Just as she turned a corner and was about to reach her destination, a lively, crisp voice rang out with surprise: "Sister Lovia!"
Lovia paused and looked toward the sound, seeing Yaoyao, with his hair in twin buns and a small bamboo basket on his back, waving happily and jogging over.
Beside Yaoyao, there was also a petite figure.
A little one wearing purple Taoist robes, with a talisman stuck to his forehead and a somewhat dazed look in his eyes.
"It's Yaoyao." Lovia's voice came from under her Hood, tinged with a smile.
"Are you here to buy things too, sister?" Yaoyao asked, his face tilted up and his eyes sparkling.
"Yes, buying some paper and pens," Lovia replied briefly, while subconsciously pulling her Hood down a bit further.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over Qiqi.
Qiqi was also looking at her, his eyes devoid of emotion, simply "gazing." To Qiqi, the person wrapped up so tightly before her was no different from any other stranger on the street.
He just stood there quietly, clutching a bottle of something he had just bought—his favorite, coconut milk.
"Sister Lovia, this is Qiqi. Qiqi and I just finished running an errand for Mr. Baizhu and bought some things," Yaoyao explained enthusiastically. "Qiqi, this is Sister Lovia, she's my friend."
Qiqi blinked, looked at Yaoyao, then at Lovia, and said in a slow drawl, "Oh... Yaoyao's... friend. Qiqi... will remember."
But his slightly vacant eyes suggested he would likely forget the next moment. Lovia didn't mind, though; she knew about Qiqi's condition.
"Hello, Qiqi," Lovia greeted him gently.
Facing this herb-gathering youth who had suffered so much and now existed as a zombie, she always felt a sense of pity.
"Hel... lo," Qiqi responded politely, and then his attention seemed to be drawn back to the coconut milk in his hand as he muttered softly, "Must... write down... coconut milk... or else, will forget..."
Seeing this, Yaoyao gave a helpless but fond smile and said to Lovia, "That's just how Qiqi is. Sister Lovia, please don't mind."
"It's fine, I don't," Lovia shook her head.
Looking at Yaoyao and Qiqi—one as vibrant as the morning sun, the other as lonely as moonlight—she couldn't help but feel a ripple of emotion in her heart.
This feeling... "Sister, is the paper and pens you bought heavy? Do you need Qiqi and me to help you carry them back?" Yaoyao asked helpfully.
"No need, thank you both," Lovia declined with a smile. Though she was small and weak, carrying this much was more than manageable. "I didn't buy much, I can carry it myself. You and Qiqi should get back to your business; don't keep Mr. Baizhu waiting."
"Alright then." Yaoyao was a bit disappointed but nodded obediently. "Sister, take good care of yourself! The weather has been changing a lot lately, so remember to stay warm. Oh, right! I have some freshly picked Qingxin flowers here; they're good for calming the nerves when steeped in tea. I'll give them to you!"
With that, Yaoyao took several Qingxin flowers, still wet with dew, from his small bamboo basket and thrust them into Lovia's hand without taking no for an answer.
Feeling the coolness of the flowers and Yaoyao's pure kindness, Lovia's heart warmed.
"Thank you, Yaoyao."
"You're welcome! We'll be going now! Goodbye, Sister Lovia!" Yaoyao waved and, pulling Qiqi—who was still trying to memorize "coconut milk"—skipped away.
Watching the backs of the two little boys as they walked away, Lovia stood in place, holding the Qingxin flowers in her hand.
Then she carefully tucked the Qingxin away and, without lingering, immediately set off on the road home.
Although this chance encounter was heartwarming, it also made her more alert.
Even seemingly ordinary characters like Yaoyao and Qiqi could cross paths with her (Mr. Li Xin), let alone those sharp-nosed Liyue officials.
Specifically referring to Miss Yelan. (Pointing fingers)
"I must perfect the new manuscript submission plan as soon as possible." Back in her tiny shack, having taken off her cloak, Lovia thought while organizing her newly purchased stationery.
She spread out a simple map of Liyue Harbor, her eyes wandering through the intricate warehouses and freight yards of the Dock Area.
"Also, the next work... let's start with a sweet romance." She picked up her pen, a sly smile playing on her lips. "For example, 'Morax, This Body Belongs to You'... Hmm, I think that would be very interesting."
"But the protagonist is our Old Man Zhong from Liyue again. Forget it for now; let's lie low and write some historical fiction?"
"As for the sequel to 'secret tales of feiyun', although it's already written... let's scrap it. Xingqiu is such a good person; it wouldn't be right to keep making things up about him. I already felt quite embarrassed last time..."
"And for kids like Yaoyao and Qiqi, maybe I'll have the chance to write some little fairy tales suitable for them?"
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"