceberg of my heart, and yet she is so naively unaware of her own beauty."

When she reached by his side, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her closer. She was shocked and turned all kinds of pink. Gasping out loud, she stared mutely into his stone black eyes. She totally forgot everything else other than him.

Thankfully due to his dual concentration, he realized what was going on. "Breathe with me, Xiao Bai.", he told her telepathically as he felt her not moving. He sent a whiff of cool air to her face to bring her out of her trance.

She fluttered her eyelashes in confusion and blushed, making her cheeks match the pink of her dress. "You are looking ravishingly beautiful, my wife. I want to hide you from everyone and shield you in my heart forever.", he told her telepathically, making her lower her head.

"Wow! Mother, you are looking so beautiful! I have never seen anyone so beautiful ever! I love you, Mother!!! And I am sure Father loves you too.", Gun Gun said, beaming with excitement. "When we go to Quing Qui, I am going to tell Grandma a big thank you for these outfits. Father, could you please teach me how to make a good tea set? I want to gift one to Grandma to thank her.", he continued.

Feng Jiu and Dong Hua welcomed this distraction. "That's an excellent thought, Gun Gun. Let's both work on it when we go to Tai Chen Palace tomorrow. I am sure your Grandma will understand how much you liked all the outfits she made for us.", Dong Hua replied to his son. He still kept an arm around Feng Jiu and kept her close.

They saw the rest of the deities from the Sky Kingdom come to the hallway. They all were impressed with Dijun and his family. "You look absolutely breathtaking, Feng Jiu. I wish this was your wedding we were attending. You and Dijun do look the part - you are a gorgeous bride, and Dijun is a very handsome groom.", Cheng Yu teased Feng Jiu. 

Lian Song chuckled. "Why Goddess Cheng Yu, that's a really great idea! Dijun, after we are done here tonight, let's head over to Quing Qui and get you two married. You never gave your wife a proper wedding anyways. What do you think?" he said.

"I don't need a grand wedding, Third Prince. Don't chastise my husband." Feng Jiu rushed to Dong Hua's aid before he could respond. "I think if there's to be another wedding in the Sky Kingdom, it should be yours and Cheng Yu's.", she continued innocently. 

Lian Song and Cheng Yu were both speechless. They could not understand when and how the tables were turned. They looked at each other, made a face, and looked away embarrassed. 

"Well played, my Dihou!" Dong Hua commented to Xiao Bai mentally. She gave him a bright smile acknowledging it. 

When everyone gathered, a steward from the Demon Palace led them to the main banquet hall. Automatically they formed a procession with Dong Hua and Feng Jiu at the front, then Zhe Yan with Bai Zhen, then Lian Song with Cheng Yu, followed by Jie Lu and Gun Gun. Chong Lin and Si Ming joined in leading several maids with gifts for the bride and groom.

Together they all reached the banquet hall.

To be continued...