Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 468: How to Express Love

Growing up, Jiang Xinyi rarely took the initiative. To receive such an insult in return for her rare proactiveness was a bitter pill to swallow. To be honest, Zhou Yuwen's words just now had been rather hurtful.Yet, despite it all, she truly couldn't bring herself to let him go.

When she emerged from the classroom, a stray tear escaped the corner of her eye. However, she didn't go far, pausing briefly as she stepped onto the escalator.

She heard Zhou Yuwen chasing after her.

Jiang Xinyi pursed her lips, her voice laced with resentment as she asked, "If you want to break up, why did you chase after me?"

Zhou Yuwen sighed. "It's not that I want to break up. It's just that we really aren't suitable for each other."

It would have been better if he hadn't said that.

At those words, Jiang Xinyi immediately turned her head, glaring at him with stubborn defiance. "How are we not suitable? Do you think I'm too old, or is it..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Zhou Yuwen knew exactly what she meant. She thought he minded the fact that she had an ex-boyfriend. Before she could voice it, he chuckled and said, "It's definitely not that."

"I made it very clear before. I told you there would be all sorts of girls around me. It's not that I dislike this or that about you, but from your perspective, do you really think you can accept me?"

If Zhou Yuwen hadn't brought it up, Jiang Xinyi would have almost forgotten. She bit her lip.

Before she could reply, Zhou Yuwen continued, "Take this time, for example. Just because I mentioned Zheng Yanyan, you ran out without even listening to reason."

"This time is different," Jiang Xinyi immediately denied.

Zhou Yuwen asked how it was any different.

"It's just different!" she insisted.

Zhou Yuwen countered that there was no difference at all.

"Xinyi, honestly, I'm not a playboy. Even though I'm still in touch with Su Qing and the others, I draw very clear boundaries. The only thing I can't stand is having someone constantly controlling me, you know?"

"I told you before, being in a relationship should be something that makes both people happy. But you insist on making things awkward between us. Since neither of us is happy, why should we even be together?"

Zhou Yuwen let it all out in one breath.

Earlier in the classroom, he had been somewhat mindful of the crowd.

Now, the stairwell was empty.

He could finally lay everything out clearly with her.

However, what he didn't expect was that You Changjin, worried about Jiang Xinyi, had followed them out. Even more unexpectedly, You Changjin was currently hiding nearby, eavesdropping.

Hearing Zhou Yuwen's words, You Changjin felt his heart shatter.

The woman he revered as a goddess was being dumped by Zhou Yuwen simply because he didn't like her keeping tabs on him?

But what devastated him even more was what Jiang Xinyi said next.

While Zhou Yuwen kept listing reasons why they weren't compatible, Jiang Xinyi cried, continuously insisting that last night was truly different.

Frustrated, Zhou Yuwen urged, "What's so different about it? Tell me!"

That was when You Changjin heard a sentence that completely shocked him.

"Last night was because you didn't touch me!" Jiang Xinyi sobbed loudly.

Having finally said it, she could no longer hold back and buried her face in her hands, weeping bitterly. How could she even bring herself to say such a thing? She considered herself a fairly attractive girl. She had gotten drunk and run over to the house of the boy she liked.

Yet, not only did the boy not touch her, but he actually called his ex-girlfriend over to take care of her.

And after the caretaking was done, he deliberately left to avoid arousing any suspicion.

What girl could endure such humiliation?

Had she done something wrong?

How was she not giving him freedom?

"If I didn't want to give you freedom, why would I have gone looking for you in the middle of the night?"

"You made things perfectly clear to me that day."

"If I didn't like you, why would I throw away my pride and humbly beg you?"

"But what about you? Zhou Yuwen, do you only ever think about yourself?"

"Do you still think you did nothing wrong last night?"

"You think you're a perfect gentleman?"

"You think not touching me makes you noble?"

Tears streamed down Jiang Xinyi's face as she spoke, her eyes completely bloodshot. Yet, she tried desperately to hold back her sobs, glaring at him with pure anger.

At this revelation, not only was Zhou Yuwen stunned, but the eavesdropping You Changjin was equally dumbfounded.

No, dumbfounded wasn't the right word.

It was an incredibly complex whirlwind of emotions.

You Changjin had been hiding behind a pillar.

Now, he slumped down against it, sitting heavily on the floor.

He sat there in absolute silence, listening to Jiang Xinyi cry.

Zhou Yuwen genuinely hadn't considered this angle. It was a complete blind spot for him. Because he currently had no shortage of women, it never crossed his mind just how insulting his refusal to touch her had been.

Hearing her reasoning, he felt so embarrassed that he almost wanted to laugh.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xinyi was sobbing uncontrollably. Ultimately, she wasn't just some little girl, so she tried to restrain her tears. But this very restraint created an agonizing stifled sound, leaving her hovering between breaking down and holding it together.

Seeing that he was actually smiling, her anger flared even hotter.

She demanded to know if he was feeling awfully proud of himself.

Zhou Yuwen felt too embarrassed to even look at her face. It was undeniably awkward.

But he was, indeed, smiling.

Jiang Xinyi composed herself slightly and said, "Zhou Yuwen, I am six years older than you. I have my dignity too."

"Growing up, my mother always gave me the best. She never let me bow my head to anyone."

"Until I met you."

"Do you absolutely have to make me submit? You just want to see me beg, don't you?"

"You'll only be happy if I beg you to get back together, is that it?"

Zhou Yuwen quickly denied it, insisting he didn't mean that at all.

Jiang Xinyi pressed on, "Then let me ask you: do you actually like me or not?"

"Is our relationship truly just something my mother forced you into?"

"Do you really feel absolutely nothing for me in your heart?"

Her piercing gaze bore into him, making him feel a pang of guilt.

Left with no other choice, he thought for a moment before taking two steps forward and pulling her into an embrace. He kissed her gently, murmuring softly, "Alright, alright, stop crying, okay?"

Still feeling petty, she voiced her displeasure with a couple of soft hums.

This kind of minor tantrum was something Zhou Yuwen could easily tolerate.

He held her tightly in his arms and began kissing her.

"Mmph,"

In truth, Zhou Yuwen had initially only intended to give her a light peck, considering they were in a public place. However, after the events of the previous night, Jiang Xinyi's possessiveness toward him was in full force. Thus, the light peck quickly escalated into a deep, passionate kiss. Zhou Yuwen tried to pull back, but she refused to let go.

Helpless, the two remained locked in a heated embrace, the sound of their lips parting echoing in the stairwell.

Suddenly, a phone began ringing from behind the pillar.

Startled, the two of them broke apart instantly.

Brought back to her senses, Jiang Xinyi shyly averted her flushed face.

Zhou Yuwen also felt awkward, assuming they had been caught. He scratched his head and asked, "Is someone behind the pillar?"

"Who's there? Who's hiding over there?"

As he spoke, he walked over to check.

However, he found nothing behind it.

How strange. He could have sworn he heard a phone ringing just a moment ago.

Jiang Xinyi was speechless. "Why did you actually go out of your way to check?"

"There was definitely someone here a second ago," Zhou Yuwen insisted.

"Whatever."

Feeling a bit clingy, Jiang Xinyi wrapped her arms around him from behind. Zhou Yuwen suggested, "Shall I take you to get some food?"

"Mhm."

At noon, Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi went to the canteen for lunch. They hadn't been seen together in a while, leading many to believe they had broken up again.

Seeing them reappear side by side in the canteen sparked a new wave of gossip among the students.

Having just been coaxed out of her tears by Zhou Yuwen, Jiang Xinyi looked absolutely radiant with health. If the students at the school ignored the gossip and only paid attention to the news, they would undoubtedly view the two of them as a golden couple.

Furthermore, Jiang Xinyi was the dream girl for quite a few people. After all, she was a beautiful wealthy daughter who had significantly aided Zhou Yuwen throughout his entrepreneurial journey.

During their meal, Jiang Xinyi mentioned that she and her mother had discussed his Shared Bicycle Project. They both agreed it was an excellent initiative that shouldn't be confined to the university; it needed to be launched across the entire city.

Jinling possessed a very mature subway system, but there were still considerable gaps between the various transit lines.

The shared bicycles were perfectly positioned to bridge those gaps.

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Since I targeted the campus market, I naturally considered expanding into the broader society as well."

"But securing parking spots out in the city is a logistical nightmare."

"That's why I had to start with the school first."

A knowing smile touched the corner of the mouth for Jiang Xinyi. "Oh? If that's the only issue, my mother could certainly help you resolve it."

Zhou Yuwen simply looked at her expression.

Because she had just been crying, there was a unique, delicate blush on her face.

"Oh, so you came prepared, did you?" he mused.

She let out a soft, affectionate laugh. "No, I just happened to mention it to my mom the other day."

"Alright then," Zhou Yuwen nodded. "Let's hear your thoughts."

Jiang Xinyi then elaborated eloquently. Her main point was that since Zhou Yuwen was currently a renowned entrepreneurial star in the province, he could leverage this momentum to rapidly expand his operations.

As for navigating the red tape with the government, he wouldn't need to worry about a thing; her family would handle the official channels for him.

Zhou Yuwen kept his head down, quietly eating his food without responding.

In many ways, she was exceptionally suited to be his public-facing wife. Her family possessed significant influence, and she herself was highly intelligent.

The only question was whether she could truly accept his multitude of female companions.

"What do you think?"

Having finished her pitch, she sought his opinion.

He offered a vague murmur of agreement. "That sounds pretty good."

"By the way, it suddenly occurs to me... that sudden notice from the school a few days ago, inviting me to join that committee—was that your mother's doing?" he asked, recalling the official organization that had recently reached out to him.

Jiang Xinyi made no attempt to hide it, simply smiling and nodding in confirmation.

Come to think of it, no matter how talented Zhou Yuwen was, there was no reason for them to elevate his status quite so highly.

In reality, the principal of his university had personally contacted Liu Jing about the matter.

Liu Jing had shown little interest upon receiving the call.

After all, she had already been figuratively slapped in the face by him once, and his attitude toward her daughter remained ambiguous.

"Let's wait a bit longer," Liu Jing had said.

Truthfully, Liu Jing would have been thrilled to see Zhou Yuwen suffer a massive setback.

If he didn't suffer losses, he would never fully appreciate the extent of the support her family could offer.

But the principal urged that this opportunity only came around once a year, perfectly coinciding with the end-of-term transition period.

It was worth noting that this official youth organization held significant political weight. The previous president had graduated and immediately started as a Principal Staff Member.

Zhou Guobin had struggled his entire life and was currently nothing more than a Level-Four Researcher.

Armed with such credentials, if Zhou Yuwen decided to enter public service after graduation, he could easily secure a starting position as a deputy town mayor back in his hometown.

"Isn't he just a freshman?" Liu Jing had replied. "He's far too young. Let's wait."

Without the backing of Liu Jing's family, it was indeed impossible for Zhou Yuwen to secure such a position.

Besides, he hadn't even planned on developing his career in that direction.

But when Jiang Xinyi heard about it, she was adamant that her mother intervene and help him.

Looking at her stubborn daughter, Liu Jing felt a deep sense of helplessness. She tried to explain the complexities of the situation, urging her not to rush things.

She argued that Zhou Yuwen was young and arrogant, desperately needing to be thoroughly tempered by reality.

Otherwise, her daughter would be entirely at his mercy.

"I am your mother; I would never do anything to harm you."

Liu Jing had pleaded with utmost sincerity, but Jiang Xinyi stubbornly refused to listen.

In this relationship, she was infinitely more obstinate than in her previous one.

During her time with You Changjin, she had maintained a rather indifferent attitude.

But this time, she refused to compromise under any circumstances.

It left Liu Jing so exasperated that she suddenly caught herself thinking that perhaps finding her daughter a completely ordinary, honest man wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

At the very least, an honest man wouldn't constantly butt heads with her.

Left with no alternative, Liu Jing had eventually pulled some strings on Zhou Yuwen's behalf.

And just like that, Zhou Yuwen was appointed as the vice-chairman of the youth organization. He had sensed something fishy at the time, and thinking back on it now, all the pieces perfectly aligned.

Jiang Xinyi explained that with this new title, negotiating partnerships with official channels would be significantly smoother.

Zhou Yuwen nodded.

Seeing that he offered no further reaction, Jiang Xinyi grew a bit displeased. "Shouldn't you say something?" she prompted.

"Say what?"

She shot him a playful look. "I've been busy running around just to get this sorted for you. Don't you think you should show some appreciation?"

"Oh, right, I suppose I should. How about this: I'll transfer twenty-five percent of the Shared Bicycle Project's shares to your family."

Hearing this, Jiang Xinyi nearly died of frustration. "That's not what I want."

"Then what do you want?"

Seeing his clueless expression, she gently gritted her teeth. "I just wanted you to praise me. Is that so difficult?"

"..."

Zhou Yuwen fell silent. Offering praise now felt distinctly insincere.

"Then... how about I treat you to dinner tonight?"

"Dinner again?" she asked helplessly.

He simply asked if she wanted to go.

Despite letting out a sigh, she agreed.

After they finished their lunch, Zhou Yuwen mentioned that he needed to head to the auditorium for a rehearsal.

Jiang Xinyi asked what the performance was for.

He explained it was for the upcoming gala.

"A new song?" she inquired.

"Pretty much," he confirmed.

She then teasingly asked if he had written the song because he felt terrible after they broke up.

Zhou Yuwen just smiled.

"Is that really it?!" she exclaimed, her mood instantly brightening.

"You'll find out when I sing it," he replied.

"Alright, I'll be waiting!"