"Nothing serious, just came to check on you. You wouldn't believe it, but I went to Wanwen Bookhouse today, and so many people were buying your book. Even Secretary Ganyu from Yujing Terrace bought a copy."
Hu Tao walked into the room with a grin. Since the room was small, she sat down on Fang Qiu's bed.
"Is that so."
Fang Qiu nodded thoughtfully.
It seemed the book's sales were quite decent.
However, judging sales this way wasn't objective; a momentary crowd didn't guarantee sustained interest.
It was very possible that when Hu Tao was buying the book, she simply happened to encounter fans of the original owner buying it to support her.
So, the most accurate sales figures would still have to come from the publishing house.
That was also the reason she hadn't gone out today to see how her book was selling.
However, she had assumed Ganyu was just being polite; she hadn't expected that Ganyu would actually buy her book.
But thinking about it this way, a portion of her book's sales could be credited to Ganyu.
After all, the celebrity effect.
If, in her past life, a big star posted on social media saying they were reading such-and-such book, that book's sales would instantly skyrocket, becoming an instant hit.
As the General Secretary of the Liyue Qixing, and being born with such national beauty, Ganyu's influence in Liyue Harbor was no less than those so-called superstars of her past life.
Although it might just be a passing trend, she shouldn't have to worry about her livelihood next month.
She would have to thank her properly next time they met.
"Hehe, isn't supporting friends just what one should do?"
Hu Tao smiled and said, "Eh, by the way, do you have water here? I walked all the way here and I'm a bit thirsty."
"I do, but I only have one cup. If you don't mind..."
Fang Qiu said somewhat awkwardly.
"I don't mind."
Hu Tao said.
There was no tea; after all, she couldn't afford it.
So, Fang Qiu used her own cup, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to Hu Tao.
"Thanks."
Hu Tao took the cup with a smile and drank more than half in one go.
Seeing the faint mark left by Hu Tao's thin red lips on the rim of the cup, Fang Qiu paused for a moment, then a slight blush involuntarily rose on her pretty face.
She suddenly remembered that before pouring the water for Hu Tao, she had forgotten to wash the cup first. And the spot where Hu Tao had just drunk from was exactly the spot she usually drank from.
Moreover, she had just drunk from it not long ago, so her own lip print was still on it.
In other words, the two of them had essentially... shared an indirect kiss.
Just as her mind was running wild, Hu Tao held the cup and asked, pretending to be casual, "By the way, Fang Qiu, nothing unhappy has happened to you recently, right?"
"Unhappy things?"
Fang Qiu was stunned, then shook her head and said, "No."
"Good, then I'm relieved."
Hu Tao sighed in relief and said, "Reading your book, I thought you had encountered some unhappy events recently, like a breakup or something."
"Is that so."
Fang Qiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but soon, her heart warmed. "Thank you for coming specifically to check on me."
"It's normal for friends to care about each other. But if you're in a bad mood, you absolutely must not hide it from us, okay?"
As she spoke, Hu Tao lifted the cup again and took another sip.
The spot hadn't changed.
"I know. Don't worry, I've been very well recently."
Fang Qiu smiled.
"In that case, to celebrate your new book selling big, let's go to Wanmin Restaurant for a good meal. My treat."
"Then I'll thank Director Hu in advance."
"If you really want to thank me, then advertise Wangsheng Funeral Parlor properly in your book!"
"Next time, definitely next time."
Joking around, the two of them headed out the door.
After locking the door, the heart hanging in Fang Qiu's chest finally settled down.
It was a good thing Hu Tao hadn't discovered the original manuscript on her desk.
This couldn't be blamed on her.
Leaving aside the fact that in her past life she always used a keyboard or phone to type and would go months without handwriting a single character.
Even when she did write, she used fountain pens or gel pens, which was a completely different concept from a brush.
Coupled with the conflict in muscle memory, the characters she wrote looked like ghost talismans.
She turned her head to glance at Hu Tao. Under the lights, Hu Tao's faintly smiling face was captivating.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Hu Tao asked in confusion.
"Nothing. Let's go, we'll call Xiangling to eat with us later."
Fang Qiu smiled.
Talking and laughing, the two walked toward Wanmin Restaurant.
Night was gradually falling, and the lights of ten thousand homes were rising over Liyue Harbor.
They walked along the road.
Along the way, they encountered quite a few novel enthusiasts. Men and women alike, they were holding several books, walking on the streets discussing nothing other than her book.
"That damn Fang Qiu, don't let me run into him! Otherwise, I'll have to make him feel the iron fist of my Guhua Clan!"
"Stop cursing, stop cursing. That dog author obviously has some tragic past; we should sympathize with him."
"True, without some tragic experience, one couldn't write this kind of..."
They discussed animatedly, making no attempt to hide their malice, causing Fang Qiu, who was not far away, to subconsciously cover her face.
Among those walking together, some novel lovers who hadn't bought the book yet couldn't help but ask questions.
"Uh, is it that exaggerated? I haven't bought the book yet and planned to come back tomorrow, but hearing you guys say this, I don't dare to buy it anymore."
"Ahem, brother, don't hesitate, just buy it. Whether it's the writing style or the plot, this book can be said to be top-tier among the novels I've read in the last ten years."
"Indeed, leaving other things aside, in terms of literary value, this novel can be considered excellent."
"They're right. After finishing this book, I feel like my whole self has been healed."
"Uh, but didn't you guys just say the opposite?"
"Hey, you didn't understand our meaning. We're saying that Fang Qiu raised our understanding of novels, making it so we can't stand reading those ordinary novels anymore, which is why we are strongly condemning him."
"It just so happens I bought a few extra copies. I'll lend you one to read first, return it to me after you buy one tomorrow."
Several people tried to persuade him.
Hearing their discussion, Fang Qiu almost laughed out loud.
Sure enough, no matter which world, readers are always just as cute.
They tirelessly trap others, dragging people into the pit of depression-inducing works.
Back in the day, the innocent and kind-hearted she was dragged into one abyss of depression after another just like this.
However, despite their cursing, almost every one of them held two or three copies of her book in their hands. Presumably, one for collection, one to introduce to others, and one for practical use.
Looking at it this way, readers' acceptance of this type of novel seems to be okay.
After all, novels are inherently unconstrained imagination.
As long as it doesn't exceed the limits of the readers' imagination, and with a detailed integration of the worldview and introduction, it isn't hard for readers to understand.
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