Chapter 2: Sugar Cures All Ailments

“Ahhh! My idol is way too handsome!!!”

“Qi Yan is so unbelievably good-looking. I’d give anything to spend just one night with him!”

“Same here! Wuwuwu, but I wouldn’t even ask for that. Just holding his hand would be enough!”

“…”

The two young women beside Yan An were glued to their phones, their voices brimming with excitement.

Yan An heard every word loud and clear. She blinked, then straightened her back, feeling rather pleased with herself.

See? She had already slept with him. And held his hand too.

As expected, the pursuit of handsome men was an eternal truth, whether in the cultivation world or the modern world.

Good thing she had been quick back then. Three years ago, when Qi Yan had just stepped into the entertainment industry, before he had gained any fame, she had already gotten to him.

If it were now, she might not have stood a chance.

“If only I could see him in real life… but he never joins variety shows or public events. The only place we ever get to see him is on the big screen, and lately, he’s barely even taking movie roles.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me! I haven’t seen my Qi Yanyan in months! Handsome and talented people really have the privilege of doing whatever they want. Other actors worry about being forgotten if they don’t stay in the spotlight, but for us, it’s the opposite. We’re terrified Qi Yanyan will forget about us, his poor, desperate fans still waiting for him!”

“But didn’t a recent variety show claim that Qi Yan would be making an appearance? What was it called… ‘A Taste of Everyday Life’?”

“That’s just clickbait from marketing accounts! Don’t you know? The show is produced by Qi Yan’s own agency. They’re just using his name to hype it up!”

“Sigh… That’s true.”

Hearing this, Yan An, who had been on edge, finally relaxed.

‘A Taste of Everyday Life’ was the very show she was auditioning for. If her handsome ex-husband were actually participating, she’d have to seriously reconsider.

She didn’t want him competing with her for the kids.

In both the story books she read in her past life and the modern novels and dramas she had seen here, there were always cases of fathers and mothers fighting over custody.

Qi Yan didn’t know she had been pregnant, but if they spent too much time together, both her identity and the children could be exposed. And once he found out, who knew if he’d try to take them away? 

To be safe, she needed to keep as much distance as possible.

“No matter what, Qi Yan is just so handsome! There’s no doubt he’s the most handsome man in the world!”

“Of course, no doubt about it. Have you seen those ranking posts on the forums? Every single one puts Qi Yan in first place, with a huge gap between his rank and the second rank!”

Yan An had no reaction to this.

Because she agreed.

Three years ago, after transmigrating into this world, she had married and conceived a child with Qi Yan so quickly for one simple reason. He perfectly met her top requirement for the father of her children: sheer, breathtaking beauty.

But while she remained calm, the two little ones in her pocket couldn’t sit still.

The most handsome man in the world?

Hadn’t their mother told them that their father was the most handsome?

Yan Mengmeng couldn’t resist shifting around, his tiny yellow-orange head peeking out slightly. He was even preparing to float up, eager to see the man on the girl’s phone screen, the man being called the most handsome.

His excitement made his whole lemon-shaped body tremble.

In the other pocket, Yan Kuku sluggishly rolled over, planning to follow his older brother’s lead. He, too, wanted to see what their father looked like.

The moment they moved, Yan An instantly noticed.

She swiftly pressed down on her two restless little troublemakers, pushing the lemon and the bitter gourd back into her pocket. Then, she nervously glanced around.

No one had noticed anything unusual.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she quickly gathered her things and got off the subway at the next stop.

Once she reached a quiet corner, she turned to face the wall, lowering her voice as she scolded the two little ones huddled inside her pocket.

“What’s wrong with the both of you? Didn’t I tell you that once we step outside, you can’t take on your true forms or move around? If anyone saw you, Mengmeng, you’d be sliced into lemon wedges, dried, and used to make tea! And Kuku, your fate would be even worse. You’d be washed, chopped into pieces, tossed into a sizzling hot wok, and stir-fried with salt, spices, and chili peppers!”

Hearing this, both the lemon and the bitter gourd shrank in fear.

After a moment of silence, a small, pitiful voice spoke up.

“Mom… I’m sorry. My brother and I didn’t mean to… we just wanted to see what Daddy looks like.”

Yan An froze.

“Daddy?”

Yan Mengmeng, sounding even more aggrieved, mumbled, “Yeah… You told us that Daddy was the most handsome. And those big sisters just now were talking about the most handsome man… Isn’t that Daddy?”

Yan An coughed lightly, her round face, still soft with a hint of baby fat, showing a rare flicker of guilt. But, of course, the kids couldn’t see that.

“No!” she declared firmly.

Yan Kuku, caught off guard, blurted out, “Huh? He’s not?”

“Of course not!” Yan An doubled down. “I was lying to you. Copper Coin Grass reproduces asexually. You don’t have a father, only a mother!”

Inside her right pocket, the little bitter gourd immediately deflated, going limp with disappointment. His entire being, heart, mouth, and body, was filled with bitterness.

In the left pocket, the little lemon rolled once, then fell completely still, overcome with sourness.

Other kids had both a mom and a dad. On weekends, their parents would take them to the amusement park together…

But they didn’t.

Deep in a secluded alley, inside a barrier where they had cultivated for three years, Yan Mengmeng and Yan Kuku had never felt this sour and bitter before.

They were a fatherless lemon spirit and bitter gourd spirit. Wu wu wu wu…

A wave of sourness mixed with bitterness spread outward, and Yan An couldn’t help but sneeze.

She immediately said, “Mengmeng, Kuku, Mommy lied to you. I’m sorry. As an apology, I’ll buy you lollipops after my audition, okay?”

One was sour, the other bitter, yet nothing delighted them more than sugar. After all, sugar could cure anything.

As expected, the sour and bitter aura surrounding Yan An vanished in an instant.

Yan Mengmeng’s eyes lit up. “Mommy, I want orange-flavored!”

Yan Kuku quickly followed, “Mommy, I want strawberry-flavored!”

Yan An chuckled. “Alright~”

After soothing the two children and getting their approval, Yan An carefully tucked them into her bag and strode into Kangheng Entertainment’s building.

The towering structure loomed over the surrounding skyscrapers. Standing beneath it and looking up, one could almost believe its peak pierced through the clouds.

Kangheng was the crown jewel of the entertainment industry, home to the most influential teams and the most sought-after celebrities.

Yet two years ago, the company had been rocked by a major scandal. Its original founder and CEO had been arrested and sentenced to life in prison.

In their place, an unknown figure had taken over.

At the time, online speculation ran wild, with many predicting Kangheng’s inevitable downfall. However, instead of crumbling, the company soared to even greater heights. Now, no other entertainment agency could rival Kangheng.

But that wasn’t all. Once confined solely to the entertainment industry, Kangheng had since expanded into multiple sectors. With its influence growing step by step, its ruthless yet precise decision-making sent chills down people’s spines.

Because of this, many began to reevaluate the seemingly unremarkable middle-aged CEO.

Simply put, anyone with dreams of making it big in the entertainment industry was eager to squeeze their way into Kangheng. After all, standing under a great tree meant enjoying its shade. If the company valued you, resources, endorsements, and trending topics would all be handed to you effortlessly. You wouldn’t even need to lift a finger, just sit back and watch the money roll in.

How perfect was that?

Her handsome ex-husband was also signed under this company.

However, Kangheng was vast, and Yan An wasn’t too concerned about running into any familiar faces. After asking the receptionist for directions, she received the floor number and headed straight up.

With Liang Baiyu backing her, this audition was nothing more than a formality. Her selection was guaranteed. As a result, Yan An remained perfectly at ease.

Unlike film and television auditions, which tested acting ability, variety show auditions simply involved answering a few questions.

Audition Judge #1: “Miss Yan An, why do you want to join our variety show?”

Yan An answered sincerely, “Because I need to make money.”

The judge: “Pfft.”

Audition Judge #2: “Do you know how to cook?”

Yan An hesitated for a moment before lowering her head and murmuring, “No…”

Copper Coin Grass only needed water and sunlight to survive, so cooking had never been necessary. Besides, she disliked human food. The flavors were too odd and unappealing to her. But… would this be a problem? Should she learn some basic cooking skills before filming started?

The judge nodded. “Very good.”

Yan An blinked. “Huh?”

Audition Judge #3: “Do you know how to catch chickens, fish, or feed pigs?”

Yan An immediately straightened her back. “I do! I’m amazing at catching chickens, fishing, and feeding pigs! Really!”

Her eyes gleamed with confidence.

Back in the cultivation world, shortly after she had first taken human form, she had been rather playful. She used to catch fish in the lake, release them, then catch them again until the fish eventually gave up and lay motionless. The same went for chickens. And feeding pigs? That was the easiest of all. Pigs ate just about anything, didn’t they?

Her facial expressions were so animated that she looked like a living “Trust me, I swear” meme.

Audition Judge #3 couldn’t help but laugh and nodded approvingly.

By the time the interview ended, most of the judges were smiling warmly at her.

Yan An could clearly sense their fondness, and she couldn’t help but marvel at just how influential her pigeon friend must be.

The judges smiled and told her to wait for further notice.

Yan An waved cheerfully and bounced out of the audition room.

When the elevator doors opened, she stepped inside and headed downstairs.

She remained blissfully unaware that, just as she left, her ex-husband stepped out of a nearby meeting room. Wearing a baseball cap, he happened to catch sight of her.