It was already been discussed that in no ways or any reasons, TaoHua could come out lest she would be taken away and punished. The worst punishment for TaoHua was to be grounded and after being grounded many several times by DaShu, after understanding what the word dungeon implied, TaoHua agreed without any fuss.
He FeiQuan was not really afraid but he was just lazy to be implicated, knowing it would take a long time to answer many questions about the Gold Peach Fairy, and that he would not even have the answers. And to avoid any troublesome issues, for which He FeiQuan had to be responsible for, he rather hid away TaoHua and imposed the threat of lockup upon discovery.
From his belt, he took out his fan and started to fan while walking around, to TaoHua indignation.
"Move me to the left!" she whispered.
"Shh!" He FeiQuan brought his sleeve up to his forehead as if he was perspiring. "What move?" He whispered back to his sleeve.
"Motion sickness from all your waving around! Move me to the left sleeve and don't move your left hand so much!" TaoHua fumed, thinking if he lied and was from the peacock clan instead.
When did he acquire such a friend that behaved so unladylike with no gratefulness? Oh, it was when he almost ate her, what a loss, he should have made a peck at her then instead of being kindly.
What seemed like wiping his forehead, He FeiQuan put both bent arms up, hands interlocking, as if he was making a ceremonial bow, so that TaoHua could roll herself from right sleeve to the left. Ignoring some questioning glances by the fairies, He FeiQuan again fanned himself as if he was really hot in Heavens. Really, less than a quarter incense stick, this peach already caused him to lose face, and the image he had carefully portrayed as a refined prince would be shattered.
'Why did he agree to bring this ball of trouble to Heavens again?' He chided himself inwardly, and walked briskly forward, trying to get to his destination as soon as possible and then back to his palace.
TaoHua had wanted to see the famed palace where Jade Emperor ordained the new immortals and that was quite a walk. Today was the supposed Ordainment and this event happen every thousand of years, she was so grateful He FeiQuan picked today to take her to Heavens, she was so happy at this moment that she gave He FeiQuan a big hug, which he felt it like a sudden pinch on his wrist. He FeiQuan stared at his sleeve, regretting bringing this troublesome peach here today, with new potential fairies' dates, he could not afford to lose any more face!
He could leap forward in the air to reach there faster but those without urgency had to have manners. Maybe he should put TaoHua to sleep by waving around his sleeve, he thought mischievously.
Thank the Buddha's grace, the peach decided to be quiet and no more sudden movements and He FeiQuan walked his gentlemanly pace like the wind was underneath him, it was a walk he had practiced within his manor and perfected it.
Soon, they arrived at the steps of the Palace of Ordainment. TaoHua knew this because she could hear the mutterings of the excited newcomers and she was bouncing around with excitement as if she was to be ordained herself. He FeiQuan tried to shook his sleeve, waving it, but the peach was like a ball bouncing.
He FeiQuan went to nearby shrubs and pretended to stoop his back to pick a flower on the bottom, whispered austerely, "Quit it, or I leave you in shrubs!"
"He FeiQuan Jun, what an unexpected presence here. Are you here to celebrate your friend's new title?" A pretty fairy walked towards him flirtatiously. He FeiQuan pulled his sleeve and shook it backward, while standing straight to look at the unfamiliar yet familiar fairy, could not place her in his memory.
He had flirted and romanced so many fairies, sometimes, he had to wait for his pageboy, who usually followed him around Heavens, to discreetly remind him their names and where he met these ladies. Due to the impromptu smuggling, He FeiQuan was quite in a loss. The Heavenly ladies had to be properly addressed by their honorifics, a youthful looking goddess could be High Goddess, and they could get offended if you call them an overly young or old way of addressing, very perplexing indeed.
TaoHua climbed back up to the end of his sleeves and looked back and forth at the lady and her friend. She saw the discreet glances the pretty fairy was giving to her direction, which was towards He FeiQuan, of course.
This is so fun! This is the legendary shy yet flirty side glance?
The said fairy suddenly gave out a small sneeze, and used her fan to cover her embarrassed smile. The recipient of her hidden smiles was also fanning himself casually. From the corner the sleeves, that she had managed to latched on, TaoHua gave He FeiQuan a quick appraisal - fair skin, smart eyebrows, lean physique with hair combed neatly and secured with a silver coronet, had the dignified air of a scholar, she guessed he could be considered handsome to some ladies.
"MeiXi jiejie, who are you talking to? The event is almost starting." A sweet voice piped in, calling out for the fairy in front of He FeiQuan, and saving He FeiQuan from any awkwardness.
"Achoo! Oh my, i beg your pardon for my rudeness," the willowy new fairy excused herself with embarrassment of her untimely sneeze in front of a popular Celestial figure and hastily walked towards the direction of the brightly gold gilded palace.
"Fairy MeiXi, shall we? After you, my beauty" He FeiQuan used his hands to gesture forward, and walked behind the fairy, discreetly appreciating her swaying movements.
Peeking out of He FeiQuan's sleeves, TaoHua gawked at the majestic palace the edge of He FeiQuan sleeves, with the owner of the sleeves had to make gestures such as tapping his fan on his hand or on his chin, so the peach could see through the crowd. His gestures seemed like he was enjoying a melody but yet only the bell rung, to indicate the start of the ceremony.
