Chapter 113: Scheming Across the World

A sudden downpour arrived, lacking the bleakness of autumn rain but washing away the stifling heat of summer and leaving the air filled with a refreshing scent.

Lin Xia, Zhao Qian, and Sun Xiaoxiao held their books over their heads, ducking hastily into a small bookstore by the roadside.

Shaking the water from their books and gazing out at the world blanketed in a thick, overwhelming mist of rain, Lin Xia pouted, a rare expression for her. The rain was truly fierce; it stung the backs of her hands as it struck.

Wiping the rainwater from her forehead, Zhao Qian let out a long sigh. "It’s finally raining. These past two days have been so suffocating; this oppressive weather just makes one listless, unable to muster the energy for anything."

Watching the curtain of rain falling from the eaves, Lin Xia nodded. "Indeed. The rain has finally come, even if it caught us a bit off guard."

That day, after sending her manuscript to Chen Qing, Lin Xia had written about a chapter's worth of content before You Xin and the others returned from outside, bringing her plenty of delicious snacks.

Seeing them return, Lin Xia closed her laptop. They placed the food on the coffee table, sat in a circle, and ate and drank, chatting from time to time. Because of Xie Xitong’s incident, they hadn't been this lighthearted in a long time, so they all tacitly avoided mentioning the car accident.

After an hour or so had passed, Zhao Xin returned from the hospital carrying groceries. Seeing the room in disarray, she didn't get angry; instead, she joked with everyone and prepared a table of fine dishes, saying it was to welcome You Xin and Zhou Meng back. Another round of drinking followed.

This was the first time You Xin and Zhou Meng had tasted Zhao Xin’s cooking. Zhou Meng ate until his mouth was slick with grease, declaring it the best meal he had ever had in his life.

After dinner, the group headed to the hospital, where they encountered someone Lin Xia had almost forgotten: Liu Ziqing.

Liu Ziqing was talking with Chen Zimo, while Xie Fanghua was conversing with a middle-aged couple. The woman’s face was turned away, making her features unclear, but the man was facing them directly, so he was easy to see.

*That must be Liu Ziqing’s parents,* Lin Xia mused to herself. Given the long-standing friendship between the Liu and Xie families, it was only natural for the Liu couple to visit, especially since Old Master Xie was still holding down the fort in Rongcheng.

The moment she saw Liu Ziqing, Zhao Xin’s footsteps faltered, and she tightened her grip on the food container. Immediately, she relaxed her posture and put on a graceful smile. With a lithe and elegant demeanor, she walked up to them and said softly, "Zimo."

Lin Xia observed coldly. Seeing Zhao Xin act this way, she silently praised her. She had no idea what Zhao Xin had been in a past life to possess such exquisite poise. Logically, given her background, it should have been impossible for her to possess a grace that rivaled Liu Ziqing’s.

In this life, Zhao Xin was indeed a top-tier beauty. In her previous life, she had been tricked into signing a contract of indentured servitude. With her looks, she naturally didn't end up in some low-class establishment; she was sold to an upscale nightclub.

In a place like that, one didn't just rely on their body, as people might imagine. There were professionals there who trained them, teaching them how to maximize their natural advantages. One had to realize that the people frequenting such places were influential figures who had seen all kinds of beauties.

A woman’s greatest allure was not standing naked before a guest, but using her voice, her gaze, or even a casual gesture to capture a person’s attention and make them desire her.

"Hey, where’s Xiaoxiao?" Zhao Qian’s voice pulled Lin Xia back to reality. Only then did she notice that they had been talking for a long time without seeing any sign of Sun Xiaoxiao.

"I’m right here," Sun Xiaoxiao’s voice came from behind them. Lin Xia and Zhao Qian turned around and discovered that this bookstore was surprisingly busy. The two exchanged a look and walked over, curious.

"Why are you grabbing it? I saw it first!" a girl with straight bangs and a blue-and-white school uniform cried out in annoyance.

"What good is seeing it? I’m the one who got my hands on it first. Boss, here, this is ten yuan, take it," a girl in the same uniform, wearing a ponytail, said dismissively. She quickly handed the money to the boss and squeezed out of the crowd.

In just this short time, more people had rushed past Lin Xia to squeeze into the throng.

Looking at the three layers of people surrounding the counter, Lin Xia said to Zhao Qian, "Let’s just wait outside; there are too many people here."

Zhao Qian wasn't one to enjoy crowds; she nodded in agreement and picked up a math reference book to flip through.

After waiting for a moment, they saw Sun Xiaoxiao squeeze out of the crowd, clutching a magazine.

"Haha, I finally snatched it!" Sun Xiaoxiao ran over, dancing with joy, and presented it like a treasure. "Take a look, you two."

Glancing casually at the cover, Lin Xia knew it was the latest issue of *Fine Rain*. Chen Qing had mailed it to her several days ago as soon as the sample copies were out.

Because the cover style of *Fine Rain* changed drastically every issue, Zhao Qian didn't recognize it at first. But when she took the book and saw the large characters on the cover, she gasped, "Ah!"

The style of this issue was rustic and full of artistic conception. Accompanying the ink-wash painting was a captivating blurb:

*A woman falls while hiking and accidentally travels through time, arriving in an ancient era where she becomes entangled in court intrigue. She is as elegant as bamboo, possessing strategic brilliance and delicate hands. He is a master of literature and war, ambitious and deeply calculating.*

*The currents of history bind them together. One for her goals, one for a more comfortable life, they join forces. As time passes and their hearts unite, they compose a moving legend across this picturesque landscape.*

*He plots to conquer the world; she captures his heart...*

Below were bold, thick ink characters: *The latest masterpiece by Liu Yan: "Conquering the World"!*

Seeing this, Zhao Qian hugged the magazine to her chest. "Liu Yan released a new book! I want to read it, I want to read it."

"You greedy thing, no way! I barely managed to snag a copy; go buy your own!" Sun Xiaoxiao naturally refused.

Just as they were talking, another girl ran in from outside, too hurried to even close her umbrella, and shouted to the inside, "Boss, do you have any copies of this issue of *Fine Rain* left?"

"None, none left! They’re all sold out, everyone please, don't push!" the boss’s gruff voice came from the crowd, sounding utterly helpless against the backdrop of the rain.

Watching this scene, Lin Xia asked in confusion, "What is going on? We passed several bookstores on our way here, and none of them were like this."

Sun Xiaoxiao was busy bickering with Zhao Qian, but upon hearing this, she proudly offered, "You don't know this, do you? This bookstore has connections in City B; many books you can't find elsewhere can be bought here. This magazine is selling like crazy; it’s basically impossible to find outside of City B. The boss had to pull some strings to get these few copies."

Lin Xia nodded in realization. "That explains why you wouldn't go into any of the bookstores we passed earlier and insisted on dragging us to this one."

Zhao Qian didn't care what they were saying; she held onto the book for dear life.