In front of Wanwen Bookhouse, people sat at the tea tables, quietly savoring their books.
Jifang looked completely drained, slumped in her chair as she let out a long sigh of relief.
The busy afternoon was finally over.
She glanced at the copy of The Eternal by her hand, a somewhat peculiar look in her eyes.
Are Fang Qiu's books really that good?
Just a short while ago, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, Keqing, and the Qixing's general secretary, Ganyu, had actually come to her bookstore together to buy Fang Qiu's book.
Aside from Fang Qiu's book, those two didn't even spare a glance at anyone else's works.
After the two left, the bookstore saw another wave of customers.
Some of these people were fans of other books who sat at the tea tables reading quietly without buying Fang Qiu's work, while others were young people who, having seen Ganyu and Keqing walking out of the store clutching the book, rushed over to buy it themselves.
It kept her busy for quite a while.
So, she was puzzled.
What exactly did Fang Qiu write in her novels?
It was one thing for those two big shots to buy Fang Qiu's Your Lie in April, but this time they actually came together on release day to buy Fang Qiu's new book, The Eternal.
Moreover, they each bought three copies.
That was enough to prove their approval and fondness for Fang Qiu's books.
As for the readers, although many bought Fang Qiu's book just to follow the trend, the sales of The Eternal on this release day far exceeded the sales of Your Lie in April on its launch day.
Clearly, after reading Your Lie in April, these people had developed an interest in Fang Qiu's new book as well.
Furthermore, while there were plenty of people cursing Fang Qiu.
They were only cursing the fact that Fang Qiu killed off characters; she had never heard anyone say Fang Qiu wrote poorly.
Countless people had cried while reading Fang Qiu's books right here. According to the tavern owner nearby, quite a few readers even went there to drown their sorrows in alcohol because the book stirred up sad memories.
All these phenomena were proof enough of Fang Qiu's skill.
However, she herself didn't have much interest in reading.
The only reason she opened the shop was because her husband liked collecting old books, and later it just inexplicably grew bigger and stronger.
So, even though Fang Qiu's previous book was hyped to the heavens by fiction lovers and had a stellar reputation, with many literary magazines giving it high praise...
She hadn't read it.
But today, with Miss Keqing and Miss Ganyu coming together to buy the book, combined with these terrifying sales figures...
Even she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of curiosity about Fang Qiu's book.
What exactly did that delicate beauty, who looked like a celestial maiden, write to make people love and hate her work so much, leaving them unable to stop?
So, she picked up the copy of The Eternal at her hand and opened the beautifully bound cover and title page.
However, before she could start reading, her attention was drawn to a girl.
It wasn't that the girl was exceptionally beautiful.
She was merely fresh-faced and pleasant-looking.
The reason she caught Jifang's eye was that she was holding Fang Qiu's The Eternal and walking toward a young man who had been sitting at a tea table for a long time.
"Um... excuse me..."
Before she could finish, the face of the young man she intended to chat up instantly turned cold, and his whole body began to tremble involuntarily.
He had just reached the part where Jack dies in the freezing ocean after encouraging Rose.
Although he could be considered a veteran bookworm, the books he usually read were about chivalry, the kind that made one's blood boil and made one want to immediately grab a sword and roam the world, fighting for justice.
This was the first time he had read a book describing such delicate romance.
He had to admit, Fang Qiu's writing was excellent. Although the style was vastly different from what he usually read, and it lacked that feeling of a man wielding a sword to cleanse the world and protect a corner of the mundane realm...
The visualization and emotional immersion were much stronger.
Seeing Jack and Rose in love and relying on each other, he actually felt as if he had experienced a romance himself.
This was a feeling he had never had in over twenty years.
Yet, very quickly, Fang Qiu cruelly sliced open his heart, exposed the softest part to the air, and then crushed it.
He looked up, his eyes red-rimmed.
"What is it?"
His voice trembled.
"N-nothing... sorry to disturb you."
The girl instinctively took a step back, smiled awkwardly, turned around, and ran away.
Seeing the girl run off quickly, the young man froze in place, unable to speak for a long time, his eyes growing even redder.
A tough guy in tears.
Just as he was questioning his life choices, a fair hand patted him gently on the shoulder from behind.
"If you're sad, go to the tavern downstairs and have a drink."
A soft voice spoke.
The young man turned around. Speaking to him was a mature woman in her thirties, exuding an air of intellectuality.
"You are?"
The young man's heart fluttered slightly.
It was a flutter of attraction. Oh no, he couldn't hide the look in his eyes.
"I'm the proprietress of the tavern downstairs."
"No thanks..."
The young man's racing heart instantly calmed down.
Before long, not just that young man, but many others present finished the book.
The men were okay; even if they felt sad, they forcibly held back their tears.
Especially those with female companions.
But quite a few girls burst into tears after finishing the book.
This drew immediate comfort from their male companions.
Many bold male companions even summoned their courage to pull them into a hug.
Seeing this, Jifang couldn't help but put down the copy of The Eternal in her hand.
Forget it, better not read it.
...
Meanwhile, at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"'My Heart Will Go On'? It certainly has some significance. I heard this batch of books will be sent to Inazuma; I wonder how the Raiden Shogun, who pursues Eternity, will react when she sees it."
Zhongli sat at the table, gently closing The Eternal as he gazed out the window.
Outside, under the dusk sky, the wind blew, and leaves drifted down with the breeze.
His gaze was profound, as if lost in reminiscence.
"Never mind. I shall go for a walk."
After a long while, Zhongli exhaled slightly, stood up, and walked out of the room.
As soon as he stepped out of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he saw Hu Tao sitting on the railing, humming a piece of doggerel she had invented herself. At her feet sat a small cart.
The cart was piled high with over a dozen books.
All of them were Fang Qiu's The Eternal.
"Any thoughts after reading it?"
Upon seeing Zhongli, Hu Tao hopped down from the railing.
"Although I do not care for the parts where contracts were violated, in terms of universal rationality, it is indeed a good story. It not only exposes the darkness of the old aristocracy but also expounds on her understanding of the black and white sides of human nature. Furthermore, premised on these profound meanings, she has written a romance that remains faithful until death. One could say it possesses both depth and breadth."
Zhongli said calmly.
"That counts as a very high evaluation, doesn't it?"
Hu Tao asked with a beaming smile.
"I suppose so."
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