A strange sense of familiarity. Hugging the rooster, Yan An tilted her head back, watching Qi Yan’s retreating figure.

His steps were steady, unhurried. His broad shoulders, bathed in the dim light, seemed like a towering mountain shrouded in mist; lofty, unreachable, hiding secrets within.

It was just an ordinary stone staircase in a countryside home, yet he carried himself as if he were walking through an immortal’s palace.

For a fleeting moment, Yan An felt like she was still in the cultivation world, staring up at one of the powerful figures who had surpassed her in strength.

The rooster in her arms shifted, stretching its neck.

Snapping back to reality, she rubbed her face and sighed. 

Am I so tired that I’m hallucinating?

Three years had passed. She had long accepted the fact that she had transmigrated.

The cultivation world… no longer existed.

Shaking her head, Yan An tightened her hold on the rooster and hurried up the stairs.

Inside the bedroom, Yan Mengmeng and Yan Kuku were already out of bed, eagerly waiting with a pack of biscuits in hand.

As soon as she entered, Yan An placed the rooster in front of the two children and ruffled its feathers. 

“Here, you guys feed it. Mommy’s going to take a quick nap.”

With that, she flopped onto the bed without a second thought.

The two children gave absentminded nods, their attention completely focused on the creature before them.

In the past three years, they had spent most of their time inside the small pocket dimension with Yan An. Aside from the fish in the lake, they had never encountered any other animals.

This rooster was the first living creature they had ever been this close to.

They exchanged glances, then crouched down, studying the bird with curiosity.

It was plump and well-fed, a classic countryside rooster with glossy red-brown feathers and a bright red comb.

Judging by its stance, it was used to strutting around like a tyrant in the village. Its demeanor was arrogant as it flapped its wings, shaking out the feathers Yan An had ruffled earlier. It no longer looked as pitiful as it had downstairs.

After all, compared to the two tiny children squatting beside it, the rooster clearly considered itself superior.

Yan Mengmeng gasped. 

“Wow, Kuku, this rooster is really chubby!”

Even Yan Kuku, wearing his usual bitter gourd expression, showed a hint of amazement. “Yeah.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he cautiously extended a hand and stroked the red-brown feathers.

Soft. Warm. Surprisingly pleasant to touch.

The rooster turned its head, eyeing Yan Kuku with its beady little eyes. Then it lowered its beak and pecked at the floor as if searching for food.

Yan Mengmeng quickly tore open a biscuit and placed it on the ground.

“Rooster, eat this! There’s nothing on the floor.”

Before she even finished speaking, the rooster had already spotted the food.

Without hesitation, it lunged forward and began pecking furiously.

Crunch, crunch, crunch~ 

Its movements were almost mechanical as biscuit crumbs scattered in all directions.

Yan Kuku broke his biscuit in half and placed a piece beside the rooster, frowning slightly. 

“Eat slower. There’s plenty.”

The two children sat beside it, quietly watching as it ate.

Once the rooster finished, it strutted around the room, seemingly inspecting its new territory.

Yan Kuku and Yan Mengmeng watched it wander for a while, then exchanged whispers before approaching the bed.

They gently pushed Yan An’s shoulder.

She groggily lifted her head, eyes half-lidded with sleep. 

“Done feeding it? I’ll take it back downstairs~”

Yan Mengmeng blinked, her large eyes full of anticipation. 

“Mommy, can we keep the rooster?”

Yan Kuku nodded earnestly. 

“Mommy, we want to raise it.”

Fully awake now, Yan An sat up and glanced at the rooster, which was still patrolling the room.

She reached up, absently rubbing the tiny leaves sprouting from her head.

Hmm… Keeping it didn’t seem like a bad idea.

The children are growing up and need playmates, and a rooster is a good choice.

When she was young, in the cultivation world, she often fought with roosters and hens.

Yan An said, “Alright, I’ll ask the director if I can take it home.”

Yan Mengmeng cheered excitedly, “Thank you, Mommy!”

At 5 AM, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and the world was still asleep.

Yan An lay on the bed, completely unguarded in her slumber. From her hair, round Copper Coin Grass leaves sprouted freely, spreading across the bed in increasing numbers.

The two children, unaccustomed to sleeping in human form, had transformed into a lemon and a bitter gourd. They huddled quietly in the corner of the room, surrounded by the Copper Coin Grass leaves growing around them.

Meanwhile, the rooster had spent the night sleeping under a chair. As the faint morning light filtered into the room, it crawled out, fluffed its feathers, strutted over to the window, and stretched its neck before crowing proudly, “Kuk-kur–koo–!”

The leaves covering the bed quivered before swiftly retreating.

Yan An frowned, let out a soft groan, and turned over, pulling the blanket over her ears in discomfort.

Undeterred, the rooster crowed again, “KUK-Kuk–Koooo—!”

Yan Mengmeng and Yan Kuku were also jolted awake. They rolled under the blanket, desperately trying to block out the noise.

But it didn’t work at all. The rooster was right there in the room, and the sound seemed to be right next to their ears, more terrifying than Yan An’s usual alarm clock.

Yan An suddenly sprang up from the bed, grabbed a nearby pillow, and threw it at the rooster, which was proudly crowing at the window.

The rooster quickly flapped its wings and dodged, silencing its crowing.

KO!

Yan An closed her eyes and flopped back into bed.

The rooster walked to the edge of the bed, stretched its long neck, and looked at the several leaves hanging off the side of the bed.

The green was bright.

Rural roosters often steal vegetables, and this one was an expert at it.

It cautiously crept closer, stretching its neck, and tentatively pecked at a leaf.

The leaf was pecked, similar to a strand of hair being touched, and it didn’t feel like much, especially since it wasn’t being plucked.

Yan An was unaware until Yan Mengmeng saw the scene and woke her up in a panic. 

“Mommy, Mommy, your leaves!”

Yan An was startled awake, confused, and instinctively looked in the direction her son was pointing. She immediately saw the rooster’s actions.

That once perfect leaf was now pecked, looking like it had been gnawed by insects, full of dents and holes.

Yan An quickly pulled the leaves back, then got off the bed to chase after the rooster.

The rooster immediately ran away, and the room was in chaos.

Just then, the door was kicked from the outside, and Ji Lan’s impatient voice came from beyond the door. 

“Yan An, what are you doing so early in the morning? It’s only 5 AM, why is there a rooster crowing in your room? Did you bring a rooster into the room?”

Yan An froze, instinctively holding her breath as she stared at the door, afraid to open it or say anything.

“I warn you, keep it quiet. Throw that rooster out!” Ji Lan kicked the door again, then went back to his room.

Yan An sighed in relief.

Behind her, Yan Mengmeng and Yan Kuku jumped off the bed and tiptoed over to her. “Mommy, what do we do now?”

Yan An glanced at the leaves that had been pecked into holes, stroked them in pity, and wiped them with a napkin before putting them away.

She clapped her hands, squinting at the rooster in the corner. 

“I’ll take the rooster downstairs.”

Yan Mengmeng and Yan Kuku hesitated but nodded obediently, fearing the rooster would crow again and cause their mommy to be scolded.

“Go back to sleep and don’t leave the room,” Yan An patted their heads, chased after the rooster, and carried it downstairs.

It was still early, and the outside was a misty gray, with a cool temperature.

Yan An, holding the rooster, walked out the front door. After walking a short distance, she let the rooster go.

The rooster shook its feathers, looked around, and happily wandered off into the fields.

She watched the rooster’s back and thought that when they returned to the city, she would catch it again and bring it back to the boundary.

While thinking this, Yan An subconsciously turned around to head back.

But after three seconds, her steps stopped.

Yesterday, she had noticed a lake at the village entrance.

Yan An had never really gotten used to sleeping on a human bed; she still preferred sleeping on the lake’s surface.

It was only 5 AM now, so she could sleep for a few more hours.

Why not go to the lake to take a nap?

With the idea in mind, Yan An immediately turned and happily skipped towards the lake.

The village wasn’t large, and it took her ten minutes to reach her destination.

In the quiet early morning, the lake surface was perfectly still.

The water was clear, the reflections crisp, with the faint blue of the sky adding to the lake’s deep blue hue.

Towering trees surrounded the lake, and the surface was undisturbed except for a few drifting leaves.

Yan An’s eyes lit up, and she felt overjoyed.

Wow, this lake is so beautiful. Lying here must be so comfortable! The little lake in her boundary, though well-arranged by her, couldn’t compare to this natural lake in terms of comfort.

She concealed her excitement, looked around, and found no one in sight.

Yan An let out a breath of relief and secretly waded into the water.

The water was deep and instantly submerged her as she entered.

A few seconds later, the lake surface rippled, and a large patch of Copper Coin Grass appeared on top of the water, spreading out in all directions.

Yan An lay on the surface of the lake, felt content, and soon fell asleep in the cool, refreshing morning breeze.

The filming for the show began at 9 AM, and as usual for variety shows, it was a 24-hour schedule.

Initially, it was planned to be a 24-hour shoot, but it later shifted to 9 AM to 9 PM, and everyone knew who was behind the change.

At 9 AM sharp, Qi Yan came downstairs.

He was dressed in a white T-shirt and black casual pants.

A simple yet striking combination. With his impeccable physique, top-tier looks, and an air of effortless elegance, his mere appearance on camera sent fans into a frenzy.

【I’m dead! Oh my god! What kind of god-tier visuals are these?!】

【Getting a face attack first thing in the morning! My poor heart can’t take this!】

【The production team really knows what they’re doing, giving us Yan Emperor as the first shot!】

【Yan Emperor, today is another day of loving you!】

Downstairs, Wen Yang had already arrived.

She emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of food, greeting Qi Yan with a gentle smile. “Teacher Qi, you’re up? I made a simple breakfast, come and have some.”

As she spoke, Jiang Tian also walked out, holding a bowl in his hands. The moment he saw Qi Yan, he immediately greeted him, “Teacher Qi, good morning. Sister Wen Yang has been preparing breakfast since early morning, come eat while it’s hot.”

Hearing this, Wen Yang’s face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head. However, her gaze remained fixed on Qi Yan, subtly observing his every move.

She silently hoped that nothing from last night had been exposed.

Qi Yan, maintaining his usual calm demeanor, nodded slightly. “Where are the others?”

Seeing his reaction, Wen Yang secretly let out a breath of relief.

Jiang Tian replied, “They haven’t come down yet.”

Just as he finished speaking, Ji Lan descended the stairs.

She looked irritated, clearly still drowsy. After giving everyone a brief nod, she said nothing else.

Qi Yan glanced behind Ji Lan but saw no one else.

His brows furrowed slightly before he walked over to the dining table.

Of the six people, only Yan An and Liang Baiyu were still missing.

Jiang Tian glanced at the empty seats. “I’ll go wake up Teacher Liang,” he said, then hesitated. “As for Sister Yan An…” He paused, unsure. As a guy, was it really appropriate for him to go upstairs to the women’s floor?

Wen Yang’s gaze darkened slightly. She first looked at Qi Yan, then at Ji Lan. Just as she was about to volunteer, Qi Yan suddenly stood up.

“I’ll go wake up Yan An.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

Qi Yan, the entertainment industry’s most popular star, widely praised for both his work and reputation, was actually going to wake up a rookie?

More importantly, his biggest so-called “flaw” had always been his cold, detached nature. He was known for being distant, never bothering to acknowledge others.

And now, he was voluntarily going to wake someone up?

The other guests had complicated expressions, while the livestream chat exploded.

Regardless of how agitated the viewers were or how much the fans objected, Qi Yan rose and headed upstairs without hesitation.

On the third floor, outside Yan An’s room, Qi Yan raised his hand and knocked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

There was no response from inside.

Without any hesitation, he pushed the door open and walked in.