Always (Donghua x Fengjiu, Pillow Book Fanfiction)

Chapter 11 - You and I

You are the call and I am the answer,
You are the wish, and I the fulfilment,
You are the night, and I the day.
What else - it is perfect enough.
It is perfectly complete,
You and I

- Bei Hennef, D.H. Lawrence.

Fengjiu was annoyed. She couldn't fathom what was wrong with Dijun. She wasn't his pet or anything that he snatched her from Zhe Yan. He was just a family friend she had known for a few days, Zhe Yan on the other hand was practically her parent. He wasn't even letting her go, and she couldn't change back even. It would be too embarrassing since he was holding her close. She wondered how he knew how to scratch her fur just right. Maybe Gungun's mother, the red fox she had seen in her dreams, liked being scratched in the same places as her. But now things were going too far. Dijun was actually scratching the fur on her stomach. She wasn't a baby and someone who wasn't intimate with her shouldn't touch her that way. But oddly it felt familiar. She could yell at him later for taking advantage. No it would be too embarrassing. Dijun would laugh at her for even thinking like that. She was not a baby, but for him maybe she wasn't very different from Gungun.

She calmly assessed the situation. She had been kidnapped by the former master of the Universe. But they were still in Qingqiu so there was no reason to panic. She was pretty confident that though her kidnapper had snatched her abruptly from Zhe Yan, he wouldn't harm her. He was the revered Donghua Dijun after all. He must be having mood swings. Old people were weird that way. Her grandfather too got crabby at times and at other he was rather too jovial. Donghua Dijun was way older than her grandfather, so it was a given that he should be even more eccentric. She hadn't done anything to annoy him anyway, so it must be Zhe Yan, who had probably annoyed him, she concluded.

The bamboo hut where he had brought her was really nice. It had a pretty yard with beautiful flowers. The rooms were airy and spacious. This study was particularly nice, it suited Donghua Dijun. She hated living in the fox cave. She decided she would ask Migu to construct a bamboo hut for her as well. This location was pretty so maybe the hut could be right next to this one. Dijun wouldn't mind, anyway he would be staying for a short duration. There was a painting hanging on the opposite wall. There she was, the red fox, sleeping in the shade of lotus leaves. She did really exist, it wasn't just a dream. She looked a little like herself, only she had one tail, maybe she was a spiritual fox. She thought would ask Chengyu if that fox really was Gungun's mother. What had happened  and where was she now. Then maybe she didn't want to know. Maybe she was just his pet. Only a beloved pet.

Zhe Yan barged in with another immortal in tow. He was quite a good looking fellow. For some reason Dijun was glaring at him. "You promised you would never see her. Yet you hardly keep your promise." See her?see who? Maybe he had taken away Dijun's fox. If that was the case, It was natural that Dijun was so angry. It was lucky for that handsome fellow that Dijun was holding her. He was so pissed at that immortal that he might've attacked him with his Cang'he. "Ye Qingti greets Dijun. I only came to convey a message from Grandfather Buddha, may Dijun kindly hear it." The immortal named Qingti replied.

Taking Fengjiu in his arms Zhe Yan stepped out. "Come Xiaojiu let's play. We will teach Dijun a lesson later for stealing you away like that. He has gone crazy." Gungun was waiting for them in the yard. He wanted to show Fengjiu his fine collection of sticks. Zhe Yan ensured that mother and son were secure under Donghua's shield, and stepped inside to join the discussion. Ye Qingti had been sent by Bai Zhen who had gone to consult the Buddha about Xiaojiu's trial. The Buddha had told them that everyone must develop their own virtue. To cultivate one needed to work hard. Bai Zhen had gone to see Ye Hua and Bai Qian and would return soon with them to deliberate upon Buddha's advice.

Gungun and Fengjiu were battling with the sticks he had collected. "Care for a duel with me?" Donghua challenged Fengjiu.

"Sure why not" she rose up to his challenge.