As the boat tilted further, river water quickly rushed in. Once the boat capsized, people plunged into the lake like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, leaving the shore filled with freshly soaked Fish Soup Noodles fans.
Fortunately, the boat was close to the shore and the water wasn’t too deep. Plus, with the principal and his team present, the rescue effort was swift and well-organized.
Yu Mian, who considered himself an excellent swimmer, subconsciously wanted to jump in and help. But just as he was about to move, Huo Ting grabbed his wrist, instantly reminding him of one crucial issue.
If he went into the water, wouldn’t his fish tail be exposed?
After all, if everyone saw his fish tail and froze in shock, even if he exhausted himself pulling people out, he couldn’t rescue all of them by himself.
“But I should still help, right? As long as I don’t reveal my tail, it should be fine.”
Yu Mian glanced at the people struggling in the water and felt a little worried.
Huo Ting wasn’t surprised by Yu Mian’s decision.
“Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, there’s no need for you to personally…huh?!”
Before Principal Charles could finish speaking, he noticed that Yu Mian’s swimming ability was exceptionally good.
Once in the water, his rescues were quick and precise. More importantly, even his swimming posture and movements carried an inexplicable fluid grace.
“…!”
Meanwhile, the rescued students had just been pulled to safety. As they coughed up water and prepared to express their gratitude, they suddenly found themselves locking eyes with Yu Mian.
“Are you alright? You’re safe now.”
Yu Mian asked with a smile, then handed the students over to the rescue team before turning back to save the next person.
But after forcibly rescuing the three or four people farthest from shore and the situation stabilized, Principal Charles firmly stopped Yu Mian from going back into the water.
“It’s fine, I really don’t mind…”
“No, no, no, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, didn’t you notice that now that the situation has stabilized, if you go back into the water to rescue people, it will actually reduce efficiency?”
In fact, ever since the first person heard Principal Charles’ shout, more and more people quickly realized that Teacher Fish Soup Noodles was actually rescuing people, and they were just short of rushing toward Yu Mian in excitement.
As soon as Principal Charles stopped Yu Mian, disappointed murmurs could be heard from the water.
Yu Mian felt both amused and helpless as he wrapped himself in a dry towel.
“But that student is also helping rescue people, and his swimming skills are impressive.”
When Yu Mian returned after changing clothes, he noticed that everyone was watching a silver-haired young man in the water.
After rescuing the last student in the water, the young man’s eyes lit up when he saw Yu Mian.
However, just as he was about to speak, he unexpectedly locked eyes with Huo Ting, who was standing behind Yu Mian.
“…”
The small creature that had almost been caught at Starry Sky Lake still hadn’t shaken off its instinctive sense of danger. With this brief hesitation, the young man was quickly surrounded by Principal Charles and the others.
“Student, what is your name?”
“…Yin.”
Yin hesitated for a moment, then answered.
“Yin?”
A single-character name was quite rare.
“What’s your student ID number? We have to give you a bravery award today!”
“…”
But the moment Yin heard “student ID number,” he subconsciously took half a step back.
“Hey!”
“Why did he jump into the water?!”
Everyone on the shore was shocked to see the student dive into the water and disappear.
“That guy seems to be an aquatic race. A seal? Did I guess wrong?”
“But I just checked, and there’s no student named ‘Yin’ in the school records.”
Very quickly, people realized that this unfamiliar young man wasn’t a student of the academy at all.
“Could it be that he hid in the water ahead of time just for today’s literary exchange meeting?”
Someone suddenly voiced a thought, and the entire place fell silent.
At first, they had thought he was just another enthusiastic Fish Soup Noodles fan. But it turned out that he wasn’t even a student here, yet he had appeared in the school’s waters.
“If the boat hadn’t capsized, would he have just stayed in the water the whole time and participated in the exchange without anyone realizing?”
“Ah, seriously? Who would have thought of that? I only saw people online offering high prices to buy campus IDs, but this guy directly swam in?!”
“Why didn’t I think of that? My roommate didn’t manage to get a ticket either…”
As the crowd discussed the fierce competition for participation spots, Yu Mian listened and couldn’t help but sweat a little.
“Ahem, why don’t we continue the exchange meeting? Although there was a small accident, and the boat is now unusable.” Under Principal Charles’ guidance, everyone’s mood turned a bit deflated.
“It’s okay. Actually, in that case, we can just change the way we discuss literature by the water. For example, ‘floating wine cups on a winding stream’?”
Yu Mian’s suggestion immediately piqued everyone’s curiosity.
“‘Floating wine cups on a winding stream’? For some reason, that sounds really artistic and romantic.”
“Is it another way to exchange literary ideas by the water?”
“Actually, I had originally planned to write about this in the extras for “God of Cooking”. Trying it out together at today’s exchange seems quite fitting.”
Yu Mian smiled as he explained, and soon, everyone became engrossed in the stories behind the tradition of floating wine cups on a winding stream.
The so-called “wine cup” referred to a wine glass filled to the brim.
In ancient times, a purification ritual would be held on the third day of the third lunar month. Many scholars would sit on the ground on both sides of the stream, letting the wine cups from upstream flow downstream. Whoever the glass stopped in front of could take the glass and drink, which meant receiving blessings.
“Ahem, but instead of wine, we can use ready-made nutrition solutions. And if composing poetry is too difficult, we can just discuss our favorite literary works. That would be just as great.”
“Even though the boat is unusable for now, sitting by the riverbanks and discussing literature is still quite an elegant activity, like the beautiful moments of Boss Lu Zhen and his friends.”
Yu Mian’s voice had always been pleasant to listen to, and it always made people listen carefully and feel happy.
Not to mention, his gentle storytelling about the tradition of floating wine glasses and the famous “Orchid Pavilion Gathering”, which really seemed to transport everyone into the world of “God of Cooking” in another way.
Under the sunlight, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, who was earnestly explaining, seemed to be glowing.
All thoughts of urging for more chapters or seeking autographs were momentarily forgotten, replaced by quiet happiness, sweet and comforting like the peach-flavored nutrition solution in their hands.
It was said that this batch of nutrient solution was a special Taoyuan Mountain flavor, co-developed by the Food Research Institute and the Elf Star System. Drinking it together today couldn’t have been more fitting.
Meanwhile, Principal Charles, who had been observing the exchange meeting, watched as Yu Mian effortlessly calmed the initially flustered crowd. Even he found himself drawn into the stories being told, his smile growing more and more genuine.
In the past, he used to have doubts, could such a young writer really have created so many anecdotes on ancient Blue Star in “God of Cooking”.
But after witnessing this impromptu session today, Principal Charles had no choice but to believe it.
He even felt that approving the students’ petition had been one of the best decisions he had made this year.
On a bright, sunny day, everyone sat by the riverside, enjoying the scenery, sharing their literary thoughts and creative ideas. How could this not be an incredibly romantic experience?
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this was a moment where a plot in “God of Cooking” had come to life.
The exchange meeting continued until the sun set in the evening, and it came to an end with everyone reluctant to leave.
Qushui Liu Shang (floating wine cups on a winding stream)
