Chapter 75

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A/N: The term "Er Shu" used here refers to 二叔, a form of addressing one's second uncle :) Do enjoy this chapter!

"Are you awkward with Second Uncle?" Ye Hua had asked when they were about to enter the North Sea. "Yes", she wanted to say. But "No" came out instead, and now, even as Bai Qian faced Sang Ji and Shao Xing, she felt like turning away. "Heavenly Lord. Heavenly Lady." Sang Ji and Shao Xing both greeted, and even as Bai Qian observed Shao Xing, she couldn't resist her temptation, and Bai Qian blurted out what seemed rather rude but yet appropriate, "Is that your fifth child, Shao Xing?"

Whatever colour that hadn't been on the snake spirit's face flooded back at once, and Shao Xing gripped the bundle in her arms tightly, "Gugu..." "It's 'Your Majesty'." Sang Ji reminded, and even as Shao Xing struggled to change the term of address, she nodded in reply to Bai Qian's question, "Replying to Your Majesty, it is my fifth son." "Hmm." Ye Hua held his "hmm" purposefully as he cast a gaze in Bai Qian's direction, but said no more.

"Er Shu, do lead the way." Ye Hua gestured towards the coral palace behind Sang Ji, and with a quick nod, the former Second Prince of the Nine Heavens began to show the way towards the interior of the coral palace in the Northern Sea.

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Around a year later...

"Have you told your family, Xiao Bai?" Di Jun sounded rather calm as he gently patted her head, and Feng Jiu blushed a slight pink as she shook her head, "I fear Father may have a heart attack." "You think too much, Xiao Bai. I think Bai Yi might faint, that's all." Di Jun spoke gently, and Feng Jiu touched her fingers to her lips, to the smudged colour that Di Jun had caused from his aggressiveness. "But...But I don't think Father will be happy." Feng Jiu's voice grew softer, and Di Jun didn't answer.

Shing! Feng Jiu leapt a metre into the air as Cang He slid out of its scabbard, flying towards them and pausing only inches from Di Jun's face, its blade so sharp that it could slice the air if you even just touched it, and Di Jun raised both his eyebrows as he examined a strand of his silver hair, "I was under the impression, Xiao Bai, that no one would say no to me. Or Cang He, at the very least." "Di Jun! You can't possibly threaten A-Die with Cang He!" Feng Jiu's eyes widened in horror, only for the emperor to give a short laugh, "Of course not. Your father is a smart man, Xiao Bai. I needn't draw Cang He to threaten him."

"You said you were going to ask for his permission to our relationship...you didn't mention threatening..." Feng Jiu mumbled, her eyes likened to a puppy's, and Di Jun gazed at her impassively, before he waved his hand, and Cang He flew back into its sheath, "Alright, Xiao Bai. I was merely jesting. When you are ready, you should tell your father about us. About how..." Di Jun's eyes roamed her pink cheeks, "You finally melted the one and only Dong Hua Di Jun's heart with all your shameless and relentless chasing."

"That...that doesn't sound very nice!" Feng Jiu exclaimed indignantly, feeling rather embarrassed even as she did so, "Shamelessly?" "Quite so." Di Jun stroked her head, "Don't be ashamed, Xiao Bai. Your stubbornness is an amazing trait. I do think you might have gotten it from your aunt." “What makes you say that, Di Jun?” Feng Jiu cocked her head in incomprehension, but Di Jun merely stood, “It’s almost been a year. You should return to Qing Qiu; and I believe that Heavenly Lady Bai Qian should be returning soon as well.”

“Really?” Feng Jiu leapt up from beside Di Jun at once, “I must return to Qing Qiu, then!” “Not so fast. You haven’t made me those green bean cakes you promised, Xiao Bai.” Di Jun held on to her tightly, and even as Feng Jiu twisted her tails into a knot as tried to weigh between making the cakes for Di Jun and returning to Qing Qiu, her eyes suddenly lit up in an idea, “You can come and claim your cakes from me after I go back to Qing Qiu and meet Gugu!”

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