Zhong Yun was naturally oblivious to the silent threats swirling in the blond man's mind. He felt utterly cheerful; having some conceited pretty boy offer himself up for him to mock felt as satisfying as gulping down an ice-cold Sprite on the hottest day of summer—pure bliss.

“You must run into men like that often.” Aside from the initial discussion about where to go, this was the first time Zhong Yun had spoken. Perhaps it was because the previous owner of this body held too deep an obsession with Liu Yunqi, but facing her always felt deeply unnatural.

Liu Yunqi glanced at him. “You mean men who try to hit on me?” She shook her head. “Rarely.”

Zhong Yun looked at the side of her face. In the morning sunlight, her fair skin seemed to emanate a jade-colored halo, blindingly beautiful. He nodded. “That’s understandable. You look quite fierce. Men probably get scared off just looking at you.”

Liu Yunqi looked at him, surprised.

She was naturally radiant, and her excessive beauty garnered constant attention, which consequently starved her of friendships. Other girls unintentionally kept their distance; no one wanted to be the drab green leaf beside her vibrant bloom.

Most boys felt inadequate in her presence, daring only to steal furtive glances from afar. The bolder ones, even if they wanted to pursue her, could only resort to endless favors and meticulous care, treating her like a priceless treasure, terrified that a single wrong word might offend her.

Few dared to joke with her so openly to her face, leaving her momentarily unsure how to reply.

“You don't have many friends, do you? Has no one ever joked with you like that?” Zhong Yun’s eyes flickered past a tall, handsome man by the roadside who was staring at him with unconcealed envy, as he spoke.

“I don’t know why…” Liu Yunqi offered a self-deprecating laugh.

“Because you’re fierce.”

A flicker of annoyance rose in Liu Yunqi’s heart. Having grown accustomed to constant flattery and compliments, Zhong Yun’s bluntness struck her as particularly abrasive. “What about you? You don’t seem to have many friends either.”

Zhong Yun said with utmost seriousness, “People with few friends share one thing in common.”

Liu Yunqi couldn’t help but ask. “What common trait?”

Zhong Yun pointed upward with his hand. “It’s lonely at the top.”

Liu Yunqi let out a sudden burst of laughter. “I wouldn’t have guessed that someone usually so quiet could be so glib.”

Zhong Yun shrugged. “Compared to rich people like you, I am indeed quite ‘poor.’”

Liu Yunqi giggled again, her beauty causing the male passersby to stare wide-eyed. Two men even walked straight into a lamppost, giving themselves large bumps.

Zhong Yun pretended to look at the road, shaking his head and glancing around, unwilling to look directly at her.

Liu Yunqi already found it hard to control himself with her usual composed demeanor at school. Now, with her smile blooming with myriad charms, his resolve nearly wavered. He fought to regain the calm state of mind he had painstakingly established.

“Have you ever been here?” He shaded his eyes with his hand, surveying the surroundings.

“No.”

“Should we ask someone?” As Zhong Yun spoke, his eyes suddenly lit up. He threw out, “Wait for me a moment,” and dashed off.

Liu Yunqi watched curiously as he ran up to an elderly woman, gesticulating animatedly, occasionally pointing in her direction. Since they were seven or eight meters apart, and the road was crowded, she couldn't hear what they were saying.

After dismissing two other men who tried to chat her up, she saw Zhong Yun drop away from the old woman and jog back. He took her hand, and she only managed to ask, “What is it?” before she was pulled along helplessly and began running.

“I’ll explain later,” Zhong Yun called back without turning around.

Liu Yunqi suppressed her rising curiosity, letting him pull her along. Yet, as her small hand was clasped in his, feeling the warmth radiating from his palm, she experienced an unusual sensation.

This was her first time in such intimate physical contact with a man, and she didn't dislike it. He’s rather interesting, Liu Yunqi thought. Though he knew nothing of cultivation, he had managed to grow an unparalleled specimen of the ‘Seven Fairies.’

In front of her, he wasn't timid and hesitant like other boys, afraid to even breathe loudly. Instead, it was as if he regarded her as an ordinary person, his perception of her beauty having no discernible effect on him. It was a novel, unprecedented feeling.

No, he wasn't completely indifferent to her. The hint of heat in his gaze when he looked at her, though well-concealed, could not entirely escape her notice.

Thinking this, a slight smile curved Liu Yunqi’s lips.

The streets were crowded, but unlike the fast pace of Mingchuan City, the pedestrians here moved leisurely, their steps relaxed. After all, most were tourists, having set aside their heavy responsibilities to unwind here and savor a rare moment of tranquility.

The road was wide, paved with massive slabs of white stone, lending it an air of antiquity. Rows of trees with red leaves lined both sides of the road; when the wind blew, the crimson foliage danced like clusters of flame.

Zhong Yun and his companion ran until they reached the entrance of the Sea of Flowers, where they stopped. They rented a two-person sightseeing cart and sped toward the floral expanse.

“Where are you taking me?” After the cart had traveled for a while, Liu Yunqi couldn’t help but ask.

They sat facing each other. The transparent canopy of the sightseeing cart was open, and the wind blew in, tangling Liu Yunqi’s long hair.

Zhong Yun stared outside, his face filled with deep intoxication. He pointed outward, “Look, it’s so beautiful.”

Seeing that he hadn't answered her question, Liu Yunqi felt a slight displeasure. She followed his pointed finger and saw outside an ocean of purple stretching as far as the eye could see—truly living up to its name, the Sea of Flowers.

The small purple flowers planted below were called Zi Hen (Purple Scar), a relatively common species, though cultivating such a massive field of them was incredibly difficult.

Zhong Yun’s excitement was infectious. “Do you know, the Zi Hen flower has a legend associated with it.”

“What legend?” Liu Yunqi’s curiosity was piqued.

“Legend has it that thousands of years ago, when our Dawu region was still in the Iron Age, and before Fenghua City existed—it was just a small village.”

Zhong Yun began to recount the tale slowly. “There was a young man named Niu Hou, whose family were farmers. One day, returning from chopping firewood on the mountain, he rescued an injured girl by a small lake.”

“The girl was exceedingly beautiful. She often wore purple clothes, so others called her Miss Zi.”

“Later, Miss Zi fell in love with the honest and kind Niu Hou. By the lake where they first met, the two swore an unbreakable vow to never part.”

“The moment they made their pledge, countless purple flowers suddenly bloomed by the lakeside. Swarms of colorful butterflies danced around them. Innumerable birds let out joyful cries simultaneously, as if celebrating their love.”

A warm smile touched Zhong Yun’s face. “They lived happily. Niu Hou worked the fields outside, and Miss Zi wove cloth at home. Every dusk, Miss Zi would dance under the setting sun, waiting for her beloved husband.”

“But their good days were short-lived.”

Zhong Yun’s tone shifted, becoming heavy, as if foreshadowing the start of a tragedy. “One evening, the horizon was filled with immense, fiery red clouds, as if the sky itself was burning.”

Liu Yunqi, already immersed in the story, felt her heart tighten.

“As if by telepathy, Niu Hou suddenly felt an inexplicable suffocation, his chest aching as if it would tear apart. He knew his wife was in danger and ran home like a madman.”

“On the road, he saw a colossal, flat monster descending from the sky, emitting a chilling black light. It was accompanied by a deep, rumbling sound, like the earth-shaking roar accompanying a mountain flood.”

“That black, flat monster pressed downward, directly over their house. Niu Hou was terrified and ran toward home with all his might.”

“A beam of yellow, transparent light shot toward where their house stood, and then Niu Hou saw his wife—Miss Zi—being lifted into the air.”

“He watched in despair as his wife was absorbed into the monster’s body. Amidst the tremendous booming sound, she flew higher and farther away, until she vanished into the horizon. Only a single, teardrop-shaped speck of purple fell from the sky, scattered into powder by the wind.”

“That day, all the purple flowers withered.”

“The following year, when the small purple flowers bloomed again, people noticed a small, droplet-like mark on the petals. People said it was Miss Zi’s lingering tears.”

“Thus, they named this small flower Zi Hen.”

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