Chapter 64: The Big Picture, Well Done!
Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Big Picture, Well Done!
Zhang Yan, with immense willpower, declined Brother Gan’s proposal to go relax at Five Thousand Years of Chinese Civilization.
It wasn’t that he was being overly prudish; it was simply because he hadn’t finished his daily tasks yet!
Having accepted Brother Gan’s request for help, Zhang Yan felt his blood boiling with excitement, but at the same time, he felt an urgent need to complete his tasks as soon as possible.
[Task - Return to Health: Progress increased by 3%]
[Task - Return to Health: Progress increased by 5%]
[Current Task Progress: 82%]
His morning run had turned into a night run. After returning home, he rushed to squeeze in some bedtime reading before the day ended. Because he had been working hard all day and wasn’t in the best state of mind, Zhang Yan chose a relatively short and easy-to-understand book, *A Brief History of Humankind*.
The Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Scientific Revolution...
He gained a slight understanding of the macroscopic perspective of human history, reflected on human behavior and social systems, and reconsidered the essence of happiness...
It was indeed a fantastic read for helping one fall asleep!
[Task - Elevate Cognition: Current Progress 120% (80% more needed for the next tier reward)]
...
[Task - Return to Health: Progress increased by 1%]
[Task - Return to Health: Progress increased by 5%]
[Task - Return to Health: Progress increased by 3%]
[Current Task Progress: 91%]
"Daju, oh Daju, tell me, what use are you? How many days has it been since I last bumped into Senior Sister Xia? Can’t you put in a little effort? Do you still want to eat cat treats in the future or not?"
MEOW.
Daju stared intently at the cat treat swaying in Zhang Yan’s hand, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
A faint, distant fragrance wafted into his nose. Zhang Yan immediately knew who it was and greeted her without even turning his head, "You’re here."
"Mhm."
Even though he had established steady contact with Xia Xiqing, she was truly not an easy person to get along with. Even when they were face-to-face offline, getting a word out of her was like pulling teeth. Online on WeChat, she was like a "deceased" contact, never saying a single word.
"Senior Sister, are you free this Sunday?"
"Yes."
"There’s a banquet, and I’m missing a female companion. I don’t have anyone suitable to go with me. Could you do me a favor?"
According to what Brother Gan had said, the attendees at Sunday’s banquet were basically all second-generation heirs of prominent figures, and the purpose was to network and build relationships. Their female companions were either socialites or trained D-list starlets. His junior sister wasn’t quite suited to attend such an occasion. What’s more, she was currently busy arranging her father’s surgery, so she likely wouldn’t be able to spare any time in the short term.
Meanwhile, Xia Xiqing, rumored to be a wealthy heiress, was probably the perfect candidate. Her aura and temperament were fully capable of commanding the room. Zhang Yan himself actually needed her presence to compensate for his own inherent shortcomings.
However, was Xia Xiqing really that easy to ask out?
"Okay."
Xia Xiqing knew about that banquet. During her first few years of university, people would invite her around this time every year. However, she felt there were too many people and found it uncomfortable, so she had rejected them every single time. As she rejected more and more people, and starting from three years ago, as she displayed her wealth less and less frequently, her presence in the second-generation social circles gradually faded.
Finally, by this year, no one even tried to invite her anymore.
However, given her recent circumstances, she could no longer afford to be willful...
Zhang Yan had already prepared himself for rejection. He was even formulating his next pitch in his mind, ready to throw out concepts like friendship and bonds all at once, hoping he might have a chance to trick her into going. He wondered why she had agreed so easily.
As if suddenly remembering something, Xia Xiqing added, "This counts as a part-time job. You have to pay me."
Zhang Yan hadn’t even recovered from his initial surprise, and this additional sentence left him completely bewildered.
Xia Xiqing was rumored to be a young lady with a substantial net worth. Furthermore, the outfit she wore during their last meal together was more expensive than Zhang Yan’s most luxurious set of clothes. After thinking it over, he concluded that Xia Xiqing must just be feeling a little embarrassed. Because they had become friends, she accepted his invitation. However, she was afraid he might misunderstand and think there were feelings beyond friendship between them. Therefore, she added this seemingly business-like explanation, which was actually just a thinly veiled attempt to cover up her true feelings.
He realized she was actually quite cute.
Seeing Zhang Yan looking at her with a beaming smile, Xia Xiqing subconsciously took half a step back. Suddenly, she remembered another thing and added again, "The gown. You prepare it."
She was quite dedicated, knowing how to put on a full performance. But this also simultaneously gave Zhang Yan an excuse to ask her out again.
"No problem, but I don’t know your measurements. How about I take you shopping whenever you’re free?"
Xia Xiqing seemed to ponder her schedule for a moment. "This afternoon."
"Alright."
Because his mind was entirely focused on chatting with Xia Xiqing, Zhang Yan temporarily forgot that he was still holding the cat treat he had just been using as a teaser. As he let his guard down, Daju finally saw the perfect opportunity and lunged forward, snatching the cat treat from Zhang Yan’s hand.
Although the cat had the good sense not to bite Zhang Yan’s fingers, the sudden ambush obviously startled him. He subconsciously lost his footing and dodged in the opposite direction, accidentally bumping right into Xia Xiqing, who was standing beside him.
Xia Xiqing was thin and frail; how could she possibly withstand the weight of a grown young man? She was dragged down directly, falling to the ground along with him.
This was their second "intimate contact."
Fortunately, compared to the last time, Zhang Yan managed a last-second display of chivalry in mid-air. He twisted his body and pulled Xia Xiqing into his arms before they hit the ground.
THUD.
Smelling her fragrance from such a close distance was intoxicating, giving Zhang Yan a sudden impulse to crush her into his own body.
The only minor flaw was that she felt a bit bony...
Xia Xiqing indeed possessed a figure comparable to a supermodel. Her golden proportions seemed like a perfect fusion of nature and art. Her aloof and distant temperament was like a swan with folded wings, proud and elegant. When still, she was like a meticulously carved piece of art; when moving, every single posture was filled with captivating charm.
She was just a bit bony.
"Let go."
Zhang Yan released his tight grip around her. Xia Xiqing stood up nonchalantly and dusted off the dirt on her pant legs.
"Uh, if I say I didn’t do that on purpose, you’ll believe me, right?"
"Mhm. Thank you."
It took Zhang Yan a moment to process and decode Xia Xiqing’s "encrypted" dialogue. She believed it wasn’t on purpose, and she was thanking him for protecting her so she wouldn’t hit the ground.
Zhang Yan silently glanced at Daju, who was lying not far away, anxiously licking the unopened cat treat. He found it hilarious, wondering if the cat actually knew how to open the wrapper.
He walked over and snatched the food right out of the cat’s mouth, tearing the wrapper open and squeezing the contents onto a leaf. He thought, "Daju, oh Daju, you did a great job today! I’ll give you an extra bag of dried fish later!"
"Thank you."
A string of question marks popped into Zhang Yan’s head.
This time, Zhang Yan really couldn’t decode Xia Xiqing’s encrypted message.
Perhaps noticing his confused gaze, Xia Xiqing added, "What you taught me last time, it works very well."
He wondered what he had taught her last time.
Zhang Yan was still scratching his head. However, Xia Xiqing didn’t offer any further explanation. She checked her watch, said goodbye, and began jogging back home.
Xia Xiqing had wanted to thank Zhang Yan because, thanks to his guidance, the few friends she had were now frequently sharing what they were eating for lunch and dinner with her. She felt that the friendship between them had deepened significantly.
It was just that the thought of being held in a boy’s arms for the first time moments ago stirred a very inexplicable feeling in her heart, making her subconsciously want to run away quickly.