Ye Hua started work immediately. He was provided with a large crew of strong, able body men to help him.
Usually, the architect never had to help with the construction. But Ye Hua insisted that he built the channels personally because he knew the work best. Therefore, every evening Ye Hua came home covered in dirt and grim. He would be so exhausted, he dropped down to bed immediately.
Bai Qian's heart aches every time she sees him like this. She knew nothing would convince him to take things lightly. Ye Hua had the stubbornness of a mule.
She wanted to go to the construction site to help him, but he told her not to. It was no place for a woman. Bai Qian could lift a hundred times her bodyweight. How was there no place for her?
Then she remembered what Zi Lan had told her, Ye Hua had only a year to live. How will he die? She didn't know. Bai Qian presumed that he was going to die right after the project was completed.
Bai Qian was given the choice of delaying Ye Hua as much as she could to spend more time with him or let millions of mortals die. If she was Da Ji, Bai Qian would have no hesitation to make the selfish choice.
Things were different now, Bai Qian wasn't the same person as before. She knew Ye Hua wouldn't want that.
The logical thing to do now was for Bai Qian to spend as much time as possible with him. Easier said than done. Ye Hua was so busy these days, she only got to see him late in the evening.
She gave him a big hug when he got home, she didn't care that he was covered in mud. Ye Hua laughed, "Why are you so clingy these days?"
Bai Qian gave him a kiss on his cheeks, "What are you talking about? I'm always clingy, "
Ye Hua shook his head, "No, you were never like this,"
A worried expression appeared on his face, "Qian Qian, is something wrong?"
She pulled away from him and gave Ye Hua a small grin, "Nothing is wrong,"
Ye Hua gave her a look of disbelief, "Qian Qian, we talked about this, "
He meant he talked about it while she promptly continued on with her vague answers. Bai Qian gave Ye Hua a small pout, "I just miss you that's all, I rarely get to see you these days, "
Bai Qian could tell he felt guilty, his previous anger subsided, "I'm sorry, Qian Qian. I'll try to come home earlier next time, "
Ye Hua came home ten minutes earlier than usual the next time. A bit of progress was better than none. But this was obviously not enough for Bai Qian.
That was how she ended up by the construction site in the afternoon, carrying a packed lunch for Ye Hua. Bai Qian walked around the edge of the site, looking desperately for him.
Where could he be?
A burly man blocked her path suddenly, "Greetings, pretty lady. Are those for me?"
Bai Qian examined the man before her. He was tall, sported a large beard and was carrying a large shovel. She took a step back and wrapped her arms protectively around the packed lunch. "No, I'm looking for my husband, "
He stepped an inch closer to her, "I'm sure your husband won't mind if you share, "
Bai Qian unconsciously let out a growl, and the man stepped back quickly. His eyes were filled with fear. Bai Qian didn't mean to let out a bit of her fox instinct, but she might as well use it for her advantage.
"I'm looking for my husband, " she insisted this time, "Zhao Ge, "
The man let out a cold sweat, "Of course, Lady Zhao. Boss is right over there, "
He pointed to the east. From a distance, Bai Qian could see Ye Hua's silhouette toiling in the dirt. She gave the man a sweet smile which made him quiver more in his feet, "Thank you, "
Bai Qian travelled due east, but she was blocked by a dozen women. They all gathered at the edge of the site, their eyes prying down at the view below.
Curious, Bai Qian asked one of the ladies what's going on down there.
The woman eyed her and then at her packed lunch, a look of disgust appeared on her face, "If you're trying to win his heart with that, forget it, "
Bai Qian was perplexed, "What are you talking about? I'm just here to bring food for my husband, "
Another woman spoke out, "Yeah, go somewhere else. This man is taken, "
"By who?"
"By us, "
Ridiculous, there is no way a common man could be taken by a group of women. Bai Qian pushed past them and looked down. And there he was, the man she was looking for.
Ye Hua was sunk an inch deep in mud, his pants were covered in dirt. His upper torso was stripped bare, his sweat glistening on top of his golden skin. When his hoe struck the ground, Ye Hua's muscles rippled in the sunlight.
The lady next to Bai Qian swooned, she looked like she was about to faint.
"Have you seen a man so beautiful before?" One said.
"And such a gentleman," another added, "I dropped my shoe in there once, and he picked it up for me. He even helped me put it on!"
Suddenly, there was a sour taste on her tongue. Was Ye Hua here to work or to put on a show? And what were those ladies doing ogling at her man?
She always knew that Ye Hua was good looking. Bai Qian herself wasn't immune to his charms. But to gather a posey of women who were willing to stand in the midday sun just to gawk at him? Utterly ridiculous!
And what was Ye Hua doing, letting them crowd him like that! Leading them on. Did he really not know his effect on women? He should have told them that he was taken, not encourage them by taking off his top. Sometimes, Bai Qian wondered who was really the master in seduction magic between them.
"Do you think if I purposely drop my shoe in there, he will pick it up for me?" The woman on her right asked.
Now, they were getting ludicrous. In no way was Bai Qian letting them perform their little experiment. In her loudest voice possible, Bai Qian screamed out, "Husband!"
It took him some time to respond, but Ye Hua flashed a brilliant smile in her direction when he saw her. His smiles alone were too much for the ladies to handle. He climbed up the ledge and greeted her, "Qian Qian, you're here, "
He looked at the women surrounding her, "You brought your friends too, "
Do you really think acting oblivious is going to help you, right now?
"They are not my friends, " Bai Qian insisted. She eyed him up and down, admiring his bare chest. This view was for her only, "Aren't you cold, darling?"
It was the first time Bai Qian used a pet name on him, Ye Hua looked surprised by that statement. "No?"
Bai Qian glared at him, Ye Hua wasn't helping her asserting her authority at all. His coat was tied around his waist. Bai Qian untied it and helped him put it on, giving a show to the ladies around him.
"It's very windy these days," She cooed, "I don't want you to catch a cold, husband,"
*To dot the eyes of the painted dragon (as a finishing touch), Bai Qian kissed his cheek. There were a lot of unsatisfying grumbles around her. Bai Qian had found herself surrounded by green-eyed monsters.
Did they really think that they could compete with her? She's a nine-tailed fox, making women jealous was her speciality.
"He's married!?" One cried out.
"To her?" Another said.
"I brought you lunch," she told him, "Wanna have it together?"
Ye Hua looked dazed, Bai Qian wrapped her arm around his elbow and pulled him along. As they walked further away, Bai Qian could hear some name-calling in her direction. Her aunt had always told her to ignore them. If you try to retort, then you would have admitted to it. And then you would have lost.
Bai Qian tried her best, but it was hard to ignore the most prominent one. "How come a woman like her gets a man like him? She must be a fox spirit, "
Bai Qian hoped that they didn't mean literally. Seriously? Name-calling was unnecessary. Why bother? They never had the chance, to begin with.
Ye Hua took her to the resting area to have his meal. His face brightened when he opened his lunch pack. It was his favourite, steamed fish with a side of rice.
"You're the best, Qian Qian," Ye Hua told her. He immediately started gobbling up the food.
Bai Qian smiled, "You seemed very popular with the ladies here, "
"I am?" He asked.
"Yeah, you can even pick up their shoes," she mused.
"I'm just trying to be kind," Ye Hua said.
"Too kind," Bai Qian pouted.
Ye Hua raised his eyebrows, "Are you jealous?"
Bai Qian slapped his shoulders, "Of course, I am. There is a group of ladies who think they are entitled to my husband. Who won't be jealous, "
The smile on Ye Hua's face was so smug, Bai Qian wanted to punch it. He leaned in closer to her, "I like that word, "
"What word?" Bai Qian asked, "Husband?"
"Exactly, " Ye Hua smirked, "Can you repeat that?"
Bai Qian crossed her arms, "We're not even married yet, "
"And yet you already think of me as yours, " he teased, "You don't need to be too concerned, I barely notice them, "
The man was immune to her feminine charms. Bai Qian really didn't have to worry about him getting stolen by other women. Even so, foxes are territorial. Bai Qian didn't like when other women were inching closer to her man.
"Besides, " Ye Hua said as he finished his food, "They are nothing compared to my lovely wife,"
At that word, Bai Qian was blushing furiously. Funny how he could still render her into a stuttering mess. She hid her face in his chest. Bai Qian really liked that word too.
Ever since that day, Bai Qian brought him lunch every day. The main reason was to keep the troublesome women away, the second was the food provided there was insufficient. Porridge wasn't enough to accommodate the energy for a hard day of work.
After the flood, a lot of crops were destroyed. Food was scarce, people saved whatever they could. They ate sparingly, but Bai Qian and Ye Hua were different.
During her free time, Bai Qian planted a small vegetable garden near their home. It took some time, but Bai Qian had managed to ingrain her magic around the peach orchard. Despite it all, everything that grew in her grove was guaranteed a good harvest. Every time she went hunting, it was a sure catch. Her nets were always full when she went fishing.
While everyone ate porridge and pickled vegetables, Ye Hua enjoyed hearty rice and meat. Food was so sacred these days, Bai Qian was surprised to see Ye Hua sharing some of them with his workers.
When Bai Qian called him out of it, Ye Hua simply said, "They need it more than me, Qian Qian, "
Bai Qian wanted to smack her forehead. Honestly, this man should be a saint. Never mind, he already was.
Knowing it's no use arguing with him, Bai Qian began to pack more food for him. An extra scoop of rice, a few more vegetables and slices of meat.
That was obviously not enough for the whole crew. Slowly, Bai Qian began to bring a few more packs of lunch. It had gotten to the point, Bai Qian went to discuss with the lunch provider to procure more food for them.
Soon enough, Bai Qian found herself distributing meals on the sidelines for them. Not just for the labourers, but for the villagers too. With their bellies full, they were able to work much faster. She shared whatever she could provide. It wasn't a lot, but it was the best she could do.
Ye Hua didn't ask her to do it, Bai Qian did everything out of her own omniscience.
"Your wife is the best," a man told Ye Hua. The proud smile he gave her was the best thing she ever received.
If her aunt could see her now, she would disown Bai Qian immediately. Da Ji would scold her for being weak, for wasting resources. The thing was, Bai Qian and Ye Hua couldn't finish so much food in the first place. Why not share it with others?
Whenever Bai Qian went to the town to run errands, she would meet familiar faces, people who had taken her food. They all greeted her warmly, some even gave her gifts to repay her kindness. Bai Qian had never felt such warmth from a community before. Then again, Bai Qian had never been so kind to mortals before.
A couple of monks passed by her station one day, a middle-aged man with a teenaged boy by his side. Both of them had shaved heads and wore bright orange robes. They greeted her with their hand in front of their hearts, "My disciple and I are travelling. We happen to pass by your humble village,"
"Welcome," she greeted back. Bai Qian eyed the monks, the older monk held a staff in his hand, made of tin with huge rings at the top. While his disciple was holding an alms bowl.
Usually, monks were peaceful. They went around spreading Buddha's teachings and helping out others. But Bai Qian had her fair share of troubles with monks, they tended to exorcise demons like her.
"May we have some food?" The older monk asked. Bai Qian saw no harm in giving them. From the bottom of her pot, she scooped up some rice and topped it with some steamed vegetables. She filled their alms bowls, wishing that they would leave her alone.
"I hope you don't mind," she said, "It's all we have left,"
They were the last ones in the queue. Bai Qian was thinking of saving the leftover food for dinner.
"We only take whatever you can spare," the young monk said.
Bai Qian bowed back, desperately praying that they would leave. She was jarred out of her thoughts when the older monk asked her, "What are you doing here?"
"Excuse me!" she screeched.
The monk lowered down his head, "I don't mean to be rude, I'm asking about the construction over there,"
Bai Qian let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, my husband is building channels around the valley. To ease the floods,"
"I see," The monk said, "And you?"
Bai Qian gestured around her table, "Just helping out,"
The older monk lifted his head and met her in the eye, his expression changed immediately. Bai Qian could tell he saw her for who she was. They didn't call her out as she expected. They just thanked her and left.
After that freakish encounter, Bai Qian was on constant high alert. She was always looking over her shoulders, expecting the monks to come back. She saw them a few times, lurking in the distance. It was as if they were planning their next move.
She shouldn't worry too much, it takes more than simple mantras to get rid of her. Bai Qian was hunted down by gods themselves, a couple of monks were nothing to her. And yet, why did she feel so uneasy?
She saw them talking to Ye Hua once. Bai Qian was too far away to hear their conversation. But the pleasant conversation between them had ended with Ye Hua storming off.
When Bai Qian asked Ye Hua about it, Ye Hua just said, "Nothing worth listening to."
Bai Qian wished that he could be more specific, but he had let the matter drop. He tilted her chin, "You are not what they say you are. I refuse to believe it, "
Yes, but what did they say exactly? If Ye Hua was defending her honour and reputation, Bai Qian couldn't be happier. Sadly, they told the truth. And it wasn't the first time Ye Hua had been told of her identity.
If he refused to believe what had been said to him multiple times, that would mean that Ye Hua could never accept her for who she is. Somehow, that broke her heart even more.
Just like that, months had passed, the winds got chillier, and the temperature dropped. Pure white snow flutters down from the sky, covering every inch of land with pure white powder.
Ye Hua still insisted on working, the weather had never stopped him before. Therefore, Bai Qian had spent some time sewing warm clothes for him. She had placed a spell on the clothes designed to keep him warm. She had pickled enough vegetables and sausages for them to last the entire winter.
Everything she did was to keep him safe, to make sure he got through this ordeal as smooth as possible. She never knew it was going to come at a price.
Bai Qian woke up feeling incredibly weak one morning. She found herself lacking in energy, she could barely get out of bed that morning. Bai Qian stumbled to the kitchen, she could hardly lift the wok.
Suddenly, it was too heavy for her. Her hands gave way, and the wok clattered to the floor. A huge clang was heard, the wok hummed like a bell. Ye Hua immediately rushed to the kitchen.
He saw her standing there clutching her ears, trying to regain her balance. Ye Hua ran to her side and caught her before she fell.
"Are you alright, Qian Qian?" he asked.
Bai Qian leaned her weight against him, she tried to steady herself. "I'm fine," she said.
"You don't look fine," Ye Hua commented, "You looked as pale as a ghost,"
He held her face between his palm, Bai Qian took in his warmth. She was shivering, but it wasn't from the cold. She buried herself in Ye Hua's chest, embracing his body heat.
Ye Hua carried her right back to bed, covering her with their quilt.
"How about I make breakfast today," Ye Hua suggested, "Porridge?"
Bai Qian nodded, porridge sounded nice. As she lay there in bed, Bai Qian wondered how she got into this predicament. Usually, demons don't get sick. Mortal illnesses had no effect on her, something must be amidst.
Suddenly, her worst nightmare happened. Bai Qian watched as her human hands turned into paws all of a sudden. She didn't want them to change. Why was this happening so suddenly?
Bai Qian immediately stuffed them under the blanket, praying that they would turn back before Ye Hua saw them.
"Zhao Chu came by yesterday, " Ye Hua's voice came out from the kitchen, "When you left, "
Bai Qian concentrated hard, channelling her magic to transform her hands. "Really? What for?" She croaked.
Ye Hua stirred the porridge in the pot, "Just to check up on the construction. He also wanted to apologize for all the rude things he said about you, "
"That's nice of him, " Bai Qian replied. She checked again, and they still looked like paws. She could hear Ye Hua scooping the porridge into a bowl, "Well I told him to apologize to you face to face, "
Bai Qian hiccuped, and her feet turned into paws too. What's wrong with her today?
"I really don't want to see him," she quickly said.
As Ye Hua walked into the bedroom, Bai Qian quickly hid her hands and feet. He looked at her quizzingly, "Qian Qian, is everything alright?"
"I'm freezing," she croaked out. Ye Hua placed the bowl on the nightstand. He reached out to grab her hands, but Bai Qian pulled away. She grinned at him, "It's warmer under the blanket, "
"Okay…" Ye Hua muttered, he held the bowl of porridge in front of her. Bai Qian pouted, "Can you feed me instead?"
Ye Hua smirked, he spooned the porridge and brought it in front of her lips, "Ah..."
The warm porridge filled her, heat spread out through her body. Bai Qian regained some control of herself, her hands and feet returned to normal.
Ye Hua took care of her all morning. He even missed work to nurse her back to health. That just made Bai Qian more guilty, she knew how much that project meant to him.
After an hour of rest, Bai Qian thought she had finally gotten better. Instead, she could feel bile travelling up her throat. She covered her mouth quickly and gestured to Ye Hua to get a bucket.
He rushed in with one, and Bai Qian proceeded to spill out all of her breakfast just now. There's a slight tingle behind her, she took in a deep breath, begging her tails won't appear suddenly.
"Can you get me a cup of water?" Bai Qian said.
He nodded and rushed to the kitchen. When he was gone, Bai Qian willed her tails to disappear. She made sure that they wouldn't appear again when Ye Hua came back with her water.
Ye Hua soothed her back gently while she gulped down the water. Bai Qian began to ponder her predicament, there's not much that could harm her. She never got sick before. That would mean something in here working against her magic, like a charm or a spell.
For Bai Qian to find it, Ye Hua must not be here.
She puked again, Ye Hua quickly caught it with a bucket. He patted her back, "Qian Qian, do you think you're…"
She anticipated what he had to say.
"You're…pregnant?"
Bai Qian gave him a confused look, "What?"
"It's a possibility, I mean, we've been doing it lately," Ye Hua said.
Why didn't she think of it as a possibility? Could it be the sickness and the vomiting was a sign of pregnancy? Impossible. Bai Qian couldn't be pregnant, she had not reached her fertile window yet. That's years away.
"I'm not pregnant!" She quickly said.
"I'm not saying you are," Ye Hua argued, "I'm saying you might. "
Bai Qian clutched her head, it was pounding like a beating drum. She can't be pregnant, she can't. Bai Qian was definitely not ready to be a mother.
"No...no…" she muttered under her breath, "No…No...No!"
Ye Hua's arms pulled back away from her, "Why are you so opposed to this idea. Qian Qian? This is a good thing, "
It's not. Bai Qian pulled her hair, she was freaking out right now, "Because I don't want children!"
Ye Hua took a step back away from her, "What?"
"I can't be a mother right now. I can't be, " she confessed, "I'm not that type of person…I'm too messed up, "
What kind of child wished to have a demon for a mother? Bai Qian took lives without second thoughts, she couldn't raise one.
Ye Hua knelt down to meet her in the eyes. He placed his hands on her knees, "You're not messed up, Qian Qian. I can tell you're going to be a great mother, "
Bai Qian faked a laugh and pulled away from him, "Then you don't know me, "
Ye Hua didn't know how to respond to that. She looked up at him, "You want them?"
Ye Hua nodded, "Didn't we talk about this?"
He meant he talked about it while Bai Qian played along to humour him. What's the point of him having children anyway? Zhao Ge was going to die soon, and Bai Qian doubted that Ye Hua was going to claim the child as his.
No! Bai Qian wouldn't do that to her child. Born to be despised by its father. She would put it through.
Bai Qian dropped her head, "I'm sorry. I can't give you one, "
The look of disappointment in his face was so heart-shattering, it felt like Bai Qian had failed him. Then she got angry, how was she unable to bear a child for him disappointing? It's her body, her rules. She's doing all the hard work anyway, so why does he get to decide?
She clutched the bedsheets, "If you want one so badly, you find other women, "
Bai Qian tried to get up, but Ye Hua stopped her. He held her so tight, Bai Qian could barely breathe. He forced her to meet him in the eyes, "I don't want other women, I just want you, "
Did he really mean it? Bai Qian knew how much he wanted children.
Ye Hua guided her back to bed, he tucked her hair to the back of her ear. He held her hands assuringly, " If you're not ready to be a mother, that's fine. We can wait, we have all the time in the world anyway,"
Oh, the irony in that sentence. Ye Hua kissed her cheek gently and gave her a soft smile. He checked her temperature, "But first, we need to know why you're sick, I'm going to town and bring a physician here, "
Bai Qian nodded, it's just what she needed. For Ye Hua to be away.
Before he left, Ye Hua kissed her forehead.
"Whatever the outcome, " he told her, "I'm going to take full responsibility, "
*To dot the eyes of the painted dragon 画龙点睛
To add the touch that brings a work of art to life, add a word or two to clinch the point; put life into something, like dotting the eyeball in a painting of a dragon. The proverb comes from a story of a painter who drew so lifelike, every time he doted the eye of his painted dragon, the dragon would come to life and fly away.