Ch 18:
Bai Qian
Bai Qian woke up in her room at Kunlun Mountain to find someone who resembled her Shifu, Mo Yuan, sitting beside her bed with his head down. At first, she thought she was dreaming. Bai Qian had checked on an unconscious Mo Yuan just the day before, before going to seal Qing Cang. Suddenly, she worried if she’d failed to seal the Imperial Eastern Bell.
The man beside her lifted his head, and it was her Shifu, Mo Yuan.
Bai Qian blinked rapidly unable to believe her Shifu was indeed sitting beside her, so she asked dumbfounded, “Shifu, when did you awake? Did I successfully seal Qing Cang? Am I dead and in the afterlife with you?”
Mo Yuan suddenly held one of her Bai Qian’s hands in his and moved his face close to her’s before wordlessly kissing her deeply.
Bai Qian didn’t hate the kiss, on the contrary, it was quite pleasant. It made her feel like her toes were tingling, but she pulled away politely and asked, “Shifu….did you hurt your head while you were asleep? It’s me, Seventeen.” She raised up three fingers and asked how many fingers she was holding.
Mo Yuan smiled and replied lovingly, “Three and I haven’t hurt my head. I’m aware of who are you, Seventeen.”
Bai Qian was utterly confused and asked, “Did you just kiss me on purpose and why?”
“I kissed you Seventeen because I love you.” Mo Yuan replied.
Bai Qian gazed at him stunned with huge saucer-like eyes and said, “What!? Shifu, I think Zhe Yan should examine you again. I believe that you’ve hurt your head or are suffering from the residual side effects of being asleep for too long. I know what will help though.” Bai Qian smiled mischievously and said, “Wine will help. Wine helps everything. I had an excellent bottle last night. I’ll bring the same one to you.”
Seventeen swiftly got out of her bed, but Mo Yuan chuckled. He embraced her tightly before saying with a voice full of relief, “My little Seventeen is back.”
Bai Qian was overwhelmed by everyone’s reception. She wondered what was wrong with everyone considering they had seen her just days before when she’d exposed that she was Si Yin. If there was a reason to be shocked and overjoyed, it should have been about Shifu being back. Mo Yuan who had just woken up after 70,000 years. It was just her luck; she’d waited for 70,000 years only to have Shifu wake up when she was sleeping.
She cursed Qing Cang’s rotten timing under her breath.
Bai Qian’s parents’ and brothers’ reactions were the most confusing. They were crying and holding her so tightly as if they hadn’t seen her for thousands of years. Her father, the Fox King, explained she had been dead for the last 10,000 years after resealing Qing Cang. At first, she thought they were fooling her, but it turned out to be the truth. Bai Qian had been dead for 10,000 years, and her father had fed her precious blood from his heart to preserve her body. Bai Qian burst into tears as she hugged her father and apologized for causing him so much pain.
Bai Qian had lost all her memories starting from when she went to reseal Qing Cang. Her mind had completely wiped itself clean. She didn’t have any recollection of her heavenly trial, Ye Hua, A-Li, losing her sight, Celestial Heaven, SuSu or jumping from Zhuxian Terrace. SuSu, as she’d promised, had finally set Bai Qian free and those around her thought this was a miracle in disguise. Everyone agreed wholeheartedly, that for Bai Qian’s sake, that they would never discuss the past to her again.
All the painful events she’d faced were no longer in her mind. Bai Qian was back, as the carefree, brave, fearless, mischievous, and wine loving goddess she’d been before her heavenly trial. Bai Qian was thrilled and astonished that she had ascended to a high goddess and was not longer engaged to Prince Sang Ji. Bai Qian felt blessed everything had disentangled itself out during her sleep but more than anything she was ecstatic that her Shifu, Mo Yuan was back.
Mo Yuan visited her often, and they went to Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms together. Bai Qian blushed deep pink thinking about Mo Yuan’s kisses and words of love. She’d been harboring a secret love for her Shifu for years. Bai Qian wondered if he was just grateful for her actions to preserve Mo Yuan’s body and was confusing it with love, but Bai Qian didn’t care.
She smiled just thinking about the way Mo Yuan held her hand, as they walked through Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. Just the night before, Mo Yuan had kissed her in a way that took her breath away. He had the softest lips, and his tongue and hands made all the hairs on her body stand on edge. The warm scent of Mo Yuan’s skin and the feel of his physical touch were exquisite. Bai Qian sometimes pinched herself to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming, only to hear Mo Yuan softly chuckle when he caught her doing so.
The evening her father came and informed Bai Qian that Mo Yuan had asked for his permission to marry her, Bai Qian almost fainted from rapture. After being in love with Mo Yuan for thousands of years, something unexpected and surprising was happening.
Mo Yuan, her Shifu desired to marry her.
When her father asked if it was a union Bai Qian wanted, she couldn’t answer because Bai Qian had covered her mouth with her hands unable to control her screams and squeals of delight. Bai Qian believed every drop of blood she’d given to her Shifu had been well worth it. She had given him her heart’s blood in exchange for Mo Yuan’s love, heart, and devotion.
That night she couldn’t sleep and snickered every time she thought about being married to Mo Yuan. She covered her blushing face with her blanket thinking about their wedding night. Bai Qian covered her mouth to muffle her giggling just thinking about being intimate with Mo Yuan and wondered if it was required to wait until they were married.
She ultimately fell asleep hours later with a smile on her face.
Since it had been 10,000 years since she’d heard a mortal story at her favorite tea house, she wondered if it would still be there. Unfortunately, as she’d expected, it was no longer there, so she decided to go for a walk. Bai Qian so completely immersed in her happy dreams about Mo Yuan that she failed to realize she was lost. She crossed through a dense forest and found herself standing in front of a little homey, thatched cottage. There was a small bridge in front of the adorable hut with clean, cold, water running underneath it. She put her hands in the refreshingly chilled water and took a couple quenching sips. Bai Qian splashed her face to wake herself up and shook her hands dry as she looked back at the unoccupied dwelling.
Her curiosity got the best of her, so she went and knocked on the outside post at the cabin. Bai Qian didn’t hear a response, so she slowly walked in. It was small but possessed everything for someone to live in it comfortably. She saw an empty bird nest hanging from the rafting by the window. The intimate hut was surprising, spaciously, open and strangely warm and cozy. She saw the canopy bed with a red wedding quilt on the bed. The hut was astounding clean, but it was clear that nobody had lived in it for years. She caressed the crimson wedding quilt with the palm of her hand and thought about Mo Yuan again, causing her face to blush darker red than the blanket itself.
Bai Qian wondered if her Shifu would come here with her. It was more private than Zhe Yan’s hut since people often came by without prior notice like her fourth brother Bai Zhen. It was much more private than Kunlun Mountain and her fox den. They wouldn’t even need to use a privacy spell since it was so secluded when they made love. This thought made her blush again, so she threw herself on the bed and laughed loudly.
Bai Qian snickered as she wondered if they could make a baby here?
Bai Qian was beaming and staring at the ceiling when she heard a man’s faint voice call surprised, “Qian Qian?”
Bai Qian jumped up so quickly that she hit her head on the railing of the bed’s canopy. She looked at the young man dressed in all black. His thick black robe had the dragon symbol decorated on the sleeve. His hair was long, black and shiny and worn with a simple topknot, but the back flowed freely. He looked at her with an expression she didn’t understand. It was a strange mixture of joy, sadness, astonishment, and expectancy but she didn’t know what of.
Bai Qian studied his face and smiled before asking, “Are you my Shifu’s younger twin brother, Heavenly Lord Ye Hua?
Ye Hua was speechless but just nodded ‘yes’ that he was and then softly asked, “You don’t remember me?”
Bai Qian stepped closer to Ye Hua, looked at his face intensely and said, “Have we met before? Forgive me Heavenly Lord Ye Hua. I’ve just awoken from a long sleep. You must have me confused with someone else. Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I am High Goddess Bai Qian, Queen of Qing Qiu.” She added with a sudden becoming blush to her cheeks, “I’m your future sister-in-law.”
Bai Qian looked down at her feet, but Ye Hua could see the huge smile on her face.
“I’ve wanted to meet you since we will soon be family.” Bai Qian pointed to the ceiling of the hatched hut and asked, “Heavenly Lord, does this home belong to you?”
“It used to belong to someone significant to me.” Ye Hua answered somberly.
Bai Qian looked apologetic and said, “Forgive me for intruding and trespassing. It was just so enchanting and cozy that I couldn’t help myself.”
Ye Hua’s eyes filled with unshed tears as he said, “You can have it, Qian Qian. It seems to suit you perfectly as if it was built for you.”
Bai Qian jumped up delighted and clapped her hands like a child, “I can’t wait to bring Shifu, no, I mean my future husband Mo Yuan here. It’s very romantic. Wouldn’t you agree too Heavenly Lord? Perhaps you’ll get a niece or nephew soon.” She blushed again and giggled like a school girl before she lightly slapped her mouth and apologized, “Forgive me Heavenly Lord for spouting such rubbish to someone who I’ve only just met. If you’ll excuse me, Heavenly Lord Ye Hua, I hope to see you again before the wedding.”
With that, Bai Qian walked towards the forest and left Ye Hua standing in front of the bed of his once happy newlywed home.
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Ye Hua
When Ye Hua first saw the back of Qian Qian standing in front of the hut at Mount Junji, he thought he was hallucinating. Ye Hua had desired to see Qian Qian so much, that he concluded that his mind was playing games with him, but it was her. Qian Qian had awoken after 10,000 years, and just as the Fox King had promised, he had fed Qian Qian amnesia potion, and she had forgotten him and their love completely.
As if that wasn’t depressing enough, she was now marrying Mo Yuan. Qian Qian had just told Ye Hua, that she was going to bring Mo Yuan to the place where she’d conceived their child A-li. Ye Hua was not only living in an eternal hell, but he also felt as if he was dying again…still. His dear wife that he’d wished and cried for was now marrying his twin, Mo Yuan. Ye Hua’s once wife, Qian Qian, had proudly just told Ye Hua that she was planning on getting pregnant with Mo Yuan and giving Ye Hua a niece or nephew.
Ye Hua closed his eyes and could smell Qian Qian’s sweet peach blossom perfume still lingering in the air. Ye Hua put both hands on the top of his head, dropped his head back defeated and started to cry. Had he not paid enough for his crimes against Qian Qian? How much longer would he have to endure such excruciating pain? Would Ye Hua’s life be one heartbreak after another? Qian Qian had been right before him, yet he had been unable to say any of the things he’d wanted to tell her.
No, Ye Hua would not surrender himself to this. He would not allow Qian Qian to leave his life this quickly again without a fight. Ye Hua headed into the direction where Ye Hua’d seen Qian Qian go. He found her quickly because she’d been walking circles, lost. Ye Hua ran to her and seized her arm. Qian Qian turned around scared and bewildered while looking at Ye Hua’s grasp. Ye Hua pulled her into his tight embrace.
Qian Qian’s expression reflected her terror as she begged, “Heavenly Lord, please don’t do this! Release me now!”
Ye Hua was deaf to her pleas. He held her face as tears ran down his face and said, “Please Qian Qian. It’s me your husband, Ye Hua. Look at me. You told me you loved me. Please remember me. I beg you. Please look at me and try to recognize me.” Ye Hua begged before pulling her back into his arms.
Qian Qian was fighting to get out of his arms and cried, “Please, I’m not who you think I am. You’re scaring me so let go of me. I don’t know you! Please don’t do this!”
Ye Hua couldn’t stop himself, his grief and consuming love for Qian Qian made him lose all rational thought and reason. “Please Qian Qian, remember me,” Ye Hua appealed with her and repeated over and over while holding her tightly to him. Ye Hua desperately tried to kiss her face while Qian Qian was whimpering and begging Ye Hua to stop.
Qian Qian began screaming hysterically when Ye Hua suddenly felt someone pull Qian Qian from his embrace with amazing force and power. Ye Hua looked up to see his older twin brother Mo Yuan and Mo Yuan was furious.
to be continued……