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 is 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 train herself."

Bai Qingyue turned his white furred snout towards Xiao An Hua, a solemn look clearly seen. "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 celestial being as stubborn as Bai Qingyue could still change his mind. Why should his little wife have to battle her way to ascending her cultivation? Would she not be in constant danger this way? Did it matter if he had to wait thousands of years for her to ascend?

Bai Qingyue solemnly realized that he had been sorely mistaken and hasty in his decisions. He should have stuck to her pace, and not force her to bend to his will.

After mentally berating himself, Bai Qingyue decided that as long as he 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 little 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 were 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 his father to deal with the mess that he had left behind in the first place. 

Bai Qingyue silently leaned down and nuzzled Li Meirong's neck affectionately, inhaling her sweet scent and leaving his attendant none the wiser to his reasoning.

 '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.' Xiao An Hua came to a silent resolution. She was no mind reader, and even though she disagreed with His Lordship's decision, she could still tell that he was willing to allow Her Ladyship to rest for as long as she desired, even if the world burned down in flames in the meantime.

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 celestial deity.

"My Lady!" Xiao An Hua cried, silently thanking the Heavens.

"Mornin'," Li Meirong said, then her lips parted in a small 'o' at the sight of Xiao An Hua's distraught expression. "Is anything the matter?" she asked, wondering why Xiao An Hua looked as if the ground was about to collapse beneath her.

"No, My Lady. Everything is good now 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, My Lady, and handle your husband accordingly!'

Li Meirong's brows furrowed in confusion. 'This silly girl is acting as if I've already won the competition, just for waking up…'

She soon turned to look out the window and instantly jumped out of bed upon seeing the sun high in the sky. 

"It's already this late?! Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Li Meirong practically squeaked, fumbling to find her clothes.

Snowball blinked innocently and remained silent.

Xiao An Hua also began rushing about, trying to help Her Ladyship dress even as she cried silent tears at the injustice.

***

Luckily, Li Meirong managed to organize herself in record time with Xiao An Hua's swift 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 dissatisfied with how lacking her mistress's attire was.

"Then make it neat and plain, so it won't get in the way," Li Meirong suggested a compromise, reluctantly sitting in front of Xiao An Hua. The sunlight, directly illuminating the contours of her small face, gave her a unique and charming appeal.

"My Lady, as you chose to dress humbly, I highly recommend an elegant hairstyle, at the very least," Xiao An Hua suggested, grabbing several pins and gems with which to adorn Li Meirong's long, dark hair. 

Xiao An Hua was not without reason for her reprimand. After all, Fox Goddesses were not known for their modesty, but for their prestige and splendor. As the wife of the Sovereign Lord, ruler of all the fox clans, Li Meirong had a certain reputation to uphold.

Unfortunately, Her Ladyship was not aware of this fact.

Li Meirong shooked her head in disagreement. "Impractical. 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. 'It turns out that 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 somewhat 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 away from the stage and patiently wait for me to finish. I can handle myself now, and I won't let anything happen to you," Li Meirong said as she took the comb from Xiao An Hua and began to brush Snowball's soft fur.

Snowball's face darkened, his entire aura turning gloomy as he suppressed his urge to retort. He held himself back, however, not wishing to risk saying something he should not. 'Who is afraid? This stupid wife thinks this lord is afraid for himself?!'