XiXi sleepily stretches her arms? She looks down at her body. Aiya..I'm not a cat anymore!
I thought this spell would last twenty four hours, it is only dawn! Is that what the torn corner of the page was with the clock? Somehow you need to set the time?
She looks down at her naked body and sees Yun Tai fast asleep next to her, his handsome face inches from her. His ink black hair partially on her shoulder. Oh My God!
She immediately covers her chest...when did I change back? That wine knocked me out, I don't remember anything after we were sitting by the fire. I just felt so hot from the wine and had a tingling feeling throughout my body.
Was I a cat then or myself?
Did Yun Tai see me? Ahhhh...
She wants to knock her head against a wall...why didn't I look closer at that clock in the corner of the page!
I wouldn't have copied it if it wasn't important!
What happened here last night? Gazing at the half clothed man next to her, she wants to cry... I need to get out of here!
She slowly slides off the bed, trying not to disturb him. He seems seriously passed out, thank God!
My dress is under the mattress there is no way I can get it. XiXi what did you do?
Shaking her head wuhuuu ..ow... I feel my brain rattling around in there! What kind of demonic wine was that!
She holds her head while engaging in an internal struggle trying to remember the events of last night.
I can't worry now, I need to get as far away from here as possible.
First though, I need clothes, she sees Yun Tai's outer robe in a crumpled ball on the floor. She crawls over to it and slips into it, now I need to get out of here fast!
She crawls over to the door moving as quickly as she can dragging the black robe that is trailing behind her. Why did I put the dress under the mattress...so stupid!
XiXi hears movement coming from the bed and quickly pulls the door open. She gives a backwards glance to make sure Yun Tai doesn't see her and keeps crawling, directly into the face of Zhen.
Zhen jumps back, he was in his own world wondering what he was going to eat, the steady diet of grapes was getting tiring.
" Hee...hee..hee..,Zhen my friend!"
He looks at the girl wearing Yun Tai's robe obviously with nothing else on underneath. He reaches his paw up and closes the top of the robe...this King is too noble..and what the hell? Yun Tai and the Little Sorceress?
XiXi nervously giggles then scoops up Zhen and starts running towards the woods tripping on the robe.
Zhen tries to escape her grip, this King wants none of whatever is going on with you. I'm barely over the dip in the lake, "Achoo!"
She plops down on the ground by the grapevine out of breath, "Zhen, did you catch a cold from being in the lake? She rubs his head, "I am so sorry!"
Zhen looks at her and shakes his head, girl you are a disaster!
But, you are the only person who has been kind to this King since I was transformed into this ugly beast form. You are troublesome but very sweet and sincere.
XiXi feels guilty for dragging him along last night and pulls him into her lap. Petting his furry head, she says, "I will find some herbs for you to clear the congestion, my grandmother did teach me which plants have medicinal value when we used to go to the mountains.
Grandmother Zhang is very good at making medicines, beauty creams with my grandfather's help."
She wipes the sweat from her forehead, "I just need to rest for a moment. I wish you could talk, I like the fact you understood me when I was a cat. You are quite a versatile little beast!"
{Zhen:no, I had no idea what you were saying}
She pulls the robe around herself, the collar to her nose. Hmm... it really has a nice masculine scent from Yun Tai wearing it, a slight smell of smoke from the fire too.
She then recalls his domineering behavior and how he made fun of her in front of Siyu..
Errr...that irritating man!
Zhen can see a range of emotions crossing her face in merely a few moments time, he wants to laugh, she is an amusing girl.
Instead he sneezes again, "Achoo.."
"Oh poor Zhenny!"
Zhenny? That is too informal I am a King... not a dog!
Setting aside her problems and concentrating on Zhen, she tenderly pats his head," Let's see if I can find those herbs for you, poor thing!"
XiXi trips again and turns to him."Your teeth look rather sharp, could you rip the bottom of this robe so I can move more easily through these woods? I can use that material to gather herbs too."
Zhen is thinking should I tear up Yun Tai's robe like that?
Whatever..and why is she wearing his robe and here? I thought her father came and fetched her back to the bamboo house? Well, knowing her she will spill her guts to me soon enough.
Zhen grabs hold of the bottom of the robe and tears it with his teeth what next? First a rope now this..this King is not a rat.
Xixi rips it the rest of the way and takes the excess material to make a little bag for the herbs.
"Follow me. I think I saw some herbs over by the stream, I will get some fish to cook too..I'm starving let's get a few grapes for the way too"
When Zhen hears this he swiftly moves to her side. Since XiXi has no shoes her feet are getting scratched and she winces in pain. She keeps moving through trying not to complain, it was my foolishness that got me here, being so impulsive is getting me into trouble lately.
She isn't one to dwell so she laughs and tells Zhen, "I wonder if that Iceblock will get mad I ripped his robe haha"
"..."
Along the way she is picks the herbs she needs for the medicine , some Silken Silver Leaf , Heart of Heaven Buds, a few Thorny Fire Sticks, for the fish she finds some Sticky sage leaves and Savory Palm leaves. Maybe I can use a bit of pods on the fire sticks for seasoning too. XiXi gathers them up while humming a song.
She stops by a towering tree and at the base sees wild mushrooms that look edible, they resemble the ones when she first arrived. Not far away appear to be some squash, maybe Siyu planted. "Zhenny, we will feast this morning!"
A bit nervous looking at Zhen she sighs, he looks a bit sluggish, what can I mix the medicine in with the water to give to him. She sees some vines with yellow green and purple bumpy gourds on it.
"I could scoop them out and use them. Great!"
Zhen listens to her talking to herself and watching as she moves, she is so unusual, her voice has a soothing effect. When she sings she is like a celestial came down from the heavens..
I wonder why Yun Tai wanted her to stop. She could be on stage and have a thousand followers.
"All done Zhenny!" XiXi smiles brightly at him, he feels his heart stop for an instant.
He snaps out of his reverie, to see her lifting the robe and wading in the water to catch fish. No girl or woman I have ever met is so free and unaware of proper behavior!
Showing her legs, picking herbs, wading in the water like it was the most natural action in the world.
No wonder Feng Tian likes her so much, she is one of a kind..
Right then a striped fish comes flying at him and hits him in the head."Sorry Zhenny! My aim is bad!"
Another two silver colored fish fly past his head and are flopping on the ground.
She splashes in the water stirring a school of fish and tosses two more fat fish out onto the ground beside him
Haha... XiXi is proud of herself. The first time at the stream by the mountain with Feng Tian she could barely grasp one. But right now her survival instincts are in full overdrive,she can't remember when she has been this hungry.
She frowns, how are we going to light a fire? How did Qing Jun do it on that last class trip.
Ahhh..Qing Jun he could do anything, she longingly looks into the distance.
She says "Zhen, do you think you could gather up some firewood? I am going to take this sharp stone and scoop out these gourds. Then I can smash the herbs in one."
He dutifully walks off to get some branches and twigs, how is she going to light the fire? She has no internal energy to do it with her palm. I will do as she asks, she is more competent at this point than I would have thought she could be.
XiXi finishes scooping out the gourds, begins smashing the herbs, one for medicine the other one to cook the fish and vegetables.
She wipes her brow and strolls over to the fish who have stopped flopping. That's good I didn't want to have to smash their heads with a rock..she shivers..ewww.