"Yeah."
Lu Chen smiled. "We're moving out today. Come in and have a seat, Old Zhang. Sorry for all the noise lately."
Old Zhang, though a bit of a nag, was actually warm-hearted. Knowing Lu Chen had no family and lived alone, he'd often bring food during holidays.
Later, when he saw more and more people moving into Lu Chen's apartment—and each one stranger than the last—he got worried Lu Chen had been scammed. One day, he even asked him directly.
Lu Chen had no choice but to explain they were a bunch of relatives from the countryside who had come to rely on him. They were all anime fans and liked to dress in quirky ways, so he told Old Zhang not to overthink it...
"You're really moving, huh..." Old Zhang was still puzzled. They had been living just fine—why the sudden move? But he didn't pry.
"Well, I'll let you get back to it. I'm heading home."
He waved and turned to leave, but Lu Chen stopped him and pulled a bottle of baijiu from Venti's box, stuffing it into his hands.
Lu Chen still remembered that Venti owed the old man a bottle of aged medicinal liquor. Old Zhang had treated him kindly, and Lu Chen was the kind of person who remembered good deeds.
Old Zhang tried to refuse, but Lu Chen insisted, eventually getting him to accept it.
When he saw the high-end brand on the bottle, Old Zhang smiled with satisfaction. "Good kid, you've really made it. This is some quality stuff!"
He looked around at the boxes piled in the living room, then asked curiously, "So, where are you moving to?"
"Lingshan Bay," Lu Chen replied.
"Oh, Lingshan Bay." Old Zhang responded reflexively, then froze. "Lingshan Bay?!"
"That seaside villa area?"
Lu Chen nodded. "Yup."
Old Zhang gave Lu Chen another long look. "The Lu family kid's moving into a big villa now, huh! You've really made something of yourself!"
Lu Chen chuckled and said he made some money writing novels—just enough to deflect.
He didn't expect that to turn him into the legendary "model child" in Old Zhang's eyes. The old man immediately launched into a rant about how disappointing his own sons were...
After seeing him off, Lu Chen and the others went back to packing. By afternoon, they'd loaded everything onto a small truck.
They were finally leaving this cozy four-bedroom apartment. Honestly, Lu Chen felt a bit reluctant.
After coming to this world, he hadn't been alone for long. This once-empty place had become lively with Ei and the others. Noisy, yes—but full of joy and warmth.
Ei seemed to read his mind and smiled. "If you ever miss this place, you can always come back to visit."
Lu Chen shook his head. "It's not the place I'll miss—it's the days we spent together."
"That's exactly right!" Venti had just finished loading the box of fine wine onto the truck. Looking at the two, he grinned. "If the room is empty and the familiar faces are gone, then it stops being a home. A real home is wherever your people are!"
"Exactly." Lu Chen looked at everyone. "So, are we ready? Let's head to our new home."
"Of course!" Venti winked.
Everyone smiled at Lu Chen.
And so, the truck rolled out—away from the noisy city and toward a future full of promise, where the sea met the sky...
...
They arrived at the villa in Lingshan Bay, and everyone started tidying up their own rooms. After cleaning the living room, Lu Chen collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.
Big houses had one downside—cleaning them was a nightmare.
Given their unique family situation, he didn't want to hire a maid, so everything had to be done by hand.
Luckily, Ei was there. Watching her expertly handle the vacuum cleaner, Lu Chen took a moment to breathe, picked up his laptop, and opened his writer's backend.
The story had reached its first major climax. The protagonist, Morax, was leading his people in a battle against a sea-dwelling threat—the monster known as Eight Qiu.
He had laid the groundwork for a long time. Under Morax's guidance, the people had overcome nature's fury and built their first settlement. Things were starting to flourish.
Then the monstrous beast emerged from the sea, threatening to undo everything they had built.
Morax watched as the land was ravaged by Eight Qiu. The settlement he had painstakingly created was nearly destroyed. Fear gripped the people. Naturally, readers would be eager to know—what would he do next?
Now it was time for the protagonist to shine.
Morax, a god by birth, used jade and reefstone to forge a divine kite-bird. He imbued it with divine power. Under the worshipful eyes of the people, the stone bird soared into the sky, then plunged into the ocean, pinning Eight Qiu to the seabed. The beast's roar echoed as if it shook the world.
And with that, peace returned once more.
The god's presence brought joy and hope. Morax's name became a beacon of faith.
It was a simple plot—face a crisis, solve it—but with the boost from his "Popular Novelist's Soul," Lu Chen wrote it with sweeping emotion and dramatic tension. When the crisis hit, readers were on the edge of their seats. The immersion was powerful.
And now that the word count had grown, traffic was starting to pour in. The comment section finally came to life.
Readers began discussing the battle in detail. Curiosity swirled around this unknown newcomer, "Chief Writer Chen of Yae Publishing House."
His mature, composed writing didn't seem like something a rookie could produce.
Because it was a farming-style novel, the perspective wasn't limited to the godly protagonist. The narrative shifted between pioneering farmers, angsty children, and leaders of enemy factions. Whether the reactions were shock, awe, or cautious respect, they added subtle but satisfying layers—one of the genre's core charms.
Even the previously silent editor reached out, asking for a plot outline.
Lu Chen sent it over, knowing this meant the site was beginning to take "Liyue: Floating World Among a Thousand Rocks" seriously. Editors needed the full picture to ensure the novel's commercial viability.
"The writing's excellent, and the pacing is solid. I don't have any specific suggestions—just keep up the updates."
"Thank you, Editor," Lu Chen replied.
"We'll be arranging some promotions and distribution soon. Expect a lot more traffic. Keep this up—I've got high hopes for this one."
"Will do." Lu Chen glanced at the stats—the story had already passed 10,000 views.
Having wrapped up that arc, he began thinking ahead to the next major part.
Morax would begin wandering the vast lands of Liyue, searching for a new home where his people could live in peace.
It was then, in a field blooming with glaze lilies, that a wide-sleeved girl appeared before him.
The Archon of Dust—Guizhong—had come with her people to meet Morax. A wise and empathetic Archon, she would form an alliance with him and together they would manage a new settlement north of Mt. Heng—Guili Assembly.
She had arrived—Zhongli's rumored girlfriend!
Though people in later generations often claimed that, Lu Chen always felt it was mostly rumor. After all, he had personally asked Zhongli back then.
The two Archons had always been allies, and no evidence ever confirmed anything more.
Of course, maybe the old man just didn't want to tell him... which made it harder to write. Lu Chen scratched his head—how should he handle this relationship?
Suddenly, a gossipy itch struck him. If only he could drag Zhongli over and ask him in person!
If only Zhongli were here.