Volume 2: Riding the Wind Chapter 44: Women Should Be Dumber “Classmate Ouyang, I know that in every way, you’re outstanding and excellent. But doesn’t your excellence need to be built on someone else’s foundation? Though there are differences in wealth, status, appearance, and intelligence—ranks of high and low, rich and poor—everyone’s essence is equal. Just like in a car, should others automatically give way to you? It’s not so much that you’re infinitely charming, but rather that others are kind-hearted and overlook trivial matters. Or like driving a Hummer at high speed on a road after rain—it might seem cool, but if that coolness comes at the expense of others getting splashed with mud, then being criticized a bit is still mild punishment. As for in a restaurant, even if you fight, don’t I still have the right to order takeout? What does it matter to you?” After speaking all at once, Chu Tianyu suddenly realized his words sounded exactly like the sharp, confrontational tone they had just used. Sigh, once you’re involved, you get stained. Oh no, would he speak in such a “bitter and sharp” feminine tone from now on? That would surely make Bai Lei and the others laugh themselves to death! While Chu Tianyu was worrying silently, the two beauties interpreted his words differently. Qin Nianran saw his furrowed brows and assumed he was deep in thought, still pained by Ouyang Ziyi’s “bad” behavior and reflecting on the true meaning of life after delivering those profound words. Ouyang Ziyi, on the other hand, was speechless. Especially when she saw him frowning with a look of condemnation, disdain, and contempt after speaking, she was furious and didn’t know what to say for a moment, staying frozen in place. It was the first time Qin Nianran felt satisfaction that night. Yes, only “satisfaction” could describe it, and she hadn’t felt it in ages. From being annoyed by that fool at first, to the verbal sparring with Ouyang Ziyi, to this sense of satisfaction now—her emotions over the past few years hadn’t been as intense as they were tonight! Seeing Ouyang Ziyi’s state, staying any longer would only bring embarrassment. So she said, “I think we should go. Goodbye, Classmate Ouyang!” Chu Tianyu, eager to escape the tense atmosphere, quickly got up to pay at the counter. The two steak packages were indeed cheap—only seventy-eight yuan in total. It was worth the effort he’d put in discussing prices with the waiter earlier. Chu Tianyu touched the eighty yuan he had on him and happily paid the bill.

Just as the bill was paid, Chu Tianyu’s body trembled. In the shadows of the control room, he discovered a unique symbol—a pattern that seemed to drift like wind. If not looked at closely, it might have been mistaken for just a wall sticker! He never expected that this place would actually be a liaison point for “Qianfeng.” Back then, his third master had spent three whole days teaching him about the entire structure of the Xuanji Sect, its operations, and information on its key members. This symbol wasn’t present in every “Qianfeng” facility; it was only found in the liaison centers of certain regions. He never thought he would encounter it here.

“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?” Seeing Chu Tianyu standing frozen in the control room, Qin Nianran couldn’t help but ask.

Realizing what was happening, Chu Tianyu quickly said, “Oh, nothing. The bill’s paid. Let’s go!”

“Take my car. I’ll drive you there!”

“Okay…”

……

In the teahouse, Ouyang Ziyi and her companion remained behind.

During their conversation, Xin Jie, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke up. “Ziyi, are you okay? That girl must be Qin Nianran from Fudu Industrial, right? She’s truly extraordinary—a legendary genius, living up to her reputation! But that little boy is quite cute. Though he seems ordinary, what he said at the end was quite meaningful. I wonder who he is.”

Ouyang Ziyi also recovered. Hearing Xin Jie’s words, she said through gritted teeth, “I don’t care who he is. I only know that he made me angry…”

“Then you should know even more about him. Don’t you find it strange? With someone like him, Qin Nianran would actually go on a date with him alone. Whatever the nature of that date, it at least means he’s not an ordinary person.”

“Mm, Xin Jie is right. I’ve heard of Qin Nianran, but I don’t know much about her. As for that brat, I first met him when Lan Yue and I were traveling over the summer. He was alone, taking long-distance buses and walking on foot. He dressed simply, and his demeanor didn’t seem like that of a wealthy kid trying to appear humble. As for how he got to know Qin Nianran, I have no idea. By the way, Xin Jie, do you know anything about Fudu Industrial? Are there any other specific details?”

“Fudu Industrial mainly operates in Shanghai and Zhejiang areas. We don’t have many opportunities to interact with them, but I’ve heard that thanks to their strong cooperation with Chuye Group, they’ve grown very rapidly. Although it’s a family-owned business, they’ve managed to rank among the top 100 companies based on their strength! It seems that in recent years, Qin Nianran has been in charge of managing their business. For some reason, she went back to Peking University to study. Anyway, Zi Yi, in terms of status, appearance, and talent, she’s pretty much on par with you. Hehe, no wonder those guys gave you two the nickname ‘the two most beautiful women’—it really fits!”
“Sis Xin~ Why are you teasing Zi Yi too?” Ouyang Zi Yi said in a playful tone.
“Teasing? How could that be? I’m too envious! Ah, youth is such a wonderful thing!” Sis Xin’s beautiful face briefly showed a hint of resignation as she spoke.
Seeing this, Ouyang Zi Yi quickly changed the subject. “Sis Xin, could you help me look into that Qin Nianran and that annoying guy? Oh, right, I still don’t know his name. It seems like he’s also a student—maybe from Peking University? Hmph, I’ll handle that. Just help me find out more about Qin Nianran!”
“Sure, no problem. Zi Yi, I’ve already arranged a place for you to stay—it’s safe. Since you’re coming to Beijing to study, the chairman specifically instructed me to take good care of you, especially your safety…”
“I know, Sis Xin. I’m not a child anymore. A few people can’t even get close to me. I’m the national champion in women’s martial arts, runner-up in the world shooting championships, a judo black belt, and skilled in karate and taekwondo…” Ouyang Zi Yi acted tough as she spoke.
This made Sis Xin, who had been a bit sentimental, laugh. She replied, “Okay, okay, everyone knows how amazing you are! But in public, please keep your ‘muscular presence’ in check so you don’t scare others, hehe…”
“Fine, Sis Xin. You’re teasing me again…”
…
Inside the car, Qin Nianran and Chu Tianyu didn’t speak anymore, as if all their words had remained in the teahouse. For a moment, neither of them knew what to say. The warm scent in the car filled Chu Tianyu with comfort.
Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long. With the loud roar of the sports car, it soon stopped not far from the entrance of Beifu Academy.
“Thank you, I’ve arrived,” Chu Tianyu said, unwilling to waste words.
“I know!” Qin Nianran said, holding the steering wheel and turning to look at Chu Tianyu.

“I’m getting out then!” Chu Tianyu said, but didn’t move even a fraction.
“Do you know why I asked you out today?” Qin Nianran asked, still looking straight at him.
“No!” Chu Tianyu replied bluntly.
“That last line was really powerful! There aren’t many chances to leave Miss Ouyang speechless—maybe just once in a lifetime!” Qin Nianran said casually.
“Hehe, I learned that from books. As for what Miss Ouyang thinks, that’s not my concern…”
Suddenly, Qin Nianran’s expression changed. Seeming to want to stop discussing the topic, she shifted gears and said, “Actually, there’s no special reason for inviting you out today. It’s just that we happened to meet by chance. Anyway, since we’re engaged, it’s polite to meet up. Also, I want to reiterate my stance: no interference from either side!” she said coldly.
“Hmm, thanks for the ‘invitation.’ Anyway, I’ll still abide by the basic agreement. Is there anything else? I really have to go now!” With that, Chu Tianyu pushed open the car door and stepped out. Qin Nianran’s icy words, though he had braced for the worst before the meeting, still left him unsettled when faced with them.
People are strange—when they expect nothing, they don’t overthink things. But once they go through something, their thoughts can no longer be so simple. Just like Chu Tianyu now—earlier, he and Qin Nianran had even united against a common enemy, yet now she was so cold, making it hard to accept.
Chu Tianyu hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of a sports car behind him. Qin Nianran drove over slowly, leaned out, and said, “Regarding today’s incident, Ouyang Ziyi won’t give up. I guess she’ll start by investigating me. It won’t be hard for her to figure out our relationship. By then, whether you can keep your status as the third young master of the Chu family, continue hanging around with your friends, read books in the library in peace, or even fulfill your duties of managing class affairs—none of that is certain! Be careful!”
With that, she accelerated, turned a corner, and sped away with a roar.

Chu Tianyu was left standing there in shock, sweating profusely, wondering what this was all about—was this really just a tactic of punishing someone before giving them a reward? She had even investigated him before and seemed to know everything about him. It was unclear what she wanted. Sighing, Chu Tianyu suddenly remembered a sentence he had read somewhere: “Women might be better off being a bit foolish!”

Qin Nianran, who drove away, actually stopped the car by the roadside after going just a short distance. She stared at the documents she had taken out of the car’s compartment, lost in thought. The word “Chu Tianyu” at the beginning of the documents seemed shrouded in mist, making it impossible for her to understand them.

In fact, the documents were written clearly and in detail, recording everything since Chu Tianyu’s first day of school. There were mentions of him being one of the Four Heroes of Beifu, the class monitor, and his consistent visits to the library every day. He led a simple life, giving the impression that he would go unnoticed anywhere. Yet, who would have thought that he was the third son of the Chu family and her fiancé…

Should she send someone to investigate further? In the past, they had only been asked to gather information, not to follow him. At this thought, Qin Nianran was shocked. How could she have such expectations? Did she hope he would bring her a surprise or a miracle?

She shook her head secretly, laughing bitterly. “To be honest, aside from his appearance, his current behavior is quite good. At least he doesn’t have those annoying rich-boy habits. He’s not very smart, but fortunately, he knows to work hard. But with that alone, he’s still far from meeting my standards. Sigh, let it be. Even if I investigate further, what would it achieve?”

As she thought this, her hand suddenly glowed, as if with electromagnetic energy, instantly destroying the documents. All that remained was a lump of black charcoal, surrounded by a magnetic field. When it was thrown out of the car, the magnetic force disappeared, and it scattered in the wind…

Along with that, she murmured to herself, “Since there’s no need to investigate him anymore, let me find another target—Ouyang Ziyi! She’s an interesting opponent. Hehe, at least I won’t be bored for a while…”

When Chu Tianyu returned to the dormitory, he saw the three of them happily discussing something. As soon as he entered, they surrounded him. Bai Lei, with a mischievous smile, took out a helmet-like device and said, “Damn, Third Brother, you’ve been so absorbed in reading that you forgot time! Why did you come back so late today? We’ve been waiting for you for ages. Come and give it a try—it’s the latest virtual helmet. We brought it back this afternoon. Keep it; you can play ‘All Creatures 2’ tonight!”
“But before that, let’s play some poker, Dou Dizhu…” Bai Lei said.
“Before Dou Dizhu, I need to tell you that I paid for this helmet. Bao Cai picked out the style, and I brought it back myself…” Bai Lei added.
“Do you understand?” the three of them asked in unison.
“…” Chu Tianyu nodded sadly, knowing that the “price” was about to be discussed.
“Haha, Third Brother, so decisive! You’re really smart! Here, these are my dirty clothes—worn back to front, I only wear them once every two weeks. Hehe, just a few pieces, not much. Hey, Third Brother, come help carry this laundry basket; it’s pretty heavy!” Bai Lei said while pulling at the basket.
“Oh…”
“Brother, I won’t trouble you with my clothes, but you’ll have to take care of the toilet this week since it’s my turn to clean it!” The tall guy said, patting Chu Tianyu’s shoulder earnestly.
“Oh…”
“Well, I’m the youngest, so I’m too embarrassed to ask for anything. But for that 5,000-word reflection due next week, I’d really appreciate it if Third Brother could help me. I’m so sorry…” Bao Cai said, pretending to be shy.
“Oh…”
“By the way, when we came back tonight, we saw some club recruitment notices on the bulletin board. Starting Sunday, we’ve decided that you should get up early to secure a good spot and check out the materials for us. That way, we can compare them carefully. Haha, I’ve heard college clubs are fun—this is our chance!” Bai Lei added lastly.
“Oh…”