Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

The next morning, as dawn broke, sunlight streamed into the room through the window.

Wang Yuanzhi let out a soft moan and slowly opened her eyes. As she turned her head, she was met with a pair of familiar eyes.

Her cheeks flushed, and she snuggled closer to the man, leaning against him with a soft, boneless grace, her eyes sparkling with girlish shyness.

The person in front of me is none other than the "second brother" from last night.

He opened his eyes to find himself embraced by a soft, warm body. His head was spinning, and he only remembered that last night seemed to be...

It seemed like we reached a crucial moment, but then everything went blank, and I had no recollection of what happened afterward.

Wang Yuanzhi tilted her head back and gently poked his chest with her fingertip: "Second brother, you were so amazing last night!"

The man froze, completely stunned.

last night?

sharp?

What happened?

How come he can't remember any of it!

His heart was pounding: "What did I do last night? I have absolutely no recollection of it."

Was it because you were too tired last night and drank too much? Or was it because the martial law made you restless and your memory was failing you?

Seeing that he didn't speak, Wang Yuanzhi assumed he was teasing her on purpose, and became even more shy, burying herself in his arms, gently clutching his clothes with her small hands, and continuing to whisper softly:

"Stop pretending! You didn't say a word last night, you just bullied me, making me too scared to move..."

"I feel so weak all over, and you're still ignoring me."

The man's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and looking at the woman in his arms with her shy face and seductive eyes, his mind automatically filled in the whole scene.

He assumed he had been too hasty or acted too recklessly the night before, which was why he couldn't remember the details...

With a beautiful woman in his arms, warm and soft as a feather, how could he admit that he remembered nothing?

Wouldn't that be such a spoilsport?

The man immediately coughed, forcibly suppressing his confusion and putting on an expression of complete understanding:

"Silly girl, I was too hasty last night. I'll definitely be gentler next time."

Wang Yuanzhi's cheeks flushed even redder, and she playfully punched him, saying, "Second brother is the worst!"

The man held the person in his arms, feeling smug.

Li Qinglian's newly brewed distilled liquor is indeed amazing!

I spent a lot of money to buy it.

Fine wine!

Last night, to bolster my courage, I only drank a tiny bit, and I completely forgot all about how spirited I was.

At this moment, Xie Xiaoyi was quietly hiding in a secluded corner of the Jing'an Prince's Mansion, meditating and regulating his breathing.

I sat there all day, and when I opened my eyes again, it was already deep night, with stars and the moon high in the sky.

......

Inside the imperial study, Princess Chu Mengtong, with disheveled hair, kowtowed, weeping blood:

"Your Majesty! The Second Prince... he was brutally murdered in the street by Xie Xiaoyi; his death was horribly gruesome!"

On the dragon throne, Emperor Wang Jiling's eyes darkened, and his hand gripping the vermilion brush tightened suddenly.

This reminded him of yesterday, when Senlie staggered into the palace and reported the tragic scene on the street to him word for word.

He was already heartbroken at that time and ordered Qin Huaiyu to arrest Xie Xiaoyi and kill him on the spot.

The Imperial Guards and secret agents searched the entire city, determined to capture him and avenge their son.

He also ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare funeral rites as soon as possible, the Imperial Household Department to collect the body, and to announce to the world that the second prince was to be buried.

Chu Mengtong should have been in her residence mourning and offering sacrifices at this time, but she never expected that she would barge into the palace and cry incessantly.

Looking at his daughter-in-law, whose face was streaked with tears, Wang Jiling felt a sudden pang of sadness.

He originally intended for Chu Mengtong to become a concubine in the palace, but his son Wang Yu beat him to it by proposing to Prime Minister Chu, thus stealing their chance.

Later, the Empress summoned her to the palace under some pretext, but she was drunk and out of control, forcibly keeping her in the palace...

He originally thought that after that incident, Chu Mengtong would never want to see him again in this lifetime.

But to her utter surprise, today she would actually step into the palace for her deceased husband, kneeling before him and pleading with tears streaming down her face.

"Princess Consort Yu, rest assured, I have ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Secret Agents to search for the culprit with all their might. I believe the murderer will be captured soon."

"Your Majesty! That villain was able to kill my husband at the hands of Commander Senlie and the Ironclad Guards. With his martial arts skills, I'm afraid even the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Secret Agents would be no match for him!"

"I know what I'm doing. I've already sent Eunuch Qin there. His martial arts skills are beyond question. Mengtong, you should go back to your residence to attend the funeral!"

Chu Mengtong lowered her eyes and spoke softly, each word carrying immense weight: "Your Majesty... if you are truly willing to wield the power of the Emperor, there is no one in the world you cannot subdue!"

Is she questioning me?

Wang Jiling suddenly raised his eyes, his face filled with anger: "Are you saying that I don't want to avenge my son?"

Chu Mengtong slowly raised her eyes, tears falling to her lips, but her gaze held a desperate, resolute intensity.

"I'm afraid... afraid that if you think about what happened in the palace that night, you won't even be willing to do your best to avenge my husband..."

"presumptuous!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Mengtong prostrated herself on the ground: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Your daughter-in-law was only so eager to avenge her husband that she spoke without thinking!"

She suddenly raised her hand and ripped the collar of her shirt off, revealing a tooth mark scar on her collarbone.

"Your Majesty, look—this scar, branded on my daughter-in-law, will be a lifelong pain! Do you...do you know how it came to be?"

Wang Jiling's brows furrowed instantly, and his heart sank.

How could he not know?

That scar was clearly left on her by his own hands when he was drunk and out of control back then.

It seems she's using this old grievance to blackmail me in order to avenge Wang Yu?

Family scandals should not be aired in public!

Wang Jiling suddenly raised his hand and waved it. The eunuch standing beside him immediately understood and lowered his voice to signal everyone in the hall to leave.

In a short while, only he and Chu Mengtong remained in the imperial study.

Their eyes met, and Wang Jiling's throat tightened. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "What happened back then, I am the one who wronged you!"

But do you know that if Yu'er had been just one step slower back then, I would have already issued an edict ordering you to enter the palace as a concubine?

Chu Mengtong was shocked and froze on the spot.

She never expected that Wang Jiling would say such things to her so directly.

Her face turned deathly pale. She hurriedly pulled her clothes tighter and took a half-step back, her voice trembling and incoherent: "Your Majesty, I am your..."

Wang Jiling's gaze was fixed on her bare shoulders and neck, the teeth marks burning in his eyes like fire, consuming his reason.

He slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. He strode forward and, before Chu Mengtong could react, scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the inner room.

Chu Mengtong was so shocked that her whole body stiffened. She frantically pressed her hands against his chest, not daring to struggle violently and lose her composure, yet unable to break free from his iron-like restraint.

She could only turn her head slightly, her body trembling violently, as he carried her step by step into the dark and deserted inner room deep within the Imperial Study.

One step, one sinking, one falling.