Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 531: I Am More Suitable Than Her!

It wasn't an issue of Zhou Yuwen's age, but rather a feeling of resignation. Zheng Yanyan had gained weight again. That would be fine on its own, but she was becoming increasingly oblivious to her own strength. She threw herself onto him like a ton of bricks, plopping down violently. Who could withstand that? Only Zhou Yuwen could bear it.Still, Zhou Yuwen couldn't help complaining, reminding Zheng Yanyan to lose weight in the future.

Zheng Yanyan remained unconvinced, arguing that she hadn't gained any weight.

Then why not step on a scale to prove it?

She didn't dare do it after being challenged.

What a stubborn lass.

After finally satisfying the two girls, Zhou Yuwen could finally slip out to catch his breath. He poured a five-millimeter splash of whiskey into a crystal-clear octagonal glass.

Sitting by the window, he savored it little by little while taking in the night view outside.

As a thirty-year-old "old man," the hot-blooded passion of young people was no longer something Zhou Yuwen pursued. Instead, he preferred this tranquility that followed the passion.

A moment of time that belonged solely to him.

Just as Zhou Yuwen was sipping his drink, sitting by the window and enjoying this brief moment of peace.

At that moment, Shen Yu walked out wearing her pajamas, staring at him in a slight daze.

"You're still not sleeping this late?" Zhou Yuwen's words pulled Shen Yu out of her trance.

"Ah,"

Shen Yu's gaze cleared as she looked at Zhou Yuwen. Having just finished his business in the room, he was now dressed in a clean, simple white shirt and comfortable cotton-linen pants. Zhou Yuwen had a great physique, giving him a crisp, refreshing look. Coupled with his handsome features, he looked exactly the same as he did at the beginning of their freshman year.

Shen Yu still remembered the first time she met Zhou Yuwen. Back then, he had pretended to be a senior male student, and his humorous, witty demeanor had completely captivated her.

At the time, Shen Yu had just entered university and was full of curiosity about everything. Zhou Yuwen perfectly matched her imagined image of a senior male student. Because of this, she had quickly developed a good impression of him. Even after his facade as a senior was exposed, the extraordinary abilities he displayed made it impossible for her to look away from him.

Looking back over the past year of university, it was perhaps because she had met Zhou Yuwen so early on that no other boys could catch her eye anymore.

Even Li Shiqi knew to pursue her own happiness, so why couldn't she?

"Aren't you awake too?" Shen Yu countered.

Zhou Yuwen couldn't help but chuckle at her words, explaining that he couldn't sleep.

"I got up to have a little drink."

As he spoke, Zhou Yuwen swirled the liquid in his octagonal glass.

Shen Yu noticed the whiskey bottle nearby and asked, "Alcohol?"

"Yeah."

"What does it taste like?" Shen Yu asked again.

Seeing the curiosity in her eyes, Zhou Yuwen offered, "Do you want to try some?"

"Can I?"

So, Zhou Yuwen poured Shen Yu a tiny glass as well—just a drop at the bottom, roughly five millimeters high.

After pouring, the two clinked glasses by the window. In this rare moment of solitude together, Shen Yu took a tiny sip. The sensation was a bit strange; she wasn't quite used to the taste of the alcohol.

Zhou Yuwen smiled and told her that it was always like that the first time.

Shen Yu explained that she rarely drank anyway.

Since starting university, the only two times she had drank were with him, Su Qing, and the others.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen let out a soft "Oh." The corner of his mouth curved up into a faint smile as he teased, "That just proves you're a good girl."

Shen Yu's face instantly flushed red. She murmured that she wasn't that good, and that she had her mischievous, disobedient moments in the past.

For instance, when she was a class representative in high school, the teacher put her in charge of discipline during study hall. In reality, she hadn't been doing her homework seriously either and was zoning out. Yet, when the teacher returned, they praised her, saying Shen Yu was the most self-disciplined student in the class.

Thinking about it now still made her a little embarrassed.

"And there was that other time."

Before Zhou Yuwen could respond, Shen Yu launched into another story to prove that she wasn't perfectly well-behaved.

Zhou Yuwen simply sat beside her, listening. As she talked, Shen Yu seemed to cheer up on her own. She downed the rest of the whiskey in her glass in one gulp and felt completely fine.

It was such a small amount of alcohol; what could it possibly do?

After swallowing, Shen Yu smacked her lips and even smiled, declaring that the taste wasn't bad.

"Pour me a little more," Shen Yu requested.

Zhou Yuwen warned her that whiskey wasn't meant to be drunk like that. "It might not look like much, but it has a strong kick," he explained.

Two rosy clouds had already bloomed on Shen Yu's cheeks, though she remained completely oblivious to it. "No it won't," she insisted. "Look at me, aren't I perfectly fine right now?"

Zhou Yuwen chuckled at her response. "I can see that now. You really aren't that well-behaved."

Shen Yu even tried to goad him, asking, "You're not just stingy with your liquor, are you? Is it really that expensive?"

Zhou Yuwen thought about it for a moment. It certainly wasn't cheap.

However, since Shen Yu had already put it like that, Zhou Yuwen naturally wouldn't argue. He handed the wine bottle straight to her. "Then pour it yourself."

"You said it, so don't feel bad about it later." Shen Yu quickly snatched the wine bottle, acting as if she feared Zhou Yuwen might regret his offer.

She proceeded to pour herself a generous half-glass. Zhou Yuwen quickly interjected, saying that was enough, and if she drank that whole half-glass, she probably wouldn't wake up to see tomorrow morning.

But Shen Yu retorted that Zhou Yuwen was underestimating her.

She declared that she never slept in late.

"President Zhou, it's a rare opportunity to share a drink with you here tonight, accompanied by such a beautiful view." Shen Yu raised her glass, genuinely looking the part.

Her face had grown increasingly flushed, and her dark eyes sparkled with a vibrant gleam.

She was an adorable girl.

Zhou Yuwen simply chuckled. It was indeed rare to have someone keep him company for a drink on a night like this. Granted, if Zhou Yuwen wanted, any of his women could keep him company, but this feeling was entirely different.

Zhou Yuwen clinked glasses with Shen Yu and took a measured sip. Shen Yu, acting as if she was afraid Zhou Yuwen would look down on her for not knowing how to drink, actually tried to gulp it down aggressively. As a result, she nearly choked after just one small swallow.

A violent fit of coughing ensued.

Zhou Yuwen found it rather amusing. "I told you earlier, that's not how you drink liquor," he said.

Shen Yu only felt a burning sensation in her chest, as if it were about to explode. She rubbed her chest for quite a while before finally feeling somewhat better. Seeing Zhou Yuwen's gloating expression, she naturally felt indignant.

Refusing to admit defeat, she grumbled that she thought she could handle it when she took the sip, not expecting it to be so spicy. She felt like it had burned all the way up into her nose.

Zhou Yuwen pulled out some tissues and handed them to Shen Yu, gesturing for her to wipe her mouth.

He then smiled and told her to take it slowly.

There was no need to rush.

"With this kind of strong spirit, you need to sip it slowly. It's meant to be enjoyed leisurely, a little touch of romance in everyday life at best. It's not like you're trying to get drunk, so there's no reason to drink it in such a hurry." Zhou Yuwen took another sip from his own glass as he spoke.

Shen Yu had indeed been too eager just now, ending up coughing most of it out. A few drops had even splashed onto her collar. Although she had wiped it with a tissue, it was obvious she couldn't sleep in those pajamas anymore.

She had originally wanted to show off in front of Zhou Yuwen, but she never expected to make a fool of herself instead. Looking back at Zhou Yuwen, he still looked as relaxed and carefree as ever.

Shen Yu thought for a moment and found another topic. She asked Zhou Yuwen how Su Qing was doing abroad.

Zhou Yuwen replied that she was doing great.

She had participated in a foreign architectural design competition a while back, and he heard she even won third place.

"I actually looked at the top entries from that competition. Honestly, the designs that placed first and second weren't as good as hers, but those participants had higher social standing. Su Qing definitely didn't hold back on complaining about it to me."

Seeing the smile on the corner of Zhou Yuwen's mouth as he spoke, Shen Yu couldn't help but smile as well. She noted that when they were together before, Su Qing would argue and kick up a fuss over him every single day, yet after they broke up, their relationship seemed to have improved significantly.

"I've had a few video calls with Su Qing too. I noticed she's changed a lot now. Even her aura is entirely different."

Zhou Yuwen said that was to be expected.

"It's impossible for a person to remain completely unchanged."

With Zhou Yuwen's remark, the conversation she had so painstakingly started fell into silence once more. Shen Yu took another small sip of whiskey, trying to think of the next topic.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuwen had already finished two small glasses of whiskey and was feeling slightly tipsy.

Zhou Yuwen then declared that it was getting late. "Alright, that's about enough."

"Go back to sleeping. I need to rest too." Saying this, Zhou Yuwen prepared to stand up.

Hearing that Zhou Yuwen was leaving, Shen Yu suddenly felt a surge of anxiety and blurted out, "Are you and Li Shiqi really dating now?"

"?"

Zhou Yuwen was puzzled as to why Shen Yu would ask such a question.

Shen Yu also realized her question was a bit abrupt and quickly explained, "Because when we were eating earlier, I saw you taking such good care of her, and everyone was saying you two were dating."

"But when we came back, I asked Yan Yan, and she said you guys were just pretending to date. So I was a bit confused and wanted to ask you about it."

"Oh," Zhou Yuwen replied.

"There were indeed some misunderstandings before, but they've all been cleared up tonight."

Shen Yu was curious. "You've cleared everything up?"

"Yeah, she said she likes me. I thought about it, and she's not bad, so we're going to try dating for a while and see how it goes." Zhou Yuwen had actually already stood up by this point. He hadn't had much to talk about with Shen Yu to begin with, so he just wanted to quickly wrap up their chatting and go back to sleeping.

But who could have known what would happen as he prepared to leave after saying those words?

Standing behind him, Shen Yu felt her nose tingle with a sudden, baffling urge to cry. She couldn't help but demand, "What do you mean, 'she's not bad, so you'll try dating for a while'?"

Shen Yu's voice sounded off. Zhou Yuwen turned around in curiosity, only to find that Shen Yu's eyes had suddenly grown red for some unknown reason.

Zhou Yuwen was deeply perplexed.

Shen Yu confessed that there were some things she had been bottling up inside her heart for a long time.

With Zhou Yuwen jumping from one relationship to the next, had he ever thought about who he was going to get married to in the future?

He might have broken up with Su Qing and Yan Yan, but they were still lingering around him. Now he was off looking for the next girl, so what were Yan Yan and Su Qing supposed to do later on?

"With so many women around you, have you ever thought about who you're actually going to get married to?"

"When you eventually get married, what will happen to Yan Yan and Su Qing?"

Overwhelmed by an inexplicable feeling of being wronged, Shen Yu wiped her tears as she questioned Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen could have easily ignored the question.

However, seeing the devastated look on Shen Yu's face, he ultimately replied, "Can't I just marry them all?"

"Huh?" Shen Yu was bewildered.

Zhou Yuwen clarified that it wasn't legally possible in the country.

But that didn't mean it was impossible everywhere in the world.

"I admit I'm not a good man, but if you're calling me a scummy man, I absolutely deny it. Whether it's Su Qing or Yan Yan, I will fulfill every responsibility a man should have toward them."

"Why do you think I work so hard at making money? Isn't it because I understand the weight of the word 'responsibility'?"

"Do you know why I'm willing to be in a relationship with Li Shiqi?"

"It's not that I'm just casually agreeing to date anyone I see. I made things very clear with her tonight. I told her I have to take responsibility for Yan Yan and the others. If she can accept that, then we'll try dating for a while and see."

"If she can't accept it, even if we end up separating, I won't beg her to stay—just like what happened with Jiang Xinyi."

"Therefore, I don't feel I've done anything wrong. And I find it very strange that you're crying."

At this point, Zhou Yuwen grew serious, fixing his gaze on Shen Yu.

He told her, "Shen Yu, I know you share a dormitory with Yan Yan and Su Qing."

"You guys are friends, and I can completely understand your desire to stand up for them. But this is our private matter."

"If they have a problem with it, they will leave me. But the thing is, none of us feel there's an issue."

"You're an excellent girl, and I'm very willing to be friends with you. However, if you want to dictate our affairs to showcase your sense of justice, then I'm sorry."

"Perhaps we aren't suited to be friends. Let's leave it at that. Tomorrow, I'll have Yan Yan take you back to school."

Zhou Yuwen spoke his last sentence with extraordinary coldness, as if explicitly telling her never to set foot in his home again.

Shen Yu panicked instantly upon hearing this and hurriedly clarified, "That's not what I meant at all!"

"I'm just angry! Why is it okay for Li Shiqi, but not for me?!" Seeing Zhou Yuwen about to leave, Shen Yu grew frantic.

Zhou Yuwen was even more stunned by her words.

Earlier, Shen Yu merely had red eyes, but now the tears were freely flowing down her cheeks.

Wiping away her tears, she sobbed, "You said Li Shiqi likes you, but I like you too! I've liked you ever since our freshman year started. How long has she even liked you? You were supposed to be my boyfriend! But Yan Yan snatched you away, and then it was Jiang Xinyi. So why is it fine for Li Shiqi to have you, but not me?!"

Shen Yu continued to cry. Zhou Yuwen had been on the verge of going inside, but upon hearing her confession, he completely froze. This...

Looking at Shen Yu before him, she appeared incredibly pitiful.

Zhou Yuwen finally asked with uncertainty, "You..."

"Like me?"

These words only infuriated her more.

Zhou Yuwen actually didn't know she liked him?

The distance between them was short, and in her agitated state, Shen Yu simply threw herself directly into Zhou Yuwen's arms and broke down crying.

Zhou Yuwen said, "Hey, don't cry. If you have something to say, just say it properly. Why are you crying?"

Shen Yu lifted her head, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes. Filled with grievance, she declared, "If you're only letting Li Shiqi be your girlfriend because she can accept Yan Yan and the others, then I am far more suitable than her!"