Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 571: The

Xu Qing had been standing on the balcony, observing the interaction between Zhou Yuwen and Pan Min downstairs. Although she had read her fair share of web novels about younger, devoted lovers, actually seeing an older sister a few years her senior dating a tall, handsome younger man who drove a million-yuan sports car in real life still left her somewhat shocked.She could only admit that Sister Pan Min's execution far exceeded her expectations. As expected of someone a few years older, she was just different. She actually stroked his cheek and patted his head—wouldn't that completely captivate the younger man?

Just as Xu Qing was upstairs watching the drama unfold, she realized that Zhou Yuwen and Pan Min were about to head upstairs.

'This?'

Xu Qing originally thought that Pan Min's "little boyfriend" only drove a Porsche. Although there were two large, black Mercedes-Benz vehicles parked nearby, because they weren't the main focus, she hadn't paid them any attention.

It wasn't until Zhou Yuwen and Pan Min were about to come upstairs that she saw three burly men in black suits step out of the two cars.

Having watched plenty of soap operas, Xu Qing instantly guessed it—these were the bodyguards of a wealthy family!

'What should I do? They're coming upstairs, but the room is such a mess!'

Xu Qing hurriedly tidied up the room and quickly checked her appearance to make sure she didn't look too sloppy.

Actually, before the bodyguards got out of the cars, Pan Min had also assumed that Zhou Yuwen came by himself.

It wasn't until Zhou Yuwen offered to accompany her upstairs to pack her luggage that she saw him simply wave his hand, prompting three stoic men in suits to step out of the vehicles.

Only then did Pan Min realize that Zhou Yuwen hadn't come alone. She felt that he was making too grand of a fuss and told him that there was really no need to rush.

"I've already settled down here."

"At least wait a few days before we talk about it, alright?"

However, Zhou Yuwen left no room for argument. He only gave one reason: it wasn't as if they didn't have a home in Jinling, so why should she stay at someone else's place?

Hearing this, Pan Min didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but she didn't continue to refuse, essentially giving her tacit agreement.

And so, Pan Min led Zhou Yuwen and his entourage into the elevator.

While in the elevator, Pan Min mentioned to Zhou Yuwen that she had originally agreed to stay with her friend for a while. Moving out so suddenly in the middle of the night felt like she had bothered her friend for so long for no reason.

Zhou Yuwen agreed that it was quite an inconvenience for her.

"Then let's take some time and treat her to a meal. That should make up for it," he suggested.

Pan Min could only smile helplessly at those words. To be honest, for the past twenty years, she had been raising Su Qing by herself. She had never depended on anyone, nor had she ever imagined that one day, someone would step in to help her make decisions.

Now that Zhou Yuwen had appeared, this feeling was quite subtle, but it truly wasn't bad at all.

Just like that, the group stepped out of the elevator, and Pan Min rang the room door bell.

"Xu Qing," she called out.

They waited for about half a minute. Just as Pan Min thought Xu Qing hadn't heard and was about to press the bell again, the door barely creaked open. Xu Qing first poked half her head out before finally opening the door completely with an embarrassed expression. "Come on in."

Pan Min was startled when she saw Xu Qing. When she had gone downstairs earlier, Xu Qing was clearly wearing pajamas. Now, however, she had changed into a loose, semi-transparent black shirt—the kind with a mesh exterior that offered faint glimpses of what lay underneath. And underneath, she was only wearing a black tube top. While this type of clothing gave off a relaxed and casual vibe and could technically be considered loungewear, Pan Min still found it a bit strange.

'Is there really a need to specifically change clothes just to meet a kid?'

'And she even put on makeup?'

"Teacher Pan, aren't you going to introduce us?" Just as Pan Min was lost in thought, Xu Qing smiled at Zhou Yuwen and then turned to Pan Min.

"Oh," Pan Min finally snapped out of it and said, "Let me introduce you."

"This is Xu Qing, my former colleague. She currently works at an educational institution in Jinling."

After introducing Xu Qing, Pan Min glanced at Zhou Yuwen. For a moment, she really didn't know how to introduce him.

'Son-in-law?'

She found it amusing just thinking about it.

Truth be told, having such an excellent son-in-law...

Pan Min felt quite proud in her heart.

So she said, "This is Zhou Yuwen—"

"No need for introductions, no need! I already know,"

Before Pan Min could finish, Xu Qing had already interrupted. Smiling, she went over to shake Zhou Yuwen's hand and said, "Hello, hello. I often hear Teacher Pan mention you."

"Mention me?"

These words didn't just stun Zhou Yuwen; even Pan Min was taken aback.

She wondered when she had ever mentioned Zhou Yuwen.

"You know him?" Pan Min asked, completely baffled.

However, Xu Qing thought she was being clever. Winking at Pan Min, she laughed and said, "Of course I know him! Isn't he your boyfriend? You've been bringing him up to me constantly. You even said you came to Jinling this time just for him!"

"?"

After Xu Qing finished speaking, everyone in the room froze. Zhou Yuwen was bewildered at first, then turned his head to glance at Pan Min.

Pan Min was rendered instantly speechless.

Yet Xu Qing continued to shoot meaningful glances at Pan Min, her eyes seemingly saying, 'Well? Aren't I smart?'

"By the way, what do you do for a living?" Having seemingly confirmed his identity, Xu Qing began smilingly inquiring about Zhou Yuwen's profession.

Zhou Yuwen stared at this enthusiastic older woman who was still gripping his hand.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Xu Qing."

Finally unable to hold back, Pan Min called out her name.

Xu Qing asked her what was wrong.

Pan Min whispered, "Yuwen is not my boyfriend."

"Huh? You haven't made it official yet?"

"He is my son-in-law." When she said this, Pan Min's entire face flushed red. Who on earth would mistake someone's son-in-law for their boyfriend? Only Xu Qing would dare to say something like that.

"Ah?"

Xu Qing hadn't fully processed it yet, but upon seeing Pan Min's beet-red face, she suddenly let out a loud gasp.

'What the hell!'

She gave herself a fright as well.

Even after the misunderstanding was cleared up, Xu Qing still found it a bit hard to believe.

Because in her impression, Su Qing was only...

'Only in high school, right?'

In the end, Pan Min had to explain, "Just think about it. How many years has it been since you last saw Su Qing?"

Thinking about it that way, it was true—Su Qing was already twenty years old.

But the boy standing in front of her...

Xu Qing looked at Zhou Yuwen once again.

Zhou Yuwen clarified that he was also only twenty years old, merely a sophomore in university.

'Alright, I've really embarrassed myself big time here.'

Xu Qing poured glasses of water for Zhou Yuwen and the others, finally getting a grasp of the situation.

The overbearing CEO standing before her was indeed a twenty-year-old young man. At Xu Qing's age, calling him a little brother or a piece of little fresh meat wouldn't be out of line, but on Pan Min's side, he was definitely a junior.

Moreover, even though he was just a sophomore student, he was undeniably young and promising. Earlier, Xu Qing hadn't connected the dots or recognized Zhou Yuwen. It wasn't until the later explanations that she remembered hearing his name tossed around at her educational institution—something about being the youngest billionaire, planning to build skyscrapers, and so on.

'No way, so this legendary figure...'

'...is actually Pan Min's son-in-law!?'

'Pan Min is way too lucky!'

'Sigh, if only I had known, I would have had a daughter too!'

At this moment, Xu Qing's eyes held nothing but envy.

Pan Min could tell that ever since Xu Qing learned of Zhou Yuwen's identity, she didn't just stop treating him like a junior; she actually became far more cautious and deferential. Only then did Pan Min realize just how high Zhou Yuwen's reputation and status had risen in Jinling.

Zhou Yuwen was very polite to Xu Qing, but politeness aside, he didn't treat her like an elder the way he did with Pan Min. Instead, he gave off a distant, unapproachable aura, keeping her at arm's length.

After Pan Min finished the introductions, Zhou Yuwen merely offered a slight nod.

He then checked his watch, turned to Pan Min, and said, "Aunt Pan, it's getting late. Where is your luggage? I'll have them carry it downstairs for you."

Actually, Pan Min had already made her bed that afternoon. But since Zhou Yuwen was so insistent on taking her away now, she had no choice but to concede. "Then I'll go pack up a bit," she replied.

Zhou Yuwen nodded.

And so, Pan Min went into the bedroom to begin packing.

Xu Qing obviously wanted to cozy up and build a connection with Zhou Yuwen. This was completely unobjectionable. In Jinling, Xu Qing was nothing more than an incredibly ordinary working-class employee.

Even though she worked at an educational institution—perhaps letting her hair down every day and dressing in radiant, professional office-lady suits—and her thirty-two years of age might have given her some work experience and earned her the respect of many young people, at the end of the day, she was still just an employee.

When faced with a capital giant like Zhou Yuwen, she might not get to see someone of his caliber more than a few times in her entire life.

Now that such a person had appeared right in front of her, who wouldn't want to make his acquaintance?

A small town was different from a big city.

A small town was too comfortable; one might never encounter a single major figure in their entire lifetime.

Even if they did, they wouldn't think much of it.

Because they knew that no matter how powerful the other person was, it had nothing to do with them.

But in a big city, there were always people who held onto fantasies.

Take the educational institution where Xu Qing worked, for example. Wasn't it all about seizing every single opportunity? If someone loaded fifty thousand yuan onto a membership card, wouldn't she effortlessly pocket a five-thousand-yuan commission?

With a tycoon like Zhou Yuwen, what if a friend of his had a child who needed supplementary classes?

Therefore, at this moment, Xu Qing was racking her brains trying to figure out how to hand out her business card.

Unfortunately, she never found the right opportunity.

She waited there for a long time.

It wasn't until Pan Min entered the room that Xu Qing suddenly reacted. "Ah, let me help you pack!"

After saying that, she followed Pan Min inside.

Pan Min clearly sensed that Xu Qing was a bit absent-minded at the moment.

So, Pan Min told her that there wasn't much to pack.

"There's not really much for you to help with here. Why don't you go back out? See if Yuwen needs anything, and keep him company by chatting with him," Pan Min suggested.

Xu Qing found this amusing. "What could I possibly chat about with him?"

Slightly puzzled, Pan Min asked Xu Qing why she was being so deferential to Zhou Yuwen.

"Sister Min, I can only say that your daughter has good luck."

"Actually, it's not just your daughter who has good luck; both you and your daughter are incredibly lucky. If only I had such a promising daughter," Xu Qing said, unable to stop herself from letting out a heavy sigh.

Pan Min asked her what she meant by that.

Thus, Xu Qing recounted everything she knew about Zhou Yuwen. She also added, "Going out to work is different from working at home. Sister Min, don't just look at my monthly salary of over ten thousand yuan and think it's high. I have to stay sharp at all times and earn every single penny the hard way. The major clients in my hands are just the same few people over and over again. I've been in Jinling for so many years, but I've never come across anyone as wealthy as your son-in-law."

"Sister Min, in the future when your granddaughter is born, you absolutely must... sigh, never mind."

Xu Qing originally wanted to secure a business deal through Pan Min, but on second thought, it didn't make sense.

Pan Min herself was a senior teacher; why would she ever need to go out and hire a private tutor?

Initially, Xu Qing felt that her life was quite happy. She had no family pressure, didn't need to raise a child, and lived each day joyfully. However, after seeing Pan Min being picked up by her son-in-law, Xu Qing felt her inner peace completely shatter.

She would just muddle through her entire life like this. In the end, when she grew old and lost her looks, she would simply be discarded by society.

Meanwhile, with a son-in-law like that, Pan Min was probably set for life.

Xu Qing poured out her innermost thoughts to Pan Min.

But Pan Min just chuckled, telling Xu Qing that she was worrying over nothing.

"You're only thirty-two. You have a bright future ahead of you. You can't possibly stay unmarried your whole life, can you to get married?"

"Easier said than done."

Hearing this, Xu Qing let out a resentful scoff.

To be honest, before she knew Pan Min had such an excellent son-in-law, Xu Qing had been overjoyed. She felt that Pan Min had come to Jinling just to keep her company, and from then on, the two sisters could live their lives freely and recklessly. But after laying eyes on Zhou Yuwen, Xu Qing's demeanor turned into that of a bitter, resentful woman, viewing everything through a harshly realistic lens.

She was already thirty-two and divorced. Who would she even marry?

Having scraped by in Jinling for so many years, she certainly wouldn't settle for someone without a house or a car.

As for the Jinling natives, apart from those with established families and businesses who only thought Xu Qing was pretty enough for a one-night stand, absolutely no one would actually want to marry her.

She had lived this long without having a single son or daughter.

Thinking back on it now, she would have been better off having a child back then.

At the very least, she would have something to look forward to.

At that moment, Xu Qing was struck by another idea: getting IVF to have a test-tube baby.

She asked Pan Min if she thought it would work.

Hearing this, Pan Min simply smiled and told her to just settle down steadily and find a suitable man to marry.

Chatting away while packing, Pan Min's belongings were soon all neatly stowed in her suitcase.

Once she stepped out of the bedroom, a bodyguard naturally came over to pick up the suitcase.

Pan Min took one last look at Xu Qing and said, "I'll be going now, okay?"

"Yeah. Sister Min, remember to come visit me." Xu Qing wore a look of deep reluctance.

Pan Min nodded. She had been ready to leave, but seeing the pitiful look in Xu Qing's eyes, her kind heart ultimately won out. She turned to Zhou Yuwen and asked, "Yuwen, do you have any friends who mentioned needing supplementary classes for their children?"

"Supplementary classes?" Zhou Yuwen found the question a bit odd. "Aunt Pan, look at our age. Do any of us have kids yet?"

"Oh, well, Xu Qing works as a teacher at an educational institution. So I thought, if you have any friends in need, you could introduce them to her."

Hearing this, Xu Qing was incredibly moved, feeling that Pan Min was truly an amazing friend.

When Zhou Yuwen shifted his gaze toward her, Xu Qing tensed up completely.

After looking at her for a long moment, Zhou Yuwen simply let out an "Oh" and said, "Then leave a business card. I'll have someone call you tomorrow."

"Yes! Okay!" Xu Qing was overjoyed.