They were back in Qing Qiu, a month after they left but the fox den looked very different. For one, it was overflowing with gifts. Bai Qian read a few of the accompanying notes and turned to face Ye Hua who was playing with their son
"It is not your birthday" he stated oblivious to the storm that was brewing
"It's official betrothal gifts from your family"
He stopped in his tracks. He had not been consulted, none of the notes or scrolls he had received mentioned anything about starting the conversation for his wedding. He walked up to her and took the note she was holding.
"Nobody said anything to me"
"I suspect someone from your family doesn't think you'll make the right call and you were not consulted for the same reason"
Usually he'd be the sensible one who thought about the players and the strategies but he'd been so blinded by the fact that his family was trying to ruin his game plan for marrying Qian Qian
He took a deep breath "I want to marry you in this world and in every other world we find but I want you to also feel the same and be ready. My family ruined our first try and I do not want that to ever happen again"
"Xiao Wu"
"Mother" turning to the door where her mother's voice came from
"The crown prince is here, I guess that explains the urgency of the letter's we've been receiving from the heavenly lord." Her mother's sharp eyes caught the baby in her arms and the look on her face. "is there something you want to tell your mother?"
Bai Qian sighed, this was not going the way she planned it. "Fourth brother and Zhe Yan are in the peach blossom forest, they'll want to hear it from me directly. Can we wait for them to come here so I only have to tell the story once"
Her father nodded and suggested they all head to Zhe Yan's place rather than send a message to bring everyone over.
Bai Qian caught up with Ye Hua at the door, he looked like he was about to go to face an execution panel or worse. She squeezed his hand and whispered "I'd prefer for you to be there but it'll be painful and my family is notoriously protective so I understand if you'd rather not"
He nodded.
"If it isn't the loving couple, I've gotten more letters from the heavenly kingdom in the last week than all my life" fourth brother said as we settled into the small cabin at the peach blossom forest.
Bai Qian gave him a look that had Zhe Yan burst into laughter and her mother frowning.
"Xiao Wu has a lot to explain"
Bai Qian gave the baby to her mother and stood so that she was half in front of Ye Hua then told them the story of her mortal trial beginning from when she fought Qing Cang to when she jumped down Zhuxian terrace.
Her mother cried, her father threw magic out the window a couple of times at what she didnt see but to her surprise, nobody interrupted her or tried to get to Ye Hua even when she got to the end of the story. She found herself annoyed at that.
"You're standing protectively in front of him, hurting him will be hurt you so and after everything you just shared is too much to see that nobody in this room wants to see you hurt any more? Zhe Yan said looking squarely at Ye Hua who nodded back at him
She hated logic.
"Doesn't mean we won't get him another time" Her mother said not looking up from the baby
"Mother!"
"I said what I said"
"What do you want to do? We can break off the engagement without any cause if we wanted but right now we have a big cause" Fourth brother asked
"I don't know"
"Why is that?" he pressed
"I don't like the celestial tribe or the heavenly lord's family"
"So break it off"
"I want Ye Hua and A-Li"
There was a collective sigh in the room.
"You always have to be complicated" Zhe Yan said
Ye Hua had no idea how he got home but he now sat in his own bedroom in Xiwu palace, bottle in hand. Qian Qian's father had strongly suggested he stay away from Qing Qiu for a few days while his wife and the rest of the family calmed down although he had no idea how they would calm down. He'd been there the whole time and failed to see how it all went down from her point of view. He'd know the facts but he'd heard her fear when talked about her heavenly experience and the despair that drove her jump.
If he'd been told someone else did that to her, he'd have ripped their heads clear off their bodies. As it was, he was the guilty party. He'd blamed everyone else for the loss of Su Su, he just hadn't realized until she'd shared her story, how much of it was his fault. If he'd told her why she needed to stay in the cabin, she'd probably have stayed. If he'd told her about Su Jin's obsession, she'd have known the lies were not true. A lot of ifs swam in his head
He sighed as he picked up another bottle and took a big swig. Her 'death' had forced him to grow up, to draw the line for what he accepted and what he didn't. If she married him this time, things would be different. And not just because she had her own powers and could defend herself.
He had no idea how long he sat drinking but it was middle of the day when he woke up. He woke up with a resolve: he was going to start making amends.
YOU ARE READING
Through it all (a ten miles of peach blossoms fan fiction)
Fanfiction[Complete] Bai Qian has returned from her mortal trials with her memory and her newly elevated powers. She wants her son, she wants her eyes and she wants justice. This time, she has everything she needs to make it happen I recently watched the Chin...
