Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 226: Ruining the Mood

Chu Tianyu turned around and saw only Tai Nianran standing behind him, watching him calmly.

“Hey, Nianran, why are you alone? Where are Zi Yi and Fei Fei?” Chu Tianyu set aside the incessant chatter of Tiancai Dibao for the time and asked in confusion.

“They might be a while longer. It seems there’s some trouble—the school doesn’t agree to Xue Fei Fei’s request to withdraw, saying she’s the face of this international exchange event and can’t leave easily. They’re dealing with it there. As for your Zi Yi, she’s once again acting as a full-time lawyer…” Qin Nianran said in a calm tone.

“Oh, with Zi Yi around, there should be no problem. By the way, Nianran, you said you wanted to talk to me—right?” Chu Tianyu asked.

Qin Nianran didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at Chu Tianyu and then gave a slight lip movement toward the two brothers of Tiancai Dibao, who were staring wide-eyed, eager to see what was going on. The message was clear: to wait and see if Chu Tianyu would finish dealing with this matter first.

Chu Tianyu followed Qin Nianran’s gaze to the two brothers. Indeed, he still hadn’t figured out the serious issues with those two. Since Qin Nianran had taken the initiative to meet him alone, it must be important—probably unrelated to Third Master and her aunt.

So Chu Tianyu glanced at Qin Nianran, then at Tiancai Dibao, had a sudden idea, smiled, and said to Qin Nianran, “Nianran, if there’s anything to discuss, do you mind if we talk in a restaurant on campus?”

“A restaurant?” Qin Nianran asked, a bit puzzled.

Chu Tianyu smiled and pointed at the two brothers, whose eyes were already shining and who were talking nonstop. “Hehe, you’ll know once we’re in the restaurant!”

Once in the restaurant, Qin Nianran indeed understood. After Chu Tianyu ordered several dishes—like poached chicken, dried sliced beef, and farmhouse pig’s head meat—the two brothers of Tiancai Dibao started devouring the food on the table like two high-powered engines. Their determination and focus made it clear that no matter how loudly anyone spoke beside them, it would be like talking to a wall.

Seeing this, Qin Nianran couldn’t help but laugh and ask, “Who are these two?”

Chu Tianyu then briefly introduced the two apprentices of Tiancai Dibao. He didn’t hide anything about their situation—everything from their chance encounter in Motuo to their arrangement at Shaolin.

During that time, Tai Nianran also smiled repeatedly for the first time at some of the amusing incidents involving these two troublemakers. Especially when Chu Tianyu mentioned how, since he couldn’t arrange anything for them for the time being, he had tricked them into going to Shaolin Temple under the pretense that “vegetable tofu” was extremely delicious, Tai Nianran’s face was filled with joy. Even Chu Tianyu was captivated at that moment…
Who would have thought that a casual topic would bring out such a human side of Qin Nianran, with such a relaxed and carefree expression? Chu Tianyu had known her for quite some time now, but this was the first time he had seen her like this up close. Although she still seemed a bit reserved and guarded, compared to her previous icy demeanor, it was a world of difference!
Qin Nianran was still reflecting on the interesting stories Chu Tianyu had told when she gradually came back to her senses and suddenly realized that Chu Tianyu was looking at her with admiration, his eyes shining brightly. The moment their eyes met, it felt as though an electric current had passed through Tai Nianran’s body—tingling, yet as if all her pores had opened. Her speech became smooth and effortless, and every cell in her body seemed to be cheering, filled with excitement and restlessness.
Qin Nianran’s face instantly turned red, and she transformed from a snow lotus on an iceberg into a vibrant rose, full of fragrance, charm, and allure…
Chu Tianyu was once again captivated!
At that moment, Chu Tianyu and Tai Nianran seemed to share some kind of resonance, as if they could feel each other’s heartbeat, breath, and pulse. It was like a clear, pure stream flowing slowly through their hearts, leaving behind nourishment and sweetness. All concerns, awkwardness, barriers, and distances seemed to be washed away by this spiritual spring, disappearing without a trace.
For a long time, both of them remained immersed in this wonderful state until the sound of “creaking” broke the silence, snapping them back to reality almost simultaneously. They exchanged glances—Tai Nianran instinctively averted her gaze, while Chu Tianyu’s face was filled with sweetness and tenderness…
Of course, there was also the annoying “creaking” sound. Chu Tianyu didn’t even need to think—he knew it must have been caused by those two brothers next to them. He had to put aside this heartwarming exchange of glances and turn his attention to the two talented brothers nearby.

At first glance, Chu Tianyu was left speechless—truly defeated by these two. The few dishes that had just been served had already been devoured by them, clearly not enough to even satisfy their hunger. The crunching sounds coming from them now were the result of them scavenging through the remaining food on the table, picking up the bones they had just spit out and chewing on them again—hence the crunching!

Chu Tianyu asked, “You two, how can you start chewing on the bones you just spat out? If you want more food, just order another portion!”

The two felt embarrassed under Chu Tianyu’s gaze. After some thought, Tiancai stammered, “The food here is really delicious. We hadn’t even started eating much before it was gone. And seeing that you and this little girl seem to get along well, we didn’t dare disturb you. So we just used those bones for now. Um, uncle, believe me, these bones are really tasty—the more you chew, the more flavorful they become. Try them!” With that, he pulled out a half-eaten chicken neck from his mouth, as if making a great sacrifice, and reluctantly handed it to Chu Tianyu.

“Uncle, try my big bone too—it still has marrow in it. It’s delicious!” Dibao also generously offered a piece of bone still covered in saliva and tooth marks…

Witnessing this scene, Qin Nianran covered her mouth, trying hard not to laugh. She couldn’t bear to see Chu Tianyu’s awkward expression at the half-eaten chicken neck. From the frequency of her shoulder tremors, it was clear she was struggling greatly to hold back her laughter!

“Oh, no need. You two keep this for later. Waiter, waiter…” Chu Tianyu quickly declined their kindness. Under their disappointed looks, as if he didn’t appreciate the food, he called over the waiter and said to Tiancai and Dibao, “Tell him what you want to eat. Order more after you finish eating. Don’t worry about anything else!”

“Really?!” Tiancai exclaimed in surprise.

“Is it really okay? Can we order whatever we want?” Dibao asked in disbelief.

Chu Tianyu nodded firmly and signaled to the waiter that they would be ordering from now on.

The waiter immediately understood and politely asked Tiancai and Dibao, “What else would you like? Just let me know.”

Tian Cai Di Bao glanced at Chu Tianyu again. After receiving another affirmative response, the two almost jumped for joy, exchanged excited looks, and after a brief pause—as if they had reached some agreement—they screamed at the waiter in a fierce, shrill voice, “Get us a whole pig right away!”
This statement shocked everyone. Chu Tianyu dramatically collapsed under the table, while Tai Nianran almost spat out his tea, utterly stunned by the pair’s request. The waiter, after they finished shouting, immediately fell to the ground. He wasn’t surprised or confused like Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran; he couldn’t even clearly hear what the Tian Cai Di Bao brothers wanted, only a vague word echoing in his mind—pig! He was utterly baffled—why would they suddenly think of pigs? It was rare that his wife had gained weight recently…
In fact, he wasn’t lying ashamed like Chu Tianyu but was simply overwhelmed by the brothers’ terrifying aura and their storm-like tone—pure “physical” damage!
“Hey, hey, did you hear that? We want a pig, preferably a big fat one, and fast!” As everyone was stunned, Di Bao still remembered to kick the waiter and add, “”
…
Di Bao’s addition almost made Chu Tianyu, who had just managed to sit back down, collapse again. The “order” these two fools placed was simply outrageous. As their uncle, Chu Tianyu felt even more ashamed—what a misfortune for their sect!
But after regaining his composure, Chu Tianyu patiently explained that this restaurant served small portions and did not offer whole pigs, so he would place the orders instead.
Chu Tianyu wanted to take back the ordering rights because he thought if he said they didn’t serve whole pigs, the brothers might demand an entire cow next!
So after explaining, he turned to the waiter, who had just stood up shakily, and said, “Serve them everything from your menu at the standard price. If they want more, do it again. Understood?”
The waiter, whose ears were still ringing, finally understood after Chu Tianyu repeated it loudly three times. But instead of immediately preparing the menu, he showed a face full of confusion and difficulty.

Chu Tianyu understood the situation immediately. He casually took out 1,000 yuan from his pocket, handed it to the waiter, and said with a smile, “This is a deposit. Please prepare it as I instructed. If there’s any left over, we’ll have it packed.”