Chapter 2 The Two Return "Okay, I'll take you back."...
There are many people in the world who resemble each other in appearance and voice, but those who resemble both are probably very few and far between.
She was certain that the familiar person in front of her was the one from her memory.
Although she couldn't figure out what the other woman was thinking, Shen Lixia knew that her senior sister wouldn't abandon her. So she went up and affectionately took the woman's arm, snuggling close to her, and then looked at the man whose face was flushed and pale.
"Senior Sister..." The words were barely out of her mouth when the aroma of Biluochun tea wafted over, sounding rather aggrieved. The woman addressed in this way froze slightly, then awkwardly murmured an "Mmm."
She glanced at the whip marks on Shen Lixia's body, a look of pity flashing in her eyes, and said softly, "Junior sister has suffered. Don't be so playful next time and run off to such a far place."
This whole scene left not only the man bewildered, but also the girl behind him. She stared blankly at Shen Lixia, hearing the two of them addressing each other as "senior sister" and "junior sister," appearing very close.
So, she really is a disciple of a sect? But her spiritual veins were completely shattered, so how come someone still took her in?
The man, realizing this as well, chuckled awkwardly, "Miss, you must have mistaken me for someone else? This is a useless person with all his spiritual veins shattered..."
The moment the word "trash" left her lips, the woman's eyes suddenly sharpened. A cold glint flashed, and the man felt a chill in his throat. Then, his vision spun, and he saw his own body.
By the time he realized what had happened, it was too late. The severed head, still bearing a terrified expression, rolled a few times, blood splattering from the body, before slowly collapsing. Then, the woman lowered her arm; the boy beside her and she herself, clearly closest to the man, were completely untouched by blood.
"Who gave you permission to speak of my junior sister like that?" Her tone suddenly turned cold. She cleansed the bloodstains with magic before sheathing her sword.
A moment of silence followed, then some screamed, while others seemed unfazed, even clapping and laughing. Shen Lixia's pupils contracted; she was momentarily stunned by the swiftness of the killing and couldn't move her feet.
Is this really the senior sister?
Based on past impressions, Senior Sister Qiao Yanshen should be a gentle and taciturn person. Shen Lixia rarely inquired about gossip, but Senior Sister was too dazzling—leading the group project to success, performing exceptionally well in competitions, and being extremely beautiful—she always became the topic of conversation. They discussed Qiao Yanshen, saying that she was the only daughter of an elite family and that her behavior and social interactions were quite elegant and refined.
But if they weren't the same person, how could they be so similar in every way?
As her thoughts raced, she suddenly felt something soft on the top of her head. The boy blinked before realizing that it was Qiao Yanshen touching her head.
As if stroking the head of a little bird, she gently stroked the boy's hair and said softly, "Don't be afraid."
Her unique, delicate fragrance lingered, flowing gently like water, enveloping the young man and dispelling the heavy stench of blood. Shen Lixia pursed her lips, feeling her heartbeat quicken.
A warmth emanated from his hair and fingertips, making the boy feel warm all over.
Qiao Yanshen lowered his voice and asked Shen Lixia, "What's going on with that child?"
Shen Lixia turned her gaze to Xiao Wu, who had come with her. The girl was pale with fright and stood beside the corpse, looking completely helpless.
Now that the man is dead, she no longer needs to return to the small house, so where should she go? What will happen to the children in that house? Shen Lixia whispered to Qiao Yanshen, explaining the situation in detail.
After listening, Qiao Yanshen frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought. She took two steps forward, first severing the two chains, then quietly took out something wrapped in a silk scarf from the mustard seed pouch at her waist, took Xiao Wu's trembling hand, and placed it in her palm.
The girl immediately recognized the weight of the silver coins as a heavy weight.
“I can only take my junior sister with me. After that, you take this money and go find another way to make a living with those children.” Qiao Yan knew that he could not give her much, and it might only be enough for a stable life for a while. Feeling ashamed, he added, “However, I heard that a large family surnamed Qiao is hiring. Perhaps you can find a place to stay there.”
Only after seeing the girl nod did she feel relieved, and she turned to Shen Lixia and said, "Let's go."
Shen Lixia nodded, smiled, and leaned closer to Qiao Yanshen, taking his arm.
She knew that once she started this forced sale, she definitely wouldn't be able to continue shopping. With so many eyes and ears and a constant flow of people, it was impossible to discuss something as strange as time travel. A thought flashed through her mind—in English? No, aside from her practically nonexistent English in formal settings, given the local standards for classifying humans, demons, and monsters, they would be labeled as outcasts without even exchanging a few words.
If someone comes up and says they're spouting heretical nonsense, then even if they jump into the river, they can't clear their name or escape the accusation.
Although it's unclear whether people in this world treat those who are different from them with the same "kill those who are not of our kind" mentality, based on Shen Lixia's intuition, the relationship between the three sides is definitely not good, and there is probably more hostility than friendship.
Various thoughts rushed through her mind, and she stopped paying attention to the awkward silence between the two of them, leaving Qiao Yanshen stiffly holding her hand and walking forward in silence.
Lost in thought, Shen Lixia was unaware that her grip on the other person's hand was tightening, making them appear extremely intimate and inseparable. For Qiao Yanshen, who was very uncomfortable with close contact, being held so tightly while walking was truly torture. The short distance turned into a grueling journey marked by suffering, with sweat trickling down his face and dripping onto his white collar.
When they finally arrived at a simple courtyard, Shen Lixia felt the person she was holding stop. Before she could react, the part of her arm that she was holding was pulled away.
She rubbed her bangs and chuckled, "It's not big, but it's elegant and beautiful, with a small patch of green bamboo. What a pleasant experience, Senior Sister."
Qiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her arm slowly recovering from the state of running away from home, her clothes still carrying a trace of warmth from Shen Lixia's embrace. As she was moving her stiff wrist, she suddenly felt a lightness on her head as her hat was removed, followed by her veil.
Looking up, he saw Shen Lixia with a foxtail grass in her mouth, wearing her bamboo hat and carefully holding her veil. Seeing Qiao Yanshen looking over, Shen Lixia tilted her head slightly and smiled, "Senior Sister has been sweating a lot; it must be unbearably hot wearing these. Now that it's just the two of us, it's alright to take them off, isn't it?"
After saying that, she snapped her fingers again, "Doesn't it look like a chivalrous hero? A single sword strike chills fourteen provinces!"
I got used to that tone of voice pretty quickly.
“It looks like it.” Qiao Yanshen wasn’t annoyed. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped away the sweat, and then, seeing that Shen Lixia was covered in dirt, he pulled her into the courtyard.
"Rest first. I know you were injured by that human trafficker. Boil some water for a bath later, wash off the dirt, and then come back to bandage your wounds." She looked worriedly at the swollen whip marks on Shen Lixia's arm, and unconsciously squeezed her hand tighter. "They really didn't hold back. I hope it doesn't leave any scars..."
Senior Sister has a good temper. Even when her fairy-like white dress was accidentally smudged with a few specks of dust, she didn't say anything, nor did she mind that her hands were dirty. She only cared about her injuries. Shen Lixia thought to herself as she followed Qiao Yanshen into the house. The room was simply furnished, with all the basic furniture and a set of simple tea utensils.
After showing her the uses of the other rooms, Qiao Yanshen went to fetch firewood to boil water, leaving Chen Lixia alone pacing slowly in the room. She wanted to help, but was refused by him on the grounds that she was injured.
Actually, this wound was nothing to her, but since her senior sister insisted that she rest first, then she should rest.
On the small table was a round plate filled with some snacks. Shen Lixia took off her straw hat and hung it aside, then sat cross-legged in front of the table.
She noticed that many of the pastries were of the same kind she had seen before, simple and rustic, exuding a natural sweet fragrance. Just as she was about to pick one up, Shen Lixia remembered that she hadn't washed her hands yet, so she got up and went outside.
The bamboo in the courtyard stood tall and straight, its delicate leaves rustling softly in the gentle breeze. The boy found the water vat and used a basin to wash his hands. Qiao Yanshen usually washed here, as there were soap and other cleaning supplies there.
She seemed to have been living there for some time, and daily life was no longer a problem. She had also adapted to these tools, which Shen Lixia found quite inconvenient, and lived in harmony with her surroundings. But Shen Lixia remembered that she had seen Qiao Yanshen the day before she lost consciousness.
Since this is indeed the senior sister, then the two times are out of sync. Therefore, Qiao Yanshen, like himself, also time-traveled.
The coincidence is truly unbelievable.
Just then, Qiao Yanshen walked past Shen Lixia carrying firewood, casually telling her which soap bar was for washing hands and which was for laundry. Shen Lixia nodded obediently, carefully washing her hands and slowly cleaning the dirt from under her fingernails. As she washed her hands, she pondered how she had gotten here.
Moreover, how much earlier was Qiao Yanshen than her?
Clearly, these issues require time. She slowly sorted them out, planning to ask Qiao Yanshen about them one by one when he had some free time, after all, her senior sister seemed to be a very busy person...
While still muttering to herself, Shen Lixia looked up and realized that Qiao Yanshen was already standing in front of her, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger.
Has anyone ever told you that you're very focused when you're daydreaming?
Shen Lixia touched the tip of her nose with her wrinkled, damp fingertips and replied apologetically, "I really don't... I'm sorry, Senior Sister."
She poured the water into the garden beside her, then followed Qiao Yanshen to the bathing room. It was steamy inside, not spacious, but very cozy. Qiao Yanshen placed a change of clothes and towels on the chair next to the bathtub, telling Shen Lixia to call her anytime if she needed anything.
Unexpectedly, Shen Lixia had already quickly taken off her tank top and loosened her belt. The boy's tall but slender body was more tanned in comparison to hers, and his features were more rounded. His long hair was draped down, covered by a soft sheen from the mist. His bright, even somewhat flamboyant, face also appeared much gentler in the hazy light.
Qiao Yanshen couldn't help but turn his head, pressing the cool back of his hand against his cheek, avoiding her gaze.
"I'll be waiting for you inside."
"Do not look at what is improper, do not look at what is improper." She hurriedly left the room, repeating this to herself as she tried to calm the heat on her face.
A note from the author:
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