Chapter 60 Contact

Chapter 60 Contact

Xin You's surprise at seeing He Qingxiao was no less than Liu Zhou's.

She couldn't help but glance at the row of bookshelves, thinking to herself that Lord He must be really determined to come here just for reading, or rather, to loiter around.

He Qingxiao was also quite surprised to see Xin You.

He had come early to finish reading the ending of the travelogue, not expecting Miss Kou to be here already.

Given how much Miss Kou cares about the bookstore, it's no wonder she managed to revive Qingsong Bookstore.

Seeing neither of them speaking, Liu Zhou wondered if he and Shitou were in the way. He then greeted He Qingxiao warmly, "Good morning, Lord He. Please, come in."

He Qingxiao nodded politely at Liu Zhou and walked inside.

Xin You smiled and greeted him, "Good morning, Lord He."

"Good morning, Miss Kou."

After exchanging greetings, one sat back down while the other walked towards the bookshelf.

Liu Zhou was puzzled.

Is this it? Weren't they supposed to meet?

He glanced at Xin You and saw her with a book open in front of her, her eyes closed.

The young apprentice watched as the owner dozed off until Lord He left, feeling speechless.

Lord He came here to read in peace, but why would the owner leave her comfortable bed to nap here?

Manager Hu came over and asked Xin You, puzzled, "Owner, you're here so early?"

Xin You rubbed her temples and smiled, "I came to check on things. I didn't sleep well last night and now I'm feeling drowsy. How is the Printing House doing?"

Manager Hu, who had come from the Printing House, replied enthusiastically, "Don't worry, Owner. Everything is going smoothly. I and Manager Zhao are keeping a close eye on everything, ensuring there won't be any mistakes."

The main concern was preventing another incident like Li Li's.

"Thank you, Manager Hu. When we're done with this busy period, I'll treat you all to a meal at the restaurant."

Manager Hu and Liu Zhou thanked her, while Shitou scratched his head with a smile.

Ji Cailan and Zhou Ningyue arrived earlier than Xin You had expected.

Seeing Xin You in the hall, Ji Cailan looked pleasantly surprised, "Sister Kou, what a coincidence that you're here too."

"I'm the owner of the bookstore, so I often drop by," Xin You said, looking at Zhou Ningyue.

Ji Cailan quickly introduced her, "This is my cousin, Zhou Ningyue. She's a year younger than you, Sister Kou. Cousin, this is the owner of Qingsong Bookstore I told you about. You can call her Sister Kou."

"Sister Zhou," Xin You greeted with a smile.

Seeing that Xin You was indeed as kind and approachable as her cousin had described, Zhou Ningyue smiled, "Sister Kou."

After the introductions, Ji Cailan held Xin You's hand, "Sister Kou, your bookstore's *Painted Skin* is fantastic. When will the next part be released?"

As more people entered the bookstore, everyone perked up their ears upon hearing this.

Zhou Ningyue, sensitive due to her injured leg, gently pulled Ji Cailan's hand, signaling her not to ask.

Xin You smiled, "Let's go inside to talk."

Manager Hu's temporary resting place had been modified to better accommodate guests. As Xin You led Ji Cailan and Zhou Ningyue inside, they heard an unhappy customer's voice.

"Hey, why are they whispering? When exactly will the next part of *Painted Skin* be released?"

The guest room was only separated from the book hall by a half curtain, so the voices carried clearly.

Ji Cailan looked embarrassed, "Sister Kou, did I cause trouble?"

"Not at all," Xin You said, pouring tea for both of them. "It's not a secret, and I actually hope everyone pays attention to the release date of the new book."

Manager Hu's soothing voice could be heard, "Soon, very soon, within two months at most."

Ji Cailan relaxed and resumed her chatter, "It's just that *Painted Skin* is so good. My cousin came here to buy *Painted Skin* too."

Zhou Ningyue smiled, "My cousin lent me *Painted Skin*, and I became engrossed. Since I often reread books I like, I decided to buy a copy."

"That day, when Sister Ji came to buy *The Peony Story*, it was also for Cousin Zhou," Xin You mentioned *The Peony Story* naturally.

Hearing *The Peony Story*, Zhou Ningyue instinctively frowned.

Xin You looked apologetic, "Did I say something wrong—"

Zhou Ningyue, who had a good impression of Xin You, quickly reassured her, "Sister Kou, don't misunderstand. I just remembered something that happened on the way to the capital."

Xin You showed a look of confusion.

Zhou Ningyue pursed her lips, clearly recalling an unpleasant memory, but still spoke, "I originally lived in Wanyang. At the beginning of the year, my father went to the capital and stayed there for work. Soon after, my mother brought me to the capital to reunite with my father. Unfortunately, I accidentally fell out of the carriage and broke my leg."

"How serious was it?" Xin You asked with genuine concern.

"It hurt terribly, but fortunately, a kind lady helped set my bones."

Listening to Zhou Ningyue's story, Xin You's heart sank.

From this, it seemed almost certain that Zhou Ningyue was unaware of her mother's death. Otherwise, she wouldn't have casually mentioned it to someone she had just met.

If it wasn't Zhou Ningyue, could the misfortune that befell Mother have been caused by Zhou Ningyue's mother? Or did she start looking in the wrong direction from the beginning?

The latter possibility chilled Xin You's heart, making her hands and feet ice cold.

After finishing a cup of tea, Ji Cailan smiled and said, "Since the bookstore is doing so well, we won't disturb Sister Kou any further. Another day, my cousin and I will invite you for tea."

Xin You suppressed her emotions and got up as if nothing had happened: "Sure, let's plan it."

She wanted to give *Painted Skin* to Zhou Ningyue, but Zhou Ningyue firmly refused. After some polite exchanges, Zhou Ningyue paid at a ten percent discount.

"Thank you, Sister Kou."

"Sister Zhou, you're too kind. You coming to buy storybooks helps my business; it's me who should thank you."

Xin You saw them off from the bookstore.

After walking a distance, Zhou Ningyue casually looked back and saw Xin You still standing at the bookstore entrance. She waved at Xin You and said cheerfully, "Cousin, Sister Kou is indeed nice."

Ji Cailan smiled: "So, Cousin, don't stay cooped up at home all day. Now that your leg is better, come out more often and make more friends."

"Mm."

The cousins chatted and walked away.

Xin You reined in her smile, slightly lowering her eyes. In her open palm lay a small jade pendant.

Of course, she wouldn't give up just like that. Since the likelihood of Zhou Ningyue being involved was slim, she would meet Zhou Ningyue's mother instead.

Back at the bookstore, she casually read for a while. Estimating the time was right, Xin You hurried to Cat Alley in Auspicious Square.

At the entrance of the alley, many people were sitting around chatting and enjoying the cool breeze. Xin You politely asked, "Excuse me, does a girl surnamed Ji live nearby?"

"Are you looking for Cailan girl?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Sister Cailan."

Seeing Xin You was about the same age as Ji Cailan, the neighbors naturally assumed she was a friend and enthusiastically pointed the way: "There, her house is the third one down the alley."

Xin You thanked them and walked into the alley, knocking on the door of the third house.