"Your Highness, the wolf seems to be very against your hold," Chong Lin warned in worry as he looked at the snarling face of the white wolf who was struggling in Ji Heng's hold. "Your Highness, be careful."

Dong Hua made no moves to ease the wolf. Even if he did, he had a feeling it would not cave even to him.

Ji Heng found the wolf near Jing Xuan court, where Feng Jiu was. But instead of asking if the wolf belonged to her, Ji Heng was fascinated by the wolf and took it to Tai Chen Palace, but so far, the wolf only snarled and bared its teeth at her. Forget playing with her, Dong Hua doesn't even think the wolf wants her to be in its presence.

In normal cases, Dong Hua wouldn't even waste his time out here, but since he knows that the wolf is affiliated with her, she will surely come.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, Si Ming did arrive, with another not of Tai Chen Palace behind him, but Dong Hua frowned. It wasn't her.

"Dijun," Si Ming greeted, bowing. "Cheng Jiao, the Queen of Qing Qiu's right hand man, is here to see you."

The wolf changed its demeanors upon seeing Cheng Jiao. From snarling, it yipped happily and leapt out of Ji Heng's clutches and tottered over to the man's side.

"Greetings to Dijun," the one named Cheng Jiao greeted, bowing. He was a young man. Well-built and an unwavering aura, but there was something in his features that puzzled Dong Hua. Still, Dong Hua barely acknowledged him. "This morning, my Lady had let her little wolf out of Jing Xuan court to play because it was bored. However, even when lunch had come, the little wolf had not come back from. It seems that the little wolf was naughty and went somewhere."

"A common wolf, how sure are you that this is your lady's?" asked Dong Hua.

The smile on Cheng Jiao's face froze. "Pardon?"

"To verify, it must be your lady that should go here and check," he then leisurely continued reading the Buddhist scroll in his hands.

"Dijun must be joking. I am always by my Lady's side. Of course I would know which is her little wolf," he respectfully answered. Lian Song was a little impressed with the young man's cheek.

Dong Hua didn't even look at him. "Can you prove it?"

Cheng Jiao chuckled awkwardly. "Dijun, from my experience, the little wolf was not fond of people it just met. As I can see," he looked at the wolf who was circling around him with fondness.

"It's a common wolf, why would it not be?"

Lian Song couldn't bear to look at his friend anymore. Only Dong Hua really could be so thick skinned at times like these. He might as well just say out loud that he just wanted Feng Jiu to come to Tai Chen Palace.

Cheng Jiao struggled to keep the respectful smile on his face, until he finally said. "Then I will get my Lady here to verify. Cheng Jiao will excuse himself."

But the wolf did not want him to go. It clawed and tugged on his robes when he did not pick him up and even went as far as to bite his leg. "Be a good boy," Cheng Jiao told the wolf. "I will get the Lady to get you," the wolf whimpered, its ears drooping pitifully as he allowed Cheng Jiao to leave.

When Cheng Jiao was gone, it bared its teeth once more and went on to sulk to a corner. Ji Heng did not give up and still attempted to forge a connection between her and the little wolf.

"Dong Hua, can't you be more inconspicuous?" Lian Song clicked his tongue as he opened his fan.

::

"Queen Bai Feng Jiu of Qing Qiu greets Dong Hua Dijun," Lian Song and Si Ming actually considered leaving them alone for the moment for many different reasons.

One. They were quite embarrassed of Dong Hua. Not only did he refuse to give the wolf back which was even clear to the blind that belonged to her, he had said his hogwash with such a straight face.

Two. Ji Heng was nearly purple in anger. She had been like that ever since she saw Feng Jiu in the gates of Tai Chen Palace.

And three, to prevent Dong Hua from being more embarrassed.

"Dijun, my wolf has a distinct black patch in his right ear and also a collar around his neck with a jade pendant. I am very sure that it is my wolf."

"I don't see a jade collar," Lian Song closed his eyes, hiding his face behind his fan. Why wouldn't it be gone?! Dong Hua himself took the jade off!

"Dijun, " Feng Jiu started, hesitating. "The jade pendant has some of my fairy essence in it. Forgive me for being direct, but I'm pretty sure it's on your sleeves."

At that moment, the little wolf bounced happily to Feng Jiu, who immediately carried him in her arms and smoothed his fur. "Fenrir, be a good boy," it yipped happily and laid content in her arms. Feng Jiu continued standing for a few moments, as if she was waiting for Dong Hua to give her her pendant back, but the silver haired god simply drank from his tea. Feng Jiu was no longer smiling.

"Then if Dijun wants the jade pendant, he can keep it," she bowed. "I will take my leave," possibly using the excuse that Dijun doesn't talk much, she left without Dong Hua saying another word.

::

10000 years ago, when Bai Feng Jiu, Queen of Eastern Qing Qiu, returned to her kingdom after her 3000 years disappearance, the white little wolf and the horned water serpent who whom she had with her became the talk of the people in both Qing Qiu and Nine Heavens.

It was said that the young queen doted most on the two beasts. The fact that she also made a new lake in Qing Qiu using half of her fairy essence to provide the horned water serpent a more than suitable home also became wild.

Si Ming, who heard from the Heavenly Crown Princess, Bai Qian's past housekeeper, the tree spirit, Mi Gu, also found out that not only were the beasts very well cared for, they also slept and ate with the young queen.

After a few hundred years, the talk eventually died down. But when the young queen had once again went to the Nine Heaven's for the Grand Assembly that only happens once in a blue moon, folks were once again stumped at how they saw the young queen treat the wolf pup like her own son.

Bai Qian saw it for herself. The wolf was the only one who could put a real smile on her niece's face.

18000 years ago, following her divorce with Dong Hua Dijun, Feng Jiu barely did anything, with drinking and crying and sulking becoming her daily routine. This continued on for 5000 years until she disappeared in a span of 3000 years.

Lord knows how she and her family members' hairs nearly fell out due to that. Now Bai Qian could understand just how her senior disciples felt when she just up and left with their Master's body and went missing for 70000 years.

But when Feng Jiu came back, she had changed.

It was a good change, but Bai Qian missed the old Feng Jiu. The old Feng Jiu would laugh and frolic freely on the lands of Qing Qiu, escaping her father and uncles when they wanted to give her training. She missed the old Feng Jiu who would ease her worries with her carefree, innocent way of talking.

Gone was the girl who was very much spoiled by her family. Feng Jiu had become a woman capable of making decisions, capable of being both gentle and harsh, and kind and cruel at the same time.

She was now a true queen.

At times, Bai Qian put the blame on Dong Hua Dijun, but overtime, she herself knew that she also contributed to that.

At such a young age, her niece had become a high goddess. If it took her a relationship trial and 140000 years to ascend to one, then she can only imagine just how much grievances Feng Jiu had suffered.

Feng Jiu was young, and she has reached a marriageable age. It didn't matter that she was once the mistress of Tai Chen Palace, that she was divorced by Dong Hua Dijun. She still was Bai Feng Jiu, Qing Qiu's youngest monarch and the only granddaughter of Fox King Bai Zhi Dijun.

Her second brother should be neck deep in marriage proposals already, but due to the sudden change of things in Eastern Qing Qiu - in a good way - and her niece's reputation that she made 10000 years ago when she successfully conquered a clan of the ghost tribe which was now without a Ghost Lord, most were afraid of forwarding a marriage.

Feng Jiu had turned reclusive, never concerning herself with the affairs outside of Qing Qiu. If it wasn't for Bai Qian and Bai Zhen coercing her, she wouldn't have come at all.

Now that she thinks about it, there was no love anymore in Feng Jiu's eyes when she looked at Dong Hua Dijun.

Bai Qian thinks it's a good thing, as the silver haired primordial god had probably contributed a lot to Feng Jiu's ascension to high goddess, and that was saying a lot, but Bai Zhen and Zhe Yan doesn't think so.

No matter how much Dong Hua hurt her, there still has to be some feelings left, whether it was love or hate. Whatever Feng Jiu must have done, it must've been something they wouldn't have approved.

Bai Qian wonders when her niece will return. 

::::::::::::::::::::

I just did a 180 in Feng Jiu's personality, yes, I know. And yes, this is still Donghua and Fengjiu pairing.

I know I already said I will not make a new story while TSP is still ongoing but Aranya's dream arc just started and I can't not help to write a new angst fic. ELOD fans, hello.

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Happy Reading!!!

~_star_shine_2004_~