Fengjiu was melting, listening to her son 'talk' to his little sister. It was exceptionally cute. Gungun was always so mature and logical, of course he knew the child in her womb could not really hear or understand him, but he was clearly very excited for his new sibling to arrive.
"I have made a copy of Master Hans manual of characters for you, as the one I learned from was quite faded.", Gungun spoke softly into her stomach.
She remembered using that very same manual herself as a child. She resolved not to tell Gungun the reason why it was very faded had not been the fault of time at all. She'd thrown it in the water that ran through her bedroom when she had gotten fed up having to learn from it. Unfortunately for her, her father had caught her in the act. After retrieving the manual from the water her father had proceeded to make her very repentant of doing so.
The thought made her smile, she really had been a menace of a child. Naughty, mischievous, stubborn, willful, disobedient, she had been all of those things. She had been the only grandchild of the Bai family at that time, and so had been very pampered and adored, able to get away with almost anything. Apart from her father, everyone else had spoiled her utterly rotten, her aunt Bai Qian especially. She'd also had her youngest uncle Bai Zhen and by extension, High God Zhe Yan as her backers, always ready to support her and help her get out of punishment.
She should really go and visit her parents, even though it had only been a few days since she last saw them, she found herself missing them again. She made a mental note to do so, and then tuned back in to what Gungun was saying,
"-and musical instruments, the erhu, guqin I am best at, but I am proficient with all the others enough to teach you.", Gungun spoke.
Fengjiu almost let out a laugh, only her son would describe his prodigious talent with stringed instruments as 'proficient'. He was the best Erhu player in Jiuchongtian, possibly beyond, while his Guqin skills were only a half-step behind.
"Father is best to teach you the harp, he is better at it than I.", Gungun continued.
If Dong Hua did not appear soon Fengjiu was going to start crying at how much of an unintentionally adorable sweetheart her son was being. Of course her son would deny any such thing, and say he was not 'sweet' but 'protective', like all big brothers should be. Still, if she cried it would invariably send her poor son into a frenzy of trying to 'fix' her. Not that Dong Hua handled her crying any better than Gungun did.
"And i'll make you sure you stay away from older brother Bai Chen.", came the most vehement promise yet.
"What is that about?", she asked.
"He who stays near vermilion is stained red; he who stays near ink is stained black.", was Gunguns explanation.
Her son was far too courteous and polite to insult someone outright, so instead he was using idioms to do so indirectly.
"Are you sure this is not you holding a grudge against Bai Chen for being the only reason you've ever gotten into trouble?", She teased.
Her aunt's son Bai Chen had not inherited his father Ye Huas genius. Even so, in terms of emotions and understanding others feelings, he was far superior to all the adults Fengjiu knew. Even Gungun, who had recently unlocked the strange, not-yet controlled skill of being able to sense and feel other people's emotional states and feelings, was not as proficient at understanding them as Bai Chen was, without that skill.
What this meant was that Bai Chen, who she had taught all her mischievous tips and tricks when causing trouble, was exceptionally good at talking other people into mischief. Even Gungun had not been immune. The only three times her son had ever been involved in anything she'd call 'trouble', Bai Chen had been the primary instigator.
"The bird flies higher with the phoenix.", was Gunguns next idiomatic reply.
Putting the two together Gungun had essentially said 'Bai Chen is a bad influence, I am a good one. My sister should stay near me, not Bai Chen.', or more bluntly 'He can corrupt his own little sibling, not mine.'.
Other than his books Gungun had rarely been possessive or protective over anything else, but Fengjiu supposed it made sense her son would be protective of his very first little sibling, a little sister too.
"Referring to yourself as the phoenix in this situation could be considered a bit arrogant, my son.", She replied.
Though if she were honest, it hasn't really been an arrogant or even overly prideful statement from Gungun. After all hadn't her aunt suggested Gungun and Bai Chen spend more time together in hopes Gungun's studious and mature personality and good traits would transfer to her son? Bai Chen was not negligent in his schoolwork, but it also could not be said he was very diligent either, the child was often writing play scripts or stories rather than doing his schoolwork.
The scene would be much cuter if her stomach were bigger, but she was grateful it was not. A year ago she had worried that her stomach was much flatter than it had been at the same stage when she had Gungun. Zhe Yan had explained, but she'd not paid much attention after she'd heard 'everything is going perfectly'.
It had been something about the tilt of her womb, something else about the position of the baby, and some other details that she vaguely remembered. She had been reassured that despite her bump being quite small. Her little daughter was quite healthy, even though this pregnancy had been a bit more of a delicate process than her first. The child was extremely sensitive to strong extremes of magic, to the extent that Dong Hua had had to remove the Tiancang cage he had never removed since that day long ago when she'd fallen into Fanyin Valley.
Even with all this, she had no worries about how healthy her daughter was, even if she was small. This was because the child had only just stopped playing kick-ball with her liver an hour ago, very enthusiastically and with impressive strength. If she were any more active Fengjiu would have concerns about the child just deciding to kick herself out of her womb, damn the waiting.
As painful as having her poor liver bruised was, it was not anywhere near annoying as having hiccups for hours because said child decided that trying to kick her lungs was more entertaining. Gungun had been well behaved even in her belly. She wondered if karma was here to repay her with an extremely mischievous daughter.
She was suddenly wanting to keep Gungun close to her again, and was having second thoughts about shipping him off to Xiwu Palace. Even though the extremes of her emotional swings sometimes caused the poor child to feel ill.
"You are sure you'll be okay at Aunt and Uncle Ye Hua's?", she asked, for the third time, just in case.
"Mother," Gungun began, his tone calm, reassuring, but also slightly exasperated at having to keep repeating himself, "I will b-"
"Yes, of course you'll be fine," she interrupted, "you'll have the little dumpling to play with." She reassured herself out loud, her son wasn't the type to be sad if his parents were not around at all times.
"Mother, Bai Chen is not little, nor a dumpling.", Gungun protested.
Fengjiu knew this was less about defending his cousin, and more because he was six hundred years younger than Bai Chen. So if he agreed that his cousin was 'little', it would by default mean he was also agreeing that he was little, and that would not do, at all.
"And we do not play. We have free time that we spend doing leisure activities." He insisted.
"Free time that you spend doing fun things you enjoy doing is playing, my little roll." She enjoyed teasing her serious little son.
If her son had been a normal child, she was sure he would have stomped his foot in frustration. As it was her son's body and face did not change from it's placid state, but his voice was slightly louder than was really acceptable as he vented his frustration, "It is not pl-!"
"My son is braver than I," stated Dong Hua as he swept into the room, resplendent in his white and cream robes; lilac coat draped over his arm, bamboo scroll in his hand. "To raise his voice to his mother.", he finished. The words were playful but there was a sliver of disapproval in her husband's tone.
It was a minor reprimand, more a reminder than a warning, but her son, the little hero worshipper of his father that he was, wilted like a flower under the desert sun.
Gungun quickly scrambled to correct his error, "I apologise for my disrespect Mother, Father.", He bowed to both of them and maintained the bow in penance.
Fengjiu almost rolled her eyes as she immediately moved to lift her son from his bow, "It's my fault", she offered to both, rejecting her son needing to apologise. Her husband looked at her, and with a nod he ceded to her judgement and forgave his son's outburst. Dong Hua moved to place the scroll and his outer robe on the table nearby.
As well he should, this was her Fox Den, in this place, she ruled. With less than two months until she gave birth, she was alternately extremely forgiving and extremely unforgiving from moment to moment as the child growing in her belly played fiddle with her emotions. It was the reason she had wanted to come here, so she did not end up inadvertently murdering some annoying overly fawning noble at one of the many ceremonies and banquets she had to attend as Dong Huas wife. Heaven was stifling sometimes, even if she did have near free reign of the place. The laws, rules, customs and etiquette were numerous, strict and very complicated.
Her poor son had to put up with her and all her chaotic silliness, when rules and order flowed in his blood. "I should not tease you so much." She said, kissing his forehead in apology.
Absent-mindedly she started 'straightening' her son's already perfectly placed hair, enjoying the way the candlelight played off the snowy tresses. Dong Hua moved to place the scroll and his outer robe on the nearby table.
Seemingly mollified by the forehead kiss and the fact his father was not now displeased with him, Gungun smiled at and very patiently put up with her fussing with his hair.
"What colour fur do you think she'll have?", Gungun asked.
"Red, of course, clearly the cutest colour.", she spoke, singing her own praises in an exaggerated fashion.
Dong Hua joined in with her silliness, "Silver would be quite beautiful and dignified, wouldn't you say my son?"
Of course Dong Hua was shameless enough to use such dirty tactics. Considering her son was the only silver nine-tailed fox in the world, of course he would probably agree with Dong Hua.
"I don't think so.", Cmae the surprising reply from their silver haired son.
Fengjiu sent a very smug look at her husband, 'hah' it said 'that is what you get for using underhanded tactics'.
"It's possible her fur could be white too," Gungun continued, "In my analysis-", he stopped suddenly, likely realising he was about to spill his 'by the way i've spent the last three years secretly researching a million different subjects and writing books about it, but not telling anyone the reason I was interacting with them was to collect information' secret.
Fengjiu couldn't figure out who was more relieved in that moment, her son or herself. She really did need those few days before Dong Hua returned to think about that particular issue. Suddenly she was grateful that the current Tianjun had called Dong Hua away, how fortuitous.
"She could have white fur," Gungun restated, "And I think she should." Gungun stated with self-assured confidence that 'this was how the world should be', and that anything else was quite unacceptable.
"Oh? Should she?" Fengjiu said, as she flicked her eyes to shoot an accusing look at her husband, who simply stared back at her, amused. She always considered her son's determination and confidence to be Dong Hua's fault, and he in turn always stated that their son got it from her. She still maintained that 'world ordering confidence' was not one of her many traits, even if stubbornness certainly was.
"Yes, may I explain?" Her little son stated with all the dignity and poise his tiny frame could muster. It was not quite his father's languid grace, but it was close enough that Fengjiu thought that her son had likely practised copying his father, in this as with many other things, it was adorable.
Dong Hua nodded and with a wave of his robed arm he gestured for his son to explain, "You may." He stated with the same tone he used in court, clearly humouring his son's heartfelt attempts at mimicking him.
Pleased, Gungun smiled and offered a solemn but sure nod of thanks to his parents, mirroring one of his father's mannerisms, and missing their interplay. Over the next few minutes he explained in detail all the reasons why his sister should be a white nine-tailed fox, rather than a red or silver one.
She listened as her son used everything from Taoist texts relating to the Yin Yang principle, Buddhist scriptures on 'the identity of opposites' and 'non-duality' and simple aesthetics to make his point.
Essentially it boiled down to Gungun's sense of aesthetics, and each of them being a different colour of nine-tailed fox would be interesting.
She also had an inkling that if her daughter was born a white furred nine-tailed fox, it would likely add more information that supported one of those hereditary theories he had been compiling.
Although she herself was a red nine-tailed fox, the rest of the Bai family, including her father Bai Yi, had white fur. According to the summary she'd scanned from her son's book, it was certainly possible for her daughter to have white fur like her grandfather.
That would be very cute, each of them a different colour.
"Eloquent and well-reasoned, my son." Dong Hua said once Gungun had finished outlining his reasoning.
However Fengjiu knew no amount of reasoned arguments were going to ensure that her daughter arrived with the fur colour her son preferred, "Still, no one can decide your sister's fur colour my love, we shall all just have to wait for heaven's will on the matter."
Judging by her son's almost mutinous expression, he seemed quite put out that his little sister might not follow his carefully thought out plan of fur colour arrangements, and that something as minor as the 'will of heaven' was getting in the way.
"Father can change it.", Gungun stated, with absolute, unwavering conviction. As if her husband had the power to order the universe to his liking, at a whim. Well, Dong Hua probably could do something like that, but messing with fate for the sake of fur colour? That was trivialising fate to an almost blasphemous degree.
Gungun worshipped his father like he hung the moon and stars...though even that allegory was possibly not doing justice to some of her husband's more legendary feats. Still she could sense her son was likely about to receive a long lecture from Dong Hua on the nature of heaven and fate, and how one should never trivialise it. As she thought this was a bit hypocritical of him, she quickly intervened to spare her son.
"How about you go and make sure you have all your things packed, and your father and I will think about it." She said, in a way that made it clear it was not a suggestion.
Gungun, being the intelligent child he was, realised what she was doing, and then very wisely made a swift, but respectful retreat.
"I will do that," Gungun agreed,bowed politely to both of them and then left the room to check he had everything he wanted to take from his room in the Fox Den.
Fengjiu saw her husband gaze at their son's retreating back with such pride and contentment, that her heart nearly burst with love for both of them. Or perhaps that was the pregnancy again. Who really knew these days? Still, who but her has ever had such a perfect family, such joy? And she had been blessed with another child after nearly thirty thousand years of hoping. She had always wanted two children. In her option it was the perfect number. It was just a slight shame this little one had not come sooner, she had always dreamed of her children being playmates.
She moved to kiss her husband, and thank him for existing, loving her and providing her with her life's joy, when he turned to her and spoke before she could.
"Will we now?" Dong Hua asked her, playful.
"Will we do what?" She asked for clarification, as her thoughts were still upon her husband's tender hearted pride as he looked at their son.
"Think about challenging the will of heaven, and change fate on a whim?" He asked as he moved to embrace her.
"We've done it before." She pointed out, she took a moment to close her eyes and simply enjoy being in her husband's arms, would she ever get tired of it? She thought not.
"I would not call our love a mere whim, but to my glorious wife, perhaps this lowly husband is just that." He lamented, his tone one of excessive humility.
Self-deprecation was not his strong suit, "Indeed, you were a passing fancy; It took less effort to catch you, than catching a butterfly." She stated with an air of supreme indifference. A mighty feat considering how much effort it was taking to keep her breathing even. Dong Hua was so close she could feel the heat of his skin, smell the sandalwood and spider lilies that made up his scent, and see the flecks of silver shot through his dark eyes like stars.
"And a butterfly might be more rewarding, than this lowly husband I have caught.", It was a challenge, bold and defiant.
"A butterfly is it?", He stated, before proceeding to answer her challenge with single-minded focus.
He kissed her then, many times. But they were fleeting and delicate; landing indiscriminately, on her lips, nose, cheek, jaw and neck, not even her brows or eyelids escaped the fluttering kisses. None landed with more pressure than a rose petal; it was maddening,and he knew it.
Then it happened, the tip of his tongue, warm and sensual, darted on her neck for half a second. It undid her.
"You villain." She gasped.
Dong Hua laughed, a throaty hum of victory, "Who has ever heard of a villainous butterfly?" He queried softly, "I am but a simple creature, who saw afar a vision more beautiful than any flower, who smelled sweeter than any nectar. What is a little butterfly to do, when it has the chance to taste divinity?'' He finished, pinning her with an innocent look, but on him , itdid not look innocent at all.
"Have mercy." She nearly mewled. There was certainly no time to enjoy the more physical privileges afforded to wedded couples before they had to leave. And so this was simply Dong Hua extolling in the glory of victory and enjoying the act of amorously tormenting his poor, pregnant spouse.
The door was shut, but not locked.
"Mercy? Who ever heard of a merciful butterfly?" He breathed on her skin and began nibbling her neck.
He surely would not continue, Gungun would not be gone for much longer. Surely Dong Hua would not be so shameless as to subject their son to seeing his parents locked in an amorous embrace, just to win this tiny contest of wills. Oh, but he would, she had never known him to back down from a challenge, and she had certainly issued hers boldly enough.
"Door," She breathed out quickly before a nip at her collarbone caused her to inhale sharply in pleasure.
"Son." She managed, in a last ditch attempt to use her son as a defence against Dong Hua's single-minded pursuit of victory. This way she could still claim that he did not win, as they simply ran out of time, and she did not capitulate.
The last hope of her calling a stalemate rather than a full surrender was when she saw her husband flick his eyes to the door. A moment later she heard the door close and lock, and saw the faint shimmer of a barrier rising across the doorway, blocking sight, sound and matter from moving past it.
Only her husband, so assured of his own place in the universe would ever be so shameless as to deliver their son late for his lessons with likely no better excuse than 'I was delayed', which would all but cement to the world exactly what had delayed him. For what else was there in the Fox Den to delay him but her? Who else would he allow to delay him but her? Unfortunately she cared more about her aunt's continuing good view of her, than winning this minor contest of wills, and Dong Hua knew it.
"Oh! Alright, you win, you unrepentant scoundrel!" She admitted defeat.
He looked almost boyish then, with his soft grin threatening to turn into a prideful smirk at his victory. It was endearing, and she fell in love with him all the more. But it was also maddening, and she felt the need to tug his hair to commiserate herself on her loss, so she did.
"A butterfly scoundrel?" Dong Hua's face was slanted at an angle, due to the captured tress of his hair that she was tugging on it gently.
She nearly groaned, he would not stop until she had capitulated completely, no half-victories were acceptable to the previous master of the universe.
"You are slightly higher in my esteem than a butterfly." She allowed.
"Only slightly?" Here he angled his face more to the side in query, lessening the pull on his hair, but it also brought his mouth closer to hers once more. A sly and delightful threat that he could resume his devilish exploratory campaign across her skin at a moment's notice, ever the general.
She tugged at his hair again and managed to keep her composure as she responded, "Barely above."
"I suppose I shall have to content myself with my rise in status, and hope I may gain further victories." He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and rose, dispelling the barrier as he did so.
Dong Hua's stately grace reminded her that she was not so graceful at the moment. But as her husband had just clearly demonstrated that he still found her attractive and still very much wanted her, she was not at all bothered, he had always been the most elegant being in the universe.
Still, even though he had claimed complete victory in this encounter, she could not help but tease him, call her petty. "Perhaps I should be grateful that you were a butterfly after all. For who has ever heard of the great Dong Hua Dijun being merciful?" She mused aloud, tapping her finger on her chin in exaggerated contemplation.
It seemed his own fire rose too high for control with his teasing of her, and her small dart of challenge was not something he wished to back down on. She thought this because the look he sent her was smouldering. He moved swiftly toward her, languid movements now were purposeful, predatory and filled with delightful promise.
She let loose a tiny giggle of girlish excitement at having provoked such a response, and wondered what price he would extract from her. She had always been happy to pay, for such tolls were always enjoyable.
There was a knock at the door, and their son's voice followed a few seconds later, muffled by wood, "Mother? Father?"
The barrier had blocked sound from exiting, but not sound from entering.
Dong Hua did not seem surprised by the interruption, but nor did it seem like he quite expected it either. Were her husband a lesser man, she supposed they might have groaned in frustration, at being thwarted in such activities. But Dong Hua merely smiled, bent down and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
"I admit defeat." He whispered as their lips parted. She watched as he picked up the coat and scroll he had discarded earlier.
Silently she thanks her beloved son for allowing her to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. None of the circumstances were planned by her at all, it was all glorious coincidence, but she will happily take the credit.
"Come.", Dong Hua spoke, and half a second later her white haired little roll appeared around the corner.
Gungun bowed and greeted them both before he looked at her specifically and informed her, "Mi Gu asked me to say that your meal will be ready soon, and the medicinal tea Zhe Yan sent is brewing now."
Fengjiu blushed slightly as she realised that Mi Gu had likely tried to deliver the message himself, but the barrier Dong Hua had placed would have stopped him in the corridor. Still, she was a ruling monarch, and she rallied her dignity and hopefully managed to give the outward appearance of serenity, rather than embarrassed guilt.
"Thank you dove, I'd best go to the main chamber then, it would be rude to have it go cold." As she rose and moved toward the door, but turned to look at her husband as he began to speak.
"Gungun and I will come say our farewells before you eat, else we will be late, and what would Bai Qian think of us then?" His amusement at teasing her glimmered in his eyes. He knew why Fengjiu had surrendered to him, and he was not above teasing her about it.
Fengjiu sent her evil husband a look, but he merely twitched that quick, infinitesimally slight, self-satisfied smile; utterly unrepentant. She had a mind to tell him that there was a difference between 'dignified ease' and 'pure shamelessness'.
Gungun, seemingly mercifully oblivious to their interplay, nodded in agreement to his father's statement.
Moments later all three of them were in the main chamber of the Fox Den, and she was seeing them off. Dong Hua she would see in a few days, but Gungun would be visiting only once a week until the baby arrived.
"I love you little roll, and I will see you soon." She informed, as she hugged her son.
"Mother, I will visit in only a week", Her ever mature son reminded her, but also did not make a fuss about her still using her pet name for him. Her son knew when to pick his battles.
"Be good." She half asked, half warned. She still had to tell Dong Hua about her genius son's scholarly shenanigans when he returned in a few days.
"Mother, I am-", he began.
"Almost always good, I know." Fengjiu finished for him, grinning.
Her son really could not refute that, even though he was still the best behaved child she'd ever known.
"Mother?" He asked for her attention.
"Yes?" Came the somewhat surprised reply.
"I love you too." He said, responding to the declaration of love she had given while hugging him.
Her son bowed politely at her before he took his father's hand and they disappeared, Dong Hua teleporting them to Xiwu Palace in Jiuchongtian.
It was only after they left that Fengjiu realised that Gungun had not promised to behave when she had asked, he had very neatly sidestepped it by being suitably adorable and distracting her.
That sneaky little fox.
She was so proud.