The Wuling Hongguang sped swiftly along the road, arriving in Yunzhou City.
In the Great Xia, the southeastern province had always ranked among the top five in terms of overall strength.
And its capital, Yunzhou City, stood at the forefront among the new first-tier cities.
One could say that apart from the imperial capital and the cosmopolitan hub, Yunzhou was one of the most impressive cities.
The housing prices were equally terrifying.
The place An Yi had come to was the wealthiest villa district in all of Yunzhou!
Yes, right up ahead.
Nie Qinglan pointed the way for An Yi.
Then, rows of sharply dressed men in black stood like greeters.
An Yi drove the Wuling Hongguang forward, somewhat stunned by the sight.
He opened the car door.
A black-clad man who looked like a bodyguard hurried over to shield him from the car's edge.
"Welcome, Boss An!"
"Welcome, Boss An!"
The moment An Yi stepped out of the shabby car door, he was met with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome.
At the entrance, there were also hostesses in cheongsams, their slender, fair legs visible through the high slits—though that wasn’t the main point.
The main point was the middle-aged man with a slicked-back hairstyle standing at the entrance—Boss Nie!
"Haha, An Yi, I never thought I’d actually get you to come. My humble abode is truly honored."
Boss Nie wore a delighted smile as he stepped forward to greet An Yi.
An Yi chuckled insincerely, "It’s been a while since we last met. How have you been, Uncle Nie?"
"Great, great! Still as dashing as ever—have you gotten even more handsome lately?"
Boss Nie patted An Yi’s shoulder warmly.
To an outsider, they might have seemed like old friends who had known each other for years.
In reality, this was only their second meeting.
Less than half a year had passed since their last encounter, but An Yi’s circumstances had undergone a dramatic transformation.
From a former deadbeat nobody, he had risen to become the big boss of the An Corporation and the third-ranked martial artist on the Hidden Dragon List!
With billions in assets and terrifying strength, he was the epitome of a young, accomplished, and ultra-wealthy self-made tycoon.
Under the halo of wealth and power, none of his past deadbeat aura remained.
The black-clad bodyguards and cheongsam-clad women all stood rigidly at attention, not daring to make a sound in An Yi’s presence.
They knew full well that this seemingly young man was someone even Boss Nie had to personally welcome—no one dared slack off.
Even their breathing was cautious, lest they make a mistake.
Nie Qinglan, who had been chattering nonstop on the way, fell noticeably silent upon returning home, her delicate face cold and expressionless.
"An Yi, this car of yours is modified, right?"
Boss Nie casually glanced at the battered Wuling Hongguang and asked curiously.
No license plate either—quite suspicious.
Surprising it didn’t get pulled over. Lucky.
Was this kid trying to pick a fight with the Public Security Bureau?
"Yeah, it’s modified," An Yi replied dismissively.
Given his current status, driving a Wuling was bizarre enough—if they thought it was modified, so be it.
Then, a black dog with red eyes strutted out of the car, wagging its tail with an air of arrogance.
Boss Nie raised an eyebrow. "This dog is—"
"My pet," An Yi explained.
"Quite a unique breed. Looks aristocratic—must’ve cost a fortune," Boss Nie said, blatantly lying through his teeth.
An Yi brushed it off. "Just a stray I picked up off the street. Ugly thing, worthless."
"Woof!"
Hongtian, hearing himself called a stray, instantly flared up.
He lunged to bite An Yi’s leg, but An Yi, with his sharp reflexes, stomped on the dog’s head, keeping its jaws shut.
"Heh, quite spirited," Boss Nie remarked, narrowing his eyes at Hongtian, though his thoughts were unclear.
"Dad, is that woman not here?" Nie Qinglan glanced around and asked.
Boss Nie glared at her. "What ‘that woman’? She’s your stepmother!"
Nie Qinglan muttered under her breath, "Hmph, that vixen!"
"Oh, what’s everyone doing at the entrance? Come on in."
The stunning mixed-race beauty Shirley greeted them with a radiant smile.
"Arm candy."
An Yi gave her a quick once-over. Though not his first time seeing her, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
At 1.75 meters tall, she was three centimeters taller than Shangguan Qianqian, and her legs were downright hypnotic.
"Is she really that pretty?!" Nie Qinglan pinched An Yi’s arm, gritting her teeth.
"Just because she’s got long legs!"
"That vixen!"
At only 1.62 meters, her height was a sore point.
An Yi chuckled. "Not pretty at all. She can’t compare to you—it’s not even close."
Nie Qinglan’s delicate face brightened. "Really? Then swear it."
An Yi: "I’m lying."
Nie Qinglan: "..."
The banquet made it clear just how much Boss Nie valued An Yi.
The spread was filled with rare delicacies—many of which An Yi had never even heard of.
This meal alone must’ve cost hundreds of thousands.
An Yi did a quick mental calculation, mildly shocked—and that was just based on the dishes he recognized.
"Who would’ve thought? The boy Qinglan brought home is this handsome. I knew we had a connection the first time I saw you."
Shirley gazed at An Yi tenderly. "An Yi, I’m entrusting Qinglan to you now."
These words left Nie Qinglan somewhat at a loss.
An Yi had never officially confirmed their relationship.
She had invited An Yi to her home under the pretense that her father wanted to see him.
Mhm.
An Yi agreed readily, but his chopsticks never stopped moving, his eyes glued to the food—his responses utterly perfunctory.
Shirley wanted to say more but couldn’t find the right words to continue.
Boss Nie looked at An Yi with a solemn expression and said slowly, "Qinglan has little experience with love. You’re the only one she’s ever truly liked. If you let her suffer, I won’t let you off easy."
Hearing Boss Nie’s words, An Yi set down his chopsticks and replied earnestly, "Uncle Nie, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Qinglan—I won’t let her suffer even a little!"
Beside them, Nie Qinglan’s face flushed red.
Is this guy serious?
"Good. Your word is enough for me!"
Boss Nie raised his wine glass slightly in a toast.
An Yi picked up his glass, clinked it, and downed it in one go.
"Impressive drinker."
Shirley quickly refilled An Yi’s glass, smiling. "But this wine is best savored slowly, you know."
"Got it. Thanks."
An Yi replied indifferently, chopsticks still flying.
Soon, his plate was piled high.
The table was full of delicious dishes, but alas, his stomach had its limits.
"Can’t eat anymore. These are all yours."
With practiced ease, An Yi pushed the unfinished food on his plate toward Nie Qinglan’s side.
Nie Qinglan stared at him in stunned silence.
Boss Nie: "?"
Giving someone else your leftovers?!
Who spoiled this brat into such bad habits?
An Yi:
Oops. Force of habit.