Xixi is about to lay down when she hears a knock at the bedroom door. She opens the door to see Feng Tian standing there.
When he sees her, he stares at her intensely, his deep blue eyes have a fire burning in them as he looks at her state of undress.
Her dress is slipping off her shoulder as though she was in the middle of removing it when he arrived.
Is the little beauty always so unaware? What if someone else was at her door?
"What do you want Feng Tian, I was about to take a nap." XiXi says a bit curtly, she is very tired from studying.
Feng Tian gulps down his saliva and averts his eyes away from her exposed neck and shoulders. His scorching gaze lands on her delicate white skin and his voice is hoarse, "I was wondering if you would like to go to the lake to gather some ingredients for dinner. There are wild herbs that grow there that LingLing especially enjoys the flavor of...ah... for seasoned meat. The rare herbs only grow on the Plum Blossom Cliffs by the lake. She won't be back from traveling to Myriad Cloud City until late, she has Sect business to attend to there."
XiXi's eyes light up, "Special herbs LingLing likes? Thank you Feng Tian! That is very thoughtful of you! I never thought to ask her what type of food she likes! What if I prepared food she doesn't like? Yes! Let's go to the lake! Give me a little time I was going to lay on the bed for awhile and was undressing. This is my only dress for now so I didn't want to wrinkle it.
Feng Tian glances over at the bed, his mind suddenly conjuring up a vision of XiXi on the bed, her dress neatly placed on the chair...
She pushes him towards the door, "What are you still standing there for? Go so I can get dressed!" I want to leave before Dad comes to get me for round two of studying!
He snaps himself out his lovestruck daze and rushes down the hallway.
Feng Tian enters the kitchen and hurriedly grabs chopsticks, a couple dishes and puts them in the sack with the wine. He packs the Osthamus cake, skewers of meat bought from a stall by where he met Sung Wu, and various fruit.
I don't even miss my servants, this is rather fun getting everything ready myself. I'm much more capable then they give me credit !
After he gathers everything, he sits in the courtyard by XiXi's room waiting for her to arrive. He leans back in the chair stretching out his long legs and looks up at the sky. He closes his eyes, If the gods would allow her to stay with me... His wishful thoughts are interrupted by the sound of XiXi's voice.
Amused by his languid appearance XiXi's eyes curve into crescent shapes. She taps on his shoulder laughing. "Feng Tian did you fall asleep waiting for me? I didn't take that long!"
He opens his eyes to see her leaning into his face with a dazzling smile. Her hair is partially braided and pulled up in a jade hairpin with the rest of her long blond hair falling down her back. XiXi's body has a faint red lotus fragrance that smells fresh and unique to her alone. Before he even opened his eyes he knew che was close, the breeze sent the intoxicating fragrance right into his soul.
XiXi is carrying an empty basket to use to collect the herbs. This way they can lay flat, their leaves wouldn't get bruised from being thrown into a bag.
"Come on get up!"
She hooks the empty basket over her arm and grabs his sleeve to pull him up. So heavy!
Looking at her smiling and being playful, he has a sudden urge to tease her. He starts to get up then resists a little and she falls into his chest, hitting him in the head with the basket on her way into his arms. Her face is right next to his and his heart races. I could bite her lips like a red apple right now.
XiXi' s cheeks are flushed with a pink glow and she struggles in his arms like a kitten trying to escape. His lips curl up in a smile ,the gold specks in his blue eyes have a devilish glint lighting up at the sensation of her soft body in his grasp.
Being so close to him she could feel his warm breath on her neck and she pushes his chest. Wow...He is so incredibly handsome...perfect... she is momentarily dazzled by his flawless face... and is annoyed at herself. She snaps, "Feng Tian we don't have all night, stop fooling around!"
He lets go of her slender waist and she stands up a little flustered while straightening her dress . His minty breath was hot and right on my skin and his lips were so close to mine.
Her mind is a blank as she gazes into his mesmerizing blue eyes. XiXi shake it off he must be a real playboy!
Smoothing her dress then picking up the basket that had fallen to the ground she takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. She flutters her long black eyelashes,' Let's go!"
"The walk there is beautiful, but we might not have time if I don't use my qinggong to go to the lake."
"Okay."
She is getting used to this way of travelling in this world. When she is in Feng Tian's arms she has a strange sense of security.
He picks her up, she is light as a feather, she would blow away in the winds on the Mystical Plains. Feng Tian uses his qinggong to soar through the billowy clouds. XiXi feels her heart is in her throat as the bits of white fluff engulf them.
XiXi looks down as they are approaching the Cliffs, so beautiful!
The dark pink Plum Blossoms are in full bloom with various other flowers lavender, white, blue and pink clustered around the edge of the cliffs. The lush grass is emerald green and to the right there is one large willow tree, the branches are swaying in the breeze.
" Feng Tian! This island is like a paradise!"
When they land he carefully sets XiXi down among a sea of flowers and explains to her, "That is because we are on Yun Tai's land. The interior and other side of the island are very dangerous and wild. His land is protected by a barrier, only his chosen people can enter, the beasts that dwell in here are tamed and loyal to him.
The tranquility you feel is due to the high level of positive spiritual energy. The grass is spiritual grass that is why it is so and green. There are spirit worms also that work through the soil, the spiritual energy in the soil feeds the flowers, plants and animals are nourished with it.
I brought some snacks if you want to eat before we get the herbs. We can go over to that gazebo that's by the Plum Blossom Grove."
XiXi interrupts him, " Did you bring a cloth we can spread it on the ground at the edge of the cliff and look down at the lake"
"On the ground?"
"Yes, it will be like a picnic!"
"What's a picnic?"
XiXi shakes her head and puts her hands on her slim hips." Just spread the cloth!"
"..."
Feng Tian spreads it on the ground close to the cliff's edge and looks down at the view. She is right maybe I should just move the gazebo over here.
"I could move the gazebo over here"
XiXi looks over at the gazebo, it looks like you would need a truck to move it! It is heavy wood with a jade roof, gold railings and trim. Is he delusional?
"Good joke!"
"Just sit down here it feels good to just sit on the ground and feel the earth beneath you, play with the grass. Lay down look up at the sky and enjoy nature."
Feng Tian thinks but you are a girl! I have never seen a girl sitting on the ground before. Yes, we men sit around a fire and sit on logs in the wilderness but at home we sit in chairs.
XIX sits down on the cloth he laid out and says when her stomach growls, "I didn't have lunch what did you bring?"
He sits across from her try to make himself comfortable with his long legs. "Are you sure you don't want me to bring the gazebo over?
XiXi rolls her eyes and looks over at he dishes he laid out. " Those skewers look really delicious what are they?" She picks one that looks like glazed pork and she tastes a bit of the sauce with her finger. Oh, yummy... this glaze is spicy
Feng Tian watches her nonchalantly lick her her finger. The unruly girl has absolutely no manners what so ever. When she licked her finger, she made a sound like mmmm.
While he is watching XiXi he feels the lower half of his body reacting. The innocent action of her licking her fingers with her lips glistening from the oil is so sensual and she has no idea.
XiXi then bites a piece of meat off the skewer. Feng Tian reaches over with a napkin, "You have sauce on your cheek." He wants to wipe her cheek himself, but she grabs the napkin from him. She starts waving her hands motioning to the cup of wine.
Her mouth is on fire from the spicy pork, it is hotter than that fired shrimp she had made for her friends. Her eyes start watering as he hands her a cup of wine,
He was starting to say it's strong when she had already gulped down the whole cup. Still thirsty she weakly says "water, water". He quickly pours some water into her cup.
She looks so funny waving her hand in front of her cute little mouth blowing out air.
After she drinks the water she breathes a big sigh out, "I will leave those to you Feng Tian they are too spicy for me. I will try this one, what kind of meat is this?"
He is admiring her ability to still be able to eat. 'That one has a savory sauce ,it is wild pheasant like you made the other night, but I don't think it will be as tasty as yours."
Did the arrogant man just compliment me? She gazes at him languidly lounging across from her. "Aren't you eating any?"
"I ate earlier." Actually... I only want to eat your cooking, these street stall foods don't appeal to me at all.
XiXi finishes the skewers and looks at the cake. "Feng Tian let's save the cake for LingLing, you ate and I am full from the skewers. What kind of cake is it?"
" It's called Osthamus cake and is sweetened with honey from Celestial bees"
"Celestial bees? I will try one bite and we can save the rest", XiXi looks at the cakes and wonders how good they must be if one of the ingredients is Celestial honey.
She eats a piece sighs,it is divine, she could taste the celestialness of it.
"Feng Tian that is the best cake I have ever had! Can you pass me a cup of wine to go with it, although I drank the last cup too quickly, I didn't get a chance to savor the flavor, I think it will compliment the cake."
Quickly? You drank it in two gulps, he admires XiXi's carefree attitude as he refills her cup.
After she has the cake and wine she lays on the ground with a contented look on her face gazing up at the clouds.
This place is so magical I feel like I am in a dream, will I just wake up and none of this will be real.
She turns on her side towards Feng Tian and glances at him.
He is staring at her with a quizzical look on his face. What is in that girl's head? She is laying next to me on this cloth at such an angle, it looks like she is on a bed. The top of her breasts and cleavage is slightly revealed and her hair is falling over her shoulder. She is in a very seductive position laying there looking up at me with those deep blue eyes.
Feng Tian jumps up of the ground and looks out at the lake to calm himself.
" XiXi do you want to walk down by the lake and collect the herbs before it gets dark?"
She walks over to where he is standing and looks down at the lake. The water is crystal blue and looks like it is shimmering.
"The lake is an unusual color of blue, it is so clear.
I can see the fish in the water swimming around, wow...so many different types of fish!"
"After we get the herbs we can go out on a boat if you want to", Feng Tian wants her to see how at night the Phoenix fireflies light up the night. The way she loved the Wind Whisps is still fresh in his mind.
"There is a boat down there to use? I haven't been on a boat ride since Qing Jun took me on one at the Cherry Blossom Festival by the river."
Feng Tian's eyes change color and turn black as he looks at XiXi staring down at the boat. Qing Jun again! I should go to her world, challenge him, then kill him!
XiXi folds up the cloth and closes the cake box, hands them to Feng Tian, then pours herself a cup of wine.
Feng Tian says," I will have a cup too."
He takes the jade cup, clenching it tightly in his hands, he drinks in one gulp then crushes the cupinto powder.
XiXi was still packing up and didn't notice his agitated state or the black aura around Feng Tian.
"Finished!"
He decides it would be quicker if he just picked them himself the herbs are spread throughout the woods.
"XiXi wait for me in the gazebo. I know which herbs to pick and I can swiftly get what you need then we can go on that boat ride."
XiXi didn't have her nap and is tired so she readily agrees. She walks over to the gazebo picking a few flowers on the way.
She was feeling the effects of the wine a little and thought she would make a flower wreath for her hair. The flowers are so vibrant and beautiful.
Feng Tian uses his qinggong and flies down to the woods.
In a blink he has gathered twenty various herbs and some ginger roots also. He knows he was too quick, so he sits on a log thinking.
He mutters, " What am I going to do? I feel I am going crazy, my willpower is being tested to the maximum level I am using my internal energy to suppress my desire for the little beauty. While she was laying seductively across the cloth on the ground I wanted to get on top of her, kiss that little pouty mouth of hers and caress her slender body under mine.
While Feng Tian is calming himself down, XiXi weaves the flowers to put on her head and admiring the craftsmanship of the gazebo.
Yun Tai must be a very rich man, jade used everywhere and those look like gold fixtures and railings on a gazebo!
Just as she is putting the flower wreath on her hair Feng Tian returns with the basket of herbs.
"Thank you. Feng Tian. I don't recognize all those herbs so you will need to explain to me what each is when we are on the boat."
She spins around and her blue silk dress flutters in the breeze, "How do you like my crown haha, I'm a fairy princess!"
He almost drops the basket of herbs, she does look like a fairy princess with the colorful wildflowers in her hair.
Feng Tian impulsively pinches her rosy cheek and laughs," Well, I know a few fairy princesses and you are much more beautiful."
XiXi looks at him and her cheeks turn bright red, What a good pick up line he has there.
XiXi takes off the wreath and tosses it in the air and catches it, "Feng Tian! Save the flattery for your harem!"
He watches her smiling and twirling around and remarks in a serious tone "I don't have a harem, in my family we only take one wife."