Carrying her newly earned manuscript fees and having been showered with praise by the Bookstore Owner, Lovia felt like she was walking on air.
Although deep down she still felt a tiny bit of guilt toward the Conqueror of Demons, it was quickly diluted by the joy of "enthusiastic reader response," "high praise from fanatical book fans," and "plentiful Mora."
"Mhm, I'm in a good mood today, I should go buy some high-end snacks to celebrate!" She patted her bulging coin purse, her sapphire-blue eyes sparkling under her hood. "I'll buy some more Crabs and Starconches too. I heard eating Crabs can help you grow taller... Although it might be useless for me, they taste great!"
Having bought the plants and ores for her stew, she strolled familiarly to the Dock Area where the seafood vendors gathered, her gaze accurately locking onto those large, flailing Crabs that looked exceptionally vigorous, fresh, and sweet.
Just as Lovia was squatting on the ground, seriously poking the shell of a particularly plump Crab with her finger and considering whether to steam it or make a "All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup," a familiar and energetic voice rang out.
"Big Sister Lovia! What a coincidence, are you here for 'research' again?" Yaoyao was running over, skipping along with his iconic large basket on his back and Yuegui following obediently at his feet.
Lovia wasn't startled this time; she only paused for a moment before naturally standing up. She adjusted her hooded cloak to ensure her antennae and tail were completely covered, then turned to face Yaoyao.
"Oh, it's Yaoyao." Her voice was much more composed than last time, and a smile played on her face. "Mhm, I'm here to... inspect the muscle structure of Liyue's seafood! Yes, that's it."
Yaoyao blinked his big eyes, looking curiously at the basket of lively Crabs at Lovia's feet, then back at Lovia. "Big sister's research scope is so broad! From geology to seafood!"
"Uh, the sea of learning is boundless, after all." Lovia coughed dryly and quickly changed the subject. "Are you off to deliver medicinal herbs to Mr. Baizhu again?"
"Already delivered!" Yaoyao said happily. "I was just about to head back when I saw you, Big Sister! Oh right, Big Sister Lovia, have you heard? That super amazing Mr. Lovia has released a new book!"
Lovia's heart skipped a beat, but she struggled to maintain her composure. To prevent exposure, she deliberately showed just the right amount of curiosity. "Oh? Did they write another story about Lord Rex Lapis?"
"No, no!" Yaoyao shook his head, his twin buns swaying along. "This time it's about an adeptus—the story of the Conqueror of Demons!"
Here it comes! Lovia perked up, suppressing the urge for the tip of her tail to curl up. She feigned curiosity and pressed further, "The Conqueror of Demons? Is that the Yaksha adeptus who guards Dihua Marsh? Does someone like him have any interesting anecdotes?"
"Yes, yes! It's so interesting!" Yaoyao had clearly just finished reading it and was eager to share. "Mr. Lovia wrote that the Conqueror of Demons' greatest worry isn't actually karma, but insomnia!"
"In-insomnia?" Lovia played along with a surprised expression.
"Yeah! The book says it's because it's windy where the Conqueror of Demons lives, the frogs and birds in Dihua Marsh downstairs are too noisy, Uncle Smiley's cooking smells so good that he sometimes gets hungry, and, and..." Yaoyao tried hard to recall the content of the book. "And because people are always knocking on his window in the middle of the night, so he can't sleep well, and so..."
At this point, Yaoyao lowered his voice slightly and leaned closer to Lovia, his little face carrying a hint of mystery as if sharing a secret. "The book also says that because he doesn't sleep well, his height has always... well, he didn't grow very tall..."
Lovia: "..."
She felt her conscience get pricked once more, but it was accompanied more by a secret joy, like a prank that had succeeded.
See, even Yaoyao thinks it's "interesting"!
Hee hee!
"Really? That's certainly something new I've never heard before." Lovia tried to make her tone sound merely curious rather than guilty.
"Yeah, yeah! It's written in great detail. It even says the Conqueror of Demons once secretly asked Mr. Baizhu for prescriptions to calm the nerves and help him grow taller!" Yaoyao nodded, but then, as if remembering something, the excitement on her face faded slightly, replaced by a trace of worry and confusion.
"But..." Yaoyao hesitated, his voice growing even softer. "When I went to visit Master yesterday, I think I heard her mention something..."
Lovia's heart suddenly leaped into her throat. "What... did she say?"
Yaoyao tilted his head, trying to recall Granny Ping's somewhat amused yet exasperated tone at the time. "Master seemed to say... 'That little fellow writing books is getting bolder and bolder, daring to make things up about anyone. Now look what happened—the one being written about, though they might not truly take it to heart, is probably feeling a bit unpleasant in their mind.'"
"Un... unpleasant?"
The smile on Lovia's face froze instantly.
"What did... Granny Ping mean by that?"
"That person... really knows?"
"And is unhappy?"
Although Granny Ping said they "might not truly take it to heart," the word "unpleasant" was enough to make Lovia's scalp tingle.
She felt as if an icy, bone-chilling gaze from the direction of Dihua Marsh had pierced through layers of buildings and locked firmly onto her.
That book she had written so wittily replayed in her mind, every word turning into evidence that might provoke a certain Three-foot-five-inch Adeptus.
"Is... is that so..." Lovia's voice was a bit dry. She subconsciously pulled her hood down further, as if it could provide some sense of security. "The thoughts of an adeptus are something we mortals could never guess... haha..."
After two dry laughs, she quickly leaned over and randomly pointed at a few of the most active Crabs, saying to the vendor, "Boss, these few, quick! Wrap them up for me!"
Then she paid quickly, even forgetting to haggle.
"Yaoyao, I just remembered I have something urgent! Let's research that'seafood structure' next time! I'm leaving now!" Lovia practically snatched the wrapped Crabs and spoke to Yaoyao at lightning speed. Before the other could respond, she hurried away clutching her "high-end afternoon tea," her wide cloak fluttering slightly behind her.
"Eh? Big Sister Lovia?" Yaoyao blinked his large eyes in confusion as he watched the other's back, which could almost be described as fleeing in panic. "Why the sudden rush?"
Yuegui also tilted its head, letting out a soft "Gu?" sound.
Yaoyao thought for a moment, figured that Big Sister Lovia might really have some important research to rush to, and stopped dwelling on it. He skipped along with Yuegui toward home, though he was still pondering his master's words and the "unpleasantness" of the Conqueror of Demons.