Chapter 130: Care About the Process, Not the Result; Focus on the Good, Ignore the Bad

Finally managed to endure until the club activity ended.

"Are you coming to the practice room to practice this week?" Ono Mika asked while drinking water.

The weather was gradually getting hot, and on top of that she had been singing continuously, so she undid the first button; when she drank water, her raised neck was snow-white and slender, making one parched.

"These two days the cram school side also has midterm exams." Agatsuma Haruka said with an apologetic expression.

"Me too, heard the exam papers were set by Tokyo University teachers, can't escape even if you want to." Bass Sakurako said.

"The cram school Sakurako-senpai attends is expensive, right?" F·Rino asked curiously.

"My family is dual-income, parents usually have no time to accompany me, so they're willing to spend more money on me."

The moment it disbanded, Qingshan Li immediately took out his mobile phone.

Ono Mika leaned over, saw he didn't go online to check comments right away but contacted Mikami Ai instead, so she took out her own phone to check evaluations.

【Qingshan Li: How are the sales?】

【Mikami Ai: You guess】

【Qingshan Li: 2 billion】

【Mikami Ai: Not a shred of sincerity, treat me to dinner and I'll tell you】

【Qingshan Li: I have no money】

【Mikami Ai: No problem, I'll lend you】

Joking with him, is it because she's in a good mood? So the sales are not bad?

Evasive words, is it consideration for his mood? So the sales are bad?

Qingshan Li decided to go check the online comments first.

Opened a professional book review website.

【I already can't believe my own eyes!!!】

【Finished the first page, I immediately flipped to the last page, checked the page count, 384 pages total, why not 3840 pages!】

【Made me wildly delighted!】

【I have the habit of underlining when reading, by the time I came to my senses I discovered I had underlined the entire book】

【What is this? Another publisher paying for reviews? Amusing~】

【These people are too amusing, even buying reviews can't be this exaggerated, too fake. Still saying it warmed their life from the root, did they burn the book for firewood?】

【No matter what books you like to read, I'll recommend "Detective A" to you!】

【When is the deluxe edition coming out? When is the deluxe edition coming out? When is the deluxe edition coming out?】

【Just release a collector's edition directly, no matter how expensive I'll buy it!】

【Read, recommended】

【Relying entirely on beauty, can this count as a detective? Disgusting to read, mystery lovers not recommended, doesn't deserve the name "Detective A" at all】

【God!】

The evaluations look pretty good, the problem is the sales volume.

Damn Mikami Ai.

【Qingshan Li: Come to my place, I'll cook for you】

【Mikami Ai: Not going】

【Mikami Ai: You don't come to my place either, why should I go to yours?】

Like a sulking girlfriend.

【Qingshan Li: Are we two the kind of relationship that can say this sort of thing?】

【Mikami Ai: Forget it, won't tease you anymore】

Qingshan Li took a deep breath, how much will the sales volume be?

【Mikami Ai: Tomorrow I'll go to your place】

Huh?

【Mikami Ai: No need to prepare a feast, I occasionally want to eat ordinary home-cooked food too】

Not directly telling him the sales volume?!

【Ono Mizuki: Brother, are the sales out? How many sold? I saw the reviews on Amazon are all great, already sold out!】

【Qingshan Li: Mikami Ai won't tell me!】

【Ono Mizuki: I knew early on she wasn't a good person!】

The three went to the nearest bookstore.

On the shelves, an area had been emptied out, with a sign above: "Detective A" sold out, can reserve at front counter.

"Should be selling pretty well, right?" Ono Mika guessed.

"Definitely, all sold out!" Ono Mizuki hugged her phone, her sweet little face flushed red, "Everyone online is praising it like crazy!"

"It is selling well, but if it's just well, it's still far from enough." Qingshan Li still couldn't help worrying.

The Ono sisters also fell into contemplation.

A luxury mansion worth hundreds of millions, one hundred million yen in cash, these they had all already received in hand.

Actually according to the agreement, no matter what "Detective A"'s sales volume is, it doesn't affect the transaction, but kind as they are, they still hope the other party can make money from the transaction.

Only then can they be at ease.

"Let's go ask the clerk!" Ono Mizuki walked to the front counter, "Hello, is 'Detective A' selling very well? I see the shelf is empty."

"This year's Bookstore Award, if it's not it, the Bookstore Award's reputation will stink, clerks at bookstores nationwide will be laughed at!" This was the clerk's answer.

"Saying there's no stock!" A clerk walked into the front counter holding a phone.

"Not the first print's inventory, what we want is a reprint!"

"When I say 'out of stock,' I mean a reprint!"

"Keep calling, call until they give them to us!"

Walking out of the bookstore, the three of them finally felt their hearts settle.

"If it sells well, we really won't have to worry anymore." Gazing at the night sky, Ono Mizuki murmured.

It turned out not only Qingshan Li, but the Ono sisters also harbored anxiety over this matter in their hearts.

"Mikami Ai will come to our house tomorrow and tell us the sales figures." Qingshan Li said.

At this moment, the Ono sisters had no mind to think about keeping distance from Mikami Ai, only worry over the concrete sales figures.

They ran to a few more stores, all sold out, without exception.

The clerks' evaluations were also all the same attitude: if the Bookstore Award isn't "Detective A," Japan will suffer divine retribution.

As for the form of retribution, everyone had different views: including meteorites, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and so on.

"What do we do?" Ono Mizuki asked.

"Leave it to fate." Qingshan Li had already let go.

The book was already written; sales figures weren't something he could decide, no matter how much he paid attention it was useless.

"I mean, what do we do if we can't buy the book?!"

"Buy the book?"

"This is Li's first book, we absolutely have to get a copy!" Ono Mika held the same thought.

"I'll ask Mikami Ai, see if she has any there; if so, have her bring three copies tomorrow — even if not, we'll get them sooner or later." Qingshan Li said.

"Wouldn't that not count as sales then?" Ono Mizuki still had objections.

"Just three copies." Under his younger sister's dissatisfied gaze, Qingshan Li corrected himself, "When there's stock later, buying then won't be too late either."

They returned home, and Ono Mizuki made curry rice for the first time in a long while.

"No matter what, we can't go back to the past." Qingshan Li said.

"What?" Ono Mika was puzzled.

Qingshan Li speared a piece of stewed beef from the curry: "Did we used to have this kind of thing?"

The two sisters laughed.

"Ah!" Ono Mizuki suddenly remembered something, "There was, there was! Once you worked part-time, brought back leftover beef from the shop, and we made curry!"

"That shop where you were harassed by a drunk beautiful woman?" Ono Mika also remembered, a smile appearing on her face.

"Don't mention it, that kind of painful memory will make the beef curry taste bad!"

Today was Friday, the midterm exams had just ended, and with something on their minds, after eating dinner and bathing, the three didn't study, sitting on the veranda to enjoy the evening cool.

Ono Mizuki brought tea.

Ono Mika placed the condolence gifts sent by Agatsuma Haruka and the others on a tray.

Qingshan Li did nothing.

"These people saying it's not good-looking, have they actually read it?" Ono Mizuki was looking at online reviews.

"There are even people saying we paid for reviews." Ono Mika also rarely showed displeasure.

"Mikami Ai might have really bought it, you know." Qingshan Li held his teacup, smiling lightly.

He added: "Also, you two don't just focus on bad reviews; there are inherently few, and even if there were many, we have to keep our eyes on the good ones."

"It's clearly your own book, don't you care?" Ono Mizuki looked up and asked him.

"In this world, I only care about you two."

The Ono sisters looked at Qingshan Li; Qingshan Li smiled carefreely, the night wind brushing the bangs on his forehead.

Behind him, the May night sky was indigo.

(Chapter End)