Hua Xianle

Chapter 9:

It all started with a visit to Hua Ying's yeye. Jun Wu, a doting grandfather figure to the surprise of all who knew him, had been wracking his brain on what kind of present he wanted to give the little boy. Being the child of Crimson Rain and the current Heavenly Emperor, he wanted for nothing, as it was meant to be, but that made gift-giving quite difficult.

In the end, he settled on a second celestial beast to help keep him safe. A-Ying loved his white tiger so much, and Jun Wu was certain he would enjoy the chance at having another pet to play with.

So, Jun Wu sat the boy down on his knee, asking him what kind of animal he wanted. He'd suggested a bird or a dog, the latter of which caused the boy to completely freeze in his lap. With shaking hands, A-Ying held out his scroll, the word "NO DOGS" filling the page over and over again.

It took almost an hour of whispered assurances and petting from both Jun Wu and Mei Niangqing before A-Ying was in any condition to continue their talk. More than a little concerned by the visceral reaction to just the word, the former Emperor carefully addressed the issue.

"A-Ying... Why are you afraid of dogs?"

With a slight tremble in his hands, A-Ying held up his scroll again. "Would steal A-Ying's food. Would bite and bark and hurt A-Ying. The Madame even locked A-Ying in with them before I was found by Baba and A-Die."

Jun Wu and Mei Niangqing looked at each other and nodded slowly.

"A-Ying, listen to me. Those dogs that hurt you, they were wild, stray dogs who were hungry and didn't know better. Like you, they were struggling to survive, and that is what made them vicious."

A-Ying just whimpered at the reminder, earning him a gentle kiss on the forehead and a soft hush from Mei Niangqing. "I am sorry that you have to experience that, but A-Ying, if we let your fear of dogs fester, you'll spend the rest of your life running from them. Please, let us help you overcome your fear."

A-Ying whimpered and cried, shaking his head while burying his face in Jun Wu's robes. The former emperor sighed softly as a fond smile formed on his lips. "A-Ying, our treasure, I assure you that they are not going to hurt you. As long as I am here, nothing will ever hurt you."

"We'll start small," Mei Niangqing insisted. "Small, harmless puppies. And we will be there every step of the way."

A-Ying was still hesitant, but his yeye was not one to back down easily. "A-Ying, you are our only grandchild, Xian Le and Crimson Rain's only son, and the gods and ghost kings' only nephew. All of us would sooner allow ourselves to be erased before we allowed any harm to come to you. So please, trust your yeye when he says that the only way for you to get over this fear is to face it head-on."

"We know you can do this, A-Ying," his Nainai declared, not a shred of doubt in his voice. "You are strong and you are brave. You will overcome this obstacle, and we will be there to support you."

By the time Hua Cheng and Xie Lian came to take A-Ying home, his grandparents had coaxed him into agreeing to their plan. Mei Niangqing was quick to fill the boy's fathers in on their plans, both of them readily agreeing to let them try.

...

The next day, Hua Ying hid his face in his A-die's robes while Jun Wu stood in front of them with a small puppy in his arms. It was a Tiangou puppy, just a few months old, but well-behaved enough to be shown to a child. It panted happily in the former emperor's hands, content to just sit there.

"A-Ying," Jun Wu gently called out as he crouched in front of the trembling child. "A-Ying, do you see? I am touching it but it's not doing anything. I won't make you touch it like I am, but can you at least look at it for me?"