On this day, the sun was just right, and Lovia went to collect her manuscript fee; this time, it was actually several thousand Mora!
She was going to become a little rich lady!
Lovia excitedly clutched her warm manuscript fee and walked with light steps toward the largest Stationery Shop in Liyue Harbor.
She had already conceptualized the second part of 'record of shi pos wanderings', but as soon as she picked up the pen, she realized... she had run out of notebooks!
The quill pen and notebooks were originally complimentary items from her transmigration, and the amount was pitifully small, likely just intended as an emergency supply for a destitute Melusine like her.
Forget it, since she earned quite a bit this time, she might as well upgrade her equipment.
She needed to buy some better paper and pens; after all, the bestselling author, Mr. Lovia, had to have equipment worthy of his status!
Only with good tools could she better spread rumors... no, create!
Lovia habitually wrapped herself tightly in her slightly oversized hooded cloak, ensuring that her very obvious non-human antennae were completely hidden, while her wings and tail were also tucked away tightly, making her disguise seamless.
However, the weather in Liyue was still a bit hot and dry for a Melusine accustomed to Fontaine's humid climate; being wrapped up like this was truly uncomfortable.
"Endure it, endure it..." she whispered to herself, stepping over the threshold filled with the fragrance of books and ink with her short legs.
The shop was quiet, with only the shopkeeper fiddling with an abacus behind the counter. Lovia breathed a sigh of relief and was about to head straight for the paper section when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two familiar figures standing in front of a bookshelf displaying the latest Novel Collections.
One was a blue-haired boy, and the other was a Taoist Practitioner with short, silver-white hair.
The blue-haired boy was elegantly dressed, with a refined air and a scholarly sharpness, looking at his companion with a smile. The boy with short, silver-white hair had Talismans hanging from his waist; he looked somewhat serious yet couldn't hide his youthful air. He had an earnest face, though there were faint beads of sweat on his temples, and his expression was seriously cute.
It was the Second Young Master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, Xingqiu, and the young Taoist Practitioner with the Pure Yang Constitution, Chongyun.
Lovia's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively wanted to shrink behind the adjacent shelf.
These two were quite famous in Liyue Harbor, especially Xingqiu, who was said to be extremely fond of novels and even wrote them himself.
It would be troublesome if they noticed her... Lovia lowered her hood, trying to pretend she was looking at the Inkstones nearby, silently praying they would leave soon.
However, things did not go as planned.
Perhaps it was because her heavy attire seemed too out of place in the warming Liyue weather, or perhaps her height was indeed conspicuous among adults, or maybe it was just a simple coincidence.
Just as Lovia was focused on choosing, Chongyun's gaze inadvertently swept over and landed on this small person wrapped up like a secret.
"Hmm?" Chongyun tilted his head, a hint of curiosity in his clear eyes. "Little kid, aren't you hot dressed like that?"
His voice was clear and rang out distinctly in the quiet shop.
Lovia's body stiffened.
Little kid?!
Who... who are you calling a little kid!
By Melusine age standards, I'm...!
Well, okay, to humans, it probably did look like a "little kid's" build... and before transmigrating, she really was a kid... Xingqiu was also drawn by his companion's words and turned his head. His smiling eyes looked at Lovia, also with a bit of inquiry: "Indeed, and the style of this cloak... doesn't seem common in Liyue. Little sister, are you from out of town?"
Lit-tle sis-ter!
Lovia felt the tip of her tail bristle under her cloak! But she couldn't expose herself, so she could only force herself to stay calm, deliberately mimicking a human child's voice to reply: "...N-not hot. The adults at home said... I'm sensitive to the wind."
However, as soon as she spoke, the curiosity in Xingqiu and Chongyun's eyes grew even stronger.
The voice did sound very young, soft and sweet, with a bit of a non-local Liyue accent.
Chongyun was more direct; he took two steps closer and said kindly, "If you're feeling unwell, don't force yourself. I know a good Doctor..."
"!" Alarm bells rang in Lovia's mind, and her heart pounded wildly.
"N-no need! Thank you, Big Brother!" She waved her hands hurriedly, and as she spoke, she instinctively shrank back, a movement that caused her oversized hood to wobble slightly.
In that moment, perhaps because of her slightly nervous movements, there was an extremely slight movement under her hood. It was definitely not the ripple a fabric should have from the wind; instead, it was more like something soft and elastic wrapped underneath had unconsciously given a light twitch.
Xingqiu's gaze was incredibly sharp; the smile on his face didn't change, but in those eyes that always held a smile, a flash of surprise passed very quickly.
He saw it clearly; it was definitely not an illusion.
Chongyun also seemed to vaguely sense something, tilting his head slightly with a light frown, but he didn't see it as clearly as Xingqiu, only thinking the movement of the hood was a bit... unnatural?
Good upbringing prevented Xingqiu from asking immediately, but the smile on his face deepened a bit.
"Little sister..." Chongyun had clearly seen it too; he frowned, seemingly wondering what kind of illness this was.
Lovia's heart was almost jumping out of her chest. Chongyun's clear, concern-filled eyes were more terrifying to her right now than any Evil Spirit. And then there was Xingqiu's seemingly gentle but actually sharp gaze, as if it had already pierced through the hood to see the secret she was desperately hiding.
No! I must leave immediately!
"I-I'm fine!" she almost shouted, her voice rising due to nervousness, making it sound even more immature. "I'll leave as soon as I finish buying my things! Thank you, Big Brother!"
She turned abruptly, wanting only to escape these two overly "enthusiastic" boys, and in her haste, she didn't even look where she was going. She dashed forward with her short legs, but forgot she was standing right next to a pile of neatly arranged Inkstones.
"Hey—be careful!"
But Xingqiu's warning was a step too late.
With a "clatter," the hem of Lovia's cloak caught on the edge of a Display Rack. She lost her balance and, accompanied by a series of crashing sounds, she fell forward clumsily.
And in this chaos, the oversized hood that had been carefully wrapped for disguise was finally completely flipped open by the large movement!
A head of soft and unusually colored hair was the first to be revealed, followed immediately by a pair of blue, soft antennae that were twitching slightly from shock, exposed without any cover under the bright lights of the bookstore.
The antennae were located on her forehead, clearly not belonging to a human, and they looked delicate and soft.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.