Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Ning Yangzi felt very painful when she left Xie Xiaoyi.

Xie Xiaoyi has changed. He is no longer the "Zhong Xiaoyi" he used to be. He seems like a madman now.

She called herself the Southern Beauty, having seen countless men, and countless others had been captivated by her.

But none of these people were as crazy as Xie Xiaoyi.

Although the process was wonderful, looking back, I'm filled with lingering fear.

Ning Yangzi walked along the deserted mountain path, and as she thought about it, she laughed, until her eyes welled up with tears. Then she suddenly spat out a mouthful of liquid.

"Damn Xie Xiaoyi, I've never seen anyone so fierce before! What kind of bullshit 'Divine Dragon...' is that?! Bah!"

As she spoke, Ning Yangzi twirled the red jade flute in her palm, pinched the hole with her fingertips, and gently blew it to her lips.

A melody of "Scarlet Entanglement" drifted out...

After the music ended, Ning Yangzi was beaming with pride.

"Hmph! In the end, you still couldn't withstand my flute playing!"

......

When it was fully light, Xie Xiaoyi slowly got up.

He casually shook out the black clothes, neatly put them on, pushed open the door and went downstairs. There were only a few early-morning diners sitting in the lobby of the inn.

Xie Xiaoyi found a table by the window and sat down, tapping on the surface: "Shopkeeper, three catties of braised mutton, a plate of fennel beans, and a pot of hot wine."

Upon hearing the sound, the waiter quickly stepped forward, the white rag draped over his shoulder swung in a neat arc, and a warm smile spread across his face.

"Sir, you have excellent taste! Our braised mutton is made with a 30-year-old braising sauce."

They select rib meat from castrated lamb, which is fatty but not greasy, and lean but not dry.

"But this mutton is said to have the effect of strengthening the body and bones, why are you ordering three pounds at once?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Xie Xiaoyi again.

"Are you alone, sir? I'm afraid you won't be able to stay up all night without a maid or something."

Xie Xiaoyi raised an eyebrow, cursing inwardly.

Oh shit.

I met a kind person, and he started to worry about my health.

He secretly rubbed his aching lower back and started spouting nonsense: "Go ahead and cut it. I'm prone to feeling cold, even if I'm strong, I can handle it."

The shop assistant grinned, "Alright—please wait a moment!"

Three pounds of braised mutton, sliced ​​evenly, are soaked in amber-colored braising liquid. The edges of the slices are glistening with oil, and each bite is bursting with rich flavor.

Xie Xiaoyi slowly picked at the slices of meat, occasionally picking up a couple of fennel beans to go with his drink.

Just as they were enjoying their meal, two men who looked like porters at the next table suddenly started talking in hushed tones.

"Have you heard? Under the old tree at the town entrance, the tofu seller is kneeling there, selling herself to bury her husband!"

"Really? She's so young and already a widow?"

"Why would I lie to you! I just passed by and saw her. That woman was even prettier than the most beautiful courtesan in the city. She looked so pitiful."

I heard that her husband gambled away all their wealth yesterday in Jieshi City, even his sixteen-year-old daughter, and was eventually beaten to death.

"Oh? Is that so? Let's go see!"

The two of them talked, quickly paid the bill, and hurried towards the door.

Xie Xiaoyi paused, his chopsticks holding the meat twitching slightly, and his eyebrows raised a little.

Selling herself to bury her husband?

A stunningly beautiful village woman?

This combination is actually quite interesting.

He casually pulled out a few pieces of silver and slapped them on the table. The amount was enough to pay the bill and there was still some left over. He got up and strode out after him.

The old tree at the town entrance, with its lush foliage, provided a cool shade, and a crowd of onlookers had already gathered beneath it.

They chatted amongst themselves, their eyes all fixed on the kneeling woman in the center of the crowd.

Xie Xiaoyi pushed through the crowd and approached, and his gaze fell upon the figure, causing him to pause slightly in surprise.

The woman knelt on the cold ground, wearing a faded, coarse cloth dress.

His appearance was above average, not nearly as outrageous as those two men had made it out to be.

Xie Xiaoyi felt bored and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped.

My gaze involuntarily fell back onto the woman's face—

He wasn't captivated by her looks, but rather mesmerized by her eyes.

What kind of eyes were those?

There was not a trace of humble pleading, nor the timidity of an ordinary woman, only a stagnant silence.

It was just like the look in Yun Qianxun's eyes when she was wandering around in a daze after being humiliated by him in the valley that day.

Hollow, numb, it exudes a despair that ignores the warmth and coldness of the world.

The surrounding chatter and laughter vanished instantly. Xie Xiaoyi felt as if something was stuck in his chest, his fingertips clenched uncontrollably, and a thought suddenly struck him.

He remained silent for a moment, then lifted his foot and walked step by step toward the woman.

The woman knelt there without ever raising her head, as if everything around her was irrelevant to her.

Xie Xiaoyi looked down at her and said, "How many taels do you want? I'll give them to you."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers fell silent for a moment, then began to whisper among themselves.

"Such a handsome young man, actually taking a fancy to a middle-aged woman?"

"I know him; he's the young man who ate three catties of braised mutton at the West Inn."

"No wonder, they couldn't hold it in any longer!"

The woman slowly raised her head.

Her face was not stunningly beautiful; in fact, it was rather pale and lacked any radiance.

She looked at Xie Xiaoyi, her lips moved, and she said slowly and deliberately, "Twenty... taels."

These three words fell into the crowd like a drop of water splashed into boiling oil.

"Hahaha! Twenty taels? You widow, you dare to ask for twenty taels? Have you gone mad with greed?"

"Exactly! An ordinary family would only spend ten or so taels of silver to buy a maid. You widow, do you think you're some kind of princess?"

Laughter rose and fell, but the woman seemed not to hear it, still staring intently at Xie Xiaoyi.

Xie Xiaoyi's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes. He reached back and pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket.

He pulled out a fifty-tael note and tossed it lightly toward the woman.

Fifty taels!

The gleaming denomination left everyone stunned.

They all started cursing inwardly: This young man must be an idiot, a moron.

The woman's fingertips trembled slightly as she quickly picked up the silver note and stuffed it into her bosom. She looked up, her expression still deathly still.

"Thank you, young master. After I finish seeing my husband off, I will be yours tonight."

Xie Xiaoyi frowned.

The women I've been with are either charming and talented women like Fu Yaoqin, or ethereal and otherworldly like Yun Qianxun.

If all else fails, I still have my sister Nan Mei Ning Yangzi. How can I stand your lifeless appearance?

He waved his hand impatiently: "No need, no need, this money is free for you, you don't need to serve me."

As Xie Xiaoyi was about to turn around, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by a cold hand.