What If...I Remember?

Chapter 35

"Sister Feng Jiu, were you crying?" A-Li looked at Feng Jiu curiously, and Feng Jiu still looked sullen as she helped herself to the pumpkin porridge Nai Nai had prepared, "Yes, A-Li." "Sister Feng Jiu cried?!" A-Li looked surprised as he tugged at Bai Qian's sleeve for confirmation, and Bai Qian eyed Feng Jiu, before she spoke softly to A-Li while feeding him a mouthful of porridge, "A-Li, we all have times that make us cry."

"Though I do hope you won't have any in the days to come." A low voice added on, and Bai Qian looked up from the bowl to see Ye Hua enter the room, smiling faintly as he sat down beside her, "Xiao Jiu cried over...?" "Was it because of Uncle Dong Hua?" A-Li piped up, his head tilted curiously, and Ye Hua almost laughed as he said solemnly, "A-Li, when I was your age, I called Di Jun Uncle. Should you not be calling him Grand-uncle?"

"Was it Grand-uncle Dong Hua that made Sister Feng Jiu cry?" A-Li rephrased, and Bai Qian gave a slight nod, "Indirectly, I suppose you could say so. If you want to talk about who made her cry directly...then I'm guilty." "Mother made Sister Feng Jiu cry?!" A-Li's face held twice the shock as before, and Bai Qian met Ye Hua's puzzled gaze with one of her own, "Well...I gave her a lecture..."

"Did you, Bai Qian?" A voice boomed in the doorway, and Bai Qian jumped up, instinctively hiding behind Ye Hua. She would recognise that voice anywhere; that one voice that could give her chills alone, and that one voice her family had grown to call the naggiest. It was, of course, none other than Bai Yi, Feng Jiu's father.

"Why, you little brat, there have been rumours of you involving yourself with Di Jun's trial!" Bai Yi yanked Feng Jiu up by the ear, despite her noises of protests, and Bai Qian quickly rose from behind Ye Hua, forgetting about her own fear, "Er Ge, it was to pay her debt...but now it's paid, and she won't do it anymore, right?" Shooting Feng Jiu a glance, Bai Qian watched as Feng Jiu understood swiftly, "Yes! F-father, Xiao Jiu won't do it again! Xiao Jiu promises!"

"Hmph!" Bai Yi finally set her down, and he glared at Bai Qian, contemplating if he should tell her off as well for always attempting to protect Feng Jiu from any punishment or scolding. "Wu Mei." He finally settled for a grunt as he once again brought out his nagging tone, "Don't spoil her, Wu Mei, she'll grow to be even more unruly." "Er Ge, we were all allowed freedom to roam when we were her age; surely she can do the same?" Bai Qian protested, and Bai Yi snorted, "And allow her to be a troublemaker? As if I could forget your troublemaking days, Qian Qian. Day in day out running with Bai Zhen all over the world and bringing on endless trouble."

A moment passed as Bai Yi glanced between Bai Qian and Feng Jiu, who both wore identical irresistible expressions of begging, and Bai Yi sighed, giving in. "Xiao Jiu can run within your sight. But you must leash her back if she ever heads in the direction of the Tai Chen Palace." Bai Yi ended gruffly, his eyes still fixed on Feng Jiu, and Bai Qian grinned, "Don't you worry, Er Ge, I doubt she'll ever run in its way anymore."

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"Xiao Jiu, where are you going?" Bai Qian called, having seen a pink figure flash by, and Feng Jiu groaned, having been caught for the past three attempts to sneak out, and Feng Jiu pouted, "Gugu, your Hall of Beautiful Youths is simply boring! There's nothing to do here!"

"Oh?" Bai Qian didn't look up from her scroll, her brush still in hand as she dipped it in the inkwell, "How so?" "I've read every mortal play you have here, Gugu, but it's so little!" Feng Jiu whined, sitting beside Bai Qian and tugging her arm, and Bai Qian cast her a rather emotionless expression, "Your father said you weren't to leave these perimeters without me, Xiao Jiu. I don't wish to be skinned alive by my Er Ge."

"Then can we take a walk, Gugu?" Feng Jiu tugged on Bai Qian's arm again, and Bai Qian's lips quirked slightly, before she shook her head, resuming her marking on the scroll, "I still have to look through all these that Mother sent me. I'm afraid we'll not be going anywhere for the next hour or so." "Hmph!" Feng Jiu through her sleeve in frustration, and Bai Qian looked at her with amusement, "Surely you can wait an hour? I will be free in an hour."