It was night in Liyue.
On the top floor of Yujing Terrace, the lights were ablaze, bright as day.
A woman dressed in a crimson cheongsam sat behind a desk carved from a single, massive piece of golden Phoebe zhennan wood. Her platinum-blonde hair was draped casually over her shoulders.
Red, especially crimson, often appears particularly tacky when worn by ordinary people. Not to mention a crimson cheongsam, which is incredibly demanding on one's figure.
If such a cheongsam were worn by an ordinary woman, even a young maiden, it would likely give off a matronly vibe or expose physical flaws. Yet, on this woman, it was perfect.
Add a fraction more and she would be too plump; reduce a fraction and she would be too thin. It was a perfection struck just right. She exuded a sense of peerless elegance, like a phoenix worshipped by a myriad of birds.
At this moment, she was silently reading a book placed on her desk. A breeze blew past, causing the lamplight to flicker slightly. Sitting there, her expression was unpredictable.
The content of the book depicted the sinking of The Eternal. Jack had Rose lie on a wooden board, while he immersed his entire body in the freezing seawater.
"Rose, listen to me. Winning that ticket was the best thing that ever happened to me... it brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful."
"You must do this... you must promise me that you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless."
With Jack's encouragement, Rose was saved. Jack, however, slept forever at the bottom of the icy sea. He sacrificed himself to exchange for Rose's survival.
The story ended after a single phrase.
That phrase was: "My Heart Will Go On."
Silence.
A deathly silence.
It was not until a knock on the door, accompanied by a voice, that the stillness was broken.
"Lady Ningguang, dinner is ready. Tonight's menu includes Boiled Cabbage."
The secretary knocked on the door and spoke.
"Mm. Bring it in."
Ningguang let out a long breath. After responding, she stood up and walked to the large terrace. Outside lay the immense Liyue Harbor. The lights were just coming on, the night was young. It was a scene of nocturnal prosperity.
She leaned against the rosewood railing, casting her gaze toward the docks of Liyue Harbor in the distance. That direction was where The Alcor was docked.
"No wonder she was kind enough to send me books; so this was her intention all along."
The corners of Ningguang's mouth curled into a playful arc as she spoke, "However, the books written by this little girl are indeed somewhat interesting. Fine, I shall grant your wish this time."
Having said that, she turned and walked back into the room, looking up at the secretary waiting by the dining table.
"Find information on a person named Fang Qiu and give it to me tomorrow morning. She writes novels at Liyue Publishing House."
Ningguang pondered for a moment before giving the order.
"Yes."
The secretary bowed in acknowledgement.
After giving her instructions, Ningguang sat at the dining table, preparing to enjoy her dinner. However, looking at the luxurious feast on the table, she couldn't help but furrow her brows. The story from just now still lingered in her mind, and she had somewhat lost her appetite.
...
Meanwhile, at the Liyue Harbor docks.
The harbor at night had not yet fallen completely into silence. Sailors and transport workers sat by the docks eating their dinner, planning to continue working after they finished.
On The Alcor.
Kazuha sat quietly on the mast, a copy of Sword and Fairy by his hand. Holding a flute, he gazed into the distance, playing softly. The melodious flute music gathered into a small tune, carrying a wisp of faint sorrow that rippled outward, drifting toward the distance.
"Ouch, it's finally over. I've been worked to death these past few days."
"Isn't it all because of you? You insisted on dragging me into discussing the plot of Sword and Fairy. If it weren't for you, how would we have spoiled it for the Captain?"
"Can you blame me for that? I just mentioned it in passing, and you started rattling on and on. It's good enough that I didn't blame you."
"Well, how was I supposed to know the Captain would come back right at that moment?"
"Forget it, forget it. Calm down, you two. What's done is done. Come, come, drink."
"Cheers! Tsk-ah, sure enough, after a day of busy work, one really needs a drink to relax. Speaking of which, after finishing Sword and Fairy, I didn't even have time to savor it before I was punished by the Captain to move cargo. I need to properly revisit it tonight."
"Revisit? You can actually revisit such a torturous plot? When I read it, I felt like a knife was being stabbed into my chest. My heart hurt so badly. I thought after the knives for Xu Changqing and Zixuan were done, Jing Tian and Tang Xuejian would heal me a bit. But good lord, the rest was nothing but knives!"
"That's a pretty good metaphor. However, after reading Miss Fang Qiu's books a lot, I always feel a strange sense of pleasure whenever I see the plot stabbing with knives. For example, when I saw that Jing Tian's lifespan was nearing its end, my heart was clearly very sad, but my body inexplicably felt a sensation of pleasure."
"Pleasure? Are you developing some strange fetish from reading Miss Fang Qiu's books? Are you a masochist?"
They chatted happily while drinking wine and eating large chunks of roast meat.
"To tell you the truth, I've developed a very strange habit recently. I like recommending Fang Qiu's books to others. Then, seeing their pained and sad expressions, I feel very pleased. Haha."
One of the sailors took a sip of wine and laughed loudly.
However, his voice had just fallen when the door to the captain's quarters opened. Beidou, holding a copy of Sword and Fairy in her hand, walked out from behind the door with an unkind expression.
Consequently, the sailor's smile froze, and the hand holding the wine bowl trembled slightly.
Ah, this. Captain Beidou clearly just finished reading Sword and Fairy, and her mood was terrible...
He knew the ending of Sword and Fairy. The 'knives' were plentiful. It was a densely packed mountain of knives. After reading Sword and Fairy, even a grown man like him shed manly tears.
Even with Captain Beidou's resolute personality, it was inevitable that gloom would accumulate in her heart after reading it. And the words he had just said... were extremely awkward.
Danger.
"Bring me a pot of wine," Beidou said.
"Right away."
The sailor hurriedly picked up a pot of wine and handed it to Beidou.
"You guys carry on."
Beidou took the wine, walked to the gunwale in a few steps, and sat down. Looking at the sea ahead, which reflected the night scenery of Liyue, she lifted the wine pot and took a fierce swig.
The surface of the sea sparkled, the water shimmering as it reflected the lights, making the entirety of Liyue Harbor appear even more prosperous.
"That girl Fang Qiu... looks so delicate and weak, but she writes books without any mercy. It seems the next time we meet, I'll have to have a good talk with her about life."
Beidou placed the wine pot to the side, wiped the liquor from the corner of her mouth, stretched her body, and muttered to herself.
After speaking, she shifted her gaze upward, casting her eyes toward the highest point of Liyue Harbor—Yujing Terrace.
"Speaking of which, that woman Ningguang should have finished reading one book by now too. I wonder what her reaction is? Whether she's developed any interest in Fang Qiu or not is unclear, but if she read it, her mood right now shouldn't be much better."
Beidou narrowed her eyes slightly.
Thinking of it this way, her mood didn't seem quite so bad anymore.
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