Lovia, in the present, was considered a minor legend in Liyue Harbor's writing community (self-proclaimed).
The fresh and elegant writing style of Record of Shi Po's Wanderings had garnered her a readership among literati and refined scholars. Although her manuscript fees were unstable, they were a steady stream, enough to cover her extremely "primitive" monthly food expenses.
After all, the biggest expense was high-quality ores; seafood could often be self-sufficient.
Seriously, when she first transmigrated, why didn't she think of catching things to eat in the sea? She was a Melusine!
She was so foolish back then!
What truly allowed Lovia to achieve "financial freedom" were the two best-selling books that sparked heated discussions in the market (even attracting the attention of the Millelith).
regarding the matter of the geo archon being a synthesized god who caused his wife's death and "The Name of Morax Conceals Twin Deities and a Contract of Life and Death!"—these two books with explosive titles and wildly imaginative content were like two hens laying golden eggs.
Due to sharing profits with the Bookshop, every reprint and every sale meant a portion of Mora "clinking" into her pocket.
Over these two months, it accumulated into a sum that even astonished her—tens of thousands of Mora!
For a low-level Melusine who was pinching pennies for rent before transmigration and once feared starving to death in Liyue Harbor after, this was undoubtedly a huge fortune.
Lovia counted on her fingers and was surprised to find that her monthly income had easily surpassed ten thousand Mora!
"Hiss—" She gasped, nearly choking on the half-eaten crystal in her mouth. "Does this count as... getting rich overnight?"
Although reason told her that in the talent-filled Liyue Harbor, an income over ten thousand a month might not make her a top-tier wealthy person, for a Melusine with no grand ambitions, whose daily expenses were almost entirely dedicated to "ingredient" procurement (and often self-caught and self-dug), this was more than enough, even quite affluent.
So, naturally, a certain Melusine writer's creative speed... subtly slowed down.
It wasn't complete idleness, as the phrase "eating away one's fortune" was still etched in her DNA. It was just that the urgency of being chased by deadlines, of needing to write or starve tomorrow, had disappeared.
Now, she wrote more out of a sense of... well, interest?
Lovia would still squat in her soft nest, creating with the expensive ink and brushes sponsored by Sir Xingqiu, but her mindset was different from before.
Before, it was: "Ahhh, I must write it! Otherwise, I'll starve to death!"
Now, it's: "Hmm, the weather is nice today. I'll go for a swim in the sea, catch some afternoon snacks, and then take my time writing when I get back. Anyway, there's still Mora clinking in my account."
Writing transformed from a necessity for survival into a leisure activity.
Lovia would occasionally stare blankly at her manuscript, pondering where the story should be fabricated... ah no, where it should be created next, and would subconsciously pull out a small stone, crunching on it like a human cracking melon seeds while thinking.
"Sigh, is this the life of a rich woman…" Lovia sighed, happily counting another share of earnings the Bookstore Owner had just settled, her small wings flapping joyfully, rippling the water in the nearby ceramic pot.
Of course, she also knew that this kind of hit income was time-sensitive. The hype would eventually fade, and readers' interests would shift.
So, manuscripts still needed to be written, and new projects still needed to be started.
It's just that now, she could calmly choose subjects, refine her writing, and even begin to think about which direction the next hit should "spread rumors"... er, "research" in.
Regarding that Old Woman—
Ever since she had a stable source of manuscript fees, Lovia would often take a detour to sit at the Old Woman's stall.
She never mentioned "repaying" that initial kindness of a meal, because she knew that the Old Woman had given it out of selfless goodwill, and to deliberately measure it with Mora would only make it seem distant.
But she expressed her gratitude through actions.
She became a regular customer at the stall; even when not very hungry, she would buy something to eat, sit down to slowly enjoy it, and chat with the Old Woman.
When she saw the Old Woman busy, she would naturally get up to help carry bowls, wipe tables, or greet customers.
The Old Woman initially always kindly refused, repeatedly saying, "No need, no need, little girl, just sit," but Lovia just smiled, her hands never stopping. After many times, the Old Woman couldn't resist her persistence and let her be, sometimes even giving her some freshly made side dishes to taste.
Lovia loved listening to the Old Woman's aged voice slowly recount daily trivialities and family matters of Liyue Harbor. These ordinary and real sounds made her feel more deeply integrated into this world, rather than just an observer and recorder (arranger).
However, recently, Lovia's visits had visibly decreased.
The reason was simple: her sense of taste was irreversibly shifting towards that of a Melusine. The rich and delicate layers of human food gradually became strange, even indescribably "terrible," in her mouth.
Fragrant rice nest and vegetable soup now tasted more like a "conceptual warmth" than a "sensory enjoyment."
She still appreciated that warmth, but her body's instincts inclined her to seek out... well, fresh delicacies more suited to a Melusine's palate.
Nevertheless, she had to find something to do besides writing. Every few days, she would unfailingly stroll to the Old Woman's stall.
No longer for food, but more for the companionship and peace of mind.
She would sit on the small stool beside her, just like before, watching the Old Woman busy herself, helping pass things, and then listening to her chatter.
"Little girl, are you not feeling well lately? You haven't been eating much," the Old Woman would sometimes ask with concern.
Lovia could only vaguely reply, "Ah, I'm fine, I've been trying to cook for myself recently."
She silently added in her heart: mainly trying to see if a hodgepodge of ingredients tastes good.
The Old Woman wouldn't ask further, just smiled kindly, occasionally sighing, "I know, but you still need to eat well and dress warmly. If you have any difficulties, you can always come to me."
The Old Woman never knew that Lovia was the author who had recently gained considerable public attention in Liyue Harbor.
In her eyes, Lovia was just a somewhat introverted, polite, little girl from out of town who occasionally went hungry but now seemed to have found a way to make a living.
She couldn't possibly discern Lovia's Melusine identity, as she was unaware of the existence of Melusines, not to mention Lovia always wrapped herself up tightly whenever she visited.
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Half a month after receiving Mr. Lovia's work, Shopkeeper Sun of Sanyu Bookstore was organizing newly received manuscripts as usual.
Most were familiar faces, with occasional fresh attempts, but the quality varied. Just as he sighed, lamenting the difficulty of finding good stories, a Shop Assistant walked in with a submission carefully wrapped in kraft paper.
"Shopkeeper, just received this. It was delivered by a delivery boy, very secretive, just dropped it off and left."
The Shopkeeper took it; this manuscript was quite thick and neatly wrapped. He unwrapped the kraft paper, and a stack of excellent quality, smooth Xuan paper appeared before his eyes. The mere standard of the paper made him involuntarily straighten his posture.
"Oh? This paper isn't cheap…" Shopkeeper Sun murmured, carefully picking up the top page.
The handwriting that met his gaze made him slightly pause; it was highly recognizable, making him feel incredibly familiar, and he instantly recognized that this manuscript was from Mr. Lovia.
Looking at the content, the title was prominently—the travels of shi po chen · part two.
The second chapter is finally out!
The Shopkeeper exclaimed, his fingers trembling slightly. He quickly took out a velvet cloth from the drawer, carefully wiped his spectacles, and put them back on.
His gaze greedily skimmed the ink on the paper.
Indeed, it was undoubtedly Mr. Lovia's work!
Ever since a month ago, when he, on a whim, decided to publish the audacious "Record of Shi Po's Wanderings · Part One," his heart had never been at peace.
The trepidation during printing, the anxiety during release, and the subsequent enthusiastic response far exceeding his imagination, all kept him on edge.
That thin little booklet was almost sold out overnight. In the streets and alleys of Liyue Harbor, after meals and tea, people everywhere could be heard discussing the anecdotes of "Lord Jueyun Chili" not carrying Mora, in hushed yet uncontainably excited voices.
That contradictory reaction of feeling "disrespectful" yet unable to help but "chuckle" was exactly the same as his own initial reading experience!
Market demand was so strong that readers urging for updates nearly trampled the Bookshop's threshold, all asking, "When will Part Two be out?" and "Who exactly is that 'Mr. Lovia'?"
They didn't need to say it; Shopkeeper Sun himself was dying of curiosity!
This anonymous author's writing was seasoned, their grasp of the Archon's demeanor and bearing was exquisite, yet they dared to weave such "presumptuous" but interesting plots—truly an extraordinary person.
He yearned day and night, both for new business opportunities from follow-up manuscripts and out of curiosity about what kind of "shocking" yet "somehow reasonable" stories Mr. Lovia would write next.
Sure enough, Mr. Lovia later brought him two more "blasphemous" unofficial history pieces: Crafting Deities and twin deities.
Although these two articles were not sequels to "Zhongli," they were equally bizarre in conception, and the plots they described opened his eyes, making him break out in cold sweat while reading, almost thinking his small Bookshop would close down because of them.
Who knew he would make a huge profit instead!
So, people actually liked reading this kind of thing?
Shopkeeper Sun felt he was vaguely touching upon some business opportunity, yet couldn't quite articulate it. And now, the sequel to Record of Shi Po's Wanderings, which he had been dreaming about, had actually arrived in his hands.
The sequel to Record of Shi Po's Wanderings is finally here!
He almost impatiently sat back in his grand armchair, adjusted his spectacles, took a deep breath as if performing a solemn ritual, and then solemnly turned to the first page.