By the time she finished talking with Ningguang and stepped out of Yuehai Pavilion, dusk had already fallen.
The evening light was thick and deep. Nearly half the sky had been dyed a rich, tempting crimson by the dying sun. Yujing Terrace was perfectly quiet.
"Finally done."
Fang Qiu stretched lazily, rolling her shoulders to work out the stiffness.
She and Ningguang had reached a preliminary agreement on their collaboration. Where the filming of Sword and Fairy was concerned, Ningguang would handle everything — and when the project was truly underway, Ningguang would reach out to her again.
Since Ningguang was taking full charge, Fang Qiu was perfectly happy to enjoy the leisure that came with it.
The profit split they had settled on was simple enough.
Thirty-seventy.
Hmm... thirty for her, seventy for Ningguang.
On the surface it looked like she was getting the short end of the stick — only thirty percent? — but when she actually thought it through, all she was contributing was the rights and the ideas. Ningguang was taking on everything else, and who knew how many Mora she would end up pouring into production down the line.
No matter how she looked at it, she was the one coming out ahead.
After all, back in her previous life, a production worth hundreds of millions in investment might net the original author only a few million in rights fees. A few percent, at best. Thirty percent was already extraordinary.
As for how much she'd ultimately earn — that would depend entirely on the market's response.
But if even Tianquan Ningguang couldn't make a work profitable, then clinging to those so-called rights would be meaningless anyway.
Beyond the profit split, Ningguang had also granted her two things.
The right to freely revise any content she wasn't satisfied with — and the power to have a say in casting.
Fang Qiu had no intention of refusing either of those. She'd seen enough of what happened with adaptations in her past life to know better. Characters who stole cultural relics only to triumphantly donate them to the state. A supreme cultivator manifesting his battle-aura into a horse — a horse — while wings of battle-aura dangled off his back like a pair of chicken wings. And then there was the infamous reeds scene, with its conspicuously rhythmic camera work...
Well... how to put it. Some things were just hard to watch.
If the original authors in those past-life cases had been given final say, none of that would ever have happened.
Of course, even for someone of Tianquan Ningguang's stature, putting together a film production would still take time. Not to mention marketing and distribution — that alone would eat up a significant stretch of the calendar.
In the meantime, she could start writing a new book.
She'd think about what to write on the way home.
She had originally planned to write the story of Sword and Fairy 4 — but doing so now would dilute the buzz from the Sword and Fairy film. Better to set that aside.
Forgot it. She'd think it over after dinner.
Speaking of which — she really should have just stayed and eaten dinner with Ningguang. When Ningguang brought it up, she had reflexively declined...
Thinking about it now, that was an absolute loss.
Fang Qiu sighed softly and was just about to set off toward home when a gentle voice rose up behind her.
"Miss Fang Qiu? What are you doing here?"
"Hmm?"
Fang Qiu blinked and turned around. A young woman stood prettily behind her, arms full of a thick stack of documents. Her slightly voluminous blue hair and blue feathered cape drifted softly in the evening breeze.
It was Ganyu.
"Lady Ganyu, what a coincidence."
Fang Qiu smiled gently and offered a greeting.
"Miss Fang Qiu, why would you be at Yuehai Pavilion? Is something the matter?"
Ganyu asked curiously. Then she smiled a small, soft smile and added, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Seeing that Ganyu had asked, Fang Qiu told her about Ningguang reaching out to discuss a collaboration.
After chatting for a bit, Fang Qiu also learned that Ganyu had already finished work for the day. As for why she was still carrying a stack of documents after clocking out — Ganyu's answer was that she was bringing them back to her lodgings to finish processing.
Hearing that, Fang Qiu felt something twinge in her chest.
That's way too much grind.
Working diligently at the office was one thing — but taking work home after hours too...?
Capitalists everywhere would be rejoicing.
Although, calling it "grinding" wasn't quite accurate. Ganyu was the Chief Secretary of the Liyue Qixing. She simply held herself to a high standard — she wasn't imposing that standard on anyone else, and it wouldn't affect any of the other secretaries.
"Lady Ganyu, have you eaten dinner yet?"
Fang Qiu smiled and asked, "If not, would you like to come along to Wanmin Restaurant?"
"Eh?"
Ganyu blinked in surprise.
"It's perfectly fine if you have other things to do, Lady Ganyu — don't feel pressured."
Seeing Ganyu hesitate, Fang Qiu quickly added.
"No, it's nothing like that."
Ganyu shook her head quickly, then smiled and said, "Then let's go together."
"Mm."
Fang Qiu nodded, and the two of them set off down the road toward Wanmin Restaurant.
Along the way, Ganyu brought up Fang Qiu's books — Sword and Fairy in particular. She mentioned that in a little while, when she went home to visit family, she would bring Sword and Fairy back for her master to read.
Beyond Sword and Fairy, there was also Your Name.
She loved Your Name. The ending was so gentle.
Fang Qiu felt a little awkward at that.
Honestly speaking, the ending of Your Name wasn't quite gentle — it even carried a faint touch of regret. Although Miyamizu Mitsuha and Tachibana Taki had ended up together, the memories they'd shared had already dissolved away.
Of course, compared to the first three books, Your Name's ending was incomparably gentler. That much was true.
"By the way, Miss Fang Qiu — do you have any ideas for your next book?"
Ganyu asked.
"Not yet."
Fang Qiu shook her head — but the moment she finished speaking, she suddenly stopped walking.
"What's wrong?"
Ganyu stopped too, following Fang Qiu's gaze. Not far ahead, in front of a carriage, stood a boy and a girl who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. They faced each other.
"Dashu, will you write to me?"
The girl asked timidly, her voice small.
"Depends. I probably won't have much time."
The boy looked away awkwardly, his hand clenching tight around the hem of his clothes.
"I'll write to you."
The girl pressed her small fists together and said it firmly. There was a tremor of tears in her voice.
"I... I know, I know..."
Under the watchful gaze of the adults standing behind him, the boy's face went red. He gave a small wave of his hand and said, "Just head back, alright? I'll see what I can do."
"Then — take this. I hope when you look at it, you'll think of me."
The girl held back her tears, took out a book, and held it out to the boy. "I saved up my own money to buy it."
Ganyu was close enough to see clearly: the book the girl was giving the boy was Fang Qiu's Your Name.
In the end, the boy accepted it. He clutched it tightly against his chest, quietly wiped at his eyes, and under the girl's reluctant, tear-filled gaze, turned and climbed up into the carriage — growing smaller and smaller until he was gone.
The girl turned and walked toward home, her face heavy with sorrow.
"No matter how many times you see it, farewells are always this heartbreaking."
Ganyu let out a quiet sigh. She turned to look at Fang Qiu — and found Fang Qiu staring off in the direction the carriage had disappeared, lost in thought.
"Is something wrong?"
Ganyu blinked, a little puzzled, and asked.
"It's nothing. I just suddenly thought of what to write for my next book."
Fang Qiu smiled and shook her head.
"What is it?" Ganyu blinked, curious.
Fang Qiu lifted her gaze to the crimson sky above. A cool breeze stirred the very tips of her hair. The faintest smile curved at the corner of her mouth.
"Lady Ganyu," she said, "do you know — in Your Lie in April, what speed does Fang Qiu write for the falling of the cherry blossoms?"
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