Mo Yuan and Shao Wan (三生三世十里桃花) - Vol. 1 [COMPLETED]

Chapter 21.5

written by Miniorchid
edited by kakashi and JoAnne

Before Bai Qian was even aware of what was happening, Ye Hua cloud-jumped her back to their tent.

"Qian Qian, are you alright?" Ye Hua looked very concerned, first running his hands over her body to check for injuries, then hugging her in relief.

"Why did you take me away? She's trying to seduce A-Li!"

Bai Qian pushed at him, but he held on. She was getting angry at him. Why the stupid fuss? The Demon Woman had tried to go after their son! First it was Ye Hua, and now A-Li! She didn't even want to think of what evil spells that witch must have used on Shifu, who seemed entirely bewitched by her.

"Qian Qian, calm down, you can't fight right now," Ye Hua said.

Ban Qian turned red with rage. "Are you trying to tell me again that she is a much better martial artist than I am? I know but don't care!"

She tried to pull herself free again, but he wouldn't let her. Instead, Ye Hua forced her to look at him.

"Qian Qian, listen... you're carrying our child," Ye Hua explained. "Stop fretting about the Demon goddess. Do you really think she wants to marry a boy?"

"What did you say?" Bai Qian froze at his words, no longer struggling.

"I didn't want to tell you until our baby is stable, it's still early, Qian Qian..." Ye Hua continued to explain. When his words registered, Bai Qian pulled away from him, putting some space between them.

"I'm... I'm.... pregnant?" she whispered, barely getting the words out.

She had used protection! The peaches Zhe Yan gave her ... how ... she desperately tried to comprehend, and finally it came to her. That night when Ye Hua had come back from Kunlun and they had made love so many times ... she had forgotten about the peaches before that and then had run out. She had gotten new ones shortly after, but how many days had she not taken them? She tried to maintain control, but a horrible feeling of dread started to wash over her.

"Qian Qian....you don't want to have our child?" she heard Ye Hua ask.

Memories of suppressed emotions resurfaced. Looking at her husband, tears began to fill her eyes.

***

Ye Hua had noticed the first signs two weeks ago, when Bai Qian asked for pickled loquats from her homeland. His wife never had the habit of eating sour food, so he was intrigued by the change. He asked his niece-in-law Fengjiu to teach him how to make them, which she happily did. She said she was an expert from making many batches when she was pregnant with Bai Gun Gun. She thought she must have picked all the loquats in the forest at the time, so big was her craving! Ye Hua smiled like a fool at the revelation and he asked Cheng Yu to go with A-Li to pick all the loquats they could find. Together with his son, he then made Bai Qian the pickled delicacy.

The next night, as he lay next to Bai Qian, he gently caressed her stomach and used his magic to find out whether what he was hoping for was true. Tears shot into his eyes when he sensed the new tiny energy of life that was growing inside of her. Bai Qian was indeed pregnant, but it was early and she seemed still unaware. Her mind was preoccupied with Shifu and the Demon goddess as of late, which he realized was also likely the reason why she had forgotten to take her contraceptive peaches.

Clearly, he owed his brother and the Demon goddess a debt. Not least because of this, he had considered it his brotherly duty the other night to tell Mo Yuan to act according to his feelings, and not his reason. Fate was unpredictable, and his imperturbable brother needed to realize that missing opportunities was never a good thing.