[And now, since you’ve changed careers, the original villain has become your little fan instead. But whenever there’s any interaction between you two, the plot will still veer toward its previous trajectory, albeit in a way that’s unexpected…]
“…”
Yu Mian rummaged through his private messages and indeed found a bunch of groveling apologies and explanations from the superstar fan, along with lengthy analyses proving his status as a loyal Fish Soup Noodles fan.
At that moment, Yu Mian only wanted to say to him: Don’t come near me!
Do you know you’re the villain in the script!? [Fish is horrified.jpg]
Knock! Knock!
Just as Yu Mian’s mind was reeling, there was a knock on the study door.
“!”
The familiar strength and rhythm of the knock left no doubt in Yu Mian’s mind that it was Huo Ting outside.
Help…
Everything had happened so quickly that Yu Mian didn’t know how to deal with it. Subconsciously, he rushed to press himself against the study door, fearing that Huo Ting might just enter.
Outside the study, Huo Ting paused as his hand rested on the gilded doorknob. Hearing the faint “bang” from inside the door, his hand which was about to turn the knob paused.
At this moment, it seemed that he could easily catch the other person just by pulling the handle.
He could even uncover the truth about this “writer” identity that suddenly appeared from nowhere.
But with his highly sensitive perception as someone with a high mental power, Huo Ting could clearly feel the tension on the other side of the door as the person pressed against it in panic.
“…”
A moment later, Yu Mian, whose heart had finally calmed down, saw a small note slide under the door instead of Huo Ting forcing it open.
—The package has been found. -Huo
Perhaps you have some explaining to do.
Huo Ting ultimately refrained from writing that last sentence. The person in the study should understand the implication.
“…”
Seeing that Huo Ting hadn’t questioned him despite taking the fall for him, and instead patiently waited for a response, Yu Mian’s ears unexpectedly turned red. His head drooped helplessly against the door, not knowing how to proceed. Even his golden fish tail curled awkwardly on the carpet.
Sensing the gentle “thud” from inside the door, Huo Ting glanced at the spot with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
‘Perhaps there’s no need to rush things too much?’
“Actually, you can give me an answer tomorrow morning.”
This time, Huo Ting didn’t write another note. Instead, he tried speaking directly to the study door, confident that the person inside could hear him.
“And you don’t have to worry too much. Hals has already arranged things with the reporters. If you don’t want to be exposed, no one will continue asking questions.”
As he turned to leave, Huo Ting added one final sentence. Otherwise, he suspected this person might stay up all night worrying in front of the light brain.
But… do fish even need sleep?
Huo Ting had once pondered this question without finding an answer.
Just as the silence settled on both sides of the study door, and Huo Ting prepared to leave, an unexpected voice came from the staircase.
“You brat, what’s going on? I go out for a while, and you’ve suddenly become a famous author?”
Huo Yuejiang had originally gone out to meet some old friends today. However, halfway through the gathering, he found out about the shocking news involving his grandson and rushed back in a hurry.
Yu Mian: !
Huo Ting: “…”
Huo Yuejiang’s shout shattered the fragile calm that had just been established upstairs.
As Huo Ting considered how to explain things to his grandfather, the study door suddenly opened. The next moment, a hand grabbed his arm.
His body instinctively wanted to counteract the pull but at the moment of action he realized something and paused slightly.
For the first time in his life, Huo Ting allowed himself to be dragged into the study from behind. In the next second, the door shut firmly behind him.
“…Huh? Not upstairs?”
Huo Yuejiang reached upstairs and looked around in confusion, wondering if he had imagined things.
“I’ll come out and explain everything to you tomorrow morning,” a voice responded calmly.
“?”
Huo Yuejiang looked at the study room where the sound came from but was tightly closed. He looked down at the door lock suspiciously, then looked up at the door.
“Why can’t you explain now? And why is the door closed?”
“Uh… the young master just received an urgent document to process. Would it be all right to explain everything to you tomorrow morning?”
Secretary Hals, who had followed Huo Yuejiang back after resolving matters with the reporters, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that things hadn’t completely fallen apart.
Huo Yuejiang, however, sensed that the situation wasn’t so simple.
Could it be that the kid’s grown up and started keeping secrets?
With a face full of aged wisdom, Huo Yuejiang clasped his hands behind his back and went downstairs.
‘Finally, he’s gone…’
Yu Mian, who had been pressing his ear to the door and listening for any movements outside, finally loosened his grip on Huo Ting’s arm.
At the last moment, Yu Mian realized that hiding in the study and leaving Huo Ting to deal with his grandfather alone…especially when he was entirely unaware of the situation…was indeed a bit unfair.
Rather than agonizing over it all night, it was better to explain things directly to Huo Ting and figure out how to handle and respond together.
After all, they needed to make it clear that Fish Soup Noodles wasn’t Huo Ting.
“Sorry, would you mind explaining things to your grandfather together tomorrow morning? I can explain to you firs…”
However, in the next second, Yu Mian met Huo Ting’s gaze.
It was only then that Yu Mian realized he was still holding onto the other party’s arm. He immediately let go.
But as soon as he released his grip, Huo Ting’s hand came over and firmly clasped his.
As if he was afraid this fish might escape to somewhere else.
Yu Mian: !
O///O
Perhaps there were too many things to explain, which unexpectedly calmed Huo Ting down.
“Can’t the fishtail change back?”
Looking at Yu Mian kneeling on the carpet, Huo Ting noticed the fishtail, forgotten in the panic, and the additional scale now lying on the carpet.
It must have been injured when Yu Mian had lunged toward the door earlier.
“It can… but you need to turn around first…”
Because the pants from the little system wouldn’t appear automatically if someone was watching…
Yu Mian, who was still being held by the hand, explained in a low voice.
“All right.”
However, even after Huo Ting turned around, there was no movement for a long time.
“…But you need to let go first. I really won’t run away today.”
After much hesitation, Yu Mian finally spoke up, sounding exasperated as he tried to persuade Huo Ting to release him.
Why was this guy always like this?
The first time he completed a task, Huo Ting had also grabbed him and refused to let go.
Although it is understandable that he finally caught the culprit after they surrendered voluntarily.
—
Meanwhile, star network was in an extremely strange boiling state tonight.
That is, the situation was boiling, but when uninformed outsiders mistakenly entered the hot searches, they simply couldn’t make heads or tails of what was being discussed.
[What should I do? I can’t sleep tonight. Help… Will Teacher Fish Soup Noodles update tomorrow!?]
[I’m worried about that too. By the cosmos, if the cost of being exposed is Teacher Fish Soup Noodles quitting writing and returning to his main profession… I’m willing to eat a forgetfulness leaf! Ahhhh!]
[But this is so surreal. I still can’t believe it. How can someone have this much energy!?]
Everyone knew that Fish Soup Noodles often worked on two or even three novels at once.
And when “Contract Marriage” first got V status, there had even been a record of ten consecutive updates overnight!
How were people supposed to imagine this? The big boss from the Huo family fought on battlefields by day and wrote novels by night?
[Could it be that excellent people excel at everything they do!?]
[Ah… I’m going crazy. Will Teacher Fish Soup Noodles respond? And why haven’t any reporters spoken up? Even Huanyu hasn’t said a word. I won’t be able to sleep tonight!]
[But doesn’t the fact that none of the reporters are speaking up make the whole thing seem even more real?]
As this final guess appeared in the comment section, everyone’s emotions became even more indescribable.
Fish Soup Noodles was truly a person who could stir up storms and waves in the truest sense of the phrase!
[Just go to sleep. I don’t think there’ll be any response tonight. Wuuu, I just hope we see a reply by tomorrow morning.]
In fact, apart from the netizens online, Kane also spent the night staring at the dialogue box on his lightbrain, repeatedly opening and closing it, a motion he repeated hundreds of times.
How could this be possible!?
After all, he had seen Yu Mian with his own eyes!
His sister, Audrey, was so shocked she clung to Kane all evening. It wasn’t until Kane repeatedly assured her that Fish Soup Noodles absolutely wasn’t the Huo family’s eldest son that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But then… What exactly was the relationship between Teacher Fish Soup Noodles and that person?
Meanwhile, Lu Wei from the research institute stood silently by the window ever since the incident broke out.
His bookworm instincts told him that the author couldn’t possibly be “that” person.
However, just before midnight, Fish Soup Noodles’ long-silent account finally responded.
[A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles V: I’m not the person everyone is speculating about. I’m just temporarily staying at this friend’s house. I also hope everyone will stop bothering him. There will be an opportunity for us to meet in the future, during an interactive event for the new food-themed novel. The two of us will appear together.]
!?
No one expected this. Not only did Fish Soup Noodles address the identity speculation, but he also announced plans for his next book and an upcoming event?
[Ah, huh? Have I been staying up so late that I’m hallucinating? A new book, food-themed? Does our Federation even have any delicious food… Though I do quite enjoy the various flavors of nutrient solution.]
[To the commenter above, you must have your head too full of books! Did you not notice the last part about the interactive event? Teacher Fish Soup Noodles is really planning to publicly clear up the rumors!?]
[Ahhh! Teacher Fish Soup Noodles! Your current novels aren’t even finished yet, and now you’re making me desperately look forward to the next one. You’re so cruel QAQ.]
