Chapter 357 - This Lord Is Afraid For Himself?!
Xiao An Hua was at a complete loss. She raised her hands helplessly. "But, My Lord, it was you who wanted Her Ladyship to battle. What was the point of all her hard work and rigorous training if she will not ascend to immortality? She will not be able to reach the Heavenly Realm if she does not."
Bai Qingyue turned his white furred snout towards Xiao An Hua, a solemn look evident there. "There are plenty of paths by which to attain immortality. It was I who was selfish in my desires. If my wife wishes to remain in the mortal realm, then stay we shall."
It was rare, but even a Sovereign Lord could change his mind. Why did his little wife have to battle her way to ascending her cultivation? Would she not be in constant danger that way? Did it matter if he had to wait thousands of years for her to ascend?
As long as Bai Qingyue could stay by Li Meirong's side, then he did not mind waiting one bit.
Previously, when he had proposed his plan to have Li Meirong ascend faster, he had chosen the quickest route possible for two main reasons. The first was that the sooner she became an immortal, the sooner he would feel at ease with knowing that he did not have to seek her reincarnations each time she passed away. The second was that he could not be gone from the palace for too long. His duties could not be postponed indefinitely, and there was only so much he could do from outside the Heavenly Realm.
Yet, having spent so much time with his wife, the thought of her being harmed in any way was far worse than any consequence he might experience by remaining in the mortal realm. What was a few more thousand years to a deity? Absolutely nothing.
As for the clan… now that he had found his long-forgotten father, Bai Zhang, Bai Qingyue could leave him to deal with the mess that the man had left behind in the first place.
Bai Qingyue leaned down and nuzzled Li Meirong's neck affectionately, inhaling her soothingly sweet scent.
Xiao An Hua was no mind reader, but she could tell that the Sovereign Lord was willing to let his wife sleep for as long as she desired, even if the world burned down in flames in the meantime. 'For Her Ladyship to affect the ruthless Sovereign Lord to this degree is beyond my expectations... I must make sure to always stay on her good side.'
Just as Xiao An Hua was about to tear out her hair in frustration, the sleeping beauty woke.
Li Meirong rubbed her eyes tiredly and let out a loud yawn. She stretched her arms and then patted Snowball's head; the fox licked her face excitedly and wagged his tail in a manner more befitting a common dog than a fox spirit.
"My Lady!" Xiao An Hua cried, silently thanking the Heavens.
"Good morning," Li Meirong said, and then her lips parted in a small 'o' at the sight of Xiao An Hua's distraught expression. "What's the matter?" she asked, concerned.
"My Lady, it is good that you are awake," Xiao An Hua practically sobbed, "It is very good." The Fox Lord's subordinate could not handle the Sovereign Lord's erratic behavior on her own. 'Please stay awake and handle your husband!' she thought desperately.
'This crazy girl is acting like I've already won the competition, just for waking up…' Li Meirong thought, raising an eyebrow silently as she turned to look out the window. She jumped out of bed upon seeing the sun high in the sky.
"It's already this late?! Why didn't you wake me sooner?" she squeaked, fumbling to find her clothes.
Snowball blinked innocently and remained silent.
Xiao An Hua also began rushing about, trying to help Li Meirong dress even as she cried silent tears at the injustice.
***
Li Meirong managed to organize herself in record time with Xiao An Hua's assistance. In spite of the servant's insistence that she'd wear more elegant clothing, Li Meirong had won the short lived argument with the declaration that her comfort far outweighed the necessity of appearing charming within the arena.
She dressed as simply as usual, with only a sash wrapped around her willowy waist.
"At least permit this servant to fix your hair, My Lady," Xiao An Hua insisted, obviously unsatisfied with how lacking her mistress's attire was.
"Then make it neat and plain, so it won't get in the way," Li Meirong said, reluctantly sitting in front of Xiao An Hua. The sunlight, directly illuminating the contours of her face, gave her a unique and charming appeal.
"My Lady, as you chose to dress humbly, I highly recommend an elegant hairstyle," Xiao An Hua suggested, grabbing several pins and gems with which to adorn Li Meirong's hair.
Li Meirong's delicate eyebrows drew down into a frown, and she shook her head. "Impractical. Please just help me tie it up."
She had no interest in looking appealing. Not to mention, the one whose opinion she did care for wasn't even around...
Xiao An Hua momentarily eyed the fox spirit perched on the mattress, silently pleading for help in persuading Her Ladyship. 'Snowball' just shrugged indifferently in response, though, and so she sighed and unwillingly followed through with Li Meirong's request. 'The wife is just as stubborn as the husband…'
The fox spirit hopped onto Li Meirong's lap as Xiao An Hua fixed her hair. His long tail curled around her slight frame possessively.
"If you do not wish to go, then you should stay," Snowball mumbled guiltily as Xiao An Hua styled Li Meirong's long hair into a topknot.
Li Meirong smiled dotingly, perceiving his speech to come from the fear that grew before confronting a scary experience.
"Don't be afraid, my little Snowball. You just need to stay off the stage and wait for me to finish. I'll handle myself well enough, and I won't let anything happen to you," she explained patiently. She took the comb from Xiao An Hua, and began to brush Snowball's soft white fur.
Snowball's face darkened, his entire aura turning gloomy as he suppressed his urge to respond. He did not wish to risk saying something he should not. 'Who is afraid? This stupid wife thinks this lord is afraid for himself?!'