Bai Qian had been sitting beside Ye Hua for three hours. She had put Mochi (Li) to sleep as it was late in the evening. Ye Hua then opened his eyes to see her frowning. She hadn't moved an inch since Feng Jiu had brought him back. She immediately rose up and sat on the bed burying her head in his chest.

"Ye Hua..." She said, her voice slightly breaking. Ye Hua slowly sat up and caressed her head and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm sorry, Qian Qian," he said. "It's my duty as the crown prince. I have to do it. It was a damp squib, she ran away. That means I'll have to try harder." he said looking off into the distance.

"Then take me with you. I'll handle it with you. Whoever it is."

"Calm down, Di Jun is already with me on the case," he said.

"You're so tenacious." She said.

"Learning from the best," he said with a soft smile.

"Then have you thought if something happened to you I'll elope with a man even younger than you." She asked looking into his eyes. Ye Hua was already half her age.

"Do you think I'd be dead so easily? Even if I died, I will still be a ghost and then I will haunt every man you try to date. And I'd be lying in your bed with you every day. I won't leave for the netherworlds either."

"You sound so creepy." She laughed. He smiled back and pulled her into his arms.

"Now you're mine, Qian Qian. I won't die and I won't let you go." He said turning her around on the bed. She softly pushed him away but he grabbed her wrists. Their eyes locked. And the air around them seemed to grow hotter.

"You're injured." She blurted out as a blush spread across her face.

"I'm fine. I missed you," he replied. He touched her nose with his. His eyes as deep as the ocean as he stared right at her, who was regarded as the top beauty in all four seas and eight deserts. Bai Qian, who was a high goddess and respected by everyone. Bai Qian, his wife. Qian Qian, who was still shy but very bold when it came to certain things. Feng Jiu had been similar to her in that.l aspect. The next moment his lips were on hers. She kissed him back.

"Where are my clothes?" She asked as she blushed even more.

"I removed them with magic," he said simply.

"You..." She quickly covered them with a blanket with a shy complaisant smile.

---

Feng Jiu told Dong Hua everything she saw. She lead him into the forest where the cave had been. Although it was night now and she was really poor with directions. She kept looking around along with Dong Hua but the place was nowhere to be found.

"We've been going in circles XiaoBai." Di jun said finally. She turned around to answer him. She pouted, after all, she was from Qingque and still couldn't figure out the way.

"I know but this is the place. I don't know why there is no cave." She exclaimed.

"It could be that she destroyed the entrance?" Di Jun murmured to himself. "it's okay, let's come tomorrow. We still have to leave in a few hours." he said and clasped his hands behind his back. He walked back to the Rebirth Cave. He then grabbed Feng jiu's waist and they were immediately teleported to the nine heavens. She gasped. And quickly stepped away from him. Dong Hua had been so full of surprises today. He also teased her a lot. Thus Feng Jiu was in a sour mood. Little did she know, Dong Hua had already started falling for her. While she was in full preparations to let him go.

"You can do that? But Qingque is so far." She commented in an excited tone. Her eyes gleamed.

"Or else. What do you think I can't do?" He said with a smug face.

"So the cloud jumping technique. Were you trying to show off?" She asked. He shrugged. She huffed.

"Oh, there is nothing you can't do. I bet you don't know how to cook," she said with a whimsical tone, her arms crossed.

"Why do you think? My fox liked my fish," he said.

"Are you sure it didn't just pretend so that you won't feel bad? I think it was just considerate of your feelings." She said. Dong Hua stopped in his place. His eyes were wistful and somewhat gloomy.

"How do you know that my cooking is bad?" he asked in a mellow tone. She stopped. He walked to stand in front of her and stared at the bell he gave her in the past. Feng Jiu looked at it too and then back at him.

"I just know from Lian Song and Si Ming," she said with a gulp. She thought she almost spilled her secret. But Dong Hua had already known. He frowned. Feng Jiu noticed the change in his expression and turned to him.

"Hey, Lian Song and Si Ming exaggerate. You're cooking won't be that bad. Right? How about I cook with you. I don't know about anything but I'm really good at cooking. We could make sweet and sour fish together and have them taste it. I'd get to see their reactions too." She said as she giggled.

"Okay. Promise me." He replied smiling automatically.

"Promise." She said. Extending her pinky finger. Dong Hua looked at her finger confused. She then nudged him to do what she did. 

They intertwined their pinky fingers and stamped their thumbs together. She smiled brightly. Dong Hua felt some kind of way. In his eyes was a glint of happiness all mixed together with a little of other feelings.

"Xiao Bai I already know." He confessed. He stared at her softly. His eyes reflected a little bit of sadness.

"Huh?"

"Xiao Bai I know now. All you had to go through. Si Ming and Lian Song told me. However, I already knew that you were my fox. I wanted you to say that yourself but when Si Ming told me about the whole thing." Feng Jiu froze not moving an inch. Her smile faded and her eyes watered. She bit her inner cheek.

He knew everything...

"Xiao Bai..."

"You knew it since the day you met me?" She asked not quite believing it. Her voice was exceptionally clear. It echoed in Dong Hua's mind. He felt his chest stuffy.

"Yes. I didn't want to keep it from you any longer. And I also wanted you to forgive me." he said trying hard to analyze Feng Jiu's reaction. But she was too shocked and too emotional.

"I'll see you...later." She ran away to her palace. She didn't really know what to say. It was kind of humiliating. Him knowing it all. She wanted to go and confront Si Ming.

Why? Just why? Did he have to know about that? So he started noticing me because he got to know that I was his fox...

She sighed. How... She had no words. She ran into her room and lied down on her bed staring at the ceiling. Her mind was numb. She didn't know the reason why her heart was hurt. The reason why she was like this was that she wasn't sure if it was a good thing that he knew. She was also embarrassed by her past actions.

It was all in the past. But now he knows. He knows how stupid I've been. He knows that I liked him. I feel so utterly stupid now that even he knows... I don't want to go...But whatever I did was to repay him and then I just got too much into it. I even bit Ji Heng...he. It's okay Xiao Jiu, you shouldn't be embarrassed by your love. You are always candor with everyone. Since he knows the truth just handle it and maintain your distance from now on. Show him that you moved on. He only cares for you because once you were his fox and only friend... But you ain't just a spiritual fox.

 You have to be strong on this now. She said to herself.

---

After a few hours. It was midnight. Feng Jiu sneaked out of her room. She checked all the sweets she had packed in her little pouch which could actually carry mountains. As she ran out without making a voice she reached Dong Hua's Palace. Two guards were guarding it. She hid immediately behind the pillar before they could see her. Then she spotted Dong Hua coming out on his own. She sighed in relief and came out still hiding from the guards. Dong Hua also felt relieved when he spotted her. He wasn't sure she would take him along after what he confessed. But then he knew she was doing it for the life debt.

"Xiao Bai." He beckoned to her. She reluctantly stepped towards him. She bit her lip. Which lead Dong Hua's eyes to change. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. More like he wanted to know what exactly she was thinking. With her expression, she looked rather calm. And that was scarier because he thought she would be angry. But she was being mature. And it kind of felt odd.

"Di Jun." she nodded. They both walked in silence as no one was around. Neither of them said anything until they reached the nine heaven's gate. Cheng Yu was nowhere in sight. But the tension between them was just too much for Feng Jiu to bear. She felt Dong Hua's piercing gaze on her. She stopped and turned to him.

"Why are you staring at me?" She asked in a huff. The next moment she found herself too courageous. After all, he was Di Jun. She wanted to hide but there was no pole so she just straightened her chest and looked at him.

He looked at her calmly and knocked her head as a slight smile gently played on his lips making Feng Jiu dazed. Her cheeks flushed but she didn't let go of the confidence she had previously gathered and clenched her jaw lightly spoke again without fear. Her arms were crossed against her chest so tightly that they were slightly lifting up her breasts. This time it was Di Jun's expressionless face that changed.

"Let me tell you, I am not your fox anymore. I'm the next princess of Qingque. The moments we shared were priceless and even if I go back I would do the same... You must know everything if Si Ming told you. I...did bite Ji Heng. And I'm sorry. I know she was your fiance and all. But I had a reason. And don't worry as I said before, I don't bear any grudge against you." She blabbered. She had been practicing it since the moment she went back to her room. But it came out better than she thought it would. She was calm on the outside but her heart was drumming inside her chest.

"Xiao Bai. Does it matter what happened in the past? What matters is what we are now." he said with a stern face.

"True. We are Debtee and debtor." She said and walked away. Dong Hua's face fell. His heart felt squeezed. 

Is that all Xiao Bai and I are? She just drew a line in between us. It was always me who drew a line. I didn't know it would feel like this.

Feng Jiu's face was peaceful except for a line on her forehead which appeared as she walked away from him and he faced her back. But inside a voice was screaming telling her to just hug, kiss, and what not the handsome god behind her. To forget everything and listen to her heart. But a part of her heart was too scared. Even the most daring fox had to keep her heart safe.

---

Li banged on their door. Bai Qian who was locked in Ye Hua's sweet embrace opened her eyes a little. Ye Hua pulled her closer and told her to sleep again. She nodded and fell back to sleep in his arms, Li ran into their room straight towards Ye Hua and hugged him as he was lying the same way Bai Qian had.

"Father, I missed you." He said.

"He's indeed your son." Ye Hua mumbled to Bai Qian and then asked him what was wrong. Li then told them that he had a bad dream and that he wanted to sleep with them. Ye Hua opened his other arm nudging him to sleep but instead, Li ran to the side of the bed and climbed in between them making his way. Bai Qian opened her eyes and shifted slightly to give him space. Ye Hua pouted. Although it was barely perceptible. Li giggled as Bai Qian kissed him on his cheek. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep very quickly. She grinned to Ye Hua and said.

"He's indeed your son too." She said, knowing all too well his crafty tricks. He often used them to send Li away and spend time with Qian Qian. Like he would let him sleep with them and when he fell asleep he would put him in another room. And in the morning he'd say that he must've sleepwalked back. Or he would simply leave him to play with Feng Jiu or Zhe Yan or Lian Song.

______________________________________________

I know this chapter is a little weird-ass and late but since they are going to the mortal realm. It will be a new start. And hope everything will go well with them. Oh, you don't know how much i want them to kiss...Btw a lot of vinegar(jealousy) will be there in the next few chapters.