Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 126: Unclear Truths

Upon returning, Chu Tianyu quickly went to find Ouyang Ziyi.
“Why didn’t you just come to our dormitory? Afraid to see Qin Nianran?” Ouyang Ziyi teased as soon as they met.
“It’s hard to get into the girls’ dorm! Everyone knows that!” Chu Tianyu avoided the real issue.
“Not bad, your joking skills have improved!” Ouyang Ziyi praised.
“Of course. You don’t know who I just met—a Waterpeople, a true super Waterpeople! Under her influence, it’s only because of my dull talent and poor comprehension that I’ve barely reached this level!” Chu Tianyu continued joking.
“Ugh, you’re even getting flustered when talking. Stop joking and tell me what really happened.” Ouyang Ziyi asked with a smile.
So Chu Tianyu recounted everything from his meeting with his elder brother, Zhou Kunwei’s visit, to Xue Ning’er and the Tianyin Sect. Ouyang Ziyi was captivated—relieved by the plan to deal with Zhou Kunwei, deep in thought about the subsequent arrangements, and finally laughing uncontrollably at the performance of that so-called super Waterpeople described by Chu Tianyu.
After finishing, Chu Tianyu brought the conversation back to the main topic. “I came to see you because I wanted to hear your opinion on what we should do next. To be honest, I have reservations about my elder brother’s approach. It’s not that his ideas are wrong, but I’m worried he doesn’t fully understand Tianxing Group’s true strength. Relying solely on the Chu family, even with various forms of support, doesn’t guarantee we can swallow Tianxing Group whole! What worries me most are those people—they might resort to extreme measures if cornered, turning to force if business tactics fail.”
“Mm, you’re right! Especially the last point. We can’t predict everything. After all, in modern society, force can’t solve everything. How about you take care of them all by yourself in no time?”
“That won’t be a problem in the short term. I’ve already deployed people to keep an eye on Tianxing Group constantly. But over time, anything could happen!” Chu Tianyu said.
“Do you have a plan? I think the only way is to remove Tianxing Group as a thorn in our side, preventing any of their capital from leaving the country. Then, either you or the warriors can act freely, and it will be easier to eliminate those who need to be gone!” Ouyang Ziyi said in a “bloodthirsty” tone.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to discuss with you now. I heard that for the assassination attempt on Zhan Zifeng by that female ninja, Longhun and all six departments were involved. Tianxing Group not only has to face commercial pressure—I think there must be some value in taking advantage of this!” Chu Tianyu said.
“What about the news from Qianfeng? Are there any weaknesses in Tianxing Group’s financial operations that we can exploit?” Ouyang Ziyi asked after thinking for a while.
“Basically none. They’ve done a very thorough job. Some of their actions started as early as three years ago—their methods are covert, and their operations are widespread. Even Qianfeng only recently began to pay attention to them!” Chu Tianyu replied bluntly.
“So the problem now is how to knock them down commercially first and protect our assets from going abroad, right?” Ouyang Ziyi asked.
“Exactly!” Chu Tianyu said.
“Then go see Qin Nianran directly. She’s a top-tier professional in this field!” Ouyang Ziyi said without hesitation upon hearing this.
…
That evening, when Chu Tianyu arranged to meet Qin Nianran, Ouyang Ziyi wasn’t there. In her words, she’d just be in the way; it was time to delegate and let Chu Tianyu gain some experience on his own!
At that moment, Chu Tianyu was indeed undergoing a test! From the moment he called to arrange the meeting with Qin Nianran, although he wasn’t overly nervous, to be honest, it was easier over the phone since they hadn’t met in person. But once they met face to face, staring at each other, it would be quite awkward.
However, Chu Tianyu hadn’t considered the possibility that Qin Nianran might refuse the meeting. Whether it was Ouyang Ziyi’s words boosting his confidence or some inner confidence he already had…
Anyway, Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran ended up sitting at the same place where they had their first “date” in Beijing. They ordered soda water and the special grilled steak set, though this time it was Qin Nianran who placed the order.
“I guess this is what you ordered last time? It should suit your taste!” Qin Nianran said calmly.
“Oh, haha, Nianran really remembers!” Chu Tianyu laughed.
“Shouldn’t you call me Classmate Qin?” Qin Nianran continued.
“Oh, right…” Chu Tianyu started to sweat!
At that point, Qin Nianran suddenly stopped talking, leaned forward, rested her chin in her hand, and stared at Chu Tianyu intently. Her clear eyes allowed Chu Tianyu to see another “self” of hers!

“Well, Classmate Qin…” As soon as those words left his mouth, Chu Tianyu immediately felt awkward. Back then, calling her “Classmate Qin” had seemed so natural, so effortless! But now, although the situation hadn’t changed, his mindset and thoughts had vastly differed. It could be said that Ou Yang Ziyi’s constant nagging about how she had broken Qin Nianran’s defenses and how Qin Nianran had given him hints and the like had made him unconsciously start to agree with his own views on her. With such thoughts came burdens, and with burdens, how could he maintain the relaxed attitude he had on their first meeting when they actually saw each other? However, after the initial awkwardness, Chu Tianyu gradually adjusted his mindset. After all, their meeting today wasn’t about romantic matters. Facing Qin Nianran’s intense gaze, he calmly said, “Classmate Qin, I’m here mainly to discuss matters related to Tianxing Group with you…” “I’m not interested in that. What I want to talk about is something between us!” Qin Nianran interrupted before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking. “What’s meant to happen will happen. In this world, one always has to repay their debts! Thinking back to my own recklessness in the past, and considering how Ou Yang Ziyi has been harassing and provoking her lately, I see now why she deliberately acted aloof today—she must have planned to push herself forward as a target for Qin Nianran to vent on!” Chu Tianyu thought to himself in response to Qin Nianran’s sudden proposal. Seeing Chu Tianyu silent and lost in thought, Qin Nianran didn’t stop but continued pressing him: “I, Qin Nianran, have never regretted the choices I’ve made, except for one thing—I deeply regret not sending someone to investigate you further after that day at the teahouse. That’s why things went wrong one after another, and why your close friend kept pressing closer…” Chu Tianyu wanted to explain, opened his mouth, but then gave up.

“Today’s words aren’t because our two families’ business ties have temporarily been severed that I get the chance to question you here. I don’t think I’m that opportunistic. Moreover, when I agreed to this marriage arrangement, I never considered those business ties at all. Your Zi Yi was right—back then, I truly believed that marrying a fool would be happier than marrying a normal or even intelligent man! At least I wouldn’t have to face so much suspicion and control. But fate turned against me—it not only assigned me a seemingly perfect fiancé who hid his true nature but also one who required several women to be worthy of him. Tell me, when I learned the truth, should I laugh or cry…?”
With such a long speech, her words revealed true feelings, along with a faint hint of sorrow, which instantly enveloped Chu Tianyu’s heart and mind.
After a long while…
Chu Tianyu remained silent. Qin Nianran’s words, spoken by her own mouth, had a profound impact on him, making him experience for the first time the desolation in her heart…
Seeing that Chu Tianyu still stayed silent, Qin Nianran finally composed herself, sat up straight, her expression stern, and said coldly, without any emotion: “I’ve said everything that needed to be said between us. Since you have nothing to say either, let’s get down to business. In business, what matters most is achieving a balanced ‘profit.’ If you can balance the interests of both sides, there’s no deal that can’t be settled!”
“I suddenly don’t want to talk about this topic today!” Chu Tianyu suddenly broke the silence.
Qin Nianran’s eyes flickered slightly, but she remained calm and said, “Weren’t you the one who invited me out for this very reason? Otherwise, how could I have the honor of seeing Prince Chu’s glorious presence!”
As she spoke, Qin Nianran couldn’t help but add a sarcastic remark. But Chu Tianyu’s mind was clearly not on that. After hearing her words, Chu Tianyu suddenly exclaimed, “So it was, but now it’s not! Oh, no—actually, it’s still…”
Though Chu Tianyu’s words were convoluted, Qin Nianran understood! The first two sentences were easy to grasp—he had intended to discuss business, but after hearing her words, he had new thoughts…
But the most crucial part was his last sentence: “It is, yet it’s not!” It was thought-provoking and full of depth!

Although Qin Nianran hadn’t studied as much psychology as Ouyang Ziyi, she understood how complex human emotions were—there was no way to answer them with simple “yes” or “no.” Chu Tianyu’s reply of “both yes and no” reflected his own contradiction. With her intelligence, Qin Nianran quickly figured out the source of this contradiction. It could be said that Chu Tianyu had asked her out under the pretext of discussing the important matter of Xinghang Group, but did he also hope to take this opportunity to develop a relationship with her? The answer was yes, which explained why he said such an ambiguous statement! It made Qin Nianran suddenly feel a bit happy, a bit fond of this ambiguity…