After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 8

Chapter 08: I’m Just Going to Marry You

Faced with the heavy-looking token suddenly tossed his way, Qi Jia hesitated for a moment before transforming into his human form to catch it.

In the blink of an eye, he turned back into a round, adorable fat bird. He wasn’t about to give the “Big Scumbag Dragon” an extra chance to stare at his beautiful face.

At the same time, the little fat bird blinked tentatively: It seems being the Celestial Empress isn’t as difficult as they say…

Qi Jia looked at the Emperor again. The moment he reverted to bird form, Yu Baixi swept his sleeve, brooking no further refusal. He transformed into a streak of blue-and-white light, vanishing from Mt. Budu along with the bird, leaving the local spirits staring at each other in shock.

“The technique of ‘One Soul, Two Bodies’ requires immense spiritual power. The slightest slip results in massive depletion. You are heavily injured and unhealed; how could you use it so recklessly?!” Amidst the white clouds, the Emperor was as cold as frost, his voice stern.

Qi Jia: “…”

So, the reason he was in such a hurry to take him away was because of this.

Even though the amnesiac bird knew nothing about this Emperor, he could hear the sharp edge in the man’s voice, as if he had committed some colossal mistake.

Qi Jia immediately sensed the state of his main body and, confirming everything was normal, said innocently: “I just saw you do it and it felt a bit familiar, like I could do it too, so I tried.”

Perched once again on the Emperor’s shoulder, the fat bird struggled against the fierce gale of their high-speed flight, trying to keep the feathers on his head and belly from being blown into a “split” again.

Qi Jia added: “But I’m not as good at it as you. The body I left in the Celestial Palace is very… stiff.”

“Stiff, and yet you dared to agree to go for a walk with Shuoling?” The Emperor’s voice was icy, his words slow and deep, sounding like an interrogation.

But Qi Jia hadn’t realized the problem: “I didn’t actually go out, did I? You stopped me in the end…”

It was true. Through his recent sensing, Qi Jia knew that his body in the palace and Fairy Shuoling had been blocked inside the room by the Emperor.

In reality, because he had sent most of his consciousness to this side, the “main body” left in the palace had become sluggish. He could hear Shuoling and speak slowly, but everything felt delayed and surreal to him.

Thus, when Shuoling suggested a walk to see the Jade Capital, Qi Jia hadn’t really processed what she was saying and instinctively agreed.

He hadn’t expected that the “Emperor” remaining in the palace would move so smoothly—without a hint of lag—to block them and forbid them from leaving.

And almost at the same time, Yu Baixi had appeared at Mt. Budu.

…Thinking back, that must have been when the Emperor realized he was using a projection.

But because the sensory feedback from the palace was so laggy, and the Emperor’s sudden appearance at Mt. Budu had occupied most of his attention, Qi Jia only now realized what had happened back at the Jade Capital.

Bird-crap! The difference in our skill level is way too big!

While Qi Jia was analyzing the lag in his own spellcasting compared to the Emperor’s “silky smooth” version, that cold, serious voice rang out again: “What did you think I left my main body up there for?”

“For what?” Qi Jia asked instinctively.

Yu Baixi: “…”

The Celestial Emperor was speechless for a moment before pausing and saying: “I thought that by watching you personally, everything would be foolproof. I didn’t expect you to also use the One Soul, Two Bodies technique…”

By now, the Emperor’s tone held a hint of gloom, matching the rumors of his solitary and eccentric temperament.

He continued: “The hallmark of this technique is using the power of the Primordial Spirit to subtly shape a mobile body in another location without being detected.”

Qi Jia understood.

Yu Baixi had created a clone specifically to watch over him while leaving his main body to preside over the Heaven Realm.

Instead, Qi Jia had also made a clone right under his nose. Not only did the clone run off to play, but the body left in the palace even tried to go for a walk…

In fairness, for the person who had specifically split his soul to watch him, this was not a pleasant experience. No wonder the usually indifferent Emperor was visibly angry.

But Qi Jia wasn’t the type of bird who liked being tailed.

Braving the astral winds, Qi Jia said: “…So you did it to watch me? Why?”

The little fat bird tilted his head as best he could while maintaining his “hairstyles.” His first thought was: Why does he need to watch me? Is it really like what Hu Lang said—that the Emperor wants the child but not the father, and is worried I’ll run away with the ‘egg’?

But the Emperor was currently acting like a “silent gourd.” He wouldn’t answer.

However, Qi Jia wasn’t one to be easily brushed off.

“Why why why why why?…”

The Emperor finally seemed unable to bear the pestering: “Naturally, I was worried you would provoke trouble or get yourself injured again.”

Qi Jia: “…That sounds like you think I’m a professional troublemaker.”

The fat bird puffed out his chest in protest, but the Emperor glanced sideways at him and said meaningfully: “The fact that you dared to use One Soul, Two Bodies proves my worries were entirely justified.”

Qi Jia: “…”

In the next instant, Yu Baixi raised his hand slightly. The fierce astral wind that had been “harassing” the bird vanished.

Yu Baixi had placed a protective barrier around him.

Qi Jia: ? If you had this great method, why didn’t you do it earlier? This isn’t the first time I’ve been wind-blasted today!

As if reading his mind, Yu Baixi said: “A physical body forcibly shaped by the power of the soul is incredibly fragile. If this body is damaged, it directly harms the Primordial Spirit. Do not use this magic again. Now stay still; I am taking you back.”

Qi Jia: “…Oh.”

So, the barrier was raised because he was afraid I’d get hurt.

Is One Soul, Two Bodies really that dangerous? He had just thought he could do it, so he did it. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Looking at it this way, he had been reckless.

At the same time, Qi Jia noticed a detail about himself: he never seemed to consider the possibility of getting hurt. Even knowing he was severely injured before his amnesia, he still didn’t factor it into his actions.

It was as if, in the past, he was long used to being injured. Or perhaps, being injured was his normal state of life?

…

His sealed memories didn’t budge, but Qi Jia felt a vague resonance, as if his past self followed the “Desperate Fighter Bird” aesthetic.

In that case, Yu Baixi’s desire to watch him really was out of kindness.

The air inside the barrier became mild and warm. No longer worried about his hair being blown about, the fat bird felt extremely comfortable.

Tired of standing, he tucked in his claws and squatted on the Emperor’s shoulder, stretching a wing. Then, he curled himself into a fluffy, soft ball.

At this moment, the Emperor felt like the old tree he usually slept on. Silent, holding him up—very solid and stable.

“Another round of rapid-fire Q&A?” Qi Jia tilted his head toward Yu Baixi.

Without waiting for consent, he asked: “You seem to know I’m reckless, which means you know me well. If that’s the case, doesn’t your previous statement that we aren’t ‘familiar’ fall apart?”

Yu Baixi looked back at him, his voice steady: “There is no conflict.”

Qi Jia: “? How so?”

Yu Baixi pondered for a moment and suddenly said: “The Demon Realm currently has seven major tribes. I, as the Celestial Emperor, naturally know which tribe harbors ill intent and which two tribes appear to be at odds but are secretly in contact.”

“Huh?” Qi Jia didn’t quite follow. “What do the seven demon tribes have to do with us… Wait, are you hinting that I’m actually a Demon?!”

Yu Baixi: “…”

“What I mean is, we have not met many times, but I can still grasp your information.”

“…So you abandoned me, but you’re still secretly tracking me.” The fat bird on his shoulder nodded in summary: “You are a scumbag dragon with a serious desire for control.”

Yu Baixi: “…”

Qi Jia waited for a long time, expecting a rebuttal. But Yu Baixi said nothing more.

Qi Jia had to scrutinize this taciturn, serious dragon carefully.

After a long while, he finally concluded: Yu Baixi’s silence meant he disagreed but didn’t plan on arguing anymore.

“Don’t be so serious.”

He wiggled his claws on the man’s shoulder. He didn’t know why this Emperor was so allergic to talking.

But Qi Jia didn’t like the gloomy atmosphere and wanted to find more clues about himself through conversation.

“Next question! Is the token you gave me really the Empress’s token? You really gave it to me? You’re letting me be the Empress?”

Yu Baixi: “That is not the Empress’s token.”

“Huh?”

This time it was Qi Jia’s turn to look stunned. Even as a bird, he managed a look of betrayal: “So you don’t want me to be the Empress… was it all a lie just now?!”

Yu Baixi: “…The Empress’s Seal and Token have not been activated for ten thousand years. How could I carry them with me? The one I gave you is not the Empress’s token; it is my token.”

Realizing some things had to be explained, Yu Baixi continued without being asked: “Seeing that token is like seeing me. With it, you can enter and leave the Heaven Realm at will. You don’t need to force your way through any barriers again.”

By the time he finished, Yu Baixi’s smoke-blue eyes turned away from the bird, looking straight ahead again.

Qi Jia: “…”

So that was it.

The fat bird was speechless. But Your Majesty, why don’t you ever start with the most important point!

Qi Jia quickly recovered: “So, you’re letting me be the Empress?”

“Do you truly wish to be the Empress?” Yu Baixi asked back.

“I do!”

Qi Jia answered without hesitation. “Isn’t the Empress super powerful? Who wouldn’t want that? I’m not stupid!”

Yu Baixi: “Do you know what being the Empress entails?”

“What does it entail?” Qi Jia tilted his head. “Does it mean responsibility?”

Yu Baixi: “…It means we need to get married.”

“Oh, that.” The fat bird sounded relieved, his tone light. “I know that! You have to marry me!”

“…You.”

The smoke-blue eyes widened slightly for a second. Yu Baixi’s voice was hesitant: “You have no objection?”

“Of course I have no objection.”

Qi Jia felt the shoulder he was perched on grow tense. He had to shift his posture: “I can’t afford a dowry, so you have to marry me.”

Senior Brother told me about this earlier!

Yu Baixi: “…”

The Emperor paused heavily again before speaking: “…According to Heavenly protocol, the Empress’s Coronation takes at least three months to prepare. By then, you should have recovered your memory.”

But Qi Jia didn’t see the connection. He said: “Recovering my memory doesn’t interfere with me being the Empress! Don’t say anything more, this bird is going to marry you! No matter what anyone says!”

Yu Baixi: “…………”

Silence again.

A long silence.

After an unknown amount of time, the Emperor said: “If you still want to be the Empress by then… we shall discuss it further.”

“Chirp?”

Seeing him so cautious made Qi Jia suspicious. He tilted his feathery head: “Why do you think I won’t want to be the Empress? Is there some catch?”

“No.” Yu Baixi spoke in a low, steady voice. “It is just that, given your former personality… you would not marry me.”

The surrounding wind suddenly grew stronger, howling past the barrier and making a whistling sound. Even the Emperor’s voice became blurry. Qi Jia almost didn’t hear what came next.

.those words sound very deep.”

Despite the wind, the bird sat securely on the man’s broad shoulder and shook his feathers. Suddenly, a new possibility occurred to him: “Wait, it wasn’t you abandoning the bird and child… was it this bird who dumped you?!”

He had run away.

Lost his memory, and then ran back?

So that’s why the Emperor wanted to protect him, yet “petulantly” said they weren’t familiar…

Qi Jia slapped his head with a wing. This explanation made perfect sense!

“No.” While Qi Jia was deep in his sincere deduction, the corner of the Emperor’s eye twitched visibly, and he pressed his temple.

In the end, he remained emotionally stable, emphasizing in a calm voice: “I only meant… you would not like me.”

Qi Jia: ?

Yu Baixi: “Furthermore, you and I are indeed not familiar.”

Qi Jia: “…”

Fine, if you insist, Your Majesty.

Feeling that this person was far too tense and rational—and that he probably wouldn’t get more out of him for now—Qi Jia gave up on this round of baiting.

He looked up at the pale blue transparent barrier. As he looked, he instinctively studied the patterns on it, recalling the spiritual fluctuations Yu Baixi had used. He raised a wing to trace them in the air.

He was testing if he could also manifest this kind of barrier.

It was a good move. If he could use it, he wouldn’t have to worry about his hair being blown away!

A moment later, Qi Jia flicked a wing and a tiny protective barrier rose in front of him—fiery red. Though it wasn’t as large or stable as Yu Baixi’s, Qi Jia had mastered the spell.

The fat bird puffed his chest out proudly.

In the next second, the Emperor, who had returned to silence, spoke with extreme coldness: “Do not cast spells while in the One Soul, Two Bodies state. I told you, be careful of injuring yourself.”

…His tone was not just stern, but held a powerful deterrent—the aura of a ruler.

Qi Jia: “…Oh.”

The voice was cold and a bit scary, but it was for his own good. Qi Jia wasn’t an ungrateful bird. Having tried it once, he was satisfied. He could practice more later when he was back in one piece. He quickly retracted his barrier.

But afterward, the fat bird perched on the Emperor’s shoulder suddenly tilted to the side and collapsed.

What is it now?” Yu Baixi, who had been looking ahead, immediately noticed the anomaly and turned to ask.

Hidden from the bird’s view, the Emperor’s brow was deeply furrowed. One Soul, Two Bodies was indeed difficult to control. This bird had no memory, had been split for so long, and had traveled so far; too many things could go wrong.

Even Yu Baixi, who was an expert in this method, couldn’t be sure what was happening.

If he weren’t worried that this physical projection couldn’t take it, he would have flown even faster.

While reminding the bird not to use magic again, Yu Baixi raised his hand and “caught” the fat bird in his palm.

Surging spiritual power instantly enveloped the palm-sized bird.

I’m definitely pregnant.”

The fat bird lay crooked in the Emperor’s palm, collapsing into a fluffy “feather pancake.” However Yu Baixi picked him up was how he stayed lying down.

Feeling the spiritual energy the other was channeling into him, Qi Jia felt much better.

But his wing still mimicked a human gesture of shielding a stomach. He said weakly: “I… I felt like throwing up just now. Don’t they say pregnant people throw up…”

.Throwing up?” Yu Baixi was stunned.

Then it wasn’t an adverse reaction to the One Soul, Two Bodies state.

The Emperor’s eye flickered. He extended a finger to check the bird’s pulse again, then silently withdrew his spiritual power. His voice returned to a calm state, but it was no longer entirely emotionless: “It is because you ate too much. Indigestion, not pregnancy.”

Qi Jia: “…”

“No, impossible.”

The bird lying in the Emperor’s palm grumbled defiantly: “The moment you gave me your spiritual power, I felt better. The books say the male’s spiritual breath has a soothing effect on the offspring carried by the female!”

The Emperor fell silent again but felt the need to explain: “That is because your split soul consumed energy. I transferred energy to you, so…”

“Oh, Your Majesty,” Qi Jia’s lazy voice cut in, interrupting the “defense.” He asked back: “You said using my spiritual veins to nurture an offspring would consume a lot of energy, right?”

“Yu Baixi suddenly stopped talking.

If one were to nurture an offspring using spiritual veins, there would indeed be massive depletion.

Qi Jia lifted his eyelid slightly, his expression smug: “So, even if I feel unwell due to energy depletion, how can you prove that this depletion isn’t because of pregnancy?”

Yu Baixi: “…”

For now, he truly couldn’t prove it.

In other words, pregnancy was still possible.

Neither could convince the other.

The Emperor, who usually chose silence, was rarely rendered speechless by external forces like this.

But for such an argument, Yu Baixi wasn’t entirely surprised. Even with a different name and no memory, this person—this bird—was still as brilliant as he remembered.

Yu Baixi said: “This Seat will find a way to prove it as soon as possible…”

Before he could finish, the bird he had placed in his palm for “illness” suddenly flipped its small body.

The fat bird was lazy overall, so even the flip was subtle.

But Yu Baixi felt a palpable change—

Lying in the cold but broad palm, Qi Jia unapologetically pressed his full weight down. Because of the pressure, the chubby bird turned into a round, solid, yet soft ball.

Soft feathers spread out. The fully reclined fat bird stretched luxuriously and let out a yawn.

Yu Baixi’s fingertips twitched instinctively.

At first, he only thought the bird in his palm was soft and warm. But back then, he was worried about the bird’s condition and didn’t think much.

But now, this little bird was lying shamelessly on his back in his hand, feathers all puffed out, exposing his soft belly…

Yu Baixi suddenly felt his palm burning.

His whole body froze.

He stayed in the position of holding the pale yellow bird; he couldn’t put his hand down, nor could he keep it up comfortably.

Qi Jia didn’t think anything was wrong. He was just finding a comfortable position. He hadn’t exposed his human form like Qi Shaoxu warned against.

Mainly, since they couldn’t convince each other, he didn’t feel like talking anymore, so he flipped over to interrupt the man.

Giving himself a mental thumbs-up for his wit, he settled in comfortably. Feeling the silence of the one holding him, Qi Jia said lazily: “Fine, this bird also hopes everything becomes clear soon. But until then, I still have to take good care of the ‘fetus,’ right?”

As he spoke, he raised a wing and stroked his round little belly a few times.

Yu Baixi: “…”

Jade Capital.

“Your Highness, since you are with child, you should eat less cold fruit. Ah, you can have more ginger tea.”

After His Majesty had stopped her from taking His Highness out for sightseeing, Fairy Shuoling had gone back and forth to the kitchen several times. This time, she brought a pot of brewing soup.

“Thank you, Fairy Shuoling.” Collapsed in a chair, the bird whose soul was only half-present thanked her slowly but politely.

“Your Highness need not be polite. As the manager of His Majesty’s palace, it is my duty to resolve your troubles. Besides, with you here, the entire palace has become lively. The Prime Minister even specifically told me to take good care of you. Leave the prenatal care to me!”

“Alright, I’ll trouble you then. I don’t know anything.” The fat bird lying there said with a smile: “I wonder if I can borrow some of your books to read?”

“Of course!” Fairy Shuoling said happily. “I’ve only skimmed them myself, but look, Your Highness—this is the token the Prime Minister gave me. If we lack anything, we can just go and ask for it!”

Yu Baixi: “…”

The Celestial Emperor, whose soul was also half-absent from the Jade Capital, looked at the table full of dried fruits and the small stove brewing ginger tea while listening to their serious discussion on how to care for a pregnancy…

If he didn’t have the Celestial Seal in hand, and if he didn’t constantly introspect to ensure his mind and memories weren’t being interfered with by any divine evil…

He would almost believe that once upon a time, during those days as a couple in the mortal realm, something really did happen between him and Qi Jia.

And that they truly did have a child.