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

Chapter 23 - The Art of Buzzing Beautifully

A/N: Buzzed, slang for not too drunk, able to function somewhat.

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Leaving seclusion earlier than expected was a surprise not only for the her, but also for Dong Hua. He had cultivated back about seventy five percent of his former cultivation and was able to painstakingly subdue the worst parts of his affliction. He had healed at a much faster rate than he had expected. He knew he was no longer contagious to those around him and he was eager to find out how his little fox had been doing. He knew she would most likely not want to see him and so he had prepared himself to work hard to win back her trust.

It worried him to hear from Mo Yuan that she had not been feeling well. He was also not prepared to see her speak of all the men she had been spending time with, and then to witness her surrounded by all those rascal immortals at the banquet.

Just from the short interactions he had with her that night through her drunken behavior, he could tell that she had suffered greatly while he was gone. He could also tell though that she had been strengthened in a way that only the combination of pain and tender care could do for the soul. He was grateful that she had been well cared for during his time away from her.

"You don't get to treat me like I'm special, only for you to then throw me away."

Her words rammed through his chest like a spear. Her tearful eyes flooded his lungs, suffocating him. But what else was she supposed to think? He had indeed treated her in a way that showed how special she was to him. No one had ever been special to him. He had shown her that he wanted to spend time with her in ways he had never wanted to spend with anyone else. Then he had indeed left her behind without any explanation. He still didn't know how to explain everything to her.

In his long life, there had been countless women who had declared their "love" to him. It was demanding, boastful, manipulative, desperate and pitiful. Some had threatened suicide if he did not return their affections, they had made multiple attempts to enter Tai Chen Palace to seduce him, or they would flirt demurely or shamelessly with him at the different events he felt obligated to attend. They wanted to be his queen, his empress, his lover, his wife, and the object of his affection. It was all so tiring to him. And what did Xiao Bai want?

She wanted him to first find something that inspired him, that was meaningful for him and for him to cultivate that. She then wanted to make sure if he was ok from being attacked by demons. She wanted to make breakfast for them and wanted him to learn how to enjoy food. She wanted to accompany him on an "investigation" and to be his bodyguard. She had wanted to apologize to him when it was really he who played a prank on her.

She had wanted to eat walnuts with him under the Celestial tree. She had wanted to go to a restaurant in the Mortal Realm with him. She had wanted to see the sunset with him. She had slept in his arms and then saw the sunrise with him. She wanted to protect him from himself.

She wanted him to visit her in Qing Qiu. And she simply wanted to be his best friend for the rest of his long immortal life. Those were the things she wanted from him. It was precisely those things, among many, that had set her apart from all the rest.

He gently laid her on his bed. It must have been the alcohol because while he was walking back to Tai Chen Palace, she had changed her form into a little fox and then just now had changed back into her immortal form. He loved both her forms and was glad he had been able to experience both after having been apart from her so long.

He pulled his blanket over her and sat looking at her for some time. To him, it was a kind of meditation just to sit there and experience the unfolding moment of being by her side. He lost track of time and occasionally would read one of his many scrolls while watching over her. The almighty god realized it would be morning soon and he knew she would be feeling the effects of the alcohol.