Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

"Snapped!"

Jiang Fan slapped Hu Zi on the back of the head.

It wasn't very forceful, but it made a loud noise.

"How am I a piece of trash?" Jiang Fan stared wide-eyed.

Tiger covered his head and shrank back in grievance.

"Brother Fan, I was talking about that monk on the white horse, not you! Why did you hit me?"

"I'm the one who's going to play this monk." Jiang Fan pointed to his bluish-white bald head. "If you call him a good-for-nothing, you're insulting me."

The courtyard was quiet for two seconds.

A few kids covered their mouths and chuckled.

Song Siyi sat on a small stool, pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Tiger was unconvinced and stubbornly retorted.

"He's useless anyway! All he does when he encounters a monster is scream for help, he cries at the drop of a hat, and he can't even beat a little demon. Sun Wukong is so powerful, why should he listen to him?"

Jiang Fan put away his joking expression.

His gaze swept over the group of children, big and small, in front of him.

"Sun Wukong is indeed powerful; he can travel 108,000 li in a single somersault. Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing are also highly skilled in martial arts."

"But the three of them didn't make it to the Western Paradise."

Jiang Fan's voice calmed down.

"No matter how powerful Sun Wukong is, he's still a monkey demon at heart—impulsive and impatient. Zhu Bajie is gluttonous and lazy, always clamoring to divide the luggage and return to Gao Village. Sha Wujing is a silent type; he just does whatever he's told to do."

Jiang Fan looked into Hu Zi's eyes.

"Without Tang Sanzang, this team wouldn't even be able to get through Shuangcha Ridge; they would have to disband on the spot."

Song Siyi stopped smiling and leaned forward slightly.

"Tang Sanzang has no magical powers; he's just a mortal. Any monster could easily kill him."

Jiang Fan's tone gradually became more forceful.

"But there's one thing about him that none of his three apprentices combined can match."

"Which point?" Tiger pressed.

"Belief," Jiang Fan slowly uttered the two words.

"From the day he set off from Chang'an, he faced countless life-or-death situations: being cooked by monsters, hung from trees, and forced into marriage by female demons. Was he afraid? Yes."

"But he never said a single word, 'I'm not going on the pilgrimage anymore, I want to go back to the Tang Dynasty.'"

Jiang Fan stood up and pointed in the direction of the setting sun in the west.

"The eighty-one tribulations on the journey to the West were trials for Sun Wukong, and cultivation for Tang Sanzang's mind."

"He carried the entire team forward with his mortal body. That's not called being useless, that's called being a leader."

Tiger opened his mouth, unable to say anything for a long time.

The image of a cowardly monk who could only cry in his mind was completely shattered.

Song Siyi sat beside him, quietly watching Jiang Fan's profile.

The setting sun shone on his bald head, casting a pale golden halo.

"Alright, that's all for today." Jiang Fan clapped his hands. "If you want to know how Sun Wukong was subdued later, go read the book yourself."

The children dispersed, still wanting more, and ran to the activity room to grab the few hardcover copies of "Journey to the West".

Jiang Fan sat back down on the bench.

Song Siyi handed over a bottle of mineral water.

"Your understanding of this story far exceeds my expectations."

"Otherwise, how could I dare to act myself?" Jiang Fan took the water and drank a sip.

In the corner, Li Cheng leaned against the wall and took out his phone from his pocket.

The screen lit up, displaying a WeChat message sent by Xu Qingya ten minutes earlier.

Where is Jiang Fan?

Li Cheng ignored her.

Xu Qingya sent another message.

"If you don't tell me, I'll tell Jiang Fan that you peeked at my legs before."

Li Cheng glanced at Jiang Fan, then quickly tapped on the screen, sending the location of the orphanage directly.

After sending the message, Li Cheng put his phone back in his pocket and let out a long sigh of relief.

I had just put my phone away when it rang twice more.

-

Forty minutes later.

A black Alphard van slowly pulled up outside the iron gate of the welfare home.

The car door slid open.

A pair of feet wearing white flat shoes stepped down.

Xu Qingya didn't wear those figure-hugging haute couture gowns today.

She changed into a yellow knit sweater, paired with a light khaki cotton-linen long skirt.

Her hair was casually tied back and secured with a hairpin.

Her makeup was very light, almost bare-faced.

She took two large insulated bags out of the trunk, walked to the iron gate, and gently pushed it open.

Agent Chen Lan followed behind, carrying a bunch of food and supplies for the children.

Hearing the noise, the people in the yard turned around at the same time.

Jiang Fan raised an eyebrow as he watched Xu Qingya walk in.

Li Cheng quickly went to meet her and took the insulated bag from her hand.

"Teacher Xu, what brings you here?"

Xu Qingya ignored Li Cheng and walked straight to Jiang Fan.

Her gaze lingered on his bald head for a second, and the corner of her mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.

Then, she turned to look at Song Siyi next to her.

"This must be Siyi, right? I've often heard Jiang Fan mention you." Xu Qingya extended her hand.

Song Siyi stood up and shook hands with her.

"Hello, Teacher Xu."

"Just call me Qingya. Jiang Fan is careless, so it's thanks to you that he's always taken care of."

Xu Qingya took the initiative, speaking in a familiar tone as if they were family.

Song Siyi pushed up her glasses but didn't respond.

Fang Xiulan heard the noise and came out of the kitchen.

She wiped her hands on her apron, and when she saw Xu Qingya, she froze.

Why did Jiang Fan bring another one back?

Moreover, this one looks even prettier than Su Yuyan from last time; her temperament is completely different.

"Hello, Aunt Fang. I'm Xu Qingya, a friend of Jiang Fan."

Xu Qingya walked over quickly and took Fang Xiulan's hands in hers.

"Jiang Fan always says your cooking is delicious, so I'm shamelessly asking for a meal today."

Fang Xiulan felt a warmth in her heart when she heard her mother call her "Aunt Fang".

She sized up Xu Qingya.

The girl was dressed simply, spoke softly, and had sincere eyes.

"Oh, okay, okay. Come in and sit down." Fang Xiulan smiled broadly.

Xu Qingya didn't go inside; instead, she turned around and took the insulated bag from Li Cheng.

"Aunt Fang, I brought some bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin that I stewed myself, to help you recover. I also made some sugar-free pastries for the children."

"You silly child, you came all this way, why did you bring anything?" Fang Xiulan's wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.

"It's only right. Jiang Fan is busy with work and rarely has time to come back and see you. I'm doing my part to help him."

As Xu Qingya spoke, she took Fang Xiulan's arm.

"Let me cook for you, and I can learn a skill from you while I'm at it."

Fang Xiulan waved her hands repeatedly.

"No need, no need. The kitchen is smoky, you don't want to get your clothes dirty."

"It's okay, the clothes are just dirty, you can wash them."

Without saying a word, Xu Qingya pulled Fang Xiulan toward the kitchen.

As she passed Jiang Fan, Xu Qingya turned her head and winked at him with her right eye.

Jiang Fan sat on the bench, watching Xu Qingya walk into the kitchen.

This woman is quite skilled.

When Su Yuyan came last time, although she tried to please Fang Ma, her inherent assertiveness and sense of distance were impossible to hide.

Song Siyi sat back down on the small stool and looked towards the kitchen.

"I never knew that Empress Xu had such an unknown side."

"She's an actress now," Jiang Fan replied casually.

"I think her acting was quite realistic."

Song Siyi turned her head and stared at Jiang Fan.

"You monk, you certainly have quite a few demons around you."

Jiang Fan didn't reply.

The sounds of chopping vegetables and Fang Ma's hearty laughter came from the kitchen.

Xu Qingya, wearing a floral apron, stood by the sink washing vegetables.

She worked quickly, washing vegetables while chatting with Aunt Fang.

"Aunt Fang, was Jiang Fan particularly mischievous when he was little?"

"That's right! He was eight years old and still wet the bed!" Fang's mother said while cutting potatoes, revealing the truth.

Xu Qingya burst out laughing.

"Really? Then he can't tell at all now."

"He's grown up now and accomplished. It's just that he has this temper; sometimes he's incredibly stubborn." Fang's mother sighed. "Qingya, you should try to be more tolerant of him."

"Don't worry, Aunt Fang, I'll take good care of him." Xu Qingya drained the washed vegetables and handed them to Aunt Fang.

The two worked together seamlessly in the kitchen, creating a harmonious scene of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Tiger clung to the kitchen door frame, peering cautiously inside.

"What are you looking at? Go wash your hands and get ready to eat!" Fang's mother turned around and glared at him.

Tiger stuck out his tongue and strolled over to Jiang Fan's side.

"Brother Fan, who is this lady? Is she a singer too?"

"Um."

"I still prefer Sister Shen Nian. Brother Fan, which one do you like?" Hu Zi gave his opinion.

Jiang Fan glanced at him.

"Get lost, you don't know anything about liking someone."