After sending the message, Qi Yan casually tossed his phone onto the table and was about to head to the bathroom when someone knocked on the door.

His expression barely shifted. Out of habit, he glanced at his phone, then shook his head slightly before walking over to open the door.

He had expected to see Yan An, but it was Wen Yang.

The moment he saw her, his usual emotionless expression returned. His gaze seemingly directed at her, yet unfocused, as if looking at nothing at all.

A few seconds later, he stepped out of the room and followed Wen Yang down the hall.

Inside the room, Qi Yan’s phone remained untouched on the table.

At that exact moment, Yan An had just sent him a message.

AnAn Wants Money: Teacher Qi, were you the one who took down all those negative comments about me?

After sending it, she waited for a while, but there was no response.

Puffing up her cheeks, she stopped waiting, shoved her phone into her pocket, grabbed her bitter gourd and lemon, and headed downstairs.

This was definitely Qi Yan’s doing, there was no doubt about it.

Sighing, she really didn’t want to be eliminated. In the entertainment industry, it’s all about getting attention through criticism. She had learned to accept that more exposure meant more opportunities to make money and support her family.

But her ex-husband was just too decent. After such a short marriage, he had gone out of his way to do all these things for her.

He truly was the perfect ex-husband in the entertainment industry. If she were just an ordinary person with ordinary kids, she might have considered getting back together with him.

But now? It was better not to cause him any trouble. With her and the baby’s identities at stake, and him being so popular, if the news of his ex-wife and child got out, it would deal a huge blow to his career.

They said that one should return a favor, and if he treated her this well, she certainly couldn’t drag him down.

Yan An was committed to being a responsible ex-wife in the entertainment industry. She believed in letting everyone live their own lives, focusing on working hard to earn money, and enjoying a fulfilling life. This, she thought, was the right path for her.

Having talked herself through it, Yan An hopped down the last two steps.

All the criticism from her ex-husband? It didn’t matter now. What was important at that moment was the lakeside mansion.

She hadn’t gotten much sleep earlier in the morning, and tomorrow afternoon, she had to return to finish filming the first part of the show. She needed to make the most of tonight. Her last night in this mansion.

Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a mansion that cost them nothing? Anyone who passed up such an opportunity would be a fool!

With that thought, Yan An cheerfully skipped to the door, opened it, and stepped outside. Just a few paces from the door, she nearly stepped on the large rooster huddling nearby.

The rooster stood up, fluffed its feathers, and gave its neck a few twists before glaring at Yan An.

She crouched down, intrigued by the rooster.

It looked just as plump and proud as before. There was no mistaking it; it was the same rooster.

She muttered to herself, “So, you knew how to come back?”

After letting the rooster out this morning, she hadn’t seen it all day.

Earlier, the two kids had reminded her not to forget to bring the rooster back before leaving tomorrow.

And now, the rooster has come back on its own!

How amazing, this ordinary rooster had some real spirit!

Yan An patted the rooster, “You find your own place to sleep tonight. I’ll come look for you tomorrow.”

With that, she straightened up, slipped the two kids into her arms, and ran toward the lakeside.

The rooster clucked and chased after her for a while, but when it reached the chicken coop, it stopped and squeezed in next to a hen.

Wen Yang, using a system skill, led Qi Yan out of the house. By coincidence, they were heading toward the same lakeside route.

But the system skill only lasted for ten minutes. After about five minutes of walking, when they were far from the house, the skill wore off.

Wen Yang looked around and didn’t see anyone, so she felt a little relieved. She smoothed her hair and shyly glanced at Qi Yan.

Qi Yan stood rigidly, his gaze straight ahead, his entire posture as stiff as a mannequin, with no sign of emotion.

Wen Yang admired Qi Yan’s appearance, thinking to herself that he was by far the most handsome man she’d ever seen in person. The idea of dating such an outstanding man made her heart flutter.

System: [Ding—Charm skill time remaining: 4 minutes. Please make the most of your time.]

System: [Ding—Task ‘Hold Qi Yan’s Hand’ triggered. Task limit: 48 hours. 34 hours elapsed, 14 hours remaining. Please make the most of your time.]

The system’s constant notifications pulled Wen Yang out of her thoughts, and she mentally acknowledged them.

This task had automatically triggered when she first met Qi Yan yesterday afternoon. Holding his hand for 48 hours. At first, Wen Yang thought it would be easy. But yesterday, Qi Yan had spent almost the entire day with Yan An.

So that night, Wen Yang used the system skill to try and force a hand-holding moment while Qi Yan was distracted by the skill. But something went wrong.

Today, she tried to find another opportunity for contact. But no matter what, Qi Yan was always with Yan An or alone, never giving her the chance to get close.

She still didn’t understand who Yan An really was!

Tomorrow, the show would wrap up for now, and she knew tonight was her best chance.

As she thought, she reached out her hand toward Qi Yan’s, feeling a little nervous.

The failure from last night was still fresh in her mind, and she hoped tonight would go smoothly.

Wen Yang let out a deep breath, maintaining a gentle smile, and her hand almost reached Qi Yan’s.

Just then, Qi Yan, who had been as stiff as a wax figure, suddenly took a step back.

Like last night, the moment he moved back, a gust of wind swept through the air, rustling the nearby leaves.

Dust flew, and sand got into Wen Yang’s eyes, forcing her to shut them.

The wind grew stronger, pushing her back several steps, increasing the distance between her and Qi Yan.

In the midst of the flying sand, Qi Yan’s expression remained unchanged; mechanical, hollow, like a wax figure in a museum, but with an unexplainable pressure surrounding him.

Wen Yang’s face drained of color, her legs buckling beneath her as she collapsed onto the uneven, muddy ground. She clutched her chest, gasping for air, her breath shallow and ragged.

Panicked, she screamed in her mind, ‘System! System!’

System: [Ding—Host’s life is in danger. The system will automatically transport the host to a safe zone.]

With the system’s voice, it felt like an invisible hand appeared behind Wen Yang, quickly whisking her away to a cluster of trees several hundred meters away.

System: [Ding—Host has been transported to a safe zone.]

With a loud thud, Wen Yang collapsed onto the grass, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth.

She coughed a few times, fuming. 

‘System, what’s going on? This happened last night, and now it’s happening again today. Does your skill even work?!’

System: [Ding—The host was previously advised that system skills only offer supplementary support. To complete a task, the host must rely on their own efforts.]

Wen Yang: Then why is Qi Yan reacting like this? Yesterday, I thought it was just a coincidence, but today proves otherwise!

System: [Ding—As a target for strategy, Qi Yan is naturally different from ordinary people. Using a skill against his will can activate his hidden abilities.]

Wen Yang: Hidden abilities? What kind of hidden abilities does Qi Yan have?

System: [Ding—Qi Yan’s hidden abilities are currently unknown.]

Wen Yang was so furious she nearly choked on her anger.

System: [Ding—Charm skill has ended.]

As soon as the mechanical voice went quiet, Qi Yan returned to his usual self. The storm had disappeared without a trace, as if a calm veil had descended after a heavy downpour. Even the marks Wen Yang’s knees had left in the dirt had vanished, making everything that had just transpired seem like nothing more than an illusion.

Standing in place, Qi Yan frowned, puzzled as to why he had ended up here.

The same thing had happened last night.

He thought about it for a while but couldn’t figure it out. Shrugging it off, he casually dusted off his clothes and turned to leave.

Though he hadn’t gotten to the bottom of things, he wasn’t in a hurry.

Qi Yan had always possessed an innate belief. That in this world, nothing and no one could truly affect him. Though he had no idea why he felt that way.

Just as he turned to leave, he spotted Yan An bouncing toward this direction from a distance.

Lining the roadside were rows of trees, and Qi Yan stood hidden among them.

Yan An, on the other hand, was running along the open path outside.

She was in a great mood, thinking only about the lake. But as she passed through this area, her steps gradually slowed.

There was something unusual about this place.

It was a familiar sensation, one she often encountered in the cultivation world.

When powerful beings used their abilities, they left behind traces of an inexplicable oppressive aura.

But that shouldn’t exist in this world.

She had been here for three years and had yet to encounter anyone with spiritual energy.

Even Liang Baiyu, who had been a top expert in the cultivation world, had lost all his abilities after arriving here.

Yan An was an exception, thanks to her unique Copper Coin Grass physique, which allowed her to convert money into spiritual energy. But it was too costly, she wouldn’t use it unless absolutely necessary.

After all, growing just one child required a million yuan.

So how could there be traces of spiritual power here?

Yan An sniffed the air lightly, trying to figure it out.

She scanned her surroundings but found nothing unusual.

Strange…

After a moment, she shook her head. Maybe I was imagining things.

Shrugging it off, she happily continued running toward the lake.

Meanwhile, Qi Yan remained silent in his hiding spot. The dense trees concealed him well, making it difficult to be noticed.

With nightfall upon them, Yan An never realized he was there.

Qi Yan watched as she ran further away, then casually plucked a leaf from a branch.

Where is she going this late at night?

Without much hesitation, he followed after her.