Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
A symbol of unwavering love.
As the information reached her, Xiao Wu's eyes shimmered. A tragic love story slowly unfolded in her mind.
The legend went like this.
A flower fairy from the Upper Realm fell in love with a young man who tended flowers and trees. She secretly left the immortal realm and descended to the mortal world, where they fell in love and enjoyed a blissful life together. Sadly, their happiness didn't last. Immortals and mortals were ultimately different, and the flower fairy was forced to return to the Upper Realm. The young man fell into despair, consumed by longing for her.
Later, a wise person gave him some advice. His wife's true form was a peony. If he destroyed it, she would lose her immortal body forever, fall into the mortal world, and reunite with him.
Though the young man loved his wife dearly, he couldn't bring himself to destroy the peony. From then on, he resumed tending to the flowers, caring for them devotedly. He wept day and night until his tears ran dry and his heart broke.
In the end, he died of heartbreak. As he lay dying, he spilled his blood over the peony's petals, staining them a vivid red. And that was how Lovesick Heartbreak Red came to be!
After receiving the information Ye Qiu had sent her,
Xiao Wu felt a little dizzy.
To her, this Celestial Herb meant more than just a gift. It was proof that Ye Qiu believed in her.
He believed she could pluck it. He must care about her very much and didn't want to leave her.
"Ye Qiu, are you really giving this to Sister Xiao Wu?" Xiao Wu stared blankly at him. She really liked the flower.
"Do you think my true feelings could lie?" Ye Qiu smiled faintly. Of course he genuinely wanted to give the flower to this little rabbit. That way, even if he took her somewhere else in the future, her identity wouldn't be exposed.
But Ye Qiu was also a little worried.
He worried that Xiao Wu might not be able to pluck it.
Or perhaps she would have been able to, but after learning about his relationship with Dugu Yan, she might have a thorn in her heart and be unable to pluck it after all.
"I—I can definitely pluck it!"
Sensing Ye Qiu's concern, Xiao Wu fixed her shimmering eyes on him and hurriedly declared her confidence. She squeezed his hand tightly, her gaze unwavering.
"Ye Qiu?"
Xiao Wu called out softly, puzzled as he withdrew his hand.
A flash of dazzling purple light crossed Ye Qiu's eyes, and the world around him came into sharp focus. He could see Xiao Wu's true form clearly: a soft, pink little rabbit still growing.
Xiao Wu's face turned scarlet, and she hurriedly covered her chest. Ye Qiu's gaze seemed as if it could see right through her.
Under Xiao Wu's strange look, Ye Qiu scanned their surroundings, then closed his eyes and focused on sensing the area.
In Sunset Forest, Ye Qiu had also gained another ability: active perception. He had acquired it over a month of daily exposure to thousand-year-old snake-type Soul Beasts. It worked much like a thermal imaging device.
Then, after swimming around the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and absorbing Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, the ability had improved further and merged with Spider Sense.
At that moment, he was sensing whether any powerful beings were nearby. The more abundant someone's Soul Power, the brighter they appeared to Ye Qiu's senses.
After carefully checking the area,
Ye Qiu finally gathered his thoughts and smiled. Good. That old thing Tang Hao wasn't nearby for now. Who knew where he'd gone to get drunk this time?
"Xiao Wu, come with me."
Ye Qiu stood up and called to her cheerfully before heading out of Dorm Seven.
"Ye Qiu, wait for me!"
Xiao Wu hurried after him and took his hand of her own accord. She followed close beside him, head slightly lowered and cheeks flushed.
The other students in Dorm Seven watched them leave with puzzled expressions.
It was the day everyone was returning to school.
The main road through Notting Academy was crowded with people coming and going. The sun was blazing overhead. Weary students and teachers who had just returned from their journeys were either busy unpacking or lying in bed to rest.
Xiao Wu pressed close to Ye Qiu. Somehow, even under the scorching sun, she felt a faint coolness standing beside him.
That was actually the effect of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot: the two Celestial Herbs made Ye Qiu's body and the area around him warm in winter and cool in summer.
Before long,
Ye Qiu led Xiao Wu to a corner of one of the teaching buildings.
At that time of day,
no one would come here. Still, to be safe, Ye Qiu scanned the area carefully. Only after confirming that no one was around did he let go of Xiao Wu.
"All right, this is the place."
As Xiao Wu watched with eager curiosity, Ye Qiu patted the Ruyi Baibao Pouch at his waist.
A red light shot out of the pouch and flew into his hand.
It was a crimson flower shaped like a peony.
Beneath it was a strange stone, with a slender stem rooted in it. Several long, narrow leaves spread from the tip of the stem, forming a calyx.
Resting on the calyx were slender petals marked with streaks of blood, together forming a fully bloomed, stunningly beautiful crimson peony.
Xiao Wu's heart trembled. Excitement filled her reddish eyes as the strange red flower was reflected in them. She reached out and gently fiddled with a couple of its long petals, unable to resist praising it.
"How beautiful."
"It really is."
Ye Qiu smiled softly and held Lovesick Heartbreak Red, floating in his hand, out to Xiao Wu.
"Give it a try. If you can't pluck it, don't force yourself. It's not your fault. I have other things I can give you."
"No, I can definitely pluck it!"
Xiao Wu pouted and glanced at Ye Qiu. She pressed her lips together, then swallowed and spat a mouthful of blood onto the petals.
This flower was no ordinary thing. It chose its master.
When plucking Lovesick Heartbreak Red, one's thoughts had to be wholly devoted to the person they loved. With even the slightest divided intention, one could spit blood until death and still never pluck the flower.
The stone beneath Lovesick Heartbreak Red's roots was called Wu Jue. If someone tried to pluck the flower by force, the Celestial Herb would lose all its medicinal power.
But once the flower had been plucked safely, it would never wither as long as it stayed by its owner's side.
As Xiao Wu's blood spattered onto the petals, Ye Qiu couldn't help feeling nervous.
When Xiao Wu's blood touched Lovesick Heartbreak Red, the scenes that came to her mind were all of Ye Qiu spanking her, teasing her, and accompanying her shopping, training, and conquering the world with her.
She truly didn't want to leave Ye Qiu at all.
The blood-red flower swayed twice.
To Ye Qiu's delight, it fell into Xiao Wu's palm.
A heartfelt smile spread across Xiao Wu's face. Like a child proudly showing off a perfect exam score, she beamed with joy. "Ye Qiu! I—I plucked it! I really plucked it!"
"I saw."
Ye Qiu gently caught Xiao Wu as she bounced toward him, eager to throw herself into his arms. The Lovesick Heartbreak Red in her hand was just as lovely and breathtaking as she was.
Ye Qiu raised a hand and rubbed her head. Xiao Wu swayed her head gently, enjoying his touch.
"Since you've plucked it, you should eat it."
Before you continue