Chapter 9: I Was Attacked

By the time everyone had processed what had happened, the livestream’s comment feed was so dense that the screen itself was barely visible.

Nearly all the comments were along the lines of, “Is this a confession?” “Weren’t people from the Third Star System supposed to be ‘emotionally indifferent’? Why is this one so passionate?” “Mom, he’s so handsome!” “Yu Huaiyin, say yes already—he’s begging you!” “I approve of your relationship!” Clearly, there would never be a shortage of onlookers eager for drama.

In the control room, Feng Jingyu was laughing so hard she was crowing.

“Hahahahaha, Yu Huaiyin, look at you now—an alien superfan! Hahahahaha…”

Cen Lan, meanwhile, let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on her face as well.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the entire control room was infected by Feng Jingyu’s laughter, and a wave of knowing, lighthearted chuckles rippled through the room.

The chief director wiped the cold sweat from his brow—his heart had been on a rollercoaster in that single minute, but thankfully, it had landed safely in the end.

Now, the whole interstellar community was waiting to see how Yu Huaiyin would respond.

·

Yu Huaiyin looked straight at the alien before him. This young man, who had come all the way from the Third Star System, looked almost indistinguishable from an Earthling, perfectly matching Earth’s highest standards of beauty. The silver hair falling to his shoulders and those golden eyes lent him an otherworldly aura. In those clear eyes, Yu Huaiyin felt the first genuine goodwill from beyond the stars.

He reached out and grasped S-77’s hand, giving it a firm shake, and returned the most sincere of smiles. “Welcome to Earth, S-77. I’m very glad to become your friend. I hope we can have many exchanges in music.”

The words were official, but every sentence came from Yu Huaiyin’s heart—he truly meant them.

The reception official’s smile grew warmer as well. After a few words of courtesy, he left the lounge to greet the other arriving contestants.

The staff in the lounge quickly invited the two to sit and brought out a spread of snacks with distinctive Earth flavors, signaling for S-77 to try some local treats.

S-77’s gaze was drawn to a package of strawberry ice cream. He picked it up, studied it carefully, opened the lid, and tried a spoonful with the little spoon inside. His golden eyes widened in surprise; he quickly put down the spoon, covered his mouth with one hand, and tugged at Yu Huaiyin’s sleeve with the other.

“Yu Huaiyin, is this really food?”

Yu Huaiyin saw a hint of shock and confusion in S-77’s eyes.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like the taste?” Yu Huaiyin asked gently.

“It… it attacked me…”

·

“Attacked?” Yu Huaiyin’s expression grew serious. Instinctively, he shielded S-77 behind him and picked up the ice cream to examine it, asking the staff, “Has anyone unknown handled these snacks?”

The staff shook their heads in a panic. “No, Mr. Yu, I’ve been watching the whole time. They all just came out of the sealed box.”

Yu Huaiyin confirmed the packaging was intact, then cautiously sniffed it—nothing unusual. He relaxed a little. Why, then, did S-77 think the ice cream was attacking him?

He could only ask S-77 again, “How did it attack you?”

S-77 lowered his hand from his mouth, his tone full of factual, undeniable certainty. “This thing is cold—wasn’t it launching a fierce low-temperature attack on me? And the sour-sweet taste, isn’t that a direct assault on my taste buds?”

Silence. Another round of silence.

Until a staff member couldn’t hold back a stifled laugh, breaking the tension.

Yu Huaiyin turned his head aside, coughed hard a few times to stifle his own laughter, and then said in the gentlest tone, “This ‘attack’… might be better described as ‘delicious.’ It’s the delight of being stunned by something tasty.”

“De…licious? Delight?” S-77 pondered.

Yu Huaiyin nodded encouragingly. “Try again. See if you can experience that sense of wonder.”

S-77 hesitated, then scooped another spoonful, cautiously tasting it. This time, his eyes narrowed a little; though his body still shivered slightly from the cold, he turned to Yu Huaiyin and announced with utmost seriousness, “Yes, I understand now. Delicious.”

·

In the control room, Feng Jingyu seemed to have descended into a state of mania.

“The God of Wheat Bran has descended…” she muttered like a malfunctioning robot. “How did I not see it? I should have noticed the signs when he was the first to share Huaiyin’s StarNet post… How could I have missed it? I’m so stupid…”

A staff member nearby asked Cen Lan, worried, “Deputy Minister, is Ms. Feng really all right like this?”

Cen Lan, following Feng Jingyu’s usual habits, had the AI record and tag all the necessary data, not even looking up as she replied, “Let her be. She’ll be back to normal soon.”

“Yes!” Feng Jingyu suddenly slapped the table, startling everyone around her. Her eyes blazed with full power. “This is a miracle bestowed by the God of Wheat Bran! It’s the perfect entry point! Aliens, you’re finally eating something good. Come, let’s all experience interstellar friendship together! Hahahahahaha!”

The staff looked at Cen Lan again, who returned a “don’t worry” glance. Immediately, Feng Jingyu opened a virtual conference room on her terminal, delivering one precise instruction after another. Since she hadn’t muted the area, the government officials on standby nearby heard every word of her arrangements.

One of them couldn’t help but ask Cen Lan quietly, “Deputy Minister, I don’t mean to question Ms. Feng, but… will this approach really work for the aliens?”

Cen Lan took a slow sip of her milk tea—thanks to Feng Jingyu’s influence, she’d grown fond of the taste herself.

“Relax. When has she ever let anyone down?”

·

The second ship to arrive at Cangwu Spaceport belonged to the Resonance Star System, home of Ming Ke, but Morning Dew from the Aurora Star System was also aboard. These were the two female contestants. Unlike S-77, whose appearance was closest to an Earthling, their non-human traits were far more pronounced. Ming Ke wore a layer of lustrous, jade-like biological armor, though it didn’t hinder her movements. Morning Dew was a semi-transparent humanoid, light passing right through her. She wore a gentle smile, and her voice was like heavenly music, greatly easing the fear and discomfort of the Earthlings.

Fortunately, both women’s social etiquette was impeccable, and there was no repeat of S-77’s incident. After polite greetings, they were led to the lounge.

Coincidentally, Le Huan from the Dawn Star System and Seeker, the interstellar wanderer, had also arrived together on the same ship. According to Le Huan, Seeker happened to be traveling in the Dawn Star System, and the two met at the spaceport, so Le Huan enthusiastically invited her to join him.

Le Huan, aside from S-77, was the contestant whose appearance most resembled an Earthling. The only difference was the soft glow that surrounded him, and his hair, which shimmered with ever-changing colors like flowing light. He was naturally at ease conversing with the Earth officials, making people feel as if he’d come home. Seeker, on the other hand, was more unusual—her entire body was wrapped up, with only a pair of deep, soulful eyes showing. Yet, oddly enough, her appearance didn’t make people uncomfortable, perhaps because she radiated a sense of calm, her gaze as loving as a mother’s for her child.

·

The last to arrive was the contestant Feng Jingyu and Cen Lan had been watching most closely—Qing Wu from the Wither-Prosper Star System.

Her non-human features were also obvious: mottled gray-green skin, dark green hair with glowing tips. Compared to the others, who wore elaborate outfits, Qing Wu’s clothing was rather plain. She seemed a little shy when speaking to the reception officials, but did her best to remain proper and composed, clearly wanting to leave a good impression for her star system.

With that, all six contestants had arrived on time, and the welcome ceremony prepared by the Earth government—or rather, by Youjian Entertainment—was about to begin.