Bookstore Grand Opening

Sunday.

Today is the grand opening of Samsara Bookstore.

Easton had expected the place to be deserted, as he hadn't engaged in any grand publicity or invited any prominent figures, having only mentioned the event to a few acquaintances.

However, when he unlocked the front door and let the sunlight spill into the shop, filling it with the scent of fresh ink, he froze.

Three carriages were lined up in front of the store, and the coachmen nimbly lowered the steps. From the lead carriage, an elderly woman in a deep green silk gown stepped down, leaning on the arm of her maid, followed by several elegantly dressed ladies lifting their skirts as they walked.

Easton recognized the elderly woman; she was none other than Daphne's mother, Lady Tali.

"Mr. Easton, I have specifically brought my friends to support your new venture."

Lady Tali approached with a kindly smile.

"Also, I wonder if you accept any additional business? My friends are not only interested in your mediumship but also have great faith in your tracking abilities."

As she spoke, the ladies behind her eagerly stepped forward, surrounding Easton. One lady wearing a wide-brimmed violet hat even boldly stated, "My husband keeps saying he's going to the club to spend the night; could you perhaps..."

Cold sweat broke out on Easton's forehead.

If it were additional business like appraising ancient books, he would be more than happy to accept.

But for something like a private investigator's infidelity case, his mind was already conjuring images of being chased by an angry man wielding a walking stick.

Just as he was wondering how to respond, a crisp voice rescued him.

"Sir!"

Easton turned to see Billy.

Billy was holding his sister Irene's hand at the entrance. The two children no longer looked as gaunt or dirty as they had when they first met; in their place were rosy cheeks and clean clothes.

Irene even had a small braid that fluttered like a butterfly with every step she took.

Old Mr. Oliver followed behind them, leaning on his ebony cane. Noticing Easton's gaze, he smiled and nodded in greeting.

"Ladies, I am afraid I must excuse myself for a moment."

Easton bowed, feeling as if he had been granted a reprieve.

"Regarding your requests, I will consider them. It is just that, for now, I only wish to focus on running the bookstore."

"My apologies, it was indeed inconsiderate of me."

Lady Tali sighed softly and withdrew a gold-embossed invitation from her velvet handbag: "I am hosting a literary salon next week; I insist that you grace us with your presence."

Easton accepted the invitation.

He certainly wouldn't refuse; perhaps he could unearth a few forbidden books at this literary salon.

"My honor, my lady. I shall be there on time."

Lady Tali nodded with a smile.

The other noblewomen stepped into the bookstore, each symbolically picking out a book.

Just as the ladies were paying, a woman in a peacock-blue gown suddenly leaned in, taking the opportunity to press a business card still warm from her body into Easton's palm.

"Actually, you don't have to work if you don't want to..."

She drew out the end of her sentence, her gaze like a brush dipped in honey, tracing the young man's exotic features. As she turned, her skirt fluttered, brushing against Easton's trouser leg like a feather and leaving behind a faint scent of gardenias.

The other ladies covered their upturned red lips with their fans, but they couldn't hide the teasing glint in their eyes.

Easton couldn't help but feel his ears burn.

It was the first time in his life someone had slipped him a card, and in front of so many people, no less.

The entire situation left him stiff as a board.

Fortunately, the kind-hearted Mr. Oliver eased Easton's awkwardness. He walked over with his cane, followed by Billy and Irene: "Billy heard your bookstore was opening today, and the child insisted I bring him along."

After saying this, he tipped his hat to Lady Tali with great gentlemanly grace: "Good morning, my lady."

The two began to exchange formal pleasantries.

Meanwhile, Billy ran up to Easton and bowed immediately: "Sir, I found a job! Mr. Oliver recommended me to be an apprentice at Mr. Victor's pharmacy!"

"Really?" Easton crouched down, meeting the boy's sparkling eyes at eye level: "That is truly wonderful."

Billy nodded vigorously, then pulled a shiny, polished coin from his pocket and handed it to Easton solemnly: "This is what I promised to return to you, sir."

Easton paused for a moment, then remembered the boy had once promised to give him the first shilling he ever earned.

"Mr. Victor is a good man," Billy continued. "Last time, he discovered I helped him avoid a mistake in preparing a potion, so he rewarded me with a shilling."

As he spoke, he proudly displayed the coin hanging around his neck: "Ever since you gave me this lucky coin, I've only met good people! I'm going to keep it with me forever!"

Easton couldn't help but smile.

He reached out to ruffle Billy's hair, then pulled two candies from his pocket and handed them to Billy and Irene.

Irene took the candy, but her eyes remained fixed on the coin around her brother's neck, her small face filled with envy.

Easton noticed her expression and smiled gently: "Have you two started school yet?"

"Yes!" Billy answered eagerly, "Mr. Oliver helped us find a school!"

Ye Yan took out two Honey candies wrapped in cellophane, but paused deliberately as he handed them to the girl: "I heard that a certain young lady received praise from her teacher for her arithmetic?"

Irene immediately straightened her back, her braids bobbing along with the movement: "How did you know, sir?"

"Because good fortune attracts its own kind."

Ye Yan produced a blue hair ribbon as if by magic, tied it onto the little girl's braid, and fashioned it into a bow: "Now you both have lucky charms. Go pick out a book you like as a gift."

The two children's eyes lit up; with a cheer, they held hands and ran into the bookstore.

Ye Yan watched them leave before turning to the elderly Mr. Oliver: "You take very good care of them."

Oliver waved a hand, a gentle smile in his eyes: "Merely a duty that must be fulfilled. As for you, I never expected that you were not only a detective but also ran a bookstore?"

"Actually, I never thought about being a detective before; I had always wanted to open a bookstore. As it turned out..."

Ye Yan gave a bitter smile.

"Actually, your decision to open a bookstore is quite excellent."

Oliver looked at him meaningfully, then glanced toward another spot: "You have been in the limelight quite a bit lately, which has brought you quite a bit of trouble."

Ye Yan followed his gaze; the crowd at the bookstore entrance was growing, and there were even several elegantly dressed nobles wearing top hats, whispering to one another.

He could feel many subtle gazes cast in his direction; the true purpose of those people was certainly not to browse for books.

Ye Yan rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly: "You are right; it would indeed be better to be a quiet, honest bookstore owner for a while."

Oliver laughed heartily and patted his shoulder: "Young man, sometimes the arrangements fate makes for you are far more interesting than the ones you choose for yourself."

Hearing Oliver's teasing, Ye Yan sighed.

He looked at Billy and Irene, who were excitedly flipping through books in the shop, and felt a measure of comfort in his heart.

At least there were still people who genuinely wanted to read.

Lady Tali, who had been idly flipping through a magazine, looked up at the Billy siblings: "Those two are children from the slums, aren't they? You are truly kind-hearted."

"However, I am a mother myself, so naturally, I cannot bear to see children suffer."

She looked at Oliver with a smile: "Mr. Twist, I have long heard of your reputation for benevolence. I intend to order books from Mr. Easton's bookstore every year and donate them to the children you look after."

"I am very grateful to you, my lady."

Oliver bowed slightly, kissing the back of Lady Tali's hand with a gentleman's grace: "Compared to the children's homes founded by Mr. Barnardo, what I have done is far from enough."

He stood upright, his voice gentle yet firm.

"However, I have always believed that showing kindness to children and wanderers is never a bad thing. They are not lazy by nature; they simply lack a direction in which to strive."

Ye Yan nodded gently, and Lady Tali also leaned in slightly, her gaze focused.

Seeing that neither of them showed any impatience, a long-dormant urge to confide welled up in Oliver's heart.

"I provide them with a livelihood and impart knowledge. Precisely because they have never been favored by fate, they cherish this hard-won turning point more than ordinary people do."

"In the end, they are no longer shadows huddled in street corners, but people willing to extend a rope to their own kind in the abyss."

Lady Tali sighed and shook her head, her silver hair shimmering softly in the sunlight: "Your ideals are admirable, but the wall of the law is thick and cannot be shaken in a single day."

"But our efforts have not been in vain, have they?"

Oliver watched Billy and Irene blooming with bright smiles in the sunlight, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Compared to the past, at least the authorities have faced the problems we face and promulgated the Elementary Education Act to reduce the number of newsboys on the streets. Although this decree still has many shortcomings, I firmly believe that one day, children will no longer have to go hungry even if they do not work as child laborers."

"A very noble ideal."

Lady Tali was somewhat moved; she couldn't help but say: "I wonder if I might have the honor of becoming your sponsor?"

"It should be my honor instead."

The two walked to the side to discuss the sponsorship.

Ye Yan hadn't expected that he would be able to facilitate a partnership between the elderly Lady Tali and Mr. Oliver, but since both were good people with compassion for children, it was not strange for them to become like-minded companions.

The sound of the two elders discussing the Poor Law drifted over, but Ye Yan was surrounded by several noble gentlemen.

They appeared to be browsing the books casually, but in reality, every question was laden with hidden barbs. By the time the topic turned to the Shadow Maiden for the third time, the corners of Ye Yan's mouth were already stiff from smiling.

Just as he was becoming annoyed by the nobles' pestering, a commotion suddenly erupted at the shop entrance.

He saw Jules leading a group of burly men as they marched in, each of them muscular and looking fierce and menacing.

"Make way, make way!"

Jules led his men to push aside the nobles surrounding Ye Yan.

He was wearing a brand-new brown suit today, though paired with his thug-like temperament, it looked somewhat incongruous.

"These are all customers I brought over, nephew."

Jules pointed behind him at the brawny men he had specifically hired to prevent anyone from causing trouble: "Don't worry, your shop opening today will go smoothly; no one will dare to cause any trouble."

The burly men bowed in unison, their movements as synchronized as if they had rehearsed.

"E-everyone, please feel free to look around..." Ye Yan said, bracing himself, before turning to whisper to Jules: "Uncle Jules, are you sure you brought customers and not hired muscle?"

Jules gave a sly smile, pulled a bulging money bag from his coat, and tossed it onto the checkout counter: "What nonsense are you spouting? Of course they're all here to buy books!"

He turned his head and roared: "Did you hear that? Everyone buy at least three! Hardcovers! Don't be like those fellows who look flashy on the outside but are too stingy to buy a single book—we have plenty of money."

The mocked nobles wanted to retort, but upon seeing the squad of burly men, they had no choice but to swallow their anger.

"What a bunch of barbarians; I cannot stand being in the presence of such people."

They cursed under their breath in shame and rage, but before leaving, as if to prove they weren't short on cash, they had to hold their noses and buy a book before departing in a huff.

When the last guest finally left, the Samsara Bookstore returned to tranquility.

Ye Yan let out a long sigh of relief and rubbed his cheeks, which had grown stiff from smiling. Although dealing with all those various probes was exhausting, he couldn't help but smile as he looked at the bookshelves, now picked clean of all but a few volumes.

He finally had some startup capital in his hands.

He could finally stop worrying about costs and offer a book rental service to the poor who couldn't afford to buy them.

Just as Ye Yan was about to close the door to rest, he heard the familiar creak of the door hinges at 221B.

Dr. Watson walked in first, carrying a gift box tied with a ribbon, followed by Holmes, who held a black-bound book in his hand.

"Official business is unavoidable." Watson shrugged helplessly: "Besides, among the Sanctum and the Sanctuary, we are the ones with the deepest ties to you."

As he spoke, he took a letter sealed with wax from his inner pocket: "This is a personal letter of recommendation from the new Archbishop of Canterbury. With this, you may choose any one volume from the rare book room at St. Paul's Cathedral."

Holmes likewise handed him a letter.

"Inside is an order form from the Sanctuary."

He paused, then continued: "After multiple experimental verifications, we have finally discovered that the Gift of the Deep Sea, the key sacrifice for summoning the Shadow Maiden, has no substitute."

"The Research Institute urgently needs you to provide more Salt Trace samples in bulk so we can further analyze their mechanism of action."

Watson gave a timely, light cough, his fingers nimbly untying the ribbon on the gift box.

"Official business concluded." His azure eyes winked playfully: "Now, please allow me to offer my own blessings."

The box opened, revealing an exquisite brass globe inside: "This is my personal gift."

Just as Ye Yan was about to thank him, Holmes suddenly slammed the black-bound book in his hand onto the counter, the three large characters for Insect Records on the cover gleaming with a captivating luster.

"Mycroft's intent."

Holmes's voice was deeper than usual: "This is a volume from the Diogenes Club. Show the silver bookmark on page seven, and you can go to Mycroft's club to read."

"We must be going." Holmes raised a hand to adjust his deerstalker cap and added: "There will be a book club meeting next Friday. If you wish to see the most peculiar collection in London, come find me at my detective agency at seven o'clock sharp."

Watching the two hurry away, Ye Yan wanted to ask if something had happened. But thinking of the trouble he was in, he closed his mouth.

Forget it.

He should just keep a low profile for a while.

Reading books in the shop, attending literary salons in his spare time, and occasionally hunting for treasures in the various archives—that is what one calls a life.

Looking at the black-bound book, Ye Yan was filled with excitement.

What kind of work had the Fabre of this world written that it, like Darwin's On the Origin of Species, had also been listed as a banned book?

Carrying his curiosity, he slowly opened the Insect Records in his hands.