The moment their eyes met, both women jumped in shock.

Wen Yang’s face was as white as a sheet. She glanced behind Yan An, her eyes flickering with emotion.

Forcing a weak smile, she asked in a feeble voice, “Yan An, what are you doing on the second floor so late?”

Yan An’s eyes darted around Wen Yang’s face, studying her closely. But instead of answering the question, she asked in concern, “Wen Yang, are you okay? You don’t look well.”

Wen Yang’s smile stiffened. 

“It’s nothing. Just a little tired.”

“If you’re tired, you should rest early. It’s getting late. I’m heading to bed.” Yan An waved casually, shoved her hands in her pockets, and dashed upstairs.

Wen Yang remained standing there, unmoving. She watched Yan An’s figure disappear, then slowly turned her gaze toward Qi Yan’s door.

Yan An and Qi Yan. What was their relationship?

Meanwhile, back in her own room, Yan An was thinking the exact same thing.

Wen Yang and Qi Yan. What was their relationship?

Qi Yan had gone out earlier. When she asked where he had been, he simply said he had gone for a walk.

And now, Wen Yang was clearly just coming back from somewhere too.

Could it be that her ex-husband had found himself a new romance?

Yan An had looked up information about Wen Yang before the show.

During an old interview, Wen Yang had clearly stated that she was a fan of Qi Yan.

So now, was this a case of an idol and his fan secretly meeting up after filming?

There’s Something Fishy Going On.

But then again, it had nothing to do with her anymore. She sincerely wished her ex-husband the best in finding his second chance at love.

Once all her little seedlings sprouted and grew, she too, would have to work hard to find her own second spring.

With that thought, Yan An reached into her pocket and pulled out Yan Mengmeng.

Meanwhile, sitting obediently on a chair, gazing out the window with a miserable expression, and absentmindedly swinging his short white legs  was Yan Kuku.

The moment he spotted his older brother, his eyes lit up. He hopped down from the chair and shuffled over in small steps. “Brother, you’re back!”

Still shaken, Yan Mengmeng looked at his little brother, swallowed back his tears, and hugged him tightly.

“Mm-hmm, Mommy saved me. Kuku, I was so worried about you. I was afraid I’d never see you and Mommy again.”

Yan Kuku shuddered as he recalled the events of the night, the chilling sensation of the tap water pouring over him. 

“I was scared too. That uncle was really mean.”

Yan Mengmeng nodded in agreement. After a brief hesitation, he turned to look at Yan An, who was gulping down water. 

He hesitated again before finally asking, “Mommy, that scary uncle…”

He trailed off.

Yan An gave him an encouraging look.

Yan Kuku also turned to his brother. “Brother, what is it?”

Clenching his tiny fists, Yan Mengmeng gathered his courage. 

“That scary uncle… is he our dad?”

‘Pfft!’

Yan An spat out a mouthful of water.

She choked, coughing uncontrollably.

Yan Kuku’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth gaping open in disbelief.

He looked back and forth between his still-coughing mother and his conflicted-looking brother, nervously picking at his fingers. 

“Brother, what do you mean?”

If that terrifying uncle was their dad, wouldn’t their future be absolutely miserable…?

Yan Mengmeng frowned and explained, “I overheard Mommy talking to that uncle earlier. He asked where the child was, and Mommy said she was never pregnant. But if she wasn’t… then how do we exist?”

Both children turned to look at Yan An.

Yan An finally stopped coughing. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and met their gazes, looking a little guilty.

She scratched her head, crouched down in front of them, and solemnly declared, “No, he’s not your dad.”

Yan Kuku immediately shut his open mouth. Relief washed over him.

But Yan Mengmeng, who had personally heard the conversation, remained doubtful. 

“But Mommy, then why did that uncle ask you that…?”

Yan An’s eyes darted around as she scrambled for an explanation. 

“Well… Mommy and that uncle… uh… we used to be together…”

Yan Kuku’s mouth fell open again, his bitter gourd face now tinged with despair. 

“Huh?!”

Yan Mengmeng frowned even deeper. 

“But Mommy, that uncle is really scary. Wasn’t it dangerous to be with him?”

Yan An let out an awkward chuckle.

At the time, she had been too captivated by his looks to notice any danger.

She gestured with her fingers. 

“It was just for a little while. A very short while. But you two really aren’t his children. You might think you are, but you’re not.”

Yan Mengmeng and Yan Kuku spoke in unison. 

“Then who is our dad?”

Yan An blinked. 

“Your dad… went abroad.”

Yan Kuku rubbed his bitter gourd face, feeling like something wasn’t right. Tilting his head, he hesitated before asking, “But Mommy, didn’t you say before that we were born from your asexual reproduction?”

Yan An: “Huh?”

Did she say that?

Yan Mengmeng thought about it and nodded in confirmation.

Yan An looked up at the ceiling, feeling a bit guilty. “Mengmeng, Kukuku, Mommy lied about the asexual reproduction. Your dad went abroad and said he wouldn’t be coming back. I didn’t want you to be sad, so I didn’t tell you the truth. I’m sorry. Mommy lied to you.”

By the end, she lowered her head in guilt.

Yan Mengmeng immediately shook his head and hugged her. “It’s okay, Mommy.”

Yan Kuku squeezed out a smile. “As long as we have Mommy, that’s all that matters.”

As long as their dad wasn’t that scary uncle, everything was fine.

Deep into the Night. Just past midnight, most people were fast asleep, and the mansion was silent.

Down in the first-floor hall, a rooster that had been tied up refused to be forgotten. It fluffed its glossy feathers, stretched its neck, and let out a piercing crow.

“Kuk-kur–koo–KUK-Kuk–Koooo—!”

Yan An had just drifted off, still hovering between wakefulness and dreams, when the sudden crowing shattered any lingering drowsiness.

Her two children also stirred, their sleepy eyes blinking open as they sat up in bed.

The three of them yawned in unison.

What was that rooster up to at this hour?

The rooster let out another few crows. Just as Yan An was about to march downstairs and slap some tape over its beak, it suddenly quieted down.

She waited a moment. When no further sounds came, she prepared to lie back down.

But Yan Mengmeng tugged at her sleeve. 

“Mommy, do you think the rooster is hungry? Is that why it’s crowing?”

Yan An tugged at the pennywort leaves in her hair. “Maybe.”

She had fed it earlier, but the rooster had only pecked at the food before spitting it out in disgust.

She had no idea if anyone else had fed it since then. She hadn’t paid attention.

Yan Mengmeng thought for a moment. 

“Mommy, didn’t we bring a lot of biscuits with us? Let’s give some to the rooster. It must be hungry.”

Yan An hesitated, reluctant to dampen her child’s enthusiasm for kindness. In the end, she agreed. 

“Alright. I’ll bring the rooster upstairs. You two stay here.”

Yan Mengmeng and Yan Kuku both nodded.

Yan An tossed off the blanket, slid into her slippers, and made her way downstairs.

Surprisingly, the lights in the first-floor hall were still on. It was completely silent, there wasn’t a soul in sight.

The large rooster was huddled near the column it was tied to. Its wings were slightly puffed up, and its body trembled just the tiniest bit.

Its head jerked in one direction, then another, its throat making small, uneasy sounds.

Did it look… aggrieved?

Yan An rubbed her eyes. It was late, and she was drowsy. Without giving it much thought, she walked straight over.

She untied the rope around the rooster and picked it up.

The rooster flapped its wings briefly but didn’t struggle much. Perhaps their brief time together earlier had helped it grow familiar with Yan An’s scent.

It settled quietly in her arms.

Yawning, Yan An stroked its soft yet sturdy feathers, then turned and headed toward the stairs.

But before she could take more than a few steps, a voice came from the kitchen.

“Where are you taking that rooster?”

The familiar voice carried an edge of irritation, something rarely heard at other times.

Clearly, someone had been woken from sleep.

Yan An stopped in her tracks and glanced down at the rooster.

At the sound of the voice, the rooster squirmed slightly, a nervous hum rising from its chest. It had just been scolded earlier, otherwise, it wouldn’t have stopped crowing so easily.

Adjusting her grip, Yan An turned around, unsurprised to meet Qi Yan’s gaze.

He stood there in a charcoal-gray pajama set, a glass of water in hand, drinking as he walked toward her.

It seemed he had just climbed out of bed. His usually neat hair was slightly tousled, with a few strands falling over his forehead. Under the soft glow of the lights, he exuded an effortless, captivating allure.

Yan An quickly lowered her head, her face heating up.

The gray pajamas were familiar. This version of Qi Yan was familiar, too.

She had never been able to handle this side of him very well.

Back then, it wasn’t an issue. If she couldn’t resist, she could just throw herself at him. After all, he had been her husband.

But now, not only was he her ex-husband, she was also the mother of six little seedlings. She couldn’t afford to be reckless anymore.

She had to be composed, dignified.

Summoning her most serious expression, Yan An straightened her back and declared, “I’m scared to sleep alone, so I thought hugging the rooster might help. That way, I won’t be afraid anymore.”

Qi Yan paused mid-step, giving her a long look. He took another sip of water and murmured, “I don’t recall you ever being afraid to sleep alone before.”

Yan An patted the rooster’s sturdy back, thinking to herself, Of course not. I just made that up.

Qi Yan continued walking, stopping briefly beside her. He glanced down at the trembling rooster, lifted a hand, and lightly tapped its head. Then, without another word, he walked past her and ascended the stairs.

His voice drifted down, cool and distant.

“Go to sleep.”