Having a place entirely of her own, Lovia's enthusiasm for renovation was at an all-time high, and her motivation skyrocketed.
She was no longer a tenant who had to worry about damaging the Landlord's property, but the mistress of her own little nest, free to do as she pleased.
Work began indoors first. She dug out the scrap paper she had used for her manuscripts, and the blank backs were soon covered with renovation sketches and lists of various items.
Excitement aside, she always kept the most important principle in mind: she must never reveal the specific location of this "home." (Though some people certainly knew where the small house was, like the Landlord.)
This meant that any work requiring outside help had to be completed elsewhere.
The first thing to address was storage. With more and more manuscripts and books (bought from Wenyensuite), along with various writing supplies, having everything piled on the desk was really affecting her efficiency.
Lovia carefully measured the dimensions of the walls and drew up blueprints. Then, she made a special trip to Liyue Harbor to find an old carpenter. She claimed she was ordering custom pieces for an old scholar living by the sea who didn't like seeing people, explained her requirements in detail, and arranged to pick up the goods a few days later.
A few days later, after exhausting herself dragging the heavy solid wood bookshelf components back to the cabin in batches, she assembled them one by one according to the blueprints.
The natural wood had a warm color and emitted a pleasant woody scent. Lovia categorized and placed her accumulated books, thick manuscripts, and other items onto the shelves. Looking at the filled bookshelf, a great sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart.
Next came the soft furnishings.
She went to the market in Liyue Harbor and carefully selected a thick, soft blue carpet. The color was exactly as she wished—like the deep sea, and also like the fluff on the tip of her antennae.
Spreading the carpet by the window was like moving a small piece of the ocean indoors. She could lie down on it as she pleased, rolling around, listening to the ebb and flow of the tide, and letting the sunlight bathe her whole body.
Lovia originally wanted to buy some paint to paint the walls, but she was a bit afraid it might be toxic and that she wouldn't be able to live there immediately after painting. After asking the shopkeeper, she was surprised to find that the paints in Teyvat were actually made of safe ingredients! (Lovia noted: I don't know if it's true, but it certainly didn't smell after I used it.)
So, she confidently chose sky-blue paint and bought all the necessary tools. Back at the cabin, she wrapped herself tightly in old clothes and spent two whole days meticulously painting the four walls a light sky-blue.
The whole cabin looked bright and cozy, indeed very similar to the color of the fluff on her tail.
Finally, a simple and elegant small wooden plaque was hung by the door, with "Quiet Residence" written in neat handwriting. This expressed the owner's preference for peace and quiet without revealing her identity.
As for the dream snack cellar, since the construction was a bit complex, it was temporarily put into the long-term plan, to be implemented once she had the technical skills. Moreover, she planned to dig a small tunnel in the bedroom, ideally leading directly to the sea, so she could escape immediately if she encountered danger!
After these renovations were basically complete, Lovia made another important purchase: a full-length mirror (full-length for Lovia, that is).
The frame was a simple natural wood color, polished smooth. She carefully transported the mirror home and leaned it against the newly painted blue wall. With the mirror, it was more convenient for her to tidy her appearance (mainly to ensure her hooded cloak was worn properly).
From then on, every morning, when the first light of the sun on the horizon spilled into the cabin through the window, Lovia would stand before the mirror, looking seriously at the figure with unique antennae and a tail in the reflection. She would clench her small fists and say loudly with high spirits, "Go for it, Lovia! Another plain and ordinary day in another world is about to begin!"
These words could both dispel her hidden anxieties and inspire this "socially anxious shut-in" to muster the courage to face any necessary external interactions (like buying snacks and submitting manuscripts).
After cheering herself on, she would feel full of energy again.
She also made use of the open space behind the house. She used collected stones to border a small flower bed and sowed some seeds of glazed lily and silk flower, which she heard were easy to grow. (However, Lovia had never managed to keep a plant alive in her past life.)
Although it was on a small scale, looking at that carefully tended patch of land, she felt as if she could already see the future little garden.
The renovation project went on intermittently for over half a month, and the cabin was completely transformed.
Although from the outside it still looked like a remote seaside shack, the interior was warm and comfortable.
Blue walls, a soft carpet, shelves full of manuscripts, dried fish and snacks sunning on the windowsill, and a small flower bed full of hope behind the house.
Having a "home" in the true sense, Lovia's heart completely settled down. (Actually, a "home" in the true sense is a place with family, otherwise it's just a house. But for Lovia, having a house was a home. This is foreshadowing; the gap will be filled in the next few chapters.)
Sitting at her bright and clean desk, the scratching sound of her pen seemed even more cheerful than before. Occasionally looking up from her manuscript, listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves outside, looking at the little world she had built with her own hands, and then running to the mirror to cheer herself on, she felt that this "plain and ordinary" life in another world was simply wonderful.
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