The Heavenly Empress nodded at that. "I know. I might have been skeptical at first but over the years, I've realized just how much you love Jing He. Naturally, you wouldn't just abandon him. And as I said, I'm not trying to give you guilty conscience. I'm sure even without me saying anything, things aren't easy for you.
"I really just want you to prepare. It is unlikely he will be able to look at this and not worry. You also know how Jing He is. So, just keep this in mind while you do whatever it is you decide on in the meantime. That is all that I'm asking for."
Qiu Ling nodded. "I know. The problem is that the more I do with Jing Yi, the more time I spent with him, the more difficult it will be for Jing He to deal with it. I understand that. It would be best to end the situation soon. I just don't know how. So, I'll keep it in mind, but I don't think that the solution is to keep anything back right now.
"Jing He will be troubled by this but I think the more important question is how to make him understand afterward. But then again, I think that I will be able to do that. In the ten years before his trial started, the two of us have gotten closer. I think I'm able to somewhat understand what Jing He thinks. I even think that this trial has helped me with that as well.
"Even though Jing Yi is just his mortal reincarnation, spending time with him gave me a new perspective on some things. And maybe this trial will also be an opportunity for us to bond over. After all, while it might not have been him directly, it was still his reincarnation. He will have all those memories. So talking about it, sharing what we remember, and what his perspective on things is, might be an experience that helps us. And also, after he gets back, we will start preparing our wedding, won't we?"
Bai Fen chuckled at that. "Well, you have my blessing. I'm just not too sure what Rong Su will say about that. Especially after this matter just now."
Qiu Ling nodded and picked up the teacup that she had put in front of him. "Well, I prefer not to think about what your husband wants. It's enough for me to think about what my fiance wants. In the worst case, I'll just run away with him."
Bai Fen slowly shook her head. "You know, the worst thing about this is that I can actually imagine you doing that. In any case, I still think Jing He would like to have a real ceremony. You also know how he is. Traditions are quite important to him."
"Indeed. He'd see it as the right thing to do. But maybe not following them would be especially good in that regard."
"That might be but I don't think you'll get him to do that. Jing He would probably agree to quite a lot of things if the one asking is you but your wedding is probably not one of them. Also, an official wedding ceremony would signify that his father has finally accepted the relationship between the two of you. That is something that will be important for Jing He."
Qiu Ling lowered his gaze at that, a little worried. The Heavenly Empress wasn't a problem at all but even after the ten years he had known Jing He, he hadn't made much progress with the Heavenly Emperor. And he even felt that his chances of changing that man's opinion about him weren't very good. "Back then … When I had just fallen in love with Jing He and we spoke for the first time, you said that if I was able to win Jing He's heart, you would help me with your husband. Does that still count?"
Bai Fen nodded, not hesitating in the least. "Jing He should be able to be with somebody he genuinely loves. That is something that I always wanted for my child. Since that person is you, I don't think that as his parents, we should stand in his way. So, I will try and help you to convince Rong Su. I can't promise anything but if it can help you at least a little bit, it would just benefit Jing He in the end."
"Then … what do you think I should do for that? Especially with the situation right now, it will not be easy. I know that. But it is something that I must do. And I think this whole matter has also put things in perspective for me. I need to start planning better. I have managed to woo Jing He but even after he comes back from his trial, if his father isn't on board at that point, then we'll just get delayed again. I don't want that. I had to wait for so long. It would be best if there was a chance to hold the wedding quite close to the end of his trial."
Bai Fen nodded. "That is true. Although you do have to keep in mind that he will take some time to remember everything from his trial. So most likely, it would be for the best to wait until he has his memories again. Without knowing what was going on, marrying you in that state … I don't think it would do him any good."
Qiu Ling's expression turned a little complicated. Right. He felt that Jing He had mentioned something like that. It had been the reason why he originally wanted to follow him to the mortal realm.
He leaned back and rubbed his neck. "I guess that leaves me with the time until the God of Justice figures something out to get Jing He back and the time after Jing He has returned and regained all his memories to win over your husband. Well, I guess I have my work cut out for me." This … definitely wouldn't be an easy task.