What If...I Remember?

Chapter 32

"Are you sleepy, Qian Qian?" Ye Hua walked down a silent corridor, the light glinting off the pavement, and she gave some sort of intelligible mutter, and he shifted her in his arms again so that he could press his face closer to hers as she tried to bury it in his chest, and a slight snort of laughter escaped from him as he pressed his forehead against hers, "Are you really, Qian Qian?"

Her eyelids fluttered open, widening as completely as they could, and Bai Qian glared at Ye Hua as she sat up slightly in his arms, pouting rather unhappily as she mulled over being discovered. Laughing softly, Ye Hua hoisted her up again to keep her from falling out of his arms, for the silk caused him to lose his grip on her, "I knew you were acting drunk ever since you managed to drive the deities away, Qian Qian. I have fallen for enough of your tricks to recognise another."

"You're no fun." Bai Qian chided, giving yet another huff as she pulled her head away from his, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head against his chest, and he smiled silently, increasing his pace as he took another turn into a corridor, this one containing a set of double doors with a plague inscribing the words "Xi Wu Palace" mounted beneath the overhang just right above them.

Stepping through the set of heavy palace doors, even as the maids quietly shut the doors behind Ye Hua, he hurried to his sleeping chamber, where the rainbow decorations were already fluttering in the gentle night breeze and the red candles cast a much warmer glow over the room. "Close the doors, and you may leave." Ye Hua spoke to the maids dismissively, his eyes only on Bai Qian as he entered his bed chamber, and even as he set her down onto the bed while the maids scattered, closing their door for privacy, she blinked at the red candles that burned away in Ye Hua's chamber, "I heard from Jia Yun that you found them rather displeasing to the eye, didn't you? You said that when Su Jin was to marry you. Why have you allowed red candles for tonight, then?"

"That was a fib, Qian Qian, and nothing quite like the actual truth behind it. I have nothing against red candles, really. It was just a sign of rebellion against the marriage, because I really didn't want to marry Su Jin; all the more when you had just left me. I'm not so unfaithful, Qian Qian. I will only take you as wife, and only you." Ye Hua looked unashamed of his lie, and Bai Qian stammered as he unfastened the knot on his outer robes, "Y-Ye Hua? Wh-what are you doing?" "What do you think I'm doing?" Ye Hua asked in return, a devious grin on his face, and Bai Qian felt a heat rise up her neck, "I'm wounded, Ye Hua, I fear it may be inconvenient-" "Which is why I slipped a healing potion into your wine." Ye Hua smiled at Bai Qian, and she blinked, "What?"

"The wine was especially warm, was it not? I had Nai Nai do it; don't worry." Ye Hua set his outer robe down, and Bai Qian scooted away from him subconsciously, "Ye Hua, but-" "Yes?" He caught her in his arms before she could hit against the bed frame, "Qian Qian, it is our wedding night, after all." "Y-yes it is…?!" Bai Qian found herself silenced when Ye Hua shifted forward suddenly and sealed her lips with his, and Bai Qian turned a shade of brilliant pink as she numbly repeated, "Ye Hua, what are you doing?"

"You yourself said it's our wedding night." Ye Hua breathed by her ear, his breath hot and slightly rough as he leant in, breathing in her permanent scent of peach blossoms and Bai Qian tried to divert him with a kiss, "I did, but what does that mean?" "I'm certain you know what it means." He wrapped her waist in his arms, kissing her lips once more, and Bai Qian grew weaker and weaker under his touch, "Ye Hua..."

"Qian Qian, are you insistent on rejecting me?" Ye Hua pulled away, his black eyes drawing her deeper into the quicksand, and Bai Qian admitted after a while, "No, but-" "Then no 'but's." Ye Hua smiled, already unclasping the clasps of her cloak, and throwing it aside onto a clothes rack. "Must you be so anxious?" Bai Qian felt herself blushing, unable to pull her eyes away from Ye Hua's, albeit being rather desperate to have some say on the events that were definitely to follow, but a smirk played on Ye Hua's lips as he pinned her down against the bed, already bending in closer as he continued keeping his gaze on her.

"Qian Qian, I have waited too long; far too long. And I was thinking...perhaps it is indeed time for A-Li to have a sibling, don't you agree?"

•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•

The banquet had cleared, and even as The Heavenly Lord still engaged in deep conversation with Bai Zhi, Feng Jiu realised that Di Jun had risen from his platform, making as though to leave. "Go on." Came Zhe Yan's voice, and she turned to realise both Zhe Yan and Bai Zhen were smiling at her, "We'll help you with your father. Go."

Picking up her silk skirt, Feng Jiu began sprinting down the steps, chasing after Di Jun even as his tall figure drew further and further away, and she couldn't help but increase her speed, trying to catch up. But the silk was heavy and slippery, and Feng Jiu yelped as it slipped from her hands, falling onto the floor right under her foot, and she tripped over her skirt at once, flying forward as she fell. "Ouch!" She cried out, grabbing onto something and rising to her feet quickly as she brushed herself clean, only to realise that a figure in purple stood right before her, watching her with an amused gaze, and Feng Jiu turned a beacon of red against her light pink dress when she realised she had grabbed onto his arm to yank herself up, "D-Di Jun?"

"You wanted to see me, did you not?" He asked coolly, the smile now gone from his features, and Feng Jiu bit her lip, "I...yes, I did want to see you." "Well, now you have. May I go?" Di Jun spoke politely, and Feng Jiu felt even more abashed by his question that she couldn't ask hers, and she nodded once, avoiding his gaze. "You're still grabbing my hand, Bai Feng Jiu. I don't suppose I should cut it off for you?" Di Jun reminded, and Feng Jiu released it at once, "S-sorry, Di Jun, it wasn't intentional."

"I'll take your word for it." Di Jun withdrew his hand, turning to leave, and Feng Jiu couldn't resist herself as she blurted, "Di Jun, I have a question for you."

"Oh?" Di Jun didn't turn around. He merely paused where he was, his silver hair dancing beneath the permanently day lit skies of the Nine Heavens, and Feng Jiu gulped. Suddenly, when he turned those blue eyes on her, the words were lost on her tongue, and Feng Jiu felt herself growing warmer with embarrassment as she stuttered, "T-the trial…?"

"If that is the reason for your concern, I advise you to leave it. I care not of what happened in the trial, rather what I needed to learn from it. And to add on..." Di Jun narrowed his eyes slightly, "...from what I know, you are rather naïve and gullible, in order to act out exactly what Si Ming plotted right from the start even if it meant going against your own wishes. I advise you, then, to be more matured, and less naïve. This world cannot tolerate leaders with innocence and ignorance, for it will lead to the downfall of the people. You are to be Queen of Qing Qiu soon, after all, Bai Feng Jiu. Heed my words, and you can go far."

"But-" Feng Jiu was about to protest, but the ancient deity had disappeared, and Feng Jiu stared at where he previously was, before she lowered her gaze to the floor, biting her lip and willing herself not to cry, even as the pearls of hot tears welled up in her eyes, sliding down her face gently in the parody of a caress.

But...what if Jiu'er told you she likes you, Di Jun? Is that naïve of Jiu'er too?

•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•

A/N: A bit of sweetness, a bit of sadness, teehee. This is the last chapter for now, but I might update, you never know. (Just, uhm, don't get your hopes too high in case I really actually don't update oops)

It's not goodbye...so, uhm...see you soon?

Z, out :)

P.S. Thank you all for the well wishes!