114 Clues

Seeing this, Lin Xia smiled and said, "Alright, just return the book to Xiao Xiao. I have an extra copy here; I'll give it to you."

"Really?" Zhao Qian exclaimed with delight. This truly felt like having no way out and suddenly encountering a bright new path.

Lin Xia nodded. "I have a contact in City B. I had her buy me a few copies in advance."

Zhao Qian pondered for a moment. "Is it that Qing Qing who took us out last time?"

Lin Xia nodded again. "I never expected this issue of the magazine to be so popular. I only asked her to get me three sets—one for you, one for Tong Tong, and one to keep."

Indeed, such craziness had never happened before. Sun Xiaoxiao said, "Let’s just forget about it this time; none of us anticipated it. In the future, could she get four copies for us? There are four of us, one each."

Usually, Chen Qing would send her a few sets, so four wouldn’t be too many. If Lin Xia made such a request, Chen Qing wouldn’t refuse; instead, she’d probably feel even closer to them.

With that in mind, Lin Xia nodded in agreement.

Zhao and Sun exchanged a glance, both seeing satisfaction reflected in the other’s eyes. Wonderful, they no longer had to worry about missing the magazine.

“Here, your book,” Zhao Qian said, handing the magazine back to Sun Xiaoxiao and linking arms with Lin Xia. “Let’s hurry to your place.”

She glanced outside. “Looks like the rain has lessened quite a bit.”

Lin Xia was speechless. Looking at the torrential downpour, she saw no sign of it easing at all.

Just then, her phone rang. She took it out and saw it was You Xin.

“Hello?”

“Where are you? It’s raining so hard. Did you bring an umbrella?”

“No, we’re stuck in a tiny bookstore, worried about the rain.”

“Wait for me; I’m coming over right away.” With that, You Xin hung up.

“Who was that?” Zhao Qian asked.

“A Xin. He’s nearby and said he’ll be here soon. We just have to wait.”

“Oh,” the two replied casually, then resumed discussing the magazine.

“This issue’s cover is really nice, so evocative.”

“Yeah, I love the rustic style.”

Lin Xia chimed in occasionally, “The art style is superb, like a traditional ink painting unfolding before us.” After chatting for a few minutes, they heard a car horn honk, followed by You Xin’s voice calling, “Xia Xia.”

Lin Xia looked up and saw a green taxi waiting at the bookstore entrance. He must have gone to hail the cab earlier. It’s not easy to flag down a cab in such heavy rain.

She nudged Zhao Qian with her elbow. “The car’s here; let’s go.”

Sun and Zhao looked up and smiled at the sight of the taxi.

Zhao Qian said, “You Xin is really thoughtful and kind. I wonder which lucky girl will get to enjoy his care someday.”

“Exactly.”

Just then, You Xin approached holding an umbrella. Hearing their words, he wasn’t offended but smiled at their teasing.

“Enough chatter. Get in the car,” Lin Xia rolled her eyes at them, took the umbrella from You Xin, and got in with Zhao Qian.

Sun Xiaoxiao took the umbrella from You Xin but was too lazy to open it, so she shared it with him, quickening her pace toward the car. Once seated, she immediately resumed her lively conversation with Zhao Qian.

You Xin watched and turned to Lin Xia, “What are they so excited about?”

Before Lin Xia could reply, Sun Xiaoxiao exclaimed, “We’re talking about Liu Yan’s new book! I barely managed to get a copy after a fierce scramble.”

You Xin laughed. “That’s an exaggeration. With Xia Xia around, why would you have to fight for it?”

Lin Xia gave him a doubtful look. What did he mean by that?

Sun Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously. “Exactly. Xia Xia said her contact in City B would buy and send us every issue from now on.”

At this, Zhao Qian asked curiously, “Xia Xia, what does Qing Qing do? How do you know her?”

Lin Xia smiled. “Qing Qing is an editor at the magazine, and coincidentally, she works at ‘Drizzle’.”

“Really!” both Sun and Zhao exclaimed simultaneously. “Has she met Yan Da?”

Zhao Qian was thrilled. “This means we’ll definitely have a chance to meet Yan Da in the future.”

“Yes, yes! I never expected it.” Sun Xiaoxiao then teased Lin Xia, “You’re so tight-lipped; you didn’t tell us anything beforehand. If it weren’t for Qian asking, who knows how long you would have kept it from us?”

Lin Xia smirked but said nothing.

“By the way, if there’s a chance, you must ask Qing Qing to get us some autographs! The last signed set went to Tong Tong, and Qian and I have been wanting one for ages.”

Lin Xia’s neighborhood wasn’t far from Experimental Middle School, just a short walk away. The taxi soon arrived.

“We’re here,” Lin Xia said, eyeing the rain. “Since we’re here, don’t bother going back. The rain’s so heavy, it would be troublesome. Why not have dinner at my place and get the books?”

Seeing their hesitation, Lin Xia encouraged them, “Don’t you want to read Liu Yan’s new book as soon as possible? You can read it at my place—it’s cozy—and afterwards, we can discuss it together.”

Sun Xiaoxiao and Zhao Qian had eaten at Lin Xia’s house before and were familiar with her mother. They also knew her study was elegantly decorated, so they smiled, “Well, don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

“Of course not! You’re more than welcome,” Lin Xia replied. “You Xin, you’re coming too, right?”

You Xin smiled. “I probably won’t have much to add to your conversation. Besides, my home’s nearby, so it’d be rude to intrude.”

Lin Xia mentioned it in passing. When he didn’t respond, she didn’t push, took up the umbrella, and headed home with Zhao Qian.

Opening the door, a faint aroma wafted from the kitchen. Lin Xia changed her shoes and called out, “Mom, Qian and Xiaoxiao are here.”

Soon the kitchen door opened, and her mother appeared with a spatula in hand, smiling, “Good, you’ve got company for dinner now.”

“Hello, Auntie.”

“Hey, hey, great! Qian and Xiaoxiao, feel at home. Don’t be shy. Xia Xia, there’s fruit on the table—make sure to offer some to your friends. I’m halfway through cooking the vegetables.”

“Auntie, you’re busy; no need to fuss over us,” Zhao Qian said with a smile.

“Alright then, I won’t be formal either. Don’t be formal with me, okay?” With that, she closed the kitchen door and continued cooking.

Lin Xia hung the wet umbrellas on the balcony. Seeing that Zhao and Sun weren’t in the mood for fruit, she led them to the study.

She took the latest issue of ‘Drizzle’ from the bookshelf and handed it to Zhao Qian, who immediately curled up on the small sofa in the study, eager to read.

Lin Xia didn’t disturb them and quietly closed the door, heading to the living room.

Turning on the TV, she poured herself a glass of water and sat cross-legged on the sofa, deep in thought: What did You Xin mean by what he said earlier?

His expression was natural, his tone just like usual, but Lin Xia felt there was more beneath the surface.

Could it be that he knew she was Liu Yan?

But how would he know? She was usually extremely cautious and had repeatedly told her family to keep things low-key and not to publicize these matters.

However, if he did know, his calmness was surprising; if not, his words might have inadvertently revealed some clues.

Lin Xia pondered for a long time but found no answer and finally put it aside.

Though she didn’t interact with You Xin much, she knew he wasn’t one to speak unnecessarily. Given that, she had no particular worries. She never intended to shield her secret forever—she just didn’t want to attract attention or disrupt her peaceful life prematurely.

After all, though she’d saved some money over the past two years, it was insignificant to truly wealthy people.

Take Beijing’s housing prices, for example; her savings would only buy a modest apartment.

Just then, voices faintly drifted from the study. Lin Xia set down her glass and walked over.

“Ahhh, Yan Da is really mean! To trap us at such a crucial point—boohoo...” Sun Xiaoxiao was expressing her frustration in her usual way.

“Yes, how on earth did Xu Yihua evade Chen’s scheming this time? Can she meet Zhu Di? The male and female leads haven’t even met yet, and it’s over. It’s so aggravating.” Zhao Qian chimed in with her complaints.

“I’m writing to the magazine to demand more chapters and content. This is way too short!” Sun Xiaoxiao was indignant, and Lin Xia heard her name slip from her mouth.

Lin Xia smiled wryly. It seemed her writing progress was still too slow. If this were a few years later, at this pace, readers would have already besieged her in the reviews.

Sun Xiaoxiao’s remarks reminded her that she needed to speed up. However, based on typical web novel lengths, she planned to write about a million characters for this book, likely publishing several volumes. Therefore, finishing the first volume quickly was essential to build momentum.

Otherwise, if she waited until the entire series was done and then suddenly published five or six books, readers might not accept it.

Nowadays, novels usually serialize in magazines first before being published as books. Youth campus stories are popular, making print editions easier.

The rise of internet literature, like ‘Zhu Xian’ and ‘The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles,’ has tightly linked online and print publishing, revolutionizing the traditional publishing path.

This emergence has truly transformed the print industry.

Lin Xia was aware of this issue and had accelerated her writing speed, much to the relief and admiration of her readers: thankfully, her books maintained high quality and speed, unlike others who only released a few hundred characters every ten or fifteen days.

Of course, the happiest of all was Chen Qing. The more Lin Xia wrote, the more fees Chen Qing could earn as her direct editor from the publisher.

But these were matters for another time.

Now, Lin Xia pushed open the study door and smiled, asking, “I could hear you from afar. What’s going on?”