What If...I Remember?

Chapter 1

"Father, Father, are we really letting Su Jin come with us?"

Ye Hua gazed at his son's hopeful expression, and he sighed, beckoning A-Li to him, before placing the little boy on his lap, "A-Li, it won't hurt to let Su Jin come along." "But this is Mother's home! What if Su Jin destroys it?" A-Li whined indignantly, his adorable little eyes filling with tears, and Ye Hua resisted the urge to tear up as well, "She can't. I've set up the strongest barrier I can. And her powers are barely even on par with yours, so she can't break in."

That slightest compliment from his father gained a smile from the little prince, but it vanished abruptly as he sat on the floor, brooding about something again. Silently, Ye Hua gave a sigh. 300 years, and he still hadn't fully understood A-Li. What if Su Su was around? Would things be better? Ye Hua only realised that he had been lost in thought when his son tugged on the hem of his ink-coloured robes.

"...I don't like Su Jin." A-Li fiddled with what he could reach from his short little height, and Ye Hua almost smiled there and then. Of course he didn't. Unbeknownst to A-Li, Su Jin had tried to get him killed too many times to count. But sadness once again touched the Crown Prince's lips as he stared sadly at the hand that was once held by her slender and smooth fingers.

I didn't protect her well enough, thought the Crown Prince.

The guilt always came back to haunt him. How had he never ever realised what Su Jin had been doing? How could he have been so blind? So...stupid? Su Su's death was part his fault, and he knew it. The pain still ached as raw as it was 300 years ago.

"Your Highness. We must set off." Tian Shu approached, his firm voice implying that any delay might be disrespectful, and Ye Hua lowered himself to the ground as A-Li clambered up his back, before he nodded solemnly at Tian Shu and Jia Yun, and they took off to the clouds, leaping gently towards the way of the East Seas.

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"Xiao Wu!"

Bai Qian raised her eyebrows as the old Phoenix approached her.

"What is it, Zhe Yan?"

"The East Sea King...he sent an invitation, remember?"

"Yes? And I'll be going in a while." Bai Qian responded without blinking, still lounging on the branch as she glanced down at the Phoenix, who grinned like a Cheshire Cat as always, "Yes, I know you will. Help me bring along some wine, will you?"

"Your top grade wine and my luminous pearl? The East Sea King most certainly is fortunate." Bai Qian remarked, eying the three bottles of peach wine that Zhe Yan had always stopped her from getting her paws on it. He kept it in the deepest parts of his wine cellar. If even she couldn't drink it, surely the East Sea King who should be ranked below her couldn't drink it.

"It's not for him, it's for Zhen Zhen." Zhe Yan snorted, the wine jars still dangling by their cords, and Bai Qian snickered as she jumped down deftly from the tree branch, reaching to grab the cords from Zhe Yan's hands, "Ah, of course. Si Ge went after his Bi Yi Niao again?"

"Of course, of course." Zhe Yan deadpanned, and Bai Qian snorted. Anyone and everyone in the family knew that Bai Zhen going after his Bi Yi Niao meant that he and Zhe Yan had yet another row, and Bai Qian kept away the jars with her magic, "And don't ask me to pass a message, I don't want to get my tails stuck between you two."

"Now, get out of here!" Zhe Yan rolled his eyes in annoyance, and Bai Qian pulled a dreadfully mischievous grin, before she leapt away, heading back toward the Fox Den, to get a branch from Mi Gu before she set off.

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"A-Li greets Su Jin." A-Li mumbled unwillingly, and even as Su Jin bent down to pat his head, he twisted away from her, standing back beside Ye Hua. Good boy, Ye Hua almost wanted to grin. Su Jin was always trying to approach A-Li by one way or another, so as to leave a better impression of herself in Ye Hua's eyes, but he knew better than to fall for her tricks again.

If it weren't for the fact she had Su Su's eyes, he wouldn't even look at her. In fact, for all she was worth, he had almost killed her, back when she married into Xi Wu Palace, and he'd banned her from the Hall of Beautiful Youths just because he knew she'd think she could replace Su Su. But she could never, and that they both knew clearly.

"Go to the banquet hall first. I will come shortly." Ye Hua said blandly, his expression emotionless as he spoke to Su Jin, much unlike how one was supposed to talk to one's concubine, but Su Jin made no noise, leaving silently with Xin Nu.

"Father, can I?" A-Li looked longingly at the beautiful corals that made up the ornate pillars, and Ye Hua smiled, letting his son go with a gentle nod.

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