What If...I Remember?

Chapter 53

"Listen to what you're saying, Yan Zhi." Zi Lan finally gathered the courage to rebut, "Do you hear yourself listing all those crimes? Do you hear how foul every single one of them are? Do you not wonder how she has not already been killed? Mercy has been shown, Yan Zhi! It is not that we are cruel, nor is it that we are merciless, no. It is that she has repeated these crimes one after the other, and no matter how much mercy we have shown, she still proceeds to perform more unforgivable crimes!"

"So you kill her! You do not choose to throw her down to the mortal realm, which is what you Celestials most love to do. You do not strip her of her privileges to ever be born immortal again, no. You just want her blood shed!" Yan Zhi whispered, her voice hoarse from just the small amount of yelling she had done, and tears that had gathered in her eyelids now slid down her cheeks silently, "You just want her killed."

"We don't take pleasure in her humiliation, Yan Zhi. It may be satisfying, but death is the least humiliating way out of this. You know Xuan Nü better than I do, don't you? Don't you know, then, just exactly how much she hates to be humiliated?" Zi Lan asked softly, approaching Yan Zhi as he reached out, as though wanting to wipe her tears away, "Hmm?"

The air was still as neither of them made a sound, save for the sound of their breathing, with Yan Zhi's occasional sniffles as Zi Lan wiped her tears away, and the two sat there, shrouded by their silence and the cool night air that blew by in small gusts of wind. "Is she really unpardonable?" Yan Zhi spoke up after the long pause, having calmed down at last, and Zi Lan nodded gently in reply, "She is unpardonable."

"Then let it be known to the Crown Prince that though I may not agree to his plan, I know that it is for the best, and will not hinder him in his quest to slay her." Yan Zhi's lip trembled, but her posture was rigid and her head was held resolute as she finished:

"I will do my best in what is needed of me...to kill my Sao Zi."

•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•

"Good morning, Ye Hua."

Bai Qian walked into his study in a simple set of white robes, one that had embroidered peach blossom petals in it, and with her strides wafted a scent of fresh peach blossoms. "You're up early." Ye Hua remarked, more surprised than what his facial expression displayed, and Bai Qian gave him a lopsided grin, "It's a special day." "Oh?" Ye Hua frowned, unable to recall what might be so special about the day. It wasn't their wedding anniversary, nor was it any date that commemorated any point of their relationship, and eventually, he gave up, leaning in closer to Bai Qian as he asked curiously, "Enlighten me, Qian Qian. What day is it today?"

"The fifth day of the tenth month." Bai Qian answered, hoping it might jog her husband's memory a little, but the black clad Crown Prince merely frowned further, "Whatever is so special about the fifth of the tenth month, Qian Qian? Is it a day that marks you declaring a battle on someone in the past and winning?" "Ye Hua, you better not be jesting. Do you not have the slightest idea what day it is today?" Bai Qian crossed her arms, seemingly a little annoyed at him, and the poor Crown Prince could only shake his head in defeat, "Not in the slightest bit, Qian Qian."

"Your birthday, of course!" Bai Qian burst out in annoyance, wondering how he could possibly have forgotten his own birthday when he wasn't even quite as old as she was, but it was her turn to be surprised when Ye Hua blinked at her twice, before he repeated after her slowly, "It's...my birthday?"

"You do know that the fifth day of the tenth month is your birthday, right, Ye Hua?" Bai Qian bit her lip anxiously, hoping that he'd just laugh it off as a case of forgetfulness, or say that he hadn't been thinking of himself when she had asked her question, but Ye Hua shook his head, "I never knew when I was born, Qian Qian. No one ever told me when my birthday was." "You never celebrated it once either?" Bai Qian realized in horror that Hao De might have been so strict to the extent that Ye Hua had never once even celebrated his birthday, and Ye Hua nodded sadly, "I grew up without my mother, Qian Qian, and my grandfather...well, you know how he is. Does it honestly surprise you that I haven't celebrated my birthday at all?"

"..." Bai Qian stared at her husband, once again feeling apologetic and infuriated that he had suffered a terrible childhood, and with a renewed determination, she pulled Ye Hua to his feet, a confident grin spreading across her face as she tugged his sleeve, dragging him out from the tiny cave that had been made into a study just for him as her eyes shone with one of those scarily mischievous gleams that Ye Hua had come to know as one of impending trouble.

"Well, then it's a great thing we've got a long day planned ahead for you."

And without letting him say a single word, Bai Qian dragged him out from the study, and out into the common room of the Fox Den, where all the commotion began.

•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•▪︎•

A/N: I'm pretty sure y'all can guess what's next now 😉