Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

When Fu Yaoqin looked up, she was struck dumb, frozen in place, unable to move.

Am I dreaming?

The person before her, dressed in black, with the same figure and features as Xie Mo, was exactly the image she had etched in her heart yet forced herself to forget—Xie Mo.

She reached out and gently poked Xie Xiaoyi's chest with her finger.

That's right!

It has warmth; it's a real person.

Fu Yaoqin burst into tears.

She thought she would never see him again in her life.

She thought that after finding out he was a notorious womanizer, her heart had already died, and that seeing him again would not stir any emotion in her heart.

But when I actually saw him standing there, the long-suppressed excitement in my heart suddenly exploded and I couldn't suppress it at all.

After a long silence, her voice trembled and became hoarse: "...It's you."

Xie Xiaoyi looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness and guilt, and softly replied, "It's me."

Just those two words caused Fu Yaoqin to lose all her rationality instantly.

She didn't care about anything else, rushed over, and hugged Xie Xiaoyi tightly.

Xie Xiaoyi also wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly in his embrace.

Fu Yaoqin buried her face in his shoulder, feeling both resentful and aggrieved, and bit his shoulder hard.

Xie Xiaoyi winced in pain, his brow furrowing, but he dared not use any of his internal energy, and simply endured the pain.

He gently raised his hand and patted Fu Yaoqin's back: "Sister Yaoqin... I'm here."

The person in my arms was crying hysterically, their teeth were still clenched, but they didn't actually bite.

Xie Xiaoyi felt a pang of sadness; all the guilt and longing stuck in her throat.

He lowered his head and pleaded softly, "Sister Yaoqin, please stop biting me, or you'll break it."

After saying that, he reached out and grabbed Fu Yaoqin's nape, and with a little force, lifted her head off his shoulder.

Fu Yaoqin's eyes were blurry with tears, and she still harbored resentment. Just as she was about to curse him, her lips were kissed fiercely.

A sudden jolt ran through her body, and all the hatred, grievances, and struggles were swallowed back the moment their lips touched.

Forget the hatred, forget the resentment, forget the gossip, forget the fact that you are about to get married...

Fu Yaoqin, acting solely on instinct, tilted her head back and yielded to Xie Xiaoyi's "intrusion."

But halfway through the kiss, Fu Yaoqin's eyes suddenly caught sight of the bowl of lotus seed soup still warm on the table—

That was just delivered by Su Mubai...

In an instant, all reason returned.

She remembered that she had already promised Su Mubai...

Thinking of their engagement that was so close at hand...

Remembering that everyone outside was saying Xie Mo was a womanizer...

Just moments ago, I was telling myself that I wanted to live a good life with Su Mubai...

Fu Yaoqin turned her head sharply and pushed Xie Xiaoyi away forcefully: "No...we can't do this."

Xie Xiaoyi gently pressed his forehead against hers, his breathing slightly erratic: "What's wrong, Sister Yaoqin?"

Fu Yaoqin closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, only solemnity and clarity remained in them:

"I'm already engaged to Su Mubai. We can't do this. This... is adultery."

engagement?

Xie Xiaoyi, puzzled, asked, "Tell me, why did you accept Su Mubai's marriage proposal?"

Fu Yaoqin took a few steps back, her back slamming heavily against the zither table, causing the strings to emit a piercing buzz.

She glared at him, her voice full of grievance: "Because he saved me! Because he took such good care of me!"

These days, he's treated me like royalty. What reason do I have to refuse?

"Just because of that?"

"Isn't this enough?"

"That's not enough. If this is the standard by which a woman accepts a man, then I could date all the beautiful women in the world."

"What if I told you that because you're a womanizer, I feel deceived and my heart is dead?"

Xie Xiaoyi frowned, staring intently at Fu Yaoqin: "Did Yun Qianxun tell you this?"

Did he find out?

Did he meet with Yun Qianxun?

Yun Qianxun once said she wanted to kill him, but he came to see me instead?

She won't be given anything by Xie Mo...

Fu Yaoqin dared not think any further, fearing that her thoughts might become reality. Yun Qianxun was too pure, a girl as pure as snow.

She didn't want the snow to get dirty, and she didn't want it to melt.

"I heard... I heard you're a notorious womanizer, the kind of lecherous thief who's ruined countless girls!"

Fu Yaoqin almost pressed for answers, her eyes shifting from grievance to sharp questioning:

"Xie Xiaoyi, answer me! Are you a notorious womanizer? Did you do those things?"

Xie Xiaoyi?

Even the way she addresses people has changed, so it seems she really knows everything.

Xie Xiaoyi didn't want to lie to her. Looking at her red eyes, he opened his mouth and uttered, "Yes."

Knew it!

He really is a lecherous womanizer.

Fu Yaoqin could no longer contain her emotions and pointed at the window, scolding, "Go away!"

Xie Xiaoyi tilted his head, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "You mean, you're letting me leave?"

"You're the one who climbed in through the window, aren't you? Isn't climbing through windows something you lecherous thieves always do?"

"But there's something I want to explain to you..."

"I don't want to hear your explanation. Since you've admitted you're a flower thief, there's nothing more to explain."

"You insist on making me leave... without even a chance to explain, is that it?"

"I'm not going to say anything more. If you don't leave, I'm going to... I'm going to call for help."

"Sister Yaoqin..."

"Xie Xiaoyi, from now on, let's pretend we never met. And don't call me by my name anymore; it's disgusting!"

"You think it's dirty?"

"Yes! My name... coming out of your mouth, I... I find it disgusting!"

She thought it was dirty...

When Xie Xiaoyi heard the words "I find it dirty," his face turned deathly pale, and he felt as if a sword had pierced his heart.

He didn't retreat; instead, he took two steps forward, his eyes deep and heavy, filled with a desperate resolve.

"You think my mouth is dirty?"

"Yes! The fact that you're saying my name means you dislike me..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Xiaoyi had already pulled Fu Yaoqin into his arms tightly, so tightly that he almost suffocated her.

Fu Yaoqin was both shocked and furious. She desperately pounded his chest, struggling to shout, but as soon as she opened her mouth—

Xie Xiaoyi had already grabbed her chin and kissed her hard, completely silencing her.

"Ugh—"

The action was anything but gentle; it was a violent, forceful kiss filled with pain, resentment, and unwillingness.

Fu Yaoqin felt a sharp pain in the corner of her lips and desperately pushed Xiao Yi away.

Xie Xiaoyi kissed her twice, then pulled back slightly, his forehead pressed against hers, his voice a little harsh:

"You think my mouth is dirty? Then I'll show you just how dirty it really is..."

Just as Fu Yaoqin was about to scold him, Xie Xiaoyi lowered his head again and pressed his lips against hers hard.

"No...uh—"