The Woodcutter's Hut

There was a young gentleman bending over Suzhen who had taken her face in one hand, and he was just in the process of turning it to and fro, admiring the smoothness of her skin and the fine curve of her brows and lips, as if she were a peach or pear. "Ah, meiren--a beauty!" he murmured.

Qingqing darted up the staircase three steps at a time, and neatly kicked his hand aside. Suzhen's face sank forward over her breast. The gentleman staggered back, with two of Qingqing's fingers prodding him savagely in the middle of his chest.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Ah, biantai--a pervert! Unfortunately, I see louts like you all the time, so that doesn't make you special. Now keep your hands off my sister or I'll kick you again. You won't be so handsome after you lose a few teeth." Releasing her fingers, she drew back.

Yuanzheng had come up behind her by this time. Qingqing nodded in Suzhen's direction. "Blockhead, you take care of her first, I'm going to fetch her hat. I'm starting to understand why Sister always wears it." She glared at the gentleman.

She ran back to the corner table and fetched the hat from under the table, glancing regretfully at the empty wine jars. Yuanzheng had gotten Suzhen to her feet by the time she returned. The young gentleman was glowering at them from a corner, flushed and embarrassed. He was slim and handsome, elegantly dressed in silk, with fair skin like a woman's and a young beard that hid a weak chin.

"I was just seeing whether she was all right," he said defensively. "You calling me a pervert is too much. I can have you sued for slander."

Qingqing clapped her hands. "Oh, so you're a rich pervert! Unfortunately, that still doesn't make you special. Yes, I'm sure you were very anxious about her well being, admiring her skin! Now stand back or I'll call you some worse names. Don't get me started."

She stuck the hat onto Suzhen's head and pulled the veil over her face, then took her right arm. "Come on, blockhead. Let's go."

Ruffled, the gentleman started forward to protest but Yuanzheng cleared his throat meaningfully. They moved slowly down the staircase, dragging Suzhen between them.

"Where to?" Yuanzheng asked.

Qingqing paused. "Actually--I don't know. We can't possibly drag her like this all the way to the mountain, after all. She just needs to sleep off the alcohol. Heavens, I've never seen her drunk before. Who would have known, the great Bai Suzhen can actually get drunk? And yet, she doesn't even know how to get drunk and happy, only drunk and sad--and sleepy! What a fool, right. What a waste of good wine, too." she said wistfully.

She sighed. In her mind, she was pondering if she should look for Xuxian--but pushed the thought away petulantly. Ask him for help? She was still angry at him. It was not his fault, to be honest, but Qingqing was not a reasonable person, and did not care that she wasn't. Enough that she was disturbed and annoyed at Bai's conflicted emotions and heartache, so she conveniently blamed it all on Xuxian. Who asked him--a common, clumsy physician, who made pancakes?--to stir up such a depth of passion in Bai, and make her so unpredictable?

Yuanzheng coughed uncertainly. "You can bring her to my house, if it is not too rough and plain for your sister. My mother would not mind, I believe."

Qingqing brightened up. "That would be perfect. Rough and plain--well, you haven't seen where she normally sleeps. I assure you, the plainest bed you have would be luxury for her." she said dryly, thinking of Bai's favourite spot on the rocks.

"Then let's go. This way." Yuanzheng thrust his chin forward, indicating the direction they should go.

Xiaohu jumped out at them as they stepped out of the inn. "Heavens, where did this swooning lady come from? Why did you come out with her instead of wine?" He looked visibly disappointed.

Qingqing sighed. "I'm embarrassed of her too, but this is my sister, Bai. Can't leave her in the inn by herself like this, can I. Yuanzheng said I can let her sleep off the alcohol at his place. Xiaohu, help me push the hat back, it's going to fall off."

Xiaohu obligingly stuck Suzhen's hat back securely. "Sister Qing, you've quite the interesting family. You're Green, she's White, tell me, is there Blue and Red too?" He giggled.

"Yes, and Yellow and Black too, satisfied?" snapped Qingqing. "Stop making stupid comments and move along."

"Then I guess my parents must have had a Wolf, Leopard, and Dragon as well as having me, a Tiger! No wonder they abandoned me, they must have had their hands full with so many savage beasts." snickered Xiaohu relentlessly.

"Be quiet, you're forgetting your manners again," Yuanzheng said sternly. "Help us open the gate, and go ahead to tell my mother."

Xiaohu skipped ahead as they slowly made their way up the garden path. "Granny Hong, you've got a guest! A swooning lady in white who appeared out of an inn magically and apparently is Sister Qing's sister--" he sang out.

Yuanzheng and Qingqing staggered into the hut with Suzhen drooping between them. Granny Hong hurriedly rose up from where she sat on a low stool near the hearth. "What are you talking about, Xiaohu?" She gasped as she caught sight of them.

"Mother, this is Miss Qing's sister. She drank too much and needs to lie down, can you let her rest on the bed for a while?"

"Of course, of course. Miss Qing, you have a sister? Ah, why did you let the foolish young thing go drink by herself, what is a young maiden to do on her own, all sorts of things might happen..."

"Foolish old thing, you mean. She's three hundred years older than me," muttered Qingqing under her breath. "What a joke."

Granny Hong came forward, quickly pulling aside the worn curtain that hid her bed from view and gesturing to them. "Come, let me take that hat off, you can lay her down over here on my bed. Physician Xu, I'm so sorry, but please wait a while for me. You haven't finished explaining about the medicine to me yet. Let me see to the poor young lady first."

"What? He's here?" Qingqing yelped. She spun around, leaving Yuanzheng to support Suzhen.

Xuxian rose slowly from the hearth, a bundle of herbs forgotten in one hand. He stared in disbelief as Granny Hong took the hat off, and the light fell on Suzhen's face.

"Suzhen," he gasped, and sprang forward.