Everything went particularly smoothly after that.
Lovia easily found a clever child playing nearby and successfully hired this "little Messenger" for a few Mora. She carefully explained how to deliver the package to the Bookstore Owner and how to use the voucher she provided to collect her previous manuscript fee.
The child ran off happily and returned a short while later to report back, clutching a bulging small coin purse and an envelope from the Bookshop.
"Here you go! I gave your things to the boss, and the money is here too. Count it!" The little boy panted as he handed over the coin purse, his face flushed with the excitement of completing the task.
"Also, the boss said, 'The gentleman's new manuscript has finally arrived, please give this to him.'" After saying this, the little boy handed over another envelope.
Lovia took the purse and the envelope. She weighed them roughly, and finding the weight to be about what she expected, she nodded and settled the remaining errand fee.
"Mhm, that's right. Thank you. Go on and play now."
The little boy ran off in high spirits.
Clutching the coin purse filled with her manuscript fee, Lovia felt a heavy sense of security. Beneath her hood, a look of complete relaxation finally broke into a smile.
"guoba the god of cookery" had been successfully delivered, and the generous manuscript fee from before was safely in her hands!
Awesome!
A huge sense of achievement and her newfound financial abundance made her mood even more pleasant.
Lovia carefully tucked the coin purse away and patted her bulging chest (actually the spot where she put the purse), feeling like her back was much straighter now.
"Alright, the big task is done," Lovia thought lightheartedly. "Next, it's time to reward myself for working hard for over a month!"
Should she go to Wanmin Restaurant to try Xiangling's new dishes, or buy some beautiful fabric to make new clothes? Or... maybe a bit of both?
She planned happily, pulling her hood lower again as her light footsteps blended into the bustling crowds of Liyue Harbor.
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Having successfully delivered her manuscript and received her fee, Lovia's mood was as bright as the sunlight over Liyue Harbor. With her bulging coin purse, she felt like she was walking on air.
"Food is the first necessity of the people. Having finished 'guoba the god of cookery,' it would be simply unreasonable not to go to Wanmin Restaurant for some field research!" Once this thought popped up, it hooked her like a craving, making her heart itch with anticipation.
She had intentionally avoided Wanmin Restaurant before, mainly worrying that entering a famous restaurant—especially right after the author finished a novel based on that restaurant's chef—might lead to unnecessary associations and attention. (Actually, it was because I forgot I could have the protagonist look for Xiangling before, heehee.)
But at this moment, the joy of success and the psychology of "the most dangerous place is the safest place" took the upper hand.
She found a perfect excuse for herself: "So many people go to Wanmin Restaurant to eat every day in Liyue Harbor, what's wrong with one more inconspicuous child? Besides, I just finished my submission; it's all very hush-hush. Who could possibly connect this tightly-wrapped little person with the mysterious old scholar Lovia?"
Thinking this way, the logic was self-consistent and flawless! Lovia immediately felt at ease. She turned her steps and headed purposefully toward the direction from which the aroma of food (which wasn't actually tempting to Lovia) wafted.
As she got closer to Wanmin Restaurant, that familiar, lively atmosphere filled with the scent of the hearth grew stronger.
The chatter of guests, the clanging of spatulas, and the sizzle of food hitting the pan intertwined, making one involuntarily salivate.
Lovia carefully squeezed through the crowd, observing that busy, vigorous figure through the gap in her hood.
Xiangling was energetically wielding a spatula in front of the stove, her movements fluid and full of vitality. That fluffy brown little bear, Guoba, was sitting quietly on a small stool nearby, occasionally helping to hand over a plate or looking curiously at the passing guests.
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