She'd been gone for 30 hours and Zhe Yan was certain her mother would kill him once she found out he'd let her baby go to Yingzhou on a death mission. He had laid out all the different ways she would kill him but still bring him back for Bai Zhen when he heard the sound of someone dropping beside him and caught her as she fell into his arm bleeding in multiple places but smiling. He picked her up and walked into peach palace where Dijun watched over her husband.
"Zhe Yan... Ye Hua..." she muttered weakly.
"He's still hanging on but barely. Whatever madness possessed you also possessed him, you're both doing the impossible at this point and I don't know whether to be impressed or mad on behalf of your son"
"Here ..." she muttered again palm open to show the mushrooms in her hand and Zhe Yan almost dropped her in surprise. While he had been willing to go along with the plan he'd seen more people die or come back empty handed from Yingzhou, much stronger people. Perhaps he had been underestimating his little cub or maybe this would be a love for the history books, a soultie that defies all odds.
He placed her gently on a chair and took the mushroom from her rushing out of the room, his magic already swirling into the air as he began to prepare the mushroom for use.
Bai Qian waited till he was out of the room before gingerly getting out of her seat and walking to the bed where Ye Hua rested. Dijun was seated in a meditative pose near the bed and though he appeared to be deep in his meditation, she was well aware that he could see her movements. She took a towel from the bowl of warm water that sat beside the bed and wiped Ye Hua's face softly and tears silently poured down her face.
"You need that more than he does. Imagine how he'd react to seeing you like this." Dijun said without moving a muscle.
"I'd love for him to react" she replied continuing her strokes until she was distracted by the sound of people in the courtyard. She spared a glance up but continued her minstrations with no intentions of stepping out to see the guests. She heard Dijun's soft sigh as he walked towards the entrance and a few minutes later, the sounds followed him into the hall. She glanced up and sprang on her feet without thinking.
"I was told Ye Hua was gravely injusred, why did no one tell me you were as well" Le Xu said to Bai Qian as she took in the other woman's appearance
"I ... Ying..."
Lian Song caught her as she fell.
"Finally" Dijun muttered "You'd think she'd have figured out by now that she can't run on fumes"
"Dijun..." Le Xu began
"She's exhausted, she has not taken a moment's rest since the incident and who knows when she rested before that. Add that to the fact that she spent over 24 hours in Yingzhou island fighting the beasts alone and it's a wonder she had not crumbled before now"
"Will she be alright?" Lian Song asked
"Physically, yes. Mentally, depends on whether Ye Hua is alright. With the mushroom, Zhe Yan and I have a good chance of saving Ye Hua but I fear if we fail, we will lose her as well"
Lian Song set Bai Qian down on the bed in the private part of the hall that Zhe Yan directed him to while Le Xu wiped the younger woman's face clean of the blood and grime that had coated it.
"You have to live. For your son." she whispered "And for min, because regardless of what happens with him, Ye Hua's ultimate and only desire would be for you to continue on in happiness"
Choosing the let the others gather around Ye Hua until Zhe Yan was ready and chased them all away, she sat by her daughter in law watching the young woman's staedy breath as though she was scared it would stop if she looked away. Le Xu had known fear in her life and her current mortal trials made her more open and sensitive to emotions in general. She was scared of losing her son but she also knew that Ye Hua's situation was dire and that the odds were not good. However, she believed Bai Qian could survive if only the other woman chose to and because she was pragmatic, she chose to focus her energy where they could make a difference.
It was a few hours later before her husband and brother in law joined her in the where she sat having been sent away by Zhe Yan who was now ready to begin attempting to heal Ye Hua. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer to the gods that have gone before them for her son. Bai Qian had not moved or stirred in the entire time.
By nightfall, Dijun sent all of them out, saying they dad done what they could for the couple and that only nature and the couple's wills would make a difference now. Still Le Xu begged to be allowed to sit with Bai Qian but Zhe Yan vetoed it as he needed the entire hall cleared of worry and negative emotions that might hamper recovery.
For two weeks neither of them stirred or woke up, not even when the fox emperor and his wife came back to the hall or when the heavenly emperor came to visit or even when Mo Yuan brought their son, whom he had taken into his care to visit them. It was however Mo Yuan who suggested moving them to the same bed as he thought they may both be unconsciously waiting for the other to wake before they do. Both the fox empress and Le Xu thought it was a weird idea but they were willing to do anything to get their children back and so Zhe Yan moved the couple together.
The next morning, they found Ye Hua sitting on the bed, tending to his wife.
"You should not have let her go to Yingzhou" Ye Hua said quietly not turning around
"As if anyone could stop her when she decides to do something" Bai Zhi replied
"You're welcome, by the way" Zhe Yan said
Ye Hua stood up, turned to the group at the door and bowed deeply without saying a word.
"Ye Hua, I understand you're angry but if she hadn't gone, you would not be here" Lian Song said
Ye Hua laughed softly as tears began to run down his face "what's the point of being here if she is not?"
"Think of your son" Le Xu said
"Da-ge can raise him"
"Can you all stop talking like my daughter is dead? As her father is the only one of us here who has been to Yingzhou successfully and I have also seen the sleep of exhaustion that comes with battling the beast of Yingzhou island, I strongly believe she's alive and asleep. When she has rested enough and has found her willingness to face the world again regardless of her fears, she will wake up." The fox empress began "Zhe Yan, check Ye Hua then let's leave him to tend to his wife"
She gave further directives for food, water, bath and everything else she thought necessary thus dispersing the crowd. Ye Hua could see where his wife got her strategic abilities from and that thought brought a small smile to his face.
Later that night, Ye Hua crawled into bed in his undergarments and pulled his sleeping wife gently until she was sprawled over him and he could wrap his arms around her.
"Ye Hua"
He stilled briefly then ran his hand down her arm and he felt the rush of relief that stole all the strenght from his body
"Ye Hua, am I dreaming?" She asked quietly
"No" he replied with a smile, "no, you crazy woman. You saved us both"
She raised her head and cupped his face "I couldn't give you up. I'm sorry"
"Thank you for not giving up and for not letting me give up. I'm glad you found a way for us to remain together"
"Thank you for waiting and trusting me. But we're going to have a chat about locking me here and rushing into danger alone"
Ye Hua kissed her head "At the same time we have the chat about fighting four headed beasts alone"
The sound of laughter coming from the hall lit the hearts of all the gods and immortals camped in the courtyard of peach palace and they began to send out messages to the realms. The crown prince and princess of the nine heavens were both alive and doing well.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I moved cross country and it took my new internet providers a while to get it up and running. Side effects of moving into a charming but old building :) This is the end of the story. There is a small epilogue already scheduled to post tomorrow but I may cancel the schedule and post it later tonight. Also please check out my new story: Nine Tails of Two Brothers. It's a MY/BQ/YH story. Who's excited for the pillow book airing? I've got my popcorn ready and I'm waiting :)
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Through it all (a ten miles of peach blossoms fan fiction)
Fanfic[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...
