The Librarian and the Fox Princess: a Donghua Dijun and Bai Fengjiu story, V.I

Chapter 7 - The Way To Her Heart Is Through Her Stomach

(Image credit - not mine, found on Pinterest and belongs to the owner)

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Relieved that Dijun had accepted her peace offering, she stood there watching him carefully as he chewed his food, still gazing down at her.

It's only a small piece, why is he taking forever with it?

The little highness was growing impatient, eager to see the results of her attempts at diplomacy.

She studied his face while fiddling with the peach blossom jade pendant around her neck. Suddenly, a loud growl rumbled forth, tearing through the blanket of silence that had fallen over them. Startled, the little highness vigilantly looked to her right, and then to her left before looking back questioningly at Dong Hua.

He was expressionless as he brought his gaze down lower. She followed his traveling eyes and looked down to see that he had reached out and was ever so gently pressing the back of his fingers against her stomach. He could feel the next growl claw its way out of the erupting volcano that was letting the world know of the fury that would be unleashed, if a sacrifice wouldn't be made soon. The little fox was very hungry.

"You haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday," he said as his face betrayed the growing uneasiness that started to take root within him.

He gazed at where the back of his fingers gently rested, slightly above the sash on her robe. With a decisive exhale, he promptly extinguished the emotion that was desperately trying to climb out from behind his eyes. He gently took her hand in his and looked at her.

"Come. You need food."

He figured that the lack of sustenance was causing her to go into some sort of dissociative state, no longer knowing how to feel into her own body. This lead her to think that the growl was coming from some unknown outside predator. Without another word, he led her back to the main hall.

The old bear was still seated at the table when he saw Dong Hua lead the little highness by her hand. The stoic stone-faced god looked like he always did, expressionless, but the old bear noted how dazed her little highness looked.

"Sit," Dong Hua gently instructed as he guided her to the table. The little highness obediently sat down on her cushion and looked back at him with tired soft eyes. He sat down and keeping his eyes fixed on her, instructed the old bear to bring out more food. The old bear quickly summoned his servants to bring out new dishes. Dong Hua then conjured a beautifully glazed red and mahogany ceramic pitcher and poured water into a teacup. He conjured the teacup to expand to twice its original size.

He brought it up to her lips and observed out loud to no one in particular, "she's dehydrated." She obediently drank the whole cup of water, noticing how refreshing and cool it was. He brought another cup to her lips and seeing that she was trying to lean forward to match the angle of the cup, he discerningly tilted it towards her so every last drop slid into her open mouth effortlessly. Leaning back into her seated position, she licked and softly smacked her lips, grateful for having the thirst she didn't know she had quenched.

Dish after dish started to appear on the table before her. This was when she noticed her hunger pitifully call out to her like a spurned lover who had been abandoned. She immediately dove her chopsticks into the food making "Mmm" sounds as she ate, occasionally smacking her lips in satisfaction. She nodded approvingly to herself as she chewed and savored each and every bite.

The old bear chuckled as the little fox princess ate with such gusto, he thought she rivaled even the most ferocious of bears after emerging from hibernation. She managed to smile sweetly at both the old bear and Dong Hua even with a mouthful of food. Dong Hua sat back in his usual lounging position. He rested the side of face in his palm, his elbow resting on the table. He sat watching her, impassively like this for the whole duration of her meal.