CIATB Chapter 136 The Zhang Family's Path!
Chapter 136 The Zhang Family's Path!
Dean Wang's voice, carrying the unique kindness of an elderly person, clearly reached my ears through the receiver.
In the sky, the embers of the fireworks bearing the words "Alluring Beauty" had not yet dissipated, and the ultimate romance still lingered in the air.
This phone call was like a warm current, pulling Zhang Yan back from the clouds to the softest corner of the human world.
His gaze softened instantly.
"Dean, I...I've been a bit busy lately."
"I know, I know, you're doing something big out there."
Dean Wang chuckled, his voice full of satisfaction, "It's nothing, you go ahead with your work. I just... I just mentioned it to the children a couple of times, and they remembered it."
Don't take it to heart.
"I'll go back tomorrow."
Zhang Yan blurted it out almost without thinking.
He could refuse the birthday banquet of the Nie family patriarch and disregard the military might of the Qin family, but he could not refuse a single word from the old man who raised him.
"Okay, okay!"
Dean Wang responded repeatedly, "Then...then I won't bother you any longer. Please take care of yourself."
Even after hanging up the phone, the smile on Zhang Yan's face hadn't faded.
Nie Qingcheng looked at him quietly; she had heard the entire contents of that phone call.
"An orphanage?"
She asked softly.
"Um."
Zhang Yan nodded, put his phone back in his pocket, "The place where I grew up."
"Tomorrow... can I go with you?"
Nie Qingcheng was somewhat surprised when she asked that question.
Her voice was very soft, even carrying a hint of cautious probing.
This is completely unlike the decisive and ruthless CEO Nie we know.
She wanted to take a look.
Look at the place that shaped Zhang Yan, look at Dean Wang whom he spoke of, and look at the children he cared about.
She wanted to step into his past and become an inseparable, complete part of his life.
Zhang Yan paused for a moment, then smiled.
"certainly."
He reached out and gently scraped Nie Qingcheng's nose.
"Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually, so you... also need to meet your 'family'."
"Who's the ugly daughter-in-law!"
Nie Qingcheng was amused by him, and the slight tension she had felt earlier vanished instantly.
The two of them left without hesitation.
The next morning, before the mist and rain had even dissipated in Nanxun Ancient Town, the Boeing BBJ, carrying the two people, had already returned to Jinghai City.
The first stop was neither the company nor Genting Resort.
It is the largest shopping center in Jinghai City.
"We need to bring some gifts for the children."
Sitting in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce, Nie Qingcheng had already started planning the route on her tablet: "The third floor is Toys 'R' Us, the fourth floor is the children's clothing section, and the basement has imported snacks..."
"Are you planning to empty the entire mall?" Zhang Yan asked, both amused and exasperated.
"Of course."
Nie Qingcheng said confidently, "This is the first time my people are meeting their 'family,' so the ceremony has to be grand."
"I take care of every child, from head to toe, from food to play."
"Stop." Zhang Yan pressed her hand down. "President Nie, this isn't a business negotiation; we don't need to spend so much money."
"Then what should we do?"
"What children like isn't necessarily expensive."
Zhang Yan patiently explained, "If you buy them tens of thousands of yuan worth of Lego, they might not be as happy as playing with a yo-yo that costs only a few dozen yuan."
"You have to touch their hearts."
Nie Qingcheng nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Half an hour later.
Toys "R" Us, third floor, Jinghai Global Shopping Center.
Nie Qingcheng, dressed in a high-end Chanel suit and exuding an aura of confidence, appeared out of place in this place filled with the noise of children and various toys and music.
The sales assistant's eyes widened when she saw her, thinking she had become a very important customer, and she quickly came over to greet her.
"Madam, how can I help you?"
Nie Qingcheng pointed to the entire wall covered with Barbie dolls.
"Wrap up this, this, and that latest dream castle...wrap them all up for me."
Her style of doing things is simple and brutal.
"Wait a minute." Zhang Yan stopped her in time.
He pulled Nie Qingcheng aside and whispered, "There are a lot of little girls in the courtyard, but if you buy so many Barbie dolls, they'll fight."
"What should we do then?" Nie Qingcheng frowned.
"Buy the same kind." Zhang Yan pointed to a plush rabbit on the shelf next to him. "This kind, every girl can have one, and no one will complain."
He then led Nie Qingcheng to the boys' section.
"Ultraman cards, these are the hard currency, everyone has a box."
"And this, a four-wheel drive vehicle, you have to buy two, one for driving and one for dismantling."
Zhang Yan knew them all like the back of his hand.
Nie Qingcheng followed behind him, watching him skillfully select those toys that she considered "childish and cheap," but her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
This man can not only strategize in business battles and build mechs in dire straits, but also make a promise of eternal love for her amidst fireworks.
Now, he has returned to being the gentle and caring "Brother Zhang Yan".
He remembered each child's preferences and knew all their little thoughts.
This contrast fascinated her.
"Alright, toys done." Zhang Yan clapped his hands. "Next up are school supplies."
The two then headed to the stationery section.
This time, Nie Qingcheng was smarter.
Instead of waving her hand away, she picked up a pink backpack, examined the material carefully, and then zipped it up.
"How about this? It looks like it's for back support." She turned to Zhang Yan and asked, like a primary school student waiting for praise from the teacher.
"Not bad, you've improved." Zhang Yan nodded.
"Um... can I get a discount if I buy a hundred of these notebooks at once?" Nie Qingcheng asked the sales assistant next to her seriously, pointing to the exercise books on the shelf.
The sales assistant was stunned.
She looked at the Patek Philippe watch worth millions on Nie Qingcheng's wrist, then at the top-of-the-line suit she was wearing, and her mind went blank for a moment.
This woman, who looks like she stepped off the Forbes list of rich people, is actually haggling over a notebook that costs only a few dollars?
Zhang Yan was trying so hard to suppress his laughter that his stomach hurt.
He discovered that his wife was truly adorable in certain ways.
Finally, under Nie Qingcheng's "forceful negotiation" and Zhang Yan's "black card attack," they almost bought out half of the stationery and snack sections.
The Rolls-Royce's trunk and rear seats were packed full.
The car slowly drove out of the bustling city center and headed towards the relatively remote southern part of the city.
The skyscrapers along the roadside gradually gave way to low-rise residential buildings, and the air became less noisy and more tranquil.
As Nie Qingcheng looked at the ever-changing scenery outside the window, she suddenly felt a little nervous.
She was about to see the place that had raised Zhang Yan.
There is no fine clothes and delicacies there, no ostentatious power, only the simplest daily life and the most sincere emotions.
That was the root of Zhang Yan's spiritual world.
Can she really fit in?
The car stopped in front of a somewhat old-fashioned gate.
A sign hangs on the door: "Jinghai City Chengnan Sunshine Orphanage".
Nie Qingcheng looked at the sign, subconsciously straightened her clothes and hair, and took a deep breath.
She turned her head and looked at Zhang Yan.
The usually domineering and queen-like Nie Qingcheng now revealed a hint of unease and anxiety in her beautiful peach blossom eyes that she herself was unaware of.
Her voice was very soft, like a feather.
"Zhang Yan..."
"Will they...like me?"