Chapter 64: How Could You Sell It! |
An Yuanyao had been there for a while already.
Today, she had deliberately worn a dress, tied her hair casually, and applied just a hint of light makeup. After getting out of the taxi at the corner, she immediately noticed Liu Changqing standing at the door—along with the college girl next to him.
To avoid being seen by the two, An Yuanyao hid behind a van parked nearby, peeking her head out to watch the girl, Li Qing, perform her soda-spraying act. She used her handbag as a shield in front of her face, sneaking glances at the pair as they joked and laughed.
For some reason, her initially good mood from the morning took a nosedive.
Luckily, the sour feeling didn’t last long. When Li Qing eventually hopped away in the direction of where An Yuanyao was hiding, she quickly squatted down and used her bag to cover her face.
Only after Li Qing had left did she stand up, lower her bag, and adjust her hair. Silently, she tiptoed over to Liu Changqing, who was fiddling with his belly, and leaned in close to his ear.
“Pretty much!”
The result? A startled Liu Changqing cursed loudly, shuddered, and looked at her with a face full of terror.
Seeing his reaction made An Yuanyao feel a bit better.
“Do you walk without making any sound?”
“You were just too lost in thought. I called you several times!”
An Yuanyao lied—she hadn’t called out to him at all.
Liu Changqing stared at her smiling face, feeling like she wasn’t telling the truth.
“When exactly did you call me? I didn’t hear a thing.”
“I did call you!” She shifted slightly, pointing toward the road behind her. “I was calling from over there! You were just too busy chatting with that pretty college girl to notice.”
As she finished, her smile faded, replaced by a sidelong glare at Liu Changqing. Her gaze made him uneasy, and he awkwardly turned his head.
Why did her tone seem so strange today?
“What brings you here again?”
“Am I not allowed to come and see you?”
“It’s not that… it just feels like you’ve been visiting quite often lately.”
“Can’t I go for a stroll when I have nothing to do?”
“Sure, sure…”
At that moment, the workers finished moving the items. Liu Changqing noticed and said to her, “Wait a moment.” He then quickly walked over to where the workers were.
Before she could respond, Liu Changqing was already chatting with a man who seemed to be in charge. They gestured toward the store and the large truck outside as they talked. After a while, they seemed to reach an agreement, and the workers and truck left, leaving the storefront quiet.
Liu Changqing walked back.
“Want to take a look?”
“Sure.”
Nodding, An Yuanyao followed him inside. The moment they stepped into the bookstore, she froze in place.
Her eyes stared blankly at the empty surroundings.
Where there had once been shelves filled with books, there was now nothing but a barren space. Dust and scraps of paper littered the floor. It no longer felt familiar—instead, it felt foreign.
Liu Changqing took a few steps forward and paused.
“I bought this bookstore.”
“You bought it?”
“Yeah. You know, I’ve been writing novels. I’ve made a little money.”
He couldn’t help but sigh as he said this. When he had first arrived in this world, the mere 3,000 yuan in his account had left him struggling to breathe. Thankfully, those days were behind him now.
“I also bought the adjacent storefront that had been closed for a long time.” He turned to look at her.
“You remember my novel Battle Through the Heavens, right? A big spender tipped me nearly 200,000 yuan! Though I only got to keep half.”
As soon as he said this, An Yuanyao’s expression shifted.
“Only half? What do you mean?”
“The platform takes a 50% cut. Otherwise, I could’ve earned more.”
“What?! That’s so greedy! Why do they take so much?”
“Exactly. A 20% cut would’ve been reasonable, but 50% is definitely excessive...”
As Liu Changqing spoke, he noticed her growing frustration and couldn’t help but find it puzzling.
“Why are you so angry?”
“Huh?” An Yuanyao froze for a moment, then awkwardly waved her hands to deny it.
“I-I’m not angry! I just… I just think it’s unfair to you!”
“Really?”
“Of course! Think about it—that’s not a small amount of money. The person tipping you probably wanted to support you and make your life better. Who would’ve thought the platform would take half?”
She clenched her small fists in indignation.
“Such a greedy website, squeezing authors out of their rightful earnings. It’s outrageous!”
“…”
Liu Changqing looked at her, amused by how she seemed to be fighting on his behalf.
Slowly, her fists unclenched, and her gaze shifted awkwardly under his steady stare. The room suddenly felt a lot warmer to her. She raised a hand to fan her face.
“It’s so hot today. Don’t you feel hot?”
“Your reaction earlier seemed a bit odd...”
“What’s odd about it? Don’t make things up…”
Avoiding his eyes, she glanced around the room. Then, as if remembering something, she hurriedly walked to the back room and pushed open the door. It was just as empty.
She stood there for a moment before turning back to him.
“Where’s the lounge chair?”
“I sold it. What else was I supposed to do with it?”
“What?! How could you sell it?”
An Yuanyao suddenly became upset, stomping her foot to emphasize her displeasure.
“That chair was so comfortable to lie on!”
“What are you even talking about? Aren’t all lounge chairs the same? They’re all comfortable.”
“Well… that one was different…”
Her voice trailed off as she lowered her head, fiddling with the straps of her bag. She mumbled softly, “It wouldn’t have sold for much anyway… and I’ve slept on it…”
Liu Changqing caught bits and pieces of her muttering. Watching her hang her head, his expression grew complicated. He sighed.
“I’m kidding. I put it in the trunk. I was planning to take it home.”
“Huh?!”
Her head shot up, her sorrowful expression still lingering on her face.
“Really?!”
“Yeah.”
Hearing his confirmation, her face lit up with a dazzling smile, so radiant it was almost blinding.