Chapter 318: Second Day of the New Year
"No… no… that's not what I meant." Seeing everyone's eyes focus on her alone, Xichen Jinglan instantly panicked, waving her hands desperately as she explained, "I mean… I believe what President Zhang said."
"Hua!" Everyone looked at her with frustration and let out a collective sigh of disappointment. Just like that, the chance to watch a beauty strip vanished into thin air.
"Jinglan, even Lulu hasn't chosen sides yet. What're you so anxious about?" Gao Qi pinched her chin, sweeping her eyes up and down Xichen Jinglan with a shameless grin, clearly wanting to tease her hard. "Is it because, hmm… that… hmm…"
"What do you mean 'hmm… that'? Huh?" Xichen Jinglan thought for a moment, then frantically waved her hands again. "It's not what you think! It's because… because I know what Sister Cai Bing is like. She's always kept herself pure. She said she'd never accept a man who chases her. Her future man must be someone she chases. So all these years, the blind dates arranged by her family scared several men away. How could she possibly strip for President Zhang?"
"This woman is fierce. I like her." Gao Qi's eyes lit up with wicked interest.
Zhang Yang was speechless. Thankfully he didn't actually let her strip yesterday. If she had, would she really have tried to catch him and raise him like a personal pet?
"Alright, now you believe me, right? I really don't have that woman's stripping video." Zhang Yang spread his hands, relieved. He just wondered if Cai Bing, someday remembering she had stripped down to just a bra, would come find trouble with him.
Maybe she would?
"Fine! But you're too weak. You couldn't even take down Cai Bing."
Zhang Yang felt black lines all over his face. Somehow, they were right.
"Also, now it's time to talk about Jinglan." Liu Zixuan suddenly shifted the topic and targeted Xichen Jinglan.
"What does this have to do with me?" Jinglan asked innocently. "Aren't I on the same side as you?"
"Same side? Just now you were helping Yangzi. Be honest. What're you plotting?" Gao Qi and Liu Zixuan pinned her between them.
"I… what could I be plotting?" Jinglan shrank back in fear.
"Wahahaha, guilty already! Did you fall for Yangzi? It's okay, tell me, I'll split him with you." Gao Qi laughed triumphantly like she had discovered a treasure.
"No! You're misunderstanding me!" Jinglan panicked. "I just wanted President Zhang to…"
"Wanted him to what?" Gao Qi lowered her head, staring intently at Jinglan's face, trying to catch a flaw.
"I want him to teach me CS…"
"Teach you CS?"
"Yes. I want him to teach me CS." Jinglan gathered her courage and said openly, "I want him to be my master."
"Be your master?"
"Mm!" Jinglan nodded. "I must learn CS well."
Zhang Yang froze for a moment and glanced at her. Hard to believe this fairy-like gentle beauty liked such fighting games.
"Yangzi, Jinglan has spoken. Now it's up to you." Xu Danlu poked his waist to remind him.
Zhang Yang frowned, thought for a bit, and looked at Xichen Jinglan. "Why do you want to learn CS? Don't you already know some?"
"I know a little, but I want to get stronger."
"Also because…" Jinglan hesitated, not finishing her sentence.
"Simple. I know why." Liu Zixuan cut in before Jinglan could speak. "Because that fat woman said horrible things."
"Fat woman?" Zhang Yang frowned.
"That Sisi. When you were chatting with Cai Bing, that fat woman said we won only by luck because you were here. She said Jinglan should solo her if she had guts. Then she said a pile of disgusting trash-talk. Jinglan got pissed and agreed."
"When did you set the match?" Zhang Yang still looked calm, but inside a quiet fury was rising. He didn't care when people provoked him, but threatening the people beside him…
"She said I could decide." Jinglan answered softly.
"Quite an attitude." Zhang Yang glanced at her, then smiled. "So when do you want to fight her?"
"The sooner the better. Ideally… I can graduate in half a month…"
"Half a month?"
"Is half a month not enough? Maybe one month?" Jinglan asked cautiously.
"To deal with that fat woman, half a month? One day is enough."
"One day? I… I'm actually not very talented…" Jinglan couldn't believe her ears. She knew Sisi's level. Sisi was from a real squad, while she only learned the basics. Their skill gap was enormous. How could she win in one day?
"Today… probably not. I'm too sleepy. Tomorrow I'm busy. So… the day after tomorrow. Is that fine?"
"Okay! The day after tomorrow then. Thank you, President Zhang."
Jinglan's face instantly brightened. Clearly, she really disliked that Sisi woman. Zhang Yang suddenly remembered—Jinglan had almost become that fat woman's future sister-in-law.
"Uh… why're you all looking at me like that?" As soon as he agreed, Zhang Yang turned around and found countless dagger-like glares aimed at him, as if they wanted to slice him apart.
"Favoritism!" Liu Zixuan and Gao Qi shouted together.
"What do you mean? You want to learn too?"
"Nonsense!"
Zhang Yang broke into a cold sweat. "One person per day, okay?"
Teach them hands-on?
Zhang Yang never considered that aside from needing talent—
He also needed the ability to teach. Knowing something and stuffing it into someone else's head were totally different things.
So he thought of using Transfer Technique.
That would be easy—ten minutes and done.
Smug, he walked a few steps and then suddenly froze. His intestines twisted with regret.
Transfer Technique was fast, but the target had to be a Star Mender. Meaning—only Xu Danlu, Gao Qi, Yang Jing, and Tang Qiqi could use it!
"Pfft!" He'd agreed too fast. What a miscalculation!
"Yangzi, what's wrong?" Seeing his expression shift from smug to miserable, Xu Danlu was confused.
"N-nothing. Maybe I didn't sleep well… I'll go nap." Zhang Yang leaned against the wall and dragged himself back to his room in despair. This was a headache—three people wanted to learn: Xichen Jinglan, Liu Zixuan, and Xu Danying… And they couldn't all become Star Menders in a few days.
...
On the second day of the new year, in Southeast Province, people usually called it Son-in-Law Visiting Day.
In other words, early this morning, all sons-in-law had to bring something to visit their fathers-in-law, fulfilling their duty.
Although Zhang Yang wasn't married yet, he still had to go. And unlike others who only visited one family, Zhang Yang had several to visit.
Early in the morning, the first stop was Huichen Grand Hotel, where Qiao Xier's parents were staying. He didn't know why that couple was like this.
They originally planned to go to the Maldives for their postponed honeymoon, but ended up treating Meining as their honeymoon nest.
Later, Zhang Yang learned they were waiting for him. But the couple didn't make things hard for him. On the contrary, Ye Jing seemed increasingly pleased with him. Zhang Yang brought two bottles of wine and some random gifts… and what they returned to him was a share certificate.
When Zhang Yang got back and looked at it, he nearly fell over.
"Twenty percent of Lanchen Group!"
That was over ten billion! Although he couldn't cash it out immediately, he'd be the second-largest shareholder. This gift was too heavy.
His hands trembled. "Sister Qiao, we should return this to your mom."
"The name's already changed to yours. Why think so much?" Qiao Xier said lightly. "I also have ten percent. Together, we have more than my mom."
Zhang Yang instantly understood—the couple intended to give Lanchen to the two of them.
His heart felt heavy. His future in-laws were gambling. Gambling that Zhang Yang would not betray the Qiao family. But this gamble was massive.
After all, Zhang Yang had more than one woman around him—and they knew.
But they also understood that if their bet was right, the future Lanchen would be far greater than it was now.
With this heavy trust, Zhang Yang and Xu Danlu visited Xu Maogen and his wife in the afternoon, then Uncle He.
Of course, he didn't forget one more person—Yang Fei!
He'd said earlier he'd pick her up on the second day.
He texted her on New Year's Eve, politely wishing her a happy new year. She replied only with a knife and an angry face.
No idea what her problem was.
And no idea how things were going between her and Yang Xiuguo.
When Zhang Yang arrived at the Yang household, it was just past five in the afternoon. It was already getting dark. After chatting with Yang Xiuguo and his son, giving gifts, he went to check on Meixin. Under Yang Jing's careful care, she looked much better.
According to Yang Jing, in another three or four days, Meixin could get out of bed and walk on her own.
Hearing this, Zhang Yang felt relieved, though a bit troubled. After Meixin recovered, he still didn't know where she should go. But he wasn't in a rush.
"By the way, I've been here so long—where's Teacher Feifei?" Zhang Yang checked the time—it was past seven already. Only now did he realize he hadn't seen a trace of Yang Fei.