Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 246: The Passionate Youth

Ouyang Ziyi was taken aback and instinctively reached out, saying, “Uh, hi! Please sit. Is there something you need?”
The woman who called herself Ning Shuang was by no means polite. She sat down right away, winked playfully at Ouyang Ziyi, and said, “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself, sister? I’ve already told you my name is Ning Shuang!”
“I’m Ouyang Ziyi!” Ouyang Ziyi, intrigued by this strange and bold girl, replied straightforwardly.
“Ouyang… Ziyi… What a poetic name!”
“Hehe, your name is even more beautiful, Ning Shuang—like frost formed from snow, so clear and delicate, yet full of vitality!”
“Really? I also have a sister, but her name isn’t Si Xue; it’s Ao Xue…”
“Hmm~ Hmph~” Chu Tianyu could no longer stand it. This Ning Shuang was openly “flirting” with Ziyi right in front of him, even inventing things like “Ao Xue Ning Shuang”—it was outright boring flirtation!
With Sophia’s experience as a warning, he had to be cautious. Moreover, the natural energy emanating from this girl clearly attracted Ouyang Ziyi’s elemental energy. Perhaps neither of them was fully aware of this, which is why Chu Tianyu quickly interrupted them with a “Hmmph” as their conversation grew more intense. But instead of saying anything directly to them, he raised his hand and called out to the waiter in the distance, “Kid, bring us another cup here, and some sunflower seeds and pistachios as well…”
While the waiter brought over the fruits and cups, Chu Tianyu took the opportunity to convey a message to Ouyang Ziyi: “Ziyi, this woman’s background is suspicious. She too possesses natural energy from heaven and earth. Don’t you feel it’s particularly easy to talk to her? There seems to be an attraction about her that makes you naturally feel close to her, right?”
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ziyi’s expression changed slightly, but she quickly adjusted herself, pretending to remain calm, and nodded slightly to confirm Chu Tianyu’s words.
“This situation applies to her as well. Take this chance to ask her more about herself. Maybe you can even make a new friend…” Chu Tianyu said jokingly at the end.

While Chu Tianyu was speaking, the girl named Ning Shuang initially glared at him angrily, clearly upset that he had interrupted their conversation for no reason. But as Chu Tianyu continued speaking and the fruit platter was brought over, she gradually calmed down, forgave him, and turned her smile back to Ouyang Zi Yi, as if everyone else in the world was unnecessary—especially that annoying good-looking guy across from her, who was utterly superfluous! Only she and Zi Yi were the center of this world…

This made her feel strange too; she had never experienced such a wonderful feeling even when with her closest sister, Ao Xue!

As Ning Shuang was lost in her thoughts, Ouyang Zi Yi took the initiative to ask, “Ning Xue, you seem like a freshman. Why are you here alone at the bar?”

“I’m here waiting for my sister…”

“Oh, by the way, what’s your surname, Ning Shuang? What about yours?”

“What surname? We just go by Ao Xue Ning Shuang—we don’t have surnames!”

Thinking the other girl might be holding back, Ouyang Zi Yi simply said, “Oh…” and didn’t ask further.

“Zi Yi, are you in college too?”

“Mm, I’m at Peking University…”

“Wow, Peking University! I’m so envious. I’m at the Beijing University of the Arts…”

And so their conversation drifted away again—talking about their schools, whether the cafeteria food was good, how big the library was. As they chatted, Qin Nianran and Xue Feifei joined in. Ning Shuang didn’t feel any particular aversion toward them. On the contrary, when she saw Xue Feifei’s true appearance, she was shocked. If not for Ouyang Zi Yi quickly covering her mouth, she would have blurted it out!

Three women can start a drama, but four? That’s impossible. Ouyang Zi Yi had long forgotten Chu Tianyu’s reminder. After all, Ning Shuang gave her such a friendly and familiar feeling, as if they were old friends and confidants.

But for Chu Tianyu, it was all confusing. God only knew how meaningful their conversations were. In any case, Chu Tianyu knew that Zi Yi had never been to their school’s cafeteria or library, yet they were chatting so animatedly. In one word: “Impressive!”

So when Qin Nianran and Xue Feifei joined in, the topic immediately escalated from campus life to the entire world. No matter what topic came up, as long as someone started it, the other three would jump in, engage in lively discussions, and then bring up more topics from those discussions…

Chu Tianyu was almost going crazy. Bored as he was, he had no choice but to engage in a competition with the strong liquor in his glass! After a long while, with Chu Tianyu continuously making sounds like “Hmm,” “Hah,” and “Hmph” without any result, it was Ouyang Ziyi who suddenly remembered something and asked Ning Shuang why her sister hadn’t arrived yet. If she came, they could chat together. This finally woke Ning Shuang up. She had been sitting there for so long that it was already past the time she had agreed with her sister. Her expression immediately darkened with concern, but to Chu Tianyu, it seemed as if she already knew why her sister hadn’t shown up, which seemed strange. “Yeah, if there’s something wrong, you could call and ask first,” Xue Feifei said kindly. But Ning Shuang didn’t make any move to call; she just kept her lips sealed and stopped talking. Seeing this, Chu Tianyu quickly took the opportunity to say, “Ziyi, Nianran, Feifei, I have something to do, and it’s getting late. Shall we leave first?” At this point, Chu Tianyu no longer cared about figuring out this woman’s identity. As a man, sitting there idly listening to four women chat was far too boring. Moreover, due to Ning Shuang’s interruption, many specific matters related to taking control of the Chu family hadn’t been discussed yet. So, taking this chance, Chu Tianyu immediately suggested leaving. Ning Shuang didn’t say much either. She gave Chu Tianyu a meaningful look, a hint of hatred flashing in her eyes, but it seemed like she thought of something else, causing her to give up the idea of pressing him for answers right then. Ziyi and the others were surprised to see Chu Tianyu speak like that and start rushing to pay. They immediately understood and smiled secretly to themselves. It turned out that the omnipotent and fearless Young Master Chu couldn’t handle this situation either! With that thought, they exchanged glances and smiled at the same time… As Chu Tianyu hurriedly left the bar with the three women, Ning Shuang watched their retreating figures with reluctance, feeling disappointed. Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh no, I forgot to ask for Ziyi’s contact information. Oh right, and that annoying good-looking guy—what exactly is their relationship? And there’s also the famous star Xue Feifei, and that wise-looking Qin Nianran who seems to be able to see right through you with just one glance. They’re really not ordinary!” With that thought, Ning Shuang stood up, ready to chase after them. Anyway, she needed to get a phone number or some way to contact them!

Before she could reach the door, she saw a group of young men at the bar, already red-faced from drinking, arguing as they tried to get out. They were shouting, “Guys, hurry up! Don’t let that kid get away!”
“It’s fine. He’s with three girls; he can’t go far!”
“He looks like a playboy. Someone else has a car—once it starts moving, they’ll flee. Third brother’s right. Let’s hurry up. Claws, are you too drunk to walk? Today we’re here to rid the world of scum and protect the girls from perverts…”
“Enough, enough. We’ll talk to you once we catch up!”
Hearing their words, Ning Shuang’s lips curled slightly as she secretly shook her head. You still want to go teach others a lesson? Not to mention Zi Yi—just a puff of breath from her would be enough to knock you down. You really overestimate yourselves. But it’s fine too; I might as well follow and take a look…
Today, Chu Tianyu and the others didn’t drive. After sneaking into the Dragon Soul headquarters, on a whim, Chu Tianyu led the three of them on a walk. When they saw this small bar by the road, they decided to go in and sit down, discussing their next steps. Unexpectedly, they ran into Ning Shuang.
Just as Chu Tianyu was about to have a proper talk with Zi Yi and the others about Ning Shuang, they heard noisy footsteps behind them, along with cursing. Seven or eight young men rushed over, clearly aiming at them. Out of curiosity, everyone stopped in their tracks.
“You, you, you kid! Wait up…” The lead man caught up to them, panting, and pointed at Chu Tianyu.
Chu Tianyu and the others were stunned. No way—with such a weak build, he was already out of breath after just a few steps, trying to cause trouble like others. But judging by his expression, he seemed fierce. Could they have encountered robbers?
“What do you want?” Hearing that they were talking about Chu Tianyu, Ouyang Zi Yi immediately frowned and asked unhappily.
As they spoke, the group on the other side surrounded them. One of them quickly stepped forward and said, “Wow, pretty girls. It’s nothing to do with you. We’re here today to teach a lesson to that kid next to you!”
“That’s right. We’re just ‘enthusiastic young men’ who can’t stand that pretty boy…” A man with a short haircut spoke up bravely.
Before he could finish, someone next to him smacked him on the head and snapped, “You idiot! What ‘enthusiastic young men’? How many times have I told you it’s ‘passionate young men’!”

“Yes, lentil, if you can’t speak, don’t rush to speak. Every time you open your mouth, it lowers our standards…” the companion on the other side also criticized.
“That’s right. With all your fuss, even such a just act as standing up for justice seems unserious, uh~~~” the man who was called the Pliers said solemnly, belching alcohol.