In a flash, three days passed.
Morning.
For these three days, Hu Tao and Xiangling were up to who-knows-what; they were nowhere to be seen all day.
So, aside from bringing coconut milk to Qiqi, she spent almost all her time holed up at home.
Qiqi's memory of her was becoming increasingly distinct.
As for that quill pen, she merely gave it a try before tossing it aside, never to use it again.
However, though she only tried it, the characters written with the quill were actually much better than those written with a brush.
Of course.
This wasn't to say the quill was superior to the brush, but rather that in her past life, she had simply never used a brush. Even if she possessed memories of using one, they conflicted with the habits of her soul from her previous life, which was why her writing was so messy.
The quill, on the other hand, aligned more closely with the usage habits of her past life.
"Nngh."
Fang Qiu sat up in bed, bleary-eyed. Immediately, she felt a chilly sensation on her chest. Without even looking down, she knew the state of her clothing.
Her slender, pale fingers gently hooked the white shoulder strap that had slipped off her rounded shoulder, pulling it back up. The undergarment returned to her shoulder along with the strap, once again covering the large swathes of skin that had been exposed to the air.
She looked out the window at the slightly overcast sky, her delicate brows knitting together slightly.
"Come to think of it, today is the book launch day, isn't it?"
The brief period of idleness was about to end.
Once the results for "The Eternal" are out, it will be time to write the new book.
After all, one cannot be a slacker forever.
One must be mindful of potential danger even in times of peace.
Choosing the material for the new book wasn't the issue.
She had already prepared several candidates, but hadn't decided which one to pick yet.
She intended to wait for the feedback from the next couple of days before deciding.
Meanwhile, at Wanwen Bookhouse.
A multitude of novel enthusiasts had gathered. To prevent malicious competition between shops, during the new book launch period, Liyue's bookstores were required to open only after a specified time.
However, to buy their desired novels as early as possible, many people had arrived early to queue and await the new releases.
The proprietress, Jifang, looked at the long dragon of a queue downstairs, feeling somewhat shocked.
The number of people was more than double that of the last time.
Of course, she naturally wasn't foolish enough to think her business had simply grown stronger on its own.
According to her guess, it was likely because Keqing, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, and Ganyu, the general secretary of the Qixing, had bought books here previously, causing her business to become exceptionally booming.
Of course, aside from that, it was highly probable that Fang Qiu's books had driven many young people to fall in love with novels.
And naturally, among this group of young people, there was no lack of supporters for Keqing and Ganyu.
However, compared to the shortage of stock last time which led many customers to buy from other bookstores...
This time, she had pulled out all the stops and pre-ordered a massive batch of books.
At first, she was a bit worried they wouldn't sell, but now, looking at this queuing dragon, she was instead worrying about whether it would be enough.
"By the way, what books are you all buying? Are you still buying that old thief Fang Qiu's book?"
"Of course not. Last time, "Your Lie in April" depressed me so much I almost shut myself away."
"Alright then, I won't buy it either."
"Are you guys really not buying? I don't believe it, unless you say 'Liyue people don't lie to Liyue people'."
"Ahem, I just thought about it carefully. Actually, Fang Qiu has only written one tragic story. It's not like we can't buy this one to check it out. After all, Fang Qiu's control over text and plot is still excellent."
"Ahem, what you say makes some sense. Last time our book club jointly sent a bad review to the publishing house. Surely she'll show some restraint with this book."
Everyone discussed spiritedly.
Meanwhile, in the queue, a delicate-looking girl struck up a conversation with the young man in front of her.
"Excuse me, young man, what type of books do you like to read? Do you have any recommendations?"
"Of course it's the number one best-seller, "Legend of the Lone Sword". That dog author cut it off right at the most exciting part in the last volume. I'm so anxious reading it."
"Uh, is that so... Well, sir, what about you?"
The girl listened to the youth's words, smiled awkwardly, then turned to look at the young man behind her.
"Naturally, it's Fang Qiu's "Your Lie in April". Whether it's the writing style or the plot, it's top-tier. However, I'm here this time to buy Miss Fang Qiu's new book."
"That's such a coincidence, I also really like Miss Fang Qiu's books."
"It seems we have the same hobbies. How about after we buy the new book, we find a tea house to read and chat? I'll pay for the tea."
"Sure! I only recently started reading novels, and I was hoping to find like-minded book friends at this release. We can have a good chat about the details in "Your Lie in April" later."
The man and woman chatted happily, while the youth who was asked first could only stare blankly as the two of them became happier and happier.
"Hey, brother, I also really like "Legend of the Lone Sword". How about we buy the new volume and find a place to read together? Though, tea houses are quite noisy. Why not go to my place? If you get tired of reading, you can just sleep there."
The youth turned around and saw a bald man covered in muscles looking at him with a friendly face.
"Ahem, no need. Actually, I don't like "Legend of the Lone Sword" that much."
The youth rejected him awkwardly.
At the same time, he made a decision in his heart. In order to easily strike up conversations with girls later, he would also buy two of Fang Qiu's books to study carefully.
"Wow, so many people."
Hu Tao and Xiangling were at the end of the line. Looking at the dragon before her, Hu Tao couldn't help but exclaim.
"I told you to hurry up. Now we'll probably have to wait here for half the day."
Xiangling shot Hu Tao a reproachful look and said.
"Aiya, don't be mad. I'll treat you to candied hawthorn later."
Hu Tao said with a grin, "This time, I'm buying forty copies to give as benefits to everyone at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"Then I'll buy five copies too."
Xiangling glanced at her wallet, which had little Mora left after buying a large amount of ingredients, and sighed.
Just as they were chatting idly, a commotion suddenly came from the front of the line.
The time had arrived; Wanwen Bookhouse was open.
"Give me one "The Eternal", one "The Domineering Immortal Falls for Me", and one "Your Lie in Promise"... er, not Promise, Lie. That one over there, yes, yes, yes, that's the one."
"I want a copy of "Legend of the Lone Sword"."
"I want a copy of Legend..."
Finally, it was the turn of the youth from before. He stepped forward and spoke half a sentence, but suddenly heard the man and woman behind him expressing their anticipation for Fang Qiu's new book. His voice cut off instantly.
"Legend of the Lone Sword?"
Jifang asked.
"No, I want one copy of "Your Lie in April" and one copy of "The Eternal", thank you."
The youth gritted his teeth.
You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.
While queuing just now, he had been thinking about how to be as excellent as the man behind him and pick up novel enthusiasts.
He thought for a long time before finally figuring it out.
That is: if you can't beat them, join them!
He decided that after buying the books, he would sit in Wanwen Bookhouse and read, waiting for someone looking for like-minded book friends to approach him, just like that girl.
As for "Legend of the Lone Sword", he'd buy it later.
After all, having these three books together would be too jarring.
He paid the Mora, took the two books, chose a nice spot, ordered a cup of fragrant Qingxin tea, and quietly opened Fang Qiu's "The Eternal".
As for why he chose "The Eternal", it was a decision made after deep contemplation.
Read the new, not the old.
Most girls are old readers of Fang Qiu's previous book.
So, reading the new book would give them more topics to discuss.
Everything is under control!
The corners of the youth's mouth rose, curling into a smile.
________________________________________
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