Chapter 41: Grand Opening

Lu Anzhi merely smiled at Zhang Suxin’s eye-roll.

As they spent more time together, this casual, unpretentious demeanor had become increasingly frequent whenever she faced him. That specific roll of her eyes, in particular, made Lu Anzhi feel as if it were a habit of hers.

No wonder Qianqian knew how to shoot people looks; Lu Anzhi was now certain that the little girl had learned it from her mother. And the way Zhang Suxin cast these glances had grown more charming and graceful with time. Since everyone appreciates beauty, Lu Anzhi quite enjoyed the allure of that brief look.

"I remember 'Wukong Biography' is on your reading list. Why don't you sign a copy for me to give to Xiaoqin?" Zhang Suxin asked.

Lu Anzhi was slightly surprised. "Song Xiaoqin? She actually reads 'Wukong Biography'?"

Zhang Suxin replied, "Is there something wrong with that? It was she who recommended 'Dragon Raja' to me. She hasn't read it herself, though, only 'Wukong Biography'. Her profile signature on Qiuqiu is something like, 'I want this heaven to no longer be able to block my eyes.' That’s a line from your book, right?"

Lu Anzhi chuckled. He hadn't expected this friend of Zhang Suxin—who seemed quite mature—to harbor the soul of a "chuunibyou" teenage girl inside.

"Sure, hold on a second."

Lu Anzhi acted immediately, going to the bookshelf to fetch a copy of "Wukong Biography," where he quickly scribbled his pseudonym, "Dora-B-Dream," on the title page. After signing it, he placed both sets of books into the counter drawer; Zhang Suxin wasn't in any rush to take them just yet.

Afterward, Lu Anzhi and Zhang Suxin accompanied Qianqian as she played in the bookstore, walking the little one through this kingdom of books. Lu Anzhi brought out the children's picture books he had prepared for her. The little girl naturally let out a "wow" of amazement, unable to put her new treasures down.

"Once the store opens tomorrow and everything settles into a routine, I'll have more time. I’ll write a few more fairy tales, send them to the 'Under the Maple Tree' editorial office along with 'The Little Prince,' and once they are published, I’ll give them to Qianqian as gifts," Lu Anzhi said with a smile as he watched her hugging her presents.

Although "Under the Maple Tree" was primarily an online platform, it was backed by a physical magazine publisher, so fairy tales like "The Little Prince" could indeed be published there. As for "First Intimate Contact," he was still writing it, but he hadn't mentioned it to Zhang Suxin. She didn't seem interested in a story about an online romance.

Zhang Suxin blinked and glanced at him, clearly curious about the other fairy tales he mentioned. Having seen "The Little Prince," she felt that any fairy tale Lu Anzhi wrote would surely be on par with the most popular stories in the world.

***

It wasn't until the air cooled in the late afternoon that Zhang Suxin finally left with Qianqian.

"Since you're opening tomorrow, I'll come by to check on you. After that, I won't be here all the time. You should prepare to come over to my place; Zhou Bo’s manager called to say he’s finished filming his drama and will be arriving soon." Zhang Suxin gave him these instructions as she prepared to leave.

Lu Anzhi nodded and said, "Alright."

Zhang Suxin took the copy of "Wukong Biography" he had signed. When he offered her a set of "Dragon Raja III," she shook her head, refusing, saying she would wait until they were sold in the store and read them only after they had been bought by others.

As he watched her shake her head, a flash of relief crossed Lu Anzhi’s mind, followed immediately by a wave of anxiety: he wondered how she would react after reading that book. He feared he would have to endure a few more eye-rolls from the mother of his child.

Thinking of this, Lu Anzhi reminded himself: he must never let anyone know that he was "Dora-B-Dream" while running a bookstore here. Otherwise, he might actually start receiving razor blades in the mail. And once he finished "First Intimate Contact," he really ought to write a story with a happy ending to rehabilitate his image among readers. Otherwise, if his secret identity were ever exposed, he might find himself forced to open a hardware store instead.

With these thoughts, he went home, made dinner, ate, and closed the shop early to sleep. Having been busy all day, drowsiness hit him quickly; he lay down on his bed and was asleep in moments. In his dreams, he saw his readers rebelling, holding "Dragon Raja III" high as they stormed the top of the Sanwei Bookstore, littering the ground with razor blades until they flooded the shop.

The next day, Wang Ping arrived early. When Lu Anzhi opened the shop and rolled up the metal shutter, he was momentarily startled. They had agreed she would come at 9:30 AM; there was no need to be early for an opening. Yet, it was barely 8:00 AM, and Wang Ping was already waiting.

"Sister Wang, you're early. How long have you been waiting? Why didn't you call me to open up?" Lu Anzhi asked.

Wang Ping smiled. "I just got here. I figured since it's your opening day, you'd likely be up early. I didn't have anything to do at home, so I came early and happened to catch you opening."

Lu Anzhi laughed as well. "Well, I suppose that counts as us being open for business?"

Wang Ping chuckled. "It's your store, boss—whatever you say."

And so, the small Sanwei Bookstore opened its doors in the simplest fashion. No ribbon-cutting, no firecrackers, and no guests to offer congratulations. Just Lu Anzhi opening the door, Wang Ping tidying up, and taking her seat behind the counter. And, of course, placing the nationwide release of "Dragon Raja III" onto the shelves.

"Hey, a bookstore opened here!"
"I remember this used to be a music shop..."
"Who cares? Let's go in and ask."

Two young girls were talking outside, pushing the door open as they spoke. Wang Ping smiled at them but remained silent. Bookstores didn't need aggressive sales tactics; customers usually didn't like being asked, "What book are you looking for?" while they were browsing. However, if someone asked, that was a different story.

"Do you have 'Dragon Raja III' here?" one of the girls asked.

"We do," Wang Ping said, gesturing toward the shelf. She had already familiarized herself with the massive popularity of the third installment of this series and had placed the books in the most prominent position.

The two girls followed her gesture, spotted the books immediately, and grabbed a set to pay. They only bought one set, presumably intending to read it together.

"There are seats over there!" one of the girls suddenly noticed the long tables inside.

The girl paying asked Wang Ping, "Ma'am, can we read here?"

Wang Ping nodded with a smile. "Of course. Those seats are set up specifically for people to sit and read."

The two girls looked pleasantly surprised. They said "thank you," went over to sit side-by-side, and glanced at the handsome man sitting in the far corner. They placed the first volume of "Dragon Raja III" in the middle and opened it together.

The man they had glanced at was, naturally, Lu Anzhi.

On this first day of business, Lu Anzhi didn't want to worry about anything else; he just wanted to sit and observe what his little bookstore would be like. He was casually reading a history book about this world when he noticed the two young girls sitting across from him.

The start seemed quite promising, he thought to himself.