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#((i tagged peachblossoms for the zhe yan and zhen zhen content))
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LOTUS STEP BOOK 3 CHAPTER 5 PT 2 EXCERPT: ZHE YAN AND BAI ZHEN BEING DOMESTIC A F
When High God Bai Zhen finished dealing with the governing of the Southeast Wilderness and returned to the Ten Miles of Peach Forest from Qingqiu, High God Zhe Yan told him about what happened when Lian Song had brought Zuti to the Peach Forest. High God Bai Zhen sat cross-legged and became so invested in the story that he forgot to lift his chopsticks from his bowl and pushed the plates away - amazed: "So it was because of Zuti that the security on Yeqianjue Palace suddenly tightened?"
High God Zhe Yan pushed the plate he had displaced back: "I know you're surprised, but don't use it as an excuse to push this plate of spinach to me." He picked up some spinach with his chopsticks and piled it into High God Bai Zhen's bowl, earnestly advising him, "You should eat more spinach. It's good for the circulation and the eyes," And urged him, "Go on."
High God Bai Zhen had a bite of the spinach with great difficulty, and swallowed it with a sip of tea and an expression that indicated that his will was strong though his body was battered: "But Qing Jiang likely hasn't realized it was Zuti that trespassed on Qianjuejing." When he recovered, he continued the topic, "The day after, when we bid him farewell, he did ask Yehua why his third uncle wasn't there. That kid Yehua drank all night with me and Dage, but he had some smarts about him, and said that his third uncle had a hangover headache and thought it was inconvenient to stay and left early morning to return to Jiuchong heaven. The Celestial Clan's third prince Lian Song has never been one to be bound by etiquette and the reputation of his carefree nature has spread across the eight wildernesses, so Qing Jiang wasn't suspicious."
High God Bai Zhen, though he was a high god and he was a hundred something thousand years old, had a playful heart, and loved to hear of bizarre occurrences. After detailing what had happened in Qianjuejing, he looked at High God Zhe Yan curiously: "You just said that Lian Song had only taken a day or two to gain little Zuti's trust, and in the half month following, whether it was hiking into the mountain or taking a boat out into the lake, Zuti let him accompany her?" After Zhe Yan nodded, High God Bai Zhen spoke with admiration, "It only took two days for him to build such a good relationship with Zuti - Tianjun's third son is very skilled!"
High God Zhe Yan disliked hearing High God Bai Zhen compliment others, and sighed: "Little Zuti is naïve and trusting. She's not vigilant, and she'll be close to whoever's willing to play with her. It's easiest of all to fool her. It's just that I'm unwilling to go wild with a child like her,  but if I were to inconvenience myself, do you believe that she would also be close with me?"
High God Bai Zhen set down his chopsticks, thought steadily for a moment and replied carefully: "I might not believe it." Seeing Zhe Yan's expression turn cool, High God Bai Zhen immediately changed his mind with zero shame: "I...might believe it a little bit?"
But High God Zhe Yan's expression still did not change for the better. High God Bai Zhen dug out the spinach that he had pushed to the side of the bowl and buried with rice and took a bite or two in an attempt to appease High God Zhe Yan: "Alright, I was just joking around with you just now." He tried for a sincere smile.
High God Zhe Yan didn't even want to talk to him and turned his head to Bi Fang who was subtly kneeling to the side, waiting on them. "That kid Lian San's been freeloading at my Peach Forest with Zuti for half a month. When are they planning to leave?"
The Bird Bi Fang said, very politely: "The Third Prince is careful and says he wants to observe for another two days to make sure nothing will happen to Zuti before they bid their farewells."
High God Zhe Yan was cross: "That little light god is always catching fish and hunting birds. She's even more spirited than me - what could happen to her? Tell them to leave quickly, they've become an eyesore."
The Bird Bi Fang politely agreed to carry out the order.
High God Bai Zhen had his head down as he once again buried the spinach underneath his rice with his chopsticks, mumbling: "You don't have to be so angry with him just because I complimented the third prince once..."
High God Zhe Yan was indignant: "A child couldn't ripple my sea of jealousy!"
High God Bai Zhen laughed out loud, and though he managed to stop before High God Zhe Yan's gaze shot like knives toward him, his eyes retained the mirth: "Oh, your sea of jealousy was rippled." He said with a leisurely tone.
High God Zhe Yan blinked, and after half a moment, shook his head and laughed, looking at High God Bai Zhen with exasperation: "Eat your food. You missed lunch because you were on the road, and now you're distracted while making up this meal. You have to be watched over while you eat - are you still a child?"
Seeing the two masters once again speaking affectionately, the honest Bird Bi Fang was very confused: was there still a need to get rid of the third prince and the little light god who'd freeloaded at the Peach Forest for half a month doing nothing? He wanted to ask High God Zhe Yan again, but the two high gods at the dining table were sat close together, and the way they spoke to each other with low voices was full of the air of long-lasting peace and happiness, not an atmosphere during which he could interrupt. So the honest but very sensitive Bird Bi Fang quietly left. When he was out of the room about five steps, he remembered that the Peach Forest had guests right now, and so walked back carefully and considerately closed the door for the two high gods.  
The bird Bi Fang was alone in conflict for a whole afternoon, and waited till the sun set in the western mountain. When he was about to ask High God Zhe Yan again, His Third Highness had surprisingly taken the little light god to bid farewell themselves. Apparently, there was a letter delivered from Yuanji Palace that something had happened in Heaven that was urgently awaiting His Third Highness to attend to.
High God Bai Zhen was resting in his room. High God Zhe Yan came out alone to send off the guests and repressed his happiness at seeing them off.
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