Editor Mei sat at the table and began flipping through the manuscript quickly.
"The opening is… a food-themed story? That's a novel genre."
"A kitchen knife that can restore ingredients to freshness, a jar that can instantly brew fine wine—these kitchen tool settings are quite interesting…"
"A sweet romance between a foreign girl apprentice and her warm-hearted master. The daily life scenes are a bit plain, but the emotional depth is well done…"
Editor Mei commented as she read, which felt a bit like a public trial.
Zhu Zi's face turned red as she listened. She glanced at Xia Zhi, who was sitting quietly, his expression unchanged, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After about ten minutes, Editor Mei finished reading the entire manuscript and looked up with a smile.
"Miss Zhu Zi, your manuscript is very well-written."
"Thank you for your recognition!"
"I think it has great potential, and our publishing house would like to work with you."
"Really?"
"Of course. Let's discuss the contract details now."
"Okay!"
Xia Ci suddenly coughed lightly.
Zhu Zi immediately remembered and quickly said, "Um, since I'm from Inazuma, I'm not very familiar with Liyue's contracts. Could I ask my friend here to negotiate on my behalf?"
Xia Ci stepped forward.
"Hello, Editor. My name is Xia Ci."
Editor Mei looked at the little girl who seemed like she hadn't even hit puberty yet and was momentarily stunned.
"Are you sure?"
Zhu Zi nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
Xia Ci said seriously, "Don't worry. I've been reading law books since I was young, so I'm quite familiar with contracts."
"Alright then."
Editor Mei wasn't convinced.
A little girl, no matter how knowledgeable about the law, couldn't possibly be as skilled as Yanfei, the great lawyer who had negotiated for Mr. Rainy Night last time.
She took out a standard contract and handed it to Xia Ci.
"Please take a look at the contract and see if there's anything you find unacceptable…"
"Okay."
And then, there was no "then."
If anything, it was just that negotiating was really fun—much more fun than haggling.
Editor Mei dejectedly revised the contract.
"Miss Zhu Zi, let's sign the contract now."
"Okay!"
"You'll need to sign your name here, as well as your pen name."
"Got it!"
"Zhu Zi, 'Falling Cherry Blossoms That Never Fade.'"
"This pen name…"
"Is it not allowed?"
"No, it's fine. It's just that it feels similar to Mr. Rainy Night's pen name… The contract is in two copies. Please keep one."
"Okay!"
"The book will likely be published by the end of next month. Once it's printed, I'll send you a copy in advance."
"Thank you, Editor!"
"You're welcome."
"Then we'll take our leave now."
"Take care, everyone."
"Feel free to drop by our shop for drinks sometime."
"Definitely!"
As they left the publishing house, Zhu Zi suddenly turned and hugged Diona, letting out a mix of laughter and tears.
"I really got signed!"
"I told you your writing was good."
"Hehe."
"Congratulations, Zhu Zi."
"Thank you, everyone!"
"Since that's the case, let's have a proper celebration at lunch today."
"Great idea!"
"Cousin, how about hot pot?"
"Hot pot? That's perfect for this weather. Let's go buy some ingredients for it then."
"Tripe! Duck intestines! Blood tofu!"
"We might not find all of that."
"Let's just see what's available."
"Let's go."
---
At the construction site.
Despite the food tasting like cardboard, Keqing still forced herself to eat some breakfast.
After all, this wasn't an office job—if she didn't eat, she really wouldn't be able to keep up.
Keqing stood on a high platform, feeling listless as she supervised the bustling construction work below.
She used to not believe in sayings like "it's hard to go from luxury to simplicity, but easy to go from simplicity to luxury."
As a noble lady, she had lived a life of luxury as a child, but after becoming the Yuheng Star, she often had to camp outdoors for work. When she was hungry, she'd use her Electro powers to catch fish and roast them for a quick meal.
She never expected her spirit of hard work to crumble so easily in the face of instant noodles.
This stuff is really toxic!
Before this, Keqing had never encountered a food that could completely numb her taste buds like this.
Last night, she couldn't eat a single bite of food, but thankfully, this morning she managed to force down a little.
It seemed the effect was gradually wearing off over time.
That's a relief.
Keqing sighed, then her expression turned resolute.
I can't let this happen again!
I'm one of the Liyue Qixing—how can I be held back by a mere bowl of noodles?
This is so embarrassing!
To prevent this from happening again, I swear I'll never touch instant…
"Miss Keqing."
Just as Keqing was making this vow in her heart, she heard Zhongli's voice behind her.
She turned around and saw Zhongli approaching with a set of blueprints in hand.
"Mr. Zhongli, what is it?"
"I just did a site inspection and noticed that this area could use some optimization."
"Oh?"
"Look here…"
Zhongli pointed to a specific spot on the blueprint and explained it to Keqing.
After a moment, Keqing nodded.
"You're right, it can be optimized. Let's proceed with the revised plan."
Normally, that would've been the end of it, but these blueprints were designed by the former Dendro Archon.
As the God of Wisdom, she always pursued perfection, so such a minor flaw shouldn't have existed.
Given her current personality, Zhongli wasn't sure if this was an intentional oversight.
He thought about it and decided it would be best to consult her first. It wasn't because he was afraid she'd come after him later.
"Miss Keqing."
"Yes?"
"If we optimize this area, it'll require significant changes. It's best to discuss this with Miss Xia Ci, as she's the lead designer."
"Hmm… You're right, but she's not here at the moment."
"Liyue Harbor isn't far. If we send someone now, they should be able to get there by lunchtime."
"Hmm…"
Lunch?
Keqing's heart skipped a beat.
Lunch wasn't the main concern, but since only she and Zhongli fully understood the blueprints, she was worried that others might not convey the message accurately.
Keqing's expression suddenly turned serious.
"In that case, I'll go back and discuss it with Xia Ci myself."
---
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