The afterglow of the setting sun poured down, dyeing Liyue Harbor a patch of orange-red.
It was exactly dinnertime.
The rich aroma of food wafted through the entire street of Chihu Rock.
"Old Man Mao, give me an order of Wind God Chop Suey."
"What dish is that?"
"A dish unique to the Mondstadt Church."
"You're looking for trouble on purpose, aren't you?"
"Just kidding, just kidding. Give me a Grilled Tiger Fish. Remember to char it a bit and add extra spice."
The streets were extraordinarily lively.
"If you wish to know what happens next, please listen to the next chapter!"
The Storyteller snapped his folding fan shut, cutting off the plot right at the most exciting part.
"It's about time. If I go to Wanwen Bookhouse now, I shouldn't have to queue."
At the tea table, Zhongli lifted his teacup, took a light sip, glanced at the color of the sky, and murmured.
Having spoken, he raised his eyes to look at the shop assistant and said indifferently, "Bill, please."
"Alright, sir. A total of seventy Mora."
"Mn."
Zhongli nodded. However, as he felt for his wallet, his brows immediately furrowed. He raised his eyes to look at the shop assistant and said, "Trouble you to put the bill on Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's tab."
"Sure, no problem."
The shop assistant nodded, turned around, and noted it down with a pen without the slightest hesitation.
He had been working at this tea house for some time now.
This Mr. Zhongli was a consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and could be considered a regular here.
Although he would sometimes forget to bring his wallet, as long as the bill was sent to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the parlor would reimburse it after verification.
So, there was no need to care too much; just recording the bill was enough.
"Many thanks."
After the bill was recorded, Zhongli strolled all the way back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, retrieved his wallet, and walked all the way toward Wanwen Bookhouse.
By the time Zhongli arrived, the number of people buying books at Wanwen Bookhouse had gradually decreased.
However, there were still quite a few novel enthusiasts in the surrounding tea houses, discussing while reading. It was quite lively.
"It seems the plot of the new book should be quite good."
Zhongli nodded.
After buying the book, Zhongli was actually somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected that Fang Qiu would actually write all the subsequent plot in one go.
Although it would take a bit more time, being able to read the story to the end in one sitting to one's heart's content was naturally good.
A good story needed a quiet place to be read and savored carefully.
Thus, after buying the book, Zhongli walked all the way toward Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
There was no place quieter than Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
...
Meanwhile, at Heyu Tea House.
"Mmn..."
Yun Jin sat on a chair, stretched her waist gently, and placed a bookmark in the pages. That page was exactly the content where Jing Tian and Tang Xuejian were in the Ghost Realm, their fingertips touching, and feelings secretly growing.
"Miss Fang Qiu writes really well. The thoughts of the male and female leads are written so delicately. Although the lyrics she writes are relatively easy to understand, they share similarities with opera. I just wonder if she has any interest in opera."
Yun Jin muttered to herself.
Liyue has many legends, mostly stories of gods and Adepti, so Liyue's operas are all plays about immortals.
Although what opera fans love to listen to most are plays about immortals, it is now the age of humanity. She wanted to write more stories about people, telling the hearts of the world to everyone.
And Fang Qiu's books were stories of people.
Although Jing Tian's past life was not mortal, in this life he is just a commoner of the marketplace.
If Fang Qiu is interested in opera and collaborates with me, we should be able to write quite a few good plays focused on people.
Thinking of this, she smiled faintly and gently closed the book.
Although she wanted to continue reading, it was already getting late, and she had to eat dinner.
Her waist sash had been a bit tight recently, so she couldn't eat dinner too late. Otherwise, with less exercise, she would gain weight.
Although, to protect her throat, she could still only eat Stir-Fried Shrimp...
"Sigh, no matter how Stir-Fried Shrimp is made, it's always that same taste..."
Sighing gently, she stood up to move around a bit. She walked to the window, intending to look at the delicious food outside, but happened to see a tall and upright young man walking on the street.
"It's Mr. Zhongli. Hmm? The book in Mr. Zhongli's hand seems to be Sword and Fairy."
When she saw the book in Zhongli's hand clearly, Yun Jin couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
In the profession of singing opera, rules are passed down from generation to generation, with many particularities. For some things, even she only knew the 'what' but not the 'why'.
But when Mr. Zhongli spoke of those rules, he could enumerate them as if they were family heirlooms.
He could be said to be a person of profound knowledge and wide experience.
Unexpectedly, even this Mr. Zhongli had gone to the bookstore to buy Fang Qiu's book.
It seemed Miss Fang Qiu's book was truly written very well.
Just like Xinyan's Rock 'n' Roll.
Although Mr. Zhongli's behavior of inviting Xinyan to perform at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was a bit strange...
...
Holding the book, Zhongli strolled through the streets, the surroundings extraordinarily lively.
There were novel enthusiasts arguing as they walked, debating whether Demon Lord Chonglou was stronger or Jing Tian's past life was stronger.
Arguing until they were red in the face.
There were young people who had just gotten off work, looking exhausted as they agreed to meet at Wanmin Restaurant to eat a good meal and reward their hard-working selves.
The beautiful proprietress of a tavern sat at the tavern entrance. Looking at the few books at her hand, she sighed deeply, complaining that the subsequent content of Sword and Fairy was too much and that ordinary readers couldn't finish it in a day, resulting in very little business coming through the door.
However, her tavern was still doing okay; every now and then, a few young people would enter and exit.
The tavern opposite was run by a balding middle-aged man and had absolutely no business.
There was also an irritable, balding old man playing chess by the roadside. After being frequently pointed at by bystanders who critiqued him—saying things like, "Do you even know how to play chess?"—he flew into a rage. He tried to grab a stool to hit people but was stopped by several old men beside him.
The streets of Liyue Harbor were a scene of peace and harmony.
He walked all the way back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was cold and cheerless, somewhat out of place with the lively Liyue Harbor.
He returned to his room and lit the candle in the study.
Immediately after, he sat upright before the desk and quietly began to read the book.
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 10 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉