Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 511: The Struggle Between Old and New Forces

"Oh, I'm going to the restroom," Yin Songyue replied unhurriedly to Zheng Yanyan's interrogation. She acted as if it were a matter of course, completely disregarding Zheng Yanyan, and prepared to leave right after speaking.But to everyone's surprise, Zheng Yanyan coldly retorted, "The restroom? Who told you the restroom is upstairs? You went to someone's conference room to use the restroom?"

Yin Songyue and Zheng Yanyan were just about to brush past each other when Zheng Yanyan suddenly dropped that line.

Yin Songyue's expression instantly darkened.

The main issue was that Zheng Yanyan had absolutely no intention of saving Yin Songyue's face. The downstairs dance studio was a large open room, and Zheng Yanyan had cornered Yin Songyue right at the exit. Initially, the others had not noticed the two of them.

But as soon as Zheng Yanyan spoke, it drew quite a bit of attention.

Soon, a group of girls sitting nearby for their lesson turned their heads toward the commotion, whispering among themselves and wondering what Minister Zheng meant by this.

Facing the students' murmurs, Zheng Yanyan did not hold back. Deciding to use Yin Songyue to establish her dominance, she declared loudly, "I spent a fortune hiring a teacher and renting this space for you all. I brought you here to learn how to walk the runway so you can win glory for the Arts Department at the gala, not so you could come here looking for men!"

"Certain people need to watch themselves. Take a good look in the mirror—do you really think a man will take anyone just because she is a woman?"

That last sentence was incredibly harsh, clearly laced with personal bias.

The crux of the matter was that Yin Songyue had been brought in by Zheng Yanyan and was considered part of her group.

Everything was going fine during the lesson earlier, and Zheng Yanyan had even picked up a few things herself.

Then Tao Tian suddenly sent Zheng Yanyan a message, asking her to have a word with the kids from the Arts Department.

After all, this was a corporate office. Allowing them in to practice had already drawn some complaints.

Letting them run around wildly like this was crossing a line.

People would start thinking they lacked basic discipline.

Tao Tian's message was genuinely meant for Zheng Yanyan's own good. The company was no longer a small operation; it had fifty or sixty employees now.

However, upon receiving the text, Zheng Yanyan was utterly perplexed.

She insisted that she had never let anyone wander around.

Tao Tian was even more confused upon hearing this.

They weren't wandering around?

"Then take a look around. Who is missing from your group?"

It was only after Tao Tian said this that Zheng Yanyan realized it. Looking up, she discovered that Yin Songyue was indeed nowhere to be found.

After learning the full story from Tao Tian, Zheng Yanyan was fuming.

Without another word, she had marched over to block Yin Songyue at the doorway. Her entire outburst just now had been completely intentionally calculated.

The main issue was that Yin Songyue was far too unruly.

How would the company employees view her now?

The problem, however, was that Yin Songyue was no pushover either.

She was the most stunning girl among the freshmen. Everyone around her, regardless of whether they were boys or girls, constantly fawned over her. How dared Zheng Yanyan speak to her like this?

Yin Songyue's temper immediately flared up. "Win glory for the department? Zheng Yanyan, could you stop trying to gild yourself?"

"Do you think I'm as clueless as everyone else? You're just a second-year student. If it weren't for Zhou Yuwen, could you have ever become the Minister of the Arts Department?"

"You're spending Zhou Yuwen's money to prove yourself, and you're wasting all of our time in the process! Do you think we actually wanted to come here? You're being completely ridiculous!"

As soon as she finished speaking, all the girls sitting nearby burst into whispers, and a few even snickered.

After all, Yin Songyue was telling the truth.

Zheng Yanyan had indeed been rather dictatorial lately, and not everyone was willing to waste their time here.

Zheng Yanyan's facade immediately crumbled in humiliation.

Glaring at Yin Songyue as she tried to leave, she snapped, "You can go! But that dance outfit belongs to our department. Take it off before you leave!"

Zheng Yanyan intended to use this demand to put Yin Songyue in her place.

But Yin Songyue was undeniably stubborn. Hearing this, she simply let out a scoff of absolute disdain.

Without a second thought, she stripped off her clothes right there on the spot.

After all, everyone here was a girl.

Besides, it was not as if she was completely naked; Yin Songyue was still wearing her underwear and panties underneath.

Tossing the clothes aside, Yin Songyue glared provocatively at Zheng Yanyan and asked, "Is this acceptable?"

At this point, Zheng Yanyan was truly left speechless.

Yin Songyue had almost walked out the door, but after a moment's thought, she turned back.

"Oh, right," she began. "Did you just say I was looking for a man?"

"Do you really think I need to go out of my way to look for a man?"

"Don't think you're anything special. The only reason you managed to date Zhou Yuwen is because I wasn't enrolled here at the time. If I had been? Just wait and see who Zhou Yuwen chooses."

"Whoa—"

The entire room erupted into an uproar the moment Yin Songyue finished speaking.

Good lord.

Wasn't this way too aggressive?

How was this any different from launching a point-blank nuke right in her face?

After dropping that bombshell, Yin Songyue left without ever looking back.

Zheng Yanyan was so furious her face turned green.

'Who the hell does she think she is?!'

'How dare she!'

But Yin Songyue was a sharp girl. She knew full well that Zheng Yanyan was merely the Minister of the Arts Department. If people were in a good mood, they would respectfully call her 'Minister.' If they weren't, she was absolutely nothing.

The only one who actually took her title seriously was Zheng Yanyan herself.

Following the incident, Zheng Yanyan planned to single out and target Yin Songyue, but Yin Songyue simply stopped showing up to the Arts Department entirely.

Zheng Yanyan tried speaking sarcastically in the group chat, but before she could even get a word out...

Yin Songyue had already left the group. Dozens of other departments would fight tooth and nail to recruit a stunning girl like her. On the other hand, Zheng Yanyan would be branded as someone who was jealous of those prettier and more capable than her. Given what had just transpired, the gossip was bound to spread like wildfire.

However, the actual rumors that spread ended up being a bit distorted.

The story mutated into: The freshman school beauty Yin Songyue was fighting over a man with the Minister of the Arts Department, Zheng Yanyan?

Fighting over a man?

Over who?

Zhou Yuwen.

"Damn, no way. Just how much charm does Zhou Yuwen have? Wasn't School Beauty Yin supposed to be completely uninterested in everyone?"

"Does she even know Zhou Yuwen?"

"Does it even matter if they know each other?"

"Who wouldn't want to be Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend?"

"Sigh, it's over for us boys. Completely over."

"Who would have thought that even our goddess could be so worldly."

Thanks to this entire fiasco, Zhou Yuwen, who rarely spent time at school, found himself inexplicably catching strays. Rumors were flying that the first-year school beauty was secretly in love with him, but the core issue was that he and Yin Songyue had absolutely no idea who each other were.

Naturally, Zheng Yanyan was left gnashing her teeth in sheer anger over the rumors, threatening to teach Yin Songyue a harsh lesson.

Young people these days really had absolutely no respect for their seniors.

Seeing Zheng Yanyan in such a fit of rage, the girls around her quickly tried to calm her down.

Tao Tian, in particular, chuckled and teased, "Stop calling her 'young people' in every other breath. She's only a year younger than you. Besides, isn't this exactly what you did to me last year?"

"How is that the same?" Zheng Yanyan pouted. "Last year, Zhou Yuwen was my boyfriend, and you were trying to steal him from me. Was I wrong to treat you that way?"

"What does this Yin Songyue think she is? A cocky little lass who actually wants to steal my man? If I don't teach her a lesson, how am I supposed to maintain my standing at school? Right, hubby?" Zheng Yanyan sought Zhou Yuwen's validation.

The group was gathered at the villa at the time, meaning Zhou Yuwen was naturally present.

However, Zhou Yuwen was utterly noncommittal regarding Zheng Yanyan's complaints. "It's just petty school drama," he casually dismissed. "Why are you taking it so seriously?"

"Your appointment as the Minister of the Arts Department was already controversial enough. If you ask me, you should just resign and focus on acting honest and obedient. Wouldn't that be better?"

Hearing Zhou Yuwen brush her off like this, Zheng Yanyan pouted unhappily.

In truth, Zhou Yuwen was entirely right.

The problem, however, was Zheng Yanyan's stubborn personality. Once something was given to her, she absolutely refused to let it slip from her grasp.

Everyone claimed she wasn't fit to be the Minister of the Arts Department, which only made her that much more determined to prove them wrong.

'Just wait,' she thought to herself. 'After the freshman gala, they'll all see exactly what I'm capable of.'

The freshman gala was scheduled for October 8th, right after the National Day week-long holiday. This incident had definitely dealt a blow to Zheng Yanyan's standing within the Arts Department, but with Zhou Yuwen's backing, her position as Minister remained firmly secure.

For instance, there had been nasty rumors claiming that Zhou Yuwen had dumped her, yet she was still shamelessly clinging to him!

Given the circumstances, Zhou Yuwen naturally had to publicly take Zheng Yanyan's side.

Taking advantage of some free time, he ordered a massive batch of Starbucks. Having his assistant carry the drinks, he headed downstairs to check on the freshmen.

He warmly asked if their practice had been tiring, announcing that their senior male student had bought them some drinks.

Zhou Yuwen himself wasn't fond of Starbucks, but these young people adored it. The moment they saw the iconic logo, their eyes instantly lit up. At thirty yuan a cup, their senior male student was undeniably generous!

Zhou Yuwen addressed the room, acknowledging how exhausting their rehearsals had been.

He also asked for their understanding, emphasizing that Yan Yan was simply pushing them hard for the good of the department.

"I've already arranged for your formal gowns. They'll be delivered tomorrow, and you can each pick out your favorite. Consider the gowns a gift from me, a token of appreciation for your dedication to the Arts Department."

Zhou Yuwen carried himself with an incredibly affable demeanor, perfectly exuding the gentle and refined aura of a successful boss.

The junior female students in the crowd were immediately swooning. Their sweet voices echoed in chorus, "Thank you, senior male student! Our senior male student is truly the best!"

Usually, they could only catch glimpses of Zhou Yuwen in the news. Now, they were standing right in front of him in the flesh.

Up close, he was even more handsome than his photos suggested.

But most importantly, our senior male student's personality was incredibly gentle!

The girls huddled together, sipping their Starbucks while excitedly whispering about Zhou Yuwen.

Watching this unfold, Zheng Yanyan's vanity was tremendously satisfied.

Especially since Zhou Yuwen was openly chatting and laughing with her in front of everyone.

The crowd eagerly watched the drama unfold.

'Could it be that Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan have gotten back together?' they all wondered.

It made perfect sense. Why else would Zhou Yuwen lend his company's private space to Zheng Yanyan for rehearsals?

Zheng Yanyan was beyond touched by his gesture. She quietly asked him why he had suddenly decided to come down.

Zhou Yuwen simply chuckled. "Isn't that obvious?"

"At the end of the day, you're still my wife."

"If I don't back you up, am I just supposed to sit back and let people bully you?"

These words melted Zheng Yanyan's heart completely. Blushing, she playfully scolded him for being 'bad.'

Zhou Yuwen smirked, asking her exactly how he was being bad.

"Hmph!"

Zheng Yanyan let out an exaggerated, coquettish whine.

Following this public display, Zheng Yanyan's reputation bounced back entirely, soaring to new heights. Countless people posted on their Moments, bragging about getting treated to drinks by their senior male student, Zhou.

"Thank you to our senior male student, Zhou! Our senior male student, Zhou, is absolutely wonderful, and he looks so perfect with Senior Sister Yan Yan!"

Many of these Moments updates appeared to be simple selfies, but cleverly captured Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan flirting in the background. With their stunning looks, the two undeniably looked like a picture-perfect couple.

Initially, the girls had indeed harbored some resentment toward Zheng Yanyan for forcing them to sacrifice their free time for rehearsals.

But now that Zhou Yuwen himself had spoken up for her—and bought them gorgeous gowns and expensive drinks to boot—what did a little bit of lost time matter?

In fact, many outsiders were now fiercely envious of the students who were part of these rehearsals.

After all, these lucky girls got to see Zhou Yuwen in person!

Previously, some drama-loving girls had actually been cheering for Yin Songyue, praising her for bravely standing up to the 'dark and oppressive forces' of the school's hierarchy.

But now, their tunes had completely changed, and they eagerly started making snide remarks about her instead.

They were all too busy gushing over how perfectly matched their senior male student and Senior Sister Yan Yan were!

Naturally, hearing such comments stung Yin Songyue's ears.

Deep down, she scoffed bitterly. 'What's the big deal? She's just relying on a man.'

However, no one cared about her complaints anymore.

The indisputable reality was that Zheng Yanyan had thoroughly crushed Yin Songyue in this exchange.

Unsurprisingly, Yin Songyue completely refused to swallow this defeat.

Sooner or later, she would find a way to crush her right back.