Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

The next day.

Xie Xiaoyi probably slept until late morning because he had drunk too much.

"Knock knock knock—"

A gentle knock came at the guest room door, and the waiter's voice, tinged with a fawning smile, drifted in through the door:

"Young Master Xie! Young Master Xie, wake up! The people from Ya Yin Fang are here to pick you up!"

Xie Xiaoyi was fast asleep when the noise woke him up. He turned over, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he sat up.

吆？

I haven't even gone to see her yet, but she's come looking for me.

Xie Xiaoyi yawned: "Okay, I'm coming."

He slipped on his shoes, walked to the door, and unlatched it.

Besides the waiter, there were two maids in green standing outside the door. They were slender and graceful, each carrying a food box and wearing a jade pendant with cloud patterns from Ya Yin Fang around their waists.

Upon seeing Xie Xiaoyi, the two bowed in unison. When they looked up, they caught a glimpse of his handsome appearance with his sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and half-open robes. They exchanged a glance and chuckled softly, covering their mouths.

The maid on the left spoke in a gentle voice with a hint of teasing:

"Young Master Xie is so handsome, no wonder the shop owner kept mentioning inviting you to a gathering after yesterday's elegant gathering."

The maid on the right chimed in, "Young master, please come with us quickly. The shopkeeper's plum blossom wine is getting impatient."

Plum...plum blossom wine?

Xie Xiaoyi was tempted. He had a natural fondness for this wine, especially when he was picking flowers, as it would enhance the experience.

The waiter stood to the side, grinning from ear to ear:

"Young Master Xie, you are truly blessed! Ordinary people would fight tooth and nail to get into this Elegant Music Pavilion!"

Xie Xiaoyi raised an eyebrow, casually straightened his clothes, then slung the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" calligraphy scroll on the table behind his back, and gave a roguish smile:

"Lead the way."

A maid in green led him through the inn's lobby, where the diners' eyes immediately turned to him, and whispers rose and fell.

Xie Xiaoyi ignored them and swaggered out the door with the maid.

A green-canopied carriage was already parked outside the gate, with a few sprigs of plum blossoms embroidered on the curtain, quite elegant.

I boarded the carriage and took my seat. The carriage wheels creaked softly as it moved smoothly.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance of Ya Yin Fang.

Unlike the hustle and bustle elsewhere, the entrance to Ya Yin Fang is quiet and elegant. Two old plum trees stand beside the gate, their branches strong and sturdy even though they are not in bloom.

As soon as one steps across the threshold, the sounds of string and wind instruments drift in from the rafters.

The hall was packed with distinguished guests in fine clothes, all listening intently to the melodious songs sung by the singers on stage.

Seeing Xie Xiaoyi being led by a maid straight to the backyard, many people stopped talking, their eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry.

Someone recognized Xie Xiaoyi and whispered among themselves.

"Isn't this the wandering swordsman who crushed the Four Great Talents with three plum blossom poems at yesterday's banquet by the winding stream?"

"Yes, that's him. I saw him clearly yesterday when I was close by."

"No wonder Master Fu personally sent someone to invite you!"

I heard that he won the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" sword as a prize yesterday, and he's really riding high!

Xie Xiaoyi remained expressionless, but inwardly he was ecstatic.

He continued to follow the two maids, and after passing a screen wall, he came to a waterside pavilion.

The waterside pavilion overlooks a pool of clear water, with willows swaying by the pool. Inside the pavilion is a pear wood table with a jar of wine already warmed on it, and two celadon wine cups beside the jar.

Fu Yaoqin was sitting at the table, wearing a pink dress and with her long, black hair flowing like a waterfall.

Seeing Xie Xiaoyi enter, she stood up with a slight smile, her eyes sparkling with a refined elegance.

"Young Master Xie, Yaoqin has been waiting all night since we parted yesterday."

Xie Xiaoyi took off the "Viewing the Sea" pendant from his back, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "How could I refuse an invitation from a beautiful woman?"

The two sat down facing each other, and Fu Yaoqin personally picked up the wine jar and poured the warm wine into the cup.

Yesterday, they were too far away to explore in detail, but today, facing each other so closely, Xie Xiaoyi immediately focused his attention and began to sniff.

The aroma of warm wine lingered at my nose first, then I caught her scent.

The faint scent of orchids carries a pure and sweet fragrance, untouched by any impurities, a unique and innocent scent of a young girl.

Xie Xiaoyi was secretly delighted:

"The waiter was right. Ya Yin Fang is a place that sells art, not sex. I'm going to have this Fu Yaoqin."

The aroma of wine wafted through the air, its crispness carrying a familiar plum blossom scent—it was the plum blossom wine from Lanting Courtyard yesterday.

Xie Xiaoyi picked up his wine glass, brought it to his nose, and sniffed it lightly. A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes as he looked up at Fu Yaoqin:

"How did you know I like plum blossom wine?"

Fu Yaoqin smiled faintly, her eyes lowered, her fingers gently tracing the rim of the fine glass, her voice as gentle as spring water in a pond:

"Yesterday at the winding stream party, the young master ignored all the other wines, but picked up a jar of plum blossom wine and drank half of it. With such a preference, it would be hard for Yaoqin not to remember it."

Xie Xiaoyi laughed loudly and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp: "Master Fu is indeed thoughtful."

Fu Yaoqin also picked up her wine glass, took a small sip, and looked up at him, her gaze filled with a mixture of inquiry and admiration.

"It is the young master's talent that makes Yaoqin even more moved."

Those three plum blossom poems from yesterday, along with the impromptu piece I composed before leaving, kept the literati of Qingjiang City up all night.

Xie Xiaoyi laughed loudly, his eyes already darting around Fu Yaoqin.

Not bad, she really is a beauty, a top-notch woman in modern terms!

Haha!

What positions are good to use at night?

The pink dress accentuated Fu Yaoqin's slender figure and graceful shoulder and neck lines.

Her heaving breasts sparked endless fantasies, and the jade belt tied around her waist tightened gently, making her waist appear even more slender.

Xie Xiaoyi likes women who are not thin but have a slim waist because such women have a "wonderful quality".

—That is, the breasts and hips will be made to stand out very much by the waist.

Fu Yaoqin is the kind of person who is outstanding.

Fu Yaoqin was completely unaware of his wicked thoughts, holding her cup with a faint smile, her eyes filled with infatuation:

"Young Master Xie's words yesterday, 'If the north wind understands my heart, it will not easily destroy me,' perfectly captured the noble spirit of the winter plum."

"Several plum blossoms in the corner of the wall, blooming alone in the cold. I know from afar it is not snow, for there is a faint fragrance." This line perfectly captures the beauty and charm of the plum blossom.

"I'd rather not return to the jade towers and golden palaces, than get drunk in Luoyang with plum blossoms in my hair," the lines are unrestrained and free-spirited, brimming with youthful vigor, captivating the listener's heart.

Xie Xiaoyi flicked his finger, hefted the wine glass, tilted his head back, and downed the wine in one gulp, giving a roguish smile:

"It was just a few lines of bad poetry that I casually made up yesterday when I was drunk and confused. I'm sorry that Master Fu laughed at me."

However, the shopkeeper has a good memory; I myself can hardly remember these three poems.

Fu Yaoqin was amused by his carefree demeanor and poured him a glass of wine:

"Young master is too kind. Such brilliant and exquisite verses are unforgettable even after hearing them a hundred times."

Yaoqin secretly thought that if she could often hear the young master recite poems and compose verses, even just warming wine and waiting for him every day would be worthwhile.

Does this count as her confessing her feelings to me?

Should I be a little bolder?

Xie Xiaoyi leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Fu Yaoqin's chest, and slowly spoke:

"Oh? Then Master Fu will have to prepare more plum blossom wine."

After all, this wine is delightful to drink, and paired with the beautiful woman before me, what more could a man ask for?