In fact, good looks were not uncommon in the interstellar era.
Especially after the invention of various gene-enhancement drugs, as long as you had enough money and were willing to invest, nearly all kinds of cosmetic desires could be fulfilled.
Yet the features of the young man before them seemed as though they had been meticulously sculpted by the Creator of the cosmos, striking the perfect balance.
One fraction too much would have been excessive; one fraction too little would have been insufficient.
At this moment, Yu Mian unintentionally locked eyes with Huo Ting, who had just handed him the documents, completely unaware of how the room had suddenly fallen silent.
The last time he had faced Huo Ting like this was during the system task when he had to administer medication.
But back then, Huo Ting’s eyes had been closed. Now, with his gaze lowered and focused, he appeared like a completely different person.
Yu Mian suddenly felt guilty as though caught in the act and quickly averted his gaze. But as he tried to take the confidentiality agreement, he noticed something strange…
He tugged at it several times, but it wouldn’t budge!
“…?”
Confused and nervous, he glanced back at Huo Ting.
‘Could this guy have figured something out!?’
‘Help! QAQ’
Secretary Hals on the side realized something was amiss and cast a questioning look at Huo Ting.
This was too abnormal.
“My apologies.”
In the next moment, Huo Ting released the agreement from his grasp, his expression as calm as ever. Yu Mian finally managed to retrieve the document.
‘Uh…’
‘This guy actually apologized so straightforwardly?’
Holding the documents in his hands, Yu Mian was at a loss for words.
But with time pressing, he didn’t want to linger here a second longer.
He had a feeling that staying any longer would spell trouble.
The parent-teacher meeting was probably a lost cause. Huo Yan would have to fend for himself. Maybe he could head off early to meet his editor.
But why was Huo Ting still staring at him!?
Even as Yu Mian kept his head down, trying to appear calm while signing his name, he could feel that faintly piercing gaze lingering on him.
Meanwhile, Lilith, who was clinging to Yu Mian’s side, seemed subconsciously aware of something. She tilted her head to glance at the visibly tense Yu Mian before turning her gaze to Huo Ting.
“Don’t stare. It’s very rude.”
Lilith’s distinctively emotionless voice suddenly broke the silence in the lounge, freezing the atmosphere in an instant.
Everyone around stared, completely dumbfounded, as if they couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
But Lilith remained as indifferent and justified as ever.
“You…”
However, just as she opened her mouth to continue, Yu Mian, who was nearly on the verge of tears, hurriedly covered it.
‘Help!’
‘How come this Bart doll is such an awesome social butterfly?’
‘It is one thing to think those words, but why would you say them directly in front of that guy, Huo Ting!?’
‘Are you not afraid of being secretly silenced?’
With her mouth covered, Lilith looked at Yu Mian in confusion.
‘You didn’t want to be stared at, so why stop me from speaking?’
‘Federation people are so strange.’
As for Huo Ting, who had been publicly “reprimanded” by Lilith, he finally realized, amidst the subtle gazes from everyone around him, that he might have indeed been staring unreasonably at an ordinary citizen.
“My apologies.”
After all, no matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn’t place the source of this strange familiarity.
For Secretary Hals, watching Huo Ting apologize twice in one day was nothing short of monumental. It also heightened his awareness of the uniqueness of this particular citizen, Yu Mian.
But the strange guesses in his heart were really scary; he didn’t dare confirm them.
Meanwhile, the school administrators, pretending to be occupied with handling the aftermath, had slowed their movements, their ears almost visibly perked up to catch every sound.
“Uh, I’ve finished writing. Can I leave now?”
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Yu Mian handed over the signed document. This time, Secretary Hals immediately stepped forward to take it.
“Ahem, of course, you’re free to leave now.”
Meanwhile, Huo Yan, who was sitting on the other side, was practically suffocating from holding it all in.
He didn’t dare reveal his connection with Yu Mian at this moment and could only pretend they didn’t know each other, chalking up their meeting to a coincidence during the earlier rescue.
After all, who could’ve predicted that his cousin would suddenly show up? Now the parent-teacher meeting was undoubtedly a bust, but why hasn’t the teacher come to take him away already!
“Xiao Huo Yan, are you here?”
Just as Yu Mian finally managed to bid a reluctant Lilith goodbye, put on his hat, and prepare to slip away, the homeroom teacher, having been informed, arrived to fetch the student.
“Here, teacher, I’m here!”
Huo Yan raised his hand excitedly.
‘Please, just take me away already. I can’t stand staying with my cousin a second longer.’
“Oh, good. So the parent is here too? But didn’t you say you wouldn’t have time to attend the meeting this year, Admiral Huo?”
The teacher was relieved to see Huo Yan safe and sound, and naturally assumed the man beside him, Huo Ting, had come to attend the meeting for his cousin.
“Parent-teacher meeting? Young Master, you had a parent-teacher meeting today??”
Before Huo Ting could respond, Secretary Hals had already widened his eyes in disbelief.
Why hadn’t he known about this?
If Master Huo Ting had been required to attend, Qiao Ni would definitely have notified him in advance to arrange the itinerary!
Huo Yan: … Help!
In his excitement, Huo Yan suddenly realized he might have made a huge mistake.
“So, is the other parent, Yu Mian, here as well?”
The teacher’s oblivious question immediately made the atmosphere awkward.
Yu Mian, who had one foot out the door, froze mid-step, his entire body stiffening as if under a sharp blade.
Secretary Hals and his team looked at the signature “Yu Mian” on the agreement in their hands and fell into deep contemplation.
At that moment, Huo Ting finally had the perfect excuse to openly observe Yu Mian.
As expected—highly suspicious.
**
“…So that’s roughly how it happened.”
After being taken to a small room alone, Huo Yan firmly claimed that he had done poorly on his exams and hired a random passerby with his allowance to attend the parent-teacher meeting on his behalf.
The school administrators and teachers who heard his story couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer audacity of this Huo family youngster.
Meanwhile, Yu Mian had buried his face in his hands, unwilling to speak.
A complete disaster—an unprecedented, catastrophic failure.
The only one who didn’t grasp the situation was Lilith, who was overjoyed that Yu Mian, who was about to leave, had stayed.
She even pushed aside Huo Ting, Secretary Hals and other Federation officials to sit directly beside Yu Mian.
“Do you want to come with me?”
Lilith looked up at Yu Mian with a serious expression.
“Father, Mother, and Brother will all like you.”
“?”
Yu Mian was confused.
“The young lady is inviting you to visit our planet. We’ll be returning in a few days,” the old butler of the Bart Clan explained with a complicated look. “She believes the family will like you.”
‘Hiss…’
While Yu Mian was somewhat interested in traveling, now was certainly not the time.
After all, he still had an ongoing book to update. If he went on vacation, what about his readers?
Wouldn’t they want to kill him? QWQ
“Thank you for the invitation, but I need to work and earn money right now, so I can’t leave. Maybe another time?”
Yu Mian patiently explained to Lilith, completely unaware that Huo Ting and the others, who had returned, overheard everything.
Lilith frowned silently after listening.
“Young Miss, all adult Federation citizens have to work because they aren’t born with castles or inherited wealth. If they don’t work hard and go off to play, they won’t be able to support themselves.”
The old butler, troubled by Lilith’s overly trusting attitude, discreetly provided a plausible excuse for Yu Mian.
Though his real motive was to prevent an outsider like Yu Mian from being taken to the Evernight Star System, it unintentionally aligned with Yu Mian’s own thoughts.
However, did it have to be phrased so bluntly?
If you don’t work, don’t own a house, and don’t save money, you die.
The Bart Clan sure was direct.
“Exactly. I still have rent to pay each month. If I don’t earn enough, I’ll be homeless next month,” Yu Mian added, clutching his chest dramatically.
“You don’t have a castle?”
Lilith widened her rabbit-like red eyes in disbelief.
“No, my place is probably about the size of a castle’s bathroom.”
Yu Mian didn’t think there was anything wrong with his honest answer. He lived in an aquarium, after all.
As a result, Lilith’s gaze toward Yu Mian gained a rare hint of sympathy.
‘Were all Federation citizens this pitiful?’
Under the weight of everyone’s stares, Yu Mian could only nod stiffly.
But why did it feel like he was embarrassing the Federation?
‘I’m sorry. It’s my fault for being poor and not affording a castle!’
“I’ll give you one when we return.”
Lilith’s bold declaration caused everyone to look at Yu Mian again.
They were starting to wonder if good looks came with these kinds of privileges!
“Ah… Thank you, but I’ll work hard and buy one myself! Then, you’re welcome to visit my home, okay?”
Even Yu Mian was shocked by Lilith’s generosity.
Although Lilith’s words sounded as naive as a child’s joke, her calm demeanor made it hard not to believe she could actually make it happen.
The old butler standing nearby was completely shaken. He even started wondering about what kind of spell this Federation man had cast on his young lady.
The key point was that Yu Mian actually refused the offer!
This left the old butler of the Bart Clan with complicated feelings as he looked at Yu Mian.
Even so, before their farewell, Lilith made a point of having the butler deliver a gift to Yu Mian.
“I like it a lot, so I’m giving it to you.”
“Huh, for me? Thank you!”
Yu Mian accepted the gift box, surprised that he had received a present.
‘Ahhh, the Bart Clan is just too cute!’
‘Why do so many people misunderstand them!?’
Deeply moved, Yu Mian’s heart surged with emotion.
He watched as Lilith left reluctantly, holding onto the old butler’s hand. Only after waving goodbye did Yu Mian sigh with regret.
After letting out that sigh, Yu Mian was certain the real drama was about to unfold.
After all, Lilith clinging to him earlier had been the only thing preventing Huo Ting and the others from interrogating him.
Now, there was no way to escape.
Surprisingly, however, Huo Ting and his group didn’t seem to plan on doing anything to him.
They merely followed him in silence, escorting him to the school gate.
“So I can really leave?”
Was no one going to question him?!
Feeling as though he were dreaming, Yu Mian couldn’t help but confirm again.
“Don’t earn money like this anymore.”
To his astonishment, the only response was a rare piece of advice from Huo Ting, who even seemed a bit hesitant.
Yu Mian: ?
“Ahem, if you really need work, you can take this letter to the military department. There are some basic clerical positions available.”
“The pay isn’t great, but it’s enough to support yourself.”
Taking the opportunity, Secretary Hals handed Yu Mian a letter of introduction.
At first glance, the letter seemed ordinary, but it bore the private seal that Huo Ting rarely used.
As long as the applicant wasn’t completely incompetent, they’d be able to land a decent job.
“Th-thank you…?”
Yu Mian looked at the unexpected second “gift” in his hands, feeling as though this was all surreal.
[It’s because that secretary just investigated your identity!]
The little system tattled loudly in his mind.
“Huh? What did they find?!”
Yu Mian immediately tensed up.
[Nothing much. I didn’t intercept it since that might’ve raised suspicions. They just found the original information tied to this identity…]
The system explained while watching Huo Ting and his group walk away.
Still feeling uneasy, Yu Mian couldn’t resist opening the gift from Lilith.
‘C—Contract Marriage?’
Damn it, it turned out to be a hardcover edition of “Contract Marriage”!
Yu Mian felt like he should’ve seen this coming. After all, the editorial department had already mentioned something about Bart Clan readers.
But it was still a little bizarre.
“Wait, isn’t Lilith way too young to be reading novels?”
[Uh, that young lady from the Bart Clan is over 400 years old. Host, their naps can last decades.]
Yu Mian: What?!
Meanwhile, back in the lounge, Huo Ting looked at the documents on the table again.
“Unbelievable. Even with such cheap low-income housing, he’s still behind on rent by several months. He must truly be at rock bottom; otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken up this kind of job substituting for a parent-teacher meeting.”
Secretary Hals reviewed the freshly compiled report and was equally stunned.
At first, they suspected Yu Mian might be a dangerous individual with ulterior motives for approaching Young Master Huo Yan.
They even worried he might have used a fake name or identity, something impossible to trace.
But it turned out they were overthinking.
The identity check went through without a hitch, instantly pulling up countless debt warnings in the official database.
All related to overdue payments.
The identity had no suspicious points—just a regular Federation citizen. Poor, struggling…
Especially after comparing the gathered materials with Yu Mian’s earlier statements to Lilith, everything lined up perfectly.
“C-cousin! You didn’t do anything to him, right? I told you, it was all my idea!”
After being locked up for half a day, Huo Yan rushed over, throwing himself in front of Huo Ting as though shielding Yu Mian from harm.
“…”
Huo Ting looked down at Huo Yan.
“Your allowance for the year is canceled.”
Clearly, Huo Yan had too much pocket money if he could come up with something like this.
“Ah—!”
Huo Yan felt like the sky had fallen. He hadn’t expected this parent-teacher meeting debacle to cost him his entire year’s allowance!
How was he supposed to save up for the luxury aquarium he wanted to buy Yu Mian?!
Despite his despair, Huo Yan couldn’t resist sneaking over to Huo Ting’s desk before being dragged away, his eyes sparkling as he asked,
“Cousin, don’t you think he’s really good-looking? Do you like him?”
Huo Ting: ?
“You do like him, right?! Otherwise, why were you staring at him earlier? I want to invite him to our house too…”
Before he could finish, Secretary Hals swiftly covered Huo Yan’s mouth, his shock at the young master’s audacity rendering him momentarily speechless.
“Why can Lilith invite him, but I can’t?”
Huo Yan, who had been forcibly ordered back to class, shouted in frustration, only to have Secretary Hals cover his mouth again, sweating profusely.
Help! Why were all these little bastards saying such bold things today?
So, Young Master Huo Yan just picked the best-looking person he could find on the street and spent his allowance to get him to attend the parent-teacher meeting for him?
Who knew that at such a young age, he was already such a face-con!
After the failed parent-teacher meeting, Yu Mian dashed to the café beneath the Huanyu Tower, panting as he adjusted his cap and glanced at the clock tower nearby.
Thankfully, he wasn’t late!
He had made it just in time.
Meanwhile, Shax was sitting in the café, so nervous that he didn’t know where to place his hands or feet.
For the Nth time, Shax attempted to position the gift he’d prepared for Yu Mian at the perfect angle, only to notice someone suddenly sitting across from him.
“Huh?”
“Excuse me, this seat is taken…”
Shax looked hesitantly at Yu Mian, who was wearing a newly bought mask.
“Editor? Are you my editor Crispy Shark?”
Yu Mian’s eyes lit up with joy when he recognized the shark-patterned jacket that matched their agreed-upon signal.
Shax froze.
What? His author was here?!
Watching Yu Mian remove his mask and take a big gulp of water after accepting the gift, Shax felt like he was dreaming.
“Editor, are you socially awkward in real life? You don’t talk much? Though, I really appreciate the gift—it’s amazing!”
Yu Mian assumed his editor was even worse than he was at meeting people face-to-face.
Even when handing over the big gift bag, the editor seemed stiff and awkward.
Come to think of it, why had he been receiving “gifts” everywhere he went today?
“No, it’s just… We absolutely must participate in this year’s Rising Star Project! You don’t understand how frustrating it is to hear those people talk nonsense just because you won’t show up! It’s all lies!”
Shax clutched his head, nearly on the verge of tears.
In that moment, Shax wanted nothing more than to drag Yu Mian to the publishing house and show everyone what “unworthy of the stage” and “unattractive” truly meant!
“But I really can’t participate in the Rising Star Project. Honestly, I’d love to interact with readers too.”
However, Yu Mian’s firm refusal came right after.
“Why not?”
Shax looked at him with pitiful eyes.
Oddly enough, though it was their first meeting, their interaction felt as familiar as if they had known each other for ages.
Even the way his author constantly made him nervous felt uncannily the same.
“Because I can’t be recognized. Let’s just say it’s due to some complicated history. I’m really sorry, Editor, for putting you under pressure with your superiors again.”
Yu Mian hugged the chibi plushie of Gu Bai in his arms and earnestly explained to Shax.
He felt a little guilty, knowing how challenging it must be to work with him as an author.
Shax: QAQ
His author’s in-person impact was a hundred times stronger than online—everything he said made people want to nod in agreement.
“But if Huanyu is okay with me using a virtual avatar, then I can participate. How about a chibi Fish Soup Noodle avatar appearing in the live broadcast?”
Seeing Shax’s disheartened look, Yu Mian thought for a moment and proposed a possibility.
As long as he didn’t have to show his face, he was open to anything. He just didn’t understand why the world was so insistent on him attending in person.
“A virtual avatar!”
Shax was genuinely taken aback by Yu Mian’s suggestion.
It was as if everyone had been stuck in a blind spot all this time.
After all, no newcomer had ever refused to attend an in-person awards ceremony before.
And knowing the deputy editor’s temper, he’d probably prefer Yu Mian to participate with a virtual avatar rather than risk the wrath of furious readers blowing up the Huanyu building!
“Oh, by the way, I’m planning to post my new book tonight.”
As Shax was deep in thought, Yu Mian casually dropped another bombshell.
“Wait, tonight?!”
“Yes, I can’t hold back the inspiration any longer. I want to start writing and posting now.”
=w=
Yu Mian happily shared the news with his editor, even as Shax’s brain felt like it was about to explode.
His author really was as decisive as ever!
“But what about “Contract Marriage”?! The readers are already going crazy waiting for updates. The number of questions about the plot in the feedback forms is overwhelming!”
“If you start a new book without finishing “Contract Marriage”, your readers might explode, and they might even hate the new book out of spite!”
Shax earnestly analyzed the situation, hoping Yu Mian would realize how reckless this decision was.
“You have a point.”
“How about this: I’ll post the prologue of the new book first and update it every other day or weekly. Meanwhile, I’ll continue daily updates for “Contract Marriage” until it’s finished. That should work, right?”
The plan Yu Mian laid out left Shax momentarily stunned before he realized it might actually be feasible.
Little did Shax know that the “every-other-day updates” for the new book would unleash terrifying consequences.
If he had known, he would have begged Yu Mian to finish his current book before starting another!
“By the way, there’s also a concert invitation in the gift bag.”
As Shax glanced at the time, he suddenly remembered the last item he had to address.
“An invitation?”
Yu Mian opened the large gift bag and indeed saw a golden concert invitation slip out.
“Yes, a reader from the Conservatory of Music contacted the Huanyu editorial team and sent it to me,” Shax explained.
“They said “Contract Marriage” inspired many people to rediscover and fall in love with ancient musical instruments. Under Professor Holse’s guidance, the students organized a performance featuring these instruments. They hoped that, if you’re free, you might attend the concert in person.
“It’s also for charity, all proceeds will go to scholarship funds for remote star systems. It’s their way of expressing their appreciation as your unique group of readers.”
Shax described the details with a peculiar sense of wonder.
“Even if you don’t want to reveal your identity, you could mingle with the crowd and attend anonymously. At the very least, I could tell them you’re somewhere in the audience.”
After listening to Shax’s explanation, Yu Mian held the invitation in his hand, feeling a rare warmth in his heart.
For the first time, Yu Mian deeply realized that his writing had genuinely left a small yet tangible mark in this vast universe.
Perhaps it was faint, but it was undeniably there.
“Alright, I won’t miss it.”
This trip outside the house had truly brought an overwhelming number of surprises.
Later that evening, with Huo Yan’s help, Yu Mian returned to the study. He gazed intently at the light brain in front of him, fingers flying across the interface as the new book’s opening scenes flowed effortlessly onto the screen.
This time, Yu Mian was writing a time-travel novel.
It was about a protagonist from the interstellar era who traveled hundreds of years back to a planet locked in eternal night. There, he encountered a mysterious and elegant clan of nocturnal vampires. What followed was a thrilling and captivating plot.
Meanwhile, the interstellar readers eagerly awaiting tonight’s update of “Contract Marriage” suddenly received an unexpected notification.
Wow, the author updated early again today? How perfect!
However, when they excitedly clicked the notification, they were stunned to discover it wasn’t for “Contract Marriage” but for the second book under the author’s name.
What?! Author Fish Soup Noodles opened a new book?!
The news instantly caused a stir in the interstellar reader community. No one expected the second book to come so suddenly and without warning.
But the initial excitement quickly turned into a conflicted mood.
What kind of novel could this be? Could it possibly match “Contract Marriage”?
How could the author neglect the updates for “Contract Marriage” to write a new book? Outrageous! Absolutely unacceptable!
With their emotions in turmoil, interstellar readers stormed into the new book’s page, determined to scrutinize every detail with a critical eye.
