ICTEUWMN Chapter 89.2

The unexpected surge in subscriptions alarmed even the editorial department of Huanyu, prompting them to consider a potential collaboration with Xinggui or possibly sponsoring the next season of “Heavenly Voice: Rising Star” across the entire Huanyu platform.

[Otek: It’s no big deal, but would you consider passing by during the final eight’s qualification round and meeting our contestants? Many of them have expressed their desire to see you. Making it a surprise push would definitely go viral.]

Otek even entertained the idea of inviting Yu Mian to serve as a judge.

Unfortunately, Yu Mian had been far too busy recently and had to decline in the end.

Just the rebirth-themed writing competition had already driven him to exhaustion. Since entering the review stage, Yu Mian felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day just to go through the submissions. Participating in the show’s recording was simply out of the question.

Seeing this whirlwind of activity around the mermaid, Huo Ting even considered having Yu Mian get a secretary. Secretary Hals could even help find one.

[Fish: …Sigh, why does everyone want me to show my face? (covers face)]

Yu Mian had grown used to these frequent invitations to events. Perhaps this was just part of being famous?

[Otek: Personally, I just think it’s a shame if you don’t attend. Besides, you’d stand out among the contestants, no doubt about it.]

In a way, even more so.

How to put it, Fish Soup Noodles’ temperament and features had an indescribable dreamy and stunning quality.

When Otek first met Fish Soup Noodles in the conference room, he immediately felt that not giving this author some celebrity-level packaging and marketing was practically criminal.

If Fish Soup Noodles could appear in a conceptual photoshoot alongside the finalists, it would undoubtedly sell out in no time.

Unfortunately, Fish Soup Noodles seemed to have little interest in such things.

[Otek: Alright, one last thing. Among the current contestants, do you have any favorites? Your opinion would carry significant weight.]

[Fish: Uh, no, no, it’s best to stick to a fair selection process. Since voting was part of the original design, we shouldn’t waste everyone’s effort. If someone particularly outstanding doesn’t win the championship, there will be other opportunities for collaboration in the future. I hope Xinggui maintains transparent vote counting.]

Despite being grateful for the considerable authority Otek had offered him, Yu Mian politely declined once more.

“I tried, but Teacher Fish Soup Noodles said he’s too busy to join the recording sessions,” Otek announced regretfully to the contestants during a break in filming.

“What? He declined?”

“Yes, if he had attended even one of the qualification or final rounds, I can’t imagine how many hot searches it would have generated.”

“Producer Otek, have you actually met Teacher Fish Soup Noodles in person?”

The contestants voiced their disappointment.

“Maybe the winner who gets to sing the theme song will have a chance to meet him in person.”

Out of a sense of professional integrity, Otek didn’t reveal anything about his past encounter with Yu Mian.

However, his words left the competition room even more charged with tension.

Some contestants, who were merely fans of Yu Mian’s works, hoped to meet him. Others, with more complex motivations, saw the situation differently.

After all, the influence of the author “Fish Soup Noodles” was undeniable. Securing his vote could be pivotal. At the very least, leaving an impression on him might open doors for future collaborations, such as roles in film adaptations of his novels. It was an undeniable jackpot.

In a way, Yu Mian should be thankful that his address was tied to the Huo family’s old residence. Most people wouldn’t dare approach, intimidated by the guards at the gate. Even those who got a glimpse from afar didn’t dare come closer.

If it had been anywhere else, countless “coincidental” encounters would likely have occurred by now…

“Damn it, why can’t judges participate in the competition?!”

Ironically, the angriest person about this was Ernis, one of the mentors.

Ernis still harbored resentment, unable to understand why Fish Soup Noodles would pass over a popular, talented, and well-rounded singer like him in favor of scouting newcomers. Had he somehow ended up on Fish Soup Noodles’ blacklist?

Meanwhile, the only remaining contestant from an outer star system leaned casually against the railing, watching the people around him that obviously had various thoughts and couldn’t help but find these Federation contestants rather interesting.

Occasionally switching identities to escape attention and have some fun wasn’t bad at all.

At this very moment, in the Imperial Star Palace, Claudius opened his light-brain as usual and skillfully navigated to the “Reborn” column.

Since his “exposure” last time, Claudius simply stopped pretending.

Besides, he was genuinely intrigued by the plotline in “Reborn,” so he continued following updates daily. Occasionally, when he encountered a particularly satisfying chapter, his “hand would slip” and he’d send a gift.

However, unlike other readers who left comments when sending gifts, the now-exposed Claudius had become remarkably tight-lipped.

This silence only further excited the netizens in the comments section. Whenever “Star Crown” appeared, countless photos of “check-ins” and “paw prints” flooded the comment section beneath his name.

Some fans even kept track, posting updates like, “Breaking news! Teacher Star Crown has not abandoned this novel for XXX days!”

“These Federation netizens really have too much free time…”

Claudius couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Let them be. Did they really think he cared?

Ridiculous.

[…By the way, ever since you advised His Highness Kechard to find a new hobby, he’s indeed given up on filming. But now, no one knows where he’s gone off to…]

Just as Claudius was about to dive into the latest chapter, an internal affairs communication popped up on his light-brain.

“Wait, just let him do whatever he wants. He’s different from me. Don’t put too many restrictions on him, and there’s no need to report these things to me in the future.”

Even though Kechard was his younger brother, their fates diverged drastically due to the order of their births. Destined to be sidelined, Kechard often made Claudius worry whether his brother felt neglected by everyone.

Fortunately, Kechard had a carefree personality and seemed unbothered by it all, even resenting any form of constraints.

Anyway, it’s okay as long as he doesn’t go to act in a movie.

Claudius closed the communication channel and resumed reading the updates.

The plot of “Reborn” was reaching its climax. The villain from the previous life was imprisoned, and Pei Shen’s memories were restored. According to Yu Mian’s outline, Pei Yan’s acting career had already taken off, and the main plotline had resolved the villain who once led him astray and attacked the Pei family.

The next step was to reunite Pei Yan with his biological parents, bring the two families together, and guide Pei Shen, whose memories had returned, to pursue his love interest and start the emotional push and pull. After, Pei Yan would reach the peak of his career, culminating in an official announcement of his relationship…

Well, it was not impossible to “stew a few pots of meat” at the end.

=w=

Brilliant. [Fish wagging its tail.jpg]

In the update, Pei Shen’s memory recovery was triggered by a moment of tension in his heart as he watched the villain being led away to prison. A profound sadness, pain, and regret welled up within him, as if it were already too late for everything.

But why did he feel this way?

[[“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Pei Yan noticed Pei Shen’s abnormality, and asked out of habitat.

In this life, Pei Yan had perfected the role of the “good brother” to reassure their parents.

“I’m just a little tired. It’s nothing.”

Under the watchful gazes of the family, Pei Shen absentmindedly shook his head.

That night, however, Pei Shen had a long, vivid dream.

In the dream, his brother Pei Yan was entirely different from the person he knew in this life. He was distant, wary, and always avoided closeness.

A high fever during hide-and-seek, a stolen safe, the tears of grieving parents, and, finally, a bouquet of freesias at a gravesite.

When he had uncovered the truth and personally sent the frenzied mastermind behind it all to prison, it was already too late.

The fragrance of the freesias lingered, but the person was gone.

Pei Shen stared blankly at the faint morning light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The villain’s hysterical words as he was imprisoned seemed to echo in his ears:

“Pei Jianchuan! I just didn’t want the Pei family to have peace. You probably don’t even know how funny that little guy’s face was when I told him his parents will eventually abandon him and that a useless piece of trash will be discarded by the Pei family like garbage, just like they did to me!”

Luan Yi and Pei Jianchuan turned pale at the villain’s words.

“Old Gu, if you had even a shred of decency, how could you say such things to such a young child?!”

“And it’s not as if we didn’t give you chances. The first project you handled resulted in a major financial incident. We went to great lengths to protect you!”

“We trusted you, invited you to our home for every holiday, and yet you…”

But these arguments were meaningless now, as the shadow of that figure faded away.

Feeling the wetness splash on the back of his hand, Pei Shen realized he had been crying since he woke up from his dream.

It was just like when he visited his brother’s grave with that bouquet of freesias in the previous life.

If he had been more proactive, would things have turned out differently?

Yet, even in the end, he hadn’t dared to confess his feelings.

Was that cowardice, or… inferiority complex?]]

[Oh my god! What is this!? This villain is absolutely despicable!]

[I can’t even imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for Pei Yan to hear those poisonous words from a “kind” elder, especially with his highly sensitive nature.]

[Please, I beg you, let everything be explained properly in this life. QAQ. And why does Pei Shen think of himself as inferior?!]

While everyone was eagerly following the updates for “Reborm”, a brand-new, empty live broadcast account quietly appeared on the platform.

Yu Mian hesitated for a moment about which platform to use. Unlike novel platforms where Huanyu reigned supreme, live broadcasting platforms were in fierce competition.

One was the established leader, Eternal Live, while the other was the rising star, Starry Live.

In the end, Yu Mian chose Eternal live, which had slightly higher traffic. Anyway, both platforms were almost the same.

“Let’s just do a simple test broadcast…”

Despite confidently declaring earlier that he would start live broadcasting, Yu Mian felt a bit nervous now. Most likely, he would only live broadcast for the next book and abandon the account after its completion.

[Hey! Host, your camera seems tilted. I can’t see your face!]

Unexpectedly, the platform’s traffic was massive. A few seconds after launching his account, a visitor was already attracted.

‘Help… should I just shut it down?’

‘I only wanted to test the setup!’

[Wow host, your hands look so good. Eh? Why did it go black!?]