Volume 2: Strolling with the Wind, Chapter 28: Reuniting with My Wife
The intense college entrance exams finally came to an end, and the stressful senior year of high school also drew to a close. Regardless of whether one performed well or not, these few days before the results were released were undoubtedly a time of wild excitement for most senior students. They were so excited that they didn’t even know what to do. After a year of pressure, they had countless plans for this moment—too many activities to participate in, too much entertainment to arrange, too many friends to gather with. No matter what they did, it was all so exciting and thrilling, with 24 hours of free time at their disposal—sleep whenever they wanted, play whenever they wanted, jump whenever they wanted, shout whenever they wanted…
However, Chu Tianyu was not among these “most senior students.” Right after the exams, he spent three days playing basketball with Da Hu and Zhou Jie, visiting courts at several universities, fully indulging in his excitement and fulfilling their promise made before the exams. After that, Da Hu wanted to play the newly released online game “All Beings II,” and Zhou Jie, of course, wanted to go on a trip with his girlfriend Le Er. Meanwhile, Chu Tianyu stayed at home reading. Ever since he decided to be an ordinary person and started listening to lectures in his textbooks, he fell in love with reading. At first, he only looked up information for the problems in the textbooks, but gradually, as he delved into various books, he realized how vast and fascinating the knowledge contained within them was. He realized how petty and naive his previous thoughts had been. The doubts that had troubled him before were also solved through books. As the ancients said, “There are golden houses in books, and beautiful women within them.” In his eyes, books held even a broader world.
Chu Fangshan prepared a separate courtyard specifically for Chu Tianyu to practice in, as he knew very well what kind of person his grandson was—someone whose existence absolutely could not be known by others. Chu Fangshan later talked to him in detail, hoping to learn more about his grandson and his future plans. But Tianyu remained calm and expressionless, yet spoke words of profound wisdom: “Grandpa, there’s no need to worry about Tianyu. Tianyu knows how to walk his own path. What Tianyu lacks now is not strength, but the ‘heart’ and ‘wisdom’ to control that strength, and also…”
As he spoke, he suddenly broke into a smile. The dull expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by one full of cunning, as he continued the previous topic: “It is from Third Master, numerous books, and countless experiences that Tianyu has deeply understood what ‘great wisdom appears as foolishness’ means, what ‘unknown to others’ means, and what ‘the first to stand out gets shot’ means. So Tianyu thinks it’s better to keep pretending to be foolish—at least not too smart. Hehe, isn’t it said that fools have their blessings? Grandpa, who in this world would bother with a fool? What do you think?”
Watching his grandson’s expression, which shifted between doubt and sincerity in an instant, along with those profound words, Chu Fangshan couldn’t help but recall what Tianyu had once quoted from his masters: “…If you really treat him as a fool, then you’re the fool…”
The college entrance exam results were finally released. Seeing his grandson’s score, it was exactly as he had guessed the day after the exam—the difference wasn’t more than three points, a score sufficient to get into a second-tier university. He shook his head and smiled. As Tianyu had said, he no longer needed to master any specific professional knowledge; he just wanted to find a place to read in peace and seek the true meaning and answers to life through books.
In addition to Tianyu’s exam results, Chu Fangshan also had another set of documents—those related to his future granddaughter-in-law, Qin Nianran, who was betrothed to Tianyu. Along with her exam results were thick stacks of information. After reviewing them, he became greatly interested. He had been paying attention to this matter for years—it not only involved business cooperation and interests with Fudu Industrial but, more importantly, it was about finding a worthy wife for his beloved grandson. How could an ordinary woman accompany such a remarkable man? That’s why detailed reports on Qin Nianran’s every move were submitted to him from time to time.
According to the reports, Qin Nianran had begun secretly taking control of Fudu Industrial at the age of sixteen, establishing her own small team to steer the company’s development. Aside from dealing with Chu Ye Group’s business, she focused on expanding outward. Fortunately, the Binjiang New City project had diverted Fudu’s main funds a few years ago; otherwise, with this trend, Chu Ye would have had no control over Fudu’s development. Thinking of the Binjiang New City project, Chu Fangshan couldn’t help but chuckle—it must have been what made Qin Muyun give up hope, as it was likely the reason she truly relinquished power.
To his surprise, he didn’t expect her to delegate power so early to Qin Nianran, who was only sixteen. Although this was exactly what he had hoped for, Qin Nianran’s capabilities after taking over exceeded his imagination. She and Tianyu were like two extremes—Tianyu preferred to stay low-key and even act like a “fool,” while she never hid her talent and became a globally renowned genius, one whom everyone could only look up to and never reach! Her ways were unique, filled with wisdom that didn’t match her age or experience. In fact, half an hour of reading per day would have been enough for her, but she insisted on going to school and taking exams, never skipping grades or taking shortcuts. In her words, this was accumulation, an inevitable part of life—something indispensable. The definition of a genius should be success, not just being seen as unattainable by others or being complacent about oneself…
The more Chu Fangshan read these materials, the happier and more pleased he became. Although the two young people took extreme paths, they ended up at the same goal. They shared one thing in common: both possessed abilities and minds beyond ordinary people, having “superpowers” that others couldn’t understand…
After finishing reading the materials, Chu Fangshan brought his thoughts back and smiled again, thinking to himself, “I heard that Fudu Industrial’s headquarters has long moved to Shanghai. Heh, it’s time to take Tianyu to Shanghai!”
“I just wonder what Tianyu thinks. Won’t she be too embarrassed to go because of this old-fashioned idea of arranged marriages? Sigh, kids these days are so rebellious. Take my second grandson, Tianfeng—what a headache! It seems I’ll have to act like a feudal patriarch once again. Such a great daughter-in-law can’t just be let go like that, heh…”
With that, Chu Fangshan smiled knowingly, but his smile carried a deep, cunning meaning…
…
Shanghai, an international metropolis and the financial and economic center of the Yangtze River Delta.
At that moment, the luxurious VIP room of Fudu Group was filled with people from the Chu and Qin families. The Chu family consisted of Chu Fangshan, Chu Minglei, and Chu Tianyu, while the Qin family included Qin Muyun, Qin Nianran, along with her son and daughter-in-law.
After sitting down, Qin Muyun spoke with a hearty laugh, “Haha, hearing that Brother Chu is coming, I’m so excited that I haven’t slept for several nights!”
Chu Fangshan didn’t bother to consider whether this excitement was joy or resentment; instead, he laughed heartily and said, “Hehe, Young Qin, I’m extremely excited too! Over the past few years, the cooperation between our Chu Group and your Fudu Group has been obvious to all. How can we not get closer? Hehe~”
Chu Fangshan immediately added, “That’s right. Since Young Qin is here this time, I must treat you well as the host and show you around Shanghai thoroughly. Shanghai has changed a lot over these years…”
It seemed he had said the same thing last month when he met Qin Muyun at a business association event. Moreover, Chu Group’s industries in Shanghai accounted for nearly one-third of all investments in the Yangtze River Delta region. He often spent more time in Shanghai than in Nanjing. Yet, Chu Fangshan didn’t bring this up—after all, he was furious because of the Binjiang New City project. Even if it was hypocritical, it was understandable.
He then said directly, “Young Qin, you’re always so enthusiastic every time you come. It really flatters me. Hehe, come, let me introduce you. This is my third grandson, Chu Tianyu. As for the reason I’m here, I’ll be straight up—actually, I already mentioned it over the phone. Hehe, it’s time for these two kids to get to know each other. After all, in these days, even if there’s an arranged marriage or a prior agreement, they still need some freedom and space to talk properly. Hehe, and this must be your granddaughter. Tsk tsk, she’s truly graceful and intelligent at first glance…”
Qin Muyun was prepared, but he didn’t expect Chu Fangshan to be so direct right after the pleasantries, leaving no room for maneuver. He inwardly cursed, thinking, “What a old fox! He speaks nicely about giving them freedom and space, but why bring up ‘arranged marriage’ and ‘prior agreement’ first? His intentions are obvious. As for his stupid grandson, even if he listens, he’d barely be good enough to be an ordinary person. Looking at his dull, foolish expression now, with those greedy eyes fixed on Nianran, the more he looks, the angrier he gets. He’s not even worth as much as a pile of cow dung!”
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, yet she could only stammer helplessly, unable to speak. Chu Fangshan smirked inwardly upon seeing this and deliberately pretended not to notice, dropping another bombshell: “Oh, by the way, young Qin, we’re here also to discuss the funds for Fudu’s investment in Binjiang New City. Last time, we managed to get ten OK back from the government after much effort. I know that most of Fudu Industrial’s funds over the past few years have been invested in this project. So this time, our Chu Group won’t take a single penny—instead, we’ll use it to repay Fudu Industrial first. The funds should be transferred to your account within these two days. Well, there’s no choice—this project is simply too large, with huge upfront costs and a long timeline. But don’t worry; once it’s fully completed, the profits will be quite substantial. Hehe, Fudu should get its fair share, not a penny less…”
Chu Fangshan’s blatant threat made Qin Muyun even angrier, leaving her speechless. The atmosphere in the room became quite awkward for a while.
“Grandpa Chu, Nianran thanks you on behalf of Grandpa for your concern. Tomorrow, let Nianran show you around as the host—taking Grandpa Chu, your uncles and aunts, and Brother Tianyu to the Bund and to Fudu Group’s headquarters, okay?” It was Qin Nianran who spoke. Though she was addressing Chu Fangshan directly, her gaze flickered subtly toward Chu Minglei and his wife, as well as Chu Tianyu, giving the impression of speaking to everyone at once. After speaking, she even flashed Chu Fangshan a meaningful smile, as if agreeing to something on her grandfather’s behalf, asserting her stance, or indicating that she had accepted their conditions—but hoped they wouldn’t go back on theirs…
Before coming here, Chu Tianyu had adopted a laissez-faire attitude. Apart from his grandfather’s insistence and his mother’s support, there was also that cold little girl from his childhood, whose icy aura and cold statement, “I’m his wife!”, had left an impression on him. So he didn’t put on much pretense or try to refuse; instead, he felt a sense of longing and anticipation.
So as soon as he entered, Chu Tianyu kept staring at Nian Ran, “observing” her. First was her appearance. Although he knew she was the same age as him—just eighteen—she exuded a freshness and elegance that didn’t match her age, along with a serene expression. Yet, there was still a faint trace of the little girl from back then in her eyes, which held a subtle coldness and pride, unchanged from his memories of her. At the same time, sensing her energy, he found it had improved greatly compared to before—much stronger. But compared to those who had practiced cultivation he had encountered, there was still a big gap. Still, compared to ordinary people, she was far stronger. Especially since the great master had said she also possessed special abilities, or superpowers. He wondered just how strong they were—how did they compare to those superpowered individuals from his grandfather’s teams, the Blade and Ice groups?
From the moment he saw her, she had kept her gaze straight ahead, with an air of cold superiority. He had no idea what she was thinking, and she had never looked at him directly. Until suddenly she spoke, and her expression changed completely—from pride to enthusiasm. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed she could have such a radiant smile and a kind tone.
“Hehe, good. Nian Ran, but your grandfather Chu is getting old, so I won’t mix with you young people. Your uncles and aunts also have things to do. Then take Tianyu with you and have fun. He’s never been to Shanghai before!” After saying that, Chu Fangshan turned to Qin Muyun and added, “Haha, young Qin, you’re really lucky to have such a smart and lovely granddaughter. I heard Nian Ran is the top scorer in this year’s Shanghai college entrance exam and plans to go straight to Peking University’s Business School, right? Hehe, what a coincidence! Our Tianyu did well in the exam too and got into Beijing. They can take care of each other there…”
Hearing this, Qin Muyun couldn’t help but respond awkwardly, while also asking skeptically, “Oh? Your grandson also ‘got into’ Peking University?” He emphasized the word “got into” as if he couldn’t believe it.
Chu Fangshan smiled faintly and also emphasized the word “got into” as he replied, “Yes, Tianyu also ‘got into’ Peking University…”
He paused briefly before continuing, “Peking University, and the Beifu Academy next to it…”