[Mainland Chinese Drama 2017] Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚乔传

[rampantwolfhound]

1 hour ago, RealityDream said:

@rampantwolfhound : Your story is so good! Are there anymore? 

I'm glad you like it; I'll keep writing here as long as there's interest and I keep getting new ideas. I'm wrapping up my latest; it should be up in an hour or two.

[Robin Robin]

Sadly, this forum becomes so lonely now haha

[hanalove9]

31 minutes ago, Robin Robin said:

Sadly, this forum becomes so lonely now haha

 

Hahaa... Most of the posts contributors residing in the shipping thread now. If you are lonely,  you can take a look there 

 

[mimimi26]

the ending fans wanted 

 

[rampantwolfhound]

I hadn't planned on writing this story until today, but then @Bella-Chimurarequested a jealousy story and this is where my brain took me. I'd been tempted to throw in a bit of jealousy in yesterday's story since CQ had obviously been jealous of Meng Feng in canon, but I made a conscious decision not to do so based on where I felt CQ's character was now in my AU world. So I figured I'd tackle the issue here and let our flirty/angsty babies talk about and face their fears. If anyone has any more requests, feel free to make them. I can't promise that my brain or muse will cooperate, but I'll do my best to give y'all what you want. I'm not a PA writer, after all .

 

While Yuwen Yue was waiting for his wife to show up for archery practice, he passed the time by reflecting on how he’d come to be where he was today. The conclusion that he reached was that, while his own skills and personality had helped him to become one of the most influential people in all of Wei, another reason for his success was that the men around him were all total idiots.

For all of his adult life, he’d heard many men complain about how stressful and discordant their home lives were due to having to put up with all of the women that they’d married. Yuwen Yue could not for the life of him figure out why these supposedly intelligent men were shocked that marrying a bunch of women, setting them up in a hierarchy, and then playing favorites would result in tension and angst. No wonder they couldn’t even run a functional government.

Of course, he’d also heard these men complain about how distasteful they found their pregnant wives due to weight gain, changing body shape, morning sickness, etc. In fact, most of his peers had boasted about how they would visit their other wives (or even brothels) at night until well after their pregnant wives had delivered.

As Yuwen Yue watched his Xing’er stride as confidently across the courtyard as it was possible for a heavily pregnant woman to do, he happily concluded that all of his peers were total morons and that he was, indeed, the luckiest of men. The sight of his wife carrying his sword’s mate while being dressed in her ever-tightening Xiuli armor that was stretched over their unborn child filled him full of a riot of emotions that he only kept off of his face by virtue of a lifetime of training.

Sometimes he still expected to blink and open his eyes only to find himself at the bottom of that icy lake, having imagined the past couple of years in an instant of longing. Xing’er marrying him, guarding him, healing him, carrying his child, sharing his bed, his home, his life...He knew that as long as he lived, he’d never be interested in any woman other than the magnificent one striding towards him.

Equally satisfying was the knowledge that Xing’er knew it, too. While he and his wife had had their misunderstandings in the past, he was certain that, if nothing else, she was absolutely confident in his love for her and that she’d never have any doubts about the way he felt about her again. She rarely displayed jealousy anymore, content in the knowledge that her husband loved her more than life itself. Yes, jealousy was a thing of the past for them.

Wasn’t it?

An image of his wife with her sword at Meng Feng’s throat flitted through his mind. Yuwen Yue had to admit that if Xing’er were ever going to be jealous of anyone, it would likely be the beautiful ex-assassin who had, at least for a time, been somewhat close to what Yuwen Yue had originally wanted Xing’er to be: his sharpest blade.

Of course, they both knew that Meng Feng had married Yuan Song and had, somewhat ironically, taken the same position that Yuwen Yue had once accused Xing’er herself of preparing to take: Queen of Yanbei. She seemed happy with her life and had never given any sign that she’d ever wanted anything more from Yuwen Yue than friendship.

Of course, she’d quickly figured out that Xing’er had held my heart…

Yuwen Yue didn’t think that his wife was seriously jealous of Meng Feng, but like any good spymaster, he was determined to figure out the answer to what could be considered a matter of national security. When Xing’er misunderstood his intentions, she tended to start wars and cause all sorts of havoc, so preventing misunderstandings from occurring in the first place was of prime importance for the good of the state.

Painful memories of the various times that Xing’er had left him assailed him, reminding him once again how fragile happiness could be. Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because his wife had a look of concern on hers as she walked up to him. Since he didn’t want to talk about his own demons, he made the first move.

“Did you run into any trouble on your walk this morning?”

“As a matter of fact, I did,” Xing’er said, her face scowling but her eyes twinkling.

“Was it anything you couldn’t handle?”

“Oh, I know exactly how I’ll handle this trouble later.”

“Really? Tell me about it.”

“Well, as I was walking, two men walked right by me without even acknowledging that I was standing there. Wasn’t that rude?”

“Maybe the men didn’t want to interrupt your business. Did you look busy at the time?”

“I was...occupied.”

“See? They were just being discrete.”

“I could’ve been in big trouble.”

“Maybe that’s why they walked away so fast.”

“What? Why?”

“Because they knew how much trouble you can cause and didn’t want any part of it.”

“If they knew how much trouble I could cause, I’d think they’d be worried about making me angry.”

“Are you angry?”

“Of course. Ignoring the Da Fu Ren and a guest reflects badly on all of Green Hills.”

“Nothing says ‘hospitality’ like holding a sword at a guest’s throat.”

“Well, she was holding a sword at my own throat at the time.”

“I’m sure you did nothing to provoke that response.”

“I was just being cautious. I take our security seriously, you know.”

Yuwen Yue’s eyes softened as he acknowledged the truth of that statement.

“I know there’s nothing more important to you.”

“It was all just a misunderstanding anyway. She’s a friend, and she’s here to see my husband.”

Aha!

Yuwen Yue took his opening like any good spy would.

“Your husband? Doesn’t that make you jealous?”

Xing’er looked at him quizzically.

“Should it make me jealous?”

“I don’t know. Is your guest beautiful? Smart? Good-looking when dressed in black? Great with a sword and even better at causing trouble? Devoted to protecting her husband from harm?”

Xing’er scowled, but her eyes twinkled. To his relief, Yuwen Yue detected nothing but impish good humor in his wife’s bearing.

“Actually, she is. Do you think I have anything to worry about?”

Yuwen Yue figured his game had continued long enough. He took a few steps closer to his wife until they were standing face to face and lowered his voice.

“Is she married to your husband? Carrying his child? The woman he’s loved since he first met her years ago? The woman he’d risk anything to save?”

“No,” Xing’er whispered, her eyes wide.

“Then she has nothing to worry about,” Yuwen Yue said softly, gently cupping her chin. “Now or ever.”

Tears glistened in Xing’er’s eyes; she swiped at them impatiently.

“I know. While I’ve had good reason to doubt so many things in this world, your love for me is no longer one of them. I worry about so many things...”

Well, there’s opening number two.

“I know you do,” Yuwen Yue said, slowly removing his hand from her chin and placing it on top of the hand Xing’er was using to hold Can Hong Jian. “I can probably count the number of times that I’ve seen you without this since the icy lake on one hand.”

Xing’er lost her battle with her tears and they rolled down her cheek. She didn’t even bother wiping them away this time.

“Most women would fear losing their men to other women, but I...”

“You fear losing me to an enemy,” he finished gently. “Which is why you never go anywhere without your sword in your hand. It’s why you train all the time, even when you’re exhausted from your pregnancy. It’s why you patrol every morning. It’s why you sneak out to train with the Xiulis.”

His wife raised her chin defiantly at that last point, but he continued on, knowing that this discussion was long overdue.

“You don’t have to, Xing’er. Whatever comes, we’ll face it together, just like we did at the icy lake. We’re not at war anymore, so you don’t have to live like we’re under a constant threat, like an enemy army is going to invade tomorrow. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“What about you?” Xing’er said loudly, suddenly ripping Can Hong Jian out of Yuwen Yue’s grasp and reminding him of a younger version of herself. “Do you think I don’t know that you’re afraid? That you get that lost look on your face like you have now when you think I’m not looking? That you’re just as scared of losing me as I am of losing you?”

“I don’t fear losing you to another man.”

“I know. If I drink wine with Yue Qi or trade war stories with He Xiao, you’re not going to assume that I’m in love with them. If I’m not where you expect me to be one morning, you’re not going to assume that I’ve run off to become one of Xiao Ce’s concubines or to take Meng Feng’s place as Queen of Yanbei.”

The anger suddenly seemed to leave Xing’er’s body as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a tired shell. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and placed it on his arm.

“Tell me what you’re afraid of,” she said softly, looking up at him with that earnest, wide-eyed gaze that he’d never been able to say no to.

He gathered her close, feeling almost like he was back in Xiao Ce’s palace with his happiness on the line, right after Xiao Ce had told him that Xing’er and he were supposed to meet but not to be together. Gently, he tucked her head under his chin.

“I’m afraid that one day, someone will ride up to Green Hills, tell you they need your help, and that you’ll feel obligated to go with them even if you don’t want to. I’m afraid that one day, you’ll remember how big the world is, realize how small your world has become, and decide to set out on a new adventure. I’m afraid that one day, one of your multiple identities will catch up with you and that you’ll once again tell me that you’re not Xing’er.”

Yuwen Yue felt his wife lose her battle with her tears as the conversation and her pregnancy pushed her over the edge. He held her as she sobbed for what he figured were all of the things that she’d never allowed herself to cry over before—and maybe some things for which she’d never completely run out of tears.

Xing’er stepped back out of his arms unexpectedly, reaching a hand up and laying it on his cheek the way that she had on the ice a couple of years ago. Her eyes burned with that same intensity that they had when she’d promised that she’d never leave him again.

“There is no person, no place, no thing that could ever make me leave you. For you, I will always be Xing’er no matter what other names I carry. When I told you I’d never let anything hurt you ever again, I meant that I would protect you from myself as well.”

They stared into each others’ eyes, neither one in any hurry to move. The baby chose that moment to kick, causing Yuwen Yue to lay his hand on his wife’s armor-clad stomach in awe.

“Do you really expect to be able to feel the baby through my armor?” Xing’er said, sniffling and obviously trying to regain control of her emotions.

“Of course I do,” Yuwen Yue said, donning his mask once again. “It’s your child.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that I would expect any child of yours to have a healthy amount of strength and energy.”

Xing’er looked at him skeptically. Yuwen Yue decided it was time to move things in a more satisfactory direction.

“Do you want to do a few drills? We still have some time before our midday meal. Unless you’d rather do something else.”

“Actually,” Xing’er said, deliberately turning her back on the practice area, “I’d rather take a nap.”

“I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”

“What?!”

“Can’t I want to take a nap with my wife?”

“But it’s the middle of the day!”

“What of it? I am Yuwen Yue, general of Wei, leader of the Eyes of God, owner of the Green Hills and the Red Hills Courtyards, and possessor of a portion of the Kung Fu of Ice. If I want to take a nap in the middle of the day, who’s going to stop me? And you! You are Xing’er, wife of Yuwen Yue and the mother of his child, the general of the Xiuli legion, the wielder of Can Hong Jian, and the inheritor of the Kung Fu of Ice. Who’s going to stop you?”

As one, they walked away from the practice field and into their home, both feeling lighter than they had in a long time.

[Bella-Chimura]

@rampantwolfhound.... thanksss a lot ♡♡♡♡♡ It's beautifully written. I'm sobbing right now

[cenching]

@rampantwolfhound, this thread becomes so quiet after PA done....your fanfic is the only reason I still visit here.....thank you 

[40somethingahjumma]

I wrote this because I had to. Because there was a voice in my head that said that if I didn't, I couldn't move on from PA. It was for me more than anything else. I needed closure and so this fanfic was born... It'a tribute to the character of YWY that I unexpectedly fell in love with and wanted him to have his heart's desire.

This is what I imagine would have happened or should have happened if the story of Chu Qiao and the man who truly loved her had been allowed to play out after the icy lake incident. 

I didn't mean for it to be this long. But it just got longer and longer and longer all because I can never resist a bit of angst.

Princess Agents: Post-Mortem

Spoiler

 

The tall, handsome figure lying limply on the rocky outcrop let loose a groan from his bloodstained lips as he felt a dull ache shooting through his abdomen, and practically all of his upper body. He struggled first to move his right leg. Unsuccessful, he went for his left. After numerous failed attempts he concluded that it would have been easier moving a hundred lead rods. Clearly he had lost control of his entire body. For the first time for as long as he could remember his body was obstinately refusing to respond to his directives. The young master of Qing Shan Yuan, commander of armies and master of spies had lost all mastery of his own body.

Surveying his environs seemed a viable alternative, as he was almost certain that the use of his eyes would be available to him though he be incapacitated elsewhere. Alas that avenue too was closed to him. All he saw when he was able to open them was pitch-black darkness.

In this state of immobility he made attempts to remember what it was that led to his present predicament. He knew who he was, of course and he recalled with perfect clarity his final moments before losing consciousness. Facing off with a neverending onslaught of Yanbei troops, while being mercilessly pinned down by arrows shot from afar presumably directed by Yan Xun.  Moments later he had collapsed on the ice from sheer exhaustion and the loss of blood but  barely noticing the cold. Soon he could feel the sensation of icy cold water seeping into his clothes and onto his skin.

He had been seriously outnumbered in a wonderfully laid ambush… beautiful in its execution. He could have scarcely done better himself. Yan Xun, unshackled by conscience or love, was finally unleashing his true intentions. Old friendships meant nothing now. A welcoming committee of soldiers determined to strike him down was the only gift for an old friend who was trespassing. The young master had fallen into his trap and could only fight on. Death, he had believed would come to him soon but while there was still breath in him, he would fight to the bitter end.

Just when all seemed hopeless, unexpected aid came in the form of  Xing’er flying through the lake showing her mastery over the bow and arrow, shouting his name.

Xing’er! His entire body stiffened at the thought of her. Immediately he became more alert. His last recollection of her was of him pushing her towards the surface of the water as he sank to the bottom. The scar on her back was undergoing a transformation at the time, undoubtedly a reaction to the cold water. Previously he had only heard tales and rumours about the immense power of the Feng Yun Ling but never had the privilege of seeing it executed first hand.

His first instinct was to get up and search for her but his body was adamantly refusing to cooperate. His feeble attempts to lift his body only saw him fall back on the hard surface that had been his resting place. Expletives rarely found their way to his lips but this time he allowed himself the luxury of a few choice words about his own incompetence and her inability to stay out of trouble. Heaven forbid that she would do what she was told for a change. However, if she had, it was unlikely that he would be alive pondering over his present quandary.

She came for me. The very idea filled him with unexpected warmth and gave him (if he were honest) immense pleasure despite the onslaught of pain he was experiencing. Being injured and half dead evidently had its perks. It gave him a certainty that he never dared to hope to have. Running to his side… promising to stay by his side and fighting along side him. He had directed her to leave him to his fate but she stubbornly refused, holding on to him and weeping in front of him.

He had been ready to let go but seeing her and hearing the sadness in her voice, he had to oblige. He could never bear to see her hurt and sad.

But where was she now? She would not have rescued him only to leave him to his own devices. Somewhere along his train of thought about her, him, them and the long road they had taken, it occurred to him that she could be in trouble and he wasn’t there to protect her.

This made him resolute. Even if it killed him, he would muster what strength he had left to track her down. If Heaven was determined that he should live, then he would do whatever it took to protect her from all ills.

A familiar voice pierced through the darkness and reached his ears like the sting of arrows that had immobilized him. “Yuwen Yue! What do you think you are doing? Lie down and stay down!”

Those utterances were accompanied by the sound of falling branches onto the ground.

“That would be my question to you! What are you doing?” He was relieved. Even though she wasn’t where he could see her, she could be heard and was close.

“I’m not the one who got shot by arrows, am I? Somebody has to go looking for food or we’ll both starve. Otherwise all of my efforts at pulling you out of that lake would have been wasted.”

“If you find me such a burden then you should have just let me die.”

Fear for each other’s welfare saw them both reverting to their old easy banter. But she was too concerned to keep the game going.

“Yuwen Yue. Are you going to do this all night? Even after what I promised you?” Her raw indignance rang out clearly.

“I’ve become too used to you leaving.” He felt obliged to point out defensively.

“Well, I’m not leaving ever again. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not,” was the matter-of-fact response.

It was too dark to make out the expression on her face but he could hear the calmness in her voice and feel the deft movement of her fingers massaging his sore spots with surprising effectiveness.

He managed a feeble rejoinder. “You make it sound like a chore.”

“Well, if you keep this up, you will be a chore. Now listen and lie down. You need to rest. There’s plenty of time to talk later.”

She had placed a sheet over him and pulled it up to his shoulders with quiet efficiency.

“Xing’er, I…” He took her hand into his and squeezed it with as much urgency as he could manage under such circumstances.

“It’s fine. I know. Just sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. I’m not going anywhere.”

He closed his eyes in quiet, pleasant contemplation of those words: I’m not going anywhere. Soon, with the silence as his guide, he succumbed to his body’s need for rest and drifted off.

She did not let go of his hand and stayed by his side until she heard the change in the rhythm of his breathing.

_______________________________

Chu Qiao stared for the longest time at the fire while the crackling sound of burning twigs, branches and leaves provided musical accompaniment to the stream of images that occupied her mind. Dominant among them was seeing him on his knees, wounded and bleeding, telling her to leave. The Great Yuwen Yue who never once met an enemy he couldn’t defeat… had been at death’s door.

She had almost lost him.  I almost lost him.

That realization was earth-shattering in its proportions.

I can’t lose him. I can never lose him. I would rather die first.

She had put on a brave front for his benefit earlier but she’d been so afraid. Losing Yuwen Yue was unthinkable… too terrible to contemplate. She shuddered. Such an important fixture in her life, losing him would be akin to losing a part of herself.

In the past it had been easy to leave him with the knowledge that he would be keeping tabs on her in the background, watching her and secretly protecting her. She could rely on that knowledge that he would never be far away. That made the separation bearable. But as he was threatening to leave her, something inside of her broke. The fence that she had built to keep him at bay had unraveled in an instant.

Worst still… he would never know… how much I care… He would never know… how much I need him too.

With the fire she’d started as her only witness, there were new tears that came. The fear that had gripped her heart gave way to relief. A new resolution was formed.

Everything’s fine now. He’s alive and this time I will never leave his side again.

___________________________________

It would be days before he would wake from his slumber. In his fevered delirium he would alternate between pleading with her to stay and urging her to leave. One moment she would rush to his side holding his hand consoling and reassuring him of her presence. On other occasions more tears would come when she realized the insecurity that lingered within him. Beneath the façade of strength that was the face he showed to the world, he had been profoundly hurt. Seeing him in this state undid her. Knowing that she was the cause of so much pain, weighed on her as she sobbed miserably. He had tried to be strong for both of them, keeping it all together outwardly, letting her find freedom in her own journey… as she forged her own path. All at his expense.

Long before YX’s arrows pierced his body, she had pierced his heart and his heart had been bleeding ever since.

When she wasn’t tending his wounds or feeding him, she took to sleeping by his side, gripping his hand in those times of respite for her weariness. In these days, alone with him, she was forming new habits. Habits that would herald a new life. But first, she would have to pick up all the broken pieces one at a time.

____________________________________

It was the seventh day in this unknown location. Yuwen Yue opened his eyes in the daylight hours and his first sight was of her disheveled head resting on him with her hand still holding on to his. A temporary wave of happiness swept through him only to be replaced a familiar sensation of regret and bitterness.

This won’t last. Soon she’ll be off again somewhere, maybe not with Yan Xun… but somewhere living her dream… without me.

Should I take what I can get? These morsels off a rich man’s table? Is that what I’ve been reduced to?

You are such a pathetic fool, Yuwen Yue. Xiao Ce is right, you have no judgment when it comes to women.

Despite himself and all the reservations building up inside him, he couldn’t resist caressing her hair and basking in the familiar scent that once filled the rooms and courtyards of Qing Shan Yuan. If only he could return to that time and freeze it, undo all his mistakes.

Of course he was a different man then. In those days family honour was all-important and he was the successor of the Eyes of God network, the heir to the first branch of the Yuwen clan. There was so much at stake… so much that rested on his shoulders that was his to protect.

He let her go because he couldn’t protect her without compromising his obligations and at least Yan Xun would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

I’ve been paying for it ever since.

Because I couldn’t hold on to her then, I am doomed never to hold on to her again.

An involuntary sigh left his lips. All I have are these stolen moments with her.

Minutes later he felt her stir, then gradually waking to the sound of his heart beating restlessly.

Her first instinct was to check on him and saw at once his eyes boring into hers. She smiled with genuine delight. How long has it been since he saw her smile like this?

“You’re awake at last. I was wondering… if you’d ever… I was so worried… I didn’t know…” The intensity of his gaze shook her equilibrium.

“Is that so? I’ve caused you to suffer.” He spoke in a monotone, giving no indication of what he was feeling.

“No, of course not. I didn’t do that much.”

A wall of awkwardness had sprung up between them. Things weren’t exactly going the way she had expected. But Yuwen Yue always had that effect on her.

She changed tact. “I’m so glad that you’ve recovered. That last bout of fever was especially worrying but I remembered hearing about a particular herb in these woods that has medicinal value. One of the Xiuli men told me about it. I wasn’t sure if it would help with the fever but as it turns out, it did.”

“Thank you, Xing’er for staying.” Again he spoke in a dull tone that made her nervous. He was far too polite for her comfort.

“Why are you thanking me? Between us, there’s no need for these kinds of niceties. It’s what I should be doing anyway.”

“Nevertheless, thank you.” He cleared his throat and then made some effort to get up. His arms were still a little numb but he could move them. His lower limbs were much the same. He was able to do some stretches proving that he had recovered some use of his extremities.

“You sound much more like your old self.” She was surveying him critically. “But don’t be in such a hurry to get up. Rest a little more.”

“I think I’ve been resting quite enough.” He noted dryly as he sat up.

“Are you hungry? I found some nuts and berries. It’s probably not what you’re used to…”

“It’ll be fine. Some of the older medical manuscripts say that berries and oranges have the ability to expedite the healing of wounds. This will be an appropriate occasion to put that claim to the test. Besides, someone once told me that when a person is hungry, anything would do.”

“You’re definitely better.” She was pleased to hear him speak with his acerbic wit.  “That’s good.”

He cleared his throat again before saying, “I suppose you’re anxious to make contact with the Xiuli battalion. I should try and find out what’s happened to the Yue Guards as well.”

“All that can wait for when you’ve fully recovered. There’s no hurry. The Xiuli battalion is fine. It was He Xiao who helped me find this place.”

Young Master Yue observed that indeed Xing’er didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave so he reached for the fruit that was being offered to him and silently savoured each bite. There was no denying the hunger pangs clamoring to be satiated no matter the cuisine.  

“So where are we?” Young Master Yue surveyed his surroundings as he attacked his third mouthful of berries.

“About a dozen li from the ice lake as the crow flies.”

“A very convenient hiding place. Must remember it for future reference.”

“It is naturally camouflaged by the vegetation and canopy in the area. Unless one knows of its existence, it is not immediately apparent to the casual observer.”

“Should you be telling me all this? I am the enemy after all.”

“That’s the least of my problems. Seeing that I saved the life of the enemy, I’m liable to be struck down on sight.”

“I apologize for ruining your chance of becoming the princess of Yanbei.” Young Master Yue declared with a clear sarcastic edge.

“You don’t seem very sorry about that.” She was quick to match his sarcasm on impulse, although not liking this turn in the conversation.

“Neither do you.” He shot her a quizzical look. “I have an excuse, what’s yours?”

“I couldn’t let you die.” Xing’er sensed at once she’d said something wrong when she saw his face harden instantly. It was that look he used to give her when she lied to him.

“So that’s it. You couldn’t let me die. That was all it was. I see.” His nonchalance was fast becoming a maddening posture.

She was on the defensive. “What do you want me to say, Yuwen Yue? I thought you knew my heart!”

I had so much I had planned to say. This is all coming out badly.

Tension was filling the air around them quickly. This sudden turn in the conversation had caught her unawares.

“Only too well.” The answer came swiftly and it cut her to the quick. “I don’t know why I keeping hoping for something different every time I ask the question.” He paused momentarily and averted his eyes. “It’s alright, Xing’er. You don’t owe me anything. Anyway, it’s much better to be clear about these things so there are no expectations right from the start and no more mistakes made.”

Reeling from his words, her mouth was unusually recalcitrant.

“Yuwen Yue… I…” She cautiously made her approach towards him. “It’s not like that at all.”

“I’m tired. You’re right. I need more rest. Perhaps this is a conversation for another time.” Or maybe never.

With that he settled back onto his bedding and rolled to one side with his back turned towards her.

If he had turned to look just for a single second, he would have seen the hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

____________________________

“I thought you’d be pleased once he was up and about.”

“I was. I am. But he… doesn’t want to see me or talk to me.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not sure. I think… he’s lost all hope in us. He’s given up. I made him wait too long for me and now it’s too late for us.”

“Lady Chu, do you care about this man?”

“More than anything.”

“Then tell him.”

“I tried to… but… he shut me down faster than I could draw my sword. He didn’t want to hear anything I had to say. It seems like he’s given up.”

“I doubt it. The man I saw battling on the icy lake is not someone who gives up.”

“Then what is it?”

“Ask him. That’s the only way to be sure.”

_____________________________

The night was cool and so was Yuwen Yue. For two days he maintained his aloofness. Even over meals he would chew in silence and retire early. Chu Qiao had this sinking feeling that he was gradually slipping away from her and she had to take the bull by horns.

He had been taking a walk around the outer perimeter of their hideout for a bit of fresh air. When she came out to see him, he was staring at the night sky pensively and she wondered what was occupying his thoughts.

She carefully put a robe over him. “It’s cold. You shouldn’t be out here at this time of night in your condition.”

“I’m fine, Xing’er. Really. I am much better.”

“I’m glad to hear it but you must still take care. And I am responsible for your care now.”

She felt like she was walking on eggshells but at least they were talking.

“I will leave as soon as I can. I must get in touch with my people. Things are looking rather precarious right now. Yan Xun is undoubtedly headed for Chang’an.”

“Leave? What do you mean ‘leave’?”

“Depending on how I feel, I must set off in a day or two.”

“You can’t.”

“Why?”

“Not without me, at least. I said to you before we both went tumbling into the water that I was never leaving your side again.”

The young master sighed, “Please stop this, Xing’er. This silly game that we keep playing. You run I chase. I run, you chase. It’s beyond absurd. You’ve made your choice and I’ve been a burden to you long enough.”

This time she was ready with an answer. “You stop it, Yuwen Yue. Let’s get this straight. You’ve never been a burden to me and I choose to go with you. Just as I chose to go into the water after you.”

“Xing’er…”

“Let me finish. I’ve made many mistakes in my life and many more after I left Qing Shan Yuan. But falling in love with you is not one of them. “

“Xing’er…” There was hesitation, uncertainty in his eyes but the icy cloak of indifference had fallen off.

“I’m telling you I love you, you idiotic man.”

“I know.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

He did not respond immediately instead he turned to look at the night sky.

It was she who broke the silence between them. “You’ve given up, haven’t you? On us… on me…”

For the first time in her life, Chu Qiao was truly afraid. Even while facing wolves and arrows, she had been defiant in the face of certain death. But this uncertainty between her and Yuwen Yue was killing her inside.

“Perhaps. Perhaps it’s just that I don’t look forward to you leaving again at some point in the future.”

The sadness with which he made that statement caused something inside her to snap. As he turned to head back to the hideout, she slipped her arms round his waist to halt his departure.

Burying her face in his back, her words were muffled but they were unmistakable. “I know I deserve this. And Heaven only knows I don’t deserve to ask for another chance. But I promise I will never leave you again. I need you too, Yuwen Yue. More than anything. Please let me stay by your side.”

For the longest time they both stood that place in silence, waiting and longing for the other. Fearful and hopeful, she was clinging to him for dear life, thankful that he hadn’t stopped loving her, thankful that it wasn’t too late.

He wanted to believe her… to believe in her change of her heart. But he had to be sure. He grabbed her wrists and swung around to face her honestly. They both, he decided, deserved that much.

“Xing’er… are you sure?” He asked as he searched her eyes.

She nodded eagerly as her tear-soaked eyes pleaded with him. “I have never been more sure of anything.”

Yuwen Yue could feel his heart beating furiously. For the first time in a long time he allowed himself to hope but the fear of being disappointed held him back from doing what he really wanted to at that moment. Instead he said,

“What about your dream? Your need to be free? Aren’t you afraid I’d hold you back?”

“I haven’t given up on those things.” She sniffed meekly. “But without you to share them with… all of it would be meaningless.”

“What about Yan Xun? Didn’t you want to share them with him?”

Chu Qiao took her time to wipe her tears before answering knowing that what she said here would make or break their relationship. At least, she thought thankfully, she had a captive audience.

“You were right about him. He had changed and I realized that maybe I didn’t really know what he wanted. He and I… I thought we shared the same ideals. Maybe we did at one time. But I assumed too much. We spoke using the same words but meant different things.  I knew he cared about me and I thought I could help him get back his home… be free from Wei. To me... we were two homeless people thrown together by circumstances. He had lost his family… I didn’t really have any. It made sense that we were fellow travellers on the same road…”

“I know. I understood all that.”

“I… I don’t know if I loved him. Maybe I did. He was really good to me. He even gave up his finger for me.” The tears returned. “He protected me when…”

He stroked her cheeks with his thumb to wipe her tears. “It’s fine, Xing’er. I have never taken issue with that. I was glad for you and for him. For a while it was enough that you were both alive.”

“That’s what I really… loved… about… you. I wish I had realized… sooner…  everything… I hope that it’s not too late… for us.”

Despite acting cool, Yuwen Yue was at war with himself. Every fibre of his being was urging… pulling him… to act on his feelings.

Be careful there… Yuwen Yue… You don’t want to let yourself be a fool yet again. Just because she jumped into the water after you doesn’t mean…

Did it matter? It was Xing’er. He would love her until the day he died. He would be a fool for her no matter what she did or didn’t do.

“I know you don’t trust me right now. I don’t blame you. I just wish I could prove to you that this isn’t a flash in the pan or pity or whatever it is that’s making you think I’m not sincere. As long as I know that you still love me, I will live in hope that you can forgive me.”

“I will always love you.” He blurted painfully in spite of his resolve. That’s the tragedy of my life.

What she did next broke him at his core… all his restraints, his misgivings, his pretence at being indifferent. The walls came crashing down in an instant and he was summarily defeated.

Standing on her toes, she reached to swing her arms over and around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips before saying,

“I will always love you too, Yuwen Yue, my first and best love. Thank you for waiting for me. I will do my best to regain your trust and be worthy of your love.”

Before she could extricate herself from his person, his lips fell on hers with none of the reserve the last time their lips met in this way. For a man who had been wandering in a desert starving and thirsty he had found his oasis. Taking sips was not in his vocabulary. While their lips met in a hundred ways and their tears mixed together in a hundred more, he died a thousand deaths drowning in all the emotions he had craved for so long.

For the first time in his life, Young Master Yue lost his mind completely, and he was in no hurry to find it.

He came up for air when he felt her petite frame shaking like a leaf. He thought it was the cold. He slipped off his outer rob to shield her but she shook her head. She didn’t need anything else when she had him holding her so tightly in his arms.

Her eyes were sparkling like the stars in the night sky above, shining with indescribable happiness.

She was truly his Xing’er now.

“Xing’er, we are such fools, you and I.”

“Then let us be fools together.”

He needed no other invitation.

 

 

 

 

[cenching]

@40somethingahjumma, that was the ending we all hoping for.....darn you Ciwen!!! #ThrowsMolotov

[Florina Culincu]

Yep ,yep damn u Ciwen for making us  cry sad rivers because of your greediness

[Florina Culincu]

14 hours ago, dashmount20 said:

recap of all eps:

 

God this drama left a heavy impression on my heart, the way ZLY & LGX played the characters of CQ/XE & YWY made them come alive trough their acting and the portrayal of emotions only a real couple in love would have. I hope they are going to be a couple in the real life

[Bella-Chimura]

@40somethingahjumma... it will be a perfect ending for PA. thanks a lot for writing a wonderful angst.

[Robin Robin]

Is this cutting scene or photoshop ?

[cenching]

@Robin Robin, Photoshopped  

[mundane9]

4 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

I wrote this because I had to. Because there was a voice in my head that said that if I didn't,

@40somethingahjumma bombard the producers and director of PA with yr fanfic edition and tell them to finnish the g'darn show properly with a PA2 movie-sequel to the series starring our original cast!

[mrsyooknit]

@rampantwolfhound Thank you so much for all these fanfics. They are healing my broken heart. <3333

 

@40somethingahjumma thank you!  when she said she loved him, I was like "this is all I wanted to hear" 

 

[turtle0217]

@rampantwolfhound and @40somethingahjumma thank you for filling in our broke hearts. Thank you soo much! 

[40somethingahjumma]

Gah... I keep going back and editing. I really wanted this to be the end of my relationship with PA. But YWY left such a strong impression on me that it's harder to let go than I thought.

I'm glad that so many have read it and found it helpful for post-viewing trauma therapy. I haven't written a proper piece of fanfiction for a while now so I was struggling a bit... but it did come together in the end.

@rampantwolfhound I love your vignettes of YWY and CQ in their married life... one could so easily fall in love with them over and over again just reading about them enjoying life together in QSY and preparing to be parents. Beautiful work... just beautiful. 

@mrsyooknit I think it's all he wanted to hear from her too. While he knew she that he feelings for him, he needed that clarity that she was reluctant to give. Maybe she did give them that but it ended up on the cutting room floor.

[rampantwolfhound]

First of all, thank you @40somethingahjummafor giving us the fabulous fix-it fic that we needed. I agree with @mrsyooknitthat the "I love you" moment was immensely satisfying; the line that got me was when YWY sarcastically apologized for ruining XE's chances of becoming princess of Yanbei. Between that story and my stuff lately, I figured that we'd had...well, I won't say "enough angst," because you can't ever really have enough angst when it comes to dramas. Let's just say that I felt we could use some more humor, so I wrote some XingYue fluff as related by an unorthodox source. This also fleshes out a bit more how CQ was allowed to come back to Green Hills and what her relationship is with the current emperor.  

 

“It all started with a massage, Your Highness,” the spy said, uneasily shuffling from foot to foot.

Emperor Xiang found the spy’s body language promising since it seemed to indicate that this week’s report was going to live up to his expectations. Given Chu Qiao’s innate ability to cause and draw trouble, he’d set up spies outside the Yuwen family holdings in order to keep an eye on her. On rare occasions, a spy would actually make it into Green or Red Hills and would see something useful. Even if nobody made it in that week, hearing about Chu Qiao’s antics was often a nice diversion that interrupted the tedium of ruling.

“And where was this massage taking place?” Xiang asked the spy.

“Jille Pavillion, Your Highness.”

Xiang’s eyes widened in shock, but he managed to contain his surprise otherwise. He knew well that Chu Qiao hated the place and that she and Yuwen Yue had seemed content to leave it and the pool inside to the Xiulis. His spies had standing orders to pursue anything Chu Qiao did that was out of the ordinary, and setting foot inside Jille Pavillion—especially so near the end of her pregnancy—certainly qualified. Even more astonishing was that his spy had actually made it inside Jille Pavillion without being spotted.

“Continue.”

“I couldn’t see and hear everything that was going on from where I was hidden, but I saw Chu Qiao lead Yuwen Yue to the large pool and...assist him with the removal of his robes. She said something about teaching him to use his powers, but her instruction method seemed to be less than professional.”

Xiang smothered a smile.

“Indeed.”

“Yes, Your Highness. She told him to get into the pool, and he sat down on a ledge in the water that left only his head and shoulders out of water. Chu Qiao took off her outer robes and knelt behind him somehow and started massaging his shoulders in order to...increase his focus, she said. He said something I couldn’t understand about trying to kill him; she laughed somewhat suggestively and said that there would be time for that later.”

This report was the most entertaining one Xiang had heard since that one spy had managed to observe Yuwen Yue’s way of teaching Chu Qiao the finer points of archery.

“I’m assuming that Yuwen Yue managed to survive the night.”

“As far as I know, Your Highness. Of course, after what I saw, I can’t imagine much of anything being a threat to either Yuwen Yue or Chu Qiao.”

“What exactly did you see?”

“Um, well, Your Highness, I can’t really explain it. She stood up from behind him, stepped to the edge of the pool, made a motion with her hands, and the water...it just...formed steps all the way to the bottom of the pool. She slowly walked down these steps until she was at the bottom, then the stairway just collapsed all around her as if it had never been there.”

Xiang knew about the Wind and Cloud Decree, of course; he knew that Chu Qiao had used it to save Yuwen Yue and her Xiulis at the icy lake and to put an end to those who had shot arrows at her and her people. Still, to hear his subordinate talk about seeing such a display of power was unsettling.

“Your Highness?”

“Please continue.”

“The water was right at her shoulders. She spread out her arms so that they were hovering over the surface of the water and then said something to Yuwen Yue that made him get this look on his face.”

“What type of look?”

“I guess you could call it...predatory.”

“I see.”

“He then...Your Highness, he raised his own hands and...it’s like he made the water move without touching it.”

“Yuwen Yue?” Xiang asked, unable to hide the surprise from his tone or his face. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I saw it with my own two eyes. He was definitely moving the water on his own.”

Xiang rocked back in shock. He’d known that Chu Qiao possessed the Wind and Cloud Decree, but to know that she’d obviously given some of that power to Yuwen Yue…

“Are you okay, Your Highness? Should I--”

“I’m fine. Tell me what happened next.”

“He made the water ripple, and he slowly...took off Chu Qiao’s robes from underwater using nothing but water.”

Xiang shook his head.

As usual, Chu Qiao learned from Yuwen Yue’s teaching methods all too well.

“And then?”

“And then she...congratulated him on his success.”

“I’ll bet she did. Please move on to the next detail that’s relevant to your report.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. After...everything, she moved to the opposite end of the pool and began to form a...I don’t really know how to describe it. I’ve heard tales of cloud cones that can form on land and destroy all in their paths; this was kind of like that, but with water. It was like a whirlpool but above the surface.”

“I’ve seen the damage that those can cause. Did this one do any harm?”

“No, Your Highness. Chu Qiao seemed to have the cone completely under control. She kept making it larger, but it never seemed to threaten anything. The larger it got, though, the lower the water level became. The lower the water level became, the more of Chu Qiao you began to see. Yuwen Yue noticed this pattern and began to make his own cone.”

“I’ll bet he did.”

“It took him longer than Chu Qiao to get his cone going, but not too much longer. There’s an economy of motion to Chu Qiao’s technique that suggests years of training, but with Yuwen Yue...The raw power on display was intimidating. He quickly had a large cone of his own going, and the water level began to recede farther down Chu Qiao’s body. She let the water reach a certain point, but then she started shrinking the size of her own cone so that the water level stayed the same.”

“Surely Yuwen Yue rose to the challenge.”

“He did. He continued making his cone bigger until it was the size of both cones and then began building it up even higher, draining the water level in the pool at a satisfactory rate.”

“Did he succeed?”

“Not exactly. Chu Qiao...did something with her hands again, and the water just...It’s like she pulled the water Yuwen Yue was drawing from out from under his cone so that the whole thing crashed down on top of him.”

Xiang smothered a laugh with a cough and held up an impatient hand to stave off any questions about his well-being.

“What did he do next?”

“He somehow made the water solid so that he could spring off of it to catch Chu Qiao. She didn’t seem to try too hard to elude him, though, and he was very gentle with her when he caught her. He pulled her as close as he could given the circumstances; she wrapped her arms around her neck, pulled herself up, and whispered something in his ear. They stared intently at each other for a moment before the water started roiling around them. A large cone quickly spun up in the pool, enveloping both of them completely.”

“And they didn’t drown? How long did they stay in the middle of the cone?”

The spy blushed and looked down at his feet.

“I see.”

“Chu Qiao especially seemed to find the buoyancy pleasing.”

Only military discipline kept Xiang from losing his composure.

“Some pregnant women find bathing in pools to be relaxing and soothing.”

“She seemed quite relaxed after the cone suddenly collapsed back down into the pool. So did Yuwen Yue, to be honest.”

“Well, I’m sure they were both exhausted after expending all of that energy to make the cone.”

“Exactly, Your Highness. I’m sure that’s it.”

“Do you have anything else important to report?”

“Not really, Your Highness. After the big cone, they both relaxed in the water and recovered their strength. Yuwen Yue climbed out, used his powers to dry himself off, and put on his robes. Chu Qiao was content to...continue resting while watching Yuwen Yue getting dressed.”

“I’m sure she was.”

“As far as I could tell from where I was, Yuwen Yue picked up a spare set of robes that Chu Qiao had brought with her, went back to the pool, pushed away the water Chu Qiao was floating in, and dressed her in the corner of the pool. He picked her up in his arms and then used the water like a rising platform to gently push them up and out. I caught some of what Chu Qiao was saying about rooms that she’d prepared for the evening and night, but given the tone of her voice, I elected to retreat with the information I had.”

“I’ll bet you did. Thank you for your report; you’ve done well. You may leave first.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” the spy said, bowing, clasping his hands, and walking backwards a couple of steps before turning around and leaving with almost insulting quickness.

Xiang waited for the spy’s footsteps to fade away entirely before looking at his most trusted eunuch adviser and letting loose with a torrent of booming laughter.

His adviser looked at him in startlement but eventually joined in the laughter itself. Xiang started clapping his hands slowly as if Chu Qiao herself were present. His mind took him back in time several years ago to when she had first been made the archery coach of the Xiulis and she’d beaten up Xiao Ce and had expected to be scolded for it.

“Good girl!” he chortled. “Well done! Well done!”

“Pay that man double what he normally makes,” he said to his eunuch after regaining control of himself. “That was the most entertaining report I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Xiang sighed in satisfaction.

“When Chu Qiao sets out to get vengeance, she never does it half-way.”

“Your Highness?”

Xiang chuckled.

“This whole thing was a setup from beginning to end. Our spy didn’t make it in; they let him make it in. What are the odds that nobody saw him? This has Chu Qiao’s name written all over it, but Yuwen Yue knew what she was doing.”

“How do you know, Your Highness?”

“In that entire report, did our spy ever mention seeing more of Chu Qiao’s body than her shoulders and maybe the top of her chest?”

“No, Your Highness.”

“He knew.”

The eunuch inclined his head in deference.

“Chu Qiao knows better than most how important the element of surprise can be. However, she also knows how effective a good deterrent can be. She knows that she’ll be giving birth soon and will be unable to watch over Yuwen Yue for awhile. She knows that this particular spy has one of the biggest mouths in the business and only manages to stay employed—and alive—by virtue of being able to sneak into almost anywhere. She knows that he’ll report to me and will then spread all sorts of wild and outlandish tales among the servants, who will spread them far and wide. Everyone will soon know that both Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue are even more extraordinarily powerful than they used to be and are not to be messed with.”

“What does that have to do with vengeance, Your Highness? That sounds more like protectiveness to me.”

“Does Chu Qiao ever try to get vengeance without there being some element of protectiveness involved?”

The eunuch inclined his head once again.

“First, she gets vengeance on an irritating spy who’s been annoying her for a couple of years by forcing him to give the most awkward briefing of his life. Then she gets vengeance on Yuwen Xi and Yuwen Huai by forcing them to watch her “training” Yuwen Yue in their home from the afterlife. She also gets vengeance on her husband, who’s likely been tormenting her with similarly distracting teaching methods for years. And then, of course, she gets vengeance on me.”

“You, Your Highness?”

“Me. There’s nothing Chu Qiao values more than freedom, and I’m the one who basically put her under house arrest. While she’s never strayed far from Green Hills or Red Hills, I know that she chafes at the idea that she isn’t truly free. She knows I haven’t trusted her. She knows I’ve thought she’d leave Yuwen Yue someday. She knows I’ve figured that her rebellious nature would get the better of her one day. So she sets up one of my spies to witness evidence that she’s given what I would assume are half of her powers to Yuwen Yue, that she’s very much in love with him, and that, even this close to delivery, she’s still capable of wielding immense power. And, of course, she also forces me to try to keep control over myself during the most awkward report in the history of the kingdom. Well done, Chu Da Ren. Very well done.”

“Would you ever consider giving her her freedom, Your Highness?”

“Of course not! That woman causes chaos wherever she goes. If she were to walk through the gates of Chang’an without Yuwen Yue at her side, they’d fall in!”

“Apologies, Your Highness.”

Xiang waved him off and then smiled.

“I might, however, decide to relax some of her travel restrictions as a gift in honor of the birth of her firstborn.”

“That would be most generous, Your Highness.”

“I know it would. Do you know something else?”

“Your Highness?”

“I’m glad that Chu Qiao’s not really my enemy.”

Both men shuddered at the thought.

“Now tell me what’s next on the schedule today.”

His adviser started listing off appointments and responsibilities and he found himself mentally sighing in resignation. For all that he couldn’t imagine marrying a woman like Chu Qiao, he still found himself envying his friend for the happiness he’d found. Not that he believed that there was anyone in the world more deserving of happiness than Yuwen Yue, and yet…

Xiang gave himself a swift mental kick and admitted the truth.

Only Yuwen Yue could handle standing in the middle of the relationship equivalent of that whirling water cone while managing to hold on to a woman like Chu Qiao.

[cenching]

@rampantwolfhound....OMG!!!! I tried to imagine The Emperor's and the spy's faces during this reading...Please keep it coming if you have time....also @40somethingahjumma, continue your fanfic too....those fanfics of the 2 of you are like a soothing balm over our wounded hearts