There's a Lump in My Tail

A Lump of Wine

Returning to the Celestial Heavens after a night of drunken revelry, Ye Hua could barely keep to his feet by the time his Star Lord Tian Shu arrived at the gates to collect him.   Stumbling and mumbling incoherently, his swaying form was the only visible thing entering the brighty lit corridors and no sooner did he have Ye Hua in his tight grip, then he quickly whisked him back to Xi Wu palace to sober him up.  

He knew as well as Ye Hua did, that he would be in big trouble if his Grandfather saw him in this state and with a meeting due to start in just under an hour, he did not hesitate to call in the Medicine King, though a little pleading on Ye Huas behalf, saw the old man agree to keeping Ye Huas state to himself, while literally drowning the boy in sobering soup.

No one knew where he had got to, not even his own Star Lord who was facing severe punishment seeing it was his sole duty to report Ye Huas whereabouts at all times.  But with sobering soup in his system and a laughing rooster still ringing in his ears, Ye Hua was finally making progress.

"Lord Ye Hua.  Where have you been?  The whole Palace is looking for you!" Tian Shu whispered softly.

"With a rooster." he replied with his throbbing head in his hands while ignoring the blank look on Tian Shus face.  And that was exactly how he saw Zhe Yan.  A cocky, arrogant and overly flamboyant rooster.  That High God might be wise in most things, but he was too conniving and far too mischievous, but for the sake of one woman, Ye Hua had remained to not only drink when he knew he shouldn't, but to learn as much about her as possible.

But it was High God Zhe Yans plan to trap her into falling for him that had Ye Huas mind now working hard.  He was not really a mischevous man by nature, but he was strategic and she was a win worth fighting for and rather than a battle to the death, this one was going to be a battle of wits.  Only he was not going to use Zhe Yans scheme and for one reason.  He might know the girl inside and out, but what Ye Hua had learned through all the battles he had ever fought in, the enemy also knew him.  If he was to use Zhe Yans plan, she would know right from the outset.  Instead he tweaked the details a little to suit himself and seeing as she did not know him, she would be none the wiser.

Now splashing cold water all over his face to rid himself of the night before, he then quickly donned fresh robes, before leaving for the main hall where he would have to sit through yet another meeting. 

In fact it would be two weeks before he returned to the Peach Tree Grove, because rather than follow Zhe Yans plan to attack immediately, he instead decided to wait.  If she was wanting a little more of what he had to offer, then she would definitely be ready for him when he returned.

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Initially Bai Qian was furious.  It was obvious now that the man who had taken her body was a friend of Zhe Yans, yet despite the raging temper that exploded the moment she opened her eyes, he would not tell her who the man was, instead feigning ignorance.

It took the arrival of her brother to remove her from the Grove before she either hurt Zhe Yan with the vials she sent flying in his direction or herself when he finally lost his own temper and retaliated.

Now two weeks later and having calmed down considerably, she was back in the Grove helping Bai Zhen to bottle a little wine for a party he was holding back in the far north.  Several times Zhe Yan had entered the small enclosure where they had have settled themselves, but rather than helping them to tie the bows in the unique way that gave the wines origins away, he kept ducking out, only to return a few mintues later.

This had been going on for some time before Bai Zhen snapped impatiently at him, because something was obviously going on.  It wasn't like Zhe Yan to be so unsettled, and his jumping about was wearing his patience thin.