Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

Xie Xiaoyi immediately clasped his hands in thanks and smiled:

"Thank you for your kind words, sister. You are kind-hearted and beautiful. If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely write a good word about you in the book."

Hearing this, the maid blushed and unconsciously turned her face away, saying, "Well... well, you know what's good for you. I'll remember your words!"

Ouyang Qing's brows furrowed suddenly, and the anger surging in her heart rose up.

Flirting?

How dare you be so inconsiderate in front of me!

Yesterday, while looking at the moon, he held me in his arms and whispered, "Little Qingqing, you are the only one in my heart."

He turned to a maid and began to speak glibly and sweetly, his words flowing so smoothly!

Just as Xie Xiaoyi was about to continue exchanging pleasantries with the maid, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his lower back.

It turned out that Ouyang Qing had somehow gotten behind him and, behind her father's back, was pinching the soft flesh on his side hard.

The force was considerable, and Xie Xiaoyi's back stiffened in pain, but with everyone around, he could only force a smile.

The maid looked at him and asked curiously, "Young master, why are your eyes wet?"

Xie Xiaoyi hurriedly raised his hand to rub his eyes, forcing a smile as he tried to smooth things over:

"Oh, I just drank the honey jujube tea brewed by Miss Ouyang. It was so strong and spicy that I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

The maid raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, thinking to herself, "Honey-scented jujube tea can actually be spicy?"

She was preoccupied with returning the message to the princess, so she didn't ask any further questions. She simply waved her hand and said, "In that case, young master, please remember the half-month deadline and don't make any mistakes."

Xie Xiaoyi nodded.

So the maid, accompanied by the guards, turned and stepped out of the bookstore. Before the door hinges had even fully closed with a creak, the urgent cries of a servant scrambling and stumbling came from outside:

"Boss! The people from the Marquis of Pingning's residence have arrived! The Marquis's wife is also urging for the sequel, saying she's willing to offer double the reward money, just to get the complete book first!"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ce wiped the sweat from his brow, but couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

"The Pingning Marquis's residence has come? My goodness, this doorstep is going to be worn down by all the visitors!"

In no time, people from several powerful and influential families in the capital came to his door one after another, all wanting to know about the sequel to "Jin Ping Mei".

The bookstore was packed with people, with reward money piled up on half a table, and calls for updates rising and falling.

Ouyang Ce grinned from ear to ear, pulling Xie Xiaoyi's arm:

"Thank you, young hero! This is fantastic news! The powerful and influential are all urging us to update the book; our Jinghua Bookstore is about to become famous!"

Looking at the scene before him, Xie Xiaoyi's eyes flashed with a sly glint. He turned to Ouyang Qing and smiled:

"It seems that in the next few days, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Miss Qing'er to help me grind ink every day and work day and night."

A double entendre?

Ouyang Qing accompanied him every day, so how could she not hear the hidden meaning in his words?

"I...I'm tired, I can't take it anymore."

Ouyang Ce, unaware that his daughter had already been seduced by Xie Xiaoyi, instead chuckled and tried to matchmake them upon hearing this.

"How old are you to be complaining about being tired? Are you as tired as Young Hero Xie?"

Qing'er, from now on you will stay by Young Master Xie's side every day, grinding ink and laying out paper, serving him tea and water, and taking good care of him. Don't delay Young Master Xie from finishing his manuscript!

Our family's success today is all thanks to Young Master Xie; you must do your utmost!

He then patted Xie Xiaoyi on the shoulder, his face full of entrustment:

"Thank you, young hero. Qing'er is quick and efficient, and very thoughtful. With her serving you, you can focus on your writing. If you need anything, just ask her!"

Xie Xiaoyi hurriedly cupped his hands in agreement, his face completely serious:

"Don't worry, boss. Miss Qing'er is meticulous. With her by my side, this 'pen' in my hand will definitely be kept busy!"

"I don't want to!" Ouyang Qing blurted out unexpectedly, interrupting him.

Ouyang Ce was immediately stunned, looking at his daughter with a blank expression, completely puzzled:

"Qing'er, what are you doing? Young Master Xie is rushing to finish his manuscript and needs someone to serve him. This is such a great opportunity, why are you refusing?"

The maids and servants beside them were also stunned.

What's wrong with you today, Miss?

He was all fidgety and looked like he couldn't stand it.

Seeing the looks on everyone's faces, Ouyang Qing realized she had spoken out of turn, and her cheeks flushed bright red.

He secretly thought to himself:

"But--

The "pen" he was talking about wasn't a good "pen" at all!

No! No!

The pen is excellent, but the person using it is a bit wicked, and terribly wicked!

She twisted and turned the hem of her dress, stammering for a long time, unable to utter a single word in defense. Finally, she glared at Xie Xiaoyi reproachfully.

"I'll go prepare the writing materials right away, so you can write comfortably."

......

From that day on, the small study in the backyard of Jinghua Bookstore became Xie Xiaoyi and Ouyang Qing's private space.

During the day, the room is filled with the fragrance of ink, and the brushstrokes flow like flowers.

The candlelight flickered in the night, and soft whispers filled the air.

Just as Xie Xiaoyi had said, his "pen" never stopped moving.

During the day, the pen writes about all aspects of life in the book; at night, the pen writes about the tender moments and deep affection shared on the bed.

At first, Ouyang Qing was still shy like a young girl, hiding away at night and breathing very softly, afraid of being seen and losing face.

But gradually, that shyness melted into tenderness, and by the candlelight, all restraint crumbled.

Whispering sweet nothings, they poured all their tenderness into the tip of that never-ending pen.

Working day and night, Xie Xiaoyi managed to complete the seemingly difficult second half of the manuscript in just half a month.

Ouyang Ce was amazed and exclaimed that it was a stroke of genius.

Once the manuscript was completed, bookstores in the capital opened immediately. As soon as the news spread, the powerful and the common people of the capital rushed to buy it, and the doorsteps of the bookstores were worn down every day.

For a time, Jinghua Bookstore became famous throughout the capital, becoming the most sought-after bookstore. The practice of "discarding the millstone after it has served its purpose" was even jokingly referred to as "the incarnation of the God of Literature."

Ouyang Cele's beard was all puffed up. He thought his daughter was just serving the distinguished guest with all her heart, but little did he know that his daughter had already become the most intimate "confidante" by the side of the Wenquxing (a famous scholar).

Little did anyone know that Xie Xiaoyi's "never-stopping" pen not only produced the masterpiece but also became an ingrained thought in Ouyang Qing's heart.

......

The popularity of Jinghua Bookstore has caught the eye of its rival, the owner of Wenyuan Bookstore.

He secretly resorted to underhanded tactics, first inciting a group of pedantic scholars to denounce "Jin Ping Mei" as inciting obscenity and theft and violating moral principles. However, this did not stop the crowd from snatching the book, and instead made the business of bookstores in the capital even more prosperous.

Seeing that the pedantic scholars' criticisms were useless, the owner of Wenyuan sent someone to the government to report the case, falsely accusing the bookstore in the capital of publishing banned books and confusing the people.

All of this was within Xie Xiaoyi's expectations. Before he even put pen to paper, he had already removed all writing that might offend ancient etiquette and taboos.

It only captures the human struggles among ordinary people and the ambiguous feelings between men and women, without ever overstepping any boundaries.

Officials quickly arrived to investigate, and Ouyang Ce calmly presented the manuscript. The officials dared not make a judgment on their own.

He immediately took the manuscript back to his residence and reported it to the Prefectural Judge of Shuntian Prefecture, who was in charge of criminal cases, litigation, and document printing and verification in the capital.

The magistrate personally read the entire book and, having heard that Princess Yuanzhi and the Lady of Pingning Marquis both loved it and were quite fond of it, further confirmed that...

The decision was immediately made, stating bluntly that Wenyuan Bookstore was making trouble out of nothing, and the case was dropped.

After this commotion, the reputation of "Jin Ping Mei" at the Jinghua Bookstore only grew. The owner, Wen Yuan, pounded his fist on the table in anger, but could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything about it.