Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

For the rest of the journey, Xie Xiaoyi really took good care of Shen Xinyu.

Perhaps he felt that taking advantage of her vulnerability and forcing her into dual cultivation was a bit too much, so he wanted to find peace of mind for his past actions.

Shen Xinyu was already grateful to him, and with such meticulous care, her gaze towards Xie Xiaoyi gradually became more dependent.

At dusk that day, the two walked to a stream.

Xie Xiaoyi watched Shen Xinyu squatting by the stream washing her hands, her hair falling over her shoulders. The setting sun cast a long shadow of her, giving her a serene and gentle appearance.

A strange feeling suddenly flashed through his mind, but he quickly suppressed the wicked desire.

Xie Mo, Xie Xiaoyi, don't get any funny ideas right now.

This girl is Shen Beiluo's daughter, a member of the Heavenly Sword Sect. She's going there to ask for help, so we can't let her cause any more trouble.

While she was pondering, Shen Xinyu suddenly turned her head, holding a red flower in her hand.

The flower stem is slender and upright, deep green like jade, with several crimson flowers blooming at the top.

The petals are narrow and obovate-lanceolate, with wavy edges that curl backward, like dragon claws, spreading out wildly and unrestrainedly.

Shen Xinyu smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Brother Xie, look, aren't these flowers pretty?"

Xie Xiaoyi looked at the smile in her eyes, his heart stirred slightly, and he tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that wasn't exactly gentle:

"It's alright. This flower is called Lycoris radiata, but be careful, it's poisonous."

Shen Xinyu was slightly surprised; she hadn't expected that a pretty little flower she had casually picked would be poisonous.

She muttered to herself, "Lycoris radiata? Such a beautiful flower with such a common name!"

Xie Xiaoyi pointed to the flowers in her hand and smiled slightly:

"It also has another beautiful name, the Red Spider Lily."

Shen Xinyu gazed at the spider lily in her hand and whispered:

"The red spider lily?"

This name sounds nice!

Flowers bloom on the other shore; the meaning of flowers blooming on the other shore must be good.

Xie Xiaoyi bent down and picked up a small pebble from the ground. With a slight flick of his wrist, the pebble traced a short arc.

With a "thud," it crashed into the stream, splashing up tiny droplets of water before falling into the grass on the opposite bank.

"What's so good about the symbolism of this flower?"

It is also called the Heartless Grass, and has another name: the Flower of Life and Death, as it is extremely malevolent.

Look how vibrantly it blooms; you can't find a single leaf on its branches—

This is its fate: the flower blooms without the leaf, the leaf grows without the flower; life after life, they will never meet.

Shen Xinyu's fingers, which were holding the flower petals, paused slightly, and the smile in her eyes faded a little.

Xie Xiaoyi crouched down, very close to Shen Xinyu: "Do you want to hear the story behind this flower?"

Shen Xinyu nodded seriously.

"Legend has it that there was once a pair of demons in love, one of whom transformed into a flower and the other into a leaf."

Unfortunately, the laws of Heaven decreed that they could never meet again.

If they meet in secret, their souls will be scattered and they will fall into the cycle of reincarnation.

later......"

At this point, Xie Xiaoyi paused, carefully observing the subtle expressions on Shen Xinyu's face.

Shen Xinyu was listening intently when he suddenly stopped. She panicked and said coquettishly:

"Brother Xie, who tells a story only halfway through? You...you tell the story quickly!"

Xie Xiaoyi reached out and gently brushed aside the bangs on her forehead:

"Later, the flower followed the rules: when the flower blooms, the leaves wither, and when the leaves grow, the flower fades."

Year after year, we gaze at each other from afar on the other side, never even having the chance to touch.

A breeze swept across the stream, carrying the fragrance of petals from the other bank, and settled between the two, creating a sense of inexplicable loneliness.

Shen Xinyu's nose tingled slightly, and she loosened her grip on the petals a little:

"How pitiful... They clearly love each other so much, yet they can't even see each other."

A cool breeze swept across the stream, ruffling Shen Xinyu's bangs once again.

Xie Xiaoyi's heart softened when he saw her tearful appearance:

In my hometown, there's also a saying about the meaning of the red spider lily.

Shen Xinyu looked up abruptly, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, and asked, "Flowers have a language?"

"Of course." Xie Xiaoyi's lips curled up slightly, as if recalling distant memories:

Legend has it that it blooms on the other side of the River of Oblivion, beside the Bridge of Helplessness, and is a flower that guides the souls of the dead. Its flower language is—

Unpredictable death!

Shen Xinyu was stunned. She looked down at the bright red flower in her hand and suddenly realized that it was anything but simple.

"Brother Xie, where is your hometown? I didn't even know that flowers have a language."

Xie Xiaoyi really wanted to say: My hometown is modern, but I'm a time traveler, and I always want to go home.

But he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"My hometown is very, very far away, so far that it spans mountains, seas, and countless years."

The people there always like to imbue each flower with a hidden message from their hearts; this is called... the language of flowers.

After he finished speaking, he didn't look up at Shen Xinyu's eyes, afraid that her clear eyes would see through the homesickness he couldn't hide.

......

After their casual conversation about the red spider lily by the stream, the two quickened their pace.

But Xie Xiaoyi still took good care of Shen Xinyu.

The look in Shen Xinyu's eyes had long since changed from initial gratitude to a complex and indescribable emotion.

After walking and stopping for a while, the Kunlun Mountains, shrouded in clouds and mist, came into view in no time.

The mountain peak was hidden in a sea of ​​clouds, with lofty houses and palaces scattered among the clouds.

A mountain breeze carrying a refreshing and invigorating air washes over you, instantly uplifting your spirits.

At the foot of the mountain stands a majestic mountain gate, inscribed with the five large characters "Kunlun Heavenly Sword Sect," written with powerful strokes that exude a domineering sword intent.

Two sword-wielding disciples stood guard at the mountain gate, both dressed in sky-blue robes, their sharp eyes scrutinizing those coming and going.

Xie Xiaoyi led the horse and walked forward side by side with Shen Xinyu.

The disciple on the left stepped forward to block their path, one hand gripping the sword sheath, the other raising a fist in a gesture of respect.

"May I ask who you are? This is the Kunlun Heavenly Sword Sect. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted to trespass!"

His gaze swept over Xie Xiaoyi, noticing his ordinary clothes and somewhat nonchalant demeanor, and a hint of contempt immediately appeared in his eyes.

Before Xie Xiaoyi could speak, Shen Xinyu stepped forward, raised her chin, glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes, and spoke in a clear voice with a hint of spoiled arrogance:

"I'm your great-aunt!"

Upon hearing this, both gatekeepers were stunned, and their swords nearly flew out of their sheaths.

Upon seeing that pretty face, he froze.

That arrogant demeanor, that spoiled and willful air between her brows and eyes, who else could it be but Shen Xinyu, the famous "Little Witch of Kunlun" in the sect?

The disciple who had previously been arrogant changed his expression, his face now beaming with a fawning smile:

"Xin...young master Xinyu?

"You're finally back! Grandmaster Shen almost broke his vow never to leave the mountain again; he wanted to come find you himself."

Another disciple, being even more quick-witted, immediately bowed in respect:

"Please forgive me, Uncle-Master! The sect has been very busy lately, and I didn't recognize you at first. Please forgive me."

Xie Xiaoyi was stunned.

This girl has become quite sharp-tongued since she got home. She used to be grieving over the red spider lilies, but now she's turned into a spoiled little woman.