TaoHua passed her days writing about Yuan LeiFeng but she took a break from drawing Yuan LeiFeng as she felt she has exhausted her imagination from drawing Yuan Leifeng in different postures in his armor. She did ask He FeiQuan about Yuan LeiFeng, but from easy-going answers, she felt He FeiQuan got agitated very easily these days. Could it be that He FeiQuan and Yuan LeiFeng are fighting?
That was how she felt when someone asked her about DaShu after DaShu grounded her in her leaf hut when she did something wrong.
Once in awhile, He FeiQuan occasionally flew over to the island. At first the islanders were very impressed with his changing into a bird and back to his human form, but after a while, they got accustomed to this He Gongzi, coming in and out, changing forms or not.
He FeiQuan did not feel slighted, he was also tired being pestered to change back and forth and sighed a big relief when one time, TaoHua scolded him for taking too much time and pulled his wing. That relief was shortlived as TaoHua pulled him to pester him to ask about what Yuan LeiFeng likes were, and his forehead veins had to be massaged to calm himself down. Thankfully, the peach is easily distracted with new things and he thought bird clan were well known to be flighty, seconded after liking shiny things.
Little trinkets from the human world could make the peach glow with excitement. Not the common things that make girls happy such as rouge and accessories, and he also could not imagine the little peach needing them. A fruit that she was.
He had asked her to transform and at first, she said she forgot how to. Then she embarrassedly admitted that DaShu and the Islanders did not recommend that as she looked different. He had thought different as in she could transform into a beautiful maiden and the others were jealous or that big brother tree of hers to be overly protective. However, when he heard that she said she had red, blue and black markings, he pitied her thinking she had several birthmarks, so he did not press her to switch.
He FeiQuan from the start had wanted to take TaoHua back to Heavens to reunite with her clan, but he backtracked and thought maybe it was a good thing that she fell to this island. Living a fruitful life filled with happiness, surrounded by islanders who appreciated her and overlooking her looks. Safe from bad intentions, as even as an ugly gold peach fairy, some might exploit her.
Thus, the initial thoughts to warm up to TaoHua and slowly persuade her to take to Heavens to reunite with her clan, and receive Heaven's praises for bringing back a treasure, defective or naught, went out of He FeiQuan's mind and he sincerely became her friend. At first, it was intentional to make friends, then secondly, it was a pity, but TaoHua's bubbly personality and funny ideas crept into him and became his first female friend.
As friends, they had discarded honorifics and started calling each other by their names. Actually, TaoHua had been calling him by his name, only referred him as He Gongzi to the others. This gal really had the cheek!
Upon each arrival to the island, He FeiQuan brought things for the little fruit. One of the gifts was an embroidered handkerchief for holding the hot teapot, one that the usual females would appreciate but not TaoHua. So in his next trip, he got her a set of ceramic earthenware to replace her rudimentary homemade ones, but he found out later that TaoHua still used her old ones, only taking out the ones he gave when he visited. He thought she was treasuring things he gave, turned out she only like the ones she made. Oil paper was very appreciated by the peach, TaoHua used it for her leaf hut roof and most importantly to line the box full of Yuan LeiFeng drawings.
In return for He FeiQuan gifts, TaoHua also returned the favor, knowing it was proper manners to do so. TaoHua packed her carefully selected green tea leaves, wrapped in the oil paper, and her better-drawn portraits of Yuan LeiFeng, to which made He FeiQuan's face black. She thought He FeiQuan was jealous of Yuan LeiFeng, as she knew He FeiQuan was very vain. When she offered to draw him, he quickly thanked her, confirming her thoughts.
It was not far from it, it was just that He FeiQuan did not know how many more damned portraits he needed to hide. He could not bring them Heavens, lest people think weirdly about him and he could not burn them, lest one day the Hero of Heavens got to know about it. Both were terrifying thoughts.
When TaoHua presented him with his first portrait, he tried to be calm and collected, presenting a breezy scholar image, but his hands almost grabbed the painting. Previously when TaoHua gave him Yuan LeiFeng paintings, he never properly looked at any of them, just taking them to hide them later on.
Unrolling and looking at the painting, his narcissist self, looked at the various strokes, studying all angles, although the colors did not accurately show his good angles, he had to say TaoHua was talented enough to showcase his handsomeness. He would have to bring her new paints next.
After receiving the new paints, TaoHua experimented and drew another painting of He FeiQuan, to thank him for the paints. He was pretending to be humble to reject return gift but he still took his second portrait, curious how he looked with new colors. He was delighted to see a better version of the painting and praised TaoHua.
The glowing peach TaoHua drew more of He FeiQuan and after a few of his portraits, he had to hint to TaoHua to draw other things, other than him. Not that he thought TaoHua was appreciating his beauty, oh maybe she did, who could blame her.
To have a handsome man around you all the time could be affecting. However, not more self-portraits, as much as like Yuan LeiFeng portraits, he could not collect his own portraits too, it would not be gentlemanly to hang self-portraits and he also could not give them away, lest people think he was desperate to find a partner. He was very popular with the ladies, and did not need help looking for a partner!
Finally, he had proper paintings from TaoHua to hang in his manor, when TaoHua gave him paintings of the island life. Just when he was nodding at the painting, TaoHua asked him out of the blue and surprised him completely, "He FeiQuan, what's Heaven like? Can you take me up there?"
"Small fruit like you want to visit the Heaven? Is this about God of Lightning?" He FeiQuan teased her.
"That's one," she acknowledged offhandedly and continued, "but I heard so much about the Heavenly tribe and for so many years I tried to cultivate, I don't think I can ever reach a breakthrough for few more hundred of years." With her plumb peach figure dimming, and her expressive eyes downcast and fingers making circles on the ground, "I don't know when I will ever get the chance and if you one day don't visit us anymore..."
"It's ok if you can't, maybe I can learn to make something else in exchange..." the little peach mumbled on while her circles gotten bigger and deeper.
It was not an impossibility for He FeiQuan, he went up and down frequently, traveling for his work. The island maybe a little out of the way but this fruit had grown into him, just like his pestering females in his family, so without much thoughts, he agreed. This was the day that He FeiQuan realized that this impromptu decision out of generosity and pity, had completely changed his immortal life.
