“No, this is it.”
When Lilith heard the official questioning her, she frowned slightly and emphasized her point again, her mood clearly turning sour.
“What our young lady means is that the latest update of this book is too slow, and she’s dissatisfied with the content. This kind-hearted young man named Gu Bai is suffering too much. She hopes you can revise it quickly. Are all your Federation residents living in such miserable conditions?”
The old man in butler uniform standing behind Lilith adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and meticulously elaborated on her sentiments.
“Mm.”
Under the officials’ suspicious gazes, Lilith nodded again, confirming her stance.
The officials: What?!
“Miss Lilith, the kind of books you’re reading are written by authors from various parts of the galaxy. They publish their works on StarNet, but they’re not physically here with us. We have no way to alter someone else’s writing.”
Faced with Lilith’s misunderstanding as a newcomer to the StarNet, the officials patiently explained.
“…”
Lilith seemed to be trying to understand but appeared subtly anxious.
“No, the story must be revised.”
After pondering for a while without reaching a satisfactory conclusion, Lilith gave up thinking and looked at the officials seriously once more.
“What our young lady means is that she is very dissatisfied with the story’s development. If her mood remains poor, this cooperation between us and your Federation will come to an end.”
The old butler smiled as he provided this explanation, which set off alarm bells instantly.
A threat—this was an outright threat!
Indeed, the Bart Clan lived up to their reputation for having terrible tempers.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the officials wasted no time in escalating the matter.
Surely, they couldn’t let an entire cooperation effort fall apart over a novel?
And so, in this chain of events, Yu Mian ended up releasing ten chapters in one night, which led to the infamous call to the Huanyu editorial department.
To everyone’s surprise, the Federation’s relevant departments discovered that instead of revising the earlier chapters, the audacious author simply released the next ones.
Fortunately, after reading the newest chapter, Lilith’s mood improved, and she suddenly stopped caring about revising the previous content.
She even expressed genuine interest in understanding how the star network functioned, ultimately deciding she wanted access to it herself—so she could follow the book’s updates in real-time.
This bizarre diplomatic incident ended up having a successful outcome and almost every high-ranking Federation official became aware of the peculiar event.
That is, the Bart Clan representatives, who were painstakingly invited out of their dark, isolated planet, had shown little interest in official activities but developed an immense fascination with a novel after their first encounter with the star network.
They even agreed to integrate with the star network.
“The good news is that the Bart Clan, known for their staunch conservatism, has finally agreed to connect to the StarNet’s main system.”
“The not-so-bad news is that, before they connect, they wish to take several physical copies of the novel with them to tide them over until they can access updates.”
In the Federation conference hall, the host official of the Star Alliance negotiations announced the peculiar development with a complicated expression.
Who would have thought that the notoriously violent and mysterious Bart Clan would make such an odd request before their departure?
Out of the Federation’s vast and abundant cultural gifts, they had no interest in anything but specifically requested several copies of a novel.
Thus, the Federation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with key officials, worked overnight to obtain and read the novel that had allegedly captivated their alien guests. By the end, they were left in collective bewilderment.
Had the entire galaxy misunderstood the Bart Clan all along?
This allegedly violent and unapproachable race turned out to be romantic and sentimental fans of fictional romance novels at their core?
“Well, since they want it, let’s arrange it immediately.”
It was just a book, after all.
In the end, the Federation’s upper echelons unanimously approved the decision, given that the request seemed to carry no ulterior motives.
“But the young lady from the Bart Clan also expressed interest in meeting the author.”
Before the meeting concluded, the liaison officer added one last piece of information that left everyone hesitant again.
“Um… she reportedly wants a novel featuring the Bart Clan as the main characters and is even willing to pay for it.”
Wow, clearly, the level of enthusiasm for updates had reached new heights.
Not only did she want to read the novel, but she also wanted to commission one with her clan as the protagonists?
“There’s one more thing—although the Bart Clan has agreed to connect to the StarNet and even open up access to nearby transport routes, the galaxy’s general perception of them is still overwhelmingly negative. I doubt anyone will dare venture near their territory.”
The transportation department official pointed this out, causing a momentary silence in the room.
This was indeed a valid concern.
Throughout the galaxy, the Bart Clan’s reputation inspired more fear than anything else—they were seen as a scourge to be avoided at all costs.
“These things take time. Besides, after interacting with the Bart Clan, they don’t seem to match their terrifying reputation. They’re not as aggressive as we imagined.”
In fact, they seemed more like beings with extraordinarily long lifespans, preferring to stay indoors, read books, and sleep rather than cause trouble.
After all, a perpetually dark and dreary planet was the perfect setting for hibernation.
But when this peculiar news was finally relayed to Shaxs, he reacted strongly and voiced his rare opposition.
“No way! I don’t agree! How can the new book have the Bart Clan as the protagonists?!”
As everyone knows, the Bart Clan’s reputation in the galaxy was universally terrible. Who would want to read a story with them as the protagonists?
“Besides, my author definitely wouldn’t agree to this. He absolutely dislikes having protagonists assigned to him for his works.”
Thinking about how Yu Mian had outright refused to write another series with different musical instruments, Shaxs figured Yu Mian simply despised any form of forced creative writing.
“Shaxs, this is a directive from the higher-ups. The author is signed under your management, so you’re obligated to convey this request. What if he’s actually willing?”
After all, the Bart Clan had offered an astronomical payment.
While their reputation was bad and they were known for being fierce and weird, they were undeniably rich.
It was said that every single one of them lived in castles or mansions, a true example of shared wealth—millionaires, every one of them.
Under the deputy editor’s insistence, Shaxs had no choice but to reluctantly relay the request to Yu Mian.
He conveyed it, assuming it would be swiftly rejected.
After all, having worked with Yu Mian for so long, Shaxs was certain that while Yu Mian might be short on money, he was not someone who could be easily swayed by monetary offers.
On the contrary, he had strong principles. Once he made up his mind about something, it was nearly impossible for outsiders to change it.
[Fish: Hmm? This Bart Clan you’re talking about, why do they sound so much like the legendary vampires?]
[Crispy Shark: Huh? Vampires? What vampires?]
What Shaxs hadn’t anticipated was that this time, Yu Mian actually became unusually intrigued by the idea!
After all, based on the descriptions he and the others provided, this so-called Bart Clan sounded exactly like the vampires from novels and TV dramas—immortal beings with extraordinary beauty.
And vampires, as everyone knew, were a timeless popular theme for protagonists in all kinds of works!
Not to mention the fancier, more literary term—”the Blood Clan”.
Didn’t that instantly elevate the concept to a whole new level of sophistication?
So, faced with this unexpected proposal about the Bart Clan, Yu Mian found himself suddenly interested. It even helped him shake off the frustration from receiving another ridiculous daily task just moments ago.
There were still seven days to complete the task anyway, so he wasn’t in a rush.
Curious, Yu Mian did a quick search on the star network and discovered just how this galaxy’s “vampire-like” Bart Clan had ended up with such a poor reputation.
Apparently, their silence, reclusiveness, and outright refusal to adopt any interstellar technology had led to a slew of strange prejudices and rumors among the galaxy’s populace.
Some claimed the Bart Clan’s ancestors were light-averse bats, which explained their descendants’ choice to live on a planet of perpetual night.
Others insisted the Bart Clan avoided public appearances because they preferred committing crimes under the cover of darkness, even ambushing ordinary people to collect blood.
One particularly outrageous claim from an interstellar netizen stated that, during an accidental flight into the eternally dark Bart planet, they saw a Bart Clan member drinking a cup of human blood!
It was utterly horrifying.
“Could it be that the vampires in this galaxy are completely different from the vampires in Earth’s culture?”
Yu Mian found himself growing hesitant the more he read.
[Crispy Shark: Anyway, take your time thinking about the new book. There’s really no rush. Just don’t let the hefty payment tempt you into rushing something out! The second book is absolutely crucial for your career! [Howling.jpg]]
Shaxs was starting to regret it now. If he had known, he would have hidden this proposal from Yu Mian.
Yu Mian’s first novel, “Contract Marriage”, had been a massive phenomenon. Because of that, countless eyes were watching to see how Yu Mian’s next book would perform.
If the second book failed miserably and flopped, it would undoubtedly spark a wave of ridicule.
Not only would Yu Mian’s reputation take a hit, but the hard-earned fame from his first book would also suffer greatly.
Writing another book similar to the first one was undoubtedly the safest and most reliable choice. Who could have predicted their author would refuse to take the easy route?
[Fish: Don’t worry, if I write the next book, it definitely won’t be for their payment. I also don’t intend to accept Miss Lilith’s offer.]
[Fish: If I do write a vampire-themed novel for the second book, it will be entirely on my own terms, with no externally dictated content. However, I’ll ensure the protagonist is portrayed positively. Can the other party accept that?]
After thinking it over, Yu Mian finally replied to Shaxs with his plan.
[Crispy Shark: Fine, I’ll check with them before the end of my shift. Oh, by the way, there’s some great news to share—”Contract Marriage” is now officially scheduled for publication! The first volume is coming out soon! Do you want to check the cover design and character illustrations?]
Shaxs knew he couldn’t push Yu Mian too hard on the new book just yet. The publication of “Contract Marriage” was clearly a more pressing matter at the moment.
Thanks to its high-priority status, the publication process had been incredibly smooth and fast.
‘Wow, the cover and character design illustrations were ready already?’
Upon seeing this message, Yu Mian immediately sat up with anticipation. He hadn’t expected such efficiency in this interstellar era.
[Crispy Shark: Hehe, and we’ve arranged for the best resources! Especially the illustrations—they’re done by a super famous artist!]
With Shaxs’ enthusiastic explanation, a large compressed file was soon sent over via star message.
[Crispy Shark: By the way, where should we send your complimentary author copies once they’re printed? Even if you’re in a remote galaxy, we can arrange a personal delivery…]
As Shaxs rambled on, Yu Mian excitedly opened the compressed file to view the images. However, as the pictures loaded, he suddenly found himself sinking into an odd silence.
[Crispy Shark: Well? Well? Isn’t it amazing? They said they paid a fortune to get these illustrations!]
How should Yu Mian put it…
The illustrations of the grandfather lovingly tending to his garden, and Gu Bai’s kind mother lying on her sickbed, were indeed beautifully realistic. The artist’s skills were undeniably impressive.
At least the elderly characters looked like elderly characters.
But…
Why did young people like Gu Bai, Caesar, and even supporting male characters like Roy all looked like they were cast from the same mold?!
It was obvious they adhered to the typical interstellar aesthetic—powerful muscles and rugged facial features, as if they could grab a mecha and charge into battle at any moment.
Fine, maybe Caesar could fit that style.
But the Gu Bai in Yu Mian’s mind would never look like that.
Those hands meant for playing the piano looked like they could easily punch 10 Caesars to the ground in one blow.
Yu Mian fell into a deep silence.
This wouldn’t work. This absolutely wouldn’t work!
However, when Yu Mian opened his light-brain drawing app and tried to sketch out his own version as a reference, after about seven or eight minutes, he stared at the stick figures on the screen and realized he shouldn’t have trusted his artistic abilities.
After all, his drawing skills were as bad as his singing—completely out of tune.
It was completely unpresentable.
[Fish: Umm, did the artist look at the original text of “Contract Marriage” before drawing these? QAQ]
Yu Mian could only tentatively ask.
[Crispy Shark: Huh? I’m not sure, but the drawings were definitely rushed. This artist is super famous and usually only works for official institutions. This was the first time they agreed to illustrate for a novel.]
Yu Mian suddenly realized that the publisher probably overestimated the importance of the project and directly commissioned a traditional master artist, likely someone quite senior.
The publisher must have provided only a few basic character descriptions before the artist started painting.
But just like when those music academy professors supported “Contract Marriage”, it was hard to believe that elderly professors in their sixties or seventies were avid readers of serialized novels.
It was more likely that “Contract Marriage” inadvertently brought them a wave of popularity, prompting these seniors to return the favor with good intentions.
But now, having someone who had never read the book paint the character designs—without even skimming through the original text—meant the illustrations ended up completely disconnected from the novel.
What a headache.
Looking at these supposedly high-priced illustrations, Yu Mian felt a strange mix of emotions.
It felt like money had been flushed down the drain, leaving him with a pile of mismatched content he couldn’t use.
[Crispy Shark: Uh… are you dissatisfied? But now that you mention it, while the drawings are undeniably handsome, they don’t seem to match the characters very well.]
In the face of Yu Mian’s silence, even Shax started reexamining the illustrations after his initial excitement.
While they were expensive and high-profile, they weren’t a good fit.
[Crispy Shark: Alright, give me a moment! I’ll talk to the team and see if we can make revisions or even hire another artist to redo them.]
After much consideration, Shax sent another message.
[Fish: That would be great! Actually, the artist doesn’t need to be prestigious. It’d be better if they’re a reader who has read and loves “Contract Marriage”. That would be ideal.]
Yu Mian specified his only requirement this time, and Shax left, seemingly deep in thought.
Finding a reader of “Contract Marriage” to draw?
In truth, Yu Mian had a critical reason for not wanting to settle for a random artist. If he could find a suitable illustrator for stable collaboration, it would greatly benefit his second book.
After all, compared to “Contract Marriage”, a modern urban novel, if the second book did end up focusing on vampires—it would feature countless handsome men and beautiful women!
It would be the perfect opportunity for group portraits and extravagant character designs, not to mention the potential for luxurious novel merchandise!
Imagine uploading character art of a dozen uniquely styled attractive characters to his StarBlog. The buzz would be immediate, effortlessly boosting the novel’s popularity.
Thus, over the next week, Yu Mian alternated between writing updates and waiting for the revised character illustrations while pondering how to complete that ridiculous daily task.
As the deadline approached, the golden ball in his mind grew increasingly bright and condensed, as if transitioning from gas to liquid, its golden glow flowing faintly.
Could he really turn into a complete human again?
Yu Mian found himself both expectant and nervous.
Meanwhile, the serialized plot continued with tightly paced twists and turns, introducing several highly popular male supporting characters. Readers were enthralled.
From the gentlemanly Roy introduced at the family banquet, to the sophisticated yet polite scum doctor performing surgery on Gu Bai’s mother, and even the newly appeared rich wolf dog junior brother who played violin and secretly admired Gu Bai—all of them left a lasting impression.
Each supporting character was more enticing than the last!
For interstellar readers who had never imagined that a novel could feature such a variety of high quality supporting characters, they felt as if they were strolling through a garden brimming with vibrant flowers everywhere.
One day, Yu Mian visited anchor Bai Lande’s live broadcast room to gather reader feedback before the climax of the story. As expected, the discussion was ablaze with talk of the latest developments.
But what the readers were discussing caught Yu Mian completely off guard.
[I really think Roy is amazing! He’s gentlemanly and considerate, so attentive and caring towards Gu Bai. Why doesn’t the author let Roy and Gu Bai end up together? Let Caesar regret it for the rest of his life!]
The comment came from a reader, evidently a worker as he was still wearing a uniform. Likely, he had stumbled into the live broadcast room during a break and ended up completely hooked.
Although it was the first time encountering the novel “Contract Marriage”, the reader instinctively shared his thoughts on the plot.
This comment sparked a huge uproar, like a single stone stirring up a thousand waves.
[What? If Roy is okay, then why not pair Gu Bai with the junior wolf dog? Both of them play musical instruments and share a professional connection! Plus, he has had a one-sided crush on Gu Bai for so long. I think he’s a great match for Gu Bai, our little angel!]
[Huh? If you insist on that, then I’m going to argue for the doctor with gold-rimmed glasses who’s been helping Gu Bai all along…]
Unexpectedly, amidst the reversal of conflicts in this crematorium arc, a wave of readers began eagerly watching Caesar’s drama unfold and couldn’t resist pairing Gu Bai with others.
[No way—Caesar is the official partner, okay? Even if he’s clueless about love, his strength isn’t something that just any supporting character can rival!]
Of course, the steadfast mainstream supporters of the main pairing eventually stepped in, albeit a bit late.
Even as the entire plot teetered on the edge of “destruction”, a girl in a red dress emerged as an unwavering advocate, instantly becoming the center of the live broadcast room’s attention.
Her determined stance even earned Yu Mian’s admiration.
Goodness, it turned out she was a staunch supporter of the main pairing!
You have a bright future—congratulations.
After all, as a supporter of the main pairing, she was bound to have the last laugh!
However, her comment instantly added fuel to the fiery debate.
[Caesar might be rich, but who told him to have a big mouth!? All I want now is to see him regret his actions!]
At that moment, most readers were exasperated with Caesar, almost wishing they could knock some sense into him.
In contrast, the discussion on several male supporting characters was becoming increasingly high.
After all, for the interstellar audience, it was their first time experiencing the so-called “heartthrob” buff—a book where the protagonist is surrounded by a variety of excellent male supporting characters.
In the transitional plot where Caesar wallowed in his false romance, oblivious to the approaching crisis, these supporting characters provided a timely spice to the plot.
As the author, Yu Mian couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.
Who would have thought that interstellar readers, who had never seen a “crematorium” plot, would spontaneously start debating a change in the main attack?
[Crispy Shark: Hey, our latest illustration is here! But concerning the current plot, can you really keep everything under control?]
Even a few weeks later, his editor couldn’t help but nervously interject while delivering the new illustrations.
Despite countless times proving that his concerns about the plot would inevitably be unfounded, Shaxs never expected the supporting characters to stir up such a massive discussion. It seemed Caesar was on the verge of being completely overshadowed.
[Fish: Of course not, because I have special whitewashing techniques that will make everyone deeply love Caesar again. (Fish’s sly smile.jpg)]
Unsurprisingly, Yu Mian replied with a mischievous grin.
Though Shaxs was genuinely itching with curiosity about how the plot would make readers fall for Caesar again, once the latest illustrations were successfully transmitted, this time the screen was instantly filled with Yu Mian’s shocked exclamation marks.
[Fish: !!!!!!! Oh my gosh, this illustration is absolutely stunning!]
