After all, as everyone knew, many special races indeed had a preference for choosing partners from their own kind.
But our incredibly kind Fish Soup Noodles had always been extremely gentle and friendly toward humans.
There had never been any signs of double standards, he was practically a master of balance.
Could this mean that Fish Soup Noodles actually had a very open-minded view on love?
[Hiss, then this problem just got even trickier, what do we do? It feels like Teacher Fish Soup Noodles is famous across the entire interstellar world now?]
The biggest issue was having too many romantic rivals; there weren’t even enough swords to fight them all.
[Damn it, I just fell in love, and now I feel both happy and under pressure. Time to work hard and earn money to raise my fish! I need to stand taller so that my wife can see me!]
[Wait, how can someone just outright call him wife? Shut up! As a mom fan of Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, I won’t allow it! Unless you talk to me first TwT. I’m going to reread the short story again.]
For a while, the star network was so lively that seven or eight hot searches in the front row were all related to #DocumentaryLiterature#, and the discussion remained at an all-time high.
Even the old topic #FishSoupNoodlesDoesn’tUnderstandMermaids# was dug up by the ever-playful netizens and shoved back onto the hot search list.
And hanging right next to the still reigning TOP1 hot search #TeacherFishSoupNoodlesIsActuallyAMermaid#, it created an absolutely hilarious contrast.
[I’m dying of laughter, who was the genius that purposely pushed these two hot search topics together? What are the black fans supposed to do now? Are they even going to log onto the star network anymore?]
[So, is that blogger who originally made the claim still around? Did you watch the press conference today? Did you see our Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ beautiful mermaid tail?]
Many fans, eager for drama, started tagging the black fans they had previously battled with, proving the saying: a gentleman’s revenge may take ten years, but it’s never too late.
Though, well, it hadn’t even been ten years.
And in just about ten minutes of being relentlessly @-tagged by the entire star network with messages like “Are you there? Look at the mermaid tail,” that once stubborn critic completely abandoned their stance and even deleted their account.
They were a completely different person from before.
The entire star network shook their heads in unison.
Of all the people to provoke, why did you have to pick this one?
[From the very first book, our Teacher Fish Soup Noodles has been causing storms, but honestly, has he ever lost? (proud)]
[I really want to know what Teacher Fish Soup Noodles was thinking when he was originally doubted. #MermaidsDon’tUnderstandMermaids# has officially become the joke of the year!]
As for the “culprit” behind all this chaos, a certain fish had already evaded the encircling reporters, wearing a mask and hat while sprinting away through a special exit.
By the time the crowd at the main entrance realized Fish Soup Noodles had already appeared in the parking lot, Yu Mian merely smiled, waved goodbye, and then got into the car, driving away the next second.
This led to a chorus of agonized wails from the reporters present.
No! Don’t go! They were so close!
Mission failed: the fish got away!
“But Teacher Fish Soup Noodles still has to go home and update tonight. If he keeps getting surrounded for interviews, wouldn’t that mean no new chapter?”
A slow-moving, Buddhist reporter’s words finally brought some comfort to everyone.
After all, if there was a chapter delay, wouldn’t the real victims be themselves?
“But it’s still such a pity we couldn’t get an interview about that reader’s comment that’s now on the hot search!”
Someone clutched their chest in sorrow.
As reporters, they could tell at a glance that this topic was bound to explode in popularity.
Mermaids were already the hottest topic in the entire universe, and now adding Fish Soup Noodles’ views on love, how could this not blow up?
Even after the farewell photos made their way onto the star network, the already excited audience from the press conference became even more invested in Fish Soup Noodles’ latest movements.
[Everyone, don’t be disappointed. My wife has already been picked up by me. He’s sitting beside me right now, writing tonight’s update. We are very happy. Thank you all for your blessings. (shy shuffle)]
[? The guy in front must still be dreaming. Clearly, I was the one who picked him up. I was Teacher Fish Soup Noodles’ driver!]
As the conversation went on, the star network was suddenly flooded with hundreds of fish fans, each seriously claiming that they were the one who had picked up Fish Soup Noodles.
However, in the midst of this lively discussion, someone quickly noticed a detail in the photo, specifically, the hand opening the car door looked quite familiar.
A few comparison images quickly pinpointed the key detail.
[Wait, you fake drivers can stop pretending now. That is clearly General Huo Ting. The skin tone and scar placement on his hand are identical to what we saw during the live broadcast.]
As soon as this post by an experienced fan was published, countless fake drivers grumbled and whined, “What are you trying to do? Can’t we even dream anymore?”
[Damn it, you’re not allowed to expose us! Otherwise, I will actually cry for you.]
Many fish fans who were simply enjoying the spectacle expressed their sympathy:
[Hahaha, don’t expose them. Honestly, I enjoy watching them fight over who gets to pretend to be the driver.]
Meanwhile, some attendees of the press conference also started sharing legitimate information on the star network:
[Hehe, I actually saw General Huo Ting at the event today. It looked like he was personally leading the security team. He was at the venue the entire time, following Teacher Fish Soup Noodles around. I wanted to take a photo with him, but I didn’t dare to interrupt his duty.]
[Wow! You lucky person! You got to see Teacher Fish Soup Noodles in person. Don’t make us too jealous! Wuuu~]
After this revelation, many fish fans found themselves feeling more at peace.
Alright, since the “driver” was General Huo Ting, then technically, it was official business. That made it fair for all fish fans.
[Honestly, this just shows how thorough the Federation is. They assigned such a high-ranking officer as Fish Soup Noodles’ personal security. We fish fans can rest easy now. Looks like the Federation is the biggest fish fan of all ~=w=]
[Wuuu, does this mean General Huo is the luckiest fish fan? I want to apply for this position too. A new career path unlocked!]
However, these envious voices were quickly countered by fish fans from within the military:
[No, do you guys really think this kind of duty is easy to get? We, the army’s elite, all want to be the first to guard Teacher Fish Soup Noodles at these events!]
[Exactly! But we just can’t get it at all. We’ve been secretly complaining to our superiors for so long. Wuuu~]
[Quiet suggestion: General Huo, you don’t have to personally handle this kind of task (X). Give us fish fans a little bit of a chance.]
Among Fish Soup Noodles’ readers, the number of military academy students and soldiers had always been massive. Once they spoke up, everyone realized that this wasn’t exactly an easy position to apply for.
After all, who wouldn’t want to chase their idol on the job?
[Wow, suddenly, the phrase “working hard to raise Fish Soup Noodles” doesn’t seem so empty. Turns out, falling in love really does fill people with motivation. Wife, wait for me to get stronger! T^T]
Many fish fans agreed. Somehow, this had become more motivating.
Normally, when such amusing fan antics happened, Ernis would be the first to jump in and spread the fun.
But ever since his last brainquake, when Ernis saw this news, he felt like he was the only one who had noticed a heartbreaking truth.
Because from a long, long time ago, during countless offline events, General Huo Ting had always been somewhere nearby Fish Soup Noodles.
And then, recalling Fish Soup Noodles’ last reply to him…
[Is there a possibility that this isn’t official duty, which is why your superiors can’t assign anyone else?]
After much hesitation, Ernis finally used his star chasing account to reply to one of the fish fans who had been lamenting about missing out on the security assignment.
He wanted to comfort them, to let them know that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t something to be sad about.
[Huh? What are you talking about?]
However, the person he replied to had absolutely no reaction to his words and instead questioned why he was saying such weird things.
“…”
Ernis’ expression became more pained.
Forget it. He was done with these people!
Meanwhile, Yu Mian, who had just gotten home and was preparing to start writing, scrolled through Starblog and couldn’t stop smiling at the comments from his fish fans.
No, seriously, why were they so cute?
Yu Mian had never expected people to be this passionate about mermaids.
As for why he wasn’t opposed to humans, it was simply because he had always felt that he wasn’t any different from everyone else.
On the other hand, Huo Ting, who was sitting beside him, silently glanced over.
For some reason, Yu Mian, who was still holding his light brain, let out a small cough out of embarrassment.
After all, last time Huo Ting replied to Xiao Ernis, Yu Mian did what he promised and told Huo Ting not to scare people unnecessarily. Now, was this guy feeling a little wronged?
“What do we do, what do we do? This is bad! The entire star network wants to steal Brother Yu Mian!”
Meanwhile, in the car behind them, Huo Yan had just arrived home. The moment he stepped out, he broke free from Qiao Ni’s grip and dashed straight toward Yu Mian.
He had originally thought that after Yu Mian’s mermaid identity was revealed, he would get to proudly tell everyone, “Look! That’s my Brother Yu Mian!”
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect it to turn out like this.
Everyone was blatantly trying to steal his fish.
On top of that, the netizens were so good with words. All the sweet talk about raising fish was making Huo Yan more and more desperate.
Yu Mian, whose thighs were suddenly hugged tightly by Huo Yan in sorrow, felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead.
The next second, Huo Yan was grabbed by the collar and lifted up by Huo Ting behind him.
“Ow! Why are you grabbing my collar? Am I not telling the truth?”
Huo Yan immediately started struggling.
“For the love of the universe, can you say a little less? Wasn’t your job just to deliver flowers on behalf of Madam?”
Qiao Ni, who had rushed over at full speed, was just short of covering Huo Yan’s mouth that was like a boiling kettle about to whistle.
Only then did Huo Yan remember that his mother had assigned him the task to deliver a congratulatory bouquet to Yu Mian, who had just finished his speech at the press conference.
He quickly turned back, picked up the bouquet prepared by the Inas couple, and handed it to Yu Mian.
“Thank you! Auntie Inas is really too thoughtful…”
Yu Mian accepted the bouquet with surprise and then looked up to see Huo Dong and Madam Inas smiling and waving at him from not far away.
“Today’s press conference was a great success, so we prepared this bouquet in advance to congratulate you on receiving your award. Your Mermaid Literature Foundation has also drawn a lot of attention.”
Madam Inas looked at Yu Mian warmly and soon expressed her willingness to help with the foundation’s affairs.
“Ah, Mermaid?”
Didn’t he call it the Ancient Blue Star Literature Foundation?
Yu Mian was momentarily stunned by the name.
“Haha, that’s just what everyone started calling it. But you can’t fund it alone with just your royalties. Huo Dong and I both love reading stories, so we’re also planning to contribute funds to sponsor it…you can’t refuse this.”
Madam Inas earnestly brought up the fundraising efforts, which surprised Yu Mian. He hadn’t expected others to actively offer sponsorship.
After all, he simply wanted to put his royalties to good use.
“Who would be willing to contribute?”
Seeing Yu Mian’s confusion, Madam Inas showed a look of surprise.
“After you mentioned it at the press conference today, I’ve already had several friends message me asking about the foundation. They even insisted that next time I have tea, I must bring along our mermaid writer.”
This little guy really doesn’t understand his own influence.
Madam Inas couldn’t help but laugh happily.
“No, no, no! Brother Yu Mian, you can’t go! The socialite ladies that Mom is close with are terrifying!”
Huo Yan, having just delivered the flowers, quickly warned Yu Mian not to go casually, or he’d definitely be surrounded with no way to escape.
Huo Dong also smiled and explained:
“When conducting field surveys in star systems, there’s often no connection, and that’s when reading novels becomes the best pastime. Many of our friends hope for more and more good works, book droughts are truly painful.”
Yu Mian’s idea of establishing a foundation to encourage literary novel development was indeed seen as a great initiative by many literature lovers.
Many people already loved the works of “Fish Soup Noodles”, and with this foundation, countless young writers would surely work hard to earn the foundation’s awards.
“So you can hold a Q&A session later to publicly share detailed plans. I think plenty of people would be interested, and it doesn’t have to be funded solely by your royalties.”
Even Qiao Ni chimed in, mentioning that she had recently tried reading novels after work out of boredom and instantly found it incredibly stress-relieving and captivating.
She was even puzzled as to why she hadn’t gotten into it sooner.
If such a foundation existed, she’d also be more than willing to support it.
Hearing all this, Yu Mian suddenly felt a surge of motivation.
It seemed that even though the press conference had ended, many things were just beginning.
Besides continuing to serialize many exciting stories, he could also contribute to improving the interstellar literary ecosystem.
For example, once the foundation matured, excellent award-winning works could be supported for copyright adaptation. In Taoyuan, more game adaptation rights could be secured.
However…
After tonight’s update, he probably needed to hold a Q&A session.
Especially about that so-called “documentary literature”, ahem.
Back when he wrote “Contract Marriage”, some fans had already tried searching for “Caesar”. Now that he was writing “The Vast Immortal Path”, even more fans were attempting “cyber-cultivation.”
But Yu Mian was completely caught off guard; a short mermaid-themed story had somehow led fans to become curious about Fish Soup Noodles’ views on love.
In fact, when Fish Soup Noodles released the final countdown chapters of “The Vast Immortal Path” without fail, countless hungry fish fans swarmed in immediately.
They also marveled at how their beloved author was a true workaholic, he was so busy with events all day yet still managing to deliver updates at night.
Being a fish fan was truly the happiest thing in the universe!
And just as they finished devouring the new chapter, they unsurprisingly saw today’s starship rain from Boss Huo Ting himself.
[Okay, okay! I didn’t miss today’s update! Fuck, what day is it? Why so many starships?!]
Many fish fans subconsciously rubbed their eyes when checking in, only to realize that without saying a word, General Huo Ting had just dropped a set of one hundred starships, momentarily causing the entire Huanyu comment system to lag.
What was going on?
Although today’s event had already triggered waves of rewards, the surge of new fish fans following the hot search topics had led to a continuous rise in Fish Soup Noodles’ novel stats, with no sign of slowing down.
After all, once people across the universe learned about the only living mermaid, they couldn’t help but check out his works.
And once they did, there was no escape…the black hole of time was no joke.
[Even though I don’t have 100 starships, I do have a heart that loves Fish Soup Noodles! So, I’m a good fish fan too, right? T^T]
[Wiping sweat… As expected, raising fish requires financial strength. We’ve always known that our fish fandom is full of hidden powerhouses.]
[Could it be that Boss Huo Ting watched the press conference today and is also planning to raise fish too?]
However, just as everyone was checking in and spectating, they discovered that Fish Soup Noodles had actually logged into Starblog.
And he had specifically responded to a reader’s comment that was on the hot search tonight.
[A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles V: The so-called documentary literature mentioned in the hot search isn’t strictly documentary literature, because while the descriptions of marine creatures’ habits are real, the APP plotline and such are completely fictional.
But as for a lover, I don’t actually dislike humans. =w=// Repost: ……]
For the fish fans at this moment, everything today seemed to be an indescribable kind of happiness.
[What!!!]
[Ahhh, did I hear that right? Teacher Fish Soup Noodles admitted it! They can accept a human lover ahhhhh!]
[Is the original poster still here? The greatest contributor to the entire universe! Teacher Fish Soup Noodles responded to your question! This is really turning into a romance now!]
But before everyone, caught up in their wild joy, could even finish screaming, Fish Soup Noodles’ next standalone Starblog post was officially released.
[A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles V: Because I already have a lover. Here, everyone, take a look…this is the human I’m “raising”.[Fish Snickering.jpg]]
In the photo shared by Fish Soup Noodles, Yu Mian was openly reaching out to hold the very familiar hand from earlier today.
And on their hands, two newly appeared, dazzlingly brilliant, thin golden rings gleamed so conspicuously that they were impossible to ignore.
[…?]
The sound of hearts shattering suddenly echoed across the entire universe.
[No, take it back, Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, please, take it back! Let’s just pretend we never asked that question!]
All the Fish fans on the star network went crazy.
