Wolf King And His Fox Consort

Chu Yun closed the chest he had been going through and got up to sit next to Xiao Zai across the room.

Xiao Zai was holding what looked like a stack of water damaged letters. They smelled as if someone had hidden them away in a cranny of the estate where they stayed for years.

It was surprising that the masons had kept this old stack of letters instead of throwing them away. Chu Yun would have.

Xiao Zai had one of them open on his thighs and kept chancing confused looks at it.

Chu Yun perched his chin on Xiao Zai's shoulder, and read aloud.

"Friend,

The child has arrived, everything is well with him despite the long journey. I know that these words will be of little comfort to you on account of the pain you no doubt feel at having parted with him.

As per your request, I'm confirming his identity by noting and enclosing the drawing of the star shaped birthmark on his shoulder blade. Although I didn't need to see it to know it was him.

He is just as talkative as you described. Impressive for a toddler without a single tooth.

He will be well looked after. This I promise you.

Your Friend in Adversity."

Chu Yun's voice trailed off, his eyes lingering on the drawing of a small six-point starburst on the corner of the yellowed page.

There was only one conclusion to draw. "Well, either your uncle did have a child, or he helped someone hide theirs."

Xiao Zai nodded, his gaze unfocused. "It sounds like it, but...how is that possible?"

Chu Yun didn't know either. Although it seemed like Xiao Zai wasn't the most trustworthy source.

"Maybe Gu Wei knows something about it?"

A muscle jumped in Xiao Zai's jaw, he nodded stiffly. Chu Yun hadn't failed to notice how he'd been reacting oddly whenever his dam's name came up.

"What did the King want to talk with you about?" he asked, changing subjects without any subtlety. 

Xiao Zai folded the letter back into his original shape, stalling for time. "The usual; threaten me, try and intimidate me, imply that my dam was somehow responsible for you getting pregnant."

One of those things was not like the others.

It also explained Xiao Zai's odd mood. Chu Yun nuzzled his chin into the crook of Xiao Zai's neck, and wrapped one arm around his waist. Xiao Zai was taller than him, so he had to hunch so that Chu Yun could hug him from behind comfortably.

"Did that upset you?" Chu Yun guessed the answer was 'yes', but asking was the polite thing to do.

Xiao Zai was quiet for a moment, and then sighed, slouching back against Chu Yun's chest. "I don't want to believe him."

That was the core of the matter for him. Xiao Zai hated the idea of suspecting his dam when he might not have done anything.

It was only right that Chu Yun came clean about his earlier doubts.

"I thought he might have had something to do with it," he said, "I even confronted him."

Xiao Zai turned around in his arms. "You did? What did he say?"

Chu Yun hummed. "He denied it."

Xiao Zai chewed on his bottom lip. "Did you believe him?"

Chu Yun hadn't. He was still convinced Gu Wei had something to do with it. It was what made the most sense. It wasn't obvious how he'd done it, but it was the most logical explanation nonetheless.

Instead of any of that Chu Yun said, "I decided it didn't really matter."

That surprised Xiao Zai who raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Really? You don't care about being pregnant?"

Of course Chu Yun cared. Sometimes he got startled all over again when he remembered he was pregnant. But there was no changing that. Terminating the pregnancy was too risky, and by now Chu Yun wasn't even sure he would want that, if it were possible. 

At least it did strengthen Xiao Zai's claim to the throne. 

Overall his feelings on the matter were complicated, but he didn't think there was any point in Xiao Zai ruining his relationship with his dam over it. Especially considering that for years they only had each other.

That kind of loneliness was something Chu Yun would never understand. 

In any case, he would handle Gu Wei. If he really was responsible for Chu Yun getting pregnant, that score would be settled in time. It had nothing to do with Xiao Zai.

"It's a done thing now," he shrugged, "what am I going to do about it? There's no use in blaming anyone, it's best if we move on and just handle it."

He was maybe exaggerating how alright he was with the whole thing. But he hated the idea of the King getting under Xiao Zai's skin.

His wager paid off when Xiao Zai's face softened, and he turned around in Chu Yun's arms. Anticipating his intentions, Chu Yun let himself be pulled into his lap, all the better to handle the syrupy declaration that was sure to follow.

"Does that mean you are maybe a little happy about us having a child?"

"Let's not get carried away," Chu Yun said covering Xiao Zai's face with his palm and pushing him away. "Accepting an inevitability isn't the same as being happy about it."

Xiao Zai held Chu Yun's hand in place by the wrist and kissed the middle of his palm. "I'm scared, I worry about you, but I'm happy too. I'm sorry, I know it's not what you wanted, but I'm happy."

Chu Yun wasn't going to begrudge Xiao Zai his happiness. He was almost certain that if their roles were reversed he would be happy as well -- along with everything else Xiao Zai had said.

Thinking about the pregnancy always left him feeling maudlin. Better to keep busy and not think about it.

He took the stack of letters and slapped them lightly against the side of Xiao Zai's face twice, making him laugh. "We need to get to the bottom of this." Xiao Zai took the letters from him and tried to kiss him, while nodding. He was only half listening.

"I think we need to go and see your sister," Chu Yun said, dodging Xiao Zai's lips. 

He had been thinking they had to ever since he visited Xiao Yuan. She could shed some light on Su's increasing involvement on everything going on.. And, being older than Xiao Zai, maybe she knew more about their late uncle.