Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 455: Probing

Jiang Xinyi was undoubtedly the most miserable person at the dining table. What prospective girlfriend had to endure a meal with her future husband's parents while her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend—and the ex-girlfriend before that—were sitting right there?Furthermore, the lines between host and guest were completely blurred. Under normal circumstances, shouldn't Yang Lijuan, being Zhou Yuwen's mother, show a bit more warmth toward Jiang Xinyi?

Instead, Jiang Xinyi was treated like she was entirely invisible, while the others continued to talk and laugh cheerfully.

To be perfectly honest, the whole atmosphere made Jiang Xinyi incredibly uncomfortable.

Fortunately, there was at least one sensible person at the table. Zhou Guobin, feeling that his wife was going too far, let out a dry cough and asked, "Xiao Jiang, why aren't you eating? Does the food not suit your appetite?"

"No, Uncle, I just usually eat very little," she replied. Zhou Guobin taking the initiative to speak to her left Jiang Xinyi feeling flattered, and a wave of gratitude toward him washed over her.

However, Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan refused to allow her even that tiny sliver of a sense of presence. Su Qing chimed in, "Teacher Jiang usually eats delicacies at home. This table is just full of simple home-cooked meals, so naturally, she isn't used to it."

Hearing this, Zheng Yanyan snickered.

Jiang Xinyi's mood had just slightly improved, but upon hearing that remark, she simply couldn't hold back anymore. With a sharp slap, she slammed her chopsticks onto the table.

She was seated right next to Zhou Yuwen. Noticing that things were spiraling, he nudged her gently under the table. Jiang Xinyi had been on the verge of losing her temper, but she held it in, merely shooting Su Qing a fierce eye-roll without saying a word.

Merely sitting there and enduring this meal today was already giving Zhou Yuwen a massive amount of face.

Yet, certain people just had to push their luck.

In the end, it was Zhou Yuwen who broke the tension. He firmly stated that if they wanted to eat, they should eat. If they didn't, then they could head back to school or return home.

"Why is there so much unnecessary chatter?" he demanded.

His words were aimed directly at Su Qing. She didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse for her earlier remarks. On the contrary, she felt nothing but disdain over the fact that Zhou Yuwen actually had the nerve to defend Jiang Xinyi.

She let out a scoff, choosing not to argue with him any further.

However, after his reprimand, the atmosphere at the dining table turned noticeably colder. Even Yang Lijuan couldn't help but glance at her husband, silently gauging his reaction.

Zhou Guobin just sat there quietly eating his meal, keeping his thoughts to himself.

After the meal, Lu Lin volunteered to clear the table. The other girls immediately offered to help, but Lu Lin shook her head. "I've got it. You guys were washing and prepping the vegetables earlier, so you must be tired."

"I'll help you,"

Tao Tian offered eagerly.

The two exchanged a glance, and Lu Lin didn't refuse her. With that, they headed into the kitchen together to handle the dishes.

Zheng Yanyan called out to Su Qing, suggesting they keep Yang Lijuan company while watching TV.

However, still visibly upset from Zhou Yuwen's scolding, Su Qing declined. "You can keep Auntie company. Since it's Uncle and Auntie's first time visiting, I'll head upstairs to tidy up a room for them."

"Oh, I'll go with you then," Zheng Yanyan replied, sensing that something was weighing on Su Qing's mind.

The two of them headed upstairs together.

Jiang Xinyi watched the two girls march off so brazenly, acting as if they owned the place without the slightest hesitation.

What bothered her even more was how incredibly familiar they seemed with the house.

And Zhou Yuwen hadn't raised a single objection to their behavior. He treated them tidying up the guest room as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

This villa had a total of thirteen rooms. On the second floor, aside from a massive master bedroom, there was a second bedroom that featured a spacious balcony. The decor was undeniably luxurious.

The bedding inside was brand new; it hadn't been used even once since it was purchased.

Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan worked together to spread out the fresh sheets and blankets.

Throughout the entire process, Su Qing remained entirely unsmiling. Seeing this, Zheng Yanyan couldn't help but ask her what was wrong.

"It's not the first time you've been scolded by Zhou Yuwen. Why are you acting so differently this time?"

Su Qing rolled her eyes in exasperation. "How could this possibly be the same?"

"What's so different about it?" Zheng Yanyan asked, remaining her usual optimist self.

Su Qing let out a heavy sigh. "When you date Zhou Yuwen, it's just dating. That's all it will ever be."

"But that woman downstairs is clearly aiming to get married! She has no shame whatsoever. A woman nearing her thirties, desperately fawning over a nineteen-year-old boy to date him?" Su Qing's chest heaved, completely full of complaints about Jiang Xinyi.

Hearing this, Zheng Yanyan merely covered her mouth and giggled endlessly. She no longer took Su Qing's past slander to heart. "Things are already like this, so what's the use of throwing a temper tantrum? I actually think this is pretty great! Didn't you see how mad we made that woman earlier? Her face practically turned green!"

'She really is just a kid with such naive thoughts,' Su Qing thought to herself.

To think she had spent so much time treating Zheng Yanyan as her greatest imaginary enemy.

Looking back on it now, it had been completely unnecessary.

Zheng Yanyan continued chattering away. "Anyway, Zhou Yuwen's parents clearly don't like her."

"There's absolutely no guarantee she'll actually end up marrying Zhou Yuwen in the future. So why are you getting so worked up?"

Zheng Yanyan grabbed one corner of the duvet while Su Qing grabbed the other. They smoothed it out perfectly. Su Qing then scanned the rest of the room, finding nothing else that needed organizing.

"You double-check things here," she murmured. "I feel completely suffocated. I need to go out for a walk."

"What else is there to check? Come on, I'll go for a walk with you."

Zheng Yanyan was never the type to do chores anyway. She had only tagged along upstairs to gloat over the evening's drama. Seeing Su Qing looking so gloomy and wanting to leave, she quickly volunteered to join her.

Su Qing realized that this girl truly didn't possess a single ounce of a sense of crisis.

However, since she was feeling profoundly depressed anyway, having some company wasn't the worst idea. She decided to just let her tag along.

With that, Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan headed downstairs.

Upon reaching the ground floor, they noticed that Yang Lijuan had somehow already slipped into the kitchen and was keeping Lu Lin and Tao Tian company while they washed the dishes.

Jiang Xinyi, meanwhile, was sitting closely beside Zhou Yuwen as they chatted with Zhou Guobin in the living area.

The refined self-cultivation from Jiang Xinyi's wealthy family background was on full display. Furthermore, even though Zhou Guobin was merely a county deputy official from a small county town, his position gave him enough political awareness to hold a genuinely engaging conversation with her.

Su Qing first walked over to inform Yang Lijuan that the room had been prepared. She invited her to go upstairs and take a look, adding that if they needed anything at all, she would immediately find it for them.

Yang Lijuan nodded with a warm smile, gladly accepting the gesture.

Wearing an apron that struggled to contain her voluptuous figure, Tao Tian had her sleeves rolled up as she washed the dishes. Displaying her usual gentle demeanor, she asked Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan where they were headed.

Su Qing replied that they were just stepping out to aid digestion.

No one raised any objections.

As she turned to leave, Su Qing shot a fleeting glance at Jiang Xinyi, who was still chatting and laughing cheerfully with Zhou Guobin.

For a brief moment, the two women's eyes met.

Su Qing immediately withdrew her gaze and walked away without a word.

Zheng Yanyan grabbed Su Qing's hand and confidently waved at Zhou Yuwen, who was lounging on the sofa. "Zhou Yuwen, I'm going out for a quick stroll with Su Qing!"

Zhou Yuwen gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Everything seemed entirely natural.

The current situation was incredibly messy. Deep down, Zheng Yanyan was probably still dreaming of marrying Zhou Yuwen, but she was careful never to let it show.

Take the earlier dinner, for instance. Su Qing had been the one constantly charging on the front lines, only to be harshly reprimanded by Zhou Yuwen. Zheng Yanyan absolutely loved it when things played out like that. While the others fought bitterly amongst themselves, she could sit back and watch as the third party benefits.

Su Qing, however, couldn't see things so simply.

As far as Su Qing was concerned, no matter how good the other girls' relationships with Zhou Yuwen were, they were all ultimately heavily dependent on him. Because of that, none of them could ever share a bond as intimate as hers.

But Jiang Xinyi was entirely different. Her family background and personal wealth were more than enough to make her perfectly worthy of the title 'Mrs. Zhou'.

'If she becomes Mrs. Zhou, then what does that make me?'

On their way out, Su Qing kept replaying Zhou Guobin's attitude toward Jiang Xinyi in her mind. She actually had a decent understanding of her former husband's father. He was far more perceptive than Yang Lijuan, and unlike his wife, he never wore his emotions on his sleeve.

He was the type of man who meticulously adjusted his attitude based on whoever officially held the title of Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend.

In truth, almost all parents operated that way.

No matter how much Yang Lijuan currently despised Jiang Xinyi, it wouldn't matter in the end.

If Zhou Yuwen genuinely decided to marry Jiang Xinyi in the future...

Could Yang Lijuan actually stop them?

With all these troubling thoughts swirling together, Su Qing found it completely impossible to be happy.

She and Zheng Yanyan took a slow stroll around the residential area. Because it was a low-density villa neighborhood, there were very few residents around, leaving the streets bathed in nothing but the dim, quiet glow of the streetlights.

Su Qing finally poured out all her anxieties to Zheng Yanyan. "If Jiang Xinyi actually marries Zhou Yuwen, we might completely lose our chance forever."

"We might not even get the chance to be his lovers."

Ever the optimist, Zheng Yanyan immediately brushed it off. "That's impossible, Su Qing. Don't you know Zhou Yuwen by now? He's completely not that kind of guy. If that old woman seriously dared to demand something like that, I guarantee he'd drop her in a heartbeat."

"But are you really willing to just stay by his side with your current status?" Su Qing pressed.

Those words struck a raw nerve. Zheng Yanyan's expression instantly stiffened, but she quickly forced a helpless smile. "If not this, then what else can I do?"

She began counting on her fingers for Su Qing. "Zhou Yuwen currently has me, you, Linlin, Tao Tian, and Qu Jing. I don't even know if that girl Minmin is involved too, but even if she isn't, Zhou Yuwen already has six women."

"Even if Jiang Xinyi wasn't in the picture, Linlin and I are practically inseparable now. I definitely couldn't go behind Linlin's back and marry him, right? So no matter what, it's never going to be my turn to be the wife. What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"I can't just up and leave Zhou Yuwen, can I?"

"It's not like I haven't thought about leaving him before, but I honestly just can't do it. Every time we break up, the mere thought of never seeing him again makes my chest physically ache. I can't even sleep at night. Seriously, Su Qing, haven't you ever felt that way too?"

Hearing Zheng Yanyan's question, Su Qing wanted to scream that of course she felt that exact same way.

"But I'm supposed to be Zhou Yuwen's original match! I'm his officially wedded wife! Why on earth should I step aside and make room for anyone else?" Su Qing practically spat out, her frustration bubbling over.

"Besides, is she even worthy of him? So what if her family is from a wealthy background? That money isn't even hers! Who does she think she is? How could she possibly compare to me?" Su Qing refused to concede defeat.

Hearing this rant, Zheng Yanyan couldn't hold back a fit of giggles. "But isn't her family's money still her money?"

"Besides, at least her family is actually rich. What about yours? Does your family have any money?"

"Money isn't everything!" Su Qing snapped. "The amount of help I can offer Zhou Yuwen far exceeds anything she could ever do!"

"Heh."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Su Qing demanded, thoroughly annoyed by Zheng Yanyan's dismissive attitude.

Zheng Yanyan shrugged lightly. "Nothing really. I just think you're being incredibly naive."

Su Qing's brow furrowed. She silently concluded that she and Zheng Yanyan were simply never going to see eye to eye on this.

They completed their lap around the residential area in about twenty minutes.

Stepping back into the courtyard of the villa, they were surprised to find Jiang Xinyi standing right by the front door.

The lighting in the yard was terribly dim, making the sharp lines of Jiang Xinyi's white suit look a bit hazy, but the cold, serious expression on her face was unmistakable.

The moment Su Qing walked through the gate, her eyes locked onto Jiang Xinyi's.

Su Qing led Zheng Yanyan over. Seeing the other woman staring intently at her, she bluntly asked, "What is it?"

"Could I have a private word with the two of you?" Jiang Xinyi asked.

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" Su Qing retorted.

Without waiting for an answer, Su Qing grabbed Zheng Yanyan's arm and moved to walk straight into the house.

But Jiang Xinyi's cold voice rang out behind them. "Zhou Yuwen might be trying to save your face by not making things too embarrassing, but do you really have to pester him so relentlessly?"

"If you keep pushing this until the bitter end, it's going to get incredibly ugly for everyone involved."

Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan had been just a step away from entering the front door.

But hearing Jiang Xinyi throw out such a loaded statement at their backs made them freeze.

Zheng Yanyan instantly bristled. "What do you mean, 'pester relentlessly'?" she demanded.

Zheng Yanyan looked ready to throw hands right then and there, but Su Qing quickly held her back. Turning to face Jiang Xinyi, Su Qing narrowed her eyes. "What exactly do you want to talk about?"

Following Jiang Xinyi's lead, the three of them relocated.

They soon found themselves standing on the quiet asphalt road just outside the villa.

Zheng Yanyan crossed her arms, looking thoroughly impatient. "Spit it out. What exactly do you want to talk about?"

Truthfully, Jiang Xinyi had very little she wanted to say to Zheng Yanyan. After all, her presence earlier in the evening had been negligible.

Her real target was Su Qing.

Jiang Xinyi found the whole situation incredibly bizarre. Su Qing was already the ex-girlfriend of an ex-girlfriend, yet the sheer amount of hostility she aimed at her was staggering.

But honestly, that applied to both Zheng Yanyan and Su Qing.

"I didn't bring you two out here for anything overly complicated," Jiang Xinyi began smoothly. "I just wanted to point out a simple fact. Even though the two of you both shared a romantic history with Zhou Yuwen, you've completely broken up. Lingering around his side day in and day out like this... don't you think it's highly inappropriate?"

"What's so inappropriate about it?" Zheng Yanyan sneered. Backed by the unshakeable confidence of her dazzling youth, she shot back provocatively, "Are you just feeling insecure because you aren't as pretty as us? Are you scared?"

"I don't believe this has anything to do with physical appearances,"

Jiang Xinyi chuckled in response, keeping her logic razor-sharp. "No matter how pretty or young you are, you are firmly in the past. I am his current girlfriend. Seriously, just think about it from a rational perspective. Back when you were dating him, if she had been constantly fluttering around right in front of your face every single day, would you have been happy?"

Jiang Xinyi gestured toward Su Qing as she spoke to Zheng Yanyan.

Zheng Yanyan found herself suddenly at a loss for words.

Su Qing knew perfectly well that Jiang Xinyi was targeting her. Refusing to back down, she shot back directly. "I'm not exactly clinging to Zhou Yuwen without letting go. His parents were the ones who personally called me. Besides, we've all known each other for a very long time. Is it really such a massive crime for me to help host them while they're visiting?"

"For someone born into a wealthy family, aren't you being incredibly stingy?"

"There's nothing wrong with simply hosting," Jiang Xinyi countered, her tone growing visibly frosty. "But considering the snide remarks you were constantly throwing out earlier, anyone with half a brain could see exactly what you were trying to do. Do you genuinely think acting like that makes you look good?"

"My intentions are my own damn business. When Zhou Yuwen and Zheng Yanyan were dating, she never stirred up a fraction of the drama that you do. Instead of wasting time sprouting nonsense at us, why don't you just go directly to Zhou Yuwen? If he personally tells us to disappear from his sight, we won't utter a single word of complaint," Su Qing declared stubbornly.

Zheng Yanyan frantically tugged at Su Qing's sleeve. 'Sister, please don't say things like that!' she thought in panic. 'What if Zhou Yuwen actually takes her side and bans us from coming over?!'

But Su Qing didn't care in the slightest.

Jiang Xinyi was thoroughly infuriated by Su Qing's brazen attitude. 'Fine then. Have it your way!' she fumed internally.

But before she could even open her mouth—

Su Qing aggressively cut her off. "When you get right down to it, the truth is that you're just wildly insecure."

"Your status as his girlfriend is completely of questionable origin to begin with. You forcefully shoved your way into becoming Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend by entirely relying on your family's wealth and connections. I've seen countless arrogant people like you before—those who love to use their power to bully others. Did you seriously think you could win Zhou Yuwen's heart by pulling stunts like that? Heh, how utterly pathetic." Su Qing's eyes overflowed with absolute disdain.

"What the hell did you just say?!" Those scathing words instantly pushed Jiang Xinyi past her breaking point.

Jiang Xinyi had genuinely wanted to sit down and have a calm and composed conversation with Su Qing.

She had wanted to win her over by virtue.

But Su Qing clearly wasn't the kind of person who could be easily subdued. Su Qing sneered and fired right back, "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"If I'm wrong, then what are you so terrified of?"

"You are six full years older than him! You even used to date his university counselor! If it wasn't for the fact that your family is filthy rich, and that your mother is desperately trying to gild you to boost your image, do you honestly believe a guy like Zhou Yuwen would ever actually date you?!"