Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 259: Endless Thoughts

Along the way, Xue Ning’er didn’t say another word, merely driving in the direction indicated by Chu Tianyu. Though silent, her excited expression and the rosy hue on her delicate skin clearly revealed her enthusiasm. Her demeanor resembled that of a little girl about to receive a long-awaited doll—full of joy and excitement.

Chu Tianyu watched her and couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. Over the past few days, he had felt relaxed and in high spirits. He had thought about lifting the rule against talking, but seeing Xue Ning’er’s fervent gaze and her effort to suppress the urge to speak, he quickly abandoned the idea.

Well, the greater the suppression, the more intense the explosion. If he were to lift the ban now, he didn’t know what torrent of words he might unleash.

With no conversation along the way, they soon arrived at their destination—the Lijing Hotel. It was already 2 p.m. Standing in the lobby, Chu Tianyu easily sensed the auras of those four brothers on the seventh floor. What pleased him even more was that there were many skilled fighters lurking around their room, as well as on the upper and lower floors. Judging from their movements and steady breathing, although their skills might not surpass those of the four brothers, Chu Tianyu was certain they were experts in stealth and tracking.

Clearly, this was Lord Qin’s scheme. The goal wasn’t to protect those four brothers but to use them as bait, luring enemies into a trap so as to uncover the true identity of their hidden opponent.

Chu Tianyu took Xue Ning’er’s hand and walked slowly. Guided by his aura, she could clearly sense the energy currents around them and the hidden fighters. Through the perception of their auras, it felt as though she were witnessing everything with her own eyes.

Though initially surprised, Xue Ning’er’s attention soon focused entirely on the wonderful sensation of holding Chu Tianyu’s hand, which filled her with excitement. Especially the gentle energy flowing from his hand, circulating through her meridians, temporarily granted her a kind of inner vision. At the same time, this energy brought her a tangible sense of warmth and comfort.

At this moment, Xue Ning’er walked slowly alongside Chu Tianyu, her face filled with delight and obsession. She longed to hold Chu Tianyu’s hand forever and never let go. Yet, good times are always short. Before she could fully enjoy them, Chu Tianyu had already understood the situation of the hotel and naturally retracted his energy, releasing her small hand.

“OK, we’ll stay here today. Let’s go to the front desk to book a room first,” Chu Tianyu said casually as he thought about their plans for the evening.

Unintentional words can have profound effects. These ambiguous words immediately made Xue Ning’er, who had been slightly disappointed by the release of her hand,’s heart race like a deer’s. A wave of shyness surged through her, coloring her cheeks red and spreading to her plump earlobes. She lowered her head shyly, looking like a young girl who had heard some forbidden words yet longed for them deeply.

Chu Tianyu noticed Ning’er’s heartbeat accelerating and her blood circulation speeding up. He glanced at her curiously and asked, “Ning’er, what’s wrong?”

Before Xue Ning’er could reply, a group of men in suits came towards them. The leader of the group exclaimed in surprise, “Third, third young master? What are you doing here? We haven’t seen you in days…” His voice grew softer as he spoke, but his eyes kept staring at Xue Ning’er, gradually realizing something. The men behind him also looked surprised, exchanging ambiguous glances, though most of their attention remained on Xue Ning’er.

“Oh, it’s Manager Xu. Has everything been fine at the group these past few days? By the way, who are these people behind you?” Chu Tianyu smiled slightly and changed the subject.

“Nothing wrong. Everything is on track. President Qin is truly a business genius. I’ve been in the business world for twenty years, and aside from respecting Old Master Chu, President Qin is the second most admirable person! Oh, these people here are guests arranged by the president. They are senior administrative assistants from various groups, who have come from all over to attend the annual business conference tomorrow night. Our Chu Group’s own buildings are already full. Well, let me introduce them to you. This one is from Guangdong Shengye Group, and this one is…” Manager Xu pointed at the people behind him and introduced them.

Since they had run into them, Chu Tianyu smiled and shook hands with each of them, saying polite phrases like, “Welcome. Rest well.”

Seeing it was the manager of the Chu Group and clients, Xue Ning’er lost her reservations, so she took off her sunglasses, tossed her hair up as a sign of courtesy, and nodded with a smile at Chu Tianyu.
When they saw Xue Ning’er’s face clearly, although they had been somewhat prepared after seeing her earlier, they were all stunned without exception the moment they truly saw her!
“Xue, Xue, Xue…” Manager Xu’s mouth hung open as he couldn’t speak.
Chu Tianyu wasn’t surprised by this and simply coughed slightly to snap everyone out of their shock, causing them to regain their composure and look at him.
Seizing the opportunity, Chu Tianyu didn’t dwell any longer and ordered, “Manager Xu, please book a room for me on the seventh floor. Once it’s done, I’ll go up and ask the receptionist for the room number. I need some time alone with Miss Ning’er now.”
“Yes, sure!” Manager Xu nodded eagerly.
After that, Chu Tianyu pulled Xue Ning’er away. Noticing curious people pointing from afar, he suggested she put on her sunglasses again, then led her to a tranquil music tea room on the right side of the hall.
“Wow, Manager Xu, that’s… that’s Miss Xue Ning’er! She’s like a fairy! I can’t take it!”
“What fairy? She’s even more beautiful than a fairy, with more grace and charm…”
“And those eyes of hers! The moment she looked at me, it felt like I was struck by 30,000 volts!”
“Yes, if only I could spend even a moment with Miss Ning’er—no, even half a moment—I’d die satisfied!”
“What are you thinking? You guys can only watch. Don’t dream of getting close to such a famous star. Wait until your next life when you’re born into a wealthy family! Can’t you see she already has a suitor—she’s in the hands of our Young Master Chu? Looking is pointless! Let’s go…” Manager Xu, despite his age, was visibly agitated but tried to stay calm.
“Hey, Old Xu, I heard your Young Master Chu is a legend—has a beautiful and capable fiancée, and apparently has an affair with the daughter of the Oulijia Group too. Is that true?”

Hearing this, Lao Xu frowned and said, “Of course! Our third young master is a typical playboy. He has no other skills—just an innate charm that attracts women. Let me tell you, not only the wealthy girl you mentioned but also another one, if her name were revealed, would shock you all!”
“Who is it?”
“Come on, Lao Xu, stop teasing us. We’ll even treat you to a full service tonight.”
“Xue! Fei! Fei!” Lao Xu said slowly, emphasizing each word.
“Ah~~~” One person’s jaw dropped.
“Ah……” Another was stunned on the spot.
“……” The two simply fainted.
……
Listening to their nonsense behind him, Chu Tianyu felt ashamed, thinking that his efforts these days hadn’t been in vain—his image as a playboy had truly taken root in people’s minds!
Xue Ning’er covered her mouth, looking at Chu Tianyu with a sly smile, her shoulders shaking nonstop. Her gaze and expression made Chu Tianyu roll his eyes helplessly, raise his hands in surrender, and say, “It seems no matter how much I explain, it’s pointless, right?”
Xue Ning’er struggled to hold back her laughter and said intermittently, “Brother-in-law, it’s so, so funny. Hehe, look, it seems your reputation as a playboy really is well-known. When I came back, I even told you about it. I never expected to hear such an amazing conversation today—it’s hilarious!”
“Hah, you little girl make it sound so easy. Don’t think just because you found it funny. Let me remind you—today you appeared at the hotel with a playboy who’s naturally charming. The implications… Hmph, with those guys’ big mouths and obsessive gossiping habits, it won’t take a day before everyone knows!” Faced with Xue Ning’er’s amused expression, Chu Tianyu tried to scare her.
“Hmph, I don’t care. Let them talk if they want!” After saying that, she stopped smiling and gazed at Chu Tianyu dreamily, her invisible admiration clearly showing.
This made Chu Tianyu take a sharp breath, recalling what had just happened and feeling deeply regretful. He had become addicted to playing the playboy these days, casually mentioning things like booking rooms, which had led to this huge misunderstanding.
Thinking of this, Chu Tianyu quickly coughed awkwardly several times. Just as the atmosphere was turning awkward, a phone rang.

Chu Tianyu was using his phone in the car; it was to contact the hospital for Le’er. When he checked the number, it was Qin Nianran calling, mainly to inform Chu Tianyu about attending the business conference the next evening. As for Chu Tianyu’s investigations over the past few days, she hadn’t inquired at all. Even Chu Tianyu could tell why—Qin Nianran was too busy to pay attention to anything else.

During their conversation, there were continuous sounds of doors opening and closing on Qin Nianran’s end. Sometimes it was a secretary saying they needed to sign documents, sometimes a department manager coming to report. The level of her busyness made Chu Tianyu’s head ache just thinking about it, so he didn’t want to disturb her further and just listened quietly to her rapid speech.

Regarding the business conference the next evening, Qin Nianran suggested that Chu Tianyu should attend, as Grandpa Chu Fangshan would also be there. She emphasized that all family members must arrive on time without fail.

Although Chu Tianyu wasn’t under his grandfather’s control, according to Qin Nianran’s analysis, such a grand and prestigious business conference brought together top business figures, tycoons, and economic powerhouses from across the country. It was the best platform to keep track of national business trends and obtain the latest and most valuable information.

After briefly finishing her speech, Qin Nianran hung up hurriedly. Despite having so much to do and wishing someone could share the burden, Chu Tianyu still had to diligently play the role of a playboy—eating, drinking, and having fun were his main priorities. So, there was no hope he could offer much help.

As for Chu Tianyu’s secret investigations and tracking, given his abilities, Qin Nianran had even less to worry about. At most, she was concerned that he might go too far and cause some sensational incident that would attract worldwide attention.

……

“It’s Sister Nianran, right? I heard she’s very smart. It was she who absorbed the Illusionary Flame True Pulse this time. Her skills are so high that even Sister says she’s not sure she can defeat her!” Xue Ning’er spoke about Nianran but was actually dreaming of adventuring in the jungle with Chu Tianyu, fighting against ancient mythical beasts and divine creatures, and fighting side by side.

“Mm, you two must have met twice already, right? But next time, I can introduce you properly. I’m sure Nianran will like you too, little chatterbox,” Chu Tianyu said with a smile.

“That’s great. The first two times we only met briefly and didn’t get much to talk about. But Sister Nianran gave off such a cool and cold vibe that I didn’t dare to look at her too much…” Xue Ning’er nodded.

Chu Tianyu fell silent for a moment, thinking to himself, “You’ve only met her a few times. You haven’t seen her most aloof side or her true pride yet!” While thinking this, he said aloud, “Let’s order something to eat. After that, we’ll go out and explore. When we return at night, we’ll stage a good fight so you can have your fill of combat.”
“Sure, miss! Let’s order something!” Xue Ning’er replied eagerly without further hesitation.
Chu Tianyu secretly sighed in relief, thinking, “Phew, that was close. If this girl remembers that they booked a room, the consequences could be disastrous—extremely awkward. Besides, she’s Feifei’s sister. I don’t have any particular intentions, but judging by her appearance, I might be in trouble…”
As he thought this, his gaze accidentally fell on Xue Ning’er’s snow-white neck and delicate skin as she turned to call for someone. This drew his attention to her neckline and then to her slightly rounded chest, creating a scene that sparked endless fantasies…
“Amitabha, sin, sin!” Chu Tianyu quickly forced himself to look away, silently praying to Buddha.
But his thoughts wouldn’t obey him, continuing to visualize Xue Ning’er’s graceful figure—her slender waist, full yet well-proportioned legs, along with those white boots edged in gold—all exuding an alluring charm.
Faced with this, Chu Tianyu had no choice but to stop praying and scolded himself in silence, “What a loser!”