A Gentle Torment

A Purple Cloak

AN: Dong Hua is sneaky old rock just for the sake of feel-good fluff and I absolutely do not regret it in the slightest.

Zhe Yan stares up at the night sky, contemplating his own demise.

Zhen Zhen still wouldn't talk to him and each passing day left him more and more desperate to just see his smile again. When he became such a pitiful romantic, he'll never know. Downing a cup full of his newest wine, he continues to stare up at a familiar set of stars when he finally spots it. Bai Qian's star was usually indistinguishable from Zhen Zhen's on most nights. Yet, at the beginning of this season, it always made an appearance.

Bright, glowing, and...

All but falling over and throwing the table off of him in his haste to stand, Zhe Yan cloud jumps with about as much grace as a drunken cat in order to head straight to Qing Qiu's fox den.

o~O~o~O~o

"Zhen Zhen!" 

"Zhen-"

"This better be good, Old Phoenix." Bai Zhen stumbles sleepily as he attempts to rub the sleep away from one of his eyes. Staring at Zhe Yan's disheveled appearance, he manages to wake up a little more. He's spooked by something... and whatever it is, it's actually important and not an attempt at cajoling forgiveness.

"Xiao Wu's star is out." Grabbing the fox's hand, he nearly drags him in his urgency to have him confirm what he already knows is true, "Tell me that's not what I think it is."

Bai Zhen rubs his hand over his eyes again before looking up at the night sky.

After he finds his own star, he quickly spots his sister's before feeling his stomach sink.

"Old Phoenix... I think we need to make a late-night visit to the Nine Heavens and drag Si Ming down here to confirm..."

o~O~o~O~o

Finishing her writing, Yan Zhi carefully tears the small message from the rest of the paper (to save for later). Rolling it up, she sets down her brush before walking over to Bai Qian, finally realizing that the fox has fallen fast asleep. It's probably for the better, she surmises as she pulls the thick quilt over her sleeping form. Adding a small log to the fire, she blows out the candle on the table before slipping outside and walking to the gate's entrance. 

Calling for her little blackbird, she waits several minutes for it to show up before calling it again. When it finally arrives, she takes the small slip of paper and carefully attaches it to its leg, "Take this to my mount; I need his advice."

o~O~o

Bai Feng Jiu jumps down from her perch along the wall of Taichen Palace.  Leaving her fox form before she even hits the ground, she carefully walks along the small pathway leading to Dong Hua Dijun's chambers - determined to get in and out as quietly and quickly as possible. The idea of giving his gift to him in person leaves her flushed. She'd rather just drop it off under his table with a small note attached.

When she finally reaches the peaceful, quiet space, she stops in her tracks at the sight of him reclined and lounging against an armrest. A near-empty bottle of wine (one of four) is loosely setting against his hand as he rests.

With his eyes closed.

Because he's napping (and he rarely sleeps).

Biting down on her lip timidly, her ears prickle slightly as she searches for any sound of intruders. She had been careful enough on her way over, but the mere idea of someone walking in on them makes her cheeks burn even harder than the idea of handing off the parcel directly to him. Slipping in between the two doors, she carefully shuts them behind her before quietly tiptoeing her way across the room.