Ye Hua

I don't know how much time had passed.

I don't really know what time is anymore.

I think it's been… 10 days? 5 weeks? Maybe 3 months?

I can't say I care.

Life has just become a blur of dreams and reality. I close my eyes and lie with Qian Qian often. Because in my dreams she's here. She's looking at me with those beautiful eyes.

God, her eyes.

I don't even allow myself to think about the past, I just stay there, staring through her eyes and into her soul. Just as she sits there and smiles at me.

I don't think about how it feels like she's taken part of my soul with her.

I don't think about how the pain is worse this time.

Because all is good in the dreams.

All is good.

"…have to see…"

"…been two years…"

"…help us talk to him…"

Voices take me out of the cloudy daze that my head is in.

I blink away the fog in annoyance, and glare at the direction of the noise.

As two figures approach, I hug Qian Qian's body close to me. No one will take her away from me.

The approaching footsteps stopped. I hear a sigh.

"Ye Hua," A familiar gentle voice sounded.

It took an immense effort to look up, but I did. And I saw my own face looking back.

But something is wrong.

My face doesn't look as damaged as I feel.

It took the face to speak again before I realised it wasn't my face. But my brother's.

"Ye Hua. You've been sleeping for two years. You should try and leave this cave for a little bit." He coaxed.

I don't want anything. I thought as I hugged Qian Qian even tighter.

"There are other people who needs you. Ah Li needs you." Bai Zhen spoke from the entrance.

At the mentioning of his name, I suddenly hear small, quick footsteps approaching.

"Father!"

Little arms were about to go around me, but my brother held him back.

"Your father is not feeling very well." Mo Yuan stated flatly.

I can't bring myself to fill my eyes with any emotion, so I keep my eyes on my brother. "Was it wise to bring him here?"

Ah Li shot up. "Of course, father! Ah Li has come to make sure that you and mother are both well, and if you're not I could away give you both a hug!"

I gulped.

Before anyone gets to deny him again, he runs over to kiss his mother on the head, and leans his head on me as his small arms reach as far as they could around us both.

I could feel Mo Yuan and Bai Zhen watching, I too, look on speechlessly.

"Mother, when will you be with Ah Li again? I really miss you. I have been really good, I've read all my books and done all my writing. Even great-grandfather praised me the other day!" The little one continued to talk about what he has done recently, and I felt something gnawing at me.

When was the last time I had felt anything?

When Ah Li brought out some of the drawings that he created of me and Qian Qian, that's when I realised what was gnawing at me.

Guilt.

Guilt that I had been a bad father.

But there is a part of me that finds it hard to look at Ah Li. I didn't feel this the last time I believed Qian Qian left us. I didn't feel the… hollowness. At least not from Ah Li.

Despite this, despite the cold frame I'm holding onto, I reach out to hold Ah Li's hand.

"Let's go somewhere."

The tension in the room seemed to lesson a bit.

Whether it had anything to do with Ah Li's great white smile, I don't know.

I pause just as I head out, nearly every part of my body protesting at the thought of leaving Qian Qian.

I'm doing this for her too.

"She'll still be here when we get back. The Soul Jade will keep her looking the way you remember her." Mo Yuan said.

I'm doing this for her.

I'm doing this for her.

I'm doing this for her.

Taking a deep breath, I turn and muster all my courage to walk outside.

To my relief, it was dark outside.

I've always found something more comfortable in darkness, as if everyone else could see right through to who I am during daylight.

The four of us teleport to a random human village, with Ah Li claiming that he wanted to see some kind of festival that was going on.

Loud noises erupt around us. There are people shouting, talking and exclaiming in excitement as they walk down the street, eyeing stalls and flamethrowers and acrobats alike.

The first thing I notice is the red.

Red is everywhere.

On the lanterns, on the confetti, on the firecrackers, on the paper signs.

I hate it.

People love the colour red. Its lucky, it's happy. It's disgusting.

My mind flashes back to Qian Qian's blood-stained clothes on that fateful day.

I forgive you…

Someone bumps into me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hey! Watch where you're standing idiot!" A man shouted.

I don't react.

"Did you hear me? I said," The man grabbed my collar and pulled me towards his face as he raised his fist. "Watch-"

The drunk man released my shirt, and I turned my head to see Bai Zhen using his powers to make the man forget what he was about to do.

"Was you going to fight back?" He asked.

I looked back at the man, now stumbling away. Would I?

"Father you should have! I know fighting is wrong but after hearing all the stories of how father is the son of the Heavenly Father and how father defeated the four great beasts, it would have been so amazing to see father kick butt!" Ah Li's excitedly shrieked.

It was like someone had lit a torch in my mind.

Of course!

How could I have forgotten.

Mo Yuan seemed to realise as soon as I did, and he grasped my shoulder.

"I'll help you."

And at the nod of my head, we both teleported back to the fox cave.

I knew Bai Zhen would look after Ah Li perfectly well for me, so my thoughts only focused on Qian Qian as both me and Mo Yuan run back into the cave, one just as eager as the other.

I gently lift her up to a seating position, sitting behind her to support her back.

"This will hurt you." My twin brother warned.

"Whatever it takes." I have never felt such determination.

Without wasting another second, we both lift our palms to face Qian Qian, and call upon our deepest, strongest godly powers.

I focus on a part of my soul, a separate part of me that never truly belonged to me, but to my father. Pulling on it like a thread, I draw it up, right up to the surface.

I wait.

I wait until my brother nods towards me, letting me know that he has used as much of his cultivation as he could, in order to prepare both of us for what I am about to do.

When he finally dips his head once, I draw my arms back, only to punch out and force that part of my soul into Qian Qian's body.

It felt gratifying as it slowly melted away from me. Hope begins to bubble inside of me.

But wait.

Something doesn't feel right.

I draw my arms back and push them out again. Harder this time.

Blood came spraying out of Qian Qian's mouth.

It wasn't until I had felt something dribbling down my chin that I realised that I had done the same.

No.

This was costing us both too much.

No!

This has to work!

Before I could wallow in anguish, I felt a third power join with ours.

Zhe Yan's face was there when I looked up.

I wanted to ask questions, but I daren't lose any more focus. So I concentrated back onto Qian Qian. My love.

With the additional power, I felt it.

It was the boost we needed to pass my father's soul over to her.

I felt the open wound inside of me as we finished, and I caught Qian Qian as she fell backwards.

I ignore the pain in my chest. I ignore whoever is speaking to me.

I only cared for her.

I used my other hand to stroke her face, wiping the hair away that has matted to her forehead.

Then there it was.

Her gasp for air.

I hadn't realised I was holding my breath until she breathed her first in years.

Then she opened her eyes.

God, her eyes.

Confusion clouded in her eyes momentarily. Before filling with clarity as they focused on me.

"Ye Hua...?"

I breathed a laugh. I can't believe it.

I brought my lips to hers.

Tears was free-falling down my face as we kissed, as I touched my forehead to hers, as we hugged.

She came back.

She came back.

THE END

Author's Note: WOW thank you for bearing with me on this story. Sometimes I get supreme writing block when I don't know how to carry on with the story (like this one) but I managed to think of something!

Even though it was short, it was the first story that I had ever finished in my life! (Even though I've planned like 15 - I have an account on Wattpad too)

So I hoped you liked it as much as I liked the drama, I mean.. The drama consumed me for WEEKS, even after I had finished watching it. I just need more Ye Hua and Bai Qian in my life!

Also if my future son doesn't turn out to be anything like Ah Li then I'm going to be super sad.

Love you all x

Love Emily x