Ch 28
Bai Qian
Bai Qian spent a full year in Celestial Heaven. She and Ye Hua still talked about her past events daily. Bai Qian’s memories from her past were slowly coming together, but the more Bai Qian remembered, her confusion only grew. Bai Qian didn’t know which twin she’d chosen as her partner.
Ye Hua remained consistently patient and said he had faith once her memories came back, Bai Qian’s confusion would resolve itself. Ye Hua didn’t express any desire to share intimacy, and Bai Qian never offered, Ye Hua became a companion and friend.
High God, Bai Zhi, the Fox King came out of seclusion, and the first thing he did was search out his daughter, Bai Qian. He needed to see Bai Qian with his own eyes to decide his next plan of action. The Fox King was ready to declare war.
The Fox King found Bai Qian sitting by the lotus ponds reading one of her favored mortal’s stories. Bai Qian ran into her father’s arms and kissed his cheek. The Fox King demanded to know why she was in Celestial Heaven. Bai Qian replied it was her choice. Bai Qian wanted to know her past. She wanted her memories back.
The Fox King reminded Bai Qian, Celestial Heaven was where she’d suffered unspeakable acts of horror. He said the lost memories; she’d been searching were better left unknown. Bai Qian’s father told her it was a blessing that she’d forgotten what she’d endured. The Fox King confessed he wouldn’t be able to watch her die again and this time it would be the death of him also.
Bai Qian asked why he’d come out of seclusion so soon? She knew from personal experience the act of giving another one’s own heart’s blood was draining and took thousands of years to recover. Bai Qian expressed worry for the Fox King’s health due to his advanced age. Bai Qian told her father that she would continue to stay in Celestial Heaven. When the Fox King asked if it was Mo Yuan or Ye Hua, she replied her choice was neither. Bai Qian decided to choose a different love. An unquestionable love from the deepest part of her heart that she was unaware of before.
Bai Qian had chosen her son A-Li. Bai Qian decided being a mother was more important than selecting a lover.
Bai Qian was raised in an environment surrounded by love, support, and nurture with two adoring parents; she wanted to give A-Li the same opportunities she’d come to value. A-Li raised alone by Ye Hua for his whole life needed a mother, and she was his mother. Bai Qian asked Nai Nai to bring A-Li to her so the Fox King could see his grandson. Tears came to Bai Zhi’s eyes when he saw the boy, his grandchild, A-Li.
A-Li, a mirror image of the Fox King, was more nine-tailed than a dragon. A-Li resembled his uncle, Bai Zhen when Bai Zhen was A-Li’s age. The Fox King gazed deeply into his grandson’s eyes and recognized himself in the child’s face. A-Li was Bai Qian’s reason to stay in a place that had once been her prison. Bai Qian had grown during his year in seclusion. She’d transformed from a woman into a mother.
Like any proud mother, Bai Qian bragged about A-Li’s intelligence, kindness, and compassionate heart. She said A-Li was sometimes too rigid like his father, but she smiled and promised she would change that soon enough. Bai Qian winked at A-Li, and they giggled together like playmates more than mother and son. It was evident, Bai Qian’s love for her son was sincere.
When the Fox King asked what he should tell Mo Yuan about her choice, she replied to say to her Shifu that she still loved him deeply, and her love for him was still as it had been. Bai Qian wanted to remain in Celestial Heaven for a bit longer to be with A-Li. Bai Qian asked her father to relay that she was happy, healthy, and stronger, so Mo Yuan didn’t need to concern himself with her well-being. Bai Qian encouraged both Mo Yuan and her father return into seclusion for their sake. One year wasn’t long enough to regain lost cultivation.
Bai Qian told the Fox King, she and Ye Hua had agreed not to marry. If there were to be a marriage, it would occur after there were feelings of mutual affection and she didn’t have those feelings yet. She reassured her father; Ye Hua didn’t pressure her or make any demands for her affection. He was her companion and friend. Ye Hua was the person who knew both SuSu and herself best so he’d become her source of knowledge and reference in her quest to remember the past.
The Fox King reminded Bai Qian, Ye Hua took her eyes during her heavenly trial. Bai Qian not only explained Ye Hua’s reason for taking her sight, but she also defended his actions. Ye Hua was trying to save her life with the little influence he had as Crown Prince. Ye Hua was also a victim of circumstances beyond his control. Ye Hua was only 50,000 years old and unable to stop Heavenly Grandfather’s evil ways. Bai Qian told her father, Ye Hua’s guilt was still deeply saturated inside him, and he never forgave himself for his failures, even to this day.
Ye Hua was a child soldier in a battle against an experienced General, his grandfather Heavenly Lord. Ye Hua wouldn’t have won due to the power structure and hierarchy of the immortal world. Even the Fox King who despised Ye Hua understood and wondered what he would have done in Ye Hua’s shoes. Would Bai Zhi have stumbled in his footsteps? Would he have chosen poorly and made the same mistakes Ye Hua made? The Fox King never cared about Ye Hua’s perspective due to his concern being only for his damaged daughter, but if Ye Hua had been his son, the Fox King now saw justifications in Ye Hua’s attempts and actions.
Ye Hua aware of the Fox King’s arrival humbled himself, knelt and kowtowed three times before High God, Bai Zhi, the Fox King and apologized for his previous failures. Ye Hua swore he would never allow Bai Qian to get hurt again. The Fox King looked at Ye Hua silently for a long time, placed his hand gently on Ye Hua’s shoulder before taking Ye Hua’s hand and lifting him to his feet. Ye Hua had tears in his eyes when High God, Bai Zhi, requested Ye Hua care for his daughter as he would himself. The Fox King kissed and pressed his forehead against his cherished daughter’s and told her to be happy. He said it was time for her to live in peace and joy since she’d endured enough hardship. The Fox King also praised Bai Qian for being mentally healthy and brave to return to a place that was once her hell and in the attempt to see why it was called Celestial Heaven.
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Mo Yuan
Mo Yuan was expressionless when the Fox King told him about meeting Bai Qian. After hearing Seventeen’s message to him, Mo Yuan knew Ye Hua had shaken her. Ye Hua had created enough doubt for Seventeen to question herself. She was wavering. Hearing that she still loved him should have brought a slight sense of relief, but instead, it only made Mo Yuan angry at himself for going into seclusion when he did. Mo Yuan lamented leaving Seventeen alone, giving Ye Hua time to do what he’d wanted to do from the very start.
Ye Hua wanted Seventeen to question her choices and decisions in the present by bringing up the past. Ye Hua held an advantage over Mo Yuan. Mo Yuan was Seventeen’s lover, but Ye Hua had once been her husband. It was during her heavenly trial, but he was still once married to her. Knowing Seventeen’s loyalty, Mo Yuan knew this fact alone would make Seventeen want to know what her feelings for Ye Hua had been. She wouldn’t have married someone she didn’t love.
Mo Yuan also heard she was staying for A-Li’s sake, which made Mo Yuan feel proud of Seventeen’s desire to take responsibility. He regretted not being able to impregnate her during their times of intimacy. Seventeen was honest from the start. She told Mo Yuan she wanted to have his child. Mo Yuan was heartbroken. He was losing her again but this time by her free will and choice which was more painful than having her taken from him. Had Seventeen’s choice been Ye Hua, Mo Yuan would have challenged him but this was different. Seventeen’s decision wasn’t made by a love confused woman, it was decided as a loving and caring mother.
Seventeen hadn’t selected him or Ye Hua, but she chose correctly. Seventeen picked her son A-Li.
to be continued……………….