Tao-Tao, unfamiliar with the ways of the mortal world, was thoroughly confused.

What kind of ox was a “headstrong ox”?

Author’s Note:
“Headstrong ox” = “Top star”

Tao-Tao pondered the matter with utmost seriousness. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed impossible that a descendant of the divine race would be reborn as a farm animal.

“Little Princess, what exactly did Master Yama say to you?”

Can-Can scratched her head, then suddenly lit up with excitement. “Master said Big Brother is the top ox in the Fishy-Lu Circle! So let’s find the Fishy-Lu Circle first!”

Once they found the “Fishy-Lu” place, they’d know where Big Brother was!

She was just too clever~!

Tao-Tao felt the words “entertainment industry” were oddly familiar. She vaguely remembered that when Can-Can dragged her out for walks in the park, they often overheard people gossiping about someone or another in the “entertainment circle.”

Things like, “Oh, so-and-so is so handsome,” or “Did you hear the scandal about so-and-so?” Tao-Tao never understood any of it.

But Qi Sen once said that smartphones were amazing things, and if you didn’t know something—ask Baidu.

After over an hour of fiddling, Tao-Tao finally got the hang of it.

Turns out, the “entertainment circle” wasn’t a pen full of livestock!

And it was “top star,” not “top ox!”

She voice-searched the term “top star,” and a bunch of photos popped up.

The two of them, big and small, crowded in front of the phone and scrolled through photo after photo.

But they didn’t see Big Brother anywhere.

“Where’s Brother?” Can-Can tilted her head and asked.

Tao-Tao couldn’t answer that either.

The two of them flopped onto the couch, cradling their faces in their hands, equally lost.

Sigh—

Just as they let out a shared sigh, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Tao-Tao, remembering Qi Sen’s strict orders not to open the door to strangers, peeked through the peephole.

When she saw who it was, she couldn’t stop herself from exclaiming, “The Emperor!”

“Little Princess! It’s the Emperor!! The Emperor is here!!”

**

Outside the door, Gu Chi stood hugging the pink dragon plush, brimming with anticipation.

A few hours earlier, his always-absent, always-busy father Gu Jueyan had come home.

The moment he walked in and saw his disappointing son gleefully running around the living room with a pink plush dragon, it looked like a wild horse charging across the plains. His head throbbed, his blood pressure skyrocketed, and he had to lean on the antique display shelf for a solid minute before he could steady himself.

Twenty years old and still playing with toys?!

Gu Chi noticed his dad’s expression and quickly tried to hide the pink dragon behind him—but the long tail dragged on the floor like a neon pink spotlight.

Gu Jueyan’s blood pressure spiked again.

Before he could explode, Gu Chi blurted, “I saw a really cute kid at the mall! She wanted this pink dragon, so I bought it for her. If you don’t believe me, check the surveillance footage.”

That shut Gu Jueyan up for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and barked:

“Fine. Then go find that child and hand it over to her—in person.”

Gu Chi froze.

This was a big, wide world, and he didn’t even know that little chubby radish’s address. How was he supposed to find her?

After getting kicked out of the house, Gu Chi cooled his head.

He vaguely remembered the girl calling herself Can-Can. He hadn’t caught the name of the boy who snatched the dragon, but he had seen a notebook labeled Shangshi High School, and… didn’t the other boy call him something like “stone-face Qi Sen”?

With a school and a name, things were much easier.

He knocked again on Qi Sen’s door and cleared his throat. “Anyone home?”

“Daddy!” Can-Can opened the door, raising her little arms for a hug. “You came to see Can-Can!”

Gu Chi pretended not to hear the “Daddy” part. He held up the pink dragon and said gently, “Do you remember this?”

“Of course I do!”

Gu Chi let out a breath of relief and smiled. “I’m not a bad guy. I just want to give you this plushie properly, in front of my dad. Can you come with me for a bit?”

The first part was clearly aimed at Can-Can. But the last sentence, his gaze met Tao-Tao’s.

Tao-Tao blinked for a moment, Qi Sen’s instructions completely forgotten. She nodded like a pecking bird. “Of course, of course!”

If the Emperor says it, how could she possibly say no?

**

Gu Chi hurriedly brought Can-Can home.

Gu Jueyan was utterly unprepared to see that his son had actually brought the child home.

“You didn’t just lure some random kid over with a candy, did you? Where are her parents?”

Before Gu Chi could reply, Can-Can pointed to him and said in her baby voice, “My daddy’s right here! Why are you looking for my daddy~?”

Gu Jueyan: …Daddy?

Alright. This kid really takes the cake.

Forget candy—he skipped straight to claiming paternity.

Gu Chi gave an awkward laugh. “She called me that the first time we met. I don’t know why either.”

“Is there anything you actually know?” Gu Jueyan snorted.

Seeing Gu Jueyan getting all grumpy, Can-Can puffed up and planted her hands on her hips. Standing firmly in front of Gu Chi, she huffed, “Why are you being mean to my daddy? He’s such a good boy!”

Gu Jueyan stared at this little girl, furious and indignant on someone else’s behalf, and couldn’t decide whether to laugh or sigh.

She clearly didn’t understand a thing, but she was dead serious in her outrage.

Can-Can pouted hard, her baby voice both fierce and soft. “Is it funny? ‘Cause Can-Can doesn’t think it’s funny at all.”

She even bent down and gave an indignant little humph.

Gu Jueyan wasn’t about to argue with a tiny, pouty ball of fluff. In fact, her stubborn cuteness made him chuckle. He asked Gu Chi, “Where’s her family? Outside the door?”

Gu Chi thought for a second. “Her brother’s at school. No clue where her parents are. There’s a girl named Tao-Tao watching her at home.”

Gu Jueyan stroked Can-Can’s silky-soft hair—it was smooth like rabbit fur. He sighed. “She’s probably a pitiful kid. And that Tao-Tao girl didn’t say anything when you brought her out?”

“Nope.”

Gu Jueyan’s face darkened slightly, his tone suddenly stern. “Even if she has no parents around, you can’t just take a child off with a stranger. That girl must be pretty naïve. If you see her again, tell her to be more careful in the future.”