Eternal Love of Dream: The Aftermath

Pinky Pact

Author's Note: I found it hilarious in the official Back to Chaos epilogue book that Donghua was such a delinquent in school (skipping classes, copying notes, failing classes). But that is just so him to care so little about rules and customs. So this is a little cute father and son moment.

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"Gungun, why are you up so late?" Donghua asked his son. Zhonglin had sent him a magical missive, knowing it was late and that Donghua would not want Fengjiu to be disturbed. The missive said his Little Highness was refusing to go to sleep. Donghua casted a lethargy spell on Fengjiu so that she would not be disturbed without him holding her, got dressed and headed to Gungun's bedchamber.

Gungun looked up from his scroll at Father Lord's question. His little serious face was lit by a night pearl. His fingers were stained with ink. The scroll had a lot of text written and scratched out. "Father Lord, I am studying for an examination tomorrow in Composition."*

Donghua knelt down and caressed his son's silver head. "Gungun, you are just 200 years old. What does an exam matter?"

"But I have to get first marks, or else..." Gungun looked away nervously. Donghua waited patiently for Gungun to finish.

"Gungun has to be perfect, otherwise I will dishonor Father Lord." Gungun said, nibbling his lip with worry.

Donghua's eyes softened. "Gungun, do you think your Father Lord is perfect?"

Gungun nodded. "Naturally. Everyone knows you are the most respected God in all the realms."

"You should know then that your Father Lord failed at sacred literature, arithmetic and historiography, but I still turned out perfect, no?"

"Oh?" Gungun's eyes widened. "How is it possible for Father Lord to fail so many classes?"

Donghua paused. "I recall relying on notes from my classmate, Shao Yan. But she was not very good at taking notes."

Gungun nodded. So it wasn't Father Lord's fault...but then asked, "Why didn't Father Lord take his own notes?"

"I frequently skipped classes."

"Oh??" Gungun could not believe his father would skip his responsibilities like that. The little fairy boy sat there stunned while his father also knelt there silent, not see anything wrong with his answer. He had always felt school was insignificant.

Since his father continued to be silent, Gungun continued with some dismay. "Uncle A-Li told Gungun just the other day that Mother had placed last in her class in Buddhist theories. How unlucky is Gungun to have two parents who are so bad at school! No wonder my Composition marks are so poor. I was destined to fail like Mother and Father Lord."

Donghua tilted his head. This conversation was not going as he had planned. He was about to tell Gungun that he had placed first in periodic examinations once, but luckily, Donghua recalled it was because he had copied Mo Yuan's notes at close range twice. It was best not to mention that, or else it could give Gungun ideas...and his Xiaobai would not be happy.

Donghua cleared his throat. "There is nothing bad about failing. Failing is how you learn."

"So you won't be disappointed if I failed in Composition?" Gungun asked with a smile.

"Certainly not." Donghua petted Gungun's head. "I could never be disappointed in you as long as you try. You are so capable, Gungun. Don't you remember? You finished making the flying kite in less than an hour! And you improved my spinning top design so it could continue spinning for at least a millennia without magic. You are indeed our son, capable like your mother and talented like your Father Lord."

"I am!" Gungun said proudly, then ended it with a yawn. "Gungun is a little sleepy."

Donghua pulled Gungun into his arms and carried him to the bed. "Then Gungun should sleep."

Donghua placed the quilted blanket over Gungun and tucked it under his chin. Donghua bent to give his fairy son a kiss on his forehead when he felt tiny arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Father Lord, you are indeed the perfect father." Gungun said happily.

"Oh?" Donghua said, gently patting the back of Gungun's head.

"Father Lord is just like the parents in the mortal world who wake up at midnight to tuck their kids into bed." Gungun knew Father Lord also tucked his mother into bed so Gungun didn't have to do it anymore. "It makes Gungun very happy."

Donghua smiled. "Then your Father Lord will tuck you in every night."

"Promise?" Gungun asked, putting out his little pinky finger. Donghua looked at Gungun's finger and gently patted his little son's finger.

Gungun's eyes widened. It seemed that his wise Father Lord did not know the pinky pact. But the little fairy boy remembered that Mother had told him to be patient with Father Lord since his father was born from a rock and grew up alone on Bihai Cangling.  Since he was so busy defending himself as a child, Father Lord probably didn't have any friends to do pinky pacts.  Gungun reached up and patted his father's head. "Father Lord, it's ok if you don't know the 100-year pinky pact. Gungun will teach you."

Gungun took his father's right hand into his tiny hands and made it so only his father's pinky finger stood up. "Now you just hold it like this and wrap your pinky around mine. Then we chant 'we make a pinky pact and 100 years it will last.' And then we touch our thumbs like this."

Donghua smiled. "I think Gungun would need to be tucked in for another millennia, no?"

Gungun thought of it. "Father Lord is right." Then the former master of Heaven and Earth and his little fairy son proceeded to make the first sacred millennia pinky pact.

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*It's mentioned in Back to Chaos that Gungun didn't do well in his Composition class and he's especially sensitive about his grammar. I figured Donghua would reassure his adorable little son that it all doesn't matter. 

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