Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 212: One Wife and One Concubine

“……” Faced with Chu Tianyu’s words, Bai Lei rolled his eyes, his inner thoughts best expressed by ellipses!
“Great! Food is secondary—it’s rare for us all to be so fate-bound. After all these twists and turns, I never expected… Hehe, great! I’m sure Yun Jiao would be happy to join this gathering. Tianyu, I’ll go pick her up right away.” Chu Tianao agreed to Chu Tianyu’s proposal without hesitation, full of joy.
As for his mention of “twists and turns,” it carried deep implications. It was hard to tell what his true attitude was toward this matter.
But for Chu Tianyu, his attitude didn’t matter. What mattered was resolving this issue. He already disapproved of Bai Lei’s “bestial” behavior, but in this regard, Bai Lei had caught him off guard, leaving him with no say. No matter what plan he came up with, he’d struggle to explain it to Ouyang Ziyi or face Lan Yue. Now, with the situation taking a sharp turn, it presented Chu Tianyu with a perfect opportunity—hence his earlier decision and those frankly spoken words that forced Bai Lei to swallow his anger in pain…
At this moment, the old saying “Others’ misdeeds may be forgiven, but one’s own cannot” seemed apt for Bai Lei!
Chu Tianyu, unfazed, ignored Bai Lei’s resentful expression and began arranging the upcoming gathering. Initially, it was supposed to be a meal, and now it was already time to eat. If they waited for everyone to gather, it might be late. So Chu Tianyu decided to hold it at Ouyang Ziyi’s villa instead, asking her to prepare quickly. Even if it was just a family gathering, once everyone sat down, how to talk and what to say would be Bai Lei’s concern.
After exchanging contact information and the exact location of Ouyang Ziyi’s villa, Chu Tianao and Chu Tianyu left with their group. They said they’d go pick up Yun Jiao and head straight over, so Chu Tianyu didn’t need to make further arrangements.
As soon as they left, Bai Lei, with bloodshot eyes, pointed at Chu Tianyu and gritted his teeth, spitting out a few words: “You… you… you bastard…”
Chu Tianyu remained calm, as if he’d prepared his response in advance. He said, “I don’t want to say that my situation is special, so I can have multiple partners. I just want to tell you that I’ve reached a genuine stage with Ziyi and the others. I’ve never hidden anything from any of them!”

“I know you’re incredibly charming, but you can’t just sell me like that, can you? You have to give me some room to maneuver, right?” Hearing Chu Tianyu’s words, Bai Lei realized something, but his tone remained resentful. “It’s just your bad luck; don’t blame me for being unfair!” Chu Tianyu shrugged. “Hah, you’re getting bolder!” Bai Lei said unhappily. “Who told you ‘Spring’ was bad? One is Zi Yi’s sister, the other is my sister. It seems like all the advantages in our family go to you. How dare you still address us like this? To put it bluntly, no matter which one you choose, from now on you’ll have to call me brother-in-law or eldest uncle brother. What’s so great about that?” “You’re cruel…” Bai Lei completely lost his temper. …… Ouyang Zi Yi and the others were indeed quick to act. By the time Chu Tianyu and Bai Lei arrived, they had already set up tea, drinks, fruits, and snacks outside the yard. After Chu Tianyu gave them a brief phone call to explain what had happened, they worked even harder, as such gossipy rumors were hard for girls to resist. Even Lan Yue’s sister, Ouyang Zi Yi, was excited and full of anticipation, making Chu Tianyu finally understand the term used to describe women—“gossip queen”! Shortly after Chu Tianyu arrived, Chu Tianao, Chu Yunjiao, and Lan Yue also showed up one after another. Once everyone was seated, aside from the initial introductions, the atmosphere instantly became strange. It was described as strange because everyone’s thoughts were extremely complicated. Besides Bai Lei, most of the people present were relatives, so given such an awkward situation, how could the atmosphere possibly be good? As for Chu Tianyu’s concubines, although they didn’t speak, they kept exchanging glances at his cousin Chu Yunjiao, not at Lan Yue for comparison, before secretly discussing things among themselves. It seemed that both Lan Yue and Chu Yunjiao already knew the truth and were prepared before coming. They didn’t show much emotional reaction upon seeing Bai Lei. During the greetings, they didn’t even glance at him, leaving Bai Lei’s outstretched hand hanging in the air—neither to wave nor to lower it, in utter embarrassment.

At this moment, Bai Lei sat down opposite everyone as if ready to face judgment, listless, unsure of his feelings. Who would have thought that the man who always prided himself on being carefree would end up in such a predicament? It felt like a chill ran down his spine, making him extremely uncomfortable. Could this be the price of love?

Ignoring Bai Lei’s random thoughts, Chu Tianyu, as the host of this gathering, tried to break the silence: “Hehe, today is a rare day—it’s not easy for everyone to gather here. We’ve just gotten to know each other, so… this…”

Chu Tianyu struggled for words for a long time but couldn’t come up with anything. The reason was simple: what came next was difficult to say, especially when he saw a few of the involved parties. Chu Tianao wore a smiling, silent expression, which, in Chu Tianyu’s eyes, carried a hidden meaning, making him feel uneasy as if Chu Tianao was saying, “Hehe, Tianyu, I didn’t expect these to be your close friends. You really are a charming young man—birds of a feather flock together. So that’s where Bai Lei’s behavior comes from!”

Lan Yue and Chu Yunjiao, on the other hand, had almost identical expressions—completely calm, or rather, expressionless. Yet beneath their calm demeanor, only they knew what they were thinking.

However, they were quite active with their subtle gestures, especially their eyes, constantly glancing at each other from the corners of their eyes, particularly Chu Yunjiao. Perhaps she was slightly more at ease than Lan Yue. So, in addition to observing Lan Yue, she also occasionally glanced at Ouyang Ziyi and the others. When she saw Xue Feifei, her eyes were filled with a kind of burning desire…

Although Chu Tianyu’s opening remarks weren’t successful, after initially taking in their surroundings, everyone’s attention gradually shifted to Bai Lei, as the main purpose of this gathering was to discuss his issues.

At this point, Bai Lei resembled a wronged wife, not daring to breathe loudly, especially under such pressure and in such a tense situation. He felt almost suffocated.

“Well, this… Bai Lei, this incident is mainly about you, you and Lan Yue, and also…” Seeing Bai Lei’s expression, Chu Tianyu continued, determined to clarify things and spare him further embarrassment.

But before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking, Bai Lei seemed to finally unable to hold back his emotions and burst out, shouting loudly, “Tianyu, you don’t need to feel pressured, and there’s no need for all these excuses. Yes, it’s all my fault, but I still have to say it. Yueyue is my girlfriend, and my love for her is as bright as the moonlit sky. As for Jiaojiao, I fell in love with her at first sight—her grace, her charm… I can only say that this sudden love is beyond description, and I can’t escape it! I’ve fallen for both of them at the same time and want to have them both. So what? Anyway, since everyone is here today, I’m ready to take the risk. Do whatever you want to me—hit me or scold me, I accept it. Please don’t blame Tianyu either; I didn’t learn this from him!”
Hearing Bai Lei’s blunt words, everyone exchanged looks, their expressions full of surprise. Although Bai Lei was a bit chaotic due to his emotional state, everyone understood the main points, especially regarding Lan Yue and Chu Yunjiao’s confessions and attitudes.
For Chu Tianyu, aside from surprise, he felt even more disgusted—especially because of Bai Lei’s last attempt to cover up, which was essentially reminding everyone that he already had a “precedent”!
Moreover, this tactic was extremely cunning—it immediately blocked Ouyang Ziyi, who had the right to speak and was most likely to question and condemn him on behalf of Lan Yue. As for others, like Li Rou, there was no need to say more. After all, his cousin was a guest, so it wasn’t appropriate for him to make hasty decisions. Who would have thought that in such a desperate situation, this kid could still come up with such a move!
So after a long while, Chu Tianyu finally spoke, with an awkward cough, “Well, actually, regarding Bai Lei’s question, it seems none of us really have a say. And it’s rare for him to be so honest. For me, I’m grateful for his reminder! But as he said himself, he’s fallen for two people at once and wants to play both sides. Whether he’s beaten or scolded, he accepts it. So, Lan Yue, you decide for yourself. As for Yunjiao, I think it’s not my place to speak. With my cousin Tianao here, naturally, he’ll make the decision…”
“I decide my own affairs. Why should someone else decide for me?” Before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking, a silver-like voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice and saw Chu Yunjiao with slightly raised eyebrows and her big eyes twinkling as she stared at Chu Tianyu in a questioning manner.

Faced with his cousin Chu Yunjiao’s sudden appearance, Chu Tianyu was unprepared. After all, though she was his cousin, he didn’t really know her well—having only met her at a gathering before, with a decent impression of her at that time, but no further contact since. He had thought she would follow in his footsteps as Chu Tianyu’s cousin, but from the helpless look Chu Tianao gave him, it seemed he might have been wrong! Moreover, Chu Tianyu suddenly had a strange feeling—that this cousin’s “spicy” level might not be any less than Lan Yue’s, and perhaps the real fun had just begun! Chu Tianyu indeed wasn’t wrong. At the same time, his cousin Chu Tianao immediately spoke up after Chu Yunjiao’s words, saying, “Hehe, I’m here today just to spend time with Tianyu and take a look at you all—your future daughters-in-law. Hehe, regarding Yunjiao, I’ll only ensure she has the right to know things and isn’t deceived or misled. As for what choice she makes after learning, even I, as her cousin, can’t control it—let alone Grandpa!” Though he said little, his words lifted Bai Lei’s spirits, as if he sensed some special meaning or found a breakthrough, like grabbing a rope and feeling a turning point. Just as Bai Lei thought there might be a chance, another voice suddenly rang out, “Sorry, everyone. You go ahead and talk. I think I’m not needed here. I’ll be leaving first!” It was Lan Yue. Though her tone was calm, anyone could tell from her expression that she wasn’t at ease. Before anyone could react, Bai Lei rushed over to her, hugged her tightly without saying a word, and shouted, “I love you! I won’t let you go! I love you! I won’t let you go…” “Scoundrel!” Lan Yue gritted her teeth and immediately threw Bai Lei off with a shoulder toss. Everyone knew well of Lan Yue’s skills; Ouyang Ziyi was even ready to catch her. But unexpectedly, Bai Lei didn’t budge at all, only squatting slightly into a horse stance. Chu Tianyu was almost stunned—never expected that kid, who had practiced the horse stance for almost half a year, would use it in this way. He really admired him! But obviously, in this world, if the horse stance could solve problems, there wouldn’t be so many people learning combat skills and such.

Although Lan Yue’s shoulder throw failed to take down this rascal, it wasn’t a challenge for her. She channeled strength into her arms, swayed her body from side to side, and used all her strength to instantly push back Bai Lei’s arms. Then, with a sidestep and a downward thrust of her right shoulder, she struck Bai Lei’s left chest. Painful, Bai Lei immediately released his grip, staggered a few steps, and collapsed onto the grass.

The sudden attack by Bai Lei and Lan Yue was already surprising enough, but even more astonishing things happened at that moment. Chu Yunjiao, who had been sitting not far away, suddenly stood up and, without a word, attacked Lan Yue using techniques from judo, taekwondo, and similar arts.

Lan Yue was clearly taken aback and reacted hastily, allowing Chu Yunjiao to gain the upper hand. But with her skill, Lan Yue quickly regained her footing and began to counterattack.

“Why attack me suddenly?” Lan Yue asked while fighting.

“I finally recognize Xiao Bai. A friend is being attacked, so I’m here to help!” Chu Yunjiao said nonchalantly.

“Heh, fine, let’s see if you really have the ability!” Lan Yue said with a fierce laugh, intensifying her attacks.

“Ability isn’t something you can claim—see this…” Chu Yunjiao retorted without backing down.

“Ugh, ugh, why fight? Having one wife and one concubine is a good arrangement. Can’t you be less selfish?” Bai Lei said, holding his chest as he struggled to stand.

“Die!” Lan Yue and Chu Yunjiao shouted in unison. As if by agreement, they stopped attacking and launched a “Divine Dragon’s Tail” move at the newly standing Bai Lei…