Some insiders in the gaming industry previously speculated that “Taoyuan Restaurant”, as a low-budget farming game, would inevitably decline in popularity once the novelty wore off.
Unexpectedly, as more highly flexible gameplay modes were gradually added, player engagement only increased.
Compared to ordinary games, “Taoyuan Restaurant” felt more like a utopian paradise.
After analyzing backend data, Derqin and his team even found that many players, even when they had nothing to do in the game, would still log in before bed just to sit on the swing in the backyard under the cool starry sky, quietly enjoying the beautiful scenery of the four seasons in the game.
[It’s mainly because the natural scenery art style of “Taoyuan Restaurant” is simply too intoxicating. Is it because the main developer is actually an elf? It feels like a perfect recreation of the utopian paradise described by Teacher Fish Soup Noodles.]
[I completely agree. Especially since the entire courtyard is a home I painstakingly built myself. Sometimes, real life is exhausting, but coming into this game world feels so relaxing. I even wish I could become a cyber electronic lifeform and live under my paradise forever.]
The scenic art style of “Taoyuan Restaurant” remained flawless from beginning to end under the strict supervision of Derqin.
Even after witnessing the success of “Taoyuan Restaurant”, many game development teams tried to imitate it but struggled to replicate the essence and charm embedded in its scenery.
A research expert on Ancient Blue Star once pointed out that much of the architectural aesthetics in “Taoyuan Restaurant” embodied the art of “leaving blank spaces”.
At first glance, a single bamboo, a crescent moon, and a stretch of clear river water might seem cold and plain. In reality, the mood had already been brought out through these few simple scenes. As the saying goes, “Where there is nothing, there is everything.”
This sparked a wave of heated discussion about the artistic style of “Taoyuan Restaurant”, as many tried to decipher the secret behind its captivating visuals.
[Sigh, everything is so beautiful. Boss Lu Zhen’s paradise has truly healed so much of my real-life stress. But why do I have this subtle feeling that the end is near? Recently, the plot in “God of Cooking” feels like it’s wrapping up. TwT Is it just my imagination?]
[Me too. I’m starting to panic. After following this book for so long, it’s become a daily source of happiness to see Boss Lu Zhen’s business thriving. If it ends, I’ll feel so empty!]
Of course, as Fish Soup Noodles’ depiction of this paradise grew more beautiful and complete, countless fans of “God of Cooking” who sensed the looming conclusion found themselves reluctant to part with it.
It felt like each day of reading meant one less day with the story. With each daily update of several thousand words, fans would reread it several times, savoring every detail.
[A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles V: “God of Cooking” is expected to conclude by the end of this month. At that time, Huanyu will host a grand finale lottery event and launch a pre-sale for the physical book. “Taoyuan Restaurant” will also release limited-time events featuring various food gift packs. Food lovers, don’t miss out!]
As soon as Fish Soup Noodles, who had been silent on StarBlog for quite some time, posted the finale announcement, the comment section immediately erupted into a chorus of heartbroken cries from fans unwilling to see it end.
[Noooo! If it ends, what will I read every night? Ugh, I’ll feel like I’ve been abandoned by the world. So unfair. Can’t it just continue indefinitely?]
[+1000, please keep it going! After all, you can never run out of things to write about food. Plus, with so many amazing new recipes created by top players in the game every day, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles could also add them into the novel!]
Most of the fans of “God of Cooking” had been watching the tragic experience of Soldier King getting stabbed these days, but they never expected that the fire would spread to their own family so soon.
For a while, it was hard to tell which was worse, enduring the torment of chasing an ongoing story or facing the reality of a complete ending and saying goodbye to the characters forever.
After all, while following an ongoing serialization could be torturing, once it ended, the feeling of reluctance was even stronger.
The petitions against the ending of “God of Cooking” even spread from StarBlog to the game itself. Many fans changed their in-game IDs and home names to variations of “Don’t Want It to End” and “Continue Serializing”.
[A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles V: Don’t worry, there will still be the final “Peach Blossom Feast” food arc. The peaches on Taoyuan Mountain are about to ripen, and Boss Lu Zhen will present a unique all-peach banquet. Also, a new book is in the works.]
However, Yu Mian had already expected this. As soon as the small spoiler on StarBlog and the news of the new book preparation were released, the buzz immediately shifted, just as he had predicted.
Whether it was the all-peach banquet that sounded fascinating or Fish Soup Noodles’ new book project, both were exciting and highly anticipated.
[Alright, alright, this bowl of fish soup noodles really knows how to reel us in. TwT]
The willingly hooked fish fans could only admit that this was exactly the kind of bait they fell for, they were completely powerless to resist.
However, the explosion of excitement among the Soldier King fans over the past few days came to an abrupt halt when they saw the new book announcement. They were utterly shocked.
[Shouldn’t the eighth volume be updated first!!? Teacher Fish Soup Noodles! [Terrified.jpg]]
[A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles V: Don’t worry. This week, I’ll release a 3,000-word preview of “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King” Volume 8, and the full volume will be published soon.]
Just as the Soldier King fans were on the verge of breaking down, Yu Mian’s new reply came like a slice of cake stuffed into their mouths, silencing them instantly.
They had been hurt the most, yet they were always coaxed the fastest. What a bittersweet experience.
However, a statement released by the Huanyu Editorial Department soon pushed the popularity of Volume 8 to its peak.
Because while Editor Shaxs and the team were sorting through fan mail, besides piles of heart-wrenching letters urging updates and asking if Lin Mu had really died, they shockingly found a toy knife among them.
Although it wasn’t real, everyone at the editorial department still felt it was very inappropriate when they unwrapped it. As a result, they issued a statement urging fans to avoid sending such prank items in the future.
[Fuck, QAQ. Even if everyone keeps joking about sending razor blades, sending a toy knife is still completely inappropriate.]
[Seriously. Suddenly, I feel that Teacher Fish Soup Noodles should take better care of himself. What if it’s real next time?]
Unexpectedly, that very evening, the young fan responsible for the prank took the initiative to apologize frantically, saying that he just wanted to make a joke and really had no ill intentions.
Yu Mian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It seemed writing “knife stories” easily attracted hate. Otherwise, back on Earth, there wouldn’t have been cases of authors to male-oriented novels getting ambushed and beaten up in real life.
However, the news of the prank had spread so widely that even Grandpa Huo had heard about it.
That night, just as Yu Mian finished writing and tried to sneak out of the study to go to bed, he stepped out only to find Huo Ting standing at the second-floor staircase, clearly waiting for him.
Yu Mian: !
‘Why was this guy home so early today?’
Lately, every time Yu Mian saw Huo Ting, he couldn’t help but want to slip away. The memory of being hugged felt strangely awkward, especially since he had no idea if Huo Ting remembered it.
But asking directly would be even weirder.
Fortunately, since Huo Ting’s vacation ended, he had been busy. Even Secretary Hals always came and went in a hurry, so their schedules rarely overlapped.
“Is Volume 8 almost finished?”
Ever since Huo Ting had conveyed Chairman Michaels’ request for updates, Yu Mian had taken it seriously. After all, dragging the knife for too long could be unbearable for readers. Releasing a preview of Volume 8 to reveal Lin Mu’s latest situation seemed like the perfect solution.
“Yes… it should be published soon. Do you want to proofread it as well? I didn’t ask before because I saw you’ve been busy lately.”
The reason “Rebirth Of The Interstellar Soldier King” had such meticulous details was largely because Yu Mian had roped Huo Ting in as a technical consultant. Reviewing the manuscript with Huo Ting before submission was far more efficient and accurate than any editorial check.
This level of technical consulting was incredibly rare, it’s almost unmatched in the entire novel industry. It wasn’t any less authentic than Stellar Medal who had experienced the star pirate life himself.
However, due to various reasons, Yu Mian had been holding back Volume 8 and hadn’t given it to Huo Ting yet. He hadn’t expected Huo Ting, despite being so busy, to take the initiative to ask for it.
“Hmm.”
“Then I’ll give you part of it tomorrow. No need to rush; just read it when you have time.”
After Huo Ting nodded, Yu Mian tried to slip away again. But the moment he turned, Huo Ting caught him by the hand and stopped him in his tracks.
All the nothing was said, just a single glance between them made Yu Mian feel the tiny scales on his wrist itch under Huo Ting’s grip.
“Have you been busy lately?”
“I haven’t been avoiding you.”
“…”
The second Yu Mian tried to explain, the obviousness of his denial and the subtle smile in Huo Ting’s eyes made him want to disappear on the spot.
Could he take back what he just said? Orz
“Hmm? What are you two kids doing holding hands like that?”
Just then, Grandpa Huo, who had come upstairs looking for them, unexpectedly stumbled upon the scene. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to step forward or quietly retreat as if he hadn’t seen anything.
Why did it feel like he had come at the wrong time?
Even Qiao Ni, who was following behind him, wore an odd expression, looking like she wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.
Yu Mian felt as if his fingers were burned and was so embarrassed that he pulled his hand back and hid it behind his back.
Huo Ting, who had finally let go, glanced down at Yu Mian’s curled fingers behind him, then lifted his eyes to his grandfather, as if asking what the matter was.
“I’ve been thinking these past few days: since you insist on moving out, it’s not safe for you to live alone. Why not let Huo Ting be your bodyguard? Isn’t that a great idea? After all, the two houses are right next to each other.”
Huo Yuejiang had been troubled by this matter for days and finally couldn’t hold back and announced his brilliant solution with a gleam in his eyes.
