What If...I Remember?

Chapter 15

"Father, can I ask you something?"

Ye Hua had just risen from the pool, pulling on his black robes over his inner clothes, and he looked down at A-Li, who had already been dried by Nai Nai, "What is it, A-Li?" 

"I heard from Cheng Yu that once a couple is married, they have children. Will I have a sibling after Father marries Mother again?" A-Li asked innocently, his wide eyes full of curiosity, and Ye Hua heard Bai Qian cough from not too far away, evidently having choked on her seventh pot of wine. Smiling, Ye Hua gently pushed A-Li in the direction of Bai Qian, and he whispered mischievously to his son, "Why don't you ask your mother that?"

Pretending not to have heard the conversation between father and son, Bai Qian busied herself with wringing the water from her hair, and she almost yanked a handful of it off when A-Li gently shook her arm, "Mother, will I have a sibling after Father marries Mother again?" 

Beside Bai Qian, Nai Nai was trying her best not to laugh. She almost intervened, but Ye Hua had given her a look that said she shouldn't intervene in the conversation, and even as Bai Qian turned to her for help, Nai Nai quickly ducked her head away, avoiding Bai Qian's gaze. 

"A-Li, why do you think so?" Bai Qian stroked his hair to hide the rapidness of her heartbeat, and A-Li blinked, "Cheng Yu told me..." 

"Who is this Cheng Yu? Should you not be concerned that our son is learning all these?" Bai Qian tutted, trying to divert the topic, but Ye Hua merely smiled, "I wouldn't mind Cheng Yu telling him. She knows what she can and cannot talk about from the scrolls of drama from the mortal realm." 

"I wouldn't mind all the more if it means I have someone else on my side." Ye Hua smiled playfully as he grabbed her wrist, keeping her within reach, and Bai Qian gulped. It was always this mischievous side of Ye Hua that landed her in trouble. "If this second child were to be born by you, I don't mind putting in my share of efforts." Bai Qian smiled sweetly back at him, trying to twist her wrist from his grip, but Ye Hua held on tight, the smile still on his face, "Qian Qian, I'm only asking for one more."

"Of course you're only asking for one more! I'd kill you if you dared ask for A-Li to have four other siblings!" Bai Qian finally yanked her wrist from his grip, and Ye Hua smiled deviously at her, "Does that count as agreeing to one more?" "I- no!" Bai Qian fumed, and Ye Hua merely just laughed, "Let's continue this another day, Qian Qian."

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"So...this is the Soul Gathering Lamp?"

Bai Qian glanced at the small lamp placed upon Ye Hua's table, and he nodded, "That's where I burnt all your items, hoping to bring you back." "Even if it was just a fake? A copy?" Bai Qian looked to him in surprise, and Ye Hua gave a wan smile, "I'd do anything to bring you back, Qian Qian. I didn't protect you well enough back then."

"Then...I have the Soul Jade with me, but I left Shifu's body back at the Den...so, could we bring the both back to Shifu?" Bai Qian gently placed the Soul Gathering Lamp into its box, but Ye Hua didn't reply, instead frowning, "Qian Qian, wait. Someone's outside." "Greetings, Crown Prince. I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Indeed there was someone. Much to her relief and horror, the person that strode in was Die Feng, and he froze upon seeing who had been with Ye Hua.

"Seventeenth?!" Die Feng rushed over, grabbing Bai Qian's arms as he looked her up down, but upon the realisation she was of the wrong gender and rank, he bowed low, "Apologies to this High Goddess, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that my junior brother disappeared...and you look much like him. But there's no way his playful High Immortal self could become a High God, even if he could suddenly change to become a girl. Apologies."