Harboring certain ill intentions, Xi Yujin swore to trick those civilizations that posed a potential threat. If they kept digging into Blue Planet's affairs, they would pay a price beyond imagination.

Coincidentally, many readers were growing mentally fatigued from studying pre-Qin history, and some details even required repeated revisiting. For now, gossip would serve as a welcome distraction.

Both Qiongtian and Canghai stopped updating at the same time, yet readers' enthusiasm remained high. They bounced between various Blue Planet-related works, leaving comments everywhere, and some novelists even paused their own updates to focus entirely on researching Blue Planet's history.

Because the content was so exceptional, many readers found themselves growing fond of the authors instead. Qiongtian, in particular, had gained a strong base of goodwill, and people began to notice that there seemed to be some kind of past between him and Canghai. Rumor had it they were once close friends, not just ordinary ones, but Blue Planet-level close friends.

"Blue Planet-level" had now become an adjective.

These half-veiled rumors only made everyone more restless. Whenever they grew tired of reading, they wished they could dive straight into Blue Planet's official site and ask what had really happened.

Switching to his Xunming alias, Xi Yujin posted a short story on the forum: Cloud and Water.

[

Once upon a time, there were two close friends named Little Cloud and Little Water. They were inseparable.

Their friendship was well known to everyone. During the morning run, a single glance between them was enough to signal skipping class together. Sitting on different floors, they would send paper airplanes back and forth to chat. In the library, each would be the other's first reader for a new draft, only to be dragged out and punished by the dean for accidentally reading aloud.

Of course, they had their disagreements too. Little Cloud was blunt and often offended others without realizing it. Little Water was gentler, always preferring to keep the peace. But back then, both of them saw each other through very thick filters.

These small frictions seemed like nothing. They believed they would always remain friends, enter the Blue Planet Office together, and become partners in researching Huaxia civilization...

Ah, the optical computer is running out of power. There's still so much I want to say, but the screen is already counting down to shutdown. I'll stop here for now. I just hope some people can remember how things used to be, and don't end up regretting it.

 ]

The alien readers flooded the final line with a row of question marks.

[

What kind of story is this? It's so abrupt. Is Xunming writing some kind of coded literature? I don't get it.

—

I rushed in excited when I saw Xunming open a new project, and this is what I get? Back to melodrama. Actually, no, this is more like a sweet school romance. Still feels off for his style.

—

Wait. In Blue Planet culture, the sky holds clouds, and the sea holds water... Is this hinting at...

—

What?! I must be on the front lines of gossip at all times! Is Cloud and Water actually about Qiongtian and Canghai?!

—

Where is Qiongtian? Get in here right now!

—

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Other Blue Planet authors all seem pretty neutral about the two of them; they all think it's just a misunderstanding that hasn't been resolved, and they want the two to reconcile.

—

What misunderstanding?! This is killing me! Xunming, why did your optical computer have to run out of power right then? How does an optical computer even run out of power?!

—

Probably got beaten up in real life, hahaha.

—

@Canghai, if you're reading this, here's an idea: expose Xunming and Yongye, or any pair of Blue Planet best friends, really.

]

Even the usually diligent novelists temporarily put down their keyboards and joined the frenzy of speculation, using their rich imaginations to piece together the relationship between Canghai and Qiongtian.

"One thing worth noting: these two rarely write close friends as characters. As we all know, in Blue Planet culture, that term carries special meaning, so it often reflects the author's emotional projection. In Canghai's Ancient Tomb Code, the Fu family's twin villains grew up together, which shows he favors long-term companionship. In A Hundred Years Together, the protagonist spends the entire story searching for someone, and all clues point to that person being a longtime close friend.

A contrasting example is Xunming: every close friend in his works appears suddenly at the protagonist's side, what you might call a heaven-sent companion. An author's preferences are especially visible in how they write close friendships.

As for Qiongtian, he hasn't written any close friend characters at all. He has too few works, but in Born Again with the Spring Wind, the characters who interact with the protagonist are mostly functional, serving primarily to introduce the customs and culture of each era rather than forming any deep emotional bond. Either Qiongtian prefers the heaven-sent type of close friend, or he avoids writing them entirely, because in his heart, there is only one person he truly considers a friend."

Writers truly did analyze things differently. This post immediately ignited a massive discussion. Readers enthusiastically began studying the theory of Blue Planet close friendships.

"So Yongye's preferences in close friends are actually quite complicated. Does he prefer childhood companions or heaven-sent ones?"

"Let Mr. Zhong's Constable Faction and Mr. Shi's Faction enter for a structured debate."

"Mingxing doesn't write close friendships at all, just hollow friendships, knife-in-the-back friendships, and friendships that never end well."

"Right, so that means Feiniao's magical girls are all the 'best friends with everyone' type. Feiniao seems to admire both Jung and Fuling."

"Your Blue Planet literary world is so chaotic. Doesn't Yujin manage any of this?"

After letting things simmer for a bit, Xi Yujin sent a message to the Green Clan, saying that Qiongtian's mental state wasn't great and Dream of the Red Chamber would have to be delayed.

The Green Clan immediately replied that it was all right, and the novelist's well-being came first.

Then, very politely, they asked whether there was anything they could do to help resolve things between Qiongtian and Canghai.

Xi Yujin put on an air of hesitation and replied vaguely: "Actually, the two of them once made a promise. Then, due to some accident, both sides thought the other had broken it. Even after growing up and realizing it had all been a misunderstanding, neither could bring themselves to back down. Canghai became unexpectedly stubborn about this, like a completely different person. And as you know, Qiongtian has a rather serious nature, so it became a situation where neither was willing to give an inch. As their colleagues, we find it quite frustrating too."

"Ohhh!" the suddenly enlightened Green Clan exclaimed, clutching its head with excitement. "What a pity, what a pity! How, how did it end up like this?!"

Xi Yujin gave a cold smile in front of his optical computer and began updating Born Again with the Spring Wind and A Hundred Years Together. Then, suddenly realizing he hadn't prepared an escape route, he hurried to consult Gano.

Before Xi Yujin could say a word, Gano said, "No need to worry. I've already input a departure route from the Deep Space Prison. We can leave at any time."

Xi Yujin blinked in surprise. "I haven't even said anything yet." He hadn't told Gano anything about the Blue Planet ancient texts being an ancient giant trap.

After a long silence, Gano replied: "Based on past experience, I believe it's necessary to prepare in advance."

Xi Yujin briefly reflected on his long journey of constantly causing trouble.

But it really wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one looking for trouble, it was trouble that kept looking for him. He was a perfectly good star just minding his own business, so why did those creatures insist on provoking him?

With that thought, his guilt vanished instantly, and he resumed typing at full speed.

Readers quickly dove back into the ongoing serialization of Born Again with the Spring Wind. Various novelists contributed analysis posts and spin-offs, and everyone was thoroughly entertained. Whether discussing the evolution of thought and culture or the final outcomes of the warring states, debates were endless.

Gambling threads related to the novel multiplied. Everyone was guessing who would succeed the Zhou dynasty, and which philosophy would become the winning formula for the next era.

"Duke Huan of Qi is undoubtedly a hegemon, but based on my limited knowledge of Blue Planet, the first to rise is never the one who lasts."

"Duke Huan is gone. King Cheng of Chu rises briefly, then Duke Wen of Jin takes over again. Poor Chu."

"Qin doesn't look that strong. It fought Jin several times without winning decisively."

"But time spares no one. People always die eventually. After Duke Wen of Jin died, Duke Mu of Qin seemed to gain some ground. Let's keep watching."

"Still Chu! After enduring for so long, it finally rises. Chu lays claim to the Mandate! So domineering!"

"Don't get too excited, Jin is strong again."

"Jin really is strong again!"

"Wait, where did Wu come from?"

"The next chapter is over. Enduring hardship and biding their time, Blue Planet people must have incredibly strong palates. No wonder they've been eating alien creatures since ancient times."

"Now I'm scared. I might end up on Blue Planet's menu."

"This is incredible: the three-way partition of Jin. It's like a new leader every chapter. Who will ultimately succeed the Zhou dynasty? Qi is very strong, but Qin looks promising. Wei and Chu both had their peak moments."

Because they now knew that Born Again with the Spring Wind depicted Blue Planet's real history, the alien readers were even more astonished by its intricate changes. Their emotions rose and fell along with the fortunes of each state.

"So many territories are being ceded to Qin. This Qin king is terrifying. Wait, Han is gone!"

"Wei is gone. Chu is gone. Qi... is gone."

"Ten years... six states annexed..."

After a moment, excited readers began flooding the comments. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States arc, the protagonist stayed out of politics and focused instead on improving the people's livelihoods, showing no favoritism toward any state. Readers had long grown tired of the endless bureaucratic procedures of every small state and could not wait for a unified, peaceful era to arrive.

"Virtue surpassing the Three Sovereigns! Achievements exceeding the Five Emperors! The First Emperor! Ahhhhh, so incredible!"

"Standardized script, unified axle widths, standardized weights and measures! This First Emperor is extraordinary! It feels like a turning point of the era. No wonder Blue Planet's civilization lasted so long. This laid the foundation for unification. As for our interstellar languages, let's not even get into it. There are still posts on this forum I can't read."

"I've figured it out: Blue Planet must currently be in the Qin dynasty! Look, even Zhou managed to drag on for so long. Qin should be able to last even longer. Surviving all the way to the present is totally possible!"

Whenever readers mentioned Blue Planet, their tone turned almost dreamlike.

A vast territory and a unified environment: it was as if they could see their own civilizations being born the very same way. Many species were quietly projecting themselves onto Blue Planet, imagining that their own histories might have followed a similar path, or wishing they had a past like this to look back on. They were deeply envious of those cultural and intellectual riches.

A new phrase emerged on the AI Forum and quickly spread across countless star systems:

"Don't stop me. From today on, I'm a spiritual citizen of Blue Star!"