Xue Mingyuan probably didn't know about what had happened between himself and Xue Chenjing in the Sea of Sunken Flowers, so Yu Yi felt more at ease facing him.
She glanced at the wish slip hanging from the branch, gesturing to the sword fire she held between her fingers, and said coldly, "Next time, don't appear so silently behind me. I might accidentally hurt you if I'm not careful."
Xue Mingyuan apologized again: "I'm sorry for being abrupt. I saw you couldn't quite reach it and only thought about helping you quickly, without considering anything else."
His expression was innocent and his tone so sincere that Yu Yi couldn't say anything more.
She observed the person standing under the osmanthus tree. Xue Mingyuan wore a crimson wide-sleeved brocade robe with pale gold feather patterns adorning the collar, sleeves, and hem. Though not the wedding attire he wore in the Sea of Sunken Flowers, it was just as festive and quite flamboyant.
Just standing under the osmanthus tree for a moment, he had already attracted many gazing eyes. Yet he seemed oblivious to these glances, his eyes focused solely on her.
Yu Yi knew clearly that the system task wasn't completely finished, and she still held value to them - they would catch up to her sooner or later. So seeing him now wasn't particularly surprising.
What had surprised her was that it was Xue Mingyuan who came.
She remembered that the last time Xue Mingyuan appeared was because Xue Chenjing had fainted from severe injuries - was it the same reason this time? It made sense; if the people from Zhaohua Palace and the Immortal Alliance wanted to deal with Xue Chenjing, they wouldn't let him escape easily.
The silent staring between them became awkward, so Yu Yi took the initiative to ask, "How did you get out?"
Xue Mingyuan thought for a moment, watching her expression, and said, "He was severely injured and fainted again."
Just as she had guessed.
Yu Yi had already suspected this, so she didn't show any extra reaction, but shook her head, "That's not what I meant."
She walked closer to Xue Mingyuan, and when she was near enough, spoke in a low voice, "I mean, how did you get out of the Sea of Sunken Flowers? No one's following you, right?"
Yu Yi didn't want him bringing more trouble to her doorstep.
So that was all she was concerned about.
Xue Mingyuan tilted his head slightly under Yu Yi's gaze, carefully controlling his expression before responding, "I'm not quite sure how he got out either. When I woke up, he was already outside Fengsheng County. I happened to spot you in the crowd and came over."
As he spoke, a hint of poorly concealed pride flashed across his features, and he almost let out a contemptuous snicker, but managed to hold it back in time.
"But don't worry, Chenjing is very capable. If he wants to shake off pursuers, no one can track him."
Yu Yi stared at Xue Mingyuan, realizing he was genuinely praising Xue Chenjing. She really couldn't understand Xue Mingyuan's current attitude - from their previous two encounters, he didn't seem to harbor much hostility toward Xue Chenjing.
In contrast, whenever Xue Chenjing mentioned him, it was always with gritted teeth.
But what Yu Yi had witnessed in the Great Green Mountain Sword Realm left a deep impression - at that time, Xue Mingyuan had shown utter hatred toward Xue Chenjing, repeatedly dissecting and piercing through him.
Ming Zhaojun had said he softened in the end. Had Xue Mingyuan finally been assimilated by Xue Chenjing, accepting him? Acknowledging his cruel and ruthless way of dealing with the world?
Seeing her staring at him, Xue Mingyuan worried he had revealed something, his heart rate quickening slightly. His gaze wavered for a moment before forcefully steadying, struggling to maintain his gentle facade as he touched his face in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that, Yi'er? Is there something strange on my face?"
Yu Yi shook her head and looked back at the wish slip on the branch, "Help me take it down."
Xue Mingyuan asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Yu Yi explained, "The wish slip must be hung on the osmanthus tree by one's own hands."
Xue Mingyuan had no choice but to reach up and carefully remove the wish slip. He glanced at the characters written in gold ink on the wooden tag, his eyebrows twitching slightly as he handed it back to her.
Yu Yi stroked the silk ribbon hanging from the wooden tag, then found a shorter osmanthus tree and hung the wish slip on its branches.
Xue Mingyuan followed at a moderate distance behind her. Once out of Yu Yi's sight, he could no longer maintain his gentle facade, his eyes revealing deep gloom.
Earlier when they first met, before he had even introduced himself, she had already distinguished between them. She would initiate conversation with Xue Mingyuan, worry about hurting him, walk toward him naturally, and speak to him with such ease.
Yet with him, she was all thorns and full of wariness.
Yu Yi didn't care at all that he was severely injured.
Xue Chenjing's breathing grew heavier, suppressed grievance and resentment raging in his heart. Even forcing his lips into a smile, he couldn't manage to produce Xue Mingyuan's nauseating, hypocritical expression.
Seeing Yu Yi about to turn around after hanging the wish slip, Xue Chenjing quickly ducked behind an osmanthus tree, hiding in the thick grass below.
Damn that detestable Xue Mingyuan.
Yu Yi turned and looked around but couldn't find Xue Mingyuan, growing suspicious.
She had clearly felt him following behind her just now, and for a moment, the gaze that fell on her had been cold and predatory, completely different from Xue Mingyuan's usual look. Upon closer examination, it felt more like being licked by Xue Chenjing's cold tentacles - sticky, yet somehow familiar to her.
It gave her goosebumps on her neck in an instant.
She thought Xue Chenjing had woken up again.
Not seeing anyone, Yu Yi stood puzzled for a moment but didn't actively search for him. After all, as a plot-unlocking tool, her role wasn't finished yet - he would find her again eventually.
Sure enough, moments later, Yu Yi saw that striking floral red robe emerge from behind an osmanthus tree, with two bold young ladies following behind him.
They held up their flower wreaths, giggling, "Young master, since you don't have any flowers, please accept ours. We're like sisters and willing to share - we don't mind at all if you wear both our flowers."
Xue Chenjing tried desperately to avoid them.
He had been hiding well, but these two passing women had chased him out. Already frustrated enough to want to slash the heavens and split the earth, and with Yu Yi nearby, he had to suppress his temper while running, still having to humbly decline: "No, thank you for your kindness, ladies, but I really can't accept..."
Being a hypocrite like Xue Mingyuan was truly exhausting.
Seeing Yu Yi, his eyes immediately brightened, and he quickly ran toward her. The two young ladies finally stopped, looking back and forth between them, reluctant to leave.
Xue Chenjing noticed the flower wreath hanging at Yu Yi's waist, also made from osmanthus branches but particularly beautiful, and feigned delight, "Yi'er, is that flower wreath for me?"
Yu Yi was somewhat surprised, "Do you know what this flower wreath means?"
Unlike Xue Chenjing, who was thick-skinned and shameless, always taking a mile when given an inch, Xue Mingyuan was known for being more proper and measured. If he knew the meaning of giving a flower wreath, he probably wouldn't have assumed so naturally that her wreath was meant for him.
After all, they had only met twice, and there didn't seem to be any romantic feelings between them.
Was he saying this deliberately for those two young ladies to hear?
Xue Chenjing was stunned by her question. Of course he knew what giving a flower wreath meant - he had actually been secretly following Yu Yi for quite some time, his spirit floating around her even while she was learning how to weave a beautiful wreath.
But didn't she like Xue Mingyuan? In just the two times Xue Mingyuan had appeared, during those seven or eight hours while he was unconscious, they had accomplished so many achievements together, with their favorability continuously soaring to the current fifty percent.
Heh, love truly comes from unknown origins.
Xue Chenjing naturally assumed that if she were to give the wreath to anyone, it would definitely be to Xue Mingyuan. Especially since "Xue Mingyuan" was now standing before her.
But seeing Yu Yi's surprised expression, it seemed she had no intention of giving it to him.
"Aren't you going to give this to..." Just as the joyful word "him" was about to slip out, Xue Chenjing abruptly changed his words, "...to me?"
Though he changed his words, the delight in his voice couldn't be completely concealed.
This was truly strange. Yu Yi looked at him suspiciously, a flicker of emotion crossing her eyes. She untied the flower wreath hanging at her waist and placed it in his palm, knowingly glancing at the two young ladies watching from the side before saying softly, "Let's just say I'm lending it to you."
Xue Chenjing held the flower wreath, the smile freezing on his face.
If you're giving it, just give it! What's this "lending it to you" supposed to mean!
In that moment, the frustrated expression on his face was so obvious that even the corners of his eyes flushed red. Yu Yi quietly took note of his reaction, and suddenly seemed to understand something, feeling a hint of absurdity in her heart.
Was this really Xue Chenjing standing before her?
What game was he playing now? Why was he pretending to be Xue Mingyuan to get close to her? Could this be a newly released system task?
Xue Chenjing gritted his teeth as he adjusted his mood, then said with a smile, "Would Yi'er help me put it on?"
Yu Yi gave him a charming smile, taking back the wreath from his palm and actively holding his hand, saying, "Of course, though the wreath I made is a bit small, so you'll need to curl your palm inward a bit."
The warm, soft palm pressed against the back of his hand, and Xue Chenjing's fingertips trembled slightly. He obediently curled his palm inward, watching as she slipped the wreath onto his fingers.
The wreath was woven from delicate osmanthus branches, with tiny flowers dotted among the green leaves, emanating a rich fragrance. As the flower branches brushed against his skin, they left their intense scent on him.
The wreath was indeed a bit small, getting stuck at the middle of his palm. After all, Yu Yi had originally made it according to a girl's hand measurements. She said regretfully, "It seems it really is too small, it won't fit..."
Before she could finish speaking, the stuck portion suddenly loosened, and the wreath was pushed onto his wrist.
Yu Yi even heard the sound of bones cracking under pressure.
If worn by a young lady, there would have been room for the wreath to move, but on his wrist, it fit so tightly it seemed to bind his skin, like a restraint around his wrist.
