Chapter 257 (Respectfully Presented)
At midday, when the sun was blazing, Nan Zhiyi took a bus back from the General Staff compound. When she got home, her hair was damp with sweat.
She took off her sun hat and hung it on the coat hook in the entryway, then went into the bathroom on the first floor and washed herself by the sink.
Xiaoman followed her around like a puppy ever since she entered the room.
He was clinging to the bathroom door frame, staring at her with his big, dark eyes.
Nan Zhiyi smiled and waved to him: "Come on, Xiaoman, let's wash our hands too."
The little guy immediately climbed onto a small stool next to him, put his chubby little hands under the tap, and rubbed them like his mother did.
Just then, Sister Zhang's voice came from the direction of the kitchen, "Sister-in-law, when you weren't here this morning, two people from the publishing house came and delivered a lot of books! I had them put them in the study on the first floor, and they've piled up in a huge heap!"
Nan Zhiyi couldn't help but secretly admire Editor Lin's efficiency.
It's only the first day of the official holiday, and the items have already arrived. It seems the company is really pushing the signed edition and bookmark plan.
She took Xiaoman's hand and said, "Come on, son, come with Mom to see."
The mother and son walked into the study, where they saw dozens of bundles of new books neatly stacked in the center of the once spacious room. The books were wrapped in kraft paper and hemp rope, exuding the smell of ink and paper, and were almost half a person high.
Looking at the piles of books, Nan Zhiyi felt a strange heaviness on her shoulders.
Her gaze shifted to the desk, where several brand-new boxes were placed. Upon closer inspection, she found complete sets of paintbrushes, palettes, and various colors of paint, all prepared in a very complete manner.
Next to the art supplies was a complete set of children's comic books, clearly a gift from Editor Lin to Xiaoman.
Nan Zhiyi picked up a picture book and read it with Xiaoman for a while, then Sister Zhang invited the mother and son to eat.
After lunch and a short rest, Nan Zhiyi went into her study.
She found some scissors, carefully cut the hemp rope binding the books, and picked up a brand new copy of "The Star Whisperer".
The cover and paper of this signed edition are different from the previous ones. It uses a deeper starry sky background, and the silver-stamped title and nebula pattern gleam delicately in the light. The paper is thick, smooth, and cool to the touch.
The words "Huaiwei" are clearly visible at the bottom of the cover.
Nan Zhiyi gently ran her fingertips over her pen name, feeling the subtle raised texture of the ink, and a surge of warmth welled up in her chest.
Then, she gently turned to the blank title page, picked up her pen, and was about to write when she stopped, feeling that it would be too hasty to just sign it directly.
She found her notebook, turned to a blank page, and began to carefully design her signature in cursive script.
Nan Zhiyi attempted to make the strokes connect more smoothly, adding a touch of elegance to the vertical hook of the character "怀" and the reverse radical of the character "微", which is both dignified and has a personal style.
She practiced many times until her wrist developed muscle memory and her writing became smooth and natural, only then did she stop with satisfaction.
She unfolded the title page of the first book, concentrated her mind, and steadily signed "Huaiwei" in cursive script.
After the ink had dried completely, she carefully examined the book and confirmed that everything was correct before gently placing the signed book aside.
After that, Nan Zhiyi immersed herself in this repetitive work, one book after another.
When Sister Zhang returned from taking Xiaoman out for a walk in the afternoon, the little guy went into the study to find his mother. Seeing that his mother was busy, he was quite sensible and hugged his toy soldier, playing happily by himself, occasionally looking up at his mother who was buried in books.
When Gu Xiao returned home from get off work, the house was quiet.
He followed the light to the study door and saw Nan Zhiyi sitting on a small stool between two piles of books, her head slightly lowered, signing her name with utmost seriousness, unaware that he had even entered.
"Doesn't your neck hurt from looking down like that all the time?"
Nan Zhiyi snapped out of her daze, raised her head, and felt a soreness in her neck from maintaining the same posture for so long.
She then realized that it was almost dusk and exclaimed in surprise, "You're already off work? I've been signing documents all afternoon?"
Gu Xiao walked over in a few steps, reached out and supported her arm, pulling her up from the stool.
Nan Zhiyi straightened up with his help, and immediately felt a soreness and numbness in her lower back. She couldn't help but let out a soft "hiss".
Gu Xiao helped her sit on the armchair next to him, clearly disapproving.
"Didn't Editor Lin tell you to sign slowly? Why are you working so hard on the very first day?"
As he spoke, his palms covered the back of her neck and shoulders, massaging them to relieve the stiff muscles.
Nan Zhiyi squinted comfortably and smiled gently: "I just want to finish signing as soon as possible. It's making me anxious just looking at all that piled up there."
Gu Xiao's hands didn't stop, slowly pressing along both sides of her spine: "Then rest tonight, and sign during the day. Balance work and rest, there's no rush."
"Okay."
Nan Zhiyi verbally agreed, but that evening, she went back into the study.
This time, instead of signing, I spread out a sheet of drawing paper and, based on the bookmark size and requirements given by Editor Lin, began to sketch.
Gu Xiao came in and urged her twice, and she verbally replied, "It'll be ready soon," but she didn't move.
When he came in for the third time, he simply snatched the pen from her hand and said, "Go to sleep. You can draw again tomorrow."
Nan Zhiyi finally gave in and softly leaned against him, "Okay."
Gu Xiao half-embraced and half-carried her away from the study, accompanying her to the bathroom to wash up.
Nan Zhiyi was indeed exhausted, and soon fell into a deep sleep after her head hit the pillow.
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, and then thinking of the mountain of books and the half-finished sketches in the study, Gu Xiao sighed silently. His wife was really a simple-minded person.
After confirming that Nan Zhiyi was fast asleep, Gu Xiao quietly got up.
He walked to the crib, pulled up the thin blanket his son had kicked aside, and covered his round little belly again. He checked the angle of the window opening and closed, adjusted the fan to evenly cover the large bed and the crib, and then quietly closed the door and went downstairs.
The study was still lit, with torn parchment and hemp rope scattered on the floor, and two piles of books clearly separated.
Gu Xiao squatted down and carefully counted the number of books that Nan Zhiyi had signed and neatly stacked that afternoon. He then re-tied them securely with the cut hemp rope, moved them to a corner against the wall, and stacked them steadily.
Next, he began dealing with the pile of unsigned books.
Instead of simply stacking them, he unpacked the bundles of books and placed them in an arc next to where Nan Zhiyi had been sitting in the afternoon, so that she could reach them without having to get up frequently.
Then, he moved a small table that was originally used to hold ornaments from the wall, wiped it clean, placed it in front of the pile of books, and tested the height. It was just right for sitting down and writing.
After tidying up, Gu Xiao's gaze fell on a corner of the desk, where a new book was placed.
He picked it up casually to see if it had already been signed. If not, he put it back into the pile of items awaiting signature.
Opening the heavy cover, on the snow-white title page, one is greeted by her delicate and neat handwriting.
That wasn't a casual signature, but two lines of characters carefully handwritten in regular script:
"May I be like a star and you like the moon, shining brightly together every night."
This is dedicated to my beloved Gu Xiao. Respectfully presented by Nan Zhiyi.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com