143: Chapter 143 Do you sing as well as Sister Shen Nian?

Jiang Fan was talking about The Monkey King causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, defeating the heavenly host until they were in complete disarray, until finally, the Buddha came from the Western Heaven and struck down with one palm—

"The five fingers transformed into a great mountain, pinning The Monkey King firmly underneath."

The courtyard was deathly quiet; over thirty children had even forgotten to close their mouths.

"So, did he get out?!" Huzi slapped his thigh in his anxiety.

Just as Jiang Fan was about to speak— Mother Fang's voice drifted over from the kitchen.

"Stop listening! Time to eat!"

Huzi was the first to protest.

"Mother Fang! Tell us for five more minutes!"

"Come over and eat first!"

Mother Fang's tone left no room for negotiation.

Huzi pouted and stood up, leading the way.

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

Several old tables in the courtyard had been pushed together.

Since there were so many people today, Mother Fang had stir-fried two extra dishes.

The adults sat at one table.

Song Siyi sat opposite Jiang Fan, staring at him for a few seconds.

"Jiang Fan."

"Hmm?"

"Did you make up that story just now yourself?"

"Sort of. I only had a rough framework in my head, and I organized the language as I was telling it."

This wasn't exactly a lie.

The system panel contained the complete journey to the west, but he hadn't actually redeemed it; he was telling it entirely based on memories from his past life.

The details had some discrepancies, but the general plot remained the same.

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

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

Jiang Fan's movements paused.

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

The page for redeeming the complete journey to the west popped up in the shop.

[ journey to the west Complete Edition — Redemption Price: 10,000 Lifespan Value ]

At a rate of one hundred points per day, that was one hundred days of life.

His total current Lifespan Value was over forty thousand points, but after deducting the portion needed to sustain his life—and with Shen Nian's competition and the movie's preparation requiring Lifespan Value everywhere—the amount he could freely allocate was far less abundant than the number suggested.

Writing a novel wasn't something he couldn't do, but it wasn't the time for it now.

Jiang Fan closed the panel.

"I have thought about it. But I don't have time for now. I have too many things on my hands; I'll talk about it after I finish this busy period."

Song Siyi opened her mouth, then closed it again.

In her five-year editing career, she had handled countless manuscripts.

This was the first time she had been unable to sit still after hearing only the beginning of a story.

Furthermore, she could sense that what he had just told wasn't even one-tenth of the whole story.

Thinking about how much more was behind it made her scalp tingle.

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

"This is my contact information. Whenever you want to write, come find me."

Jiang Fan looked down at it.

The card was printed with "Zhongdian Literature Chief Editor · Song Siyi".

He put the business card into his pocket.

"Alright."

Only then did Song Siyi pick up her chopsticks again.

Su Yuyan sat to the side, eating quietly without interjecting at all throughout the process.

Halfway through the meal, Huzi carried his bowl over to the adults' side and plopped himself down between Jiang Fan and Su Yuyan.

He first snuck a peek into Su Yuyan's bowl.

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

Su Yuyan smiled.

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

Huzi shoveled a couple of mouthfuls of rice and looked up at Su Yuyan again.

A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy was at the age where everything made him curious, and his mouth was like a floodgate that had been opened.

"Big Sister, what do you do for work?"

Su Yuyan thought for a moment.

"I'm a singer."

"A singer?" Huzi's eyes lit up, "Then do you sing as well as Sister Shen Nian?"

The table went silent in an instant.

The rice in Jiang Fan's mouth nearly sprayed out; he swallowed hard and choked, coughing incessantly.

Li Cheng's hand holding his bowl hung in mid-air, his gaze sweeping quickly across Su Yuyan's face.

A stunned expression appeared on Su Yuyan's face, and the corners of her mouth twitched.

Huzi was completely oblivious and was still there waiting for an answer.

"Big Sister?"

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

"You've heard Sister Shen Nian sing?"

"I have! When Brother Fan brought her here last time, she sang a song, and it was so good." Huzi was chewing his rice, speaking indistinctly, "That, what was it called—oh right, the wind rises!"

Su Yuyan nodded.

"Shen Nian does sing very well."

"What about you? What songs do you sing? How come I've never heard your songs?"

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

"Huzi, this big sister is named Su Yuyan, and she is also a diva-level singer. You'll know when you grow up."

"A diva?" Huzi tilted his head and thought for a moment, "So that means she's about as good as Sister Shen Nian, right?"

Su Yuyan looked at Jiang Fan and sneered.

"Something like that," she said.

Mother Fang finally found an opportunity and rapped the back of Huzi's hand with her chopsticks.

"Eat your food! Asking about this and that, you have no filter."

Huzi hissed and buried his head in his bowl, eating aggrievedly.

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

Jiang Fan kicked Huzi's foot under the table.

Huzi looked up, his face full of innocence.

"Why did you kick me?"

"Shut up."

Song Siyi finished eating, cleared the bowls and chopsticks, and took the initiative to go to the kitchen to wash them.

She had grown up here, so she was familiar with these tasks.

Su Yuyan also wanted to help but was pressed back into her seat by Mother Fang.

"There's no reason for a guest to wash dishes, just sit."

Su Yuyan paused, did not insist further, and sat back down.

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

After sitting for a while following the meal, Song Siyi stood up.

"Mother Fang, I'm leaving first!"

Mother Fang stood at the doorway and waved.

"Drive slowly on the road!"

She spun her car keys around her finger and turned to look at Jiang Fan.

"Remember to find me about that story."

Jiang Fan nodded.

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

Before Su Yuyan left, Mother Fang held her hand and talked for quite a while longer.

Things like coming to eat next time, telling her if she lacked anything, and to be careful on the road.

Su Yuyan responded to each one and only let go of her hand when she reached the car door.

Before she bent down to get into the car, she replied,

"Mother Fang, if Xiaodou needs any medicine or nutritional supplements, make a list, and I'll have someone send them over."

Mother Fang was stunned for a moment, her lips moved, and then she nodded vigorously.

The car started and slowly drove out of the alley.

Jiang Fan saw in the rearview mirror that Mother Fang was still standing at the doorway.

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

"Brother Fan! Finish the story next time! The monkey is still pressed under the mountain!"

The car got onto the outer ring road, heading toward the city center.

The last trace of orange light still lingered on the horizon, and the streetlights lit up one by one.

Su Yuyan sat in the back seat, leaning against the window without speaking.

Li Cheng glanced through the rearview mirror and obediently kept his mouth shut while driving.

The car remained quiet, with no one speaking.

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

Li Cheng parked the car steadily.

Su Yuyan opened the car door and got out; Jiang Fan sensibly didn't move.

He leaned back against the seat and whispered to Li Cheng: "Brother Cheng, leave quickly."

Li Cheng had just shifted gears, his hand not yet touching the steering wheel—

Su Yuyan threw a side-eye at him.

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

The voice was not loud, but the tone was very firm.

Li Cheng shifted back into neutral.

He looked at Jiang Fan through the rearview mirror, his expression already mourning for him in advance.

"Brother Fan... may you be blessed."

Jiang Fan opened the car door, one foot having just landed—

Li Cheng slammed on the accelerator, and the car shot forward.

The taillights flickered on the spiral ramp of the underground garage, disappearing behind the corner accompanied by the sound of tires rubbing against the ground.