Although Lovia was timid and socially anxious, her ability to regulate her emotions was actually quite good; before long, that sense of fear was pushed to the back of her mind.
After all, her identity as a Humanoid Melusine had already been exposed, and her revenge was complete (or so she thought). Thinking about "what-ifs" would only add to her troubles. The worst-case scenario was being thrown into prison, and overthinking wouldn't change that. Instead of living in constant fear, she might as well seize the time to enjoy the peaceful days in Liyue.
As for running away after being exposed? That would work, as long as Neuvillette didn't personally come after her. She didn't think she could outrun Neuvillette.
Thinking this way, Lovia suddenly felt much more relieved.
Humming a little tune, she walked back to her small seaside cottage with a light step.
As soon as she entered, she kicked off her shoes and threw herself onto the incredibly soft bed (which was layered with many cushions), her face filled with excitement.
"The results are even better than I expected." She tapped the bed happily with her fingertips. "Even that kid Chongyun got dragged into it and personally went to buy the book... Hahaha, I wonder what expression Xingqiu has right now?"
She imagined Xingqiu coaxing Chongyun into showing him the book, then raising an eyebrow as he read it, wearing that half-smiling expression.
He probably wouldn't actually be angry; instead, he would... Lovia's smile suddenly faltered.
Instead, he would what?
With Xingqiu's intelligence and resourcefulness, would he... follow the clues?
Liyue Harbor was neither too big nor too small. And just a short while ago, Xingqiu had accidentally discovered her true identity.
And shortly after that, Mr. Li Xin had published an "unofficial history" about him.
This was too coincidental!
If Xingqiu really wanted to investigate... Lovia felt a belated chill crawl up her spine.
When she was writing, she was only focused on the thrill of it and hadn't considered the consequences at all.
"N-no way, right?" Lovia comforted herself. "I was very careful. I didn't leave any personal traces. The manuscript was submitted anonymously, and the payment was collected through a proxy..."
"He shouldn't be able to trace it back to me... right?"
She shook her head, deciding to stop scaring herself.
In any case, it was already written and published, and the effects were remarkable. It was too late for regrets.
Thinking this way, Lovia felt much more at ease and turned her attention back to her creative work.
She still had a draft of guoba the god of cookery to finish. Who told Second Young Master Xingqiu to practically hand over "source material"?
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Lovia giggled as she continued writing her planned piece, "Secret History of Wanmin Restaurant: guoba the god of cookery," her pen flying across the page.
The more she wrote, the more excited she became. She imagined various scenes, and her grin stretched from ear to ear.
However, as she wrote, an ill-timed "gurgle" came from her stomach.
"Ah... I'm hungry from writing." Lovia sighed, dropped her pen, and rubbed her aching wrists.
"Creative work really is an exhausting project," she muttered. "It doesn't just consume brainpower, it consumes snacks too!"
She instinctively reached for the wooden bowl by the bed that was dedicated to snacks, but her fingertips only touched the inner wall of the bowl.
"Hmm?" Lovia looked down; the bowl was already completely empty.
That bowl of her favorite "raspberry mixed with ore" snack had been polished off at some point.
"No way..." Lovia muttered, hopping off the bed barefoot and running to her somewhat dilapidated storage cabinet to search through it.
The various "delicacies" that used to pack the cabinet were now noticeably sparse. A few dull-colored Crystal Chunks, a small bunch of dried Glowing Algae, and a few... uh, very ordinary-looking carrots.
Right now, they looked lonely, completely unable to satisfy Lovia's restless taste buds and her craving for something "crunchy."
"A supply crisis..." Lovia sighed, rubbing her stomach, which wasn't actually hungry but was definitely craving food.
Her food reserves, especially the special snacks that suited a Melusine's palate, were completely depleted.
Restocking ingredients was imperative.
"No choice then."
Resigned to her fate, she pulled on a hooded cloak that could wrap her from head to toe, ensuring her conspicuous features were hidden.
After checking her disguise once more, she carefully pushed open the door of the small cottage and blended into the still-hot afternoon sunlight of Liyue Harbor.
Her goal was clear: first, go to the usual spot to restock her "raspberry mixed with ore."
This was a snack made by mixing Berries with finely ground high-quality ore. It had a crispy texture with a hint of sweet and sour, making it Lovia's favorite while writing.
Secondly, she wanted to buy some fresh ingredients. For example, some fruit from other nations, or Fluorescent Fungus from Inazuma. She quite liked those; they made a crunching sound when chewed, which was very stress-relieving.
Lovia navigated the streets and alleys of Liyue Harbor with practiced ease, trying to avoid the crowded main roads and opting for secluded, quiet paths.
Along the way, her ears and hidden antennae keenly caught the surrounding chatter.
The heat of the discussion regarding the "secret tales of feiyun" had not diminished in the slightest.
"...Say, do you think the Second Young Master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild could really be..."
"Shh! Keep it down! But Mr. Li Xin wrote it so convincingly, even making up stories about his childhood..."
"I don't think it's necessarily made up! Maybe there really is some hidden truth!"
"Exactly, exactly! And that Little Daoist Priest Chongyun's reaction—the book says his Pure Yang Constitution acts up whenever he sees the 'Second Miss,' making his face turn red and his heart race. Someone actually saw him running out of the Feiyun Commerce Guild today with a bright red face!"
"Oh? Really? Tell me more!"
Listening to these discussions, the corners of Lovia's mouth under her hood couldn't help but curl up again.
The effect was outstanding, and there were even unexpected gains! Chongyun really did go to find Xingqiu, and his reaction was intense!
Interesting!
She suppressed the urge to pull out her notebook to record material and quickened her pace; business first.
The process of restocking the "raspberry mixed with ore" went smoothly. The Old Man Selling Special Minerals seemed long accustomed to this heavily wrapped customer and skillfully packed a large portion for her.
Buying fresh fruit was also exceptionally easy, though finding Fluorescent Fungus took some time. By the time she finished her shopping, the setting sun had begun to gild the buildings of Liyue Harbor.
Lovia contentedly hefted the heavy shopping bag in her arms, filled with her beloved "delicacies." Her sense of security returned instantly.
Because she had bought so many things, and given her Melusine height (definitely not admitting she was short!), she had to hold the shopping bag in both arms against her chest.
"Alright, time to head home and continue creating!" She turned around happily, preparing to take a shortcut back to her seaside cottage.
Just as she turned into a quiet alley, two familiar figures ahead made her stop dead in her tracks, instinctively ducking behind a pile of discarded wooden crates.
It was Xingqiu and Chongyun!
Why them again?
She was running into them way too often lately!
They seemed to have just come from somewhere, walking side-by-side in the alley. Chongyun was holding a popsicle, but he was eating it absentmindedly, his cheeks still seemingly flushed. Xingqiu was waving his elegant folding fan, a smile playing on his lips as he turned his head to say something to Chongyun.
The distance was a bit far, so Lovia couldn't hear the specifics, but her heart skipped a beat for some reason.
Xingqiu's reaction... wasn't quite right.
Shouldn't he feel troubled, embarrassed, or helpless? Why did he look... like he was actually enjoying it?
Even his occasional glances around seemed to be observing something?
Lovia:?
An absurd thought suddenly flashed through Lovia's mind: Could Xingqiu... have already guessed who did it?
After all, the timing was too coincidental. He had just discovered her secret, and immediately after, "secret tales" about him were the talk of the town. With Xingqiu's intelligence, it was impossible for him not to make the connection.
Lovia suddenly felt the shopping bag in her hands become a bit too hot to handle.
She looked at Xingqiu's smile, then at Chongyun, whose face was bright red and who had clearly been "pranked" quite badly. A chilly sense of after-the-fact fear bubbled up.
Had she overplayed her hand?
If she had known, she wouldn't have written a story about him so soon. She should have finished guoba the god of cookery first before writing about the Second Miss. At least then he wouldn't have become suspicious so quickly.
This guy Xingqiu looked gentle and harmless, but in reality, he was quite the schemer!
As expected, she still hadn't experienced the harshness of the world. She was too naive and hadn't used any "counter-investigation" measures at all.
Sob!
Lovia shrank her neck and hid herself deeper behind the wooden crates, silently praying they wouldn't discover her.
Not until the figures of Xingqiu and Chongyun disappeared at the other end of the alley did Lovia carefully poke her head out and breathe a long sigh of relief.
"It's fine, it's fine," she comforted herself. "Even if he guesses, he doesn't have any evidence! Right, no evidence!"
"How could Mr. Li Xin possibly be a Melusine? He must be an old scholar!"
(In fact, Xingqiu indeed hadn't associated Lovia with Lovia.)
Returning to her familiar cottage and locking the door, Lovia reached up and pulled off her hooded cloak.
She looked at the newly purchased snacks on the table, emitting an enticing aroma, then thought about Xingqiu's meaningful smile and Chongyun's blushing face.
After hesitating for a moment, she suddenly clenched her small fists, her eyes becoming "determined" once more.
"Whatever. Anyway, the revenge is done, and the effect was so good. I can't let it go to waste!"
"I'll finish the Guoba piece first, then write a sequel CP story for the Second Miss. The next plot... I'll make the interaction between the 'Second Miss' and the 'Little Daoist Priest' even more exciting. For example... practicing swords under the moon and accidentally falling into the water, and then..."
Lovia gave a mischievous grin, scribbled down a few inspirations, and then happily went to prepare her snacks.
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