10 Miles of Peach Blossoms: A Peach Summer’s Night Dream (Part 16)

Bai Qian

For six days and six nights, I watched over Die Yong tirelessly, taking turns with Senior Die Feng who insisted he wanted to help out because it was not just Shifu’s but also his brother’s life on the line. From our close observations, it appeared that Die Yong’s colour had improved visibly over the last few days and his breathing, which used to be shallow and labored before we activated the Soul-Gathering Lamp, had also turned regular. In fact, if we didn’t know any better, Die Yong looked like he was just sound asleep, rather than hosting a battle of celestial energies within him.

Zhe Yan never appeared again after he came to inform me of Ye Hua’s abrupt departure on the first day, noting that having two people guard the Lamp was more than enough, and he had other important things to attend to. While I wondered if the so-called magical artifact Ye Hua supposedly went to find was just an excuse concocted by the both of them to stop me from going to Yingzhou Island, I figured I could wait until the end of my seven-day vigil and if Ye Hua hadn’t turned up by then, it was still not too late for me to retrieve the Divine Grass.

During my short breaks from caring for Die Yong, when I couldn’t fall asleep despite my overwhelming fatigue, I reflected upon my harsh words to Ye Hua on breaking off our engagement and felt a bone-deep regret. What I wouldn’t give to take them all back! However, I sincerely believed I was ultimately doing him a favour by refusing to marry him. Too many issues stood in the way of our happily-ever-after: our almost scandalous age difference, my inability to open up my heart, and my responsibilities to Shifu as a Kunlun disciple. Ye Hua deserved someone better.

I couldn’t help but miss him though. If I thought I missed him the first time he left to borrow the Soul-Gathering Lamp, the last six days were absolutely torturous, and only served to highlight to me how colorless my life was before Ye Hua came into it. Despite having the unfailing love and support from my family and the people of Qing Qiu, there was always something lacking in my life that left me deeply dissatisfied and cynical. Could that something lacking be him?

On the final night, Fourth Brother suddenly turned up at the Crystal Palace to see how I was holding up, and to find out if there was any progress with Die Yong. He immediately noticed my wan and distracted face and asked, “Are your old injuries acting up again? You look really terrible.”

I waved away his concern. “No, it is not my injuries. My health is fine.” I said glumly.

“So what’s wrong? Is there a problem with Die Yong’s recovery?” Fourth Brother was puzzled. When I answered in the negative, he guessed, “You quarreled with Ye Hua?”

I sighed. “I broke off our engagement.” I finally admitted.

“You what?! Why would you do that?” Fourth Brother exclaimed, looking flabbergasted. “Do you know he’s considered the best catch in the whole universe?”

I bit my nails, a bad habit I had whenever I was frustrated, or thinking too hard. “He made me angry and I just said some things I guess I shouldn’t have said.”

Fourth Brother raised his eyebrows. “You are usually such a calm and cool person. On most occasions, you are too lazy to even get angry over anything, saying it takes too much effort. But ever since you met Ye Hua, you have been getting worked up over the smallest things. Have you fallen in love with this man?”

Love. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the stone table so tightly I thought I heard a crack. “How can I fall in love with someone who is 90,000 years younger than me? If I had married young, he would have been the same age as my grandson! It’s ridiculous!” I was in deep denial mode again.

“But you look nothing like his grandmother, or even his mother.” Fourth Brother pointed out. “There are many couples with large age gaps between them, including our own parents. Ye Hua has always been an old soul. Sometimes, I think his views and outlook on life are even more mature than yours. The most important question is: do you share a mutual affection for each other? You have got to listen to your heart Qian Qian – Do you miss him when he’s gone, need him by your side always, want him in your bed, and love him come what may?”

My heart was pounding so loudly now I couldn’t hear anything. I felt exhilarated and sickened to my stomach at the same time. At the grand old age of 140,000 years old, I had just found out I had fallen in love, and single-handedly driven that love away. Well done, Bai Qian.

Fourth Brother saw the enlightenment on my face and smiled kindly. “You have always been somewhat slow when it comes to the ways of love. But who can blame you, seeing how little experience you have with men? But it is still not too late.” He assured me. “I can tell Ye Hua is very much in love with you – there are literally stars in his eyes when he gazes at you. But you should really be upfront about your feelings for him, so that the poor boy doesn’t think he’s stuck in a one-sided relationship.”

Just as I was mulling over Fourth Brother’s words, Senior Die Feng burst into my room. “Seventeenth, my brother has woken up!” He announced excitedly.

It was only the sixth day and Die Yong was already awake? Did the Soul-Gathering Lamp succeed in its mission beyond our wildest expectations? Upon entering his room in a hurry, I saw Die Yong sitting up on his bed looking bright and cheerful, while sipping a cup of tea, as if he hadn’t been lying comatose for the past 600 years. Despite Zhe Yan’s prior warning not to cast the Soul-Searching spell, I did so, and ventured tentatively into Die Yong’s body. There was no presence of Shifu anywhere. Could it be….?

I released the spell immediately and told Senior Die Feng and Fourth Brother I had to return to Qing Qiu at once. Before they could even ask me a question, I cloud-jumped     back to the cave where Shifu’s body was.

Heart beating furiously, my palms all wet with nervous anticipation, I wondered briefly if I could handle the crushing disappointment if Shifu had not returned, or the immense happiness if he did. At the cave entrance, my feet felt like lead, but I finally made my way inside.

The familiar white figure was no longer lying down on the stone bed which he had occupied for the past 70,000 years. The face I held so dear was no longer stone cold and expressionless, but wide awake, its eyes brimming with a thousand emotions, and its lips curved in a small but warm smile. The voice I thought I might have forgotten said, “Seventeenth. Come here and let me see if you have made any progress all these years.”

I cried, and cried, and cried,

To be continued……..