Question about order of events in relative clauses. 呆れたように言う彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ、俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた


> 呆れたように言う彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ、俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた

My question is about the usage of why is いう used in this relative clause and
not another form.

  * 俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた-I placed the book I was holding on the desk

  * 彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ- This says he does the above while lying down and looking up at her.

  * 呆れたように言う- This modifies her but the question is how. Does this sentence narrate himself as doing all this as she speaks(if so, why る-form), or what else could it mean?




> 呆れたように言う彼女を横になったまま見上げつつ、俺は持っていた本を机の上に置いた

I think it breaks apart like so:

> 呆れたように (as if she were amazed)

言う彼女 (the girl in question) を横になったまま見上げつつ (looked up while lying down), (while
as for me) 俺は, (the book I was holding I placed on [top of] the desk)
持っていた本を机の上に置いた

## the takeaway:

言う彼女 is a noun. "the spoken-of girl" or "the previously mentioned girl" or
"the girl in question"

