Time was creeping up on the crafty Celestial Fox God. The moon had already died, and the glorious sun was rising high towards the heavens. A flock of seagulls were visible overhead as they departed the island to catch fish from the deep blue ocean. The lush orchard's sweet fruit and pollen attracted the attention of smaller critters. 

 The only noises in the tranquil garden were the chirping of birds, the buzzing of bees, and the fluttering of butterfly wings. In normal circumstances, this would be a paradise of peace and reflection, though right now that didn't seem to be the case.

Impatient, Bai Qingyue gave his subordinate a pointed look, urging him to hurry.

For Bai Yu, it was an uncomplicated matter to meet his lord's demands, or so he thought.

Fox Spirits, including Celestial Foxes, were masters of disguise. Glamour and illusions were, in fact, their areas of expertise.

Shapeshifting into a fox cub? Simple!

Poof.

A cloud of smoke condensed for a brief moment, evaporating quickly. From the haze, a young fox cub emerged, standing on all fours with a fluffy tail curled around him. The cub's pure white fur and big black eyes made him look especially cute. It was almost impossible to imagine that the little fox cub was actually a big, brawny, immortal soldier.

Bai Yu transformed, as according to Bai Qingyue's instructions, yet the Fox God remained unsatisfied. His sword-like eyebrows knitted into a frown.

"You do not look cute at all. Make your ears larger," Bai Qingyue reproached, tone cold.

"…" Bai Yu was silent, wordlessly obeying whilst simultaneously looking no different than a kicked puppy. 'What is the point of this?' he silently wondered.

"Make your nose smaller. Are you trying to make me appear ugly in front of my own wife?" Bai Qingyue demanded.

'Sire, you are so mean!' Bai Yu thought to himself. He felt quite wronged. How could His Lordship say he looked ugly with such ease?!

Bai Yu clutched his chest with a paw, as if to shield his little heart from the verbal assault.

Despite his miserable mood, however, he followed the Sovereign Lord's orders, one demand after another.

Bai Qingyue narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Bai Yu's fox cub form as he rubbed at his chin thoughtfully.

"Hm… still not enough. Make your eyes rounder, and be sure to keep your eyes shining gold at all times."

"…" Still speechless, his subordinate again did as he was told. 'Sire, is this a new type of torture? Why must you torment your servant so?!'

Bai Qingyue closed his eyes, pinching his brow in aggravation as he was still not pleased with what he was seeing.

"For now, this will do," he said, heaving a sigh. "I shall brief you on your new duties, so listen carefully."

Bai Yu gratefully sank back onto his hind legs with a relieved sigh, focusing his attention on the Fox Lord's instructions.

Bai Qingyue addressed the mission at hand with the utmost seriousness; there was not an ounce of humor in his eyes or tone, but his words made no sense!

The more Bai Yu heard, the more his eyes widened in alarm. He felt as though his life was in jeopardy, he was so anxious before even starting the mission. Was His Lordship setting him up to spring a trap? 

One wrong move and Bai Yu would be chopped to pieces!

Bai Yu contemplated his next course of action, attempting to properly assess and process the information he had been given. He had to disguise himself as His Lordship, who had disguised himself as a fox spirit named… Snowball? And, in the meantime, the Fox Lord would pretend to be a cultivator named Zhu Qingyue…?

And… and all this just to get his wife to fall in love with him? Why was His Lordship having any issues with that in the first place? Everywhere the Fox Lord went, ladies willingly offered themselves to him. 

To Bai Yu, all of this made absolutely no sense. There were certainly no lack of suitors for the Fox Lord, yet there he was, chasing after a mere mortal and placing unimaginable effort to obtain her heart!

He had to ask. Dare he ask? Gathering his courage, Bai Yu put forward his first query.

"Snowball, Sire?"

Bai Qingyue's eyes glowed with repressed energy, his hair levitating around him, making him appear as a devil from the depths of hell. His hand clenched into a fist as if to emphasize a point.

"If you dare speak a word of this, you can forget about reproducing in this lifetime!"

'Ouch!' Bai Yu crossed his paws over his private area in fright, covering the aforementioned, endangered family jewels.

He would most certainly not breathe a word of it!

"I will not speak a word of it!" Bai Yu promised immediately, nerves on edge. There was much he wished to say, but his fear caused him to hold his tongue. 

Eventually, Bai Yu settled for asking the questions that truly perplexed him. "But, Sire, about this mission, is it truly necessary? Why do you not just tell your wife the truth? Surely she will love you as you are."

Wasn't it obviously the case? His Lordship was the most handsome and sought after god in all Heavens. What woman could possibly resist him?

"Do you think I would have you impersonate me if it were that easy?" Bai Qingyue sent a venomous glare Bai Yu's way, and then snorted, causing Bai Yu to zip his lips shut. He regretted speaking at all.

The Fox Lord did not bother explaining what a difficult sort of woman his silly wife was. She had strange ideas, and her requirements from a male were absurd. Regretfully, he would need to present himself to her on the best of terms. Once their cubs were born, there would be no further need to maintain the pretense.

The sun, by this point, had risen above the horizon.

"Remember, do not get too close," Bai Qingyue continued his instructions. "If she tries to hug or kiss you, back away instantly. Do not touch her at all, in any manner. Am I understood?"