The cloud parted, and the sunlight streamed through the branches. The rain had stopped completely. They could have stayed there for hours.
Bai Qian gazed down at Ye Hua with her warm charcoal eyes. Her single smile was so alluring it could drive an entire city mad. Her body was tantalising, urging Ye Hua to grab her by her hips to meet with his lips.
Bai Qian leaned down. Her face was inches away from him, and she whispered his name in the most sensual tone possible. Ye Hua knew what she wanted, whether or not he wanted to give it to her.
Blood roared down to his pants. She was so close, so tempting. Ye Hua grabbed her by the shoulder and said, "Can you get off of me?"
Bai Qian blinked like she didn't expect that answer. Ye Hua gently nudged her off him. He got up and brushed the dirt off his robe.
Bai Qian remained sitting on the ground, tilting her head in confusion. She looked at her surroundings, "Did you stop the rain?"
"No, you did," Ye Hua said.
"I can do that?" She asked in bewilderment.
Ye Hua nodded. He had cast no spell to stop the rain. That burst of magic had come from her. And he pretty much knew why.
Ye Hua turned to see Bai Qian pointing two of her fingers at the sky, mimicking the move Ye Hua made earlier.
Ye Hua grabbed her wrist and dragged it down.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Making it rain, "
"You can't do that," Ye Hua said, "that is an extremely high-level spell."
"But you did it so effortlessly, "
Ye Hua raised his eyebrow at her, "I had a lot of practice, "
Bai Qian's expression turned sheepish, "Sorry about that, "
Ye Hua brushed it aside, "You're not a celestial dragon anyway, your magic isn't meant for it, "
"So what do nine-tailed foxes specialise in?" She asked.
"Your aunt didn't teach you?" Ye Hua asked.
"All my aunt taught me were basic spells, nasty tricks, and seduction magic, " she listed down, "Which never seems to work on you, "
"That mainly because I had controlled all of my five desires and six senses 五欲六尘, " Ye Hua said proudly.
Bai Qian rolled her eyes. She spun around: "There must be something else I specialise in other than illusions and tricks. How did I stop the rain just now?"
Despite hunting them for so long, Ye Hua didn't know much about nine-tailed foxes. All he knew were devious spells and illusions.
"Qing Qui was a land of fertile soil and lush forest. Therefore, fox spirits are ingrained with nature, " Ye Hua said, "That's why you could stop the rain from becoming a flood. That is to a small degree, "
"My aunt never taught me this, " Bai Qian nodded, "But I figured out how to use magic before in the peach orchard to help the plants grow, "
That would explain why they didn't get affected by the famine much and had extra food to spare for the villagers. But to maintain magic like this throughout the seasons is extremely exhausting, how on earth did she do it?
Bai Qian clutched his sleeves and looked at him with wonder, "What else can I do?"
Ye Hua gently nudged her hands away from him, "I'm not sure. It's better if you asked Zhe Yan, "
"Zhe Yan hardly tells me anything, " she said, "And that peach. Why do I feel different after I ate it?"
"How is it different?"
She circled him, "Like I'm lighter, less tied down and much more energised, "
"That would be the effect of the peach," Ye Hua explained, "You're evolving. "
"Evolving?" She murmured, "To what?"
"To a goddess, "
"A goddess, " she repeated the words in amazement and took a step closer to him, "Does it mean that I get to live with you up in the nine heavens?"
Bai Qian? In the nine heavens? Ye Hua shuddered at the thought. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away.
"No, " He held her shoulder in comfort, "You are of Qing Qiu, you should stay here, "
"Then..." Bai Qian murmured, "If becoming a goddess is as easy as eating a peach, why didn't more people do it?"
"As you know, immortal peaches are extremely rare. Many mortals tried to get them but failed. Demons, on the other hand, couldn't even get to the Western Queen's garden, " Ye Hua explained.
"And the ones here?"
"You think Zhe Yan would let us take them without his permission?"
Bai Qian scrunched her nose.
"They had to be given to be consumed," Ye Hua explained.
What he didn't tell her is that it had to be given by the Western Queen herself. Ye Hua had given her his without Her Majesty's permission, for reasons he didn't know why. Maybe it's because Bai Qian looked like she needed it.
It came from the peach forest anyway. Ye Hua was sure that Zhe Yan didn't mind.
"The effect of the peach is not permanent, " Ye Hua warned her, "If you do any evil, you will revert to being a demon, "
Bai Qian nodded in understanding.
"You're not entirely a goddess yet," Ye Hua told her, "Still need to train and cultivate yourself, which will take centuries. After that, you need to go through an ascension trial to become a high immortal and then a high god, "
"I don't know how to do any of that, " Bai Qian said, "Can you teach me?"
Ye Hua blinked, he didn't know how to respond to that question. In the end, he blurted out, "No, "
Bai Qian looked so disappointed, and the world seemed to turn grey.
"I'm not Mo Yuan. I don't have the patience to teach. And I'm too busy with..." Ye Hua paused, "Maybe you could ask Zhe Yan to help you, "
Her face turned more grey.
"Or I have some books, I can lend them to you, " Ye Hua frantically added.
Bai Qian removed his hands from his shoulders and took a step back, "I understand. You still think ill of me. You don't want to have anything to do with me, "
Ye Hua was at a loss for words. Seeing her like this made Ye Hua want to find ways to please her. He could stand the gloomy expression on her face.
"I worked so hard to help you back in the mortal realm..." Bai Qian began to sniffle, "And now you don't want to see me again..."
Ye Hua freaked out, "Don't say that..."
"I see you still blame me for Mo Yuan—"
Ye Hua didn't let her finish that sentence, "I'll check up on you from time to time, "
That answer didn't satisfy her.
"You can call me with the mirror if you have any problems, " Ye Hua added, "I'll come to help you, "
Bai Qian perked up, "Really? Anytime?"
Ye Hua nodded, "Within reasons, "
Bai Qian's smile was bright. She hugged him in gratitude. "You're the best, Ye Hua, "
Ye Hua just stood there and let her be. He was as stunned as a deer at the end of an arrow.
What just happened?
Ye Hua made it back to his palace in the Nine Heavens. He crashed into his bed immediately. He couldn't believe that he got roped into this. Ye Hua was supposed to let Zhe Yan handle her cultivation, not him.
She really did learn from the best.
Ye Hua pulled out the mirror from his coat. The reflection stared back down at him. He half expected it to change into Bai Qian's face or have her voice emitting out of it.
It had been an hour, and the mirror remained silent. Hold it. Was Ye Hua expecting her to call him?
Ye Hua stuffed the mirror under his pillow. Why was he thinking Bai Qian was going to call him soon anyway?
The next morning, Ye Hua struggled to stay awake. The boring audience with the Heavenly Lord didn't help. Even with strong tea, he struggled to pay attention to what His Majesty was saying.
Occasionally, Ye Hua would brush his finger across the mirror, expecting Bai Qian to call him in the middle of the meeting. So far, nothing.
Gosh, that woman is driving him crazy. He shouldn't have given her the mirror.
"Ye Hua, " the Heavenly Lord called out, "Ye Hua, "
Ye Hua jarred his attention back to the Heavenly Lord. He bowed and quickly answered his question.
"You seemed distracted lately," His Majesty commented, "Is there something wrong, Ye Hua?"
"I'm just worrying myself over worldly matters, "
The Heavenly Lord nodded as if the answer satisfied him.
"For example, Qing Qiu. It has been thousands of years since the fall of their royal family, and all the smaller clans are squabbling for power. Their people are living in harsh conditions. Shouldn't we do a better job in stabilising the situation there?" Ye Hua asked.
The Heavenly Lord heard his plea. "We had asked High God Zhe Yan to step up and take over, but he stubbornly refused to. He preferred to hide away in his peach forest. He said Qing Qiu only accepts a nine-tailed fox as their ruler, "
Ye Hua sighed, "Obviously, Da Ji is out of the question, "
The Heavenly Lord nodded.
"That would only leave Bai Qian, " Ye Hua suggested.
"No, that one is corrupted by the vixen," His Majesty said, "She could never be a good ruler. "
They were back at square one.
"You should give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she has changed, "
"Change is never easy, "
"But it is achievable, "
The heavenly lord raised his eyebrow, "Why are you speaking for her? Have you been in contact with her?"
Ye Hua swallowed, "No, your Majesty, "
"She may be Bai Zhi's daughter, but her time with Da Ji had changed her nature, " the heavenly lord said, "We don't want a reenactment of the Shang Dynasty here, "
"Of course, sir, " Ye Hua bowed.
The Heavenly Lord sighed, "I'll send more supplies for the people of Qing Qiu, at least they won't starve during the winter, "
Ye Hua bowed again, "A wise choice, your Majesty, "
It took Bai Qian a week to call him. One whole week of Ye Hua walking back and forth around his room, glancing at the corner of his eye, and of him being restless in his bed.
That woman was going to be the death of him.
Bai Qian called him when he was sorting out his paperwork. At the sound of her voice, Ye Hua clumsily dropped his brush and fumbled for the mirror in his coat.
Both Tian Shu and Jia Yun raised sceptical eyebrows at him. Ye Hua coughed and straightened himself, "Not one word of this leave this room,"
He wasn't sure that they would agree to it.
"What is it, Bai Qian," Ye Hua said in disinterest as if he hadn't spent the last week waiting for her call.
"Ye Hua..." he heard her groan, "Why is it so hard, "
Ye Hua rubbed his face, "What is so hard?"
"This spell, " she complained, "I tried it a thousand times, it still won't work, "
"You want me to come over and help you?"
"Yes, please, "
"I'll come over when I'm free," Ye Hua said before ending the call.
Jia Yun refilled his cup of tea, "You don't want to talk to her any longer, your highness? "
Ye Hua picked up his brush again, "I don't know what are you talking about, "
Ye Hua left for the peach forest at night. He stumbled upon them having dinner by the porch.
"Ye Hua, " Zhe Yan greeted him, "Here to join us for dinner?"
Ye Hua stood there awkwardly, looking at the table of food in front of them. For the looks of it, Bai Qian was cooking again.
Ye Hua bowed, "I had my dinner already, High God, "
A delighted look appeared on Bai Qian's face when she saw him. She put down her chopsticks and stood up.
"Zhe Yan, I finished, " she told him.
Bai Qian rushed to Ye Hua's side and tugged at his sleeves.
"Wait, don't you have to wash your dishes, " The high god called out.
Bai Qian waved her hand, "You can wash them, "
Before Ye Hua could protest, she proceeded to drag him deep into the forest. She stopped in front of a big tree.
"See," she gestured to the tree.
The tree she showed him was different from the rest. Mainly it's because it's dead, the trunk was as grey as ash, the leaves crumble like dust and the blossom rots to the core.
"I can't imagine Zhe Yan has a tree like this in his forest," Ye Hua said.
"Zhe Yan said my father planted this tree, " Bai Qian knelt by the tree, "It's been like this since..."
Ye Hua crunched down next to her, "I'm sorry, Bai Qian, "
Bai Qian put on a blank face, "What are you apologising? It's not like you're there. And besides, I don't remember him anyway, "
"My offer to regain your memory is still open," Ye Hua provided.
"No, " Bai Qian declined, "If I remember them, then I'll start to miss them. I don't think I can handle that, "
Ye Hua was silent, he thought about what Da Ji said about his brother. Maybe she's right. That some things are better left forgotten.
"So Zhe Yan wanted you to revive this tree?" He asked.
Bai Qian nodded, "Zhe Yan had demonstrated the spell for me, but no matter how many times I tried, it didn't work, "
"Show me," he told her.
Bai Qian's hands glowed white and pointed it at the tree. For a minute, green leaves sprouted out, flower bulbs popped out between the branches.
Bai Qian's forehead beaded with sweat, her eyebrows furrowed. The strain was too much for her, and she collapsed.
Ye Hua caught her and watched as the tree wilted back to its original form. Ye Hua cradled Bai Qian in his arms. Her face was as pale as a sheet, and her fingers were as cold as ice.
She coughed and struggled to get up.
"I'm terrible at this," she muttered to herself.
Ye Hua got up to her feet, "Yes, you are, "
Bai Qian glared at him, "Well?"
Ye Hua walked around the tree, "I'm guessing even Zhe Yan couldn't revive this tree, "
Bai Qian kicked the pebble under her feet, "Zhe Yan tried. If he can't do it, I can't, "
"Don't say that, " Ye Hua said, "You just need practice, "
"I don't need practice. I can revive a dried out orchid in the sun, but not a tree?"
"Flowers and trees are two different things," Ye Hua commented.
"Are you going to help me or not?" She complained.
"I'm afraid my talents aren't at reviving trees," Ye Hua admitted, "Have you tried watering it?"
Bai Qian glared at him.
"Magical beings tend to work within their own jurisdictions, " Ye Hua explained, "If you want me to zap this tree down by lightning I can, but to revive it..."
Bai Qian tossed away the crumbled leaves by her feet, "So you're saying, dragons are useless, "
Ye Hua got defensive, "Dragons are not useless. We are the symbol of royalty. We represent power, nobility, and honour. We ruled the sky and the seas, all important to the survival of an empire, "
"Yes, " Bai Qian said, "but you can't revive a dead tree, "
The woman was getting to Ye Hua's nerve. He was determined to prove her wrong. When he cast the spell, it immediately backfired on him.
The spell blasted Ye Hua a few feet away from the tree.
A flash of an image appeared in his mind: A vision of a crying little girl hugging a man's feet, begging him.
"Ye Hua!" Bai Qian screamed, she helped get up and fused over him for injuries.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
Ye Hua coughed out dirt, "I'm fine, "
He grasped Bai Qian's arm, "When you cast the spell, did you receive any vision?"
"No, " Bai Qian said, "What did you see?"
Ye Hua told her what he saw. The little girl had a pair of white fox ears on top of her head. He was sure she was Bai Qian.
"This is no ordinary tree," Ye Hua said, "it had a connection to your past. To revive it you must regain your memory, "
Bai Qian swallowed, "I don't want to. I don't think I could live if I did, "
"Bai Qian, you can't avoid it forever, " Ye Hua tried to say.
Tears brimmed Bai Qian's eyes, "I drank the soup willingly, Ye Hua. There's a reason for that. Do you think I want to relive the memory of my family dying in front of my eyes?"
"If you don't, the tree will stay dead," Ye Hua told her.
Bai Qian pulled him up on his feet and turned away from the tree, "And it will stay dead. The name Bai Zhi meant nothing to me, "
Who knew Bai Qian was so determined to cut ties. If Ye Hua had done anything wrong to her, would she choose to forget and be done with him?
"I mastered the spell with other plants, it's only this tree, " Bai Qian murmured, "I'll tell Zhe Yan that, he'll understand, "
Ye Hua wanted to reach out and comfort her, to hold her in his arms, seeing Bai Qian like this hurt him, for reasons beyond his understanding.
"I'm sorry I didn't help much," Ye Hua said.
Bai Qian held herself and crashed her head against Ye Hua's chest. Her tears soaked through his robes. "You're here, that's all that matters, "
After that night, Ye Hua would visit Bai Qian occasionally. Some of the times were because Bai Qian needed some help with a spell. Others were Ye Hua who wanted to see her voluntarily.
When the times were too harsh even for the nine heavens, Ye Hua would find himself in the peach forest by Bai Qian's window. She had keen ears and always knew when Ye Hua would come. She would greet him with a smile as bright as sunshine, and eyes that shone like stars.
Bai Qian would take him into the forest and show him around. They would climb trees or lay in the flower beds. They would sit and talk for hours on end with whatever topics they could come up with.
Sometimes Bai Qian would get too comfortable with him. She would lay on his lap, or lean in for a kiss or a hug. She may have thought he was Zhao Ge again.
When that happens, Ye Hua has to reprimand her and remind her of their boundaries. But sometimes he would forget, and she would be able to steal a kiss or two.
That night was the night he forgot because Ye Hua had a terrible day up in the nine heavens. He had the unfortunate time of bumping into Su Jin that evening. Ye Hua had been trying to avoid her since he had learned of her meddling in the mortal realm.
"Su Jin," Ye Hua distastefully greeted when he saw her.
She bowed, "Your highness, a pleasure seeing you here in the lotus garden, "
Let's get the pleasantries over with.
"I just lost three rounds of chess against my third uncle, " Ye Hua said, "Seeing you here felt like the fourth time, "
Su Jin forced a laugh, "You are a funny man, your highness, this reminds me of the time we had a pleasant evening here, "
"All I remember is running away from you," he pointed out.
Su Jin's eyes ticked, she looked like she almost had it with him.
Ye Hua bowed, "If you will let me take my leave, my lady, "
He brushed past her, but Su Jin's words stopped him in his tracks.
"Are you going to see that vixen again, "
"I don't know what you are talking about," Ye Hua straightened himself.
"Don't try to deny it, " Su Jin said, "Her filthy white fur was all over your robes, "
Her tone was harsh, mean, and sharp. Behind Ye Hua, Tian Shu pulled his sword from its hilt.
"How dare you speak to the crown prince this way!" He yelled.
Ye Hua raised his hand, and Tian Shu retreated his sword.
"It's none of your business," Ye Hua proclaimed, "There's no need for you to put your grimy fingers in it, "
"I know you dislike me for meddling in your mortal life," Su Jin argued, "But she did so too. "
"Zhao Ge picked her up, " Ye Hua countered, "Bai Qian didn't know the rules, you did, "
"Look at you. You spent your whole life hunting her," Su Jin spat, "and now you're making excuses for her. What would your brother say?"
Ye Hua's blood boiled, "You have no right to presume what my brother would think! Least of all about Bai Qian, "
Su Jin was shocked by his outburst. Ye Hua could see the fear in her eyes.
"You better stay out of my way, or else, " Ye Hua left with the threat hanging.
Ye Hua once again ended up in the peach forest with Bai Qian. He found her lying on top of a tree branch, sipping a jug of wine.
"What's the occasion?" He asked her.
"Ye Hua!" She called out with glee and tried to get down the branch. She got so excited and missed a step. Ye Hua reached out and caught her just in time.
Ye Hua held her in his arms, Bai Qian leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. He could smell the sweet scent of wine from her breath. Ye Hua tried to pull her away, "Bai Qian, you're drunk, "
She pushed him against a tree, "Please, we both know my tolerance. This little wine is nothing to me, "
She grasped her hands around Ye Hua's sleeves, pulling him closer to her. She murmured his name like prayer as if she was his one true worshiper.
"Bai Qian, we shouldn't, " Ye Hua tried to say.
"We have been playing this game for half a century now, " she murmured, "Aren't you a bit curious?"
Has it been half a century already? Five decades since Mo Yuan's death, fifty years since Ye Hua forgave her for it.
"Curious of what?" He asked.
Bai Qian gave him a sly smile, "What would happen if we took it a step further? "
Ye Hua knew what would happen, "Bai Qian, I can't. "
She brushed her lips against his cheek.
"Why not? I know your feelings for me, " She mumbled, "You need to stop lying to yourself, "
"What am I lying about?"
"If you don't care about me, you won't come here to visit me often, " she started, "You won't help me with my cultivation, you won't let me crawl over you like this, "
She's right. Over the past few years, many women have tried to get their way with him, albeit for power or fame. But none got as close as Bai Qian did. And she didn't even know he was the crown prince of the nine heavens.
Was she that good or did Ye Hua let her be?
Her hands laid across his chest, tugging at his collar. Ye Hua grabbed them and interlaced their fingers together.
Bai Qian's eyes were soft and mesmerising. Ye Hua couldn't help but fall deeper into them. He went into a daze, and his body seemed to have a mind of its own.
"Mo Yuan once warned me about fox magic, " Ye Hua managed to say, "How you use it to seduce men, making them lose their wits, "
Bai Qian nodded, "Men were nothing, but puppets to me, "
Ye Hua wondered what would be like to completely surrender to her. Let her pull his string, what would she make him do? He had summoned rain for her, gave her his peach and risked getting caught to help her. Bai Qian didn't even have to ask.
"Am I one of your puppets?" He asked.
"No, " Bai Qian said, "You're the only puppet I can't control, "
Ye Hua found himself responding to her gentle touches, her sensual kisses. All caution was thrown out of the window, the second her robe disappeared in front of his eyes.
"Then how are you doing this to me?" He wondered about his flustered state, he tried to swallow a moan, "By magic?"
"Oh, Ye Hua, " she smiled slyly, "I never need to use magic, "
*五欲六尘 five desires and six senses.
A Buddhist concept. The first obstacle one must overcome. The five desires are riches, lust, fame, gluttony and sloth. The six senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and perception.