Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 443: Jiang Xinyi's Confession

"Then do you even know what she meant by that, playing along like you did?" Jiang Xinyi asked with disdain.Zhou Yuwen replied, "There are only a few things in this world that can't see the light of day. Murder and arson, and then matters between men and women. Since we obviously can't commit murder and arson, then it has to be the latter."

Zhou Yuwen suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road, then turned his head to look at Jiang Xinyi with a rather impolite gaze.

Jiang Xinyi wore a light green knitted sweater. It was a form-fitting style that clung tightly to her figure, fastened at the front with small buttons. It bulged significantly, looking as though the buttons might burst open at any moment.

This kind of small sweater looked wonderful on girls, especially with that glimpse of fair skin exposed at the neckline.

Feeling embarrassed by Zhou Yuwen staring at her, Jiang Xinyi quickly covered her chest with her hand and gently chided him, "What are you looking at? Why did you stop driving?"

Zhou Yuwen said that this was exactly why women were so uninteresting.

"When I'm driving seriously, you insist on teasing me. But when I finally stop the car to have a deep conversation with you, you reject me. Sigh, how boring."

After saying that, Zhou Yuwen restarted the car.

Zhou Yuwen's words left Jiang Xinyi momentarily at a loss for how to respond. The main reason was actually that Zhou Yuwen was unwilling to continue any ambiguity with her. Throughout their time at Sun Juan's house, his demeanor had remained completely lukewarm.

Even though everyone kept referring to him as Xinyi's boyfriend.

And Sister Jing's son-in-law.

Yet Zhou Yuwen neither rejected nor accepted the titles. Whenever people asked him about it, he just smiled.

He even sat down to play mahjong with them.

He just wasn't enthusiastic about it.

This left Jiang Xinyi feeling somewhat uneasy.

In truth, when Liu Jing publicly announced to everyone today that Zhou Yuwen was her boyfriend, Jiang Xinyi felt quite guilty. After all, Zhou Yuwen had never agreed to it. For Liu Jing to make such a unilateral declaration was, by any standard, hardly polite behavior.

Therefore, after Liu Jing spoke, Jiang Xinyi had been secretly observing Zhou Yuwen's reaction. It was only when she saw that he didn't show any disgust and even took the initiative to wrap his arm around her slender waist that she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, from that moment until now, Zhou Yuwen's behavior had been far too formulaic, which made her feel odd once again.

That was why she had wanted to play a little joke on him.

But as things stood now, Jiang Xinyi suddenly found herself completely out of her depth.

She realized that she truly wasn't very good at handling relationships between men and women.

Deep down, she really hoped Zhou Yuwen would get closer to her.

For example, snuggling together in the car and doing some intimately embarrassing things.

While it wouldn't necessarily be anything that couldn't see the light of day.

They could at least hug and cuddle.

But as a girl, she naturally had thin skin.

Seeing Zhou Yuwen approach with a wicked smirk.

She inevitably wanted to find an excuse.

If Zhou Yuwen had persisted shamelessly at that moment, things would have naturally fallen into place.

Instead, he backed off at the slightest resistance.

He said he would drive, and he simply drove.

He was truly being a bit too polite.

Jiang Xinyi felt like, Zhou Yuwen didn't seem to like her all that much.

And so, this twenty-five-year-old rich young lady, who had grown up never having to care about anyone else's feelings, spent the moment staring at Zhou Yuwen's profile, constantly worrying about gains and losses.

After just a short while.

Zhou Yuwen's car pulled up right in front of Jiang Xinyi's house. The two had barely exchanged a word during the thirty-minute drive. It wasn't until the vehicle came to a complete halt that Zhou Yuwen finally spoke, "You're home."

Jiang Xinyi felt an inexplicable sense of gloom. Looking up, she cast a glance at Zhou Yuwen in the driver's seat and asked, "Are you a little unhappy today?"

Taken aback, Zhou Yuwen asked, "Why would you think that?"

"Today is the day I moved, and you and Auntie Liu Jing helped me out so much. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

Jiang Xinyi replied, "I never expected my mother to introduce you to others like that, either."

"Did you talk to your mom about us?" Since Jiang Xinyi brought it up, Zhou Yuwen decided to ask.

"No."

Jiang Xinyi flatly denied it. Zhou Yuwen immediately raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this was quite strange. Sure enough, there was a second half to her sentence. She stammered, "I didn't tell my mother how far we had developed, it's just..."

"Just what?"

Her small face flushed bright red. She and Liu Jing had a rather close mother-daughter relationship. Coupled with the fact that Liu Jing was quite invested in Zhou Yuwen, her mother had naturally asked a few more questions.

How could a little lass like Jiang Xinyi possibly be a match for her old mother?

It had only taken a few sentences for her to spill everything she knew.

"I merely told my mother that we were dating normally. Given how I probably acted at the time, she must have felt there was a real chance for us, which is why..." At this point, Jiang Xinyi felt extremely ashamed, sensing she had wronged Zhou Yuwen.

Especially after seeing his thoughtful expression, she knew that he was genuinely a little upset. Biting her lip, she admitted, "This is my fault."

Zhou Yuwen was indeed unhappy in his heart, but with things having escalated to this point, he had no choice but to accept it.

Wasn't he the one who brought this upon himself?

If he truly didn't want anything to happen with Jiang Xinyi, he should have made it crystal clear from the very beginning.

Trying to play the innocent victim while reaping the benefits now would be completely meaningless.

So Zhou Yuwen sighed, "Forget it. Thinking about it, I can understand. If she didn't view me as her future son-in-law, there's no way she would take my matters so seriously. It's just that it all happened so suddenly, I couldn't react in time."

The lighting inside the car was dim. Zhou Yuwen's expression right now could hardly be described as happy. From Jiang Xinyi's perspective, she could only make out his silhouette. Although neither of them had explicitly defined their relationship, In the eyes of outsiders, Zhou Yuwen was already Jiang Xinyi's boyfriend.

"It's getting late," Zhou Yuwen said. "You should head inside."

"It doesn't feel like you just didn't have time to react," Jiang Xinyi countered. "It feels more like you're genuinely unhappy."

"Unhappy? I don't think so."

Zhou Yuwen forced a laugh, initially trying to gloss over the issue, but Jiang Xinyi just kept staring at him in silence.

Seeing that he couldn't hide it, he had no choice but to tell the truth.

"It's not exactly that I'm unhappy, it's just..."

"Xinyi, actually, I am well aware. With a relationship like ours, even though we haven't officially confirmed anything, we might as well be dating. After all, we've already touched and been intimate with each other."

As Zhou Yuwen spoke, he took the initiative to hold Jiang Xinyi's small hand.

Under the glow of the dim yellow interior light, her hand looked exceptionally fair and slender.

She even had a manicure done.

Zhou Yuwen held her hand, inspecting it carefully over and over.

Flustered, Jiang Xinyi first muttered, "What do you mean by 'we've touched and been intimate'?"

However, seeing that Zhou Yuwen didn't reply, she refrained from throwing a playful tantrum and simply allowed him to stroke her hand.

Squeezing her beautiful little hand, he explained, "The main thing is, I lack confidence in our future."

"Lack confidence in our future?" Jiang Xinyi didn't understand.

Zhou Yuwen replied that they could just be casually dating.

"But Aunt Jing's behavior was a bit too hasty. Now all her friends know we're dating. No, to be more precise, they view me as your family's prospective son-in-law. It feels like our marriage is already set in stone. But have you ever considered the 'what ifs'?"

"I'm talking about the possibility of us breaking up. What happens then?"

This question truly startled Jiang Xinyi. She hadn't even gotten to enjoy a single day as Zhou Yuwen's official boyfriend yet, and here he was bringing up breakups right out of the gate.

Who could possibly bear that?

Noting her expression, Zhou Yuwen was blunt. "We definitely need to consider this. You are a wealthy rich young lady, whereas I'm just a guy with a tiny bit of capability. Driving a BMW X7 is pretty much my absolute peak."

"But did you hear what Tang Xinrou was saying earlier? They drive Maseratis and Lamborghinis. Even if I work my fingers to the bone to earn tens of millions, it might not even be enough for them to buy a single car. So I am genuinely worried. What if things don't work out between us in the future?"

"It wouldn't be an issue for me, because I'm a nobody at the end of the day. Those people have nothing to do with me. But you're different. What if you and Aunt Jing misjudged me, and my future business ventures fail? Have you thought about any of this?"

Zhou Yuwen spoke with utmost sincerity.

Jiang Xinyi listened intently for a long while before finally responding, stating that their driving Maseratis and Lamborghinis was their own business.

"We are the ones dating, what does it have to do with them?"

"Besides, I'm not a materialistic girl. I think living an ordinary life is quite nice. I deeply envy those who live in a simple three-bedroom apartment with a basic nine-to-five job. You don't need to carry such a heavy burden, I won't pressure you." On this point, Jiang Xinyi was telling the truth.

Born into wealth, she nonetheless cherished the life of common people. She could happily savor a cheap, spicy hotpot meal. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to have ever dated You Changjin.

Of course, that was merely her personal ideology.

Real life was never that simple.

For some people, a three-bedroom apartment was something they could never reach in a lifetime.

Feeling helpless after hearing her words, Zhou Yuwen could only ask, "Then what about other reasons?"

"Other reasons? Like what?"

Jiang Xinyi widened her large eyes, asking with palpable curiosity.

Zhou Yuwen admitted he didn't know what those reasons might be, but when two people were together, it couldn't always be smooth sailing. There would be arguments and disagreements.

Who could guarantee that a relationship would definitely make it to the very end?

"And if one day, we really do break up."

"I can just brush off my buttocks and leave. What will you do?"

Sitting inside the car, the topic Zhou Yuwen brought up was rather heavy.

Even though he was six years younger than Jiang Xinyi, it was Zhou Yuwen steering the rhythm of their conversation.

But Jiang Xinyi seemed to brush it off.

She couldn't even fathom a reason they would argue. She believed that both she and Zhou Yuwen belonged to a high-quality demographic with higher education.

This was also a necessary prerequisite for them falling in love.

After all, they had been getting along for so long now.

Hadn't it always been pleasant?

"No matter how much money my family has, it belongs to my parents. It has nothing to do with me. Besides, aren't I six years older than you? If you don't have an issue with that, how could I ever despise you for anything else?" Jiang Xinyi's three views were remarkably upright.

But Zhou Yuwen could only offer a wry smile. "Interacting as ordinary friends and being in a romantic relationship are always going to be different."

"Then what exactly are you trying to say?"

"My mom has already told everyone that we're boyfriend and girlfriend. After talking in circles, are you trying to say that to prevent us from breaking up in the future, the best solution is to just break up right now?" Jiang Xinyi stared at him, utterly speechless.

"That's not it at all," Zhou Yuwen replied.

"Zhou Yuwen, honestly, I think what I want is very simple." Jiang Xinyi continued, "I did indeed date You Changjin, but you couldn't even call that a real relationship because there was no spark between us. I made things perfectly clear with him today. He is your counselor, after all, and clearing the air is best for everyone."

"You don't need to worry about my mother's end. What I want to do right now is find a boy I actually like and have a proper relationship."

"Whether we end up breaking up or staying together in the future, that is all well within what I can handle."

"Right now, what I really want to know is your stance," Jiang Xinyi stated, her gaze fixed intently on Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen faltered, "Me? What kind of stance could I have?"

"Do you want to be my boyfriend or not?"

Inside the cabin, Jiang Xinyi turned to face Zhou Yuwen directly.

Her expression was exceptionally serious.

Beneath the glow of the dim lights, a faint glimmer seemed to dance in her eyes.

Caught entirely off guard by her words, Zhou Yuwen asked with a chuckle, "Is this a confession?"

"Yes, it's a confession. Will you accept it?" Jiang Xinyi asked decisively.

Zhou Yuwen scratched his nose, wanting to say something, but finding himself at a complete loss for words.

Jiang Xinyi asked him what he was thinking about.

Zhou Yuwen told her that this was simply too sudden.

Jiang Xinyi then asked if he liked her.

Zhou Yuwen said he did.

But right after saying it, he backtracked, adding, "I don't dare to like you."

"What's there to not dare about?"

Zhou Yuwen stammered for a good while, bringing up the massive gap in their social statuses, mentioning her ex-boyfriend, and citing a myriad of other things.

In short, he spouted a mountain of excuses.

While saying all this, he kept his head down, looking as though he desperately wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Watching this unfold, Jiang Xinyi was rendered speechless, barely fighting back a laugh.

She thought to herself, 'This kid is usually so suave and brimming with absolute confidence in front of his peers.'

'Who would have expected him to look so flustered.'

Zhou Yuwen's awkwardness stemmed from his reluctance to establish a committed relationship.

But Jiang Xinyi mistook it for shyness.

As a result, adopting a very commanding 'older sister' persona, Jiang Xinyi grabbed him by the collar and boldly initiated a sweet kiss.

They had kissed before, but it had never been anything formal—usually just a peck on the forehead or a brief brush of the lips.

This time, however, Jiang Xinyi was clearly prepared.

She crashed her lips directly against his.

Zhou Yuwen was stunned for a mere second before he rapidly began to kiss her back.

In the shadowy confines of the car, the only visible movement was the subtle bobbing of Zhou Yuwen's Adam's apple.

A long moment passed.

"Whose car is this? You can't park here!"

Suddenly, a security guard appeared in front of the vehicle, sweeping his flashlight over the two of them.

They snapped apart instantly.

Jiang Xinyi's face turned crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Honestly, the blame laid squarely on Zhou Yuwen. He had escorted his 'girlfriend' home without even knowing enough to park the car properly so they could share a tender moment.

He had literally just pulled over on the side of the road.

Was he planning to just drop her off and leave immediately?

Well, look what happened now.

Caught red-handed by the security guard.

Wielding his flashlight and looking determined to get to the bottom of this, the guard marched straight toward them.

"Whose car is this? Is there anyone inside?"

At that moment, Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi were still sitting in their respective seats, lingering on the taste of their kiss.

Jiang Xinyi's small face burned fiercely. Not daring to look at Zhou Yuwen, she tilted her head to stare out the window.

Seeing that the guard had no intention of leaving, Jiang Xinyi was left with no choice.

She rolled down the window.

The moment the guard saw who was sitting inside, he gasped in surprise, "Miss Jiang, is this your car?"

"It will only be parked here for a moment. It's leaving right away," Jiang Xinyi stated calmly.

"Oh, oh, understood. No problem at all, park for as long as you'd like. I thought it was a vehicle from the outside," the guard quickly explained.

Jiang Xinyi didn't reply. Being highly observant, the guard gave an apologetic wave and hastily retreated.

Only after the guard was completely gone did Jiang Xinyi roll the window back up.

An eerie silence filled the cabin.

A long moment stretched between them.

Finally, Jiang Xinyi took the initiative to break the quiet. "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes?"

"..."

"You've already kissed me, how could I possibly refuse?" Zhou Yuwen murmured faintly.