After dinner, Lionel politely declined Lucian's offer to show him around the opera house and eagerly returned to his new apartment, ready to turn his fresh inspiration into words.
The apartment had a small study, just big enough for a table and a chair and a modest bookshelf. There was a gas lamp on the wall and a candlestick on the table.
Under the dual lighting, Lionel experienced a writing sensation close to that of electric lights in his previous life—though, of course, it would have been even better if he could swap the quill and rough, feathery manuscript paper for a keyboard and screen…
For the decadent city to gain recognition from readers in Paris, France and even Europe it could not simply be a stackingof erotic descriptions.
It's important to remember that at this time, the readership in France was no longer limited to intellectuals and the bourgeoisie; with the gradual spread of education, it had expanded to include workers, farmers and even rural women.
In Paris alone, there were over 500 officially licensed public reading rooms where readers could borrow newspapers and novels for a very low price; in the countryside, "mobile libraries" were also common, providing entertainment for bored housewives.
The protagonist "Emma" in madame bovary developed her fantasies of romantic love through books from a mobile library.
And now, in 1879, French readers' tastes were increasingly discerning; to attract them to buy, a certain level of literary quality was still very necessary.
At the same time, one must consider the characteristics of readers in this era:
Many young readers of the 20th and especially the 21st century, often complain when reading 18th and 19th-century novels that the great writers of the time would often include lengthy descriptions of scenery and customs before the plot began, especially Balzac, who could write several pages of local customs and traditions at the start.
Lionel originally didn't understand, but after coming to this world, he realized—readers of this era didn't have a wealth of film, television, and art to fill their minds. Without enough words to create the setting for them, they would find it difficult to get into the novel and their reading experience would naturally be poor.
Ancient Chinese novels also exhibit a similar phenomenon, where protagonists, upon entering a new environment or meeting a new character, would be described in exquisite detail.
So, it wasn't that the writers of the time were unaware that these descriptions were too long; rather, it was a specific style developed to accommodate readers.
But who said that to make readers feel immersed, the beginning must be an environmental description?
Lionel pondered repeatedly and then wrote down the first paragraph of the decadent city on paper—
["Lyon, the city, bared its bloody maw, exhaling a breath like a damp, moss-filled crypt and rusted coffin nails, pouring directly into the lungs of Louis Pensée. On a late autumn night, the air was bone-chillingly cold, and the rain, fine as needles, pricked his face, then slid down his neck into the collar of his expensive shirt, already soaked with cold sweat. Louis Pensée, the 'rising star' of the Royal Opera House, now huddled like a flayed, homeless dog in the depths of a narrow, filthy alley in the Saint-Jean quarter, reeking of strong urine and rotting vegetable leaves. His back pressed tightly against the cold, rough stone wall, each gasping breath tore at his lungs, each heartbeat heavily struck his eardrums, as if to shake out the gleaming saber—Count de Lorraine's saber, which had nearly kissed his throat—from his mind."]
Lionel changed the name of Lucian de Pensée, whom he had just met today, to "Louis Pensée"; after all, in the monarchical era, aristocrats with "de" in their names usually wouldn't "fall" to the point of becoming opera singers.
And the opening he arranged for "Louis Pensée" combined suspense and urgency, while shifting the focus of environmental description from local customs to more easily relatable "temperature" and "smell."
The "fleeing 'rising star' of the Royal Opera House" was also enough to attract readers' attention, as there had been almost no works depicting this group in the past.
He even used a bit of the "golden three chapters" technique from web novels, trying to set up suspense early on to get readers into the situation as quickly as possible—this was often considered a "taboo" in 19th-century and earlier European novels.
As for the reason this "rising star" fell into misfortune in Lyon, Lionel didn't hide it, but quickly provided the answer—
["Less than a week ago, Louis Pensée's world was made of velvet, crystal chandeliers, and the sweet scent of perfume… He reveled in being the center of all this chaos. His voice, his figure, the charm that flowed from his eyes and brows, were enough to make the jewel-laden ladies in the boxes clutch their fan ribs tightly and to make the seemingly upright gentlemen unconsciously bob their Adam's apples.",
"Until he met Emily. Or rather, until Emily met him. Emily was Count de Lorraine's new favorite, a delicate rose newly transplanted from the provinces into a Parisian greenhouse, carrying the innocence of her first entry into a glamorous world and an irrepressible curiosity. The Count's box had an excellent view, directly facing the center of the stage. Louis Pensée could clearly see Emily's deep brown, deer-like eyes, how they gradually ignited from an initial shy evasion, sparked by his singing and performance, becoming fervent and bold. Her gaze was like a hook, each time it swept across the stage, it landed precisely on him. This silent invitation, for a hunter who delighted in conquest, was more powerful than any beautifully worded love letter."
"In the shadows of the backstage corridor, on a midnight after a performance, her skirt brushed against Louis Pensée's leg, leaving a dizzying scent of intertwined roses and musk. Emily slipped Louis Pensée a note, exuding the same fragrance, with only an address and a time. Everything that followed was natural, fragrant, and enchanting. In her secret small apartment, Emily, like a night-blooming cereus unfurling in the moonlight, shyly and passionately opened all her petals for him, [redacted]. Her skin glowed like pearls in the dim candlelight, her soft moans and whispers like the most moving aria, [redacted]."
"Louis Pensée was immersed in it, as if he had drunk the richest Bordeaux vintage, [redacted]. He completely forgot that this rose had already been marked with ownership—belonging to Count de Lorraine, known in court for his volatile temper and possessiveness."]
Although the decadent city needed to emphasize literary quality, it was still essentially a sensual erotic novel.
Lionel wasn't going to hide the content readers most wanted to see too deeply—after reading exquisite, respectable, orthodox literary descriptions, their patience would last at most two pages, otherwise they would furiously go to settle accounts with the bookseller.
So, what needed to be given still had to be given early to entice readers to keep reading. In Lionel's writing, "Louis Pensée" was hunted by "Count de Lorraine" and forced to flee and hide in Lyon because he slept with the Count's woman.
It was in Lyon that he met the protagonist of the entire novel, Gérard Simons.
"Louis Pensée" quickly used his charming skills to become a popular "retainer" at Gérard Simons' estate and the entire novel gradually unfolds through his perspective.
Lionel continued writing until late at night before turning off the light and going to sleep.
The next morning, Lionel went downstairs for breakfast—this was also the first time he had eaten "breakfast" since his rebirth into this era.
"Three meals a day" began with royalty and nobility and was now gradually spreading to the middle class. As for the commoners and the poor, who made up the majority of Paris's population, they would have to wait several more decades to have "breakfast."
After breakfast, Lionel returned to his apartment to continue writing the decadent city.
There was no other way; although he had four months to create, his writing efficiency wasn't very high and this kind of novel wasn't suitable for writing during class, so he had to take advantage of the weekend to write as much as possible.
However, after dinner, Lionel did not continue writing. Instead, he took the gas lamp he had prepared earlier and a dozen francs in cash and took a public carriage to Hell Street in the 14th arrondissement.
By then, the sky was as dark as ink and most of the 14th arrondissement had only scattered streetlights still on; the long Hell Street had no streetlights at all, only the light from windows on the walls flanking the street, barely illuminating this eerie and terrifying street.
When Lionel arrived, Albert de Rohan and his followers had also arrived, also carrying gas lamps.
Seeing the "brand new" Lionel, Albert was a little surprised and couldn't help but want to mock him, but then he remembered his previous encounter and forcibly shut his mouth.
Lionel raised the gas lamp a little, shining it on Albert and the others noticed a stranger among his followers: "Oh, are there new people joining today?"
Albert saw that Lionel had noticed the newcomer, suddenly puffed out his chest, and said quite proudly: "This is my new friend, from 'Amiens.'"
Then the "new friend" introduced himself in a languid tone: "My name is Michel, Michel Jean Pierre Verne!"