ICTEUWMN Chapter 161.2

Some even started wailing, though in the next second, they immediately shut their mouths and stiffened in fear after receiving a faint glance from Huo Ting who was not far away.

Yu Mian couldn’t help but laugh as he listened.

After all, this was truly an injustice for a certain someone. Because back then, even Huo Ting didn’t know that he was hiding in the aquarium and secretly using the star network in his study to write novels and start his career.

“Can I make up for the autograph now? I was really grateful at the time for all the stories and experiences you shared with me. Without them, “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier God” probably wouldn’t have felt so immersive and real.”

As Yu Mian signed each book in his hands, the entire starship’s security team nearly exploded with excitement.

“Ahhh! A personally signed copy of “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier God”! When we get back, the other legions are definitely going to be jealous to the point of madness.”

“More than that, the moment our mission was announced, their faces already turned green.”

“Is it really that exaggerated?”

Yu Mian chuckled as he closed the last book in his hands.

“It’s way more exaggerated than that. No matter how much they offer later, I won’t sell it. I’ll even flaunt it right in their faces.”

The joy of being one step ahead was just that simple.

Yu Mian blinked at the remark and couldn’t help but smile when he met Huo Ting’s gaze from not far away.

So, it seemed like his popularity was actually quite high.

And after arriving at the offline book signing in the Eternal Night Star System, Lilith and the others had even prepared a surprise.

That surprise was that Lilith, Christina, and even Wilster, the actor playing Dreven in the “Eternal Night Rose” movie, along with other Bart Clan fans, had all dressed up as their favorite characters from Yu Mian’s work.

Since the Bart clan had always been known for their striking beauty, the event instantly felt like a large-scale cosplay convention.

“Does it look good?”

Lilith was dressed as Li Chun from “Bei Xing’s Necklace”. The beauty with a gothic temperament, clad in the traditional Huaxia-inspired attire of ancient Blue Star, exuded an entirely different kind of elegance.

Especially at this moment, as she looked up at Yu Mian, her expression was so cute that Yu Mian was completely charmed.

“Lilith has always been super beautiful.”

Unable to resist, he even crouched down and gave Lilith a long-overdue hug, just like their first meeting at Huo Yan’s school back then.

“Did I see that right? Is Miss Lilith actually shy?”

The always elegant and proper old steward still stood by Lilith’s side. However, on seeing this scene, even his monocle almost fell off in shock.

“Wuuu, I want to hug Teacher Fish Soup Noodles too! My turn, my turn!”

As a result, instead of being skeptical, Christina and the others lifted their skirts and rushed forward without hesitation.

“What kind of conduct is this? Where is your basic etiquette?”

The old steward glanced around, feeling that the scene before him had become somewhat chaotic.

This writer from Federation Star really possessed a terrifying kind of power.

“Actually… we kind of want a hug too…”

As for Wilster and the other male Bart clan fans, they quietly retreated to a corner, almost tempted to draw circles on the wall.

Because the moment they made even the slightest move forward, the plainclothes security guards accompanying Teacher Fish Soup Noodles shot them cautious, scrutinizing glances.

They looked at each other, neither side willing to back down.

As for Wilster, the moment he spotted Huo Ting, the same man who had accompanied Teacher Fish Soup Noodles to visit the cast back then, his raised hand was promptly intercepted by a handshake.

“Long time no see, Mr. Wilster.”

“Ah…uh, yes, long time no see, General Huo Ting.”

For heaven’s sake, why was it him again? The man just wouldn’t go away…

Wilster felt personally targeted. Back when he had tried to greet Teacher Fish Soup Noodles with a kiss on the hand, this guy had blocked him.

Yu Mian, who turned around to look for Huo Ting, happened to catch sight of this scene and couldn’t help but laugh.

These two actually still remembered each other?

The format of the offline book signing event was also quite unique, as it was held in the style of a Moonlit Tea Party inside a castle.

Yu Mian had heard of the “Moonlit Tea Party” many times from the letters of Bart clan readers, but this was his first time experiencing it in person. He even got to taste the rose tea brewed by Lilith and the others, making him the special guest of the event.

“Christina, do you still suffer from insomnia often?”

Yu Mian had a deep impression of this melancholic beauty from the Bart clan.

Back then, her “Eternal Night Rose” IF-line fanfic, “Tragedy Of The Rose”, had remained a long-standing favorite on the forums.

Christina never expected Fish Soup Noodles to remember her, and started stammering and waving her hands frantically.

“I-I haven’t had any bad moods keeping me up for a long time now. When I’m not sleeping, I’m writing… Um, would you like to see my new work?”

The moment she finished speaking, Christina regretted it.

But to her surprise, Yu Mian was genuinely curious and invited her to share her manuscript.

With a flushed face, Christina nervously presented her latest original novel at the tea party, and it received unanimous praise from everyone present.

Even the legion members, who were merely listening on the sidelines, were captivated by the raw emotion in her writing. They hadn’t expected that such an incredible author existed among the Bart clan.

Christina’s BE story was outstanding.

“And why do I feel like these Bart fans love Teacher Fish Soup Noodles just as much as we do?”

Looking at the large number of Bart readers who had come to the event and their overwhelming enthusiasm, everyone was completely caught off guard.

Wasn’t it said that your Eternal Night Star System is vast and sparsely populated?

Why did it suddenly feel like the crowd density was rivaling the central plaza of Federation Star?

“And they’re really rich too.”

The extravagant nature of the Bart clan left the entire escort team in shock.

Saying that one Bart fan was equivalent to an entire fandom wasn’t even an exaggeration.

Miss Lilith even turned to the Huanyu representative beside her and asked how many physical copies of “I Picked Up A Traveling Light Brain” had they prepared for this signing event.

“But Miss Lilith, buying so many books not only means you won’t finish them, but other readers might not be able to get a copy. There’s really no need to go this far.”

Finally, Yu Mian stopped Lilith’s “boss-like” behavior, finally allowing the overwhelmed Huanyu staff to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was their first time witnessing a fan monopolizing an entire book signing event. The key was that her aura was so strong that no one dared to shake their head and refuse.

“I’m very happy. Buy them all and gift them to everyone. Read for free.”

Lilith’s serious statement once again shocked the entire venue.

Even Yu Mian was momentarily at a loss for words.

What kind of Bart-style female CEO move was this? — Tonight’s expenses are all covered by Miss Lilith?

Even those on Federation Star, who had been closely following the live broadcast of the Eternal Night Star System signing event, were in an uproar.

In fact, the moment the Huanyu live broadcast officially started, viewers had already been stunned by the Bart fish fans in the frame, who looked like a crowd at a top-tier cosplay convention.

[This place is literally heaven, right? That Bart cosplaying Si Yao looks exactly like the character…so beautiful I almost wanted to lick my screen.]

[Miss Lilith is so cute! That Li Chun outfit makes her look like an emerald gemstone…an exotic, otherworldly beauty!]

[Racial advantage. This is definitely racial advantage. No way to compete with that.]

Everyone had to admit it, these Bart book fans had really put in effort for this book signing event.

By the time the Moonlight Tea Party segment started, Federation Star fans watching the live broadcast could no longer feel even a trace of jealousy or bitterness over missing out on the reward of an offline signing event.

After all, the sheer extravagance was beyond imagination. It was impossible to guess how much star coins these Bart fish fans had poured into this signing event or how long they had spent preparing for it.

[I’m starting to feel like I’ve wandered into some imperial palace garden. This is insane. Huanyu, if we ever get an offline book signing event with Teacher Fish Noodle Teacher, you better not fall short! @Huanyu Reading]

[+1! We need to match this level! Set up a grand venue filled with Eternal Roses! @Huanyu Reading]

These overwhelming mentions and comments left Huanyu sweating profusely.

Who would dare to compete in wealth with these Bart book lovers?

If the very first book signing was already set to this standard, future events would be difficult to live up to.

In the end, when Lilith publicly announced that she was gifting ten million books for free to fish fans across the entire interstellar space, the fame of the Eternal Night Star System skyrocketed.

“I feel like these Bart people are really smart. They just boosted their favorability across the whole universe in one move.”

“We could also invite Teacher Fish Soup Noodles to host a signing event in our star system next time. Plus, it would be a perfectly neutral interstellar cultural exchange event.”

The book signing event in the Eternal Night Star System ended too successfully. Even the brothers Claudius and Kechard on Imperial Star, upon hearing the news, felt they should invite Fish Soup Noodles to hold a signing event in their own star system next time.

Kechard, in particular, still felt resentful over not having met Fish Soup Noodles in person.

And when Yu Mian returned to Federation Star, invitation letters from various star systems flooded Huanyu’s editorial department like snowflakes, all inquiring about Fish Soup Noodles’ next offline signing schedule.

Huanyu’s editorial department was starting to panic.

[Fish: I can’t exactly cut myself into pieces and attend multiple book signings at the same time, can I? QwQ]

Yu Mian was really a little intimidated and felt that he should not easily agree to this kind of activity reward next time.

Going out to a signing event and meeting old friends was indeed enjoyable, but it had also left Yu Mian so exhausted that he spent an entire day resting in the Starry Sky Lake.

To the point where Huo Ting, unable to find him in the study, almost thought that a certain fish had gotten lost in the water.

Walking to the water’s edge, he found Yu Mian dozing off by the shore on an old wooden log submerged in the lake, his fishtail like a skirt gently swaying with the ripples.

Moonlight spilled over his body, serene and beautiful.

Huo Ting reached out to brush aside a stray strand of hair near his ear. The delicate, light golden ear fins fluttered slightly, and in the next second, Yu Mian opened his eyes and caught his fingers.

“Aren’t you going back to rest?”

Huo Ting asked in a low voice.

“Mm… I don’t feel like moving.”

Yu Mian lazily flicked his fish tail, then looked up at Huo Ting and smiled.

He gestured for Huo Ting to lean down.

Huo Ting knelt slightly, and the next moment, Yu Mian tipped his head up and kissed him lightly on the ear.

“If I turn back into a little fish, will you take me back in a jar? Just like Huo Yan did back then…you know what to do.”

Yu Mian looked at Huo Ting, signaling him to go fetch a small glass jar.

Turning into a little fish to slack off wasn’t a bad idea.

But instead of leaving, Huo Ting crouched down and extended his hands.

Yu Mian: ?

Yu Mian swam closer, only to be gently lifted out of the water, supported at the waist.

“There’s water!”

Yu Mian gasped in surprise and subconsciously wrapped his arms around Huo Ting’s neck, the golden fish tail pressing tightly against his side.

“I can just change clothes.”

Huo Ting looked up at Yu Mian, who was gazing down at him, and curled his lips as he explained.

Meeting his eyes, Yu Mian couldn’t help but smile too, and simply hugged him more snugly.

Anyway, this guy was like a giant portable power bank, he might as well make use of it.

Speaking of which, after sleeping in the water, Yu Mian found that he might have some ideas for that mermaid short story.

He wanted to link it into Taoyuan’s latest game release and experiment with a new theme.