Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

Jiang Fan recounted how Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, causing chaos and destruction, until finally the Buddha arrived from the Western Paradise and struck him down with a single palm strike—

"The five fingers transformed into a huge mountain, pressing Sun Wukong down firmly."

The courtyard was quiet; the thirty-odd children even forgot to shut their mouths.

"Has he come out yet?!" Tiger exclaimed anxiously, slapping his thigh.

Jiang Fan was about to speak—

Fang Xiulan's voice drifted over from the kitchen.

"Stop listening! Eat!"

Tiger was the first to object.

"Aunt Fang! Talk for another five minutes!"

"Come and eat first!"

Fang Xiulan's tone left no room for negotiation.

Tiger pursed his lips and took the lead in standing up.

The other children dispersed, each taking a few steps before turning back to glance at Jiang Fan, their faces full of lingering interest.

-

Several old tables were put together in the courtyard.

There were many people today, so Fang Xiulan cooked two more dishes.

Several adults sat at one table.

Song Siyi sat opposite Jiang Fan and stared at him for a few seconds.

"Jiang Fan".

"Um?"

"Did you make up that story yourself?"

"I guess so. I only have a general framework in my mind, and I organize my thoughts as I speak."

That's not entirely a lie.

The system contains the complete "Journey to the West," but he didn't actually redeem it just now; he was reciting it entirely from his memories of his previous life.

There are some differences in the details, but the general outline is the same.

Song Siyi put down her chopsticks and rested her hands on the edge of the table.

"Jiang Fan, have you ever thought about writing this story down?"

Jiang Fan paused for a moment.

With a thought, the system panel appeared before his eyes.

The complete redemption page for "Journey to the West" popped up in the store.

[Complete version of Journey to the West - Exchange Price: 10000 Life Points]

Based on the ratio of 100 points to 1 day, that's 100 days of life.

His total life expectancy is now over 40,000, minus the cost of maintaining life—

There are also Shen Nian's competitions and movie preparations, all of which require life points, and the amount that can be freely allocated is far less than the numbers seem to indicate.

Writing novels is not something I can't do, but not now.

Jiang Fan put the panel away.

"I've thought about it. But I don't have time right now. I have too many things to do. I'll think about it after I'm done with this."

Song Siyi opened her mouth slightly, then closed it again.

In my five years as an editor, I've reviewed countless manuscripts.

This is the first time that she's been so restless after just hearing the beginning.

Moreover, she could sense that what she had just told was less than a tenth of the whole story.

Just thinking about how much more stuff was piled up behind her made her scalp tingle.

Song Siyi took a business card out of her pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.

"This is my contact information. Feel free to contact me whenever you feel like writing."

Jiang Fan glanced down at the business card. It read "Song Siyi, Editor-in-Chief of Endpoint Literature".

He put the business card into his pocket.

"OK."

Song Siyi then picked up her chopsticks again.

Su Yuyan sat quietly to the side, eating without saying a word.

-

Halfway through the meal, Hu Zi strolled over to the adults with his bowl and squeezed down between Jiang Fan and Su Yuyan.

He first glanced into Su Yuyan's bowl.

"Sister, why are you eating so little? Is it not tasty?"

Su Yuyan smiled.

"It's delicious. I'm full."

Tiger ate a couple of mouthfuls of rice, then looked up at Su Yuyan.

A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy is at an age where he is curious about everything, and his mouth is like a floodgate opening.

"Sister, what do you do for a living?"

Su Yuyan thought for a moment. "Singing."

"Singing?" Tiger's eyes lit up. "Do you sing as well as Sister Shen Nian?"

The table fell silent for a moment.

Jiang Fan almost spat out the food in his mouth, then swallowed it forcefully, choking and coughing.

Li Cheng's hand, holding the bowl, hovered in mid-air as his gaze quickly swept across Su Yuyan's face.

Su Yuyan's expression froze for a moment, and her lips twitched slightly.

Tiger was completely unaware and was still waiting for an answer.

"elder sister?"

Su Yuyan put down her bowl and turned her head to look at Hu Zi.

Have you ever heard Sister Shen Nian sing?

"I've heard it! Fan-ge sang it when he brought her here last time, it was so beautiful." Tiger mumbled through his mouth, chewing his food. "It was something like—right, 'The Wind Rises'!"

Su Yuyan nodded. "Shen Nian really sings well."

"And what about you? What songs do you sing? I've never heard your songs before."

Li Cheng coughed and quickly spoke up to salvage the situation.

"Tiger, this older sister is called Su Yuyan. She's also a top-tier singer. You'll find out when you grow up."

"Queen of Pop?" Tiger tilted his head and thought for a moment. "So that means she's about as amazing as Sister Shen Nian?"

Su Yuyan looked at Jiang Fan and sneered.

"Pretty much," she said.

Fang Xiulan finally found an opportunity and tapped Hu Zi's hand with the tip of her chopstick.

"Eat your food! Don't keep asking so many questions; you can't even keep your mouth shut."

Tiger hissed and buried his head in his rice, looking aggrieved.

Su Yuyan picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of pork rib and put it in her mouth, her expression returning to normal.

Jiang Fan kicked Hu Zi's foot under the table.

Tiger looked up, his face completely innocent.

Why did you kick me?

"Shut up."

-

After finishing her meal, Song Siyi cleared away the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them.

She grew up here, so she's very good at these jobs.

Su Yuyan wanted to help, but Fang Xiulan pressed her back into her seat.

"Guests shouldn't be washing dishes, just sit down."

Su Yuyan paused for a moment, then didn't insist and sat down again.

-

The sun was sinking below the low buildings in the west, and the sky was getting darker and darker.

After finishing her meal and sitting for a while, Song Siyi stood up.

"Aunt Fang, I'm leaving now!"

Fang Xiulan stood at the door waving. "Drive carefully!"

She twirled the car key on her finger and turned to look at Jiang Fan.

"Remember to contact me about that story."

Jiang Fan nodded.

The white BMW drove out of the alley, its taillights flashing as it disappeared at the end of the road.

Before Su Yuyan left, Fang Xiulan held her hand and talked to her for a long time.

Next time you come for a meal, let me know if you need anything, and be careful on the road.

Su Yuyan agreed to all of them and only let go of the car door when she reached it.

She replied before bending down to get into the car.

"Aunt Fang, could you please make a list of any medicine or nutritional supplements that Xiaodou needs, and I'll have someone deliver them over?"

Fang Xiulan paused for a moment, her lips moved, and then she nodded vigorously.

The car started and slowly drove out of the alley.

Jiang Fan saw Fang Xiulan still standing at the door in the rearview mirror.

Tiger poked half his head out from behind her and shouted towards the back of the car—

"Brother Fan! Next time, finish the story! The monkey is still trapped under the mountain!"

-

The car entered the outer ring road and headed towards the city center.

The last glimmer of orange light lingered on the horizon as the streetlights gradually came on.

Su Yuyan, sitting in the back seat, leaned against the window without saying a word.

Li Cheng glanced in the rearview mirror, then obediently shut up and drove.

The car remained quiet; no one spoke.

Forty minutes later, the car turned into the underground parking garage entrance below Su Yuyan's apartment building.

Li Cheng brought the car to a stop.

Su Yuyan opened the car door and got out, while Jiang Fan wisely remained still.

He leaned back in his chair and whispered to Li Cheng, "Brother Cheng, let's go."

Li Cheng had just shifted gears, his hands hadn't even touched the steering wheel yet—

Su Yuyan rolled her eyes at her.

"Jiang Fan, get down here. I have something to ask you."

The voice wasn't loud, but the tone was very firm.

Li Cheng took off the gearshift again.

He glanced at Jiang Fan in the rearview mirror, his expression already conveying a sense of apology for him.

"Brother Fan... good luck to you."

Jiang Fan opened the car door, one foot just touching the ground—

Li Cheng floored the gas pedal, and the car shot forward.

The taillights swayed on the spiral ramp of the underground parking garage, accompanied by the sound of tires scraping the ground, before disappearing around the corner.