Chapter 101 - 3: Zhang Yan Enters
Chapter 101: Chapter 3: Zhang Yan Enters
Zhang Yan was still a little nervous.
His confidence stemmed from Brother Tongzi, but when it came down to it, all he really had was promising potential for the future. Right now, aside from a car, a watch, and his current outfit, he only had a "paltry" four million or so in cash in his bank account. Even if he factored in the private savings of his two partners, it barely crossed the ten million mark. This was definitely more than enough to impress the average person. Despite all the boasting on the internet, anyone in the real world who could casually drop a million in cash on leisure consumption rather than an investment was already considered the absolute cream of the crop.
But today was different. According to the information from Brother Gan, aside from a select few individuals at this banquet who held one to three invitations and could theoretically bring anyone they wanted, the rest of the attendees were the heirs of truly prominent entrepreneurs within the province. In other words, nearly everyone at this event was a mega-wealthy second-generation heir, and even the plus-ones they brought were generally heavyweights in their own right.
Although Zhang Yan, armed with his system, believed he was no lesser than anyone here, his time building up his wealth and status had been far too short. The gaps in his worldly experience and knowledge weren’t so easily bridged. If someone asked him a question that left him looking completely bewildered, he would lose a massive amount of face. The more he thought about it, the tighter his body tensed and the heavier his footsteps felt.
Fortunately, he wasn’t alone this time. His date, Xia Xiqing, stepped into this gathering of ultra-rich heirs looking as natural as if she were walking into her own home. Enveloped by her aura and feeling her calm, confident demeanor, the lingering tension in Zhang Yan’s heart suddenly dissipated.
"Mingcheng, I heard you invited a university junior to the banquet? You should know what kind of occasion this is. Don’t just bring random nobodies here to broaden their horizons. Besides, it looks like he’s going to be late," a young man with a refined and amiable appearance said, his tone carrying a hint of a lecture.
Si Mingcheng didn’t give him an ounce of respect. "Si Mingxin, I have the right to invite a friend," he replied coldly. "You aren’t the head of the family yet. Once you are, you can naturally strip me of that right."
"Is this how you speak to your own older brother? How rude. It seems the lessons I’ve taught you haven’t been profound enough to make you respect me."
Si Mingcheng merely sneered, too lazy to waste words on this two-faced hypocrite. Inwardly, however, he couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. He had told Zhang Yan to keep a high profile today to muddy the waters, but showing up late would be a bit too embarrassing.
There was also a third faction present, led by a breathtakingly beautiful woman occupying the main seat. The three factions sat in a triangular formation, though the distance between Si Mingcheng and the woman was slightly closer, hinting at a subtle alliance to counter Si Mingxin. This woman was Si Mingzhan, the older cousin Si Mingcheng had once mentioned to Zhang Yan. She watched the biological brothers exchange sharp words with great interest, her thoughts unreadable.
Right at that moment, a faint commotion rippled through the venue, steadily drawing closer to their group.
"Hey, isn’t that Xia Xiqing? No one has been able to invite her out for years. Who has that kind of influence?"
"Who’s the man next to her? He’s quite decent-looking."
The oblivious onlookers naturally assumed that the invited guest was the famous, enigmatic heiress Xia Xiqing, automatically ignoring the plus-one beside her as a mere accessory. Seeing that his unreliable junior had finally arrived on time, Si Mingcheng breathed a sigh of relief. However, what he hadn’t expected was for Zhang Yan to quietly secure Xia Xiqing as his date. Although he had passed Xia Xiqing’s WeChat to Zhang Yan, he hadn’t thought the guy would be able to add her anytime soon. Who would have guessed that he would actually manage to ask her out?
Aside from Si Mingcheng, there was one other person in the crowd who didn’t focus entirely on Xia Xiqing. Both Si Mingxin and Si Mingzhan had immediately looked at her, their eyes flashing with a strange brilliance. But just a moment later, Si Mingxin forced his gaze away with sheer willpower, shifting it to Zhang Yan beside her. Expression, gait, aura, attire—he scrutinized every single detail without missing a beat. After a long while, he looked away, returning his attention to Xia Xiqing, having lost all interest in Zhang Yan.
"Too ordinary. Nothing to worry about," Si Mingxin thought.
He mentally reviewed Xia Xiqing’s background. Four years ago, Xia Xiqing and her mother had suddenly arrived out of nowhere in Meng City, buying the crown jewel property in Cuiquan Spring, the city’s newest and most exclusive real estate development at the time. She then enrolled in Provincial University, becoming the absolute talk of the town. The mother-daughter duo had an extraordinary background and immense financial power, but every family that tried to curry favor or get close to them was politely yet firmly rebuffed. No one had been able to dig up their true origins.
He had pursued her in the past, though his main motive had been to secure the backing of her mysterious family. However, he quickly realized that this woman was not easy to deal with, so he stopped wasting his time. After not seeing her for years, he had gradually forgotten about her.
"Has she really fallen so low as to be a plus-one for this kind of trash? How pitiful," he thought.
Of course, he would never voice these thoughts aloud. On the surface, he was still the refined, amiable, and thoroughly pleasant gentleman.
Unlike Si Mingxin, Si Mingzhan was exclusively interested in Xia Xiqing from beginning to end. Seeing the pair approaching, her eyes lit up, and she stood to greet them.
"Qingqing, what brings you here? When I invited you a month ago, you said you were busy. To think that today... you were brought here by this gentleman?"
Si Mingzhan’s gaze briefly swept over Zhang Yan. Seeming completely unbothered, she smiled lightly and waited for Xia Xiqing’s response, utterly ignoring Zhang Yan.
Based on the direction the woman had approached from, Zhang Yan roughly deduced that she was Si Mingzhan, the older cousin Brother Gan had mentioned. He was absolutely stunned by her. In terms of pure facial beauty, she might have been slightly overshadowed by Xia Xiqing beside him, but her distinct style was strikingly vivid.
She sported vibrant red, shoulder-length straight hair that looked incredibly sharp and professional without sacrificing an ounce of elegance and charm. A smooth, well-fitted white dress shirt clung to her upper body, accented by a neatly tied black necktie resting between her prominent curves. A black suit jacket was draped over her shoulders like a cape, exuding an unusual, commanding presence. For her lower half, she wore a pair of high-waisted black dress pants. The relaxed, draped tailoring gave off a mature vibe while accentuating her long legs, and a simple black pin-buckle belt around her waist perfectly cinched her slender figure.
Her facial features were soft, yet her expression held a trace of cold glamour, projecting an overall style that was exquisite and utterly devoid of excess emotion. Unlike Xia Xiqing’s aloof and solitary coldness, her coldness felt more like a dismissive, condescending superiority. She maintained a perfectly elegant posture at all times, her straight back and slightly raised chin radiating intense confidence and composure. She managed to make a sharp professional outfit look seductively alluring. Zhang Yan’s intuition told him that this was a dangerous yet fatally attractive woman.
Faced with the question, Xia Xiqing didn’t explain much—or perhaps she simply didn’t know how to explain. She merely nodded as a greeting, maintaining her usual aloof persona. Observing the seemingly familiar pair and Si Mingzhan’s blatantly dismissive attitude toward him, Zhang Yan grew thoughtful. He stepped forward half a pace, forcefully cutting off the line of sight between the two women.
"I was wondering how I got so lucky to be able to invite Senior Sister Xia out. It turns out half the reason is because you’re here, Sister Mingzhan!
"Hello, my name is Zhang Yan. I’m Brother Cheng’s junior and was invited to attend this banquet.
"I don’t know the ropes here at all, so please remember to look out for me later, Sister Mingzhan!"
Si Mingzhan finally tore her gaze away from Xia Xiqing, looking at Zhang Yan with a hint of genuine interest for the first time.