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:: At Xi Wu Palace ::

Ali sat cross-legged, his small head rested on his hands. It had been over four months since Ali last saw his Mother. In the beginning, Father Prince claimed Mother was busy with her duties. A queen had a lot of duties to perform after all. Then, Father was sent to settle disputes between clans. Ali had wanted to go back to the Fox Den, yet Father said Mother was not there. He did not elaborate where was she though. Ali also did not had the slightest clues why he did not. It must fall under one of those infamous quotes - 'It's too complicate for a child such as yourself to understand now' - adults loved to said. Later Father Prince came back, still he did not take him to see Mother. Ali made a face, his small hands curled into tiny fists and he beat them on his thighs to let out his frustration.

Ali did not understand what happened. Every time he asked, Father's expression closed down quickly and simply told Ali to wait and that they would visit Mother together later. But that was a month ago! Even if he was a child, Ali was not stupid. Something wrong must happened between the two of them, now they refused to see each other.

Was it Consort Su Jin? Ali heard some servants whispered that Xin Nu, Consort Su Jin's servant, went down to Qing Qiu and slandered High Goddess Bai Qian's honor. Ali did not know what 'slander one's honor' actually meant but he knew for certain it must not be very pleasant.

Consort Su Jin's smile always scared him, Ali shivered at the mere thought. Nai Nai said times and times again that he must not be alone with any of them under any circumstances. In his mind, they must have angered Mother somehow and Father Prince was afraid to see her and upset her even more. Ali nodded his head vigorously: yes, that must be the reason. The young prince sprang to his feet, he had to see Mother as soon as possible. If he pleaded with her nicely, she would not hold grudge against Father anymore, would she?

Just as Ali decided his game plan, Ye Hua entered his room.

"Father Prince!" Ali got up and ran to him excitedly with a smile, showing gleaming white teeth. "You are finally here. Ali has been waiting for you for a looong time."

Ye Hua placed his hand on Ali's head. "I just finished today's documents. You shouldn't have waited. Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm not hungry yet. I want to have dinner with Father Prince," he tugged at Ye Hua's hands and looked at him with big rounded eyes.

"Let's eat then. It's quite late already." Ye Hua led his son by hand to the table. Nai Nai brought out a generous variety of side dishes and served each of them a bowl of rice. Ye Hua picked some from each dish and placed them on Ali's bowl.

"Father Prince, are you busy tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Ye Hua thought about his schedule. "No. Aside from the new documents Jia Yun'll bring, I don't have any appointment tomorrow. Why?"

"That's great." Ali said cheerfully. "We should pay Mother a visit then. And maybe we could also slip to the Mortal Realm together too?"

Ye Hua froze at the mention of Qian Qian.

"Faa-ther Prince, you have promised to take me to Mother. Have you already forgotten?" Ali whined, his lips began to tremble. "It has been too long, I miss her so much. Please, Father Prince."

Ye Hua looked at his son in defeat. How was he supposed to tell him that his mother will not be with them anymore? A month had passed since she told him her intention to annul their engagement.

After drinking himself into oblivion, he had thought about confronting High God Mo Yuan and came clean about his past with Qian Qian. Maybe he would step back then? Again, he was too prideful to sink so low. He also feared her hatred and retribution if he followed through with his plan. When she was Su Su, she merely gave him a cold shoulder when she got angry. But as Qian Qian, she would exact her revenge on him. Qing Qiu's Bai Qian had such a temper and was not afraid to vent it on those who wronged her.

She had already made him feel like he was intruding on her relationship with High God Mo Yuan. If he came at her too strong again, she might not even tolerate his presence any longer. He knew he had alienated her and lost her trust by losing his temper and being high-handed with her that day. Maybe now was a good time to visit? Maybe she might have calmed down?

She had cut him off so curtly that day, so he should not be pursuing her again; but he did not know how to let her go. Not yet. Perhaps if he sticked around as a friend, he could turn her attention back to him one way or another?

"All right." Ye Hua reluctantly agreed. "I'll accompany you to Kunlun Mountain tomorrow."

"Father Prince really mean that? Mother is there? What is she doing at the mountain?" Questions flew immediately as a bright smile broke out on his adorable face.

Ye Hua patted his head lovingly. "Yes, she is there. Tomorrow we're going to see her."

"Yaay!" He squirmed in his seat excitedly. "Finally I'm getting to see Mother!"

Ali went to bed early that night, it seemed morning could not come soon enough for him. After their breakfast together, Ye Hua picked Ali up and jumped on a cloud to Kunlun Mountain. When they reached sacred ground, the usually quiet and serene haven was bursting with people coming and going. A disciple was showing a group of men on their way out, while two others were carrying boxes of various sizes inside.

Ye Hua looked on in confusion. He was under the impression that immortals and gods had stopped coming to pay respect to High God Mo Yuan sometime ago. So what was happening here?

Die Feng was informed of their unannounced arrival at the Gate. He delegated his tasks to Chan Seng, then came down the stairs to usher the two honored guests into the Grand Hall.

Ye Hua could not hold back his curiosity. "High Immortal Die Feng, what's going on here? I didn't expect Kunlun Mountain would still be so crowded."

Die Feng paused for a second and pondered how to answer this delicate question. Crown Prince Ye Hua was Seventeenth former fiance, despite the official annulment had yet to be announced. To tell him they were preparing for Seventeenth's betrothal gifts would be too imprudent. Yet he did not want to lie to the Crown Prince's face outright either.

Die Feng cleared his throat slightly. "Your Highness, Kunlun Mountain will be holding a festivity soon. So we, disciples, are busy making the preparations." He tried to word his answer as vague as possible.

Ye Hua's first thought was whether the event will be held to celebrate High God Mo Yuan's return. If so, him as the Crown Prince of Celestial Clan should offer his assistance as well.

He was about to make an inquiry when Ali spoke up. "Where is Mother then? I didn't see her at all. Father Prince, you said she is here."

"Mother?" Die Feng took a glance at Ali. His eyes turned toward Ye Hua in askance. Who was he looking for? There was hardly any female here, except Seventeenth. Surely he did not mean Seventeenth was his Mother? That would be a little far fetched, considering Seventeenth had yet to wed with anyone.

Die Feng suddenly remembered a rumor he heard a long time ago. This child was actually the son born from Crown Prince's deceased mortal wife. He was not Consort Su Jin's child as most had believed. The First Disciple of Kunlun Mountain vaguely recalled a brief encounter he had with the woman, who was supposed to be Ali's birth mother, in Chang Sea.

Ye Hua had brought her along with him despite he was running the campaign against the Mermaid Clan. It was quite inappropriate of him, to bring a woman into hostile territories during the critical times. It was so strange that he remembered that meeting till this day.

Die Feng's eyebrows furrowed deeper. He could not even remember her name, only that she was quite pleasing to the eyes despite being a daughter of man. At the time, he did not know Seventeenth was a female, so he did not pay much attention to the mortal. Now came to think of it, that mortal's appearance was eight out of ten points similar to his youngest junior.

Those rumors may be unfounded, still people talked. The Crown Prince and Seventeenth had been betrothed for thousands of years, yet there was a lack of progress from both sides about their pending nuptial. He could understand why Seventeenth chose to leave it at that. She had to look after their mentor after all. What was the Crown Prince's reason for stalling the unification? If Qing Qiu and Celestial Clan became united through their wedding, that would only solidify his status as the future lord.

Then the Eastern Sea King's banquet happened, rumors said both had attended and had a chance encounter. After coming face-to-face, the Crown Prince suddenly decided to pursue Seventeenth. He even followed her to Qing Qiu and stayed there for an entire month. It might just be a coincidence but he never believed in pure chance.

Some said he fell in love with her beauty from the start. It was plausible since Seventeenth was indeed charming when she wanted to, but there was also another possibility. Die Feng sucked in his breathe. The Prince was not using their junior to substitute for his dead wife, was he? And yet the child was asking for his 'Mother', instead of 'Mother Consort' as was her station. Did he teach his son to call her that way?

"High Immortal Die Feng? Did you hear what I just asked?" Ye Hua prompted.

Die Feng pulled his wandering thought back to himself. "Sorry, Your Highness, what did you say again?"

"We come to see Qian Qian. Where is she now?" Ye Hua repeated his question.

The small prince perked up hopefully. "Is she inside? Will you please lead me to Mother?"

Die Feng's face grew stern, his lips thinned with hidden displeasure. He looked down at the Sky Lord's great-grandson and tried to speak as nonchalantly as possible.

"I'm sorry but Master left many days ago, Seventeenth also accompany him."

Ye Hua's voice took a sharp undertone. "She left with High God Mo Yuan alone? Where did they go?"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. Master didn't say and I didn't dare to ask. He only said he'll be back next week."

"I see." His eyes glinted. Ye Hua lowered his head and addressed to his little son. "Ali, perhaps we should come back later. She isn't here at the moment."

Ali chewed his lips and pouted. It was not supposed to turn out like this. Mother and Father Prince should have met and reconciled, then - then all three of them would stay together again! He bemoaned their bad luck and bad timing. Ali reluctantly gave his Father Prince a sad nod. Both quietly retreated from the sanctuary, their moods were no longer as pleasant and hopeful as it was when they arrived.

Ye Hua was pensive all the way back to the Ninth Heaven. His thoughts churned, thinking about where High God Mo Yuan and Qian Qian could possibly go. His heart tightened at the thought of them being alone, together, somewhere out there.

:: At Mortal Realm ::

Mo Yuan woke up before dawn as he always did, the habit was too ingrained within him to change. He took the quiet moment to watch Seventeenth sleeping. Her long silken hair spread over the bedding. She had took one of his arm and clutched it to her chest in her sleep. He tried to hold back his mirth, afraid to disturb her peaceful sleep.

After last night, he could not regard her as his little disciple anymore. She was clearly a full grown woman who knew what she wanted and was not afraid to go for it. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly when he looked back how she had pushed him down and settled to have her way with him. He will never admit it out loud that her attempt to be dominant had excited him.

Mo Yuan's thought took a turn as he pondered more about last night. He wondered whom she had been with, before him. Clearly it had been some time ago, judging from the discomfort she expressed. He did not mind her being in relationship with someone else. It was her body and her decision, he respected that. Needless to say he had been dead the whole time and she did not owe anything to him to stay celibate. But at the same time, he could not help but feeling slightly jealous.

But who could it be? Did Zhe Yan not said she had shut herself in Qing Qiu over the years since his passing. Maybe her brief dalliance with Li Jing back then went further than he suspected? He quickly dismissed the idea. He would have known if that was the case. Seventeenth was not that good covering up if something that big happened.

Then his suspicion turned toward Ye Hua, he had spent days and nights in Qing Qiu with her after all. Perhaps their courting progressed further than he thought? It would not be strange for them being intimate with each other. Seventeenth was beautiful and Ye Hua was a healthy young male. Their betrothal was announced a long time ago and both sides expected the wedding to follow eventually.

Yet her obvious distress that day outside Ling Bao's spring suggested otherwise. Had she laid with Ye Hua before, it would not have made any sense for her to shy away from his advances. Besides, Seventeenth was not the type to let someone get close to her easily. After Li Jing's fallout, he knew she had withdrew into herself and closed off her heart. Mo Yuan's train of thought derailed when his bedmate moved slightly and alerted him to her waking up.

Bai Qian's eyes slowly fluttered open, she felt warm and inexplicably languid at first. Then the slight soreness in her nether region reminded her what activities they indulged themselves in last night. She guessed she had no one to blame but herself, for tempting him like that.

Her face burned hotly as she recalled how many times she came apart in his arms. She did not know it could be like that. The feeling of fulfillment and being so loved was so powerful that almost bereft her of her breath. She also loved the intimacy of their entangled naked bodies and how great they fit together.

Her body shifted. She became aware of the soft bedding underneath and the arm in her clutch. She remembered falling asleep under the moonlight; so Mo Yuan must have brought her back here later. Her hand that clutched his arm unconsciously loosened.

He dropped small kisses on her head. "Awake? Any discomfort?" His voice asked tenderly.

She shook her head quickly, too embarrassed to speak out.

"You shouldn't have pushed me last night," he admonished her lightly. She carefully lift her eyes and watched his face; it betrayed the inner conflicts he felt.

Her face turned pale. She pulled back slightly as doubts began to fill her mind. "Did you .. did you regret last night?"

"No." Her body was immediately flushed against his. He raised her chin up and made her look at him. "Never. I could never regret this, us being together. I just want to honor your family and give you a proper wedding first."

The uneasiness quickly lifted from her chest as she listened to his reason. "I told you I don't care about that," she insisted. "I want to be with you now."

He gave a long-suffering sigh, "You are always so impatient."

"I've waited for your for seventy-thousands of years. It makes perfect sense that I didn't want to wait anymore."

She let out a small giggle. "Besides, I clearly remembered you have no complain last night." Then she shrieked in surprise when he lifted her up bridal style and walked away from their bed.

She wound her arms around his neck. "Where are we going?"

"To the hot spring," he replied.

Bai Qian laid her head back on his shoulder and let him took care of her. Soaking in the hot spring would be great. She remembered how pleasantly surprised she was when she found out the house's back passage led to an indoor hot spring.

When they got there, Mo Yuan let her down and turned his back to give her some privacy. Bai Qian slipped off her robes and got into the hot spring quickly. The water temperature here was rather hot, billowing white steam could be seen filling the air around it. She turned around quickly when he joined her in the hotspring. Even if they were already intimated, seeing him in all his glory was still too much for her fox brain. She was afraid it might explode. He chuckled and held out his arm to pull her back to his chest.

"Are you feeling any better?"

She nodded and settled down against him. He dropped a kiss on her neck, right above the fluttering pulse. The gentle brush of his beard against her sensitive skin caused goosebumps to rise on her arms. She could not help but shivered with want again. After some time he turned her head to him and kissed her mouth slowly. She gave a low moan when she felt something hardening against her rear. By the time his mouth left hers, she was rather light-headed.

Mo Yuan nibbled and kissed along her collarbone. One of his hand found her nipple and played with it until it became hard and pointed; while another hand roamed her body freely.

"Master…" Her voice trembled as her desire worked up again with his attentiveness.

"Not Mo Yuan anymore?" His hot breath burned as his nose trailed down the back of her neck.

"You want me to - to call you Mo Yuan?" She stuttered when his beard rubbed along her spine. How did he do it, wreaking havoc on her senses so easily?

"Would you prefer husband?" More of her soft flesh was sucked into his mouth.

Would she? It was hard to think properly when he stirred her body so.

"I...Ummm..."

** Graphic adult content was cut off here **

She opened her eyes and turned her gaze upon him; he looked very satisfied with himself. His smugness grated on her frayed nerves. Then her eyes timidly shifted lower, his arousal was still very much evident. It must be painful for him. She pondered what to do, she only heard about it but never had the first hand experience. Even so, she wished to pleasure him as he had done for her.

Yet when she reached out her hand, he stopped her and held it tightly against his chest.

"But you didn't…," she protested.

"It doesn't matter. This is about you." He nuzzled her neck

"I want to pleasure you as well," her face colored. "But I have never been with anyone before, I don't know how."

Mo Yuan paused and studied her face. Bai Qian squirmed under his scrutinizing gaze. Did she said something wrong?

"Maybe later, there's no need to rush," he said finally. "Can you stand?"

She nodded and slowly got on her still wobbly limbs. He lowered her down into the hot spring and stayed with her for awhile. Before he left, he told her to soak and relax. She dozed on and off for sometime before getting out and joining him.

Since that day Bai Qian gradually got used to sleeping with him by her side, they kept their regular routines as before. The only different were their not exactly night time extra activities. She gave a shameful cough at that thoughts.

"Do we really have to get back soon?" she asked him one day. They were outside enjoying the cool night in the clearing in front of the hut. Using her fingers, she counted off the time they had spent here. It was over six months already, time really flew by when they were living in bliss.

"Probably next week. It's time to go back, you're getting lazier each day," he mentioned the fact that she dallied around the house so much lately.

"There's snow out there, it's too cold. Why can't I lounge around. It's really comfortable here," she murmured sleepily from where she laid her head on his leg.

"You're not a bear." His bemused eyes lifted from the scroll he was reading.

"What do you know?" She raised her nose at him. "Foxes don't like cold that much either. We stay away from it if we could."

"That's true for mortal foxes." His eyebrow arched at her not so sensible comeback.

"Come. Let's go back inside. It's rather chill tonight. You'll get sick wearing such a thin cloth." He shook her shoulder to rouse her up.

She grunted, then got up and followed him back to their bed. A warm bed and a personal heater, who would say no to that?

The next day, Bai Qian knew it was morning because birds were chirping loudly. She struggle to wake up but found her head was pounding and she had trouble breathing through her stuffy nose.

Mo Yuan touched her forehead and frowned slightly. "Your temperature is too high. I told you, you'll get sick. Next time wear something warmer," he sighed.

"Me-un," she called out pitifully.

Then a cool cloth was placed on her forehead. "Today, stay in the bed and don't go outside, all right?"

"Hmm," she hummed and let her heavy head fell promptly back on the pillow.

Being sicked was not so bad, she found out. He made the porridge and fed it to her spoonful by spoonful. It reminded her of the time he used to bring sobering soup for her whenever she got drunk. First Senior usually offered to feed her in his stead, Mo Yuan turned it down every single time. She looked back at those memories fondly.

Because of her sickness, their departure was delayed for a few days. Not that she cared. She was so used to having him all by herself, it will be hard to keep themselves in check around others.

On the day both were supposed to leave, she stood in front of the hut and watched it dejectedly.

"We'll come back here later." He hugged her from behind then led her back to Kunlun Mountain.

Note : Special thanks to Noitratoxin who help with proofreading this chapter. Here is the morning after scene as requested by loreinacadis0412. :))

#Amy, Guest : More fan service scene here. kyaaaa

#SkylerKnight : You've made a day with your comment, I literally laughed out loud. Yeah, I knew. I totally went there full-blown. lol Thank you & so glad you love it. Next chapter, onto the parent meeting. :D

#loreinacadis0412 : Darn lucky gal indeed. Nah, I knew I'm still lacking on those kinky bits. Reader's feeds are always appreciated, esp. yours. :) I suspect some of disciples should have naughty sides, not all are strickler like 1st & 2nd. Perhaps 10th and 15th? In the books, they're the ones who fooled round with 17th during class, I'm not sure which.