Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 437: Disappointed

"What do you know?"Slapped by Lu Lin, a large red mark bloomed across Su Qing's face. Yet, in that moment, she sobered up considerably, meeting Lu Lin's resentful gaze.

Su Qing merely glared back with bloodshot eyes. She wanted to declare that she was different from the rest of them.

'What do you even know?'

'I am the woman who was married to Zhou Yuwen!'

This had always been her greatest reliance.

As for Lu Lin, she seemed indifferent to everything, but she understood the situation better than anyone else.

Reading the look in Su Qing's eyes, Lu Lin spoke with exasperation. "Let me guess, you want to say you are Zhou Yuwen's first love? That we are not the same as you?"

Su Qing wanted to retort that it was far more than just that.

But before she could open her mouth, Lu Lin cut her off. "From what I know, it is true you were his first love. However, wasn't it you who looked down on him back then? You thought his grades were too poor and took the initiative to dump him, right?"

Su Qing froze, entirely caught off guard by Lu Lin's blunt words.

But after thinking about it carefully, she assumed this must have been Zhou Yuwen's version of the story.

That explanation wasn't exactly false. The events of their previous life could certainly be summarized that way. Su Qing fell silent for a moment, but quickly found a counterargument. "I know I let him down, which is why I never stopped him from dating Zheng Yanyan. Even if he is fickle, I have always endured it. Is that still not enough to make up for my mistakes?"

"So, if you can even accept Zhou Yuwen being fickle, why are you unwilling to accept Jiang Xinyi?"

"You just feel that Jiang Xinyi is excellent enough to threaten your position. But Su Qing, have you ever considered that even without Jiang Xinyi, you might not actually have a position at all?"

"?"

The more Su Qing listened, the more confused she became. She looked at Lu Lin and demanded, "What do you mean?"

Lu Lin's words were unpleasant, but they were the absolute truth. She stated plainly that Su Qing wasn't actually all that excellent, and that she was virtually no different from any other girl here.

"At the very least, Yan Yan is from Jingcheng."

"Tao Tian, Qu Jing."

"I won't even mention the rest, but which one of them doesn't have a better family background than you?"

Su Qing was a reborn person, yet she had overlooked many fundamental issues she couldn't change. For instance, she came from a single-parent family, and her family's financial situation wasn't great at all.

Of course, she was beautiful enough and possessed plenty of drive.

That had been enough to match the Zhou Yuwen of her previous life.

But to be perfectly honest, even then, it had barely been a match.

After all, in their previous life, Zhou Yuwen's family background had been perfectly fine. At most, he was just a bit naive, so living a modest life as a young married couple with Su Qing hadn't been an issue.

However, in this life, considering the sheer talent Zhou Yuwen had displayed...

Su Qing truly had no outstanding qualities to offer.

Because of this, she had always been putting the cart before the horse.

It wasn't until Lu Lin pointed it out that reality finally crashed down on her.

Stunned, Su Qing looked at Lu Lin, then glanced at Zheng Yanyan beside her. Then at Tao Tian? Qu Jing?

The girls Lu Lin had just name-dropped suddenly felt a strong good impression of her.

Zheng Yanyan even felt a sudden rush of a sense of superiority.

'That is right! I am from Jingcheng! Do not forget that!'

Lu Lin was truly the most perceptive person here. Meanwhile, Minmin could not help but feel a little gloomy in her heart. 'Why didn't she mention me? My family is even a bit better than Qu Jing's!'

Su Qing looked around at all of them, desperately wanting to argue back.

But she suddenly realized she had absolutely no grounds for rebuttal.

"I..."

She racked her brain and finally thought about how she had provided Zhou Yuwen with immense help at his company.

Before she could even finish her sentence, Lu Lin interjected, "You aren't about to say you gave him a lot of help with his career, are you? Ask yourself honestly, do you really think Zhou Yuwen is lacking that tiny bit of assistance from you?"

Su Qing was completely speechless.

She continued to scan her surroundings. These females standing around her had different heights and figures—some tall and slender, others curvaceous and full—but every single one of them was dressed in gorgeous clothes.

Standing before them, Su Qing truly felt like she didn't possess a single strength.

'So, I have been living in my own fairy tale all this time,' she realized.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

As the final notes of Canon faded, enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd below.

Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi stood there with gentle smiles, instantly becoming the absolute center of attention. As they rose from the bench, Zhou Yuwen supported Jiang Xinyi by the arm. Her smile was incredibly radiant, revealing a glimpse of her pristine white teeth.

The pair made their way over to Liu Jing, who looked thoroughly satisfied.

At that moment, an acquaintance with close connections to Liu Jing joked, "Sister Jing, when are you going to hold a grandchild?"

Liu Jing chuckled lightly. "As long as they are willing, I am ready anytime!"

"Hahaha~"

The crowd burst into laughter, while Jiang Xinyi displayed a picture-perfect image of the bashful innocence of a young girl.

Truth be told, those few joking remarks dealt a massive blow to the girls standing in the back.

Lu Lin's earlier words were directed solely at Su Qing, but while the speaker had no ulterior motive, the listeners certainly took it to heart.

Lu Lin had pointed out that Su Qing lacked competitiveness against the other girls. Didn't that indirectly mean the other girls lacked competitiveness too?

After hearing Lu Lin's entire speech, Zheng Yanyan actually felt terrible inside.

Especially since Su Qing had just accused her of being worthless earlier.

If Su Qing hadn't been the first to throw a fit...

Zheng Yanyan would have likely been the one to cause a scene.

Fortunately, she kept her cool. Otherwise, Lu Lin would have definitely put her in her place as well.

Su Qing remained silent, overwhelmed by the feeling that everything happening to her now was entirely her own fault. Because of her momentary lapse in judgment, she had allowed Zhou Yuwen to find other women, foolishly believing that once he grew tired of playing around, he would return to her.

She never expected these girls to actually gang up against her.

She deeply resented how these women had completely discarded their dignity, only to realize in hindsight that she was no different from them.

"Just calm down," Lu Lin said faintly.

She signaled for Tao Tian and the others to escort Su Qing away.

In truth, it was time for all the girls to make their exit.

What was the point of staying here anyway?

Better to just leave.

With Lu Lin leading the way, Zheng Yanyan and the rest of the girls finally departed, albeit reluctantly.

Shen Yu and Lu Wanting were the two outsiders who had witnessed the entire ordeal.

As the group filtered out, Shen Yu could not help but glance up at the dazzling Zhou Yuwen in the distance. Without saying a word, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Lu Wanting, however, stayed behind.

"Wanting," Peng Xiaoyong called out as he approached from behind.

Lu Wanting turned her head.

Peng Xiaoyong stared curiously at the retreating figures of the women. He recognized Su Qing among them.

'Isn't that my younger male cousin's girlfriend?'

'Why is she leaving?'

Perplexed, he shifted his gaze to assess Jiang Xinyi up on the stage.

He asked Lu Wanting, "What exactly happened?"

Lu Wanting shook her head and offered a polite smile. "Nothing really."

The courtyard felt a bit chilly. Qu Jing, Tao Tian, and Minmin walked out surrounding Su Qing, looking as if they were escorting a prisoner. Su Qing disliked the stifling formation and said coldly, "Stay away from me."

At this moment, Zheng Yanyan actually understood Su Qing's feelings somewhat.

She even felt a twinge of pity for her.

So, pushing past the others, she draped a jacket over Su Qing's shoulders and murmured softly, "It is okay, Su Qing. We are all here with you."

Su Qing turned her head, making direct eye contact with Zheng Yanyan.

Zheng Yanyan stiffened. Su Qing's eyes were filled with an utter, hollow despair, like dying embers.

The old Su Qing was always at odds with Zheng Yanyan. Both possessed sharp tongues, and it seemed they could bicker endlessly until the end of time.

But that look in her eyes just now...

Carried an unmistakable flavor of absolute apathy.

Zheng Yanyan had already placed the jacket on her, but it simply slid right off Su Qing's drooping shoulders.

"I am heading back to campus first," Su Qing announced coldly, taking the lead and stepping away.

The rest of the group looked toward Lu Lin.

Lu Lin didn't say a word.

And just like that, Su Qing completely detached herself from their circle.

She swayed unsteadily on her feet. Stripped of all her strength, even walking seemed to take a monumental effort.

At this point, the banquet had lost all its appeal.

Although the housewarming party remained lively and bustling, that joy belonged exclusively to the people inside.

She had absolutely nothing.

Su Qing departed, but the celebration carried on.

Tao Tian and Qu Jing still had official duties to attend to at the party. They needed to supervise the part-time students working the event to prevent any mishaps.

Minmin's blood was still pumping with adrenaline after watching all the drama unfold.

Once they separated from the main group, she couldn't wait to start gossiping with Tao Tian and Qu Jing.

"That was way too shocking."

"Does that mean Zheng Yanyan's entire dormitory is filled with Zhou Yuwen's women?"

Qu Jing couldn't be bothered to entertain her and merely shot her a dirty look.

Minmin continued muttering to herself, exclaiming over how she never expected Zhou Yuwen to have so many lovers.

"They probably think I am one of Zhou Yuwen's women too."

Listening to her ramble on and on...

Tao Tian finally couldn't hold back anymore. "That Shen Yu probably has no relationship with Zhou Yuwen."

"Huh? The girl who never said a word?"

"Yeah. And Su Qing doesn't have a relationship with him either."

Tao Tian voiced her own assessment.

Minmin looked utterly bewildered.

Tao Tian elaborated, explaining that Su Qing was just Zhou Yuwen's first love.

"They dated back in high school."

"They shouldn't be involved with each other anymore."

"Oh. Well, including you guys, Zhou Yuwen still has four women."

Minmin counted on her fingers and then repeated, "They really might think I am one of his women as well."

Qu Jing grew irritated. "Enough. You just keep yapping away. What? Are you really that desperate to be one of Zhou Yuwen's women?"

"Stop it, I am not!" Minmin protested, her face flushing a deep crimson.

Meanwhile, Zheng Yanyan was in a terrible mood as well, though thankfully she had Lu Lin by her side to comfort her.

Eventually, Zheng Yanyan broke down in tears.

She confessed sincerely to Lu Lin that her feelings for Zhou Yuwen were genuine.

But given how Zhou Yuwen was acting now...

She truly didn't know if she should keep pursuing him.

Lu Lin told her not to overthink things.

"His relationship with Jiang Xinyi isn't that simple. Let's just wait and see. If he truly chooses Jiang Xinyi, then even if we want to stay with him forever, he might not necessarily keep us around."

"?" Hearing this, a sharp sense of crisis flared up within Zheng Yanyan once again.

Lu Lin patted her back, telling her not to worry.

Su Qing returned to her dormitory alone. When she left the villa, she had casually snatched a bottle of red wine.

Her mind was a chaotic mess right now.

From the moment of her rebirth up until this very second...

Su Qing felt as if she had been living her life completely in vain.

What exactly had she been doing all this time?

Her only recourse was to numb herself with alcohol.

Unfortunately, the alcohol content of the red wine was only enough to make her pleasantly dizzy, far from getting her blackout drunk.

She drew all the curtains shut, hiding herself away in the dark room. She was so overwhelmingly exhausted that she couldn't even summon the energy to climb into bed.

She simply curled up in the clothing corner of the dormitory, hugging her knees with both hands.

She buried her face in her knees. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the tears began to fall.

She wept in absolute silence.

At that moment, the door clicked open.

In the fraction of a second the door swung wide...

A sliver of light pierced through the darkness and spilled across the floor.

Through her tear-blurred vision, Su Qing made out the figure stepping inside.

Shen Yu.

The drama she had witnessed today was genuinely explosive.

So naturally, Shen Yu had completely lost her appetite for the party.

In reality, Zhou Yuwen hadn't just hurt all those women—he had hurt Shen Yu as well.

Shen Yu had genuinely always viewed Zhou Yuwen as her prince charming.

In her mind, he was refined, elegant, and possessed a flawless demeanor.

She wouldn't even be afraid of being laughed at for admitting it—whenever she read a novel, she always imagined Zhou Yuwen as the male lead.

And the first time she ever had that kind of dream, the protagonist was none other than Zhou Yuwen.

Shen Yu knew it was impossible for anything to happen between them.

But that never changed the fact that, in her eyes, Zhou Yuwen was utterly flawless.

Until today.

The pristine image of Zhou Yuwen in Shen Yu's heart had completely and thoroughly shattered.

She never wanted to associate with him ever again.

How could a single boy be so incredibly scummy?

Tao Tian and her two roommates were all his women?

That made six in total.

And that Jiang Xinyi was even Zhou Yuwen's teacher's wife.

Earlier at the party, Shen Yu hadn't been able to stop frowning.

She had finally managed to escape to her dormitory, only to find Su Qing crying her eyes out.

Shen Yu let out a lingering sigh. She wanted to tell her not to be like Zheng Yanyan, but swallowed her words at the last second.

'I am so tired of comforting all of you.'

That was what she thought.

But despite her exhaustion, Shen Yu still walked over to soothe Su Qing.

The moment Su Qing saw Shen Yu, she couldn't hold it back any longer. She threw herself into Shen Yu's arms and started crying hysterically.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuwen remained the center of the universe, surrounded by the crowd like stars orbiting the moon.

Many people, out of respect for Liu Jing, showered him with compliments. They praised his unmatched talents, noting that he was not only highly capable in business but also possessed profound musical expertise.

They gushed over how he and Jiang Xinyi were a perfect match—a brilliant young man and a beautiful woman.

Zhou Yuwen merely smiled in response.

Thankfully, Liu Jing intercepted the vast majority of the socializing.

All Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi had to do was quietly trail behind her.

Jiang Xinyi whispered to Zhou Yuwen, "Not bad at all. Considering how little time you have been learning, your piano skills have grown by leaps and bounds."

Zhou Yuwen replied, "That is all because my teacher taught me well."

"Hmph," Jiang Xinyi scoffed with a touch of proud arrogance.

"Sister Xinyi!"

At that moment, Tang Xinrou bounded over to greet them.

Jiang Xinyi was in a fantastic mood and waved back at Tang Xinrou with open, elegant charm.

"Sister Xinyi! You and my brother-in-law are way too perfect for each other! When I heard you two playing the piano just now, I couldn't even hold back my tears!" Tang Xinrou had a sweet appearance and carried herself with the poise of a genuine rich girl.

Jiang Xinyi giggled at the praise. "Oh, stop it. Here, let me introduce you. This is the man I told you about earlier, my boss, Zhou Yuwen."

"And this is a child from my mother's friend's family. You could say she is my little sister, Tang Xinrou. She just came back from a study abroad program."

When the party first started, Tang Xinrou had been constantly helping Jiang Xinyi out. The two of them were quite familiar with each other by now. Moreover, Jiang Xinyi had always been a gracious rich girl who didn't harbor any petty schemes.

Following the introduction, Tang Xinrou turned her eyes to Zhou Yuwen. She flashed him a sweet smile before turning back to Jiang Xinyi. "Sister, you really have a great eye. My brother-in-law is so handsome!"