Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 270: Waiting to See What Happens

At this moment, Zhan Yupeng and the Ao Xue sisters had not left; the mess at the scene was enough to keep them busy. However, there was little communication between them—they simply silently checked on the injured on the ground and moved them together one by one. Zhan Yupeng, meanwhile, held a satellite phone and was quietly giving orders to someone unknown.

Chu Tianyu, hiding in the shadows, was very curious about the relationship between Zhan Yupeng and the Ao Xue sisters, as well as which forces they represented and why they were targeting Lord Qin’s organization everywhere. But to Chu Tianyu’s disappointment, aside from Zhan Yupeng making calls to arrange for people to clean up the mess, he showed only deep sorrow. Clearly, the Holy Blood disciples he had disabled were the elite among Zhan’s family—equivalent to cutting off an entire arm of the Zhan family.

The Ao Xue sisters were also affected by his mood, considering Chu Tianyu’s domineering attitude and the numerous injured people around, so they too looked gloomy and did not talk much. Finally, after Zhan Yupeng’s men arrived, Ao Xue bid farewell to him, saying only a few words of comfort and promising to stay in touch later. Zhan Yupeng nodded solemnly; he really had nothing more to say to them. Though he didn’t harbor resentment toward them, since it was all because of them, he wondered why the old master had arranged such an operation. Who exactly were they? He would have to ask the old master carefully when he returned. Bringing such formidable opponents into play—was it worth the trouble?

Moreover, judging from Lord Qin’s expression when he saw him earlier, it was clear Lord Qin knew him well. As for the crazy revenge the Zhan family would face for Lord Qin’s escape, that was uncertain. And then there was that mysterious figure—if he truly was an external ally, then the fate of the Zhan family would be even more unpredictable.

Thinking of this, Zhan Yupeng felt annoyed, with many questions popping into his mind: Whose organization was Lord Qin’s exactly? Why hadn’t he noticed it before? Why did Lord Qin also possess another form of cosmic energy? Who was that mysterious person—human or something else? Why not eliminate them all at once?…

After bidding farewell to Zhan Yupeng, the Ao Xue sisters took advantage of the still-blocked road and used their light-speed movement skills to fly along the roadside. Only when they began to see cars on the road did they slow down. Seeing the intersection wasn’t far away, they simply walked at a normal pace while chatting.

However, the conversation mainly revolved around the recent incident and their shock, fear, and speculation about Chu Tianyu, this fake door god. Although they didn’t obtain any useful information, Chu Tianyu stayed by their side, following them all the way to an ordinary residential complex. He stopped keeping close track and found a secluded spot in the complex, silently monitoring Ao Xue and the others with his senses.

“Sis, why do I keep feeling uneasy, as if someone is watching us?” Ning Shuang asked doubtfully once they entered the room.

“Ning Shuang, it’s okay. It’s all over now. We’re home. Forget about what just happened. I’ll contact our master soon to let her know about this situation. It’s beyond our ability to handle now. Also, for safety reasons, you’d better go back right away!” Ao Xue thought Ning Shuang was still affected by the fear from earlier, so she comforted her.

Hearing her sister’s words, Ning Shuang realized she might have been influenced by the previous incident, causing her to be suspicious. When she heard her sister asking her to go back, her attention was drawn even more, and she quickly said, “No, no matter how dangerous it is, I want to stay with you. If we have to leave, we’ll leave together.”

Seeing her sister’s determined expression, Ao Xue shook her head helplessly and smiled bitterly. “Silly girl, you don’t understand many things. When you went out this time, our master just wanted you to gain some experience. In this situation, not to mention you, even I’m at a loss. How can I still take care of you?”

“But, sis…” Before Ning Shuang could finish, Ao Xue waved her hand to interrupt her. “Ning Shuang, stop talking. We’ll discuss anything later once I’ve contacted our master.”

Hearing her sister’s firm tone, Ning Shuang could only pout, though unhappy, she didn’t dare say anything more. After all, she knew well her sister’s temper—although she usually indulged her, once she made a decision, she wouldn’t change it and wouldn’t allow anyone else to interfere.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Chu Tianyu was pleased, waiting for Ao Xue to contact her master so he could hear some useful information. But once again, he was disappointed. Apart from confirming that her master was a woman, the conversation between them was in a local dialect that he couldn’t understand at all.

Unyielding, Chu Tianyu listened for a while longer, thinking that after Ao Xue finished communicating with her master, she would say something to Ning Shuang. But apart from telling Ning Shuang to go to bed early, Ao Xue seemed to have forgotten her earlier intention to arrange for Ning Shuang to return. Although Ning Shuang was full of doubts, seeing her sister’s distracted expression, she didn’t dare ask further and simply went back to her room to sleep. Soon, the entire room fell silent. Faced with this outcome, Chu Tianyu, standing in the cold wind, could only sigh deeply, his face filled with helplessness and frustration… There was clearly no point in staying any longer, but Chu Tianyu didn’t leave right away. Instead, he took this opportunity to review everything that had happened over the past few days and carefully reconsidered his plan to reactivate the Xuanji Sect. Gradually, a rough plan took shape in his mind. Chu Tianyu decided to refrain from using the power of the Xuanji Sect for now and observe the situation first. He believed that whether it was for Lord Qin, Zhan Yupeng, or the Ao Xue sisters, some preparation time was needed before taking action—what people often describe as the calm before the storm. “If the Xuanji Sect were to act rashly while all these factions are on high alert, it would clearly not be wise. The best choice now is to remain unchanged or wait and see how things develop. Well, I’ll take some time to rest these next couple of days. I’ll also discuss this with Nian Ran and Zi Yi and hear their opinions. Oh, and I need to find time to see Le Er tomorrow. After all, we were classmates, and it’s also a good chance to check on that guy Da Zhou…” Chu Tianyu thought to himself as he got up and slowly walked out of the compound… The next morning, due to the banquet the previous night, Nian Ran, Zi Yi, and Feifei were staying in the villa arranged by the Chu family for Nian Ran. As for the persistent Xue Ning’er, Xue Feifei arranged for people from Tianyu Company to take her away forcefully—this was also Chu Tianyu’s wish. After all, during this sensitive period, with Xue Ning’er’s current level of skill, she simply couldn’t compete with those masters who directly possessed cosmic energy. Chu Tianyu didn’t have the energy to fully ensure her safety either; if she were to be taken advantage of, the situation could become very difficult.

So, Chu Tianyu took this opportunity to share his thoughts with Nianran and the others upon his return. The girls all agreed to his plans and arrangements. At the same time, they briefly updated Chu Tianyu on their own situations. Aside from Nianran facing more pressure, Zi Yi and Fei Fei each received strong support from their respective families and the Tianyin Sect. With all resources well coordinated—whether in terms of business or manpower—they were ready to switch from hiding to openly supporting Chu Tianyu at his command, as long as it was within their capabilities.

After this exchange and discussion, everyone’s mood improved significantly. It wasn’t like when they first returned, when uncertainty made them feel restricted and depressed. Although it was still unclear where these forces led by Lord Qin came from, what their backgrounds were, and what their true intentions were, it was at least certain that they weren’t on the same side, and their struggles seemed even more intense. The reason they dragged them into this was likely due to Zhan Yupeng’s connections and competition with their elder brother, Chu Tianfeng.

With these issues clarified, everyone felt much more relaxed. Now, as Chu Tianyu suggested, all that remained was to wait and see what would happen.

So, when Chu Tianyu proposed taking some time to visit Le Er, the cheerful girls, including the busiest Nianran, all rushed to go with him. They even brought up arguments like “only women understand other women” and “women can comfort other women,” leaving Chu Tianyu no chance to speak. He was simply led away by the group like the moon surrounded by stars.

When they arrived at the hospital and entered Le Er’s room, they found not only Zhou Jie but also Hu Luda there.

“Le Er, are you feeling any better?” Chu Tianyu first walked over to Le Er’s bed, handing her a large bouquet of flowers while asking softly.

Seeing so many people enter, Le Er’s face, which had already returned to normal, instantly turned red. In response to Chu Tianyu’s greeting, she replied in a barely audible voice, “Mm, much better. Thank you, Tianyu!”

Seeing that even Zhou Jie and Hu Luda seemed a bit awkward about their arrival, Chu Tianyu quickly smiled loudly and said in an exaggerated tone, “Come on, guys, today I’ll introduce you to a few of my beautiful girlfriends. Don’t be surprised or confused—actually, you can call them my sisters-in-law as well. Hehe, of course, I’m sure you’re already familiar with them: the two beauties from Peking University, Qin Nianran and Ouyang Ziyi, and the famous star Xue Feifei!”

With Chu Tianyu’s straightforward and half-serious yet humorous introduction, Nianran and the others greeted Le Er and Zhou Jie when mentioned. Xue Feifei even took off her sunglasses to reveal her true face.

Zhou Jie and the others were truly astonished by Chu Tianyu’s way of introducing them. It was even harder for them to believe—how could one man be with three women? Was this some kind of joke?

By this point, the atmosphere in the room had shifted from initial awkwardness to surprise. Le Er’s attention was also drawn to Chu Tianyu’s relationship with the girls, causing her to forget her own situation. This was undoubtedly a success in diverting attention.

“…Tianyu, are you joking? Are you kidding me?” Da Hu asked in disbelief, even pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“Hey, Da Hu, you’re here too? Don’t you have class today? By the way, Zhou Jie, you’ve been here these past few days, right? That must be tough for you…” Chu Tianyu changed the subject to Zhou Jie.

“It’s not that bad. There are nurses to take care of most things here. I just need to assist a little,” Zhou Jie replied honestly.

As Chu Tianyu chatted with them, Qin Nianran and the others naturally surrounded Le Er, chatting with her. It didn’t take long before they became close friends. Xue Feifei’s appearance even made Le Er temporarily forget all her unhappiness. Facing her idol, she was naturally excited!

Seeing that the four women were already chatting enthusiastically, Chu Tianyu gave Zhou Jie and Da Hu a wink and nodded toward the door, as if to say, “Let’s go, guys. Let’s go outside to the garden for some fresh air. They can keep each other company here!”

Along the way, Da Hu kept persistently asking Chu Tianyu the same question. Chu Tianyu had no choice but to give a brief explanation and then came up with a classic, persuasive reason: “As a rich young man, having multiple girlfriends—is that really such a strange thing?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Da Hu immediately fell silent, unable to respond. Zhou Jie, on the other hand, remained quiet until the three of them arrived at the garden and sat down on a bench. Only then did Zhou Jie slowly lift his head to look into Chu Tianyu’s eyes and ask, “Tianyu, I suppose you have something to ask me?” At this point, Chu Tianyu stopped beating around the bush and nodded, saying directly, “What do you think about Le Er?” “What do you think I should think?” Zhou Jie replied calmly. Chu Tianyu thought for a while before carefully saying, “I’m heartbroken by what happened to Le Er, but those who are pitiable often have their faults. The only two things I want to convey this time are: first, don’t make a choice out of pity for Le Er; second, don’t avoid making a choice because of her past. Because whether or not you choose isn’t important—what matters is how much Le Er means to you, not blind impulse!” After hearing Chu Tianyu’s seemingly ambiguous words, Zhou Jie suddenly saw the light, feeling a sense of relief as the questions that had weighed on him for days seemed to be resolved. He excitedly shook Chu Tianyu’s hand and said, “Your words are worth more than ten years of study!” “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. After all this talk, is Zhou Jie going to choose Le Er or not?” Da Hu, listening to their seemingly cryptic conversation, asked in confusion. “Is choosing important?” Chu Tianyu asked back with a smile at Da Hu. “Isn’t it? I just want to know the answer,” Da Hu replied honestly. “Is it important?” Zhou Jie kept asking himself as he listened to their conversation.