The author always has a very deep memory of the words and images in the text. Lu Shizhen found Xu Shiyue's words familiar because they came from her hand.
Lu Shizhen once compiled her comic strips into a book and published it, which was the prequel to "The Girl Who Accidentally Entered a Fantasy World".
In the final chapter of this prequel, after experiencing a deeply memorable battle, Lillian encounters Theon, an old friend from her hometown who will always be by her side in the future.
Rather than saying they met, it would be more accurate to say that Theon had been trying every possible way to find her all these years.
She didn't mind the mark on Lillian's face that had been driven away by her hometown people as a demon, and she wanted to travel with her. She said these words to her in the sea of roses blooming after the war.
Lu Shizhen stared at Xu Shiyue with a dull gaze, unable to tell whether she was quoting lines from a comic book character or speaking to her as Xu Shiyue.
So, has Xu Shiyue read her own comics?
"Is this young lady a die-hard fan of Teacher Sixteen?" Lu Shizhen wondered, and Xiaoning asked her on her behalf.
As Lu Shizhen's assistant, she could naturally tell where Xu Shiyue's words came from.
She was quite excited, not expecting such a beautiful woman to be a loyal fan of Teacher Sixteen, and said, "This sentence comes from when Theon caught up with Lillian in the Rose Grove in St. Shekkien, right?"
Xu Shiyue smiled gently and nodded: "Yes, it's on the last page of this book."
Xiao Ning was quite surprised: "So this is a prequel that's already out of print?!"
"Hmm." Xu Shiyue remained calm, as if having such a book was a matter of course.
Xiao Ning's surprise deepened, and Lu Shizhen's heart skipped a beat.
The last word signed on the blank page was blurred by the paused use of the ballpoint pen, leaving a dot, the pitch black concealing disbelief.
The large bouquet of roses, intense and overwhelming, filled Lu Shizhen's vision. Although it wasn't particularly heavy, it caused the barely balanced scales to begin to sway violently.
Xu Shiyue's visit to her was not a hasty and persistent pursuit, but rather a serious examination of all her works.
So she knew the meaning of the rose, and she knew what Theon meant by what he said to Lillie.
Theon will not let Lillian fight alone, and Xu Shiyue will not easily allow herself to disappear from this world again.
The person who was leaving alone was suddenly grabbed from behind. This kind of heartbeat, caused by a firm and even obsessive choice, cannot be depicted even with four separate shots. Only when the heart is truly beating against one's chest can it be glimpsed by others.
It's embarrassing to admit, even though she created the character herself, Lu Shizhen now truly understands the feeling Lilylian had back then—the longing to be held onto.
And that cautious worry and anxiety.
The signature "Sixteen" was repeated nearly a hundred times in the bottom right corner of the white page, and the face-to-face signing was nearing its end.
Lu Shizhen, her thoughts in disarray, handed the book back to Xu Shiyue, only to hear Xu Shiyue say to her, "Teacher Sixteen's stories are wonderful, and the art style is also very good. I really like such excellent works. Please keep up the good work."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Lu Shizhen has heard this from private messages, award ceremonies, and even from the hundreds of readers who just finished their book signing.
But it was precisely Xu Shiyue's affirmation that, like a firework suddenly rising, burst forth with a bang, filling Lu Shizhen's entire heart with immense brilliance.
It's not to say that the approval of others isn't important.
It was because the person who gave her this recognition was Xu Shiyue.
Lu Shizhen looked at the person standing in front of her, and for a moment she had so much to say, but her mouth opened and closed again, and in the end it only turned into a very solemn "thank you".
Noise continued to emanate from the group, while the bright lights seemed to favorably envelop the two of them in a radiant glow.
Their eyes met, silent yet speaking volumes.
Just then, Xiaoning's timer went off at an extremely inopportune moment. Looking at the increasingly crowded line behind her, she reluctantly took charge and said, "The signing session is over. Please take your books and look forward to seeing you again."
"Okay." Xu Shiyue nodded, then reached out and took the book signed by Lu Shizhen.
Their fingers overlapped for a moment, cool and soft, before suddenly parting.
Lu Shizhen couldn't tell if it was an accident or something the person did on purpose. Then she heard Xu Shiyue say to her, "See you next time."
Beneath her long, seaweed-like hair were a pair of bright eyes, her gentle and polite demeanor tinged with a subtle yet meaningful smile.
Suddenly, it followed its owner as he turned and left, disappearing from Lu Shizhen's sight.
The book signing event was originally scheduled from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., but despite the staff’s best efforts to control the number of attendees, it was still extended from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Although it ended successfully like the other autograph sessions, Lu Shizhen's wrist was really sore from exhaustion this time.
She rubbed her wrist numbly as Xiaoning, holding roses, excitedly shared the various records she had set that day.
She wondered if her eyesight had been clouded by signing so many documents, or what. In the distance, Lu Shizhen saw the comic book editor-in-chief talking to a familiar figure.
The midday sun was bright and radiant, casting its rays through one side of the window into the bookstore.
Although the editor-in-chief was dressed smartly in a suit and tie, the sun was still stingy in shining its light on the person opposite him.
The lake-green satin dress rippled with shimmering light, and the faint golden glow subtly and delicately outlined her slender and graceful figure.
Thick, long hair floated in the light and shadow, and raven-feather-like eyelashes formed an upward arc on the casually exposed half of her profile, curving and jet black, exuding superior refinement.
They are like figures who have stepped out of a painting, so beautiful that one would feel that seeing them once would be enough to make one die happy.
But this was the second time Lu Shizhen had seen this scene, and only today.
Lu Shizhen could hardly believe her eyes and stared blankly for a moment.
Just then, the editor-in-chief noticed her and Xiaoning walking over and immediately greeted them warmly: "Sixteen is here, perfect timing! Let me introduce you. This is Ms. Xu Shiyue, the chairman of the Xu Group. She really likes your comics, and she was the one who specifically asked us to arrange the book signing in S City."
“Xu, Xu Xu Group!” Upon hearing the editor-in-chief’s words, Xiaoning almost shouted, “It’s the Xu Group that’s located in a landmark building in S City!”
“That’s right.” Xu Shiyue admitted frankly, her eyes calmly looking at Lu Shizhen beside her. “I didn’t expect that we would meet again so soon.”
"Yes." Lu Shizhen nodded hesitantly, her expression complex.
She heard every word the editor-in-chief said clearly.
It even gave me the feeling that I was walking into a trap set by Xu Shiyue step by step.
The sunlight slanted into Lu Shizhen's line of sight, and Xu Shiyue's eyes were filled with a gentle smile towards her, yet it was also like a net.
The day before yesterday, when he sneaked into the villa to save Yuanzi, it wasn't a self-destructive act of walking into a trap, but rather a trap that Xu Shiyue simply used to capture him.
Her kisses were never casual.
She had already made up her mind about herself.
So what Xu Shiyue said yesterday on the way back to the hotel, that she admitted her mistake, was also a lie...
She wouldn't mistake herself; she's just bluffing.
But how did she calculate her actions so accurately?
Moreover, when did she lock onto herself?
More questions piled up in Lu Shizhen's head, making her feel a bit overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, Xiaoning arranged for Qiuqiu to rest at a hotel instead of by her side.
Lu Shizhen was immediately filled with remorse.
A beam of light passed by her, causing her to furrow her brow slightly, before falling into her eyes and fixing her gaze on the comic book in Xu Shiyue's hand.
Lillian's small mole on the side of her face became particularly noticeable in Lu Shizhen's line of sight.
In an instant, it was as if something suddenly exploded, reminding Lu Shizhen of many things.
Even the most meticulous work will have flaws, let alone the fact that Lu Shizhen overlooked this point.
Just like when she chose her own name, when creating Lillian, she inexplicably added a mole under Lillian's eye.
Sometimes you don't even realize it, but it has already taken root in your heart like a huge tree with its roots intertwined.
The swaying branches silently influence your decisions, sometimes leaving you with a clue that gives you away.
Before creating Lillian Land, Zhen also created another character.
That's the little girl with a mole on the lower left side of her eye in the painting she gave to Xu Shiyue.
It was Lu Shizhen who left Xu Shiyue with their last bond.
She wanted to let go of what she had forgotten, and silently followed the paintbrush in her hand for five years.
Each stroke of the pen is refined and deepened with the passage of time.
As the sunlight gently rippled, Xu Shiyue glanced at the silent Lu Shizhen, quietly put the comic book in her hand into her bag, and continued calmly to Xiaoning, "I heard from Editor-in-Chief Chen that your studio is in the capital, and you'll be heading back immediately after today's book signing?"
“Yes.” Xiaoning nodded casually, completely unaware of any change in the person next to her. “Because the book signing event in S City was originally scheduled by a last-minute addition, there’s still a lot of work to do when we get back, and we even have to find time to hold the celebration banquet when we get back.”
Xiaoning paused for a moment at this point.
She suddenly remembered what Editor-in-Chief Chen had said earlier and realized that her words had implied some resentment towards Xu Shiyue. She quickly and cautiously observed the owner of the Xu Group opposite her.
Perhaps it was because the sunlight was too bright that day, but she couldn't see any emotion in this seemingly gentle and easy-going person's eyes. Instead, as she tried to probe him, she felt a chill in her heart.
This coolness wasn't something she deliberately exuded through a particular look or action; it was something she naturally possessed.
The bright sunlight fell on this person, like a clear and distinct chasm, clearly separating her from everyone around her.
But when she was talking to Teacher Sixteen just now, she didn't seem to have this kind of distance between them; she was even quite gentle with him...
The rich fragrance of roses wafted around Xiaoning, their vibrant color unforgettable.
How can one person have two completely different appearances?
Just as she was fretting about this, Xiaoning suddenly remembered the introduction that Editor-in-Chief Chen had given to Xu Shiyue.
Since Xu Shiyue liked their Sixteenth Teacher's comics so much, she thought she might as well change the idea of trying to win her back to trying to gain her favor.
Perhaps if we maintain a good relationship, we can collaborate with the Xu Group on some business project in the future.
Wouldn't Teacher Sixteen's popularity skyrocket like this? Wouldn't Lillie's future really be bright?!
Since we're going to do this, let's go all the way and get started.
Thinking this, Xiaoning continued to say to Xu Shiyue, "Actually, the success of our book signing event this time is also thanks to Miss Xu's efforts in organizing it. S City is actually quite close to the capital... Miss Xu, would you like to come along?"
Xiaoning rubbed her hands together with a smile, her eyes full of anticipation for Xu Shiyue.
Xu Shiyue pursed her lips slightly and turned to look at Lu Shizhen, who hadn't spoken for a long time.
Sunlight falls into eyes that are raised like fans, the cool brightness reflecting a hint of gentle peace.
She slightly raised the corners of her lips and said in a flat voice, "I just don't know if Teacher Sixteen will welcome this."
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