What If...I Remember?

Chapter 46

"Mother!" A-Li's squeal could be heard as he came running into the room, and Ye Hua was quick to react as he caught his son in his arms swiftly, stopping him from pouncing onto Bai Qian. "Your mother is sleeping, A-Li." Ye Hua slipped out from under the blanket, once again thankful that he slept on the outside of the bed, but he was too slow. Although A-Li hadn't hit Bai Qian, there was a soft sound of clothes rustling, and Ye Hua felt her slender hands brush by his as she tugged his sleeve, "Is that A-Li?"

"Mother isn't sleeping now." A-Li quipped as he squirmed in Ye Hua's arms, attempting to cross into Bai Qian's arms instead, and Bai Qian gave a gentle laugh as she sat up, spreading her arms in a gesture that invited A-Li over, "I was sleeping, until you promptly woke me up, A-Li." "Are we going back to the Nine Heavens today, Mother?" A-Li wriggled free from Ye Hua's loosened arms and straight into Bai Qian's embrace, and Bai Qian nodded as she pulled his hairpin from his hair, "We will be returning there after breakfast."

"Will Sister Feng Jiu follow us to the Nine Heavens?" A-Li stopped fidgeting as Bai Qian redid his hair, and Bai Qian grinned rather deviously as she stuck A-Li's hairpin back, "Not that she has a choice. I do believe someone might have some intentions of courting her. Besides, her punishment hasn't been lifted yet." "You mean Di Jun." Ye Hua pulled on his outer robe, smiling as he did so, and Bai Qian drawled as she helped him with his other sleeve, "Who else?"

"Gugu!" Feng Jiu, who had been holding a tray of breakfast and stumbled in on their conversation, turned a vivid shade of red rather instantaneously, and Bai Qian beckoned for her niece with a unapologetic grin, "What happened when I was away to Zhe Yan's grove? I heard vaguely from Lian Song about your little meeting with Di Jun in the kitchen." "Di Jun asked for cakes, and nothing else, Gugu!" Feng Jiu set the tray down, huffing as she sat on the floor, "Don't give me that look, Gugu!"

"Alright," Bai Qian kept away her gaze of scepticism, picking up her bowl of congee and adding some sauce into it, "But what cakes did he ask for?" "Green bean." A-Li piped up, and Bai Qian raised an eyebrow, as if in surprise as to how her son knew. In return, A-Li gave her a innocent smile, "I overheard Brother Dong Hua Di Jun praising Sister Feng Jiu's green bean cakes. Plus, he took one from me too." "A-Li, you cannot address Di Jun as 'Brother'..." Ye Hua repeated exasperatedly, but Bai Qian smiled as she fed her son a spoonful of congee from her bowl, "I hardly think he's wrong."

And Ye Hua shook his head, although finding it quite unable to disagree with his wife.

After all, even the blind could see that Dong Hua Di Jun fancied Bai Feng Jiu of Qing Qiu.

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"Crown Prince, Crown Princess, welcome back."

Bai Qian nodded at Jia Yun and Tian Shu, who both bowed in greeting of their return, and even as Ye Hua offered his hand to their son, Bai Qian's keen eyes caught sight of a figure not too far away. "Qian Qian?" Ye Hua looked up from A-Li a little too late, for Bai Qian's knuckles had turned white, and she narrowed her eyes, all traces of friendliness slipping away from her posture, "I don't suppose she caught news that you would return today." "Who? Su Jin?" Ye Hua followed her gaze, and he glanced towards Jia Yun, his eyes no friendlier than his wife's, "What is the Zhao Ren Princess doing here?"

"Your Highness, I'm not sure." Jia Yun replied hesitantly, understanding better than any of the other servants that Ye Hua and Bai Qian were most certainly not pleased to be graced by Su Jin's presence upon their return, but before he could request for one of the maids to lead Su Jin away from the northern gates, of which Bai Qian and Ye Hua had just walked through into the Nine Heavens, Bai Qian had already begun walking, towards the direction of the Zhao Ren Princess.