Red Snow

Chapter 6

"Normally, I would," Zi Lan said, "But The Bodhisattva Guan Qin had handed you a task. I couldn't interfere with that,"

Bai Qian scoffed, "A task that I didn't accept. Imprison me! It's what I deserve anyway, "

"Do you really think so?" Zi Lan asked, "The bodhisattva didn't, so did Ye Hua."

"I cause pain and suffering among mortals," Bai Qian said, "I was responsible for Mo Yuan's death, aren't those reasons enough? "

"Do you know why Ye Hua was punished?" Zi Lan asked.

Bai Qian shook her head, "He failed to kill me, right? He showed mercy,"

"Not that exactly, we are benevolent gods after all," Zi Lan explained, "It's because when the Heavenly Lord asked him why. Ye Hua couldn't answer the question, "

"There's a lot of things an immortal should be," he continued, "But he can't be indecisive. Otherwise, the world would plunge into chaos, "

Bai Qian took another gulp of her wine, "That's stupid, "

"Yeah, you should have been there," Zi Lan added, "That whole audience was a mess, "

Bai Qian refilled both of their cups. It still didn't change much, Ye Hua's life had turned into a mess because of her. Bai Qian couldn't help but think if it wasn't mercy, what prompted Ye Hua to make that decision? The only way to know the answer was by confronting him when he returned into his immortal status. She dreaded the arrival of that day.

"So, what now?" Bai Qian asked, "Oh great and wise sage?"

"What do you think?" he asked her instead.

Bai Qian bit her tongue, "I should at least try my best to help him," she admitted, "At least be there for him,"

"Not as a fox tho," Zi Lan added, "You can't really do much by being an animal, "

"Then how should I do it?" She asked.

"Maybe by being his friend?"

Bai Qian burst out laughing at the thought of it. They were mortal enemies, Ye Hua would never accept her as a friend, reincarnation or not. Bai Qian was never meant to be by his side, and that's final.

Bai Qian hated this, she wanted to go back, she really did. She missed everything about him, his soft smile and sparkling eyes. His laugh every time she bounced around from furniture to furniture. Bai Qian wished that there was any way to help him. But she was afraid to mess it up again.

Bai Qian waited for Ye Hua to leave in the morning. He hadn't cleaned up the mess he made during that outburst. This worried Bai Qian, he couldn't move on if he kept drowning himself in the past. Bai Qian had seen enough of her aunt to understand. The second he left, Bai Qian snuck into his room.

There's obviously something that needs to be done about this. Bai Qian gathered all the cleaning supplies she needed and got to work. First, she picked up all the disgraded stationary and placed them neatly on the table. Then she got a washcloth and began scrubbing off the pesky ink stain.

Bai Qian was dusting the top of the cabinet, when she heard a voice behind her, "What are you doing?"
She was so surprised, the stool she stood on toppled. She lost her balance, her feather duster dropped to the floor. A pair of strong hands caught her instead. They wrapped around her waist, holding her steady.

Bai Qian almost let out a gasp when she saw him, "Ye Hua..." she muttered.

Her chest was pressed close against him, and her legs turned weak. Blood rushed to her cheeks, Bai Qian prayed that he wouldn't notice her racing heartbeat.