What If...I Remember?

Chapter 48

"A-Li? Where are you?"

Bai Qian's lips twitched as she resisted the temptation to smile.

"A-Li, stop hiding." Came Ye Hua's rather exasperated call, and behind her, the lump in her blanket shifted. Knowing fully well that her son had ducked into her chambers and right into bed beside her to avoid being kidnapped away by Ye Hua for a whole day of lessons, Bai Qian could only feign ignorance as she continued to read the mortal play scroll that Ye Hua had given her not too long ago, pretending to be unknowing of A-Li's presence in the room as she held the scroll, resting her arm on her pillow.

"You do know your father will still end up finding you and sending you to your teachers and tutors, don't you, A-Li?" Bai Qian chuckled under her breath, her free hand resting against her abdomen, and A-Li mumbled unhappily as he shifted closer to her under the blanket, "But Mother, I just want to stay here with you!" "Then-" Bai Qian was interrupted by her door being rather abruptly flung open, and Ye Hua looked slightly more pissed off than usual as his eyes narrowed beyond Bai Qian and directly at the lump under the blanket behind her, "A-Li."

"Ye Hua." Bai Qian's eyes were full of admonishment as she met his annoyed gaze, and she held his gaze for a moment, before she blinked purposefully, in a manner that was clearly asking him to calm down. Understanding what Bai Qian meant, Ye Hua softened slightly, his expression losing its tension as he walked over to the bedside, kissing her lips gently before he pulled the covers away from A-Li, scolding his son in a lighter tone, "Riceball, how clever of you to come to your mother to hide away from me."

"...Father..." A-Li's lips formed a pout as he whined, and Bai Qian lifted her son onto her lap with a smile, "I mean...you did send him away for three days, Ye Hua. It's too soon to send him away again." "I went years without seeing my mother." Ye Hua stated pointedly, his eyebrows raised, but Bai Qian raised her eyebrows back in return, "And I will not allow any of my children to be raised the way you were. You had a terrible childhood, Ye Hua, and no one should have been put through that."

"..." Ye Hua smiled, for he knew from the reddening of her cheeks that Bai Qian had only blurted all of that in front of A-Li to support her argument, and he leant forward, allowing himself a little smirk as her cheeks went brighter, "Qian Qian...sending A-Li away for an excursion is not the same as my spending of years in isolation. In fact, I rather thought he might enjoy it, since it'll be a trip to his Uncle Mo Yuan-"

"Uncle Mo Yuan?!" A-Li jumped into his father's arms at once, completely forgetting that he had been attempting to hide from him just moments ago when it meant he would be separated from his mother, "I want to go!" "I knew you would." Ye Hua chuckled, and a maid entered the room silently, a package already in hand as she bowed, "Your Highness, the things that you asked to be packed up for his little Highness are already here." "Is Tian Shu ready?" Ye Hua placed A-Li on the floor, standing up as he questioned the maid, and Tian Shu's voice was heard from outside the doors, "Your Highness, I am ready."

"Very well then. Escort the Little Prince to Kun Lun mountains, make sure he is received personally by High God Mo Yuan before you leave the premises." Ye Hua ordered, and both Tian Shu and the maid bowed, before they left the Hall of Beautiful Youths with A-Li, who gave his mother a farewell kiss before he ran out of the room with Tian Shu.

"Aaaand...you sent him away again." Bai Qian gave a snort of laughter, and Ye Hua gave her a grin as he sat down on the bed beside her again, "I have my ways, Qian Qian. Besides, you can't have him here every day. The secret would be out in less than two days' time if you did." "A-Li wouldn't know, this is his first sibling." Bai Qian retorted, but her hand rested on her abdomen nonetheless, and Ye Hua covered his hand over hers, his arms wrapped around her waist as he intertwined their fingers, "It's getting a bit bigger, isn't it?"