Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 422: I Don't Owe You Anything

"That person is Zhou Yuwen!"Those words were not spoken loudly, but they were deafening.

What followed was a very long stretch of silence.

Zheng Yanyan kept her head down and said nothing, standing there pitifully. Because Lu Lin had forcefully lifted her chin just moments ago, Zheng Yanyan's hair was now somewhat messy.

Standing right beside Zheng Yanyan, Lu Lin had finally spoken those words.

Lu Lin, however, felt a sense of full-body relief. She had wanted to say these things for a long time.

In truth, Zheng Yanyan had probably sensed it long ago. After all, living under the same roof, no matter how well Lu Lin and Zhou Yuwen hid it, there would always be clues.

Every time in the middle of the night, Zhou Yuwen would disappear from her side.

Once or twice could be excused as going to the bathroom, but could that really be the case so many times?

Furthermore, how could Zheng Yanyan not recognize the lingering scent of their physical intimacy?

The last time Zhou Yuwen came out of Lu Lin's room, Zheng Yanyan had asked in a coquettish tone, "Where did you go?"

Zhou Yuwen claimed he had gone to the bathroom.

Then Zheng Yanyan had wrapped her arms around Zhou Yuwen, sleeping.

Her hand had naturally slipped into Zhou Yuwen's pants.

When sleeping, she liked to hold onto him right there.

It gave her a sense of security.

It was as if she was treating that part of Zhou Yuwen as her exclusive property.

But feelings never lie.

Actually, ever since that moment, Zheng Yanyan had harbored some suspicions about Lu Lin.

But in the end, it was only suspicion.

Zheng Yanyan also hoped she was just overthinking things.

After all, one was the man she loved the most, and the other was her best friend.

Zheng Yanyan wanted to maintain these connections, so she was anxious to send Lu Lin away.

After thinking it over, Liu Shuo was the most suitable candidate.

Yet she never expected Lu Lin to resist so directly.

From beginning to end, Zheng Yanyan never managed to find her proper place in all this.

Now being bullied by Lu Lin, her first thought was still to escape. Her gaze drifted aimlessly to the side. After a long moment of inner struggle, she forced a smile and said, "You... look at you, talking nonsense again."

"If you don't like Liu Shuo, then fine, you don't like him. I'll find someone else for you. Zhou Yuwen is my boyfriend, so how could you possibly like him? Alright, Linlin, let's drop the topic, okay? Let's not talk about it."

As she spoke, Zheng Yanyan tugged at Lu Lin, wanting to skip over these topics.

But Lu Lin evaded Zheng Yanyan's grasp. Taking a deep breath, Lu Lin declared, "Enough, Yan Yan. Zhou Yuwen hasn't been your boyfriend for a long time. I've accommodated your feelings enough. When are you going to care about mine?"

"If I wanted a boyfriend, why would you think I need you to find one for me? Do you think I can't find men on my own?"

As soon as Lu Lin said Zhou Yuwen wasn't Zheng Yanyan's boyfriend, Zheng Yanyan burst into loud tears. "But Zhou Yuwen is my ex-boyfriend too! Linlin, how could you possibly like him!"

"Even if you like him, he doesn't like you. He has other women, you can't like him."

Crying, Zheng Yanyan reached out and grabbed Lu Lin's hands, pleading pitifully, "Linlin, I'm begging you, please don't like Zhou Yuwen, okay? Please, I'm begging you."

Looking at her tear-stained face, Lu Lin thought for a moment. "Yan Yan."

"Yeah." Zheng Yanyan wiped her tears, wearing an earnest expression.

Lu Lin wanted to say that her connection with Zhou Yuwen wasn't a one-sided crush.

For a brief moment, Lu Lin truly wanted to reveal the nature of her relationship with Zhou Yuwen to Zheng Yanyan.

However, after some hesitation, she felt that doing so might tarnish Zhou Yuwen's reputation.

'If I spill the truth, how exactly should I phrase it?' she thought.

'Should I say that Zhou Yuwen and I have been maintaining this kind of relationship all along?'

'That even while he was dating you, we still had this relationship going on?'

Meanwhile, Zheng Yanyan was still shedding tears.

Shen Yu was still right outside.

If Lu Lin said all this and Zheng Yanyan threw a fit, it would definitely have a negative impact on Zhou Yuwen.

Just as Lu Lin was at a loss for words.

Thinking Lu Lin had softened her stance, Zheng Yanyan quickly gripped her hands and asked, "What do you want to say? Linlin."

"You also feel that it's impossible for you and Zhou Yuwen, right?"

"You are my best sister, and Zhou Yuwen is my boyfriend, so how could you possibly like him, right? Linlin, if word of this got out, wouldn't people laugh at us?"

"Good Linlin, let's just pretend this never happened, okay?"

"Besides, even if you like him, Zhou Yuwen might not necessarily like you back. There are so many women surrounding him. Not to mention Su Qing, there's also Tao Tian and Jiang Xinyi. Which one of them isn't gorgeous? Zhou Yuwen won't like you. Good Linlin, can we still be good sisters? Let's just pretend none of this ever happened." Pulling at Lu Lin, Zheng Yanyan asked, trying to coax and beg her at the same time.

In that split second earlier, Lu Lin had indeed wanted to lay cards on the table with Zheng Yanyan, but at the very last moment, a sliver of hesitation held her back.

Mainly because she hadn't gotten Zhou Yuwen's permission, and Lu Lin truly didn't want to expose it without his consent.

But the truth was, the people outside could definitely hear everything they said in the room crystal clear. Even if Zhou Yuwen didn't want to listen, there was no way Su Qing would pass up such a rare opportunity to stir up trouble. She would undoubtedly drag Shen Yu and Zhou Yuwen to eavesdrop by the door.

After all, Zheng Yanyan had always treated Lu Lin as a good sister. What could be more entertaining than watching these two good sisters fall out?

The two of them quarreled in the room.

Su Qing simply giggled outside.

From start to finish, Zheng Yanyan was throwing a total tantrum, crying, fussing, and threatening to hang herself.

Who Lu Lin liked was none of her business anyway.

The crux of the matter was that Zheng Yanyan still wanted to PUA Lu Lin. The underlying meaning in her words was that Lu Lin wasn't as pretty as Tao Tian, nor did she have Jiang Xinyi's family background, so even if she liked Zhou Yuwen, he wouldn't like her back, so she better give up quickly.

Hmph, little did she know that Zhou Yuwen already had a relationship with Lu Lin.

Thinking up to this point, Su Qing really wanted to push the door open and tell Zheng Yanyan everything.

Unfortunately, Shen Yu was present.

Su Qing couldn't bear to let her hubby's reputation be damaged.

Now, Zheng Yanyan's voice still drifted from behind the door, constantly begging Lu Lin not to act like this. Even if she didn't like Liu Shuo, there was no need to like Zhou Yuwen.

In a few days, Zhou Yuwen's villa party would begin.

There would definitely be plenty of tall, rich, and handsome men attending, so why couldn't she just find another one then?

If all else failed, she could just have Zhou Yuwen help her out, right?

The more Su Qing listened, the more she wanted to laugh, unable to resist glancing at Zhou Yuwen's expression.

Zhou Yuwen pondered for a moment before finally getting up and walking into the room.

As soon as Zhou Yuwen stood up, Su Qing followed right behind him.

This only put Shen Yu, who was passively enjoying the drama, in an awkward position. Following them in didn't feel right.

But remaining seated didn't feel right either.

'I only came to visit this one time,' Shen Yu thought to herself.

'Why is there so much drama?'

'If I had known, I wouldn't have come at all!'

"Zhou Yuwen will never like you."

"Yan Yan."

Before Zheng Yanyan could finish speaking, Zhou Yuwen called out to her from the doorway.

"Hubby..." Seeing Zhou Yuwen walk in, Zheng Yanyan immediately called out to him, feeling wronged, and threw herself into his arms.

Zhou Yuwen wrapped his arms around her, looking at her tear-stained face.

Then he glanced at Lu Lin, who was standing stiffly to the side.

In truth, Lu Lin was also feeling wronged right now.

However, this girl preferred to bottle up all her grievances. She naturally had a straightforward and outspoken personality, and had it not been for the sake of Zhou Yuwen's reputation, she truly would have spilled everything. Now, she watched as Zheng Yanyan hid in Zhou Yuwen's embrace like a helpless little woman.

Stubbornly, Lu Lin turned her head away.

Zheng Yanyan was still pitifully calling out "hubby" over there.

Zhou Yuwen stated, "I heard everything you two were just talking about."

"Mm."

Upon hearing Zhou Yuwen's words, Zheng Yanyan hugged him even tighter.

Zhou Yuwen helped wipe the tears from Zheng Yanyan's cheek, then continued, "I've known about Linlin liking me for a long time."

"?" Zheng Yanyan froze, suddenly struck by an ominous premonition.

This bad feeling was shared even by Su Qing, who had followed them inside.

However, her brain hadn't quite processed it yet.

Zhou Yuwen had already spoken the damning words: "Actually, Linlin and I started seeing each other a long time ago."

Boom!

Zheng Yanyan felt her entire world collapse in an instant. She had wanted to cling to Zhou Yuwen's embrace, but the moment those words left his mouth, even staying in his arms made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

"Wh-what did you just say..."

Sure enough, everything was completely ruined.

Out in the living room, Shen Yu was intensely focused on her movie, her eyes having never once left the screen.

But the explosive words echoing in her ears made it incredibly hard for her to maintain her composure.

'Good heavens, do you want to come down and listen to what on earth they're saying?'

Zhou Yuwen admitted that he and Lu Lin had actually gotten together a long time ago.

"The reason I didn't tell you until now is because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to accept it."

"Then why are you telling me now!?" Zheng Yanyan suddenly snapped in a panic. 'If you were going to hide it, you should have just hidden it forever!' she thought.

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Because if I kept it from you any longer..."

"...you were going to set Linlin up with another boyfriend. I don't care how willful you act."

"But Linlin is my woman. When you say things like that, if I don't stand up for her, am I even a man?"

As he said this, Zhou Yuwen firmly grasped Lu Lin's hand.

Going from feeling utterly isolated just moments ago to now having her hand held so resolutely by Zhou Yuwen, an unprecedented sense of security swept through her entire body. Lu Lin looked up, gazing at the man before her.

Recently, Zhou Yuwen had been somewhat cold towards Lu Lin, to the point where she felt her presence in his life was entirely dispensable. She had even started to think that Zhou Yuwen was only keeping her around to save face, and otherwise would have discarded her long ago.

Yet she never could have imagined...

...that at a moment like this, Zhou Yuwen would still firmly choose her.

"No, I don't believe it. You're both lying to me, aren't you?" Zheng Yanyan's eyes were bloodshot. Staring at their intertwined hands, she simply refused to accept reality.

"How... how could you possibly like her? What is there to even like?"

Seeing them holding hands was simply too much for Zheng Yanyan to bear. She hurriedly rushed forward, desperately trying to pry them apart.

But of course, she lacked the strength to do so. Seeing this, Su Qing quickly grabbed Zheng Yanyan and yelled, "Yan Yan, stop throwing a fit! Zhou Yuwen isn't lying to you!"

"?" Zheng Yanyan froze, whipping her head around to look at Su Qing.

For a moment, she couldn't process what was happening.

Su Qing sighed. Since Zhou Yuwen had already confessed, what was the point of her hiding it anymore?

"They've been together for a long time. That time in Suzhou, it was Linlin," Su Qing stated bluntly.

"?"

This time, Zheng Yanyan wasn't just stunned.

She was completely dumbfounded.

"So you..."

"So you knew?"

Zheng Yanyan stared at Su Qing in sheer disbelief. She simply couldn't comprehend it. If Su Qing knew, why would she pretend not to?

'Seriously, Su Qing, are you really that shameless?' she thought.

Su Qing could clearly read the look in Zheng Yanyan's eyes.

But Su Qing remained silent. Her expression carried a hint of seeing this as a matter of course, as if to say: 'See? I told you that you weren't suitable for Zhou Yuwen, didn't I?'

'If you can't accept this, then hurry up and leave. Our Zhou family isn't a place you can just waltz right into.'

"So..."

Zheng Yanyan choked out, "So I was the only one who didn't know?"

As she spoke, she shot a glance at Zhou Yuwen, then another at Lu Lin.

Lu Lin merely kept her head bowed in silence.

If they truly had gotten together back in Suzhou...

Didn't that mean that while she was still happily dating Zhou Yuwen...

...Lu Lin was already sleeping with him behind her back?

Realizing this, Zheng Yanyan glared at Lu Lin once more.

And Lu Lin remained obstinately silent.

After lowering her head to process it for a long while, Zheng Yanyan finally understood.

Oh!

Her best sister!

Had actually been carrying on a secret affair with her boyfriend the entire time.

So that meant she...

Was she the clown in all this?

Figuring this out, the look Zheng Yanyan directed at Lu Lin shifted from her initial pitifully devastated state into sheer disgust, which rapidly boiled over into blinding fury.

"Lu Lin, you bastard!"

Screaming those words, Zheng Yanyan lunged directly at her. Her movements were so frantic and fast that Lu Lin didn't even have time to react.

Zheng Yanyan ruthlessly beat Lu Lin.

She viciously pulled at Lu Lin's hair and hurled curses at her.

Lu Lin, however, had always been a stubborn girl. Physically, she could easily overpower Zheng Yanyan.

Yet she didn't fight back at all. She allowed Zheng Yanyan to tackle her to the ground, taking every blow and quietly listening to the curses raining down on her. Through her sobs, Zheng Yanyan continuously cursed Lu Lin for being shameless.

She sobbed about how good she had been to her.

From the start of the semester until now, whenever there was something good to share, her first thought was always Lu Lin!

They even shared clothes.

Whenever she went out to eat, she always made sure to invite Lu Lin along.

She had treated Lu Lin as her absolute best sister!

"But what the hell did you do to me?!"

"Speak! What the hell did you do to me!?"

Zheng Yanyan struck and cursed at Lu Lin for quite a while, yet Lu Lin astonishingly didn't move an inch. That is, until with a loud smack, Zheng Yanyan slapped her across the face.

The slap was incredibly crisp.

Just hearing it made one flinch in pain.

Hearing the sharp sound, Su Qing and Zhou Yuwen immediately stepped forward, wanting to restrain Zheng Yanyan.

However, Lu Lin simply stated, "Consider this slap my repayment to you."

"Repayment?" Hearing this, Zheng Yanyan felt her nose tingle with the sting of fresh tears. She wanted to scream, "How could you possibly repay me?"

But Lu Lin cut her off, saying, "I don't owe you anything. All those clothes you gave me, I've never worn a single one. If you want them back, I'll return them to you right now. And as for meals and everything else, it was always Zhou Yuwen paying the bill."

"It's true that Zhou Yuwen was your boyfriend, but he is also my man. Spending his money is completely unobjectionable."

"Isn't that what you always said? A man treating a woman to a meal is just a matter of course."