Picking Up Fragments

A certain movie theater.

"Pepper, when you hear this recording, don't be too sad. Death is also a part of life... As I leave, I will see you in my dreams. It has always been only you."

The movie starts with a scene of a weakened Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr., leaving his final words in a spaceship.

The once high-spirited and confident Iron Man had suddenly become a frail old man, making many Marvel fans in the audience feel heartbroken.

Then came the standard Hollywood-style opening—special effects of the spaceship and the vast universe. With 3D glasses on, it was quite a breathtaking experience.

Sitting next to Jiang Siming was Zhao Xiaoxiao, holding a bucket of popcorn with a large cup of Coke beside her.

As she watched, she occasionally reached out her small hand to feed Jiang Siming some popcorn.

Just as Iron Man finished his final words, he didn't actually die.

Well, of course, protagonists don't die so easily.

A female superhero suddenly appeared in space, lifted the spaceship with both hands, and flew it back to Earth.

"This is even more ridiculous than *Dragon Ball*..." Jiang Siming was speechless.

He felt that even if he reached the Golden Core stage, he wouldn't be as powerful as what was shown in this movie.

Speaking of which, he wondered if reaching the Golden Core stage would allow him to travel through space. It seemed unlikely. Maybe after advancing a few more stages, it would be possible?

If he could really travel across the universe one day, he had heard of a planet made entirely of diamonds—wouldn't he be able to take the whole planet for himself?

Maybe he was thinking too far ahead...

More than two hours passed.

Overall, the movie was quite enjoyable.

There were also many funny moments, like Thor turning into "Gragas the Drunken Barrel," Hulk hating stairs, Ant-Man and Hulk's taco scene, and Captain America's "big ass."

These scenes had the whole theater bursting into laughter.

In the end, the Marvel heroes thrillingly defeated Thanos, and Iron Man's sacrifice brought many audience members to tears.

Strangely, Zhao Xiaoxiao didn't cry, nor did she laugh at the funny parts.

She just kept eating her popcorn and drinking her Coke, watching the movie with no expression throughout.

As they left the theater, Jiang Siming curiously asked, "Was the movie good?"

"It wasn't good," Zhao Xiaoxiao said with a disappointed look.

"But you're the one who wanted to watch it," Jiang Siming replied.

"My classmates kept saying how amazing this movie was, hyping it up like crazy, so I came to check it out," Zhao Xiaoxiao said, holding Jiang Siming's hand.

Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

"I thought it was decent. You don't like Hollywood movies?" Jiang Siming asked, lowering his voice, afraid that passing Marvel fans might hear.

"Hollywood special effects are all the same. They've run out of new tricks," Zhao Xiaoxiao commented.

Jiang Siming was surprised at how professionally she analyzed it. Those idioms she used were quite impressive.

"So what kind of movies do you like?" Jiang Siming was curious about her taste.

Without hesitation, Zhao Xiaoxiao blurted out, "I like Japanese movies."

"Why?"

"Japanese movies might be limited by equipment and budget—some have unclear visuals, some even have mosaics. The movie posters are often heavily edited, and there are usually only one or two main characters, sometimes ten or so. But they feel closer to real life—classrooms, subways, hospital rooms, things like that. Most importantly, there are no special effects, so they feel more realistic."

Are Japanese movies really that bad? With mosaics too? That can't be right...

Jiang Siming had a sudden realization after a brief mental storm. His eyes widened, and he flicked her forehead in exasperation.

This little girl really had a way with words—he almost didn't catch on.

"Are these the kinds of movies you usually watch?" Jiang Siming pinched her little cheeks.

The next sentence was on the tip of his tongue, but he was too embarrassed to say it out loud—*Do you have any... torrents?*

...

In the afternoon, Jiang Siming faithfully took Zhao Xiaoxiao to Disneyland.

He originally thought this kid would love to play on the carousel or go see Snow White.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xiaoxiao specifically asked to play bungee jumping, roller coasters, haunted houses, and giant pendulums...

Whatever was the most thrilling, she wanted to play, giving Jiang Siming a headache.

Fortunately, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If it were an ordinary person, he really wouldn't dare to ride these extreme attractions.

However, while playing these rides, Zhao Xiaoxiao finally laughed, giggling happily.

The whole day passed, and as evening approached, Jiang Siming took Zhao Xiaoxiao home.

Since Jiang Siming didn't drive today, and it was rush hour,

the company's drivers were surely busy picking up and dropping off employees.

Jiang Siming didn't want to trouble them, so he simply took Zhao Xiaoxiao on the subway.

Speaking of which, it had been a while since he last took the subway, and Shanghai's subway was as crowded as ever.

Getting a seat was impossible, so Jiang Siming could only hold Zhao Xiaoxiao's hand and find a corner to stand.

With Jiang Siming protecting her, Zhao Xiaoxiao didn't feel crowded at all.

A tall man and a little girl, both incredibly attractive, drew many eyes in the subway car.

Jiang Siming was so handsome, like a character straight out of a novel.

Zhao Xiaoxiao was so cute, like a character straight out of an anime.

"Daddy, I'm sleepy~"

As soon as Zhao Xiaoxiao spoke, many male passengers' hearts melted.

Female passengers' hearts shattered—how could such a young and handsome guy already be a dad?

"What should we do? Do you want me to hold you while you sleep?" Jiang Siming asked.@@novelbin@@

"Mm~" The little girl responded and jumped into Jiang Siming's arms.

Her small body clung tightly to him like glue, impossible to shake off.

She found a comfortable position, rested her head on Jiang Siming's shoulder, and soon fell asleep.

The female passengers in the subway car wished they could turn into Zhao Xiaoxiao and snuggle in Jiang Siming's arms forever.

Some kind-hearted passengers offered Jiang Siming a seat, but he politely declined with a smile.

Jiang Siming just stood there holding Zhao Xiaoxiao, completely still.

When the subway stopped, he wasn't affected by inertia at all.

His feet seemed anchored like they had lead weights, unmoving,

creating the perfect sleeping environment for Zhao Xiaoxiao, who slept soundly.

Only in front of Jiang Siming did Zhao Xiaoxiao feel an unprecedented sense of security.

In the past, when going out with her mother, she always had to stay alert like a bodyguard, watching out for anyone with bad intentions toward her mom.

But now, with Jiang Siming around, the little girl felt completely at ease.

They rode all the way to the subway station near their home, and when Jiang Siming carried Zhao Xiaoxiao off the train, she was still asleep.

After carrying her the whole way, Jiang Siming wasn't tired at all and continued holding her as he walked home.

Under the starry night sky, beneath the dim yellow streetlights,

Jiang Siming cradled Zhao Xiaoxiao, listening to her gentle breathing and soft murmurs in his ear.

Jiang Siming suddenly thought—having a daughter might actually be pretty nice.

At first, being called "Daddy" by Zhao Xiaoxiao felt awkward and embarrassing.

But now, Jiang Siming was already used to it.

In fact, hearing Zhao Xiaoxiao call him "Daddy" now even made him happy.

Could it be that his hidden "Guilty Father" attribute had been activated?