Before today’s live broadcast, Huanyu had already conducted a large-scale online collection of reader questions. Each interstellar reader was allowed to submit only one question for a chance to be selected.
To prevent vote manipulation, a strict identity-binding system was implemented. As a result, many devoted book fans practically mobilized their entire families to register accounts and submit questions, with some almost binding the accounts of their three-year-old toddlers to the interstellar network.
However, no one could have anticipated that what should have been a highly competitive author interaction session turned into a scene of “killing” book fans due to Yu Mian’s cold and efficient answers to questions.
Seeing how “tragic” the consequences of the live Q&A session had become, readers who hadn’t yet been selected to ask questions were even more anxious than those whose hearts had already been shattered.
[Help! This is urgent! Huanyu, is it still possible to withdraw my question? This is really important—I don’t want to ask anymore! Is that okay?]
[Same here… I don’t care! I refuse to listen! My CP is real! Ahhh! [Breakdown]]
Even the normally warring factions of various fan groups didn’t dare to mock the Roy fans who had already lost their “rice bowls.” Instead, they were terrified that Yu Mian might answer the next question, burning down their own granaries in the process.
After the tone of the comment section shifted, the flood of messages became a chorus of anguished wails.
“Ah, this…this…how could this happen…”
The Huanyu staff, who had been nervously monitoring the backstage activity, never imagined things would develop in this direction.
It could only be said that this genius author truly lived up to their “bloody physique”— a magnet for chaos and storms.
A natural focal point of attention, impossible to ignore—both the author and his two works shared this same trait.
“Though, I must say, this year’s popularity is off the charts. So far, the live broadcast is still seeing a frenzy of incoming viewers.”
The technical team noticed that despite the loud wails and complaints from readers, this comedic disaster of emotional breakdowns only fueled the event’s skyrocketing popularity.
Even casual passersby who rarely read novels couldn’t help but click into this year’s Rising Star Project live broadcast, curious about the commotion that had the entire interstellar network buzzing.
The first thing these passersby saw was Yu Mian’s strikingly simplistic, sketch-style virtual avatar, which left a strong impression.
Next, the author and work links prominently displayed at the bottom of the page saw an explosion in clicks due to the traffic surge.
Even the promotion for the physical book release of “Contract Marriage” experienced a terrifyingly rapid sales spike thanks to this exposure.
“So, are there any more questions?”
Onstage, Yu Mian, seemingly still enjoying the interaction, turned to the host, feeling quite pleased with his performance today.
As long as he didn’t appear on camera, it seemed like engaging in such discussions about the plot with readers was actually quite enjoyable.
In fact, some of the questions and analyses had even sparked inspiration for his new book.
“Uh… hmm, wait, it seems like… all the questions have been canceled?”
Meanwhile, the host found it strange that the pool of questions to draw from was shrinking dramatically.
Every time they tried to select a question, it displayed that the reader had canceled their submission.
After multiple attempts with no new questions appearing, it became clear that the Q&A session had reached its natural conclusion.
In fact, Yu Mian’s interview had already exceeded the expected time, largely due to the detailed questions from readers and the author’s thorough and sincere responses.
The overall duration had even surpassed many other authors’ sessions.
“That concludes today’s interview. Thank you so much for your participation! This reader interaction was truly exhilarating!”
“For readers who didn’t get their questions answered, don’t worry! With the success of Teacher Fish Soup Noodle’s new book, I’m sure Huanyu will invite them to the Star Gala at the end of the year. Please stay tuned!”
The host smiled at the large screen, oblivious to the chaos these words would unleash among the readers who had just begun to calm down.
[Oh no, I forgot about the end-of-year Star Gala for established authors! Help…]
[Huanyu, take your live broadcast and move it out of the Federation! TAT From now on, I just want to quietly read Fish Soup Noodle’s books.]
[Agreed. Huanyu should just stick to being a silent, decorative official account, and let us readers and the author maintain a respectable distance.]
After all, although it was clear that Yu Mian, as the author, was genuinely trying to answer the questions with great sincerity and kindness, he only left readers whose “granaries” had been burned to the ground feeling even more devastated, with no one to turn to for help.
Since there was no way to criticize the earnest author, blaming Huanyu, the organizer of this event, became the obvious choice.
If Huanyu hadn’t arranged such a ridiculous event, how could everyone’s granaries have disappeared into thin air?!
Clearly, this was all Huanyu’s fault!
Most readers flooded the comment section, declaring that they’d rather never have such terrifying events again.
Let’s all pretend today didn’t happen, and that our Fish Soup Noodle didn’t say anything!
Finally, under the host’s closing remarks, Yu Mian formally returned to his seat with his trophy, as the next author took the stage.
“Why is he looking at me like that?”
Yu Mian hesitated, noticing that the next author seemed to be looking at him with an odd mixture of reverence and awe as he slowly walked onto the stage.
[…What do you think?]
The little system felt that it had too many complaints to say for a moment, and it was completely impossible to explain clearly during the event. It would have to wait until the host could check the online reactions of the heartbroken interstellar readers later.
“Excuse me, are you A Bowl Of Fish Soup Noodles?”
Just as Yu Mian was starting to relax and curiously observe the venue, a soft, hesitant voice suddenly spoke nearby.
“Ah, yes, that’s me. Hello!”
Realizing it was likely another author, Yu Mian greeted them politely.
The author, a petite young man with fair skin, appeared quiet and reserved.
“My pen name is “Tu Ji”. I’ve always been a big fan of “Contract Marriage”. Could I add you as a contact?”
The author, who went by the pen name “Tu Ji”, seemed to have mustered all his courage to approach Yu Mian, the peculiar looking bowl of fish soup noodles.
“Of course!”
Hearing the pen name, Yu Mian found it somewhat familiar.
Then he quickly realized this must be the author of “By Lake Madra”, under Editor Lei’s group.
What a gentle temperament! But since he could write “By Lake Madra”, it wasn’t surprising he’d enjoy the intense emotional pull of “Contract Marriage”.
Unexpectedly, “Tu Ji” seemed to have a deep interest in Yu Mian and couldn’t help but ask softly:
“Sorry if this is a bit presumptuous, but after hearing your answers earlier, I was wondering… would you be open to readers interpreting your works in their own way?”
This exchange quickly caught the attention of many nearby authors.
After all, the now-famous Yu Mian wasn’t just renowned among readers but also regarded as a mysterious and intriguing figure within the author circle.
“Hmm? Of course! What I just shared were simply my thoughts as a creator. It doesn’t mean readers aren’t allowed to have their own interpretations.”
After hearing Tu Ji’s question, Yu Mian suddenly realized that the honest interstellar readers might have misunderstood something.
“In fact, I not only welcome creative interpretations but even support derivative works, as long as there is mutual respect and harmony.”
After all, wasn’t this just a question of openness to derivative creations? As long as it wasn’t for commercial use, Yu Mian personally had no objections.
“Really? That’s wonderful! Thank you so much. I truly love your work, and I hope this book can give Gu Bai and Caesar a fairy-tale ending. Please stick to your ideas.”
Tu Ji was obviously thrilled by Yu Mian’s answer and expressed heartfelt gratitude.
“Wow, so it’s really okay to create derivative works? I also love “Contract Marriage”! I just can’t wait for Caesar and Gu Bai to get together already!”
“Teacher Fish Soup Noodles, can I add you too? Ahhh!”
Many of the new authors invited by the “Rising Star Project” were relatively fresh to writing, straddling the roles of both readers and creators.
Regarding Yu Mian’s “Contract Marriage” and “Eternal Night Rose”, many of these authors were also fans who eagerly followed updates daily.
Being able to meet the legendary Fish Soup Noodles in person and discovering their friendly demeanor, a crowd quickly gathered to chat enthusiastically.
“What a beautiful and harmonious scene! This is exactly the kind of positivity our Rising Star Project should broadcast!”
Not far away, the deputy editor happily watched the joyful interactions and signaled to the cameraman to capture the moment as bonus footage.
Therefore, unsurprisingly, the exchange between Yu Mian and Tu Ji was broadcast on the star network as a behind-the-scenes feature, which just happened to serve as a supplementary footnote to Yu Mian’s previous Q&A session.
After all, both Tu Ji and A Bowl Of Fish Soup Noodles were among Huanyu’s most popular new authors this year, and their appearance together sparked widespread attention.
Yu Mian’s statement about welcoming derivative works quickly triggered heated discussions.
When the event ended, Yu Mian reviewed the summary provided by the system and realized that he had answered the interview questions with perhaps too much honesty.
[A Bowl of Fish Soup Noodles V: Today’s Rising Star Q&A session was very enjoyable. I personally welcome unique interpretations and creations. After all, it’s wonderful if readers can find joy in the stories.]
[PS: There will be a big update for “Eternal Night Rose” at 10 PM tonight—please look forward to it!]
With this nearly reflective post summarizing the event, Yu Mian promptly dove into writing the update for “Eternal Night Rose”.
After all, it occurred to him belatedly that he had been a bit too ruthless earlier.
If possible, he needed to appease the cute and honest interstellar readers—otherwise, if they truly came for a “real-life fight,” how could a mere fish survive?
Meanwhile, the interstellar readers, who were still reeling from the day’s emotional rollercoaster, were stunned by the latest update online.
Initially heartbroken and frustrated, they began to calm down after seeing the behind-the-scenes clips and Yu Mian’s new post.
Especially upon reading about the “big update” for “Eternal Night Rose”, their spirits soared once more.
[Damn it, am I that easy to manipulate? Why does this Fish Soup Noodles know exactly how to tug at my heartstrings?!]
[The moment I saw there would be an extra update tonight, I fell in love with them all over again! Damn it, ahhhh!]
[There’s nothing more to say—I’m begging for 10 PM to come faster. Author, just focus on writing your updates; leave the analysis to us TAT.]
Indeed, at critical moments like this, Yu Mian’s strategy of dropping a big update worked like magic, instantly resolving all conflicts.
