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

Chapter 15 - Thick as Thieves

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Si Ming had been racking his brain trying to figure out what had happened to the almighty god and former emperor of Heaven and Earth.

When Dong Hua Dijun came back from the Fang Xu Realm, he seemed like a completely changed person. Si Ming swore he even saw Dijun open his mouth to let the little fox princess feed him the last of her roasted sweet potato. Wasn't this some kind of heresy? Si Ming clearly remembeed that many years ago Dong Hua not only kicked out, but banned a maid from ever working in Tai Chen Palace again because she dared to try to feed him a grape from her own fingers. This widely circulated among the Nine Heavens with maids in his palace traumatized and unwilling to touch grapes for hundreds of years.

Si Ming even clearly remembered how familiar Dijun was behaving with the little highness. It was as if they were friends.

"Friends," he scoffed out loud. Dong Hua doesn't have friends, he has people he interacts with on a limited basis, everyone knows that, the Star Lord reminded himself.

The little princess from Qing Qiu couldn't be more of Dong Hua's opposite if she tried. She was amiable, young, sweet, and energetic. Dijun was difficult to get along with, almost as old as time itself, salty, and lethargic.

Si Ming could not put the pieces of the puzzle together and this was bothering him greatly. Zhong Lin even came to him today to inquire if there was something wrong with Dijun.  Dong Hua had apparently instructed Zhong Lin to tell the kitchen staff to roast him sweet potatoes.

Si Ming had had it.

What was with it with these damn sweet potatoes?

Dijun had previously never had much of an appetite and certainly no one had seen him eat roasted sweet potatoes before. Even more absurd, Si Ming had seen the little highness hold up her sweet potato half, complain to Dijun that it was cold, and like a servant, he obediently heated it up for her with his magic.

Si Ming started to wonder if perhaps Dong Hua had offended the little highness and that somehow she was black-mailing him.  Even though she was definitely far too sweet and innocent to engage in such unsavory behavior, why else would she be able to tug at Dong Hua, get into his personal space, and get him to heat up her food?

Dong Hua barely tolerated basic social interactions much less the kind of high maintenance interactions of such a friendly soul as the little fox princess. And then there was that aura-traveling business.

In all of Si Ming's years of serving Dong Hua Dijun, he had never seen or heard of Dong Hua bringing anyone into his aura, whether it was for traveling or anything else. Dong Hua was an extremely private person and did not magically mingle his energies with anyone. Yet, Si Ming swore he saw the little highness materialize in Dijun's arms with him looking at her...

... adoringly ...

No. Could it be?

The dots had long ago been established but Si Ming was in far too much denial to connect them.

And then there was the gossip. Si Ming thought about the rumors that were circulating around the Nine Heavens. Apparently, Dijun had allowed the junior Imperial Highness of Qing Qiu to accompany him to talk to the Heavenly Lord about official business regarding the safety of the realms.

It was said that Dong Hua read off a list of her accomplishments, such as how she raided a demon nest in a dark forest, killed a Chiyan fire beast with her Tao Zhu sword, saved him from a demon seductress, saved him from almost dying from a rare demonic respiratory toxin, and saved him from starvation multiple times when they fell into uninhabited dark wastelands.