#di feisheng may be morally grey but

[rose-tinted-vision]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before but when Di Feisheng took He Xiaofeng "hostage" she wasn't really in any immediate danger (as far as I can see):

He does not display any outward intention to maim her or restrain her, and when Shan Gudao goes on to stab her he immediately rebukes him for that.

Afterwards, when Shan Gudao demands for the other heavenly ice shard, his expression also looks as if he's urging them to give in.

Though, if it wasn't in his plans to hurt HXF in order to get the shards from them I do wonder how DFS planned to get them from FDB? (If SGD hadn't shown up).

[rose-tinted-vision]

Fic: Tales from Tianji Manor

(prev/ao3 link/next)

Relationships: implied Di Feisheng/Fang Duobing/Li Lianhua

chapter summary: Our local murderous gremlin gets exposed to motherly affection. He does not know how to deal with it.

“Where's Di Feisheng?” He Xiaohui asks at breakfast. The spot by Li Lianhua’s left was left conspicuously empty, which neither her son nor Li Lianhua seemed particularly concerned about.

Xiaobao shrugs, shovelling another mouthful of congee into his mouth.

Deeming her son useless in this topic, she turns to Li Lianhua, who gives a small cough, cheeks puffing in what she now recognizes is discomfort before answering, “Lao-Di does that sometimes. He comes and goes as he pleases, please don't worry, Sect leader He.”

Well. That was something to unpack.

She heard from Xiaobao that Di Feisheng came from the Di Family in the southeast region, that secretly conducted Death sorcerer training, creating trained assassins out of children. That explained his high martial skills, as well as his disregard towards social etiquette.

Though he was trying, she could see that. There are certain times where Di Feisheng paused, thinking through his words before suggesting murder to all their problems.

That was not the most pressing issue now, however.

“I told you to address me as ‘mom’,” she admonishes lightly, pushing a bowl of dough fritters towards Li Lianhua, who is careful not to agree but acknowledges her with a nod anyway.

It wasn't an outright refusal, she notes with a degree of satisfaction. She would work at slowly chipping away at his defences for now.

“And as for Di Feisheng, he'd better be back by evening, no one misses dinner here,” she fixes her Xiaobao with a glare.

“He usually disappears for a month though,” Xiaobao looks up in alarm, knowing full well she would make do on her threats, “even Hulijing is unable to track him down!”

“Nonsense, we have He Xiaofeng. Or have you forgotten how your xiaoyi managed to follow you all the way to Jin Mantang’s residence?”

“That was because this traitor set off a smoke flare!” Xiaobao gestures to Li Lianhua. (Who was currently stuffing his cheeks with pieces of dough fritters, the very picture of innocence and nothing like the 'traitor' he had just been accused of being).

“Also, are you calling my xiaoyi a tracking dog?” her Xiaobao huffs in mock indignation.

“You're the one calling her that, not me,” He Xiaohui says dismissively. Though her youngest sister does have a strange affinity for tracking people down, smoke flare or not, strangely enough.

—

(“Try calling for him,” Li Lianhua nudges Fang Xiaobao, who wrinkles his nose at the suggestion.

Li Lianhua shrugs, “it's worked before, no?”

In the end, Fang Duobing had volunteered himself to look for Di Feisheng, citing that the other would likely flee at seeing his xiaoyi. Not out of fear, but from guilt, that his taking her hostage had gotten her stabbed multiple times. He may have a morally gray compass, but he did have his own set of strict moral codes that he stuck to.

Fang Xiaobao pointedly ignores Li Lianhua's ribbing, holding out one of A-Fei’s sashes to Hulijing, who gives it a curious sniff before setting off northwards of the forest.

It wasn't until the sun started to set, painting the sky in various shades of pink, orange and yellow, with Fang Xiaobao muttering curses under his breath that Hulijing returned triumphant.

They eventually find him meditating by the waterfalls nestled in the forest, a lone figure clad in red stark against the cool grey of the cliffs. Hulijing bounds up to him, her barks rivalling the sounds of the crashing waters.

Standing there against the waterfalls that far eclipsed him in height as he pets Hulijing, Di Feisheng looked nothing like the monster in the stories teashop storytellers liked to spin.

Di Feisheng clearly had not expected his zhijis to come seeking him out, nor had he expected that He Xiaohui would be concerned about his absence. He did not know what to make of her demand that he be back for dinner, having managed to get by all his life alone. Never had anyone besides Li Lianhua fed him a meal without ulterior motives).

—

He Xiaohui is considering the merits of tearing up the offensive letter placed in front of her when attendant Xie rushes in, hastily announcing the return of her wayward son-in-law (to-be, but that was a moot point) and her sons.

“I'm famished!” Fang Xiaobao announces, waltzing into the dining hall with his zhijis trailing in behind him.

“Is there an issue?” Di Feisheng addresses her, taking the seat across Li Lianhua. It was hardly a conversation starter, but it was also not a straight ‘what do you want from me’ that his posture was radiating. She would give him points for that.

Unlike Fang Xiaobao, who had tore into his food with vigor upon sitting down, Di Feisheng had paid the veritable array of food no mind, posture tense and coiled for action, still wary after a week of residence in her Tianji Manor.

She had meant to put on her most stern expression, ready to grill them for being late, she really did. But Di Feisheng had looked so bewildered, so lost, his earlier collected demeanour gone when she replied that all she truly wanted was all her family members to be present during dinnertime.

“You…have fixed meal times?” Di Feisheng followed-up, sounding genuinely confused. The question has Li Lianhua subtly perking up in curiosity as well- and He Xiaohui’s heart aches.

That it was such a simple thing as having a meal together- that Di Feisheng likely never experienced -has her feeling choked up.

Truly, fate had not done right by these two men.

From the wet sheen in Fang Xiaobao's eyes, and the fond, almost tender expression he was sporting, she figures that he felt the same way too.

Not trusting herself to speak without breaking down into tears, He Xiaohui nods in response to Di Feisheng's expectant expression.

“Alright then,” Di Feisheng nods, deeming the answer satisfactory, “I shall try not to miss dinner.”