What If...I Remember?

Chapter 8

"Seventeenth..."

Shifu? Bai Qian glanced around. Where was she? Who was calling her?

"Shifu?" Bai Qian called, her voice echoing in the mist-filled void, but all was silence. 

"Seventeenth..."

"Who are you? Why are you calling me?" Bai Qian tried to wave the mist away, walking deeper towards the center of the mist, but to no avail, and she gave up, throwing her sleeves, "Tell me who you are!"

"Seventeenth...wait for me..." The voice faded off with what Bai Qian decided was finality, and with a heavy sigh, she sank to the misty floor, wondering where in the world she could possibly be...

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"Madam, the Crown Prince invited us over for the night!" Xin Nu ran at her fastest, and Su Jin grabbed the scroll from her servant, "Oh?? Did he specify the reason?" Remembering the incident of being stabbed in the chest, Su Jin couldn't help but worry if this was yet another trap.

"Madam, Jia Yun only spoke that the Crown Prince was very tired...this is your chance!" Xin Nu said excitedly, careful not to be too atrocious, and Su Jin quickly grabbed a cloak, "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

...

"Husband?" Su Jin curtsied, entering Ye Hua's study, and Ye Hua nodded at her, his face still solemn, and Su Jin frowned, "Husband, why are you so displeased to see me?" Was he? Maybe he was. But maybe it was just because he was tired. Anyway, Su Jin was the last person whose memory needed harvesting. Nothing should go wrong, lest their efforts all be wasted.

"Su Jin, tell me, why did Su Su know of the Zhu Xian Terrace in the first place?" Ye Hua's question caught Su Jin unawares, and she gripped Xin Nu's arm tightly, "Husband...why would you ask this again?"

"Have you forgotten? She pushed me down!" Su Jin spoke indignantly, masking her anxiously thumping heart, and little did she know, Dong Hua Di Jun hid behind a glamour, working away on her memories as she talked. "But how would she push you down, if she didn't know where the platform was? She was just a mortal, Su Jin, so how did she know of this ridiculously remote terrace? And tell me, Su Jin, even if she miraculously did find this terrace, how did you come to be there as well?" 

"I...Ye Hua, believe me, I didn't bring her there! Maybe it was her maid! Maybe that Nai Nai was the one? Yes, Nai Nai, she wouldn't have known better-" Su Jin was quick to toss the blame, but Ye Hua maintained her hectic gaze, "Is that so? But when I gave Nai Nai to Su Su, I only just brought her up from the Mortal Realm, and she would have no understanding of the place as I restricted her to the Hall of Beautiful Youths."

"I- She- I-" Su Jin stuttered, but before Ye Hua proceeded, he felt a pull on his navel, and he understood Di Jun was done. "I will continue this another day." Ye Hua left his study at once, and the moment he reached the gates of the Nine Heavens, Di Jun nodded at him, "I will follow you, to ensure all goes well. Hurry to Qing Qiu, Crown Prince, for I believe they await your successful return."

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"I only believe what I saw..."

But did you know what I actually saw, Qian Qian?

"Third Uncle...I saw their struggle...I saw Su Jin trying to push Su Su off, but in the end throwing herself off the terrace as if Su Su did it, as if Su Su did it deliberately..."

...

"I am willing to take three years worth of lightning strikes and bolts as punishments instead of Su Su."

...

"I will speak to the mirror, Xin Nu, as if I wished I were talking to Ye Hua. I know that foolish mortal will hear it."

"Hand it back, Su Jin. The copper mirror I used. I know it's with you."

...

"Qian Qian...now you know the truth behind the whole thing...but I only seek your forgiveness, for I have failed you...can you forgive me?"

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"Qian Qian?" Ye Hua approached her sleeping body with uncertainty. Zhe Yan sat under a tree, sipping a cup of steaming tea, and Bai Zhen was lazily lying on a branch, his keen eyes watching over Bai Qian. Dong Hua Di Jun left long ago, the moment his job was done, and Zhe Yan called to Ye Hua from outside the hut, "Let her wake on her own."

"Really?" Ye Hua's dubious gaze was enough to display his doubt, and as if to prove his point, Bai Qian's chest shuddered, and she drew a long, rattling breath, before her closed eyelids slowly flickered open. Holding her head, Bai Qian sat up slowly, glancing around carefully, before landing her gaze on Ye Hua's outstretched hand. 

"Doesn't mean giving me the truth means I can forgive you, Ye Hua." Bai Qian's eyes narrowed as she spoke slowly, making sure each word of hers was pronounced with her fury, and she turned her glare on Zhe Yan, "Why did you break off the medicine?" "Because sooner or later it would break, anyway, so..." Zhe Yan shrugged casually, and Bai Qian growled, "Zhe Yan, you don't have the right to choose for me! If I want to forget him, or leave him forever, I can and I will!"

"But do you, now?" Ye Hua spoke quietly, and if not because Bai Qian had a pair of ears keener than her current eyes, she wouldn't have heard it. Slightly pausing, Bai Qian hesitated, and Ye Hua took the chance to gently grab her tensed forearm, "Qian Qian, are you really that willing to leave A-Li again?"

"I-" Bai Qian felt pity for the little boy. He had just found his mother again, at last, and whether or not he would grow up with a complete family was all up to her decision now. "We can bring him now, you know..." Ye Hua continued, "...to sit under the night sky and watch the stars shine high up there. We can both hold his hand and he can have a happy and complete family." Holding her other hand as well, Ye Hua brought his gaze directly to her evading eyes, "Qian Qian, wasn't that what you wanted, as Su Su?"

"..." Bai Qian remained in silence, but Ye Hua didn't wish to give up. After all the persuasion he'd done to give her the most complete set of answers in her memory, what more was a little more waiting? Heck, he could even wait years, just to hear her say that she wouldn't leave him, wouldn't leave A-Li, wouldn't leave their little family.

Finally, Bai Qian gave a heavy sigh, and she tried to tug both her forearms back from Ye Hua, but to no avail. "Ye Hua..." Bai Qian started, the fight soon draining out of her, her anger turning to hopelessness, "I only ever wanted a loving family. I only ever wanted to marry the man I love, and raise our fox kits with him. I never asked to be involved in the Nine Heavens' harem politics, I never offended anyone as Su Su, never asked anyone anything. I just wanted to be left alone with you. But that didn't happen. What makes you think that now, it could happen?"

"Because now I know how cruel they can be. And I can protect you better this time." Ye Hua spoke simply, and Bai Qian knew she was fighting a losing battle with her stubbornness. 

"So...will you? Will you come back to me?" Ye Hua closed the gap between them, his face only inches away from hers, and Bai Qian felt her hairs standing on end as his hot breaths were blown onto her cheeks, before she answered him softly, 

"Yes. I will come back to you."

And his lips sank down upon hers, shutting her up at once.

He wouldn't have to wait any longer.

His Su Su, or Qian Qian, had returned.

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