Volume 3: Dragons Soaring and Phoenixes Dancing, Chapter 50: My Life Is So Hard

Even Chu Tianyu, whose skills were extremely advanced, broke into a sweat. He forced himself to stay calm, chuckled twice, and stammered, “Ouyang, classmate Ouyang, your joke is really, really funny… hehe…”
“Have I done and said so much that it seems like a joke?” Ouyang Ziyi asked seriously.
Chu Tianyu was truly puzzled. How had the conversation led to this? Seeing Ouyang Ziyi’s determined expression, it clearly wasn’t a joke. He then became serious as well and said, “I already have a fiancée. You’re still young, with a bright future ahead and many suitors. Don’t waste your time. Besides, I think we’re completely incompatible!”
“Whether we’re compatible or not, and whether it wastes my time or not, are my concerns. Just tell me if you agree or not!” Ouyang Ziyi replied calmly.
“I don’t agree!” Chu Tianyu said firmly.
“If you don’t agree, then fine. But don’t look at me that way. Don’t worry—I promised I wouldn’t reveal your identity, and I will keep that promise. But you have no right to stop a girl from pursuing her love. For example, I’ll bring you breakfast to your dormitory in the morning, even if you don’t eat it; I’ll prepare your favorite drink at the sports field, even if you don’t drink it; I’ll stay by your side in the library, even if you ignore me; and I’ll always be the first one waiting at the door after class, even if you…”
Seeing Chu Tianyu’s pale face, Ouyang Ziyi stopped speaking and softly added, “I’m going to drive now. I’ll be waiting for you!”
At this point, Chu Tianyu was furious. Suddenly, he remembered an old song: “Silent tears stream down, while the sound of camel bells echoes in my ears…”
“What exactly does this Miss Ouyang want? I originally thought of her as just another spoiled, willful rich girl who acts recklessly. I came here just to see what tricks she’d play! Anyway, I had nothing to do anyway. Now, no matter what Ouyang Ziyi’s intentions are, at least she’s piqued my curiosity!” Chu Tianyu thought to himself as he watched Ouyang Ziyi walk away first.
……
In the car, Ouyang Ziyi looked at Chu Tianyu, who sat beside her silently, feeling extremely proud and happy.
But despite her pride, she couldn’t provoke him any further now. It was better to back off and let things settle for now…
The car sped along the streets of Beijing, with neither of them speaking again, maintaining silence.

To be honest, Chu Tianyu’s heart was now truly at peace. Normally, anyone with such good fortune would be overjoyed, but he knew that this girlfriend who had fallen from the sky was even more cunning than a fox—her tricks were so intricate they seemed almost impossible to fathom. This “free” girlfriend was by no means easy to deal with! Moreover, he had no idea what other outrageous things she might do next. Just thinking about it caused him a lot of worry.

As he was lost in thought, a “gurgle” came from his stomach, breaking the silence in the car.

“Oh, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I had some snacks while waiting for you earlier and completely forgot about you. What a sin! Come on, let’s go to Huahuang—I’ll treat you to a good meal!” With that, the car turned, changing direction.

Chu Tianyu was indeed hungry. After playing basketball and taking a bath, it was only natural he would be hungry. If it weren’t for the series of setbacks caused by Ouyang Ziyi, he might have thought about food earlier; otherwise, he would have already given in to hunger.

“Let’s not go to Huahuang. I’m not used to eating there. Let’s just find some alley and eat whatever we can find,” Chu Tianyu said.

“No problem, as you wish!” Ouyang Ziyi replied in a feigned “gentle” tone.

One word: cold!

An alley, a Lanzhou lamb noodle restaurant.

Chu Tianyu ate the lamb noodles and skewers greedily, while Ouyang Ziyi watched him with interest.

After finally finishing most of his meal, Chu Tianyu looked up and saw that Ouyang Ziyi had been watching him eat the whole time. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he said, “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

“Okay, boss! Ten more skewers of lamb, the spiciest ones!” Ouyang Ziyi called out loudly.

“Are Hong Kongers that spicy eaters?” Chu Tianyu wondered.

“What, can’t we handle spice? Hehe, it seems you’ve also been investigating me. Otherwise, how would you know I’m from Hong Kong?”

“Classmate Ouyang, to be honest, having a smart, beautiful, and wealthy girl like you as a girlfriend is every man’s dream. But I know my limits. There are plenty of young men with better backgrounds than mine. And your bodyguards—aren’t they all rich, handsome, tall, strong, or elegant? They’re far superior to someone like me with an ordinary appearance and mediocre talents! Why do you have to target me? If what happened before offended you, I apologize. But please don’t play around with things like girlfriends or boyfriends!” Chu Tianyu tried to take a softer approach, speaking tentatively to Ouyang Ziyi.

Ouyang Ziyi ignored his attempts to reason with her and simply said, “I already made my reasons clear just now. From the moment you got into my car, you’ve already been my boyfriend! Since you’ve brought it up, I might as well take this opportunity to talk to you about your rules.”
“What rules?” Chu Tianyu, still sore from the “agreement,” immediately exclaimed in alarm.
“Boyfriend rules! Of course, they’re just normal requirements. I won’t make things too difficult for you,” Ouyang Ziyi reassured him.
“Let me hear them first…”
Ouyang Ziyi glanced at him and said, “It’s not much. First, help me drive away some flies. That so-called bodyguard team of yours actually has only a few members left. I didn’t expect them to start fighting among themselves. Now there are only three left, and it’s not as fun with that few. So, this remaining task falls on you, my main boyfriend! Second, take up a little of your time—spend some time with me sometimes. Stop reading so much and do more outdoor activities. Third, of course, it’s best if you go along with me. Fourth, during holidays, roses, perfume, chocolate—more isn’t a problem for me. Fifth, you need to have some taste. Don’t always wear the same clothes; improve your style, especially in terms of fashion…”
At this point, Ouyang Ziyi couldn’t help but size up Chu Tianyu from head to toe—his height, appearance, and temperament. Finally, she sighed helplessly and said, “Well, for this fifth point, do as much as you can. I won’t push you too hard…”
“Are these really normal requirements? May I ask what would be abnormal? And what should I do then?” Chu Tianyu asked numbly.
“Abnormal? Like dumping Qin Nianran, kicking Li Rou aside, completely following my wishes—if I say east, you can’t go west; if I say round, you can’t say square…”
“Enough, enough! Let’s stick to the normal discussion process!” Chu Tianyu hurriedly interjected.
“Normal? The normal ones are just what I mentioned earlier!” Ouyang Ziyi said nonchalantly.
“…”
Seeing Chu Tianyu fall silent, Ouyang Ziyi knew he had reached his limit. Dealing with someone as tough on the inside as he was gentle on the outside required strategy. Now that his outward “gentleness” had been exploited enough, the best approach for his inner “toughness” was, of course, “using gentleness to overcome toughness”!

Thinking of this, Ouyang Ziyi’s expression underwent a 180-degree change—her face lit up with enthusiasm, her tone sincere and relaxed. Her rosy lips said gently, “Hehe, I was just joking with you. You didn’t really take it seriously, did you? You’ve been wanting to know why I did this, right? It’s actually very simple—just to be friends with you! Don’t be nervous. Saying I wanted to be your girlfriend was just a whim of mine; I blurted it out. After all, you always put on that aloof expression, so I had to use those annoying tactics of persistence and coercion. Hehe, but it worked, right? I hope you won’t take it to heart!”

Chu Tianyu had no experience dealing with girls from childhood, and his masters never paid much attention to this aspect either. So he maintained a natural, adaptable attitude toward Qin Nianran and Li Rou, which was also related to his current level of skill. Otherwise, he would have already found a suitable partner by now.

But Ouyang Ziyi was different. Starting from their initially unfriendly encounter, to now sitting together eating ramen and lamb skewers while chatting casually, her words were even both gentle and firm. He couldn’t help but admire her—she was truly impressive!

Throughout the journey, Chu Tianyu had been constantly wondering about her motives, making various assumptions and guesses. The reason he went with her was to see what tricks she would play. But in the end, there seemed to be only one possible conclusion: this young lady was “playing” with him!

“If enemies attack, we must resist; if floods come, we must dig dikes. Fine, I’m curious to see just how capable you are. I’ve watched a few old Korean dramas—usually, it’s about some ‘wild girlfriends’ pestering me and disrupting my life to threaten me. If I really were a playboy, I’d be overjoyed. But today, I’ll fulfill your wish and let you have your way. As for me, I’ll just be a lucky guy, enjoying this unexpected fortune. Hmph, hmph… Who knows who’s really playing whom in the end? It’s never been heard of women playing with men and men ending up losing!”

After making up his mind, Chu Tianyu deliberately pretended to reluctantly respond, “No, I won’t. How could I take it to heart? It’s not real, so it’s fine!”

“Great! I knew you wouldn’t care. By the way, tomorrow morning is Saturday. Take me with you to help that old lady set up her stall! I’m quite quick with my hands. What do you say?”

“It’s pretty dirty, and it’s early in the morning. It’ll keep you from sleeping and harm your skin,” Chu Tianyu teased.

“Actually, I don’t need to ask you. I already know the time and place…” As she spoke, she glanced at Chu Tianyu, making it perfectly clear that asking him was out of courtesy!
Chu Tianyu quickly pretended to struggle reluctantly, then showed a face full of sorrow and resentment, nodding “difficultly” as if he had no choice.
“Hehe, I didn’t force you, okay?” Ouyang Ziyi said happily.
“Letting the enemy think their scheme has succeeded is the first step to lulling them into a false sense of security!” Chu Tianyu thought to himself, but on his face, he showed a helpless wry smile.
“By the way, it’s still early. Let’s go for a drive around the fifth ring first, and then I’ll take you to a really great entertainment bar. How about that?” Ouyang Ziyi asked after finishing her last skewer of mutton.
Of course, Chu Tianyu pretended to be extremely reluctant, making all sorts of excuses—things like school inspections at night, saying going to a bar made one a bad kid, and claiming he didn’t have money to pay. But Ouyang Ziyi dismissed each of these with her threatening tactics, looking at Chu Tianyu’s aggrieved expression with a sense of triumph and control.
In truth, Chu Tianyu was thinking to himself, “Huh, a bar? I’ve never been there before. I have no idea what kind of entertainment they offer there. This is a good chance to experience it for free! But what kind of world is this? Are all the pretty girls these days so unconventional? Threatening me to go to a bar is one thing, but now they even take care of transportation, bathing, meals, and paying the bill. And to top it off, they insist on going to make pancakes with me early in the morning. Sigh, if this continues, I’ll end up being a parasite living off others. She’s really pushing it too far. My life is so miserable! Hahaha…”
While thinking this, he “happily” watched Ouyang Ziyi, who thought she had succeeded in her scheme and was beaming with joy. She called the waiter to pay the bill, then followed him, burping as they got into the Ferrari, reluctantly accompanying her for a drive and a visit to the bar!
With his plans working out as he hoped, Chu Tianyu once again deeply understood an old saying: There’s no such thing as a free lunch!

Though he was mentally prepared, the sudden shock of the outing was still too much for him to bear. Unexpectedly, the so-called entertainment bar turned out to be just a large room packed with people, filled with smoke, where they drank, played games, listened to deafening music, endured the DJ’s vulgar noise, watched some dances in bikinis or revealing white thighs, and heard covers of songs. All of that was still tolerable, but what he couldn’t stand was that in just one hour, there were fifteen people trying to approach them. Naturally, when Ouyang Ziyi replied without even looking up that Chu Tianyu was her boyfriend, there was an onslaught of disdain, rolled eyes, and provocation. Coupled with the cold glances from those around them, it was truly unbearable, leaving Chu Tianyu with no mind to pay attention to the performance at all.

Ouyang Ziyi, on the other hand, watched the performance with interest, showing no signs of particular schadenfreude. It was unclear what her purpose in bringing Chu Tianyu here was.

Just as Chu Tianyu was lost in thought, a sudden surge of energy came from the entrance of the lounge, making him tense up. Since choosing an ordinary life, he had never encountered any cultivators again. Running into them here suddenly made his body heat up, and an urge to unleash his energy surged within him. He quickly used his cultivation skills to suppress it.

Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, mocking himself in silence: “As my third master said, once you have cultivation skills, facing other cultivators inevitably makes you eager to compete and test yourself—it’s hard to avoid such instincts!”

A total of five people entered—the four men and one woman. The leader was tall and slender, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a handsome face and a lazy smile that never left his lips. Most notably, he had long white hair that reached his shoulders. The other members also had unique appearances and an imposing aura. The only woman wore a white wool coat, her face as pale as silver frost. Though stunningly beautiful, she exuded a faint chill, making it clear at first glance that these people were not easy to deal with.

So, despite the crowded hall, everyone instinctively stepped back a few feet as they passed. Amid the commotion, all eyes in the entertainment bar were drawn to them.

As if it were nothing out of the ordinary, they sat down not far from Chu Tianyu and his group, ordered drinks, and started watching the performance.

Once they sat down, people turned their attention away, and the lounge returned to its usual noise, with the performance continuing…

“Wuhen, did you feel a surge of true energy just now? It appeared and disappeared intermittently. Although the energy wave wasn’t particularly strong, it seemed to be retracted and suppressed before it could be released,” asked the woman in white among the five quietly.
The others who had just sat down were immediately drawn to her words. One of the tall men said in a rough voice, “Feixue, you have the keenest intuition. If you say so, it must be true. Why ask Wuhen? Other than acting cool with his white hair, how could he possibly sense any such weak energy fluctuations?”
“Right, right, Xue Dao is right!” another thin man agreed repeatedly.
The target, Wuhen, paid no attention to these two fools. He listened to Feixue’s words, first scanning the entire hall slowly without finding anything, then falling into deep thought. After a long while, to everyone’s anticipation, he spoke up, “That was the true energy of a cultivator! I didn’t expect to encounter a cultivator here. Based on Feixue’s feeling, I estimate this cultivator has reached Grade A!”
“Grade A?” everyone exclaimed.
The thin man was even more skeptical. “Wuhen, don’t make things up just because you don’t understand. It’s a small bar—just take one look, and you’ll see there’s not even anyone over fifty. Grade A cultivators, according to records, are all over eighty years old. Tch…”
The tall man also said, “Yeah, Feixue said the energy fluctuations she sensed weren’t strong. I guess it’s just some noble’s son here for fun, at most Grade E. He accidentally released some energy, and you’re making such a big deal out of it!”
“Xing Mang, Brother Xue Dao, Wuhen Brother must have his reasons for saying this. You should listen carefully to his explanation!” said the quiet, delicate-looking young man who had remained silent until then.
“Xiao Shui, you’ve only been transferred from the ‘Ice’ group for a few days. Don’t let that guy’s cool appearance deceive you. Be careful, really careful!” Xing Mang reminded him softly.
“Brother Xing Mang, don’t talk nonsense. What do you mean ‘deceived’? I’m a guy! Besides, when I was in the ‘Ice’ group, I’ve already heard about your ‘Blade’ trio. Every time, you followed Wuhen Brother’s lead. If anyone said bad things about him, you’d even draw weapons against them. So why now…”
“Xiao Shui, look! That girl next to us is so pretty!” Before Xiao Shui could finish speaking, Xue Dao quickly interrupted, trying to change the subject.
“Where? Where?” Xiao Shui asked eagerly.
……