Three Lives, Three Worlds: A Fated Love (Dong Hua/Bai Fengjiu)

The Love Lantern

The feast was a grand affair, with almost everyone from the heavens in attendance. Fengjiu wondered how she had not heard about this before coming to the mountain. She had not packed the appropriate clothes and she felt a little embarrassed as she looked at herself, dressed in pink.

She left for the gardens before she could think about it anymore. Mo Yuan found her on the way and called her over.
"You are in bloom today, Fengjiu." He complimented her and she blushed.
"One of my students made you this crown. Perhaps you can wear it tonight?" He passed her a headpiece made of blush lillies and she gasped at their beauty.
"One of your students made this?" She asked in shock and he chuckled.
"I told you they are not to be trusted around you." He reminded her.

He watched as she placed the flowers in her hair and looked into the pond.
"How do I look?" She asked and in that moment, Mo Yuan felt lost for words. Since seventeen, he had never looked at a woman. But seeing her stood there, knowing all that she had done and sacrificed, he was in complete awe of her. If she was not fated for Dong Hua, he was sure that he would be as smitten as his students. He cursed himself silently, wondering when the women of Qian Qiu would stop being stolen from him.
"You look perfect." He sent her a small smile and she blushed.
"Let's go." She pulled him along and he chuckled, letting her lead him to the party.

Dong Hua looked down at the tail, hanging from his waist. He had worn it for the first hundred years after Fengjiu had left, as a constant reminder that he had loved, despite his cursed fate. After a while, it had become too painful to wear, becoming a constant reminder of his loneliness. But today, he wore it with pride. Only a select few knew what it was, and anyone else knew it was not their place to ask.

He was disappointed to find he had arrived earlier than Fengjiu. He engaged in politeness with everyone, until he saw Bai Qian, who immediately noticed the fox tail around his waist.
"What a strange accessory." She noticed, looking at him with a side eye glance.
"It holds a great deal of meaning for me." He responded calmly and she furrowed her brows.
"You seem in good health." She told him and he nodded.
"The baths here have a way of healing all kinds of ailments." He told her, thinking about Fengjiu laying on his chest, his mouth turning up into a small grin.

Ye Hua was telling Dong Hua about his honeymoon in the mortal world, when he noticed him looking past him, with an expression Ye Hua had never seen on his face. He turned to see what was so interesting and spotted Fengjiu, walking with Mo Yuan.
"Little Jiu looks very beautiful today." Ye Hua commented and watched as Dong Hua smiled warmly, looking at her.
"Yes, she does, excuse me." Ye Hua knew that look, he had looked at Qian Qian that way more times than he could count. But this was the first time that he had ever seen warmth from Dong Hua Dijun.

Fengjiu blushed when she saw Dong Hua approach her. Her eyes grew wide when she saw her tail hanging from his waist. She knew he had kept it, but she could have never imagined him wearing it so openly.
"Dijun, it is good to see you." She greeted him and he huffed quietly.
"I don't like when you call me that." He told her and she looked up at him with confused eyes.
"What should I call you?" She asked, wondering what could be appropriate.
"Dong Hua." He told her and watched as she looked down at her shoes, blushing.
"What will others think?" She worried and he chuckled.
"Why should I care?" He asked and she nodded.
"If that is what you want." She smiled and looked under her lashes up at him and watched as he blushed.
"You are blushing." She pointed at his cheeks and he shook his head.
"How could I blush?" He asked and she shrugged her shoulders.
"Nothing is impossible." She told him, before running off to her Gugu.

Bai Qian stood with Ye Hua, watching it all. Little Jiu had learnt a long time ago that Dong Hua Dijun was not an option for her, so she wondered why she now saw here smiling at him, laughing as he spoke, like she used to.
"I have never seen Dong Hua Dijun look at anyone like that." He told his wife, watching as Dong Hua gazed at Fengjiu from across the room.
"He is wearing her tail. Something isn't right." She stated suspiciously.
"I don't think that is our concern. Dijun would never do anything to put himself or little Jiu in danger." He reminded her and she nodded, remembering all the times he had rejected her relentlessly before.
"I don't want him to hurt her again." She explained and he nodded, also feeling protective of little Jiu.

Dong Hua was so glad to be sitting beside Fengjiu at the feast. Mo Yuan sent him a knowing smile and he wondered how much he knew, and whether Si Ming's loose lips had anything to do with it.

Fengjiu had dreamt of this moment so many times, to be sat beside him eating. People stared, wondering why the Queen of Qin Qiu would be sat beside the Dijun. But, tonight she did not care what people thought. She placed more vegetables on Dong Hua's plate.
"You should eat more." She told him, sending him a small smile. He nodded, eating the food she gave him.

Dong Hua had never had someone look after him like this. He had always been above such practices for most people. But having Fengjiu think of him and feed him was a wonderful feeling.
"Eat this fruit, it only grows on this mountain." He told her and she placed the small berry in her mouth, smiling and nodding as the flavour burst in her mouth.

Mo Yuan watched on as Dong Hua flirted with Fengjiu. He was glad he could give them this moment, Dong Hua had spent an age alone, it was so special to see him smile with another.
"They look happy." Si Ming noted and Mo Yuan nodded.
"I hope that things will go well for them. They deserve each other." He told him and Si Ming was sure he was right.

After dinner, the students of Kunlun stood with love lanterns, ink and brushes. Mo Yuan stood with his students and made the announcement.
"To honour the love of Ye Hua and Bai Qian, my students have made love lanterns. May all that wish for eternal love come and write your names on a lantern." He invited them and Ye Hua pulled Qian Qian over to write their names. It always shocked Qian Qian how excited he was to celebrate their love, but it never failed to make her smile.

Fengjiu stood with Dong Hua, watching the couples write their names on the lanterns.
"Jiuer, do you want to make a lantern with me?" He whispered into her ear and she turned to him with wide eyes.
"Really?!" She asked with more excitement than she felt she should have shown.
"But what if people see?" She added, shaking her head.
"I am not one to care about others' opinions." He told her. But she was a little apprehensive. He took her hand in his for the first time and guided her to the lanterns. She let her mouth fall agape as she walked behind him, wondering when he had become so romantic.

Everyone watched in silent shock as Dong Hua Dijun wrote their names on the lantern.
"You have better handwriting than me. You should write my name too." She told him and he nodded. She then stole the brush from his hand and drew a picture of her bells and a tail, encased in a heart. He chuckled, impressed with her artistry.
"Let's go and light it." She told him, passing him the lantern.

Si Ming held their lantern for them, beaming seeing them both so happy. They both held the torch and lit the lantern. Dong Hua watched Fengjiu with her eyes closed tightly, he was sure she was wishing for their good fortune in the future and it brought warmth to his heart.

Everyone gossiped as Fengjiu embraced Dong Hua Dijun's arm, watching their lantern fly into the sky.
"Everyone knows now." She whispered to him.
"Do you trust me, Jiuer?" He asked her and felt her nod against his arm.
"Then I don't care what they say." He told her and she sighed.
"I hope fate will not punish us for this." She worried and he squeezed her hand.
"I know for a fact she will not." He told her and she smiled, gazing up at their promise to one another, flying into the sky.