Always (Donghua x Fengjiu, Pillow Book Fanfiction)

Chapter 3 - Qingqiu

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)
i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

- E.E. Cummings.

Fengjiu was a little better so she decided to go to qingqiu with gungun as promised. She would also look at state affairs that were her responsibility now. She had a ton of pending school work too. Donghua finally agreed to let her go when she insisted that he must come along and of course she couldn't be happy to leave him behind. She had already instructed migu to construct the bamboo cottage for them so that he could stay there comfortably with her.

A-li had not visited his grandparents for a long time now so he also decided to accompany them.They left Gungun and A-li with their grandparents at the den and shifted into the cottage. Migu had done a fine job. He had followed her instructions to the dot. The cottage overlooked the lake and he had put up a nice swing outside amidst the peach blossoms where the couple could sit and enjoy the scenery. He had planted several vegetables in the backyard and flowers and fruit trees in the front. The cottage had two bedrooms and a spacious study where both of them could work together. It had a big well stocked kitchen which opened into the back yard.

They were having their tea in the garden outside enjoying the sunset, Donghua had just leaned towards Fengjiu for a kiss when Gungun came with A-li to the cottage. A-li promptly covered Gungun's eyes and turned back with him towards the den telling Gungun, "now that I will have another nephew, it's going to be a lot of work. Gungun you will have to help me take care of your little brother."

"What if it is a little sister? I don't want a little sister, they are really annoying. They pull your hair and steal your toys and follow you everywhere." Gungun replied. He told him that his mortal friends had told him, sisters are a nightmare, they hog all your mother's time and attention and fathers also dote more on them."

Thinking of this, Gungun started crying, " I just met my father, he promised to teach me how to paint and to fight and to make me toys, he will now forget all about Gungun." A-li tried to comfort him, but to no avail. Fengjiu who had followed him tried desperately to control her laughter. He was so pitiful. She went over and picked him up in her arms. Wiping his tears she said, " how can father forget about Gungun? Father and mother love Gungun very much. You are not going to have a little brother or sister anytime soon, but even if you do, you will always be our baby, we would always love you." Donghua who had arrived just then took Gungun from her and together they left for the fox den to have dinner with the family.

Grandma Fumi had also come down to visit them along with Fengjiu's cousin, Hu Luo, the daughter of her aunt and General Hu Te. General Hu Te was the son of General Hu Yuan, who had served under Donghua Dijun. Hu Luo had grown up listening war stories from her grandfather and was a fierce warrior. Grandma Fumi was worried that she wouldn't find a good match and had taken her under her own wing. She on the other hand looked up to her cousin Fengjiu and Goddess Bai Qian who had found incomparable partners and were able to fight side by side with them.

Fengjiu had very recently saved the universe itself, and was Hu Luo's idol. And she couldn't wait to spend time with, and even train with Fengjiu. She had already befriended Gungun and A-li who had spent all afternoon playing around with her. They had flown kites, caught a bunch of rabbits to play with and taught cao cao new words. He was now calling out "Dijun" at the top of his lungs.