Customers flowed in and out of the bookshop in a steady stream, and Mondstadt's novel enthusiasts tucked their treasured new purchases under their arms, wandering off in pairs and small groups to find the perfect reading spot.
Naturally, the most popular destinations were the city's various cafés and dessert shops.
The Hunters' Lodge, with its relaxed autumnal charm, filled up quickly as well. The waitress Sara was already busy behind the counter.
"Miss Sara, could I get a Satisfying Salad?"
"I'll have a Butter Crab."
"One Carrot Steak for me, please — and a Wolfhook juice on the side."
After placing their orders, the group of novel enthusiasts noticed two figures already seated inside: one dressed in red, one in blue.
The one in red was Amber — Mondstadt's renowned Outrider.
They were just about to wave hello when their eyes landed on the blue-haired woman sitting across from her.
Eula.
Eula Lawrence. Descendant of sinners. The blood of the condemned flowing through her veins.
"It's her..."
"Why does Miss Amber keep spending time with that woman..."
"A Lawrence, of all people..."
Hearing the murmurs ripple through the room, the Hunters' Lodge waitress Sara let out a quiet sigh, worry flickering in her eyes.
"Hmph. I'm filing that away."
Eula felt the hostile stares boring into her from all sides. She lifted her teacup, took a measured sip, and let out a sound of quiet displeasure.
Across from her, Amber gave the whispering group a small, easy smile, then turned to Eula and said cheerfully:
"There are so many people out buying books today. Oh — speaking of which, Eula, do you have any plans for your day off? Apparently some books from Liyue just came in. Want to go take a look together?"
"Books from Liyue?"
Eula's brow arched slightly.
"Yep! Apparently this author called Fang Qiu is incredibly talented." Amber said. "Come to think of it, those people just now — the books they were carrying all looked like they were written by someone called Fang Qiu."
"I'm not particularly interested. I was planning to drink at the Cat's Tail until evening, then go home and sleep."
Eula shook her head.
"That won't do at all! It's a rare day off — you can't spend the whole thing at a tavern. Come with me to buy books. Lunch is on me."
"Hmph. Forcibly overriding my schedule like this. I'm filing that away."
Eula let out a resigned sigh, then huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Eula, you're the best."
Amber beamed.
They finished breakfast before long and made their way to the nearest bookshop.
One look at the queue snaking out the door, and Eula's brow creased immediately. "This line is absurdly long."
"Well, it is release day. And on top of that, there are Liyue books available this time around — especially that author Fang Qiu's work. Every bookshop in the city has been advertising for days. Of course the buzz is through the roof."
Amber said.
"I see."
Eula frowned, on the verge of saying something more, when she suddenly spotted a familiar figure not far off — a young man in green, seated on a bench by the fountain, reading with what appeared to be genuine, unhurried delight.
"Is that him? That bard."
Eula's brow lifted. "I never would have imagined he had the patience to sit down and read a novel."
"Hm — the book he's holding, I think that's one by Fang Qiu... what was it called... oh, right. The Eternal."
Amber squinted at the cover in the young man's hands and nodded slowly.
"Oh? Now that's interesting."
A flicker of genuine curiosity crossed Eula's face.
She was on reasonably good terms with that drunken poet. They drank together at the Angel's Share often enough to count as drinking companions.
He was also the one who had taken the shameful history of the Lawrence family and spun it into a light, irreverent little poem that had made even her laugh against her will.
She'd filed that away, too.
But still — if even that drunken bard had carved time out of his precious drinking hours to read this Fang Qiu's work, then she was genuinely curious what the writing was actually like.
"The Eternal, was it? I'll pick up a copy while we're here."
Eula allowed a faint smile.
"Great! Though I'm going to buy all of her books at once — saves me from having to queue again later. Yesterday I overheard a merchant who was doing business with Kaeya, and he said Fang Qiu is enormously famous in Liyue. Every release day draws massive crowds, and plenty of people who'd never touched a novel in their lives ended up becoming devoted readers after stumbling across her work. The queues just keep getting longer every time."
Amber's eyes shone with anticipation. "Apparently that same merchant said Fang Qiu's books are a massive hit in Inazuma too."
"That successful? Hmm... wait — a merchant doing business with Kaeya? What kind of business?"
Eula asked.
"I was curious too, so I lingered nearby and listened. They didn't seem to mind me being there." Amber said. "Apparently, Klee — being Klee — wanted people in Liyue to see a Jumpy Dumpty too. So she made an oversized Jumpy Dumpty plush toy, then asked Kaeya to get in touch with a merchant heading to Liyue to bring it along."
"And then?"
Eula asked, now curious herself.
"Then the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor bought the plush. A while later, someone tracked the merchant down and placed an order for a thousand identical Jumpy Dumpty plushies."
Amber said.
"A thousand?"
Eula blinked.
"Right. Apparently they wanted them as seat cushions — something about how they're very good for supporting the lower back. It feels a little contrary to Klee's original intentions, but Kaeya apparently accepted the order anyway."
"I see."
Eula nodded, a quiet smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Liyue people really are a fascinating sort. I can't imagine who came up with that particular use for them."
Then she added: "By the way — what is the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? My grandfather mentioned it once — it's the organization in Liyue that handles funeral rites and burials."
Amber said.
"Why would a funeral organization be ordering Jumpy Dumpty plushies?"
Eula's frown deepened. "Surely they aren't giving them out to bereaved families?"
"Actually, it wasn't the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor that placed the order. Apparently it was Tianquan Ningguang's people."
Amber said.
"Ah — that explains it. I was wondering what a funeral parlor would do with that many plushies..."
Eula murmured, looking thoughtful. "I suppose most people wouldn't naturally connect funerals and Jumpy Dumpties."
...
At that same moment.
Liyue.
The great expanse of Liyue Harbor was slowly stirring from its slumber as a cascade of warm golden sunlight poured down over the city.
Vendors' calls rang out one after another.
More than a few people who had drunk themselves into a stupor the night before were now being stung awake by the morning light, blinking and fumbling their way up off the ground.
One man who had face-planted into a flower bed was roused by an early-rising old fellow who gave him a firm kick on the backside and cursed him out for destroying the greenery.
Elsewhere, a novelist who had been sleeping in was yanked out of bed by his wife.
"Still sleeping! Still sleeping! At your age, how can you sleep so easily? Have some ambition! Have your sales broken ten thousand yet? Has Lady Ningguang adapted your novel into a film? Can't you be more like Fang Qiu? Fang Qiu has probably been up for ages and already written a thousand or two thousand words by now, and you're still in bed."
The novelist dragged himself upright and stared at the woman before him, sinking into a deep, philosophical silence.
Just what had turned that sweet, gentle girl into this...
It was Fang Qiu's fault.
Damn you, Fang Qiu.
Why do you have to work so hard?! You insufferable person!
His income was more than enough to comfortably support the whole family. He could even take his wife on holiday to Mondstadt whenever the mood struck.
But then, two days ago, they had gone to the Heyu Tea House together to watch the screening of the Sword and Fairy film — and everything had changed.
Yesterday she had gone to the Wanwen Bookhouse and bought a towering stack of Fang Qiu's novels, and was now demanding that he produce work of equivalent caliber...
But writing something on the level of Sword and Fairy wasn't something just anyone could do!
...
Meanwhile.
Inside Fang Qiu's rented room.
Fang Qiu's inner garments were in a state of considerable disarray, exposing a generous expanse of snow-white skin, and beneath the loose fabric, a moon-white dudou had been pushed up high.
Hu Tao's hand rested against Fang Qiu's bare, flat stomach — pale and exposed to the open air — her fingertips having crept to the very edge of Fang Qiu's waistband.
The two of them were sleeping soundly.
"Mmm..."
Fang Qiu's expression was one of perfect contentment. Her lips parted and closed faintly, murmuring in her sleep.
Mid-drowsy-murmur, Fang Qiu rolled over — and instinctively pulled Hu Tao into her arms, pressing the length of her body flush against Hu Tao's, one leg hooking over her.
Her chest pressed directly against Hu Tao, squashed into a new shape entirely by the pressure.
And Hu Tao's hand, carried along by Fang Qiu's rolling movement, slipped further in.
Fang Qiu's restless shifting woke Hu Tao up.
Bleary-eyed, she found herself staring at Fang Qiu's lovely face from an inch away. Her mind went blank for a single, suspended moment — and then Hu Tao's striking eyes flew wide open, and she was fully, startlingly awake.
The plum-blossom pupils of her eyes trembled.
"Fang... Qiu..."
Fang Qiu's warm breath drifted against the shell of her ear with every exhale.
Like the fragrance of an orchid.
Tilting her head down just slightly, she caught a glimpse of that breathtaking expanse of white.
In an instant, a devastatingly attractive flush of crimson bloomed across Hu Tao's face.
She wanted desperately to squirm free of Fang Qiu's embrace — but Fang Qiu had her locked in a grip that simply would not yield. There was no moving.
If she struggled any harder, she would absolutely wake Fang Qiu up.
And when Fang Qiu woke and found them tangled together like this, things would be unbearably awkward for everyone involved.
On top of that, she had also just noticed another matter causing her considerable alarm: at some point, her hand had found its way inside Fang Qiu's...
What was she supposed to do about that?
Fine. Being held was fine, she supposed. But she at least needed to get her hand out...
Just as Hu Tao was mustering herself for another attempt, Fang Qiu's delicate brow gave the faintest furrow. She was on the verge of waking.
Hu Tao froze — and hastily snapped her eyes shut.
"Mmm..."
Fang Qiu hummed softly, and slowly opened her eyes. The corners of her mouth curved up in a small, sleepy smile.
What a good night's sleep that had been...
And then, the moment her eyes were open, she found herself staring directly at Hu Tao's fair, lovely face — serene and fast asleep, barely an inch from her own.
Hm?
Hu Tao?
Why was she in her bed?
A brief moment of bleary confusion — and then Fang Qiu's rose-colored eyes sharpened in an instant, and she was wide awake.
Oh...
Right.
She had forgotten she and Hu Tao were sharing a bed.
Having Hu Tao's company yesterday had let her relax — and once she relaxed, she had drifted off immediately.
That said... her sleeping habits were terrible. Surely Hu Tao hadn't noticed, had she?
Just as a faint note of unease crept into her chest, she realized something: there was something caught between her legs. And Hu Tao's face was perhaps a touch too close to hers...
And then it all clicked into place.
She had been holding Hu Tao like a bolster pillow.
Without a moment's hesitation, Fang Qiu carefully drew back the leg she'd thrown over Hu Tao and unwound the arm holding her close.
She was just about to ease herself onto her back when she felt something distinctly foreign between her legs...
At the same instant, Hu Tao's slender frame gave a faint, involuntary shiver, and the blush on her face deepened dramatically.
Fang Qiu had now fully grasped the situation. A vivid flush rose to her own cheeks.
Moving with great care, she closed her fingers around Hu Tao's wrist and gently drew her hand free. Hu Tao still hadn't stirred. Fang Qiu let out a quiet breath of relief.
Good heavens. That had been terrifying.
If Hu Tao had woken and seen all of that, she would have absolutely thought Fang Qiu was a complete degenerate...
She would have to be more careful next time they shared a bed.
At least she'd woken up first this time.
Otherwise things would have been mortifying.
She straightened her clothes, quietly lay back down, and closed her eyes.
The moment she did, Hu Tao's eyes drifted open.
Her peach-blossom eyes seemed to hold a welling of warm spring water — like the last snows melting away and every living thing bursting into bloom.
A gust of wind passed through, and the plum blossoms that brave the cold spun over the thawing pond.
She looked at Fang Qiu — who was doing a thoroughly unconvincing impression of someone fast asleep, the bewilderment plain in the furrow of her brow, her face red enough to put a sunrise to shame — and felt the corner of her own mouth tug upward, helpless against it.
She had seen a side of Fang Qiu she'd never seen before.
This version of Fang Qiu was incredibly cute.
And also...
The texture had been wonderful.
Hu Tao smiled to herself, a small, private smile, and gently closed her eyes.
Waiting for Fang Qiu to put on her performance of having just woken up.
Sure enough, before long there was movement in the dark — the person beside her stirred, then quietly sat up.
Hu Tao opened her eyes along with her, and found Fang Qiu mid-stretch — her slender, graceful frame arching out luxuriously, a portrait of unhurried morning ease.
"Mmm..." Fang Qiu finished her stretch and looked up — and found Hu Tao watching her with heavy, half-awake eyes.
"Good morning, Hu Tao. How did you sleep?" Fang Qiu composed herself, keeping her voice light.
"Morning. I slept really well." Hu Tao smiled softly. "What about you, Fang Qiu?"
"Me too. With you here, I felt completely at ease the whole night."
Fang Qiu nodded and smiled.
She truly hadn't had a single nightmare. Not a moment of fear or dread throughout the entire night.
Still — it had been an ordinary enough thing, hadn't it? And yet, somehow, after everything that had just happened, she felt a strange, inexplicable fluttering she couldn't quite name.
To sidestep the awkwardness, Fang Qiu quickly changed the subject. "Oh — Hu Tao, what do you want for breakfast? Should I cook, or shall we go out?"
"Either works for me."
Hu Tao watched Fang Qiu — soft and delicate, and just a little flustered — and let out a quiet, fond laugh. "By the way, Fang Qiu — didn't you say yesterday that your nightdress was damaged? We should go find Sister Ying'er later and see if she can mend it, or ask if she knows another shop. Ying'er is wonderfully knowledgeable about these things."
"Right, sounds good. Though since it's a rare chance to have breakfast together, let's just eat at home. I'll make you some noodles."
Fang Qiu said with a soft smile.
____
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉