A week later, on a drizzly afternoon.
This kind of weather was perfect for covert operations; the rain could wash away traces, and pedestrians were in a hurry, with no mind to spare for others.
Lovia once again donned her oversized hooded cloak, carefully tucking her antennae into the shadows of the Hood and keeping her tail pressed tightly against the line of her leg.
She held a small parcel in her arms, containing a manuscript and her reply to the shopkeeper.
She had to mention, that Liyue Fountain Pen she bought last time was truly easy to use—many times better than a brush. Her writing efficiency had even improved significantly! (Mostly because Lovia wasn't used to using brushes.)
Instead of heading straight to Sanyu Bookstore as she usually did and finding a delivery boy nearby, Lovia took a detour to a bustling market near the docks.
The place was a cacophony of voices—hawking, bargaining, and the chants of dockworkers all mixed together to form the perfect background noise.
Lovia stopped in front of a stall selling Bait, her gaze seemingly sweeping over the surroundings at random. Soon, she locked onto an older child who had just finished helping an adult move goods. He looked clever and quite strong, a bit older than the "Little Clever Ghost" from last time—about twelve or thirteen—with dark skin from frequently running around the seaside.
"Little friend, how about a favor?" Lovia coughed twice, intentionally lowering her voice, and caught the boy's attention with twenty-some Mora and a sugar cake wrapped in oil paper.
The boy looked warily at the tightly wrapped "little friend" in front of him, but the temptation of the Mora and the sugar cake was significant, so he nodded.
Lovia handed him the small parcel carefully wrapped in waterproof oilcloth.
"Deliver this to Sanyu Bookstore and give it to the shopkeeper. Say an auntie asked you to deliver it. Remember, if anyone asks in the next few days, say a mister wearing a bamboo hat asked you to deliver it, and then forget about it. Also, if the shopkeeper says he has something for you to bring back, don't take it—just run. Understand?"
There shouldn't be anything to bring back; after all, she hadn't brought the voucher to collect her manuscript fees this time.
The boy seemed to only half-understand, but after seeing those twenty-odd Mora, he nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Auntie. I run errands in this area often; I know the rules!"
Hearing the other party actually call her "Auntie," the corner of Lovia's mouth under the Hood twitched.
The boy tucked the parcel into his arms, even covering it with his clothes. Then, as agile as a small fish, he dove into the crowd and ran toward Sanyu Bookstore.
However, Lovia didn't leave immediately after the boy left. Instead, she wandered around the market for a while longer, buying some worthless but pretty little trinkets, before following another circuitous route to silently return to her small shack.
Throughout the process, she felt her heartbeat was a few beats faster than usual—a mix of nervousness and the excitement of carrying out a plan.
Meanwhile, at Sanyu Bookstore.
Shopkeeper Sun was clicking away at an abacus behind the counter. Hearing the door, he looked up to see a strange boy covered in mist and the smell of fish running in.
"Shopkeeper, a mister in a bamboo hat told me to give this to you." Gasping for breath, the boy placed the oilcloth parcel on the counter, his eyes curiously surveying the room lined with bookshelves.
Shopkeeper Sun's heart stirred, but his expression remained unchanged as he smiled kindly: "Thank you for your trouble."
He took the parcel, fished out a few more Mora, and handed them to the boy, smiling: "Take these to buy a bowl of hot soup to ward off the cold."
The boy left happily.
Once the boy was gone, Shopkeeper Sun carefully opened the oilcloth wrap. Inside was indeed the familiar manuscript, along with a letter.
He first skimmed the contents of the letter. When he saw Lovia mention that there might be works from "friends" with different pen names and that the writing styles might also differ, he was stunned for a moment before revealing a knowing and somewhat admiring smile.
"The gentleman is indeed no ordinary person." He muttered to himself, the stone hanging in his heart half-lowered. To think of changing pen names and writing styles to distract attention meant the other party was sufficiently alert and had a plan in place.
He picked up the manuscript for "History of Jars: The Mortal Jar, the Wrath of God" and began flipping through it with curiosity. As he read, his brow would furrow one moment and smooth out the next, finally turning into a meaningful sigh.
"The writing style has changed, but not by much, eh? Why is the pen name still Lovia? Could it be that the pen name change is for other works?" Shopkeeper Sun was somewhat puzzled.
Having only read the beginning, he clapped his hands and sighed: "This writing power... wonderful!"
Although the style was indeed more rigorous compared to previous works.
"The blending of reality and fiction, the subtle clues—to actually link pickle jars with the origins of architecture so exquisitely!"
Shopkeeper Sun took a sip of tea that had long since gone cold, his eyes shining as he continued to flip through, his fingertips lightly tracing the surface of the paper.
He especially appreciated the tribute to "mortal wisdom" in the text.
Unlike common legends that worship divine power, this "History of Jars" used ceramic jars as a metaphor to reveal the true secret of Liyue's foundation: not a miracle bestowed by a God, but the wisdom of mortals erupting in desperate situations, and the perseverance passed down through generations.
"The matter of resisting the God of the Sea is indeed recorded in ancient texts, but that was our Rex Lapis..."
"...Sigh, this Mister Lovia is still so bold."
Shopkeeper Sun sighed, but this was exactly where the charm of the work lay.
"However, if this text spreads..." Shopkeeper Sun pondered for a moment, a sharp light flashing in his eyes, "I'm afraid it will stir up a craze for textual research on Liyue's 'foundation' in Liyue Harbor."
Scholars might scramble to flip through ancient texts looking for clues, craftsmen would re-examine the ceramic tiles in their hands, and as for those archaeology experts? Perhaps they would start buying up these "ancient pickle jars" on a large scale.
Shopkeeper Sun nodded repeatedly as he read, finally unable to resist talking to himself: "But... if the style remains like this in the future, even with a name change..."
"Oh well, the gentleman has his own plans."
He thought of some recent rumors about undercurrents in Liyue Harbor regarding the discussion of the era of "Human Rule," and his admiration for Mister "Lovia's" sensitivity and courage grew even more.
Shopkeeper Sun decided he would handle these manuscripts even more carefully in the future, and the originals would be kept under encrypted storage; no information about the contributor could ever be leaked.
————————————————————————————
Lovia returned safely to her little shack, feeling a sense of relief, and immediately took off her cloak.
The first practice of the new "Safety Protocol" was a success. Although it couldn't guarantee perfection, it at least greatly increased the difficulty of being tracked.
She decided that for the next submission, she would change to another location, find another reliable-looking child, and could even consider doing it at night.
She walked to the window. The rain had stopped, and the lights of Liyue Harbor appeared even more hazy and warm in the moist air.
"Alright, Mister Lovia can keep a low profile for a while." Lovia stretched, her antennae twitching happily. "Next, it's time for the Fictional Historian and Hanabi!"
The stories from her pen would no longer be those widely influential, serious tales, but rather unofficial history with her wicked (crossed out) unique perspective—little "emotional stories" about the overt and covert affairs of Liyue Harbor that even the parties involved hadn't noticed.
As for whether Miss Yelan would read them, and what she would think after reading them?
A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Lovia's mouth.
That would be none of this innocent Melusine's business!
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