Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 216: The Toad’s Croak

The words were unpleasant, and even the voice was unbearably harsh.
Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran both turned to look. At the head of the group arriving was a tall man with a fairly proportionate build, but his face was extremely pale.
Chu Tianyu felt that the speaker seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he had met him. The man’s face wasn’t only pale but also oddly distorted. Though his eyes, nose, and mouth were there, they seemed to be crudely assembled from some inferior material.
“Zhan Zifeng, what did you say? Let me repeat once again—stop bothering me!” Qin Nianran’s stern words shocked Chu Tianyu. The person before him was actually Zhan Zifeng! It was hard to believe. In Chu Tianyu’s memory, although Zhan Zifeng was annoying, he still looked quite handsome, especially with his unique aura, which gave him a distinct masculinity and charm. But the man before him was a world away in appearance!
However, Chu Tianyu quickly realized it must have been the ambush last time that not only left Zhan Zifeng seriously injured but also damaged his face with the blood mist from the sneaking ninja. Judging from his current state, his injuries were severe—his face was likely disfigured. His current appearance, needless to say, was the result of plastic surgery. No wonder it looked so strange and unharmonious. It turned out to be a poorly put-together “product”!
“You… you’re Chu Tianyu?” Zhan Zifeng ignored Qin Nianran’s questions and instead began to study Chu Tianyu closely. After examining him carefully, he still asked doubtfully, not entirely sure.
“You… you’re Zhan Zifeng?” Chu Tianyu imitated Zhan Zifeng’s tone and asked the same question. Now that he knew it was this guy, and considering his arrogant words earlier, there was no need to be polite. Moreover, this guy’s intention was clearly to target his fiancée, so Chu Tianyu retorted in kind.
Even a blind person could tell the meaning behind such a question. Comparatively, Chu Tianyu, of course, reverted to his fierce demeanor from before he fell into obsession, while Zhan Zifeng looked pitiful, like a toad trying to eat swan meat!
Hearing this, Zhan Zifeng’s expression instantly changed. It darkened, clearly understanding the sarcasm in Chu Tianyu’s words. But given his personality, he didn’t lash out immediately. Instead, he just stared intently at Chu Tianyu’s face, silent.

After all, given Chu Tianyu’s status and background, along with his legitimate engagement to Qin Nianran, no matter from which perspective, Zhan Zifeng had no right to speak or any reason to be arrogant. So all he could do now was stay silent, keep quiet!
Yet from his dark gaze, a fierce intent toward Chu Tianyu’s appearance and changes was unmistakably evident…
Chu Tianyu saw everything in Zhan Zifeng’s expression and demeanor, aware of such a person’s cruelty. He also knew full well about Zhan Zifeng’s actions, including the methods he used against Zhou Chongyun. So Chu Tianyu acted very naturally, pulling Qin Nianran, who was already close by, into his arms. Immediately, he felt Qin Nianran tremble—she hadn’t expected Chu Tianyu to do such a thing. She instinctively tried to struggle but then seemed to remember something and forced herself to hold back.
Chu Tianyu seemed completely unaware of Qin Nianran’s thoughts and actions. Without paying extra attention, he walked a few steps forward with her, looking at Zhan Zifeng, his tone gradually turning harsh: “Whether you’re Zhan Zifeng or not, there’s only one word for what I have to say—get lost!”
“Damn, this kid is really bold. It seems he won’t realize his own strength unless he gets beaten up. Daring to mess with Zifeng’s girl—he must want to die!”
“Exactly. First, ruin this kid’s face, and see if he’s still so arrogant…”
A few of Zhan Zifeng’s accomplices started talking while rolling up their sleeves, ready to fight.
But before they could finish speaking, Zhan Zifeng spread his arms outward, barely stopping them. His expression was unpredictable, as if he were struggling to control something. He tried to speak calmly to Chu Tianyu: “Chu Tianyu, don’t be shameless. I know all about your little schemes. I won’t mention how many people you’ve trampled underfoot. Don’t think that some so-called engagement gives you the right to act so arrogantly. Let me tell you—if it weren’t for that incident last time, and out of gratitude for you and your classmate, just for what you said today, I’ll make sure you enter Peking University upright and leave it on your back!”
After saying that, without waiting for Chu Tianyu’s reaction, he waved his hand, turned around, and left with his friends without looking back.
“Zifeng, why did you have to deal with that kid? That’s your goddess, Qin Nianran!” said one of his accomplices.

“Yes, I was saying, Zifeng, what’s wrong with you today? Even your way of speaking is strange. I went out of my way to inform you as soon as I saw those two together, thinking you’d be able to take care of that kid on the spot!” Fox Friend B said while claiming credit for his actions.

“Why are you guys making such noise? Can’t you hear? Zifeng knows that guy named Chutianye—there must be a reason for that. Maybe he’s just Qin Nianran’s cousin or something. Otherwise, given Qin Nianran’s aloof personality, not to mention treating men kindly, not even female classmates have ever seen her act so affectionately…” Dog Friend A analyzed “rationally”.

“Oh, that’s possible too, Zifeng. Who is that guy? He looks like he deserves a beating. Hey, Zifeng, tell us!” Dog Friend B also interjected.

“Shut the hell up, all of you! It’s annoying!” Zhan Zifeng roared in fury.

……

Chutianye heard every word of their conversation. In his eyes, these people were utterly insignificant, so he felt nothing but amusement at Zhan Zifeng’s noisy friends. He really couldn’t take them seriously—just like toads croaking. Why did he even bother with them?

But as for Zhan Zifeng, Chutianye wasn’t so indifferent. Noticing Zhan Zifeng’s gloomy gaze when he left, Chutianye became highly wary. He didn’t want to end up unharmed while causing harm to someone else, especially since Zhan Zifeng’s reserved silence only increased Chutianye’s caution.

Just as Chutianye was lost in thought, he felt Qin Nianran move beside him, snapping him out of it. He realized he was still holding her. With a sheepish laugh, he quickly released her arm, allowing her to stand steadily again and step aside. A hint of annoyance appeared on her face, but Chutianye ignored it and immediately used his favorite tactic—changing the subject. He asked seriously, “Nianran, what do you think of Zhan Zifeng’s behavior today?”

Qin Nianran, who had been disturbed by Chutianye’s embrace, took this opportunity to hesitate for a moment before answering his question instead. She asked, “Do you know why I particularly hate him?”

Chutianye had no answer to that question, because in his eyes, there wasn’t a single thing about Zhan Zifeng he didn’t dislike!

Fortunately, Qin Nianran didn’t give Chu Tianyu a chance to respond. Instead, she immediately said, “What I hate most is his hypocrisy—arrogant deep down yet pretending to be a gentleman with perfect manners on the surface…”
“By that standard, he’s a typical hypocrite!” Chu Tianyu summarized.
Qin Nianran seemed to agree and added, “So, he must be holding a grudge over this incident. It’s only because of your family background that he’s holding back. But who knows what will happen in the future! I hope he stays honest and doesn’t have any bad intentions, otherwise, who knows the consequences if he crosses you!”
After saying that, Qin Nianran gave Chu Tianyu a meaningful look.
Chu Tianyu didn’t show any particular expression but suddenly became serious and said to Qin Nianran, “It’s you who should be worried. With his skills, if he has any malicious intentions, you’ll really find it hard to resist…”
Chu Tianyu didn’t finish his sentence, but Qin Nianran understood his meaning. She smiled slightly and said, “One should reassess someone after a few days apart. My current skills may not be comparable to Zhan Zifeng’s, but they’re more than enough to protect myself!”
Facing Chu Tianyu’s puzzled gaze, Qin Nianran continued, “This is all thanks to your help. Those secret manuals you gave me seem tailor-made to complement my original training methods. Practicing them not only doubles the efficiency but also allows me to reach levels I never imagined possible!”
Chu Tianyu felt aggrieved—those manuals were his carefully selected top-tier techniques, specifically crafted for Qin Nianran, designed to match her energy flow. They were by no means meant to complement her basic training methods.
Still, Chu Tianyu suddenly released a surge of energy from his body, directing it toward Qin Nianran. Instantly, Qin Nianran activated her own energy flow, instinctively resisting Chu Tianyu’s sudden attack.
But before she could react further, Chu Tianyu retracted his energy, making Qin Nianran realize that he was testing her skills. With that in mind, she looked at Chu Tianyu with anticipation—after all, in this area, she, a genius, felt inferior compared to this monster before her.

After giving it a try, Chu Tianyu indeed found that Qin Nian’s skills had improved greatly. A true genius indeed—with her current level of skill, as she herself said, she could protect herself against Zhan Zifeng without issue. After all, both she and Qin Nianran had seen Zhan Zifeng’s skills that night and had gained an understanding of them.

Seeing Qin Nianran’s improved skills, Chu Tianyu nodded in approval. Yet this casual gesture filled Qin Nianran with joy, as if she had achieved something great. This also filled her heart with conflict, for reason told her that such emotions were dangerous!

So, Qin Nianran quickly steadied her mindset, stopped dwelling on the topic, and remembered that there was still an agreement handed to her by Chu Tianyu before Zhan Zifeng interrupted them, which she hadn’t yet read. She quickly unfolded the crumpled piece of paper and continued reading.

On it, aside from the four big characters “Love Agreement,” there were just a few short lines. The first line stated that the pre-agreement of engagement remained valid; the second line outlined a hiring plan, assigning Qin Nianran full responsibility for all matters related to development; and the final line contained just three simple words: I love you…

When those three words came into sight, Qin Nianran almost felt dizzy. Even those words seemed to blur and become illusory before her eyes, as if placing her in a dreamlike state, with everything around her seeming unreal.

It took a long time before Qin Nianran regained her senses at Chu Tianyu’s call. But when she instinctively looked at him, the moment their eyes met, she immediately flinched away in panic. Any mental techniques like the Ice Heart Jade Art had long since collapsed. At that moment, Qin Nianran couldn’t describe exactly how she felt—a mix of anger, sourness, and sweetness all surging through her, all because of those last three words!

“How about it? Do you accept this agreement?” Chu Tianyu pressed further, seizing the opportunity.

Another silence followed. Watching Qin Nianran’s ever-changing expression, Chu Tianyu finally waited until she calmed down and got her answer—a response that surprised him greatly yet left him helpless: “Your agreement paper is too old and crumpled; it can only be voided. Let’s end this conversation here. Goodbye!”

Without waiting for Chu Tianyu’s explanation, Qin Nianran folded up the crumpled agreement and left in a hurry, leaving Chu Tianyu feeling frustrated—neither able to chase after her nor to let her go.

But just as Qin Nianran had walked a certain distance away from Chu Tianyu, his last words shouted in her direction still reached her ears: “The paper is too old, representing my caution! The paper is too wrinkled, representing my deliberation! These are all my true thoughts, my most genuine feelings…”
…
Chu Tianyu returned to Beifu Academy in the afternoon. Along the way, he was utterly bewildered by what had just happened. The agreement was in such poor condition because he had written it, then taken it out repeatedly to ponder over it, imagining the moment he would confront Qin Nianran and what he would say when presenting it to her. Yet he never expected such an outcome; his best-laid plans had completely backfired.
However, Chu Tianyu wasn’t too disappointed by this result, because when Qin Nianran left, he saw with his own eyes her carefully putting that tattered agreement into her pocket as she walked away!
That’s why he ended up using telepathy to speak those words that could be considered a confession to her…
“Breaking news, breaking news, the biggest news ever…” As Chu Tianyu, burdened with thoughts, entered the classroom, he heard Bai Lei’s high-pitched voice shouting.