- Chapter Start –
Some time earlier…
The Cloud Chasing carriage is parked outside the main gates of the Imperial Palace which are now firmly shut. Madam He paces before it, going from one end of the gates to the other, and casting impatient looks at the solid slabs of wood with every turn of her heel.
Surely it doesn't take that long to grab someone – anyone – to ask them what happened, right?
She squashes that uncharitable thought as soon as it forms in her head. Of course her dear husband – patient, diplomatic and everything-by-the-book man that he is – is doing his level best to find out without ruffling any royal feathers or stepping on any royal toes.
It is Di FeiSheng she's worried about this time. He's arrogant and impatient, blunt and… well, who knows what he'll do if he doesn't get his own way?
She can hear the loud tromp of booted feet hurrying this way and that inside the courtyard. It hints at some urgent activity going on despite the late hour, which does nothing to allay her fears. She glances at Fang DuoBing and Zhan YunFei who are conversing quietly at the carriage door, and looking just as worried.
Then a flash of red rising into the air catches her eye. She swings around at once and squints up at the figure using qinggong.
"Isn't that A-Fei?" She exclaims.
"It is," Fang DuoBing confirms as Di FeiSheng flies in their direction. "A-Fei!"
"Di-mengzhu!" Zhan YunFei calls as well.
But Di FeiSheng doesn't give any indication of having heard them, soaring overhead and flying off to goodness knows where.
"Is he deaf or what?" Fang DuoBing's exasperated tone is a sharp contrast to the stark relief on his face.
"At least he's alright," Madam He says, feeling just as relieved. "And no one is chasing after him."
No sooner have the words left her mouth than she hears someone from inside the courtyard issuing orders to give chase to a thief. She recognises the voice, but-
A thief?!
"Uh oh, surely A-Fei wouldn't steal the Styx Flower?" She mutters to herself. That's it - diplomacy be damned. "Yang-daren! We're outside here, Yang-daren!"
Several long moments later, the gates swing open. Yang YunChun rides out on horseback, together with a dozen Supervisory Bureau soldiers.
"He-tangzhu, Zhan-gongzi, Fang-xiong," he greets them with a salute. "What are you all doing here?"
"Yang-daren, we know that Di FeiSheng came to seek an audience with the Emperor," Madam He says without preamble. "What happened? Where is he going?"
Yang YunChun gives her a reassuring smile.
"The Emperor agreed to return the Styx Flower, but it's been stolen. Di-mengzhu has gone after the thief. Please excuse me, I need to lead my men in the search as well."
With another quick salute, he and the soldiers gallop off.
"Well! That's a relief, right?" Madam He turns back to the other two.
"Niang, I'm going after A-Fei," Fang DuoBing declares and rises in the air using qinggong as well.
"XiaoBao, get back here!" Madam He sighs and shakes her head when she's ignored. He's just as headstrong as his real mother. To be honest, she wishes she could join him too, but someone has to stay behind with-
"He-tangzhu, I'm going after him as well," Li LianHua says, stepping down from the carriage. He's still very pale, but there's a faint smile on his lips so he must have overheard Yang YunChun's words.
"Li-shengyi, you're in no condition to-"
"I must," Li LianHua insists, one hand gripping the side of the carriage door. "But I can't use… I'll need a horse."
"In that case, Li LianHua, you may borrow mine," a female voice says.
They turn to see Princess ZhaoLing approaching them while holding the reins of a pure white mare.
- o –
Present time…
Di FeiSheng stares at the three Styx Flowers in disbelief.
"XiaoBao, you did it." He barely recognises his own voice, shaking with a dozen different emotions. Unable to say anymore without embarrassing himself completely, he squeezes Fang DuoBing's shoulder instead.
"I witnessed Fang-gongzi using Yangzhouman to bloom a few buds at Baichuan Academy, but this is something else." Zhan YunFei shakes his head in amazement.
"Agreed," Yang YunChun says, smiling.
Di FeiSheng looks at Li LianHua who's still staring at the flowers. As if sensing his scrutiny, Li LianHua blinks and turns to meet his gaze, eyes shiny and smile tremulous, before looking at Fang DuoBing.
"XiaoBao, I thought you were only going to heal it, but you have gone one step further. You have done your shifu proud."
Despite his exhaustion, Fang DuoBing straightens up and beams under their combined praises.
"Shifu, you can finally be cured of the Bicha - ack!" He squawks in surprise and rocks backwards when Li LianHua flings his arms around his neck.
Without hesitation, Di FeiSheng takes both their weights and wraps his arms around them, fingers once again finding and intertwining with Li LianHua's.
"You two… you two just won't give up," Li LianHua chokes out, words half muffled in Di FeiSheng's shoulder.
"Of course we won't! We'll do whatever it takes," Fang DuoBing replies, words also muffled, but against Li LianHua's neck.
"Agreed," Di FeiSheng says. He's smiling until he catches sight of Yang YunChun and Zhan YunFei's raised eyebrows, and then his smile morphs into a scowl.
"As for Di-mengzhu," Li LianHua moves his face just enough for his words to be clear, "I still haven't scolded you for going to see the Emperor behind my back."
His words are ominous, but his voice too unsteady to hold any sort of threat. Better yet, his head is still resting on Di FeiSheng's shoulder.
"Oh?" Di FeiSheng's smile reappears. "In that case, I should also scold you for giving him the flower that took me so long to find."
"You know why I had to," Li LianHua grumbles.
"He does. By the way, I can't breathe with how hard you two are squeezing me," Fang DuoBing says, deadpan. "Can we go now?"
Di FeiSheng snatches his arms back at once and Li LianHua does the same, both of them scowling at a grinning Fang DuoBing.
"Rude," Li LianHua mutters.
"Very," Di FeiSheng agrees, crossing his arms over his chest again with a righteous nod.
"Fang-xiong is right." Yang YunChun says, trying to keep a straight face. "The Emperor is waiting for us."
Di FeiSheng's mood sours at once. Taking two of the three Styx Flowers from the box, he slips them inside his robes and sees Fang DuoBing's approving nod.
"Yang-xiong is right," Li LianHua says, eyes twinkling, "we should show him that the Styx Flower is safe."
"Of course." Yang YunChun doesn't bat an eye as he takes the box from a grinning Zhan YunFei. "Let's go."
Then he takes a closer look at the two horses waiting for them and does a double take.
"Princess ZhaoLing lent you her horse? But there are five of us."
"It's fine," Fang DuoBing says cheerfully as he brushes at the front of his robes. "Zhan-huwei will ride with you and I'll ride with Li LianHua. A-Fei can – wait, is this…blood?"
Di FeiSheng's heart skips a beat, recalling how Fang DuoBing had landed on his back after tackling him to the ground earlier.
"It's nothing." He gives him a small push in the back. "Let's go. The sooner the Emperor sees the flower, the sooner-"
"It is blood!" Fang DuoBing interrupts him, sniffing at his fingertips.
"From using Yangzhouman?" Li LianHua looks him up and down before checking out the front of his own robes. He frowns at a couple of rust coloured smears.
"I'm fine," Fang DuoBing tells him. "If anyone's hurt, it should be A-Fei. He's so reckless! I had to push him out of the…" he trails off, eyes widening in realisation.
Di FeiSheng takes a step back, but Fang DuoBing is faster, grabbing his shoulder and shoving it until his back is facing them. Di FeiSheng rolls his eyes at the shocked silence and looks over his shoulder at his little audience.
"Who did this?" Li LianHua's face is whiter than before.
Shrugging off Fang DuoBing's hold, Di FeiSheng turns back around.
"Just a scratch," he drawls. "Let's go, we're wasting time."
Li LianHua stares at him. Di FeiSheng stares back.
"Yang-xiong, what happened?" Li LianHua asks, without breaking eye contact.
Di FeiSheng presses his lips tight in annoyance.
"The Emperor was displeased when Di-mengzhu asked him repeatedly for the Styx Flower," Yang YunChun tattles.
"How many lashes?" Fang DuoBing asks, tone subdued.
"Two dozen, but Princess ZhaoLing intervened after the sixth lash. The seventh one, uh… fell on her instead."
Another silence falls, measured in heartbeats.
"The Emperor whipped her?" Fang DuoBing looks and sounds absolutely appalled.
"Not on purpose!" Yang YunChun speaks hurriedly. "You know the Emperor dotes on her, she's his only child! But she threw herself in the way to protect Di-mengzhu."
"Is she hurt?" Fang DuoBing's eyes are huge, hands curled into fists by his sides.
"Not seriously. Don't worry, Fang-xiong. She even ran after us when she heard the flower was stolen."
"Oh." Looking a little less worried, Fang DuoBing turns back to Li LianHua and Di FeiSheng who are still glaring at each other. "What about you, A-Fei? I fell on your back earlier."
"I am fine," Di FeiSheng says, also without breaking eye contact, and takes great satisfaction in adding, "By the way, the princess is just as impulsive as you are. You two would make a great couple."
Fang DuoBing sputters in embarrassment, but Li LianHua just raises an eyebrow.
"I think Di-mengzhu is the most impulsive one of all."
Di FeiSheng tips his chin up, uncowed.
"Really? I wasn't the one who gave away the Styx Flower."
Li LianHua narrows his eyes at him.
"Stop bringing that up. You know why I did it, why I had to."
"And you know I would do anything to cure you," Di FeiSheng retorts, crossing his arms over his chest and ignoring the sting at his back. He is not going to back down from this.
"Even letting yourself be whipped?"
"Whipped?" Di FeiSheng snorts. "This is nothing compared to Di Fortress-" he stops abruptly, eyes widening as ice slips into his belly. He had sworn to himself that he would never mention that place to anyone even though Li LianHua and Fang DuoBing found out anyway. "Compared to what Jiao LiQiao did, this is nothing."
It's true - Li LianHua had rescued him from her place, he'd seen the water prison and the heavy chains, the stab wounds and the cut tendons.
So why is he still staring at him, no longer fiercely glaring, but with eyes so torn and lost?
"A-Fei, you don't…" Li LianHua gulps and exhales a shaky breath, eyes briefly closing. "You don't have to do so much for me."
He looks at Fang DuoBing.
"You too, XiaoBao. You two have already done so much. I don't… I don't deserve all this."
Di FeiSheng wants nothing more than to refute those ridiculous claims, but there are so many words jumbled up at the back of his throat that if he opens his mouth, everything would just spill out.
He's relieved when Fang DuoBing steps forward, chin up and ready to destroy those claims one by one on both their behalfs.
"You do deserve this, Li LianHua." Fang DuoBing's eyes are wet, but his shoulders are back and his voice clear. "You deserve every good thing in this world. Surely you know that we care. A-Fei and I, we care for you so much! I consider you my best friend and shifu, and A-Fei thinks of you as his… uh, his…"
Trailing off, he turns to Di FeiSheng with an encouraging smile, as if expecting him to take over, and blinks at the deadly glare he gets instead.
- Chapter End –
Notes: daren = respecful title for superior
gongzi = young master / mister
huwei = guardian
mengzhu = director
shengyi = doctor
shifu = martial teacher
tangzhu - hall master
xiong = older brother (formal)