Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

Li Cheng drank seven or eight bottles of beer, and his mouth was no longer in control of his brain.

Jiang Fan took out his phone and called a designated driver.

He dared not be ambiguous about this matter.

He knew better than anyone how he died in his past life.

The designated driver arrived, and Jiang Fan practically dragged Li Cheng into the passenger seat.

Li Cheng tilted his head, muttering, "Brother Fan... Xu Qingya... you have to treat her well..."

"Got it. Fasten your seatbelt."

Jiang Fan gave the address to the driver and watched the car's taillights turn and disappear into the night.

Along the roadside, the night wind blew in, carrying with it the smoke from barbecue stalls.

He has a low alcohol tolerance and drank less than Li Cheng.

My mind is still clear, but my feet feel a little unsteady.

I hailed a taxi and gave them the apartment's address.

-

It was almost 11 o'clock when I got downstairs.

In the elevator, Jiang Fan lowered his head and sniffed himself.

He reeked of barbecue and alcohol.

Push open the door to Shen Nian's house.

The house was lit with warm-colored lights, and the aroma of white porridge wafted from the kitchen.

Shen Nian poked half her head out from the kitchen.

Her hair was casually pinned up with a hair clip, and she wore a white slip dress that reached just to mid-thigh.

She saw Jiang Fan stagger in, unsteady on his feet.

She wiped her hands, took small steps to greet him, placed her hands on her lower abdomen, bent slightly, and put on an exaggeratedly kind smile.

"Oh my gosh—my dear son is back!"

Jiang Fan froze in his tracks as he changed his shoes.

"Mom's going to get you some porridge. Drinking alcohol is bad for your stomach, go wash your hands."

The tone was perfectly captured—all that was missing was a floral apron and curly hair.

Jiang Fan looked up at her.

Is this still Shen Nian?

Shen Nian, the one who blushes when talking to him?

The woman in front of me spoke in the exact same tone as a fifty-year-old neighborhood committee auntie.

Jiang Fan took a half step back, pointed at her, and raised his voice slightly:

"No matter who you are—get off Shen Nian right now."

Shen Nian couldn't hold back any longer.

He was bent over laughing so hard he was slapping his thighs, and finally he choked on his food and had to lean on the edge of the table to catch his breath for a long time.

"You should go into acting," Jiang Fan said, kicking his shoe into the closet. "You've wasted your time in the music industry."

"Didn't you call me Mom?" Shen Nian straightened up, rolled her eyes, and said, "Then I'll be your mom for once."

After saying that, he turned and went back to the kitchen.

She ladled a bowl of porridge from the pot, the goji berries and red dates cooked until soft, and placed it on the table.

He also casually set out a pair of chopsticks and a small dish of pickled vegetables he had made himself.

"Drink up quickly. Is Li Cheng home yet?"

"It was delivered by the designated driver."

"You even know to call a designated driver." Shen Nian pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her, resting her arms on the table. "I thought you two would drink until dawn."

"Li Cheng is no good; he passed out after only seven or eight bottles."

"And you? How much did you drink?"

"I drank one case and it wasn't enough, so I opened another case."

Shen Nian's gaze swept over him from head to toe.

"That's all you've got."

Jiang Fan picked up the bowl and took a sip of porridge.

The temperature was just right, the goji berries were cooked until soft and tender, and the sweetness seeped into the rice water, warming my stomach.

"Mmm, it tastes good."

Shen Nian's lips twitched slightly as she rested her chin on her hand and watched him drink the porridge.

"Smell yourself, you stink."

Jiang Fan watched her as he ate his porridge.

The light fell from above, landing on the nape of her neck, which was exposed after her hair was styled up.

The downward curve of the collarbone rises and falls slightly with each breath.

Shen Nian felt uncomfortable under his gaze and pushed the bowl away.

"What are you looking at? Drink your porridge."

Jiang Fan didn't move.

Under the light, the skin on the back of her neck was dazzlingly white.

The effects of alcohol can kick in at any time.

Once I got hooked, my eyes wouldn't cooperate.

He put down his bowl, stood up, grabbed Shen Nian's wrist, and pulled her up from the chair.

Shen Nian let out an "Ah".

Before she could even stand properly, she bumped into his arms.

The smells of barbecue, beer, and body heat brought on by alcohol all rushed over.

Shen Nian's face was pressed against his chest, her nose wrinkled terribly.

"Go take a shower first—"

"Why take a bath?"

Jiang Fan lowered his head and pressed his lips to her earlobe.

"Jiang Fan, you've had too much to drink."

Shen Nian stepped on him.

Barefoot, stepping on his instep wouldn't be very dangerous.

"Let go of me! You smell terrible—"

Jiang Fan ignored her words completely.

He hooked his fingers around the suspender strap and pulled, flipping the person over and pinning them to the dining table.

"Jiang Fan—!"

"Call me 'Daddy'."

"You're dreaming!"

"Should we call out or not?"

"No—ah..."

Shen Nian's voice suddenly rose a notch.

The dining table shook violently—clang!

The bowl overturned, rolled directly onto the ground, and shattered into pieces.

She lay face down on the table, a thin layer of sweat on her shoulders, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

"...Daddy."

Jiang Fan paused for a moment.

He reached out and brushed the hair that was falling across her face.

Shen Nian was extremely tense.

"Don't move..." The voice was muffled, with a hint of a sob in its tone.

Jiang Fan didn't speak, but leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Say it again."

Shen Nian bit her lower lip and remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Fan gently pinched her waist with his fingers.

Shen Nian shuddered.

"...Daddy."

This time it was even softer, almost as if it were squeezed out from between the teeth with a breath.

-

Shen Nian stood at the bathroom door, hands on her hips.

Her tank top strap was askew to one side, her hair was mostly disheveled, and there were tear stains on her face.

He looked both fierce and disheveled.

"Get inside and take a shower now. Or I'll smash your Patek Philippe."

Jiang Fan smiled and walked into the bathroom.

Shen Nian followed behind and yanked open the glass door of the shower room.

"I'll wash you."

When the showerhead is turned on, hot water pours down, and steam quickly fills the entire glass surface.

Shen Nian squeezed out some shower gel and tiptoed to rub it on his shoulders.

She was shorter and had difficulty reaching him, so she braced herself against his chest with one hand for support.

Her movements paused for a moment as her fingers traced the teeth mark on her shoulder.

Water flowed down their bodies.

Shen Nian's nightgown was already soaked through, turning white into a semi-transparent fabric that clung to her body.

She was completely unaware of what was happening and was diligently rubbing him.

Jiang Fan leaned against the tiled wall, looking down at her busy work.

"Teacher Shen is so thoughtful, I should consider becoming a bathhouse attendant in the future."

Shen Nian stopped.

The next second, she grabbed the showerhead and sprayed it fiercely into his face.

"Shut up."

Jiang Fan choked on a mouthful of water, snatched the showerhead, and casually lifted her up by the waist.

Shen Nian's legs were dangling in the air, and she hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Put me down—"

"Who just sprayed me with the showerhead?"

"It's because you have a sharp tongue—"

Jiang Fan pinned her against the glass partition.

Shen Nian's back pressed against the cold glass, causing her to flinch.

Hot water dripped down from above, and the steam rose and became thicker.

-

When they carried Shen Nian to bed, she was already half asleep and half awake.

His eyelids drooped, he mumbled something incoherently, turned over, and then stopped moving.

Jiang Fan tucked the blanket around her and then turned and left the bedroom.

The living room was a complete mess.

Broken porcelain shards lay scattered at the foot of the dining table, and water stains and traces of porridge remained on the tabletop. The table was tilted about twenty centimeters, and the anti-slip mat under one of the table legs had been rubbed off.

He went to the kitchen and got a broom and a mop.

First, she swept the broken porcelain shards into the trash can, then squatted down and carefully checked every nook and cranny—Shen Nian always walked barefoot at home, so leaving a shard to prick her was no small matter.

The tabletop was wiped clean. The dining table was pushed back into its original position.

Once these are done, it'll be quick.

Jiang Fan returned to the bedroom, lifted the covers, and lay down.

Shen Nian was fast asleep, breathing evenly, with her brows relaxed.

He reached out and tucked a few strands of hair that were stuck to her face behind her ear.

She snorted, rolled over towards him, kicked her legs a couple of times under the covers, and found a spot to put them on.

Jiang Fan closed his eyes.

The system panel lit up briefly at the edge of the field of view.

[Deep Compatibility x2, Lifespan +1000]

Current lifespan: 34600 points

[Remaining lifespan: 126 days]

He stared at the string of numbers for two seconds.

No action was taken; the panel was simply turned off.

The city outside the window wasn't completely quiet yet; there were sounds of cars passing by in the distance.

Jiang Fan pulled Shen Nian closer to him and closed his eyes.

Five minutes later, he fell asleep too.