Look Up

Any longer and I'll bite you in the ankle, you stupid mortal, Xiaoqing thought crossly, as she wriggled out of the way of Xuxian's foot.

She had partly wanted to repay her debt to Bai by making her happy, arranging for her to meet the man she was attracted to again. But partly, though she wouldn't admit it, there was also a malicious desire to take advantage of this one weak point in her senior, and to gloat in her own experience. It would be deliciously satisfying to see the powerful Bai, so calm, so steady, and so wise always (Xiaoqing rolled her eyes) in the thralls of love for a simple mortal man; and even more delightful to glory in her superior knowledge before her comparatively simple sister! She imagined Bai asking her for advice, for help, asking her to teach her...

However, the delightfulness of the idea could not change the fact that she was fast losing patience with Xuxian. The physician kept stopping to check under rocks and dig up random roots he thought looked like ginseng. Once Xiaoqing slithered right under his hand, and once across his path, scaring him back onto the right track.

At last, after twice the length of time she thought it would take, she had guided him towards the sandy mouth of the river, where high up on the rock ledge the great white snake slept in the sun.

Xuxian suddenly stopped short and crouched down, examining a scrubby patch of grass. He grabbed his trowel from his belt and started digging eagerly. "Finally! This must be ginseng, I can't be wrong--even though ginseng normally doesn't grow in this kind of place..."

Xiaoqing's tongue flickered irritatedly. You can't be wrong, I had to place it there specially for you to find, you idiot. Now you're finally in the right place, I can start the fun.

She made sure Xuxian was absorbed in his digging, then quickly slithered up to where Bai lay, almost out of sight; easily winding up the tree roots knotted over the rock face.

Xiaoqing studied the glowing white scales. Hmm; I had not taken into account the fact that Sister would be sleeping in her snake form, she mused. That will hardly be the form to attract our little physician here. Well, if I wake her up, all will be lost, but I can only try. After all that effort, I must see this through.

She sent a jet of spirit energy towards the white snake and held her breath, wondering if Bai would wake up. As the pale green mist slowly dissipated, the great white snake disappeared and the white scales turned into white folds, as Bai lay sleeping with her head cradled on her arm.

Xiaoqing gave a sigh of relief and watched, pleased, as Bai slept peacefully. Far below, Xuxian dug away industriously; both were completely unaware of each other. Truimphant, Xiaoqing gloated over her own cleverness for a good five minutes until she realized that Xuxian was not taking it into his head to look up at all, since he had found his precious ginseng root.

Frustrated, she hissed at the oblivious figure down below, "You stupid man, won't you make anything easy? Look up! Forget about your silly root and LOOK at her!"

Glaring at Xuxian's back, Xiaoqing hurriedly turned into her human form. She picked up a small pebble and hurled it at Xuxian's unsuspecting back with more vim than necessary. The pebble missed by a yard, and she clicked her tongue, annoyed. Hunting for another one, she took painstaking aim and tried again, brows furrowed with concentration and muttering threateningly under her breath.

The sixth pebble finally found its mark. Xiaoqing was about to jump up and down to celebrate when Xuxian leaped up, startled. She hastily vanished back into her snake form, and hid under a tree root breathlessly before he saw her.

The little green snake's eyes gleamed from the shadows as she watched him impatiently. After all this effort, she thought, if he still doesn't see her, I'll have to kill this brainless mortal if only to vent some frustration.

Xuxian looked up, heart starting to beat a little faster as he noted how quiet and remote the spot was. He had been so engrossed, repeatedly seeing what looked tantalizingly like ginseng and twice almost getting bitten by small snakes--when did the mountain have so many snakes?--that he hadn't really noticed where he was going.

He remembered how hard the pebble had hit him and wondered if it was possible that a passing animal or bird had knocked or dropped it.

Was someone watching him? The skin on the back of his neck suddenly prickled.

He let go of the root and glanced around, gaze travelling cautiously from the silent trees in the distance to travel up the rocky face in front of him.

The sun reflecting on something caught his eye, and he squinted as he noticed for the first time a white heap that looked nothing like rocks or tree roots.

He froze. It looked, impossibly, like the folds of clothing...

Xuxian strained to get a better glimpse. He leaned sideways, and saw through the mass of tree roots a motionless hand lying on the rock ledge, amid the white folds of a robe.

His eyes widened and he caught his breath. Someone was up there. How was it possible?

But more importantly, were they hurt?

He suddenly dropped the trowel and started feverishly unstrapping the basket, dumping it hastily onto the ground. Someone was up there. Very likely they had climbed up in search of some rare herb or mushroom, had slipped and fallen, and were lying there unconscious. It was Heavens' will that he happened to come by or they might die there and nobody would know. And he would do his best to get them down, or get help if he could not.

It was a steep rock face without much footholds, but Xuxian had had plenty of experience searching for herbs, and he was scrambling up rapidly, using his hunting knife at times to get a better hold. Twice he slipped, at a height which would have meant a broken leg or rib if he fell, but eventually he was just an arm's length away from where the person lay.

Panting, he tried to blink the sweat out of his eye, and adjusted his hold.

Xiaoqing yawned as she watched him, rather bored by now, from her hiding place. I would have climbed this two times over by now, she thought. Well, he's a mortal after all. At least, one must admit he's pretty determined. He's maddeningly slow, but fairly sure-footed, or he would have fallen and broken a bone by now.

Laboriously Xuxian pulled himself up over the edge and hung there gasping, resting on his arms as he tried to catch his breath. He stared at the white form huddled before him. Black hair and white silk pooled against the rock like yin and yang. Like a moonbeam filtering through tree branches, a glimpse of a smooth oval cheek resting on one arm through a veil of dark hair. Shapely feet peeked out from the tousled folds, where they were curled under their owner.

Swallowing, he climbed up and crouched beside her, hesitantly reaching out to touch her arm. "Miss. Miss, are you alright?"

There was no answer. Xuxian tentatively turned the face towards himself.

Xiaoqing gave a wriggle of anticipation from under the tree root. There is a regrettable chance that Sister might get a shock and kill him by accident if she suddenly wakes up, but I suppose that must be left to Fate, she thought to herself.

Xuxian's voice faded away as he found himself staring at the face he had been seeing in his dreams ever since that rainy day on the bridge.

Bai Suzhen.

"Miss Bai," he stammered. "Miss Bai, how did you end up here, are you hurt?"

The fine eyelashes flickered and Bai gave a sigh. She drowsily opened her eyes and stared dreamily up at him; vacantly at first, then a slow smile crept onto her lips as she recognized him. "Xuxian."

Her hand reached up and gently caressed his cheek, tracing the bridge of his nose with a finger the way a curious child might.

Stunned, Xuxian started, heart hammering in his chest--and lost his balance. His foot slipped and he fell backwards off the ledge with a short, startled cry.

A confused expression on her face, Bai stared blankly at the clear sky above her for a moment and then suddenly coming to her senses, leaped to her feet as she realized in a flash what had happened.

"Xuxian!" she cried, and sprang off the ledge without hesitation.