Since the serialization of “Contract Marriage”, the storm it stirred up has been wave after wave, as if it never stopped.
However, this time, the editorial department at Huanyu underwent a strange evolution.
Not only did they stop being frightened and running to the author for help, but they also brilliantly seized this wave of popularity to officially announce the pre-launch plan for the physical book of “Contract Marriage”!
The stunning illustrations of Caesar and the other male supporting characters were revealed during the first round of the pre-launch.
[Huanyu Reading V: “Contract Marriage” physical book pre-order is now open! Pre-order now to participate in a voting lottery and win loads of exclusive merchandise. Cast your precious vote for your favorite character to unlock mysterious rewards! [Nine-Grid x9]]
As soon as Huanyu’s announcement was posted, the gorgeous illustrations displayed in the nine-grid images instantly captured the attention of countless readers.
Especially Caesar’s main illustration, it unsurprisingly became the king of popularity.
Moreover, the previewed merchandise, such as light brain cases, portable water cups, and adorable chibi-style keychains, were both cute and practical. Who could resist trying their luck in the lottery?
What’s more “diabolical” was that they added a popularity vote at the end!
The interstellar readers, who had been heartbroken after the torture of the main plot, were instantly cheered up by the adorable chibi-style illustrations. They began inviting friends to join the official blog and actively participate in the voting.
The most surprising part? Despite being scolded for a long time, when the character popularity vote began, Caesar surged ahead with an unstoppable momentum, firmly securing his position as the leading figure!
Some readers even complained, “Why can one account only vote once?! How are we supposed to vote for Caesar N times in one go?”
“Well, we can’t go overboard. Otherwise, some people might go crazy and buy dozens of copies just to vote, which would be way too irrational.”
The editorial team was both thrilled and nervous about the overwhelming popularity of the pre-launch plan for the physical book.
“And who would’ve thought Caesar’s popularity is still so solid.”
The real-time voting results left everyone surprised. Even with the strong presence of the male supporting characters, they couldn’t shake Caesar’s dominant position as the top choice.
The limited samples of “Contract Marriage” merchandise were instantly sold out as soon as they were put up.
Judging by the readers’ enthusiasm, the official market launch would probably cause another massive boom.
“Do you think one day we might go to some remote star system for a vacation and see someone using a chibi-style Gu Bai light brain case?”
Hearing his colleagues’ jokes, Shax couldn’t help but laugh.
“Maybe that day will actually come.”
But just as Shax and the others were admiring the merchandise samples, the chubby deputy editor appeared in the office once again.
“This year’s Rising Star Project interview event participant list and initial award plans have been finalized!”
As the list was shared in the group, the editorial office grew even livelier.
Huanyu Reading Platform holds a Rising Star Project online live broadcast event every year. The invited participants are the most outstanding and prominent authors of the year.
Apart from live interviews and reader interactions, the event also features an award ceremony. Most of the selected authors are guaranteed to win a celebratory prize.
As this year’s dark horse new author, Yu Mian and his work “Contract Marriage” was undoubtedly listed as the top priority and included in the award plans.
However, as Shax looked at the event schedule, he couldn’t help but feel a bit hesitant.
“What’s wrong, Shax? Your author is this year’s main promotional focus. You should contact them and help them prepare in advance.”
The deputy editor noticed Shax’s unusual expression and encouraged him.
“Is it because your author lives far away? If necessary, we can arrange transportation for them.”
Given the soaring popularity of “Contract Marriage”, ensuring Yu Mian’s attendance was crucial. Huanyu was even willing to provide special accommodations.
“Um… I’m just a bit worried. I suspect Fish Soup Noodles might have difficulty attending in person because they’ve even asked me to wait on shipping the sample books and merchandise.”
Looking at the carefully prepared gift bag on the table, Shax honestly reported the situation to the deputy editor.
In fact, Shax had always suspected that Fish Soup Noodles might have some unspeakable reason for keeping their address private.
Come to think of it, the other party had always kept their real-life identity strictly confidential.
Even Shax, the editor, knew almost nothing about them—not even their appearance.
“What?! Fish Soup Noodles might miss the event?”
The surrounding editors overheard and were stunned.
As this year’s Rising Star Project centerpiece, Yu Mian’s absence from the award ceremony would be a huge disappointment.
“I’ll try reaching out again. The problem is, I can’t get in touch with them right now. Their StarNet connection has been offline all day.”
Shax scratched his head in frustration. Why had Yu Mian suddenly disappeared at such a critical moment?
After all, the finalized list was about to be officially announced.
Could something have happened?
Meanwhile, Yu Mian, who was unreachable, was quietly hiding inside the conch shell, secretly observing the not-too-distant Huo Ting.
As expected, the study door was knocked on time.
“Master Huo Ting, would you like your late night snack to be delivered to the study tonight as usual?”
Qiao Ni confirmed that Huo Ting wasn’t disturbed before asking her routine question.
“Send it to the study,” Huo Ting replied, glancing up briefly before making the decision.
“Great! This guy really does have a late night snack every night!”
In the aquarium, Yu Mian confirmed this habit again and couldn’t help but feel a bit happy as he communicated with the system.
Although he hadn’t completed his task, he had been patiently observing Huo Ting’s daily routine.
During the day, Huo Ting was usually out, but late at night after returning home, he would often come to the study to handle some work. As a result, Qiao Ni always prepared a late-night snack in advance.
“We can take advantage of the time Huo Ting isn’t home to swap out the snack Qiao Ni delivers! That way, we can get him to eat it without him knowing!”
Yu Mian looked at the late night snack not far away and laid out his plan.
After all, who said he had to let this guy know it was his cooking?
Using Qiao Ni’s name to make him eat it would perfectly conceal his existence while completing his system task.
Though it was a risky move, no one would suspect a magical fish hiding in an aquarium.
Plus, late at night, the risk was lower than during the day, and the small kitchen could be scouted by the system to ensure no one was around before sneaking in.
[Hiss… it does sound risky, but it might actually work. I can even help cover for you!]
The system was fully immersed in Yu Mian’s plan and expressed full support.
So, that night, once it was confirmed that Huo Ting had gone out, and the study lights had been off for a long time, leaving the room in dark silence, Yu Mian made his move.
From within the aquarium, Yu Mian attempted to harness all the mental power in his mental sea and concentrated it entirely on his fish tail.
“Splash…”
With a soft splash of water, a golden light faded over the handwoven carpet in front of the sofa, and a human figure appeared!
“It actually worked!”
The young man’s features were dreamlike, and under the moonlight streaming through the window, he exuded a serene and gentle aura.
Strangely, perhaps due to becoming a mermaid, Everytime Yu Mian looked at himself in the mirror in the study, he always felt like his facial features had changed subtly.
Though he had always been good-looking, now his features seemed even more striking, making one unable to look away.
But at this moment, Yu Mian’s amber eyes reflected pure shock.
Touching his legs, he was overwhelmed with a sense of joy, as if he had recovered something lost.
He hadn’t appreciated his legs back then, but now he realized how convenient they were.
While the fish tail was undeniably beautiful, legs were infinitely more practical!
“What’s with this outfit, though?”
Yu Mian tugged at the silk robe he was now wearing. The system’s outfit for his transformation wasn’t proper clothing—it was an antique nightgown!
[Hey, I specially applied for this! Be thankful there’s even this much fabric.] The system retorted, trying to get Yu Mian to stop being so picky.
Besides, it was the middle of the night, a nightgown wouldn’t stand out too much.
“Couldn’t we just have Huo Yan prepare some clothes next time? Although, he hasn’t shown up in a while since being locked up by his brother.”
Thinking of Huo Yan, Yu Mian even felt a bit nostalgic for that “little hot water bottle”.
After all, he had delivered him meals regularly, letting him feast to his heart’s content.
[That’s possible, theoretically, but you’d better act quickly. We don’t have enough mental power to waste,] the system reminded him, snapping him back to the task at hand.
That was true.
Yu Mian realized maintaining his legs consumed mental power at a rate dozens of times faster than his tail. He could feel his mental sea depleting rapidly.
Even more inconvenient, having not walked in so long, he’d almost forgotten how to!
Leaning on the nearby coffee table, Yu Mian wobbled as he attempted to stand on the carpet again.
“Ugh…”
What was even more strange was that, just like in a fairy tale, the moment his toes touched the carpet, he felt such a sharp pain that his legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees.
“What’s going on?”
[It seems your new legs are extremely sensitive. The carpet is a bit rough for your freshly transformed legs. Try walking a bit more; you’ll adjust faster,] the system suggested, though it had little experience with such matters.
Yu Mian cautiously tried taking a few steps. This time, he managed to stand, though the tingling numbness in his legs was impossible to ignore.
“I think I just need shoes…”
[Got it! Slippers! Let me fetch a pair for you~]
The system quickly scanned the study and located a pair of black spare slippers.
However, the size was clearly too large, making Yu Mian look like he was wearing stolen, ill-fitting shoes.
“But this will have to do!”
Yu Mian reluctantly shuffled toward the study door in the oversized slippers. As he grasped the golden doorknob, he held his breath.
This was his first time stepping out of the study!
If he managed to complete the task with some mental power left, he might even get a chance to explore the outside world!
[Wait, why is that little water bottle here too?]
Detecting movement outside, the system immediately alerted Yu Mian to Huo Yan’s presence.
Influenced by Yu Mian, the system that detected the movement outside the door also subconsciously called Huo Yan a “little water bottle”.
“Ah!”
Just as he quietly opened the study door and was about to rush in, Huo Yan unexpectedly collided with a soft embrace.
“Shh—it’s me! Ow…”
Yu Mian subconsciously caught the always reckless little guy. However, he overestimated his current strength and ended up falling onto the floor.
“S-sorry! Wow, you have legs now! Did I hurt you?”
Huo Yan, who hadn’t been able to visit the study in a long time, had been tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep. Finally, when Qiao Ni went out and his cousin wasn’t home, he couldn’t resist sneaking in to see Yu Mian.
But he hadn’t expected to bump into Yu Mian, and just a light collision had sent him tumbling to the floor.
“It’s fine. My knees aren’t hurt. Mainly, I just learned how to transform legs…”
Yu Mian allowed Huo Yan to help him up and explained with some embarrassment.
Unexpectedly, upon learning Yu Mian had grown legs, Huo Yan’s eyes suddenly looked a bit pitiful and full of grievance.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
Yu Mian felt a little uneasy.
After all, being seen walking around in someone else’s home after getting a human form was indeed awkward.
“D-does this mean you want to leave? If I hadn’t come to find you tonight, would you have disappeared?”
Although he could understand that no mermaid would want to stay in an aquarium forever, and that maybe Yu Mian wanted to return to the sea, Huo Yan, who was initially excited and surprised, couldn’t help but feel a little sad seeing Yu Mian’s fish tail turned into legs.
It was as if he were about to be abandoned by a close friend.
“Ah…?”
Yu Mian hadn’t expected Huo Yan’s first reaction to be assuming he’d leave without a word, rather than suspecting him of sneaking around like a thief.
“No, my fish tail can’t stay as legs for too long. I just wanted to practice walking a bit… Don’t be sad, okay? By the way, are you hungry? Do you want a late-night snack?”
Bending down to pat the little guy on the head, Yu Mian softened his tone.
What Yu Mian didn’t realize was that in the eyes of a kid like Huo Yan, his current appearance was extremely lethal.
With dreamy and beautiful features, combined with the mysterious fish tail, Yu Mian was practically a perfect fantastical creature—to a child, he was far more captivating than any cartoon character.
So ever since meeting Yu Mian, Huo Yan had even lost interest in cartoons, finding their protagonists far less appealing than Yu Mian.
“Late night snack? Let me take you to the small kitchen. It’s usually empty there. Can you cook? Are you hungry?”
Cheered up by Yu Mian’s coaxing, Huo Yan obediently grabbed his hand, ready to lead him to the small kitchen on the second floor.
“Careful. I don’t want anyone else to see me, okay?”
Yu Mian couldn’t help but smile as the little guy held his hand.
“Don’t worry. Without my cousin’s permission, no one dares to casually come upstairs. Besides, my cousin doesn’t like having too many people around him, even for trivial things like giving water.”
After all, the sources of major leaks were often not the decision-makers themselves but seemingly inconspicuous people—secretaries, drivers, or even housekeepers.
Even Qiao Ni had gone through rigorous vetting before being allowed to stay.
But Yu Mian was different!
There was no reason—Huo Yan simply trusted his intuition completely.
When they reached the small kitchen, Yu Mian realized that although it didn’t seem frequently used, it was fully equipped.
The vegetables and fruits in the interstellar era were slightly different from Earth’s, but by their shapes, Yu Mian could guess their flavors.
The cooking utensils were also somewhat unfamiliar, but their principles were mostly similar.
If there was anything he didn’t recognize or understand, he could just ask Huo Yan.
Huo Yan naturally assumed Yu Mian’s unfamiliarity with these things was normal. After all, how could a mermaid know so much about human society?
While Yu Mian’s original goal was to make a late-night snack for Huo Ting to complete his task, sharing a bowl with Huo Yan wasn’t a problem.
Yu Mian’s cooking skills were excellent. As the ingredients simmered, a sweet and fragrant aroma of whole grain porridge filled the air.
Even Huo Yan, who wasn’t very hungry, couldn’t help but sniff curiously, leaning over the countertop to peek inside.
“It smells so good…”
“Do you like it?”
Yu Mian glanced at Huo Yan and scooped a small spoonful from the pot to taste it himself.
“Mmm, it seems about ready.”
Having not cooked for a while, Yu Mian had been worried about his skills, but the porridge turned out quite well this time.
Of course, it probably had something to do with the high-quality ingredients in this kitchen.
“After eating, can you help clean up for me?”
Yu Mian looked at Huo Yan, who was happily holding his bowl, and proposed.
“Mm-hmm! Of course! If anyone notices something missing, I’ll just say I ate it, right?”
Huo Yan was thoroughly enjoying his meal. He felt that Yu Mian’s cooking was incredibly delicious.
Could it be that he liked Yu Mian so much that even his food tasted amazing?
“Smart.”
Yu Mian was impressed by Huo Yan’s quick thinking and found the little guy absolutely endearing—a perfect little helper.
“But is this bowl meant for my cousin?”
After being praised, Huo Yan’s longing eyes darted to the untouched bowl Yu Mian had set aside.
“Something like that, but it’s a secret.”
Yu Mian smiled as he patted Huo Yan’s head, leaving the little guy lost in thought.
If only Yu Mian could stay at home and play with him all the time.
That way, Yu Mian definitely wouldn’t dislike him.
And if Yu Mian was even willing to save a bowl for his cousin, didn’t that mean Yu Mian didn’t dislike his cousin either!?
Huo Yan rested his chin on his hands, watching Yu Mian tidying up the kitchen. Suddenly, a bold idea popped into his mind.
“By the way, staying at home all the time must be boring. Do you want to go out for a walk?”
Yu Mian: !
In fact, Yu Mian was indeed considering going outside after completing this task, and it was evident he needed Huo Yan’s help.
However, before he could figure out how to bring it up, the little guy had already made the offer on his own.
“When school starts, can you help me attend the parent-teacher meeting? You know, pretending to be my parent!”
In that moment of surprise, Huo Yan couldn’t help but be amazed by his own boldness.
He’d been worrying for days about how to avoid getting scolded at the parent-teacher meeting if he didn’t perform well on the entrance exams.
But now that his good friend Yu Mian could turn into a human, wasn’t this the perfect solution?
“Parent-teacher meeting!? Me?”
Yu Mian was shocked by Huo Yan’s proposal.
“Yes, yes! When the teacher talks, you just nod along.”
“Our school is right in the city center. I can sneak you there in a jar, and we can return before my cousin gets home.”
Huo Yan clung to the edge of the table, pleading earnestly.
He even had a tiny selfish wish: Yu Mian was so good looking. If Yu Mian showed up as his parent, his classmates would definitely envy him to death.
Not to mention, they had no idea that Yu Mian was actually a super magical mermaid!
“Uh… let me think about it.”
Although Huo Yan’s idea initially sounded completely fantastical, the more Yu Mian thought about it, the more practical it seemed.
The Huanyu tower, where the Huanyu Editorial Office was located, was in the same city center. He had been meaning to pick up the sample book and merchandise.
Huo Yan must be picked up and dropped off at school by his family’s car, so he could also get a ride and go directly to the city center.
Not only would he not have to worry about transportation issues, even the problem of how to get back to the aquarium would be solved!
Besides, since Huo Yan had helped him out so much, repaying him by attending the parent-teacher meeting didn’t seem like a big deal.
The only problem was…
“Are you sure your family won’t find out?”
If Huo Yan’s family learned he had recruited a random person to act as his parent, they would surely scold him harshly, even if he himself escaped unscathed.
“They shouldn’t. My mom and dad are going to inspect the energy vines of a remote star system next week. And this time they are going very far away without any instant communication equipment. And as long as I don’t tell my cousin, we’re good, right?”
The key was keeping Qiao Ni out of the loop to avoid any accidental leaks of information.
This wasn’t too difficult—Huo Yan was determined to learn from past failures!
When it came to achieving his goals, Huo Yan was incredibly resourceful. The intelligence he’d inherited from his parents was fully utilized in this area.
After parting ways with the scheming Huo Yan, Yu Mian quickly returned to the study due to the tight schedule.
Carefully swapping out the night snack, Yu Mian clapped his hands in satisfaction.
Perfect execution.
“Great! Now we just wait for him to come back and eat it, right!?”
Even the little system, which had been on edge, finally relaxed.
[Probably. There shouldn’t be any issues…]
Though if you nitpicked, there were plenty of flaws.
But ultimately, he was just a fish. And how suspicious could a fish be?
If worse came to worst, he could always play dumb.
After double-checking that everything was in order, Yu Mian headed back to the aquarium to revert to his original form.
However, as he passed the desk, he accidentally knocked a few documents to the ground.
“Hmm?”
He quickly picked them up and placed them back on the desk, only to realize that this was what Huo Ting had been busy with for some time.
Wow, it’s an old acquaintance, the Bart clan!
It was an old acquaintance: the Bart clan.
Apparently, the Bart clan had come to Central Star for a diplomatic visit. Given their ferocious and brutal reputation, the Federation’s security forces had been assigned to provide protection.
Could it be that Huo Ting got involved with “Contract Marriage” because the Bart clan were interested in his novel? Did this mean even the Federation’s government officials were aware of his book?
In that instant, Yu Mian felt as though he had stumbled upon a big truth and he couldn’t resist taking another look at the documents in his hands.
The first page turned out to be photos of the Bart clan delegation.
“Wow… they look amazing. Totally like vampires!”
Yu Mian’s eyes practically sparkled.
It wasn’t until the little system reminded him that time was running out that Yu Mian snapped back to reality. Carefully placing the documents back, he hurriedly returned to the water.
So when Huo Ting returned to the study that night, he found that the late night snack was actually a bowl of porridge on the desk.
The soft purple glutinous rice was cooked to a soft texture, with warm orange pumpkin chunks nestled within. The sweet, fragrant aroma of the grains was soothing and enticing, evoking an undeniable sense of comfort.
It wasn’t hard to imagine how the taste would gently envelop the tongue.
[He stopped! He’s looking at the porridge!]
The little system was as nervous as Yu Mian.
Yu Mian, now in the water, glanced at the countdown timer and flicked his tail.
Inwardly, he prayed fervently that Huo Ting would eat it, so he could finally complete his task and go walk around Central Star!
He could even meet his little editor in person!
How wonderful~
However, on the other side, Huo Ting was really surprised as he stared at the bowl of late-night porridge.
Because this porridge… was rather strange.
