Li Meirong arched an eyebrow, lips drawn together into a tight, disapproving moue. She was less than convinced of Snowball's sincerity in this case – was it all an act?
Realising the girl needed further persuasion, Bai Qingyue curled up into a smaller ball, attempting to appear more pitiful than ever, his 'trembling' paws clasping her light blue sleeves. He made himself into the very image of the falsely-accused, and drew on his best crocodile tears.
"I was just trying to help," he exclaimed through his fake weeping.
Seeing the Fox Spirit seem so aggrieved, how could Li Meirong's heart not soften?
Her eyes turned gentle once more, and she dotingly patted Snowball's shaking head. She proceeded to tweak his ears playfully, hugging him affectionately to her chest in apology.
To doubt someone she cared for was the worst she could do, in her book.
"Alright, I believe you," she murmured, stroking his back soothingly. His small body pressed against her breasts.
"You always have to believe Snowball," the little fox demanded between his pitiful sobs.
Bai Qingyue was being utterly shameless in his desire to have Li Meirong indulge him. He disregarded his pride as a high god, and let his bride baby him. The more she indulged him now, the easier it would be to make her listen to his demands later.
As he expected, Li Meirong only coddled Snowball further, motherly instincts kicking in as she cuddled him close.
"Always! I'll always believe you, so stop crying, alright?"
A few sniffles, a little sob.
"A-alright…"
The feeling of his favourite, ahem, 'steamed buns', against his muzzle made Bai Qingyue too content to continue his fake crying. He rubbed his snout against the soft, pudding-like surface, enjoying every second.
If Chou would have been at Li Meirong's side right now, the man-eating plant would have surely already warned her about the "evil fox's" plan to gobble her up.
However, Chou remained in the dimension, and Bai Qingyue was left to play around to his heart's content.
The plant spirit's absence was peculiar, though, and Bai Qingyue decided to ask Li Meirong if the plant had turned into a fried crispy dish inside the liquid flames. He sniffed once more, and, imitating the vegetable-dish-to-be, asked sweetly: "Master, your plant spirit… did he disappear?"
"Oh, no. Of course not! Also, it turns out I'm not so useless after all. Turns out, I have a dimension of my own. I left Chou there along with Feng Huang, your new sibling. I'll let you meet both of them in the dimension after we reach my sect." The corners of Li Meirong's lips curved into an adoring smile. "After all, you are like my babies, I need to take good care of you!"
"..." Snowball stayed silent. All good feelings fluttered away like a leaf in the wind.
There was too much in that to digest. Bai Qingyue needed a moment to process. The plant spirit was still alive; wonderful. Now there was another pest too?! He was just reunited with his soon to be wife, so why were the nuisances accumulating?!
Additionally, what did she mean, babies? They hadn't made any babies yet; he would know, he was her husband!
"You…" Snowball almost growled. After coming to terms with the information, it was difficult for him to remain calm. Bai Qingyue inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, curbing his rage.
Adorable. He must act adorable.
Li Meirong looked at the little fox in her arms; his sudden outburst had her focus turn to him as she kept walking through the forest. She was still so far away from her hut, but luckily her aura prevented most animals and spirits from approaching.
"What is it, little Snowball?" she asked, surprised.
"Can you explain to me what happened? Who are my new… siblings?"
Li Meirong provided a lengthy explanation, mentioning Chou's lost limb and his subsequent coma. Her meeting with Feng Huang after falling into the volcano, the dimension, her connection with the blue flame and her cultivation ascension. She ended the story with the blood contract she had made with the turtle demoness, making her a familiar in the same manner Chou was.
Bai Qingyue could barely believe his ears. He knew that Li Meirong did not have knowledge of cultivation before, but the girl was utterly clueless! How did she even survive all this while?
A mix of emotions coursed through his little body. On the one hand, he was delighted she managed to connect with his inner energy. On the other, a sharp thorn pricked at his heart. Li Meirong's jeopardy, her nearly fatal mistake, was his fault. He was to blame. Bestowing his wife with a god's cultivation when she was naught but a mere mortal…
Bai Qingyue was just grateful Li Meirong managed to overcome the challenge and absorb the Foxfire as her own.
His absence and his haste had wronged his wife. He had to hurry and finalize their bond, so as to ensure that she would always be under his careful watch and protection.
As Li Meirong finished her tale about the blood contract with Feng Huang, a brilliant idea stirred to life inside Bai Qingyue's calculating mind.
"Master, I'm a spirit too. You need to make a blood contract with me!" His voice was as thick as honey as he spoke.
Li Meirong stopped in her tracks as she considered Snowball's words. She had walked for so long in the darkness that she hadn't even noticed the passing of time. With the dawn of a new day, dim rays of light filtered through the crowded trees.
The snow fox spirit was right. And not to mention the way Feng Huang and Chou kept chattering about how helpful her blood was to them… wouldn't it benefit Snowball, too, and help heal his wounds?
"Yes, let's make the contract right away!" she nodded enthusiastically, and a beautiful smile bloomed across her oval face.
Bai Qingyue's heart melted in his chest. His golden eyes were glued to her dimpled grin, and he felt as if his breath had been stolen just from the sight of her smile.
His desire to make her his own only grew stronger. He would make her his, even if he had to lie.
The ends naturally justified the means!
Coughing to clear his thoughts, Bai Qingyue continued with his plans. He knew his future bride was unknowledgeable of heavenly rules and proceedings, which only made it that much easier to trick her.
"Ahem." He faked the 'adorable' behaviour he knew his wife was weak to, and began his explanation. "With fox spirits, the contract has to be done differently. We must first begin by bowing to the heavens and earth…"