Volume 3: Dragons Soaring and Phoenixes Dancing, Chapter 53: The Mission in Hong Kong

Chu Tianyu steadied his emotions, preparing to return to the dormitory first to “face interrogation.” After all, it was his first time skipping dorm rules, so he would surely be questioned and checked by those guys again. There were many matters to deal with, but priorities needed to be established, and each one had to be carefully considered, especially regarding news about his second brother.

From his grandfather’s call just now, it turned out that his second brother, thanks to his “talent” for fighting since childhood and his “battle-tested experience,” had finally found an opportunity to showcase himself. Although his academic performance was average, he excelled in all military-related subjects, passed various assessments, and underwent secret training codenamed “Bayonet.” He ranked first and became one of the candidates for a special forces unit, simultaneously tasked with one final mission—located in Hong Kong!

Grandfather knew about this because, during the political background check, it was discovered that his second brother was the grandson of Vice Chairman Han. This led him to immediately consult his superiors. Despite holding a high position, Vice Chairman Han remained upright and principled. Even while on a state visit abroad, he promptly sent back a message with eight words: “Treat him as an ordinary soldier and demand strict standards!” Yet this was still a significant matter, especially for the Chu family. So, after consulting Chu Fangshan, Vice Chairman Han officially approved Chu Tianfeng’s promotion exam and mission assignment.

When Chu Fangshan received the call from his former in-law and saw his approving attitude, he couldn’t object further. Moreover, for Tianfeng, this might well be the path suited for him. Chu Fangshan’s consistent belief was that the Chu family needed brave men who could stand firm, not dissolute young masters!

Thus, he agreed to the matter. But since it was his own grandson, he still felt a bit concerned, especially after learning about the difficulty of Tianfeng’s mission. Naturally, he thought of Tianyu, hoping that through the connections of the Xuanji Sect, a few cultivators from the sect could be sent to assist temporarily in case of emergencies.

Sending a few people wasn’t a problem, but he would need to make proper arrangements upon returning, as he wasn’t very familiar with the affairs of the Xuanji Sect. As Tianyu was pondering this, the phone rang again. Checking it, he was surprised to see it was his grandfather. He quickly answered. The first voice on the other end was his grandmother’s kind voice, which made Chu Tianyu sweat profusely again. He nodded repeatedly, mimicking exactly what his mother had said earlier! To put it exaggeratively, if written down, even the punctuation marks would be identical!

After finally getting through this hurdle, he managed to speak on the phone with his grandfather. His grandfather said they would return to Beijing that night, and a car would be sent to pick him up the next night so they could gather at home and enjoy some family time. Chu Tianyu agreed readily and said he would go to the airport to pick them up, but his grandfather laughed and refused. Chu Tianyu thought it made sense—after returning from a state visit, it wasn’t something an ordinary person could handle! After that, his grandfather chatted for a while longer before hanging up, setting a time and place to meet Chu Tianyu the next day. Initially, Chu Tianyu wanted to go alone, but considering his grandfather’s situation—without an internal vehicle, it would be troublesome to get in, and it would be inappropriate for his grandfather’s car to drive straight to the school. So, Chu Tianyu agreed to meet his grandfather outside the school, with his grandfather sending a driver. Just as he hung up the phone, it rang again. What a day—it was unusual for him to receive so many calls in a week. It was actually Ouyang Ziyi, whom he had just broken up with. A lazy voice came through: “Honey, how are you? Have you arrived at the dorm? I just lay down in bed—haha, it’s so warm and comfortable!” “…” “Why aren’t you talking?” “I… it’s a bit cold.” “You haven’t reached the dorm yet? Alright, I won’t trouble you. Go back first. But I’ll wait for you at your school gate for dinner today to discuss tomorrow’s plans. After all, you’re now my boyfriend! Well, I won’t talk much. We’ll discuss it in person. I’ll call you then.” “I have something to do tonight,” Chu Tianyu refused. “Then tomorrow!” Ouyang Ziyi’s tone turned cooler. “There’s also something tomorrow…” “Beep~” Before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking, the phone went dead. Chu Tianyu didn’t know what to say. The scariest thing was this silent endurance—who knew what crazy thing Ouyang Ziyi might do next! But Chu Tianyu didn’t care. After all, he wasn’t the same person who would hesitate or worry in just a few minutes anymore! Since the peaceful days were over, let whatever came happen! Chu Tianyu returned to the dorm feeling relieved. He had planned to hang out with his friends to lift his mood, but none of them were there—only a note left on the table.

“Given that someone stayed out all night and scared the other roommates so much that they suffered from insomnia and loss of appetite, they had to settle for milk powder to stave off hunger, though it was better than nothing…” Ugh, it seems the can of milk powder Chu Tianyu bought the day before must have run out!
“For your safety, we scrimped and saved to pay for calls to emergency services like 119 and 110, but the lines were always busy…” Tch, they were all free calls—so what’s the point of scrimping? Clearly, they were saving for themselves! When Chu Tianyu checked, his meal card and his almost new jersey were indeed missing!
“Sigh, usually it’s you who helps prepare breakfast and keep things clean. It’s only right that we do a little for you. Your kindness is so great that no matter how much we do, it’s hardly enough to repay it…” Damn, they’re being way too modest. Where did all this trash in the room come from?
“Such a good person staying out all night—it’s our fault for not setting a good example. We feel deeply guilty and worried…” Done for; the bottle of red wine Li Rou gave him must have been used to drown their sorrows.
…
On Sunday morning, Chu Tianyu ended his sword practice and took a deep breath—how refreshing! Without Li Rou around to “observe,” he could finally act freely, easing the frustration from last night until now.
Last night, after Bai Lei and the others returned, they bombarded him with questions and forced him to sign several unfair agreements. They also abandoned him in the game as a punishment!
Not only that, but Ouyang Ziyi hadn’t given any news since that phone call, leaving Chu Tianyu worried every time he heard the door open!
So today, he decided not to stay in the dormitory. It was a good chance to go out and explore. He’d been in Beijing for three months now, having only visited a few famous attractions along with Bai Lei and the others. He hadn’t really explored other places, especially the busy areas.
He also needed to go to a store to get some proper clothes to wear at his grandfather’s house that night. Since his uncles and aunts would likely be there, dressing appropriately was a matter of courtesy.
When Chu Tianyu arrived at the busiest shopping center in the city, he was stunned by the vast array of clothes. Usually, buying jeans, T-shirts, and casual sweaters was manageable for him. But when it came to proper, upscale clothing, either his mother would take care of it or, when he was with his third master, there was a dedicated stylist—so he never had to worry about it.

What should he do now? Choose a suit? It’s certainly formal, but it doesn’t seem quite fitting for his student status or the nature of a family dinner. As for other combinations, Chu Tianyu really had no idea. He tried on several sets in the fitting room, sweating profusely, but none of them satisfied him!
With no other choice, Chu Tianyu completely gave up on picking by himself. Just as he was about to ask the salesperson next to him, who was packing up his changed clothes, for advice, a voice that could be described as “frightening” suddenly rang out: “Oh my, how come our Third Young Master of the Chu family, instead of going to your Chu’s Department Store across the street, came to our Jiabao instead?”
Chu Tianyu looked up and indeed saw Ouyang Ziyi standing not far away, smiling. His heart sank—how could he run into her here? There’s no such thing as coincidence in this world. It seems his whereabouts had been completely exposed under her watchful eyes. It was his own fault; used to a peaceful life, he rarely paid attention to people or things around him unless there was danger. After all, since school, he had hardly ever encountered those with special abilities. As for those he met at the bar last time, they were still considered “old friends.” So, he had overlooked ordinary people. It seemed he needed to be more careful from now on.
Thinking this, he said awkwardly, “I was just wandering around; I didn’t even notice what kind of department store this is! I didn’t know there was a Chu Ye company across the street either. Hehe…”
Ouyang Ziyi didn’t continue speaking. Instead, she asked, “So, are you here to buy clothes?”
“Mm, yeah, just browsing a bit!”
“Browsing? This brand isn’t cheap at all. Don’t you like wearing clothes from the ‘Hundred Sets’ series?”
“What ‘Hundred Sets’?” Chu Tianyu asked in confusion.
“Hehe, of course I mean one set for a hundred yuan.”
“Ugh…”
“Well, it makes sense. Since you’re going to see your grandfather, you need to dress appropriately!”
Hearing this, Chu Tianyu was stunned. He looked at Ouyang Ziyi in surprise, wondering, “How does she know? I’ve never mentioned this at all!”
“Hehe, no need to overthink it. Our beloved Vice Chairman Han has returned from his successful visit; even the news broadcast covered it. You’re busy and here alone, choosing clothes—even a fool would know what you’re up to!” Ouyang Ziyi said with a light laugh.
Chu Tianyu was speechless. He thought this woman’s intelligence was hardly inferior to Qin Nianran’s—truly a pair of beauties, living up to the name!

“By the way, seeing how clueless you are—unable even to choose clothes—since I’m your girlfriend, I’ll act as your free fashion advisor. But since it’s free, there’s one condition!” Ouyang Ziyi continued.
“What condition?” Chu Tianyu asked impatiently.
“I want to go with you!”