Fanfiction: Mo Yuan and Shao Wan - Chapter 21.5 (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms 三生三世十里桃花)
Chapter 21.5
written by Miniorchidedited by kakashi and JoAnne
Before Bai Qian was even aware of what was happening, Ye Hua cloud-jumped her back to their tent.
“Qian Qian, are you alright?” Ye Hua looked very concerned, first running his hands over her body to check for injuries, then hugging her in relief.
“Why did you take me away? She’s trying to seduce A-Li!”
Bai Qian pushed at him, but he held on. She was getting angry at him. Why the stupid fuss? The Demon Woman had tried to go after their son! First it was Ye Hua, and now A-Li! She didn’t even want to think of what evil spells that witch must have used on Shifu, who seemed entirely bewitched by her.
“Qian Qian, calm down, you can’t fight right now,” Ye Hua said.
Ban Qian turned red with rage. "Are you trying to tell me again that she is a much better martial artist than I am? I know but don’t care!”
She tried to pull herself free again, but he wouldn't let her. Instead, Ye Hua forced her to look at him.
“Qian Qian, listen… you’re carrying our child,” Ye Hua explained. “Stop fretting about the Demon goddess. Do you really think she wants to marry a boy?”
“What did you say?” Bai Qian froze at his words, no longer struggling.
"I didn’t want to tell you until our baby is stable, it’s still early, Qian Qian...” Ye Hua continued to explain. When his words registered, Bai Qian pulled away from him, putting some space between them.
“I’m… I’m…. pregnant?” she whispered, barely getting the words out.
She had used protection! The peaches Zhe Yan gave her … how … she desperately tried to comprehend, and finally it came to her. That night when Ye Hua had come back from Kunlun and they had made love so many times … she had forgotten about the peaches before that and then had run out. She had gotten new ones shortly after, but how many days had she not taken them? She tried to maintain control, but a horrible feeling of dread started to wash over her.
“Qian Qian….you don’t want to have our child?” she heard Ye Hua ask.
Memories of suppressed emotions resurfaced. Looking at her husband, tears began to fill her eyes.
***
Ye Hua had noticed the first signs two weeks ago, when Bai Qian asked for pickled loquats from her homeland. His wife never had the habit of eating sour food, so he was intrigued by the change. He asked his niece-in-law Fengjiu to teach him how to make them, which she happily did. She said she was an expert from making many batches when she was pregnant with Bai Gun Gun. She thought she must have picked all the loquats in the forest at the time, so big was her craving! Ye Hua smiled like a fool at the revelation and he asked Cheng Yu to go with A-Li to pick all the loquats they could find. Together with his son, he then made Bai Qian the pickled delicacy.
The next night, as he lay next to Bai Qian, he gently caressed her stomach and used his magic to find out whether what he was hoping for was true. Tears shot into his eyes when he sensed the new tiny energy of life that was growing inside of her. Bai Qian was indeed pregnant, but it was early and she seemed still unaware. Her mind was preoccupied with Shifu and the Demon goddess as of late, which he realized was also likely the reason why she had forgotten to take her contraceptive peaches.
Clearly, he owed his brother and the Demon goddess a debt. Not least because of this, he had considered it his brotherly duty the other night to tell Mo Yuan to act according to his feelings, and not his reason. Fate was unpredictable, and his imperturbable brother needed to realize that missing opportunities was never a good thing.
A part of him wanted to tell Bai Qian of his discovery the very next morning, but then thought he'd wait for her to find out on her own. The image of Bai Qian glowing with happiness as she told him the good news brought a smile to his face. As he held his wife with his child inside of her in the days that followed, Ye Hua couldn’t help but wonder if fate had finally shown him mercy.
However, fate was not that charitable after all. The situation now was in stark contrast to the time they found out about her first pregnancy and had happily congratulated each other. Bai Qian looked shocked, but not with happiness - it was dread on her face this time. Ye Hua could not believe his excitement had become his worst nightmare.
It took all his courage to ask: “Qian Qian….you don’t want to have our child?”
As he spoke the words, he feared to hear her answer. The silence was unbearable. When she finally spoke, her eyes were filled with tears.
“Ye Hua, you were not there,” she managed to say. “Those nights, I was all alone. You left for months, even years. I remember my mortal memories… the loneliness, the fear...”
She covered her mouth, unable to speak more.
“Qian Qian, come here.”
But she couldn’t move on her own, as if any movement would shatter her, so Ye Hua went to her. He pulled her into his arms, letting her weep against him as his own tears began to form.
Mouth buried against his chest, she found her voice again. “I’m afraid. I’m afraid of waking up without you. I’m afraid everything that happened while I carried A-Li will happen again.”
He tightened his hold as Bai Qian was choking on her words. “Qian Qian… I’m sorry. I failed you.”
“Ye Hua.....I don’t want to be afraid. I don’t want to lose you again,” she sobbed.
For 300 years he had kept vigil over the soul-gathering lamp. Ye Hua had waited for Su Su to come back, but she never did - of course not, because she was Bai Qian. Now, as he was holding his terrified wife, he realized Su Su had come back after all. She was terrified of being pregnant because she remembered what she had gone through as Su Su. Ye Hua had not known that the trauma from her heavenly trial was still living so vividly within her - just as it also existed within him.
It was not logical, but the fear of losing one’s love never is.
He pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he spoke. “Qian Qian, you won’t ever lose me again. Our days of calamity are over. We will be together always.”
“Ye Hua...”
He held her face, staring into her eyes. “I promise that from this day onward, I will tuck you into bed every night. I promise that you will wake up with me looking into your eyes every morning. I promise that I will never be away long enough for you to miss me. Qian Qian, this time, I will be by your side the day our child is born.”
Ye Hua kissed her passionately, desperate to take away all of her tears and fears. When he finally broke their kiss, they were both out of breath. He held her even tighter.
“Ye Hua, you’re holding me too tight,” she said breathlessly. He let go of her instantly, cursing himself for hurting her again.
“Qian Qian, did I hurt you?”
She smiled tearfully, shaking her head.
Ye Hua fell in love all over again that very moment. With his goddess. His wife. The mother of his children. There would be no more doubts between them. He would prove that to her until his last breath.
After wiping away the last of her tears with his thumb and kissing her forehead tenderly, Ye Hua pulled Bai Qian into his arms again, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Together, they listened to the faint music of someone playing the zither. Time stood still. He had places to be as the Celestial crown prince, but there was nothing else that mattered more at that moment than his precious wife in his arms.
Sometime after night fell and the candles dimmed, Bai Qian fell asleep under the soothing touch of his hands on her back. Ye Hua carried her to their bed, magically removed her outer heavy garments, and tucked her in as he had done thousands of times before. He climbed in beside her and let her hold him in her sleep as she always did. When she woke up the next morning, she would see the husband who kept his promise, smiling at her.
****
Bai Qian felt someone kissing her forehead. When she opened her eyes, Ye Hua was smiling at her. He must have carried her to bed when she fell asleep in his arms. They were going to be parents again... She realized that she had tried to prevent having another child with Ye Hua because the memories from her trial still plagued her subconcious. But Ye Hua was right; their days of calamity were over, they would no longer be forced part. She didn’t want him to live with the guilt of failing her in the past. Even now, despite his affectionate smile, she could still see a hint of guilt in those dark eyes of his. Enough.
“When did you first know that I am pregnant?” she asked. He started to gently kiss her neck and shoulders, making her shiver.
“Two weeks ago.” Carefully, he placed his hand on her stomach.
Curious that he kept it to himself for so long. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He sighed. “I wanted you to tell me.”
“Wh..why?”
“To see the happiness in your eyes when you told me the news that you’re carrying our child again.”
“That’s it?” She laughed.
“Yes.” Simple as that. Her sweet husband, who could be so complex but also so simple. It was hard to keep up with his mood swings. And speaking of moods … he had just removed their clothing with magic again.
“Ye Hua! I thought you said I’m pregnant!”
“Do you want me to hold myself back for 3 years? I cannot do that, Qian Qian. Besides, we’re creating new memories this time.”
“I think we have enough of these kind of memories!” she pushed against his broad shoulders - a mistake, since she loved the feel of his skin against her hands and the scar across his chest never failed to remind her of the sacrifices he had made. Resisting him became harder and then seemed pointless.
“Never!” he chuckled, then quickly captured her lips, kissing her until she stopped struggling. He pulled back, his eyes full of love and happiness. “I’ll be gentle, Qian Qian.”
How could she say no to him when he looked at her with those pleading puppy eyes? Smiling back, she pulled him down to return his kiss, touching him everywhere until he was groaning with desire. Yes, creating new memories they could both treasure seemed like a very good idea.
Chapter 22