HCB Chapter 142 Chapter Jing!
Chapter 142 Chapter Jing!
Zhang Yan's breathing paused for a moment.
Outside the car window, the neon lights of Jinghai City flashed by like streaks of light, casting dappled shadows on Nie Qingcheng's face.
Her eyes no longer held their usual allure or aloofness.
It was a pure expectation, a mixture of longing, earnestness, and a touch of uncertainty.
Like children in an orphanage, longing for candy.
Zhang Yan's heart felt as if it had been gently squeezed by a soft hand.
He didn't joke around as usual, nor did he make any unrealistic promises.
He simply reached out and took her hand, which was resting on her knee and slightly clenched in nervousness, into his palm.
Her hands were warm and soft.
"it is good."
He only said one word.
But it made Nie Qingcheng feel more at ease than any sweet words.
Her eyes welled up with tears, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.
She buried her head even deeper into Zhang Yan's arms, like a kitten that had found its harbor.
……
Time flies.
Before we knew it, it was the 29th day of the Lunar New Year.
Jinghai City is already filled with the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, creating a joyous ambiance.
But none of this has anything to do with Zhang Yan and Nie Qingcheng.
They were heading to a place that, for Nie Qingcheng, was both her root and a place filled with constraints.
The capital city, the Nie family.
The cabin of the Boeing BBJ private jet is warm and cozy.
Zhang Yan was leisurely looking at the sea of clouds outside the window.
However, Nie Qingcheng, who was beside him, seemed unusually restless.
She was holding a tablet computer, which displayed an extremely complex mind map that resembled a circuit diagram.
The central point is the "Nie Family Old House," from which countless branch lines radiate out.
First bedroom, second bedroom, third bedroom...
Under each room, the names, positions, personality traits, and even their loves, hates, and conflicts of interest of each member are labeled.
"My great-grandfather, Nie Zhenjun, is a former soldier. He is very old-fashioned and values family hierarchy and rules the most. Last time you hit Qin Xiao, he didn't say anything, but he must have held a grudge."
"My second aunt, Liu Yun, is the mother of Nie Fan, the one you slapped in the face at the birthday banquet. She's a notorious gossip who loves to stir up trouble. She'll definitely try to get revenge."
"And then there's my third uncle's cousin, Nie Xiaorou, who's so arrogant and looks down on 'country bumpkins' like us..."
As Nie Qingcheng scrolled through the screen, she muttered to herself, her delicate brows furrowed tightly.
She looked like a student facing a big exam who hadn't studied properly, her face filled with anxiety.
"I should have thought of this sooner; I shouldn't have brought you back so hastily."
"At the very least, you should memorize all of these people's information so you can be mentally prepared."
Zhang Yan was both amused and exasperated by her alarmed expression.
He reached out, took the tablet from her hand, and pressed the lock screen button.
"Mr. Nie, relax."
"If you look like this, people who don't know better will think we're not going to celebrate the New Year, but to venture into a den of dragons and tigers."
Nie Qingcheng glared at him.
I'm afraid you... afraid you'll be wronged.
As she finished speaking, her voice lowered, trembling slightly.
Zhang Yan's heart softened again.
He took her hand and looked intently into her eyes.
"Qingcheng, have you forgotten what I do for a living?"
"Um?"
"I can even tame the mechs made by the Mo family's mechanical arts, and I can even use the ancient ferocious beast Tengshe as my mount."
"Do you think a few mere mortal relatives can stump me?"
He spoke in a relaxed, slightly teasing tone.
"In my eyes, this so-called 'Feast at Hongmen' is just a new game instance."
"My great-grandfather is a stubborn 'stone golem' boss, my second aunt is a 'banshee' who can unleash 'mental pollution', and my cousin is a proud 'frost mage'..."
"Leveling up by defeating monsters is my specialty."
Nie Qingcheng was amused by his bizarre analogy, and her tense nerves finally relaxed.
"You're such a chatterbox."
She complained, but she felt much more at ease.
Yes, how could she forget?
The man beside her was never an ordinary person.
He always has a way of easily resolving seemingly unsolvable problems in ways she never expected.
Just then.
【Ding! 】
The familiar system notification sound rang in Zhang Yan's mind.
[The host is about to enter a special storyline scene: the family year-end banquet.]
[Main Quest Now Available: True Family.]
[Mission Objective: During the Nie family's annual banquet, gain the genuine approval of the core members of the Nie family and raise their approval rating to over 90%.]
[Task Rewards: God-level Social Skill (Passive), Special Item "Harmony Brings Prosperity" Aura (One-time Use), Mysterious Blueprint Fragment *1.]
[Failure Penalty: The host will be forced to wear a maid's outfit and dance the "Gokuraku Jodo" in front of the Nie family's old mansion.]
Zhang Yan's lips twitched involuntarily as he looked at the punishment for failure.
This damn system is getting more and more outrageous.
However, the reward for this task is quite tempting.
He was particularly concerned about that "mysterious blueprint fragment".
It seems I'll have to show some real skills on this trip to Beijing.
The plane slowly landed at a private airport on the outskirts of Beijing.
The cabin door opened.
A much colder wind than that of Jinghai City swept over us.
The air was thick with a chilling atmosphere.
There was no grand welcoming procession on the tarmac.
Only one black sedan, with a dignified and antique design, was parked there quietly.
Hongqi L9.
It's not the most expensive, but it's the most substantial.
This represents the most orthodox symbol of power within the Nie family.
A middle-aged man dressed in a Zhongshan suit, with his hair neatly combed, a serious face, and a pine-like upright posture, was standing next to the car.
Unlike other butlers or drivers, he did not wait respectfully at the foot of the gangway.
Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, looking straight ahead.
It's a scrutinizing posture unique to those in positions of power.
When Nie Qingcheng saw him, her expression changed slightly.
She instinctively tightened her grip on Zhang Yan's arm and whispered in his ear.
"Be careful, he is my great-grandfather's eldest son, my uncle, Nie Zhenbang."
"He's also the one we fear the most among our generation."
"He used to be in the military discipline inspection commission. His eyesight is sharper than an X-ray. Nothing can be hidden from him."
Zhang Yan followed her gaze.
The man named Nie Zhenbang was also looking at him.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
There were no sparks flying.
They were like two invisible swords, colliding in the most direct and primal way.
Zhang Yan could sense that the other person's gaze carried an extremely strong sense of pressure and scrutiny.
It was as if they wanted to see right through his soul.
Any ordinary young person under such gaze would probably have sweaty palms and weak legs by now.
But Zhang Yan simply smiled faintly.
Instead of dodging, he met the other person's gaze calmly and walked over.
A barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Nie Zhenbang's eyes.
He never expected that this young man, who was rumored to be a god by his family and denounced as a "monster" by his own father, would have such courage.
He watched as Zhang Yan and Nie Qingcheng drew closer and closer.
Then, he took a step forward and went to meet him.
He didn't greet his niece first.
Instead, he walked straight up to Zhang Yan and stood there.
He was half a head taller than Zhang Yan and much more robust.
He lowered his head slightly, looking down at Zhang Yan with a superior air.
His face, which never smiled, was completely expressionless.
a long time.
He finally spoke.
His voice, like him, was cold and full of power.
"You're Zhang Yan?"