A few days later.
The hustle and bustle and heated discussions of Liyue Harbor were temporarily shut out from a small shack.
Lovia, or rather, the mastermind behind the scenes using the pen name "Lovia", was sitting cross-legged on the creaking wooden floor with no regard for her image.
A few sheets of rough scrap paper were scattered before her, covered in scribbles of revisions and random doodles. One doodle featured a chibi-style two-headed Rex Lapis (labeled "Mora" and "Kexi") arguing, with a small coin pouch next to them marked with a large "X".
"Hmm, 'the travels of shi po chen · part two'..." She bit her pen, brows furrowed, while her other hand unconsciously twirled a Mora, letting it flip nimbly between her slender fingers. "What should I write? Should I continue with Rex Lapis... uh, Lord Zhongli's awkwardness of not having money to pay the bill? Readers seem to love that... but will they get bored if I keep writing the same thing?"
Her gaze drifted to the Mora bag in the corner, which was noticeably more swollen, and she immediately shook her head. "No way! Seeing Shopkeeper Sun counting money until his hands cramp, I can definitely sell another batch!"
But as an author with (self-proclaimed) standards, Lovia still wanted to try something new.
"Maybe... I should write about the past of 'Mora' and 'Kexi'?" Her eyes lit up, then she slumped onto the low table in distress. "But how should I make up the details? Something sweet? Something tragic? Or bittersweet? Humans love bittersweet stories the most..."
She thought of the grilled tiger fish she had just finished; the aroma of the fat seemed to linger on her lips, and inspiration suddenly surged like a spring!
"Right, food! How can a love story lack food!" She sat up straight and grabbed her pen, scribbling away. "I can write that 'Mora' was actually a glutton who loved Liyue's delicacies, especially grilled tiger fish! That's why Lord 'Zhongli' always hangs around Wanmin Restaurant and Wanmin Restaurant—not to reminisce about his lost lover, but to taste her favorite flavors!"
"Perfect!" Lovia was very satisfied with this inspiration that both fleshed out the characters and padded the word count. "I can even include food descriptions, which might even boost the sales of grilled tiger fish."
"Oh right, adding rice nests should help that Old Woman from before!"
"However, this piece still can't be counted as part of the 'record of shi pos wanderings' series. I'll just put it in the next update. For now, I have to go back to Rex Lapis spending money recklessly..."
Lovia was completely immersed in her creative world, sometimes writing furiously, sometimes biting her nails in thought, and sometimes letting out a silly chuckle. She was entirely unaware that the discussions about her "works" outside were reaching a fever pitch, let alone that a certain consultant from the WangSheng Funeral Parlor had already committed her pen name to heart.
When she got tired of writing, she stretched, shuffled to the window in her slippers, pushed open a small crack, and eavesdropped on the discussions in the street outside.
"...So, Rex Lapis really hasn't had it easy!"
"Have you read 'synthesizing deities'? That part at the end... tsk tsk, it's written so boldly!"
"I read it! Mr. 'Lovia' is truly a fascinating person! I just wonder which hidden master he is?"
"I heard even people at the General Affairs Department are secretly discussing it..."
Hearing people's discussions about her work, especially that tone of shock and admiration, Lovia couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle secretly. She felt a surge of mischievous triumph and a great sense of satisfaction for her vanity.
"Hehe, the hidden master Mr. 'Lovia'..." She repeated the title happily, feeling as if the tip of her tail was about to curl up.
Just as she was listening with secret joy, the conversation of two patrolling Millelith drifted in clearly, making her prick up her ears instantly, not even noticing her hood slipping off her head.
Actually, she couldn't be blamed for "eavesdropping"; a Melusine's hearing is just too sensitive, so it wasn't her fault!
Lovia continued to listen with her ears perked up, without any psychological burden.
"Hey, have you heard? About that book... 'leisurely wanderings of star glitter'." A relatively young voice lowered slightly, tinged with disbelief.
"Shh, keep it down, we're on duty!" another steadier voice immediately warned, but then couldn't help saying, "...I read it. How scandalous! How dare they make such things up about Rex Lapis!"
The younger one seemed a bit unconvinced. "But... the way Lord 'Zhongli' forgets to bring money in the book, I think... it's actually quite relatable? It's like Rex Lapis isn't so unreachable after all..."
"Relatable or not... but, this is disrespectful to the Lord of Geo after all. What if the higher-ups find out?" The steady voice sounded a bit conflicted, seemingly attracted by the story yet strictly adhering to duty.
"Hehe, I'm curious what Mr. 'Lovia' will write next... Have you read 'synthesizing deities'? Do you think Rex Lapis really has a 'white moonlight' named 'Mora'?"
"Shut up! Do you want to be punished by cleaning the mining tunnels of The Chasm?!"
...Hearing that even the Millelith, who maintain order in Liyue, were secretly discussing her masterpiece and even giving evaluations like "relatable" and "curious," Lovia was so startled that she jerked her head back and shut the window with a soft bang, her heart pounding.
On one hand, she was secretly delighted that her work's influence exceeded expectations; on the other, she felt guilty and a sense of crisis from being mentioned by officials.
"The... The Chasm's mining tunnels..." She imagined that dark and deep scene and shuddered. "Surely... it won't come to that? I just wrote some little stories for everyone to enjoy..."
She shook her head, trying to shake off this bit of unease. After all, her stomach was starting to growl.
Creating is an extremely energy-consuming task, hee hee!
Lovia's royalties were shared with the Bookshop based on the number of copies sold. Shopkeeper Sun would carefully record the sales of each volume, and she only needed to go and collect the accumulated royalties after a period of time.
This heavy bag of Mora was the best proof of the hot sales of her previous batch of manuscripts.
Lovia touched the Mora bag, feeling its weight, and her mood became even more joyful.
Before, she wouldn't have dared to have extra meals so frequently, but now... "I've earned a lot these past few days. I'll reward myself with a serving of boiled black-back bass! Extra numb and extra spicy!" She decided grandly, tossed her pen aside, grabbed the Mora bag, and happily rushed out the door, heading straight for the market.
Walking down the street, her ears nimbly caught snippets of "Rex Lapis's secrets" circulating everywhere. She tried hard to keep a straight face to stop herself from laughing, but her heart felt as sweet as honey.
The fishmonger saw her and joked with a smile, "Yo, little Lovia, you look so good today? I heard Sanyu Bookstore just got a new batch of Mr. Lovia's books and they're selling like crazy. Have you gone to see?"
Lovia's heart skipped a beat, but she feigned ignorance. "Huh? What booklets? I'm busy working to make ends meet all day, so I haven't paid much attention."
That said, she was secretly delighted: it seemed the sales of the latest batch were also very good, and she could go collect another round of royalties in a couple of days!
She changed the subject. "Uncle, give me the freshest black-back bass!"
Carrying the fresh fish and the jueyun chili she bought along the way, Lovia walked back contentedly, planning her next moves.
"I need to finish 'the travels of shi po chen · part two' quickly. Maybe I can even write a sequel to 'synthesizing deities'?"
Although the fact that the Millelith were discussing it made her a bit nervous... with such high popularity, wouldn't it be a waste not to write?
She muttered to herself as she walked.
Back at the little shack, Lovia skillfully started a fire to cook. Soon, a spicy and tempting aroma filled the entire room.
She ate the piping hot and spicy boiled fish while hissing from the heat, continuing to write furiously on her manuscript. Occasionally, she sniffled from the spiciness or shook her head proudly at a brilliant plot point she had thought of.
That tiny bit of worry about the Millelith was completely suppressed by food, Mora, and the passion for creation.
Lovia felt that being able to transmigrate to Liyue, have enough to eat, earn money, and write stories she liked (even if they were a bit slanderous), such a life was truly blessed by Morax... oh no, it was just wonderful!
As for the future?
The future will take care of itself!