Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 576: Being Taken Care Of

Suddenly scooped into Zhou Yuwen's arms, Pan Min was caught completely off guard. Her cheeks turned slightly red as she asked, "Yuwen, what are you doing?"Zhou Yuwen replied, "Aunt Pan, look at how swollen your ankle is. I will just carry you inside."

"There is no need. You just have to support me."

Although she already considered Zhou Yuwen as family, he was still her prospective son-in-law after all. Such intimate contact made Pan Min feel quite uncomfortable. However, Zhou Yuwen left no room for argument, insisting on carrying her inside.

Pan Min could not outstubborn Zhou Yuwen. Mostly because in the time it took her to utter a few words, he had already carried her over to the sofa in the living room. Seeing his uncompromising attitude, she offered a helpless smile. Truth be told, she felt a bit happy and gratified deep down, though equally overwhelmed by a touch of shyness.

She thought to herself, 'I shouldn't feel this shy. I'm not some innocent maiden anymore, and I am Yuwen's elder. Besides, when he was staying at our house before, didn't it feel completely normal?'

After doing a series of mental gymnastics to reassure herself, Pan Min's mood improved significantly.

Zhou Yuwen gently placed her on the sofa and asked with concern, "How is it, Aunt Pan? Does it still hurt?"

Pan Min gazed at him, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. She assured him she was fine and that it was merely a slight throb.

"I will be perfectly fine after resting for the night," she added.

"That won't do," Zhou Yuwen protested.

As he spoke, he had already dropped into a half-crouch in front of her. Gently lifting the hem of her long skirt, he took hold of her small foot, which was still encased in a high heel.

Pan Min was wearing a pair of nude patent leather high heels. Her tender, slender feet were slipped into the slightly oversized shoes. The sides of the heels featured a hollowed-out design, meaning the top of her foot was directly visible through the gaps. Because Zhou Yuwen had lifted it so suddenly, she subconsciously pulled her foot back a fraction. This subtle movement only accentuated the delicate, three-inch golden lotus beauty of her arching foot.

Zhou Yuwen observed that it was already swelling up.

"If we don't treat this right now, I am afraid it will only get worse," he warned.

Saying so, he supported her leg with one hand while gently gripping her ankle with the other.

"Ah," Pan Min gasped, unable to hold back a soft cry as a sharp twinge shot up from her ankle.

Zhou Yuwen inquired, "Is it right here?"

"Yes... please don't squeeze," she murmured in a hushed, pleading tone as another wave of pain hit her.

Zhou Yuwen lowered her feet and told her to wait right there for a moment.

He then headed over to the refrigerator to find some ice cubes.

Sitting on the sofa, Pan Min watched him bustle about and asked what he was up to.

Zhou Yuwen explained that he was making an ice pack to apply a cold compress for her.

"Within forty-eight hours of a sprain, applying a cold compress can constrict the blood vessels. This reduces tissue fluid exudation, alleviates the pain, and prevents the swelling from worsening," he instructed.

He shared this snippet of knowledge while putting the ice pack together.

Pan Min could not help but smile at that. "I didn't expect you to know about this sort of thing," she commented.

Soon, a makeshift ice pack was ready.

Zhou Yuwen pointed out that it was just basic common sense.

For some inexplicable reason, Pan Min chuckled again at his response.

Seeing him kneel once more to take off her shoes, she quickly interjected, "I can do it myself."

However, the moment she moved, she accidentally tugged at the injured joint, sending a piercing agony shooting up from her ankle.

Because of that, she was a step too slow.

Zhou Yuwen instructed, "Aunt Pan, just sit there and be honest."

By this point, he had already lifted her sprained foot. With the utmost patience, he slipped the high heel off her foot.

Pan Min possessed incredibly beautiful feet—slender, elongated, and tracing an exquisite curve.

Her instep stretched naturally, displaying a sense of delicate refinement. Paired with her white mermaid-style dress, and contrasting with her other foot still planted firmly on the ground in its high heel, it exuded an aura of elegant capability.

To make the process easier, Zhou Yuwen rested her foot against his shoulder before applying the ice pack directly onto the sprained area.

It stung a little at first, but as the freezing sensation seeped into her skin, the throbbing began to fade.

It seemed the pain really wasn't as intense anymore.

"It seems to actually be working," Pan Min noted with an involuntary smile.

Zhou Yuwen confidently stated that of course it was.

"There's scientific backing for this," he declared.

Zhou Yuwen was still half-kneeling while chatting with her. Pan Min smiled at his remark, but then realized the current posture was highly inappropriate and urged him to stand up.

He waved off her concern, explaining that since she was currently incapacitated, he would hold the cold compress in place for a while.

He said that, but kneeling there indefinitely truly wasn't proper. Zhou Yuwen eventually stood up and took a seat on the sofa. Pan Min rested in a half-reclining position, leaving her small feet cradled in his hands.

At that exact moment, a sudden realization struck Pan Min—she hadn't washed her feet yet...

Zhou Yuwen paused, genuinely caught off guard. He certainly hadn't considered that particular detail.

Words could not even begin to describe how profoundly embarrassed Pan Min felt right then.

However, she absolutely did not expect that upon hearing this, Zhou Yuwen would subconsciously lower his head and take two gentle sniffs. "It's fine. I don't smell anything," he reassured her.

He lifted his head after speaking, only to be met with her utterly shell-shocked expression.

Uh!

Zhou Yuwen immediately realized he had said the wrong thing.

Well then. Neither of them spoke a single word for a long moment.

The atmosphere in the room turned rather awkward.

Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, Pan Min shifted her body slightly. "I should do this myself," she suggested. "Don't you have other things to attend to?"

Zhou Yuwen figured she had a point, so he scooped her up into his arms once again.

He carried her straight into her bedroom.

It was indeed getting late, so he advised her to get to sleep early.

With that, he stepped out of the bedroom.

"Um... Yuwen," she called out softly.

Just as he was about to leave, Pan Min stopped him.

Zhou Yuwen turned back with a questioning gaze.

"Thank you," Pan Min said sincerely.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen flashed a warm smile.

From Zhou Yuwen's perspective, taking care of Pan Min was completely natural and expected. But he had no idea that for a woman who had been living alone for so long, this was a rare, treasured warmth. She had been on her own for twenty long years, inevitably suffering her fair share of bumps and bruises along the way. Normally, she would just patch herself up through those minor injuries without a second thought, not feeling that it was anything out of the ordinary.

It wasn't until Zhou Yuwen stepped in to help her this time—thinking back to how he had effortlessly carried her around and meticulously prepared the ice pack—that a profound, unexplainable warmth bloomed within her chest.

In that fleeting moment, Pan Min found herself feeling a faint twinge of envy toward her own daughter.

'It seems my daughter really did find a good man,' she mused.

'What on earth am I thinking?'

Catching herself in the act, Pan Min firmly decided she shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts, reaching up to touch her suddenly burning cheeks.

The resounding success of the recent wedding single-handedly elevated Zhou Yuwen's planning company from a mere university student startup into a widely renowned firm that many in Jinling now recognized.

First and foremost, Su Qing's wedding planning concepts were genuinely about two years ahead of the current industry curve. The designs she crafted were not only refreshingly novel and stunning, but they also incorporated countless intricate details that no one else had even conceived of yet. Previously, their lack of reputation was the only thing preventing them from breaking into the upper echelons of society.

Now, with Zhou Yuwen personally endorsing the business, word had quickly spread throughout high society.

Even during his business meetings over the following days, his partners playfully teased him. "President Zhou, your business ventures are truly extensive. Who would have thought you also dabbled in event planning?" Hearing such remarks, Zhou Yuwen would offer an awkward smile and humbly brush it off. "Not at all. My employees handle all the real work. I'm just messing around with it casually."

"Don't be so modest, President Zhou! I saw the videos myself. Let's skip the pleasantries—my younger cousin is getting married next month. I practically guaranteed her that your company would handle the arrangements. What do you say?"

"Next month... we honestly might not have the time," Zhou Yuwen replied after brief consideration.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"While we were at the venue yesterday, quite a few people booked us on the spot. Our schedule is already packed full for the next three months," Zhou Yuwen explained.

"You must be joking. You're in that much demand, President Zhou? Are they paying more than I am?"

As Zhou Yuwen's business partners, these people certainly were not lacking money. What they truly cared about was their face and reputation. Just imagine the sheer amount of prestige they would gain by having the famous Zhou Yuwen personally arrange their weddings.

But Zhou Yuwen firmly stated that it wasn't a matter of money; his company simply lacked the energy and manpower to take on more projects right now.

"I will add more money, alright? One point five million."

"..."

"Well... let me see what I can do."

"Hehe, that's more like it, President Zhou! Why would anyone turn away money delivered right to their doorstep?"

Trends often blew over quickly, but for the moment, Zhou Yuwen's fame was definitely soaring. Not only did the wedding venues they designed leave everyone utterly stunned, but they also benefited heavily from his celebrity effect. Consequently, for a period of time, every prominent figure in Jinling was clamoring to hire his company for their wedding planning.

In the short span of just one month, they were scheduled to handle twenty weddings, generating a cash flow that easily exceeded ten million.

Chen Wan had originally assumed that the company would inevitably spiral downward after she left.

In her mind, Zhou Yuwen had practically never managed the planning department, so how could he possibly know what to do? She had firmly believed that it wouldn't be long before he realized how crucial she was and came crawling back to beg for her return.

Who could have predicted that following her departure, the company would immediately vault up two whole levels? Most importantly, because they had making money handsomely, Zhou Yuwen adopted a mindset that every ounce of effort deserved an equal reward. Knowing how hard his grassroots employees had worked, he generously waved his hand and distributed hefty prize money to all of them.

Even the lowest payout was five thousand.

For a while, this was the only topic of conversation echoing through the university's Student Union.

"How much did you get?"

"Damn, how did you get so much?"

After all, when Su Qing first founded the company, she had primarily recruited students from the Student Union. Now that the business was pulling in massive profits, they were understandably thrilled to gossip about their newfound wealth.

Meanwhile, as the Student Union President, Chen Wan had to sit and listen as her subordinates endlessly chattered about their bonuses.

Unable to suppress her curiosity, she finally asked, "What are you all talking about?"

"Oh, Senior Sister, we are talking about the company bonuses! You must have gotten way more than the rest of us... Ah! I'm so sorry, Senior Sister. I forgot you already resigned." A freshman abruptly realized their blunder.

At first, Chen Wan hadn't quite grasped what they meant until that very last sentence.

Her expression visibly soured, but with everyone watching, she was forced to feign indifference. "It's fine. Just remember to treat me to dinner with all that prize money."

"Of course!"

Chen Wan was merely joking to save face. She exchanged another brief pleasantry before retreating to her office. Once inside, however, she couldn't stop herself from pulling out her phone and obsessively checking her bank account.

She had harbored a tiny sliver of hope that Zhou Yuwen might still wire her a share, but clearly, she had expected too much.

Back when she was working for Zhou Yuwen's company, she was pulling in anywhere from four to seven thousand a month at the bare minimum. That income had made her life incredibly comfortable. Now that she had abruptly resigned, she was finding it rather difficult to adjust to her new reality.

But dwelling on it was pointless; once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Besides, Zhou Yuwen's company wasn't the only one in Jinling.

With her impressive resume, she was confident it wouldn't take long to find an even better company.

Just as she was reassuring herself, a fresh wave of noisy commotion drifted in from the corridor outside.

"President Zhou?"

"President Zhou, what brings you here?"

One by one, the students excitedly flocked over to greet Zhou Yuwen with overwhelming enthusiasm.

After all, Zhou Yuwen was basically their breadwinner now. They had all pitched in extensively during the recent wedding planning crunch. The Student Union was brimming with talent—from wedding master of ceremonies who played the guitar to junior female students actively assisting Su Qing with project designs.

Working alongside him this time around, they had discovered that Zhou Yuwen was a genuinely great guy, but most importantly, he was incredibly generous. Naturally, that made everyone want to get closer to him.

Zhou Yuwen's visit at this hour was actually prompted by the school leaders. They had instructed him to bring his files over to the Student Union for an official stamp, laying the groundwork for his postgraduate student arrangements.

Zhou Yuwen honestly felt it was a bit too early. He was only in his sophomore year, after all.

The leadership, however, insisted it wasn't early at all, pointing out that it was already May.

In just another month, his sophomore year would officially conclude.

In the blink of an eye, he would be a junior, so these arrangements needed to be finalized well in advance.

Thinking about it, Zhou Yuwen had to admit that time really was flying by.

Before he knew it, he was already approaching his junior year.

Faced with everyone's eager greetings, Zhou Yuwen remained highly approachable. "Did you all get your money?" he asked with a bright smile.

"We got it!"

"We sure did! Thank you, President Zhou!"

"President Zhou is practically my godfather!"

"Hahaha!"

A wave of boisterous laughter swept through the crowd.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled along with them. "Don't say that," he waved them off. "You all earned every penny of it."

"The company has indeed been far too busy lately. Take your bonuses, buy yourselves something delicious, and replenish your energy," he encouraged.

"Mhm!"

After exchanging a few more words with the students, Zhou Yuwen asked if Chen Wan was around.

"She's in her office."

"Alright."

With a nod, Zhou Yuwen made his way over.

While Zhou Yuwen was chatting outside, Chen Wan had actually been eavesdropping the entire time. Seeing that he was about to come in, she hastily straightened her clothes and checked her appearance. After all, while Zhou Yuwen might have been the boss at the company, this was the Student Union, and she was its president.

Zhou Yuwen knocked twice on the door.

"Come in," Chen Wan called out.

When Zhou Yuwen entered, he found Chen Wan sitting upright and perfectly poised at her desk. Catching sight of him, she feigned a look of sheer surprise. "What brings you here?"

Zhou Yuwen's demeanor remained perfectly casual. "President Chen, the college department gave me this document and told me it needs the Student Union's official stamp. I'll have to trouble you for a moment."

Handing over the papers, he placed them on her desk.

Chen Wan accepted the document and scanned it. Her eyes widened in absolute shock as she realized the college department was actually granting Zhou Yuwen a guaranteed postgraduate recommendation!

Even as the president of the Student Union, she hadn't received such top-tier treatment.

"Did you come looking for me solely for this?" Chen Wan asked, looking up after finishing her review of the document.

"Yes," Zhou Yuwen replied. Observing Chen Wan's hesitant expression as though she desperately wanted to say something, he found himself momentarily bewildered. After a brief pause, he added, "Oh, right. How have you been since leaving the company, President Chen? Life is treating you comfortably, I hope?"