Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 211: Extremely Embarrassing

“You… you’re Tianyu!” The man exclaimed in surprise after entering and seeing the two of them, though his tone was uncertain.
As soon as Bai Lei saw those burly men surrounding him, he sensed something was off. He secretly rejoiced—now he wasn’t afraid of trouble; he only feared boredom. Not to mention he had been practicing hard lately and thought he had gained some skill. With Chu Tianyu sitting calmly across from him as a strong backing, there was no need to worry about anything. To be honest, Bai Lei still missed the feeling of venting his anger and possessing great strength that night.
But just as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to show off, he heard the visitor’s meaningful words, followed by Chu Tianyu’s reaction and exclamation. To his surprise, it was an acquaintance. So when the visitor called out “Tianyu,” Bai Lei immediately quieted down, waiting to see what would happen next.
“Uncle Tianao, it’s me! Why are you in Beijing?” Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but stand up, stepping forward two steps toward the visitor, speaking with joy.
The visitor was Chu Tianao. Clearly, he didn’t expect to meet Chu Tianyu here either, looking surprised. But almost instantly, Chu Tianyu regained his composure, stepped forward, took Chu Tianao’s hand, and said warmly, “It really is Tianyu! Hehe, to be honest, if it weren’t for your eyes and expression, I almost wouldn’t have recognized you. You’ve changed so much—much stronger, and even more handsome. Wait, no—should I say you’ve become more masculine, with even more male charm? Not like how you seemed rather delicate during the New Year. Hehe, honestly, it’s been half a year since we last met at that gathering. I really didn’t expect to run into you here. I just got to Beijing too. I was planning to find a chance to invite you all over after finishing my tasks. Who would have thought…”
“Hehe, Uncle Tianao, come on, sit down. Let’s sit and talk. I’ve missed you guys since we last parted. How are Tianjie and Yunjiao?” Chu Tianyu said, pulling Chu Tianao to sit down.
As soon as Chu Yunjiao’s name was mentioned, Chu Tianao, as if remembering something, didn’t answer Chu Tianyu’s question instead turning to Bai Lei, who was completely confused, and asked, “Is this your friend?”
Although Chu Tianao wasn’t looking at Chu Tianyu, Chu Tianyu knew the question was meant for him. Considering the current situation and what his uncle had said upon entering, he immediately felt an extremely badpremonition. Could it be that the girl was…

In an instant, Chu Tianyu basically grasped the key to the situation. But this almost certain conclusion made him feel dizzy; he really wanted to strangle that detestable, vile scoundrel right away!

After hearing their conversation, Bai Lei also seemed to gradually realize something, especially when he saw Chu Tianao staring at him and later Chu Tianyu’s murderous gaze. Suddenly, even he, who was usually carefree, was overwhelmed by their intensity. Like a wronged young wife, he lowered his head, faintly realizing the seriousness of the situation—his so-called “flame of love” might have been directed at the wrong person.

“Um, he, he’s… my classmate!” Chu Tianyu managed to say.

“Oh, I came to Beijing this time partly to handle some matters and partly to see Yun Jiao. She just started at Qingda University, and I heard that some rascal has been pestering her, so…” With a drawn-out tone, Chu Tianao didn’t finish his sentence; the rest was conveyed to Chu Tianyu through a casual glance.

Chu Tianyu was utterly confused, and his last glimmer of hope vanished. From the tone, it seemed that guy’s nonsense about attraction through charm and elegance was all lies—everyone already considered him a rascal, one who persistently harassed others…

At this point, Chu Tianyu really wanted to say he didn’t know him—what a disaster!

Bai Lei, who already sensed something was wrong, felt even more frustrated and conflicted than Chu Tianyu. On top of that, he felt like he had walked straight into a trap. He now regretted bitterly—before he could even realize his grand plan of having multiple lovers had failed, he ended up with an “elder brother-in-law.” No, counting Chu Tianyu as well, there would be two elder brother-inlaws. Especially Chu Tianyu—he had revealed all his sleazy intentions. It was over, completely over!

Chu Tianao kept glancing between Chu Tianyu and Bai Lei, taking in their awkward expressions. It seemed there was quite a story behind this—especially since it involved the third son of the family. He had initially planned to come to keep an eye on Yun Jiao, to see who could possibly capture her heart. So he brought some people with him, intending to make a show to figure out this guy’s true nature—just in case he was some pretty boy or a swindler who would harm Yun Jiao.

“Cousin, feel free to ask him anything; I guarantee the answers will be accurate!” Chu Tianyu finally made up his mind. This matter couldn’t be left to Bai Lei to mess around with—after all, it involved his own cousin. Considering the relationship between their grandfathers, this issue was quite sensitive. A single misunderstanding could easily escalate things.

Seeing Chu Tianyu’s determination, Bai Lei knew he couldn’t bluff anymore. He decided to go all out—after all, he hadn’t done anything wrong. There was no need to hide anything; it wasn’t a big deal. Bai Lei had never feared anything since he was young!

At that moment, Bai Lei’s gaze met Chu Tianao’s aggressive stare. His suppressed emotions finally erupted. Before Chu Tianao could ask anything, he immediately changed his expression and said loudly, “That’s right! It’s me who likes Jiaojiao. You must be the eldest brother. My name is Bai Lei. Hello, hello!”

Although Bai Lei was bold, he still had some self-awareness. Not only did he soften his tone, but when addressing the eldest brother, he didn’t add the word “uncle” as he usually did.

However, Chu Tianao wasn’t amused by Bai Lei’s greeting. After glancing at him without responding, he suddenly turned to Chu Tianyu and said, “Tianyu, I was originally here to oversee Yun Jiao’s situation. Since you’re another cousin here and you’re friends with him, I guess I don’t need to get involved anymore. Just make sure you take care of Yun Jiao! Hehe…”

In just a few words, Chu Tianao passed this problem onto Chu Tianyu. Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but admire his cousin’s wisdom. No wonder he could confront and challenge the eldest brother, Tiancheng, at that gathering—he was truly remarkable.

Chu Tianyu didn’t dawdle either. He sat up straight and introduced Bai Lei to his cousin, saying, “His name is Bai Lei. He’s my classmate and good friend from the North Mansion. In today’s terms, we’re best friends. His father is Bai Han, and his mother is Lei Xinxuan. He’s the sole heir to Thunder Technology and the National Xiao Xiang Guan Chain Group. He might seem flashy on the surface but claims to be low-key. Though he appears carefree, he’s actually loyal and brave, with a passionate heart. So, whether considering his background or his character, there’s no problem for him to be friends with Yun Jiao. But…”

After a pause, Chu Tianyu changed the subject and continued, “He already has a girlfriend, and he even plans to have her on one side and another, enjoying the benefits of having two. Well, he came to me today to discuss this matter. Although I don’t know how deep his feelings for Yun Jiao are or what her attitude is, my advice is… to cut it off completely!”
Chu Tianyu’s long speech left the two people present deeply moved. When he said the earlier parts, Bai Lei couldn’t help but stare at him with shining eyes, an inner voice constantly shouting, “A true friend—truly a lifelong friend!” But the good times didn’t last long. After Chu Tianyu finished his final sentence, Bai Lei added two words after “true friend”—“Damn right!”
Chu Tianao, on the other hand, listened intently the whole time. Whether it was hearing about Bai Lei’s identity or Chu Tianyu’s final revelation, his expression never changed, maintaining a smile of indeterminate meaning.
After Chu Tianyu finished speaking, everyone fell into silence. The anger quickly turned into oppression and awkwardness.
After a long while, Chu Tianao broke the silence, speaking in a very calm tone, “I will convey Bai Lei’s situation and your advice, Tianyu, to Yun Jiao as truthfully as possible. As for what decision she should make, that’s up to her. I think as her uncles, we’ve fulfilled our duty enough. After all, in these days, it’s not our place to interfere in young people’s love lives. At most, we can ensure they’re informed. Don’t you think, Tianyu?”
Chu Tianyu didn’t expect his cousin to speak so calmly, nor did he expect such an attitude. Since Bai Lei was the one playing both sides first, he already felt a bit at fault. So, he followed up his words and said, “Right, they’re adults now. Let them make their own decisions about love. By the way, are you busy with your trip to Beijing? If not, I’ll treat you. We can also pick up Yun Jiao along the way. First, I have some friends I’d like to introduce to you. Second, although we plan to let them make their own decisions, it’s better to have all parties present and talk things through face to face. After all, these are matters that concern us directly!”
Chu Tianyu had his own reasons for this. After all, rather than dragging things out, it was better to clarify everything openly. He had no intention of hiding it from Lan Yue—after all, she was his sister-in-law…