What If...I Remember?

Chapter 26

"Xiao Jiu? Can I come in?"

There was no door to anyone's room in the Fox Den, and naturally Bai Qian could have just strode in as well, like how Mi Gu had attempted, and then proceeded to flee from the room when he realised that the problems Feng Jiu was facing were relationship problems.

"Gugu." Feng Jiu lifted her head from her knees as her aunt entered the room, and Bai Qian made a few tutting sounds when she saw the tear stains on Feng Jiu's cheeks, "Is it really that worth your tears, Xiao Jiu? The future monarch of Qing Qiu?" "You don't understand, Gugu." Feng Jiu muttered miserably, and Bai Qian only tilted her head to one side, "You are mistaken, Xiao Jiu."

"How so?" Feng Jiu's curiosity was piqued by Bai Qian's words, and Bai Qian drew a breath, "Xiao Jiu, I believe you've heard of Su Su?" "Su Su...Gugu, did they bully you with this name?" Feng Jiu rose at once, any traces of her sadness all gone, and Bai Qian shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her lips as she tugged her niece back down, "Xiao Jiu, I was Su Su. Do you remember when I went missing? That was when I endured my trial."

Studying Feng Jiu's dropped jaw with much amusement, Bai Qian decided that Feng Jiu definitely had heard her sentence about her being Su Su. "You say I don't understand, because you see Ye Hua and I as a loving couple now." Bai Qian continued, having affirmed that her niece was focused on her tale, "But in fact, the price for today's happiness was paid in blood. Do you remember when you first saw Su Su? How much you scorned her for being a third wheeler?"

"I did. And so did everyone else." Feng Jiu admitted, guilt now shining in her eyes, and Bai Qian glanced at her, "No need to be guilty, Xiao Jiu. It was a normal reaction on your part. In fact, if Ye Hua does bring home someone else now, I will not just scorn the person, but skin them both alive. But as I was saying, as Su Su, I was constantly bullied-" "By Su Jin." Feng Jiu filled in for Bai Qian, a scowl on her lips, "Su Jin, who framed you for every scheme of hers."

"And Su Jin, who took my eyes and ultimately caused me to jump off the terrace in utter depression." Bai Qian finished quietly, her voice wavering briefly with anger before it vanished and looked back at Feng Jiu, who had seemingly forgotten about her own sadness. Offering her niece a smile, Bai Qian clasped Feng Jiu's hand in hers, her warm brown eyes maintaining Feng Jiu's gaze as she smiled at the younger girl, "So, Feng Jiu, I can empathize with your sadness. I understand how you feel, because I have been there before myself, and it has also led me down a dark path before as well."

"But I must tell you to snap out of it, because you are young and you have a future waiting for you. You are the Little Princess of Qing Qiu. You cannot walk down that dark lane as I did, Feng Jiu. None of us wish to watch you do so." Bai Qian grew serious, the empathy slipping from her features as quickly as it came, and Feng Jiu looked at her aunt with a conflicted expression, before she sighed, pressing herself into Bai Qian's embrace and wrapping her arms around Bai Qian's skinny figure, "Yes, Gugu. Xiao Jiu won't be upset anymore."

And Bai Qian hugged Feng Jiu back as well, patting her the back of her head as she smiled, "Very good, Xiao Jiu. I'm proud of you."

And from the living room outside came the call of Bai Zhen, "Xiao Jiu, if you don't come out soon to make dinner, we are all going to starve!" Exchanging glances with Bai Qian, both Feng Jiu and Bai Qian burst into laughter, and Bai Qian smiled at her niece, who had finally brightened up after days of moping, "Let's go, or else Si Ge will really come after you for dinner."

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"Xiao Wu." Bai Qian looked up from her bowl to see her mother watching her, and Bai Qian clipped a piece of meat into A-Li's bowl, "Yes, Mother?" "I know you've fallen in love with the Crown Prince...and you two are both getting married soon..." The Fox Empress wore a face of worry as she set down her chopsticks, "But you still must be careful. After all, he had a child with another woman. You can never be too careful."

Bai Qian stifled a laugh as she, Bai Zhen, Zhe Yan, and Feng Jiu exchanged glances. Only they knew the truth so far, and it seemed that none of them had leaked it yet. "Grandmother, my Father never consorted with Su Jin." A-Li piped up innocently, and Bai Qian patted his head, "Of course he didn't." "Then what does Grandmother mean, Mother?" A-Li tilted his head in evident confusion, and Bai Qian laughed as she turned back to her mother.

"Mother...Xiao Wu...is the Crown Prince's son's biological mother." Bai Qian bowed to her mother, who gripped Bai Zhi's arm the moment she heard Bai Qian's sentence, and her mother blinked, before laughing nervously, "Xiao Wu, don't play the bluff card. How could you be...?" "A-Li was born when I was enduring my Ascension trial. Back then, I thought Ye Hua had bluffed me, and I jumped off Zhu Xian Terrace in my despair." Bai Qian explained, hoping to ease the tension, although she did see Bai Zhi's eyes harden, and Bai Zhi slammed the table at once, rising to his feet, "Are you telling me...the Crown Prince was the one who broke your heart? He was the one who made you look like a lifeless puppet upon your return?"

"Father, please appease your anger." Bai Zhen instantly intervened, seeing the purple veins bulging from Bai Zhi's neck, "If we had to blame anyone, we can only blame the Celestials for bullying Xiao Wu when she was the mortal, Su Su. Especially that vile Su Jin. She schemed everything to separate Ye Hua and Xiao Wu, and back then Xiao Wu was unaware that everything was Su Jin's schemes, that's why she fell for the traps laid in waiting. But now that Xiao Wu is both a High Goddess and the Crown Princess-to-be, Su Jin can't do anything to her, anyway, so Father, I think it's okay."

"..." Bai Zhi looked at Bai Qian, who was now putting on the most piteous begging expression, and Bai Zhi couldn't resist the charm at all. 140000 years, you'd think he'd have some immunity to it, but alas, how could he say no to his only daughter? "Fine. Anyway, as Bai Zhen has mentioned, even if Xiao Wu were to marry into the Nine Heavens and lose her rankings in Qing Qiu, she'd still be above Su Jin in terms of rank and status. I'm more at ease knowing that Su Jin can't do anything now." Bai Zhi sat back down with a huff, and Bai Qian grinned at her father, who now fanned at the Fox Empress, seeing as how she was looking terribly faint.

"Well then..." The Fox Empress finally managed to speak after dinner, and Bai Qian looked up at her mother, waiting for her to continue. "Xiao Wu, it's best you still be wary of the Celestial Royalty. They always go back on their words. If you get bullied, just inform us right away, okay? Promise me that." The Fox Empress gripped Bai Qian's hands tightly, and before Bai Qian could reply, Bai Zhen laughed out loud, "Don't worry, Mother. You haven't seen how protective Ye Hua is of her now, ever since he found her again."

"Haish!" Bai Qian rolled her eyes at him, before she turned back to her mother, "Mother, please be at ease. They wouldn't dare bully me. And I'll be sure to visit every now and then." "That's the best, then." The Fox Empress finally managed to release the breath that she'd been holding, and even as Bai Qian wriggled her hands, trying to free herself from her mother's iron grip, the Fox Empress seemingly knew what Bai Qian was up to, and she grinned at Bai Qian, who gulped, knowing that nothing good was going to happen when her mother grinned.

"Xiao Wu...time to plan for the wedding, then!"

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A/N: Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I guess y'all can guess what's next HAHAHA