Still You

Pregnant?

Lan Zhan woke up in a strange room, the last clear memory being the alcohol he drank with his brother. He dreamt of Wei Ying, seeing him in his original body but older than the last time they met at Nightless City. It felt so real, like Wei Ying wasn't angry with him. He wished he could stay in that dream forever, but waking up alone in a strange room dressed proved it was just a dream.

Wei Ying, come back to me, please. I need you... Wei Ying...

Lan Zhan returned to the Cloud Recesses and explained to his brother and Shufu about waking up in an inn, unable to recall how he got there. Soon after, they left for Jinlintai. Upon arriving, they saw Chief Cultivator Jin Guangyao and Su She talking. Jin Guangyao was struck by Zidian and demanded an explanation.

"Explain this!"

"What is this all about!?"

"You got the nerve to ask? Don't you know already!"

"I got nothing to do with this!"

"We better do an empathy," Lan Zhan offered, and everyone agreed.

In the empathy, they saw the planning for Qiongqi Path, the abuse of Wen survivors, and how Jin Guangyao instructed Su She and cursed Jin Zixun. They witnessed the events at Nightless City, the killing of Jin Guangyao's son, brother, and sworn brother Nie Mingjue, and his marriage to his half-sister Qin Su.

"How can you do this, A-Yao?! How can you be so cruel to Da-ge?"

"Why? Why did you do such things? Why did you kill my parents?" Jin Ling cried as Lan Sizhui and Jingyi helped him up.

"You've killed my sister, my brother-in-law, my brother! How could you? They didn't do anything wrong to you!" Sect Leader Jiang shouted.

"I have nothing to say. They deserved to die!"

"Deserve to die? Then YOU DESERVE TO DIE! YOU OWE A LIFE TO MANY PEOPLE, YOU SON OF A PROSTITUTE!"

"After everything we saw, we shall now drop a punishment. Jin Guangyao, Su She, you will receive the punishment of beating, melting your core, and banishment to an island. A barrier will prevent you from leaving, and you will stay there until you die. Whoever else helped you will suffer the same punishment."

That day, Jin Guangyao and Su She were banished to a sealed island, condemned to remain there for the rest of their lives.

### Celestial Mountain

A month later, news arrived that Xiao Xingcheng, Wei Qing, and Fei Guang were pregnant. Everyone rejoiced at the news.

"Qing-jie, Shushu, Fei-jie, congratulations! I'm going to have another nephew or niece!"

"Thank you, A-Ying."

"Thank you, A-Xian."

"Thank you, A-Ying."

"But Shushu, how can you be pregnant if you are a man? No offense, Shushu."

"Ah, that would be from our unique core. Remember that every week your grandmother took us to the hot springs?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that is no ordinary spring. It's a fertility spring for those who wish to have children."

"What??? How come nobody told me anything about it? I thought it was just a normal hot spring."

"Well, I thought Mother would have told you. Didn't you even wonder why Song Lan and Wen Ning didn't join us?"

"I just thought they didn't like hot springs."

"Of course not. I like hot springs but not that kind," Song Lan answered.

"Ying-ge, we know what that hot spring is for. We even told you once. I thought you knew."

"A-Ning, you know how bad A-Ying's memory is."

"What? I'm doomed!" Wei Ying shouted.

"Huh? What's wrong, A-Xian?"

"Shushu, I might... ahm..."

"What is it, A-Ying?"

"Qing-jie... I might have had an intimate night with Lan Zhan."

"You what?"

"I might have had an intimate night with Hanguang-jun."

"YOU WHAT?" Song Lan, Wen Ning, Wei Qing, Xiao Xingcheng, and Fei Guang shouted in unison.

"Remember when my cousins and I went to Caiyi Town to present our first dance as a group?"

"Go on."

"After my cousins went to rest, I followed Hanguang-jun, and we ended up in bed together..."

"What have you done, A-Xian? Don't you hate him?"

"Shushu, I do hate Lan Zhan, but I just thought that maybe, just for one night, I could be free from hatred. I just wanted to feel free and be with him, even for a night."

"But A-Ying, he turned his back on you when you needed him the most," Fei Guang said.

"I know. I still hate him. I can't forgive him. I trusted him. I loved him. But in the end, he turned his back on me. The next time we see each other, we will be enemies."

"A-Ying, I understand what you mean, but are you sure that Hanguang-jun doesn't remember you?"

"I'm pretty sure, Jie. Hanguang-jun was drunk, and before I left, I dressed him and cleared all the evidence that I was with him. So I'm sure he will think of it as a dream."

"That's fine then... Can you come closer?"

Wei Ying walked nearby Wei Qing, who checked him over.

"A-Ying, you're pregnant!"

"Pregn-- wait, what?"

"Who's pregnant?" Wei Changze, Cangse Sanren, and Baoshan Sanren entered the room.

"A-Niang... A-Xian is pregnant."

"Really? That's good then. Who is the father?"

"Ahm..."

"A-Ying?"

"Hanguang-jun."

"WHAT?" the three shouted simultaneously.

"Hanguang-jun? How come? When did you meet him?"

"A-Ying, I thought you hated him?"

"I do still hate him."

"But how come you slept with him?"

"It was just one night, A-Diè."

"A night that got you pregnant!"

"Changze, Cangse, enough. Whatever happened, it already happened. We can't turn back time. We just have to support your son. And aren't you both happy you'll be grandparents soon? A-Ying, dear, you should take care of yourself. You better not go to the Hong Sect. Leave it to your cousins."

"But Mother--"

"Cangse, that's enough."

"Okay, Mother."

"Okay, Grandma."

"So what will you do now? Will you accept this pregnancy?"

"A-Diè, I will keep the baby."

Rewritten and Revised
July 19 2024