Ye Yunian’s greatest dream in life was to simply laze around and do nothing.

What he never expected, however, was that his dream would come true—but not in his human form. Instead, it happened after he was reborn as a giant panda.

It all started about half a month ago.

Ye Yunian had been struggling in the entertainment industry for seven years, working his way up from an unknown extra to finally becoming a third-tier actor. This year, he even received his first nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Just when he was about to reach this milestone in his acting career, tragedy struck on the way to the awards ceremony: a car accident.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inside a square enclosure. Right outside, he overheard two keepers chatting. Through their conversation, Ye Yunian learned his new identity—he had been reborn as a sub-adult male giant panda that had been rescued by the panda base.

For a moment, Ye Yunian wondered if the car accident had damaged his brain. Was this a dream?

But everything felt far too real. Even if his vision could deceive him, the soft, fluffy fur all over his body certainly couldn’t lie!

He looked down at his furry paws, the clean, pinkish pads, and couldn’t resist reaching up to touch his head. The top of his head was soft and squishy, and even his ears had a delightful, bouncy texture!

Looking further down, his belly was covered in black-and-white, fluffy fur.

Ye Yunian gasped and tentatively rubbed his round belly.

His eyes widened in amazement.

This was too soft—too nice to touch!

Oh my god.

Is this what it feels like to be a national treasure panda? It’s way too comfortable!

He never imagined that one day, he’d get the chance to cuddle a real panda—let alone be one!

Any anxiety about his rebirth as a panda quickly melted away. Ye Yunian, now comfortably snuggled in his soft fur, eavesdropped on the keepers’ conversation and pieced together his situation.

He was now in the Hetaoping Base within the Wolong Nature Reserve. Two months ago, the base had rescued an injured, two-year-old wild male panda with a broken left forearm. Since the rescue had taken place around the time of the New Year, the panda had been named “Yunian.”

No way—it was the same as his name?

Could this be the reason he was reborn as a panda?

If such fantastical events happened to someone else, they would likely need a long time to come to terms with it.

But Ye Yunian was different.

After seven years of hard work in the entertainment industry, his yearly vacation days could be counted on one hand, and his sleep schedule had been squeezed to the limit by constant work.

He had long grown tired of that life and wanted nothing more than to slack off!

Once he realized that he was safe in his new environment, Ye Yunian didn’t even care that the keepers were still talking. He lay back and promptly fell asleep, and when he woke up, he effortlessly accepted his new identity.

Come on, now.

I’m a giant panda—the national treasure!

One of the most beloved animals in the world, with countries willing to pay enormous sums just to have one on loan.

And now Ye Yunian was that very panda!

He didn’t even have to try to act cute—just sitting there would make fans squeal with delight!

How could winning Best Supporting Actor possibly compare to this?

And more importantly, as a panda, Ye Yunian didn’t need to worry about the pressures of life or work anymore. He wouldn’t have to deal with the scheming and backstabbing in the entertainment industry—he was free from the hardships of life altogether.

Every day, he lounged in the luxurious enclosure the base had prepared for him. When he opened his eyes, fresh bamboo shoots, tender bamboo leaves, and honey-sweetened treats were brought to him, along with fragrant steamed buns.

When he woke up, he ate. When he was full, he slept.

Ye Yunian didn’t have to think about anything. On days when he didn’t feel like eating on his own, the keepers would even hand-feed him.

Where could he possibly find a better life than this… oh, wait—better than this bear life?

After only one day of living in such comfort, Ye Yunian completely fell in love with the lazy, pampered lifestyle at the base.

And just like that, half a month passed.

Today was another routine check-up.

After two and a half months of recovery, Ye Yunian’s left forearm was almost completely healed.

The vet examined his arm and told the keeper, “His bones have recovered very well; there’s no longer any problem.”

The keeper breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Ye Yunian return to his enclosure. “But I still feel like Yunian isn’t eating enough. He’s been allowed to move around this past month, but all he does is stay in his enclosure and sleep. I wonder why he’s not going outside…”

The vet thought for a moment before replying, “It’s probably because he’s still adjusting to the unfamiliar environment. After all, Yunian is a wild panda, and a new environment can make him feel uneasy.”

The keeper sighed.

Ye Yunian, meanwhile, pricked up his ears and listened, his round black eyes darting around.

Huh?

I don’t have a good appetite?

His enclosure was full of fresh bamboo, and Ye Yunian sat down among the leafy stalks.

Maybe being reborn as a panda had changed his taste buds, because now he couldn’t resist fresh bamboo at all.

Grabbing a stalk with his chubby paw, Ye Yunian stuffed it into his mouth like he was eating skewers. By the time he pulled the stalk out, all the tender bamboo leaves had already disappeared into his mouth.

He munched contentedly.

What do they mean I’m not eating enough? I’ve been stuffing myself every day!

As for why I’m not going outside…

Why should I bother?

The Walnut Ping Base was located deep in the mountains, and his luxurious enclosure was connected to a fenced-off area of forest. During the day, the keepers would open the gate to let him roam, and at night, they’d bring him back inside and close the door. It was a semi-wild lifestyle that allowed him freedom while ensuring his safety.

But seriously, it’s the middle of winter! It even snowed a few days ago!

Though Ye Yunian, as a panda, wasn’t particularly sensitive to the cold, his cozy, temperature-controlled enclosure was so much more comfortable. Why would he want to go out into the freezing forest and suffer?

Ye Yunian twitched his ears and lazily wiggled his short legs, thinking that the keeper was overthinking things.

At that moment, he overheard the keeper say, “But we don’t have to worry too much. After the interview is over, Yunian will be…”

Ye Yunian’s bamboo-munching paused.

An interview?

Could it be that not only was he a national treasure, but also a trending internet sensation?

If that were true, wouldn’t that mean his life would be set, with no worries about food or shelter?

His eyes sparkled, and he suddenly felt a little excited.

As it turned out, Ye Yunian’s hunch was right. He really was a rising star among pandas.

Two and a half months ago, while patrolling the mountains in the Wolong Nature Reserve, the forest rangers had spotted Yunian and recorded a video of him. The video went viral online, drawing a huge amount of attention and making him an internet sensation.

Not long after, sharp-eyed netizens noticed that the panda in the video didn’t look well, prompting the rangers and staff from the base to rush into the mountains overnight to rescue the already unconscious Yunian.

The two videos, released back-to-back, made the entire internet aware that the Walnut Ping Base had rescued a wild panda.

With his adorable demeanor and handsome features, Yunian quickly won the hearts of countless panda fans. He even ranked in the top five of last year’s “Most Handsome Male Panda” contest.

Clearly, Yunian’s looks were highly regarded by the majority of panda lovers.

Due to the immense public interest in Yunian, the base had agreed to a special interview.

On the day of the interview, everything was as usual. While the journalists were there to document Yunian, most of the footage focused on the keepers and veterinarians.

After all, Yunian was a wild panda. Although he had behaved calmly and had shown no hostility toward humans during his two and a half months at the base, he was eventually going to be released back into the wild. The base believed it was best to limit his contact with humans as much as possible.

Of course, they couldn’t film the interview without capturing some footage of Yunian. Toward the end of the shoot, the camera crew and reporters, after thoroughly disinfecting themselves, were allowed to observe Yunian from a distance, staying about ten meters away from his enclosure.

They watched from afar as Yunian sat inside, lazily munching on bamboo leaves.

Ye Yunian had already sensed the presence of strangers. His paw paused mid-bite as his round, black eyes turned toward the journalists and camera crew.

The young female reporter’s face lit up with excitement. “Is he looking at us?”

The keeper nodded. “You see how he stopped eating? He’s still very alert.”

Ye Yunian blinked.

What are you talking about? I’m just curious. How does that make me “alert”?

He went back to chewing his bamboo.

Unaware of Ye Yunian’s actual thoughts, the female reporter, taking the keeper’s words to heart, pulled the cameraman back a few steps. “We should stay further away.”

After a few minutes of filming, the reporter sighed, “Yunian is so adorable. This might be the last time we get to film him this close, right? The base is releasing him the day after tomorrow, isn’t that right?”

The keeper nodded. “Yes, we’ll be saying goodbye to Yunian the morning after tomorrow.”

It was precisely because of his imminent release that the base had permitted this interview.

Ye Yunian, in the middle of enjoying the tenderest bamboo leaves, froze.

Wait, what?

Release?

Who?

Me?

Huh?!

The keeper and the reporter continued watching him, and as they caught his eye again, the keeper smiled. “Looks like Yunian’s paying attention to us again.”

The reporter added, “Do you think he understands? It almost looks like he’s smiling.”

Smiling?

Absolutely not!

Which of your eyes saw me smiling?!

Ye Yunian’s eyes widened in shock, the bamboo leaves forgotten. He jumped to his feet, his round, fluffy butt wobbling as he hurried to the gate of his enclosure, letting out an urgent “mm-mm” sound at the three people.

The reporter instinctively took a step back, startled. “What’s happening…?”

The keeper reassured her, “It’s fine. That sound isn’t a warning. Yunian has been with us for two and a half months, and this is the first time he’s ever vocalized. Maybe he really did understand us. He’s probably excited about being released back into the wild!”

“Mm-mm-mm-mm—!”

Ye Yunian shouted even louder.

Don’t twist my words!

Who said I was excited?!

I’m freaking out here!

Am I not supposed to be a trending internet panda? Living a good life here, so why are you releasing me?!

But no matter how much Ye Yunian protested with his cries, all the humans interpreted it as enthusiasm and happiness.

The more the keeper listened, the more moved he became, his eyes even tearing up. “Yunian, don’t worry, you’ll soon be free!”

Ye Yunian: “…!!!”

At this moment, he deeply regretted that pandas couldn’t speak human language.

Is it possible that I don’t want to be free at all?!

Can’t you guys respect the national treasure’s wishes for once?!