Chapter 15

Feng Jiu jumped down the stairs, laughing loudly, her light pink robe flew behind her, and her hair freely played around her face.
She was three thousand years old now; pretty, kind and full of life. Her presence was enough to chill the room, she was loved by everyone and cared for everyone as well. She was known as the second beauty compared to her aunt, but in making trouble she was first without any doubt.
She laughed again and changed to her fox form running straight ahead with no target in mind. She was allowed to go around as she wanted for a long time by now but sneaking out made it more fun, and making some troubles then sneaking out was the best. She runs at her fastest pace, forgetting where she came from or where she is heading to, she even forgets the time and thoughts, when the wind runs through her fur and the warm sand touched by her paws she forgets everything. 
When She felt how tired she was, she stopped running, looked around and recognized nothing, she was lost, again, not a surprise.
She was in a forest but nothing familiar to Zhe Yan's peach trees, the surrender was dark and a little scary, she thought for a second, going back or keep going forward? She felt thirsty and compared to the way she already came, finding a way out seems better so she decided to keep going straight forward hoping to find water and food soon. She encouraged herself by stamping her paw twice then started to run again for hours but the trees grew denser not lighter!
Soon it was sunrise, she was hungry and thirsty this time but stubborn as well, she decided to finish this forest so she would do it, she declined to give up, now and always, another stamp by foot and running again.
For the entire day She kept walking, a little running then again walking, she had to finish this road. On the third day she smelled fresh water, her senses provoked by it she turned her nose around and sensed it from the east of herself, it gave her authority, she ran there and saw the river, yelled in happiness and jumped in the river.
She washes herself first then drinks the water like it's her first taste of it, stays under the water for a while, she needs the coolness of it. When she finally felt satisfied with herself and her stomach begged her to stop drinking swam out of the river, changed into her human form and laid down to sleep, at least for three days and nights straight. That was her plan but she just fell asleep when two noisy boys started chatting and walking toward her.
"Look at that girl, she is a new face"
"a pretty face"
"yah, she is. what you say we make a bet. I'm sure she chose me over you"
"you wish" with a loud laugh.
Feng Jiu opened half of one of her eyes and looked at two figures standing beside her gazing down and chatting, she rolled to her side and said: you are too loud.
"little girl, are you awake?" asked the older one.
"You make me awake," Feng Jiu answered in annoyance.
"don't be upset"
"You are too noisy, go away" Feng Jiu half cried half screamed, she needed to sleep, why are they bothering her.
“we tried to be polite little girl but it seems you wish to hear harsher words”
“puff, you are making me angry, I said just for one last time, go away” she said and heard them fell in laugh, that’s it, she decided and with a wave of her hand send them both flying to river, falling in by head, she closed her eyes again and said loud: “go way silently or next time you won’t find yourself in just water.”
Finally she had her peace and fell asleep.
Not long away from the place that she was sleeping a handsome figure was gazed at her, a smile on his lips, his eyes shining with what can be considered as pride, in front of him a second face was watching the show in quiet satisfaction: “who is this girl? We should take her to heaven.”
“good luck with that” answered Dong Hua. 
In a sudden decision he came to this scope to have a taste of the river’s water and Lian Song followed him having nothing else to do. They were on their way back to heavens when heard something jumped in the river, this river was a well known one, the people used to show their respects to it, it was the place where the heavenly father and mother make their vows to get married and so many believed that it can gave them their heart wish, so many came and pray to it, so when Dong Hua and his companion heard something or someone jumped in the river they show a normal reaction and went back to check on it, Lian Song watched in surprise when he saw the little red head of a fox but when he was about to bring the fox out Dong Hua stopped him with a look and in his more surprise he make himself a half throne half bed and sit on it to watch the little fox.
When the fox change to a little girl Lian Song saw the shine in always indifferent eyes of old god and when two man tried to disturb her he saw the anger in his tight fist, then little girl sent the men to river and he heard a chuckle, and at the end the little girl fell sleep and Dong Hua gazed at her with softness in his eyes, so many reactions in one hour, much more than what he showed in all of his life!
“you can leave, no word will be well received.” Dong Hua said after half an hour without taking his eyes off of the little girl.
“but who is she” Lian Song asked, mesmerized by his old friend's words.
“can’t you tell by her tails?” Dong Hua gave not an answer like always.
Lian Song thought about the little fox he saw, come a gasp and “is she the little princess of Qing Que, Bai Feng Jiu”  
“so you know who her grandfather is, be wise and don’t talk” Dong Hua used Bai Zhe, better than using his own name!
“I wouldn’t dare, everyone knows how Much Bai Zhe Dijun loves his granddaughter” a bow “I take my leave now” he ended his words and turned to leave. “but by what I saw you care for the little princess more than her own grandfather” he whispered and chuckled before vanishing.
Dong Hua sent a look at his way before conjuring a tea set, he made himself some and leaned at his elbow looking at the little girl now sleeping in front of him, after a while he summoned a scroll and moved his attention from little princess to it. They were like that until Feng Jiu made some noises in her sleep, it seems like she was dreaming, Dong Hua moved forward and sat beside her.
“aunti Feng Jiu is hungry” Dong Hua smiled and ease her frown, she was almost crying in her sleep, making him come closer only to find she is dreaming of food, silly girl.
“I feel the sense again, Feng Jiu is waiting for someone who smell like this but I can’t remember who” she murmured and moved toward Dong Hua, her nose try to sense better, she moved until had her head on his lap, hiding her face on his stomach and breathing deeply, she breath several times and round her arms around his abdomen before getting back to her deep sleep.
Dong Hua blinked at her, what just happened? She was asking for food for a second and then she was hugging him talking about someone she is waiting for.
“little fox, aren't you so young to be waiting for someone?” he said, not liking the idea of her waiting for a guy, she is much too young for that.
Feng Jiu only robbed the side of her face on his chest, now she was almost lying on him. Dong Hua sighed and cuddled her hairs, it was first time he saw her in her human form, she was beautiful, he watched her face, the birthmark on her forehead which she had as a fox too catches his eyes, he smoothed her hairs behind her ear and caress the birthmark with the back of his finger.
He helped her in a more comfortable position then whispered: little fox Zhe Yan never said anything about waiting for a guy that you only know his perfume.”
He recalled Zhe Yan’s many visits to Taichen Palace after his first visit to Qing Que, the old phoenix came for some good gossip and he get what he wished for, after that he regularly visited and gave information about this little fox, he already knew how capable she is, the birthmark on her forehead and her mischiefs.
“I heard you gave Xai Jiu your protection” Zhe Yan said when he came to meet him.
Yet “hm” was the only answer he got.
“you seem interested in Bai Yi’s blood line, first you protected him and now his daughter, are you planning on protecting her children as well?” he insisted on getting more words.
Her children? She is just a baby fox, surely nothing near having children, he thought, “what children, she is a child herself” he said with a slight of anger in his voice, surprising himself too.
“her father was only a child when you blessed him too” Zhe Yan answered, his tongue softer than what Dong Hua likes to hear but he has a point, and why is the image of little fox having children must be troubling him at all?  
“tell me, why are you interested in them?” Zhe Yan asked straight at the point and Dong Hua decided it’s no harm to tell him the truth, he was living near the little fox and can make sure of her safety.
“when I make myself to forget I left behind two command, not erasing my name and protecting of Bai Yi, I wrote it has something with Bai Yi, protect him”
Zhe Yan never heard this part of the story: “so you set him under your protection because you believe it has something to do with the peace of the world?”
“yes” he confirmed, “but when I heard about his daughter decided to give her a visit and when I saw her I felt the need to protect her stronger than her father”
“you may be retired but I know your feelings are always based on facts, otherwise you never have feelings!” Zhe Yan said, thinking of the Xai Jiu and her possible relevance to the peace of the realms.
“she needs to be protected, take good care of her” Dong Hua had a feeling that what he meant by his words and what Zhe Yan said had nothing in common but decided to not mention it. After that Zhe Yan came to him to tell about Bai Feng Jiu.
“that little girl of yours doesn't need any protection from us, we need your protection from her” he said in one of his visits. He said like he was angry but Dong Hua could see the pride in his eyes, he stayed silent, Zhe Yan would say anything by himself, no need to make any effort.
“are you sure you didn’t give her any of your powers?” Zhe Yan asked suddenly.
“When I saw her for the first time she was already breaking out of her aunt’s barrier” Dong Hua answered, the little fox was powerful but it had nothing with him.
“then how does she do these things?” a hesitation, “you know what is her newest achievement?”
Dong Hua only watched, inviting him to continue by his eyes.
“some of elder foxes were after her, you know she is so adorable in her fox form we can’t blame them” he said when saw the anger in Dong Hua’s eyes, his protection about Feng Jiu improving by days, “as I was saying they were after her and Feng Jiu used fox’s enchantment to tricked them all and tied them to each other inside a cave.” He puffed in annoyance, “she doesn’t have a human form yet” he finished his words like It was the end of the discussion.
Dong Hua smiled and helped himself to his tea in joy, “good girl” he whispered.
He drew back to the present when Feng Jiu tried to climb on him, “little fox it’s not a good idea, you are just a little girl.” He teased her but didn’t stop her and as a result a minute later she officially was laying on him, her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist, he gazed down at her sleep face and smiled, she can prison whoever she wants as long as it’s not by her arms around their necks.

Comment