I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 154
Chapter 154: I Draw a Circle on the Beach
In comparison to a long time ago when someone was already maintaining a crayfish lake surrounded by vegetable and fruit trees, this small garden at the end of the main road in the medicinal plant garden is much more secluded. Despite the development of Shenzhen City and the evident construction of roads in the medicinal plant garden, many narrow paths that used to require a lot of effort to traverse, with branches pulled aside, are now paved with cement. The main road has also expanded to accommodate the width of two or three cars driving side by side. However, the overall style of the botanical garden remains unchanged. Located in the center of the Honor District, its internal roads twist and turn, with many small paths disappearing without a trace. Apart from the staff who work here and occasional visitors who come to relax, there are hardly any people who would venture to such a remote place.
For example, the place where Yin Xiamo and I just came from, which is the terminal station of Shenzhen City Bus Route 7. To enter the botanical garden from that location, one must walk down a long slope. After entering, the main road splits into two, with the right side leading to the “main garden area” inside the botanical garden. A car can reach the central “Shenzhen Medicinal Herb Company” in about seven to eight minutes along that road. Basically, except for the employees of that company, no one else would go in that direction.
Moreover, even the employees here, due to the nature of their work, if I remember correctly, whether they are researchers or the nearby cleaning staff, they basically live in the company. The botanical garden has a cafeteria, employee dormitories, bathhouses, and many orchards and vegetable gardens. The journey from here to the city center is close to an hour by car, so unless necessary, no one would commute in and out every day.
On the left side of the main road is the “scenic avenue” that Yin Xiamo and I walked along. There are even fewer people here, and at a glance, there is only a business near the entrance—a quiet winery and farmhouse inn. Further in, there is a golf course, and it is said that the rent for the shops here is very low. However, because the majority of patrons are “local tyrants” from the Honor District, these entertainment places are basically in a state of “not open on normal days, only open for a year.” At least in my impression… that golf course has rarely opened throughout the year, often with its gates closed. Occasionally, people with luxury cars pass by, enter, take a few swings, stay for less than an hour, and then leave.
During that time, we often discussed whether those who came to play golf were really there for the game or if it was just a pretext. Playing golf was just a façade, and the real purpose was to eat and conduct business there. Moreover, we speculated that the business discussions were probably not of a serious nature, as normal people wouldn’t choose such a remote place for business talks.
Passing by the golf course and continuing along the main road, there were numerous messy side paths. Many of these paths had signs at their entrances that read, “If entering this area alone, please ensure that your phone is fully charged and the signal is good. It’s easy to get lost. Navigationally challenged individuals, enter at your own risk,” to prevent curious children from wandering in.
Of course, I had become accustomed to the environment here, having grown up nearby. The “secret garden” could also be considered a “childhood memory” for us, the kids from the orphanage.
“There are so many trees here.”
Holding Yin Xiamo’s hand, I walked cautiously on the paths filled with shrubs and large trees. While observing the surroundings, I exclaimed, “It was extremely desolate here just a few years ago.”
As we ventured further, the paths around us were no longer paved with cement. We could only walk on the compacted soil beneath our feet. The narrow path and my lack of control over the bicycle, now transformed into a little girl, made me decide to dismount and walk to avoid any mishaps with the bike and a certain grim reaper’s new clothes.
The farther we went, the more trees surrounded us. The previously hot weather became cooler due to the shade provided by these large trees.
“I remember there used to be a very large…”
Together with Yin Xiamo, we walked along the small path at the end of the main road, crossing through layers of shaded roads and passing through several passages formed by vines. In a relatively cool area, I tried to gently push aside a clump of trees without brushing against my skirt—
Suddenly, the familiar “Hundred Fruits Orchard” from my memories appeared before my eyes.
“It’s still here!”
Walking through the branches, I crouched down carefully in this small flat area filled with various fruits, trying to pick up a few bright red fruits from the ground.
Raspberries, commonly called “wild strawberries” around here, are a type of sour-sweet, bright red wild fruit. The plants of these fruits generally don’t grow tall, they spread on the ground. During the ripe season, they form a large expanse of red. People unfamiliar with them might think they look dangerous, like the warning color of a toxic plant. However, anyone living in the suburban areas of Shenzhen or rural areas knows that these are exceptionally delicious—soft, sweet, melting in the mouth, with an indescribable fragrance.
In addition to raspberries, many other plants here can be directly picked and eaten: mulberries, serviceberries, wild cherries, and many other wild fruit trees whose names I can’t recall even now.
This place was the “second paradise” that only a few of us buddies from the orphanage knew about back then. However, it was much more secluded compared to the earlier “crayfish lake,” and only a few of us, including a couple of boys who have since passed away, knew about it. During our time in the orphanage, every holiday, we would gather and go nearby to pick wild fruits. It was during one of these outings that the idea came up: “What if we plant all the wild fruit trees we come across together so that it’s convenient to pick them in the future?”
So, during those summer vacations, we scoured the medicinal plant garden for wild fruit trees, dug them up, transported them here, and established a “Hundred Fruits Orchard.”
Later, as we went to study in another city, we gradually forgot about this childhood memory— if it weren’t for passing by here just now and seeing the familiar small hill and basin, I might not have remembered.
What I didn’t expect was that all the various wild fruits we “transplanted” together as kids had actually survived here and had grown significantly.
Especially that mulberry tree, it has grown… taller than me now. May happens to be the season when mulberries ripen, and when you look at this tall and majestic mulberry tree, it’s covered with black and red fruits. Together with the wild strawberries on the ground and various other wild fruits, they form a beautiful little world behind the small grove.
If you had to say, mulberries and raspberries aren’t expensive in the market nowadays. You can buy a bunch for a few dozen dollars. But for some reason, seeing such colorful ripe fruits in this place feels like… discovering incredibly precious treasures.
“Are all of these edible?”
Yin Xiamo, who followed behind, curiously observed the various fruit trees in front of me. “I haven’t really explored the world of plants.”
“Well, at least we used to eat them often when we were kids.” I took the bunny backpack from my back, unzipped it, and took out a small bag. “Wait a moment, I’ll pick some. We can eat them on the small hill in the garden later.”
“I’ll help you.” Yin Xiamo took the bag and walked towards the mulberry tree. “Why do these fruits look like bugs?”
“That’s how mulberries are, and this type of tree does indeed attract insects.”
I gestured towards a few silkworm babies that had hidden away due to our arrival. “These are the only insects I’ve seen that don’t make me feel uncomfortable.”
“Oh…”
Yin Xiamo somewhat understood and picked the fruits from the ground and the tree, putting them into the small bag. “What benefits do these fruits have?”
“I really don’t know their specific benefits.” I awkwardly smiled. “Generally, when it comes to fruits, you can find all sorts of claims online… calming the mind, nourishing fluids, promoting blood circulation, and so on.”
“Are there any… fruits that, you know, make people blush, increase desires, cause dryness in the mouth, and make them think about doing certain things?” Yin Xiamo thought for a moment.
I suddenly felt my hair standing on end, “How could there be such outrageous fruits! Does that exist in another world?”
“Well… in another world, it actually does.”
“…”
After Yin Xiamo picked a small bag of wild fruits, we left the small wetland, carefully concealing our entry traces, and returned to the path we came from. The fact that the “Hundred Fruits Orchard” was still intact indicated that very few people usually come to this area of the medicinal plant garden.
As Yin Xiamo mentioned, it’s better for little girls like me not to come here alone. Apart from the potential encounter with creepy strangers, there’s also the risk of getting bitten by a passing poisonous snake, with no way for an ambulance to reach here easily.
Of course, I also considered that my body is quite unique now, and with Yin Xiamo, a 5-star super boss, by my side, I proposed coming to the garden to play. After all, what kind of danger is difficult for Xiamo to handle?
“Here, this is the small slope. Once we climb over it, we should reach the garden.”
After walking for a few more minutes and finally seeing the open space ahead, I sighed in relief. “I remember you like flowers, Xiao Mo. How about bringing some flower seeds back when we leave?”
“Ah…”
Perhaps triggered by my words, Yin Xiamo froze for a few seconds as if recalling some memories, then nodded slowly. “Sure.”
It seems that “flowers” is one of the keywords that trigger Xiamo’s sad memories… Taking note of the reaction of the girl beside me, I silently recorded her expression.
It is said that the human brain has limited storage for memories. Xiamo, being a grim reaper, I wonder if she can defy scientific laws and retain memories from her past lives, spanning over six thousand years.
Even forgetting events from the past decade is normal for an ordinary person. Ten years can change a lot – it can change a person, a street, a village, or a city. What about a hundred years?
Those who live over a century may occasionally reminisce about their younger days, right?
As for beings over a thousand years old… a millennium of memories is beyond my imagination.
People often forget many things as they grow older. For someone who has lived a thousand or six thousand years, the amount of forgotten memories must be substantial.
However, Xiamo always remembers a certain “flower.” Does it signify that this flower left a profound impact on her life?
“Such a strong floral fragrance…”
Crossing the last clearing in the forest and arriving at the top of a small hill, Xiamo and I simultaneously looked down at the vast flower field beneath our feet.
“This is so beautiful.”
The girl spoke softly, “Even more beautiful than the garden near the Moon Orchid Mountains.”
What lay before Yin Xiamo and me was a flower field the size of a football field. The flowers in the field showed no obvious signs of artificial cultivation. They were diverse in color, scattered here and there, with a variety of flower types and no fixed pattern.
A narrow path, presumably artificially created, cut through the middle of the flower field, leading directly to the opposite hill. The entire flower field resembled a miniature basin.
A mix of floral scents continuously wafted through the air from the flower field, accompanied by the earthy aroma from a nearby stream.
The summer breeze, like a skilled artist, carried the combined fragrance of nature into every corner of the forest. Along the forest’s unique air currents, it reached Yin Xiamo and me.
Speaking of which… was the first thing Xiamo thought of upon seeing the flower field that mountain?
The Moon Orchid Mountains?
“A snow-capped mountain in another world?”
I carefully searched my memory for details about this mountain. “The place where the fierce beast, the White Tiger Cat, resides?”
“The Moon Orchid Mountains are a snow-covered mountain in winter. But come spring, with the melting snow and the resurgence of life, these plants bloom, and the scene is similar to what you see here in the summer.”
Yin Xiamo took a step forward, taking a deep breath. “It feels like it’s been a long time since I embraced nature like this.”
“But haven’t you been working at the convenience store all these years?”
I approached her. “Let’s go to the other side.”
The construction of this flower field in the medicinal plant garden can be summarized in one sentence—meteorite crater. Whether it was actually hit by a meteorite is unknown, but the trees around the flower field were much fewer compared to the center of the garden. Most of them were exposed, while the center of the crater was filled with flowers, and the edges were covered with trees and green grass.
“Okay.”
At my signal, Yin Xiamo took the lead and jumped into this small “meteorite crater,” instantly getting “submerged” in the sea of flowers.
“Be careful,” I hurriedly reminded from behind. “Make sure your skirt doesn’t get caught.”
On a bright sunny day like this, girls can wear skirts, but in places like these outskirts, the practicality of a skirt is much lower compared to pants. Yin Xiamo and I were fine, considering we were immune to mosquito bites. However, for an ordinary girl wearing a breezy skirt and playing in the flower bed, running into the midst of the flowers, she would likely end up with not just a few mosquito bites on her legs but also some insect bites.
“The flowers on Earth are really beautiful.”
Walking along the path in the middle of the flower field with me, Yin Xiamo exclaimed, “It makes people feel at ease.”
“At ease?” While carefully navigating the path with my feet clad in round-toed, chunky-heeled Lolita princess shoes – on a path less than half a meter wide – I curiously asked, “Are there flowers that make you uneasy?”
“Yeah, in another world, the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it tends to be.” Yin Xiamo nodded. “For example, the flowers on the Moon Orchid Mountains are either poisonous, thorny, or even… man-eating flowers.”
I was shocked. “There really are man-eating flowers!”
“Some flowers do, oh yeah. Some flowers can even camouflage themselves. They may look tiny on the surface, but when you get close, suddenly they jump out from the ground—”
To enhance the atmosphere, Yin Xiamo in front suddenly turned around and hugged me. “Ah, like Nuo’er, bite-sized.”
“Don’t… don’t scare me.”
Caught off guard, I shivered, and my whole body’s hair stood on end. “That isn’t a plant anymore, right? Earth doesn’t have such things, does it?”
“I can’t say for sure.”
As if her prank had succeeded, Yin Xiamo turned around. “So, Nuo’er, as long as you stay obediently by my side every day, being a well-behaved pet cat is good enough.”
“Why does it feel like you’re starting to become a bit yandere, Xiao Mo?”
“Really? It’s just a bit of life advice from me, the goddess of life.”
“I don’t recall the goddess of life wielding a scythe.”
“…”
We reached the opposite small hill together. I went under a relatively large loquat tree, took out the “uncle’s bedsheet” from the rabbit backpack – which Xiamo had despised, just changed yesterday – and spread it on the lawn. Then, I brought out the water and the crispy shark planet cup we swiped from the cafe, along with the wild fruits like mulberries and raspberries that we picked.
“I’ve wanted to be as willful as an anime protagonist like this for a long time.”
After arranging everything, I lay down directly on the bedsheet. Then, as if remembering something, I pressed down the slightly fluttering skirt that the wind had lifted, revealing a bit more than intended.
Whoo… it’s so soft, so comfortable.
Beneath me is a soft bedsheet and the grassy ground, above me are lush loquat trees with bright yellow loquats, and in front of me is an incredibly beautiful flower field, with the pleasant fragrance of flowers wafting in the air…
Although there is no air conditioning, perhaps because I’m wearing a soft, thin skirt and the loquat trees provide shade from the sun, occasional gentle breezes blow through the trees. Lying on the lawn, I don’t feel too hot; on the contrary, being away from the city and its hustle and bustle, both my body and mind have relaxed considerably.
I take out my phone, switch to the front camera, and snap a few pictures of myself in the “picnic.” Then, I sit up, make a victory gesture, and take a quick three-shot burst.
“Xiao Mo?”
After taking the photos, I notice that Yin Xiamo, who came with me, is observing something not far away. I wave at her. “Come over and have some of the fruits we just picked?”
“Sure.”
In response to my call, the girl runs over. “There’s really no one within two kilometers.”
“Of course, this place isn’t a tourist attraction to begin with, and it’s off the beaten path. Normally, there might not be a single visitor for three to five days, let alone today, which isn’t a holiday.”
I proudly declare, “That’s why I suggested coming here first. It’s our very own big garden with just the two of us!”
“Oh?”
Yin Xiamo sat down next to me in a very ladylike posture. “Can I understand it as… Nuo’er, are you implying something?”
“What implication?,” I look puzzled. “I mean… today is not the weekend, and no one would come here. We can enjoy this big garden all to ourselves.”
“Oh~~”
The girl gave me a strange smile, took the bag containing the fruits, picked a mulberry from it, and held it up in front of me. “Here, little kitty, let me feed you.”
“What little kitty? I already told you, I’m not a little kitty or a pet.”
Almost instinctively, I retorted and then tried to take the mulberry from Yin Xiamo’s hand.
“No.”
The girl shook her head, gesturing for me to open my mouth. “Ah—”
“Come on, you’re all grown up, still playing house like a little girl.”
Accustomed to this girl’s daily antics, I leaned in to bite the mulberry from Yin Xiamo’s hand.
“Hoo—”
To my surprise, before I could bite, the girl swiftly retracted the fruit and then embraced me by the shoulders, pulling me closer. She brought the mulberry to my lips.
“Chu.”
In that moment, my mind went blank, and even the phone that had just taken the photos landed on the blanket with a soft “thud.”
“…”
Yin Xiaomo didn’t kiss my face like the previous times, instead… instead…
I was dumbfounded.
As if fearing I might escape, the girl in front of me held me tightly in her arms. Due to the softness on my lips and the familiar fragrance of the girl so close to me, I had no idea what to do. The previously considered “quick and agile brain” went on strike, leaving my hands and feet feeling weak.
She… she… I… we… um…
Yin Xiamo kissed very gently.
As if cradling something fragile, she wrapped one arm around my waist and held the back of my head with the other.
In that moment, scenes from not long ago when we played by the seaside together flashed in my mind—
The originally slightly damp beach became sticky as the sea water surged in suddenly.
The natural moisture from the sand, along with the gentle, sweet, and warm seawater, blended together. The two liquids mingled and intertwined gracefully, not distinguishing between each other, even overflowing onto the coastline of the riverbed, filled with droplets of the ocean.
This seawater kept washing over the beach, over the seashells that were there just to bask in the sun. A nameless soft force gradually pried open the hard protection of the seashell, and the seawater instantly merged into the shell’s soft interior. It felt as if a boneless little hand was gently soothing the tender and white flesh inside the seashell.
This small hand from the outside continued to move and explore inside the seashell, then finally made contact with the deepest part of the shell…
“……”
I don’t know how long has passed, in a daze, I felt that Yin Xiamo’s hands seemed to have loosened a bit. Involuntarily, I leaned backward and lay on the soft grass.
There was still a lingering fragrance around, a mixture of the residual scent on my lips and the refreshing aroma of the surrounding flower field. The body that belonged to a girl had completely lost strength. To avoid any indecency, I could only helplessly try to keep my thighs inward, with both hands naturally placed on either side of my body.
Under the azure sky, Yin Xiamo’s elf-like, clean, and clear face now had a faint blush.
“Nuo’er…”
Taking a slow step forward and bending down, the girl supported her hands on both sides of my head. “This time, you shouldn’t have any reason, right?”
“Re… reason?”
My brain, still a blank, blurted out, “What… what reason?”
“We are both girls now. You no longer have a reason to refuse me.”
Due to the lowered head, many of Yin Xiamo’s hairs fell down. She could only use one hand to gather them up, while the other hand held onto my wrist. Then, gradually, she leaned towards me. “Since you don’t mind, let’s continue.”
“Wait, what do you mean by continue? I don’t understand at all… listen to me first… this place…”
Because I was lying on my back with my belly up and had no strength in my body, I could only helplessly move backward. “This is not home!”
“Don’t worry, I used magic to detect it. Within a 2-kilometer radius, not even a larger animal is around.”
“Is using your magic for this kind of thing its primary purpose?”
“Of course, in peacetime, you have to do this kind of thing.”
Yin Xiamo licked her lips. “Nuo’er, with that terrified and helpless expression, you’re really too cute. I can’t resist wanting to devour you.”
“No… wait… stop, I haven’t… ugh!”
“It’s okay to scream loudly, no one will hear it.”
“You… *sniffle*… demon, big demon!”
“Thanks for the compliment. Now, the demon is going to start doing naughty things!”
“……”
……
Over an hour later, I struggled to sit up from the soft cushion, swaying unsteadily. Then, I took the water and fruits handed to me by someone nearby.
“Do you want me to cast a healing spell for you?”
“No.”
Feeling frustrated, I took a big sip of water and then fiercely bit into the mulberry in my mouth—*crunch*.
“It seems the succubus genes are functioning normally.”
My appearance seemed to satisfy Yin Xiamo a lot. “Thanks for recommending this garden, Nuo’er. I really like it.”
“I don’t like it!”
I grabbed another handful of washed mulberries. “Who is so domineering? You… at least give me some mental preparation!”
“Who asked you to take so long, you couldn’t even fulfill our agreement.”
Yin Xiamo gestured towards the phone that I had thrown aside. “We agreed on a hundred thousand views, and you haven’t even uploaded a cross-dressing selfie once.”
“I’m just… busy, you know!”
I gave her a disdainful look. “Now, you owe me, and you have to fulfill a hundred of my wishes.”
“Injustice!”
Yin Xiamo scratched her face. “By the way, haven’t you noticed by now?”
I asked in confusion, “Notice what?”
“Underneath where you were lying.”
Yin Xiamo lifted the bedsheet from underneath her and pointed to a large patch of plants below. “Take a look at what this pile is.”
Catnip?
I looked in horror at the plant beneath me, crushed by my weight, with many leaves already shattered and the plant continuously oozing juice.
“It was clearly you tempting me.”
Yin Xiamo covered her mouth, seemingly suppressing a laugh. “I just gave a little push to the kitten’s desires.”
How could this be my fault!
“Hmph, it’s too late now. I’m leaving.”
Feeling somewhat recovered, I stood up, enduring the tingling sensation throughout my body. I put on my shoes on the side. “You can clean up the aftermath.”
“Yes, my queen!”
Yin Xiamo quickly picked up various small fruits from the bedsheet behind. “Where are we going for the next stop?”
“To the city center, where there are a lot of people.”
Leaving behind the crushed catnip, I took a deep breath under the loquat tree.
“And for all the expenses today… you’re paying!”
“……”
……