Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 420: Sweetie! I Want to Attend the Party Too!

Ever since starting her internship, Minmin's life had essentially become a simple routine between home and work. Although she occasionally went out for dinner with her company colleagues, she had completely lost touch with the university. That was, until now, when she gathered from Tao Tian's words that not only had Zhou Yuwen bought a villa, but the food delivery company he had founded was also the target of a fierce, bloody bidding war between Meituan and Ele.me.Minmin was very familiar with Meituan and Ele.me. Since she started working, she frequently ordered food delivery. Furthermore, the two food delivery companies were currently engaged in a brutal price war, meaning a meal usually only cost two or three yuan. Every time she ate her delivery, Minmin would sigh inwardly, thinking that Meituan and Ele.me were truly nouveau riche companies, actually spending money to treat her to meals.

Now, hearing that these two nouveau riche companies were actually willing to spend twenty million yuan to acquire Zhou Yuwen's company...

This left Minmin so utterly astonished that she couldn't even close her mouth.

She only knew before that Zhou Yuwen was talented and had a bit of money—apparently making several million from writing books. How could it be that after just a few months of not seeing him, his business ventures were already dealing in tens of millions?

And buying a villa? Hosting a housewarming party? Hiring people to set up the venue? Even employing students from the Nanjing University of the Arts to act as servers?

Every word Tao Tian spoke was enough to leave Minmin deeply shocked. She couldn't quite understand it—why would Zhou Yuwen spend so much money on such flashy, impractical things?

Qu Jing couldn't help but let out a scoff when she heard this, thinking to herself, 'She really hasn't seen the world.'

It was definitely because the guests being entertained were different.

"The people attending this banquet aren't just Zhou Yuwen's good friends, but also the bosses of various companies. For example, the top executives of Meituan and Ele.me in Jinling will all be coming," Qu Jing explained.

Minmin nodded thoughtfully. Aside from saying how impressive it was, there seemed to be nothing else she could say.

"These companies coming to attend the banquet is just a facade; their main goal is to negotiate a satisfactory price with Zhou Yuwen. Therefore, we certainly can't host something too shabby. Anyway, all the expenses this time will be factored into the acquisition price." As Qu Jing spoke, she stretched lazily and said to Tao Tian, who was sitting on the other side, "I still have a batch of servers to screen. You keep her company for a little while longer."

"I won't be staying with you then," she told Minmin before turning around and leaving.

At this moment, Minmin truly felt the class divide that emerged after graduation. Logically speaking, she was the first one to truly step into society. But why did she feel like every single one of her roommates was doing much better than her?

She suddenly recalled the topic Qu Jing and Tao Tian had been discussing just now—that many girls were fighting tooth and nail just to attend Zhou Yuwen's villa party.

Minmin suddenly became quite interested. She asked Tao Tian how much a single shift serving at this party paid.

Tao Tian replied, "Originally, Zhou Yuwen set it at five hundred, but Qu Jing reduced it to four hundred per shift. Even so, there are still a ton of people signing up."

"Four hundred is already really high! I remember when we went out for part-time jobs, we used to fight over gigs that paid two or three hundred!" Minmin felt that Qu Jing had made the right call.

Tao Tian merely smiled.

Then, Minmin suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed to speak. She awkwardly scratched her cheek and asked, "Um, Sweetie, could I ask a favor of you?"

"What is it?" Tao Tian asked curiously.

"It's... well..." Minmin hesitated for a long time before finally blurting out, "Actually, I'm working at the front desk right now. Although the salary is a bit higher than other interning students, living completely alone and renting a place outside is too expensive. And because of Zhou Yuwen's rule—that students who go out for internships can no longer compete for gigs in the part-time group with other students—I can't do part-time work anymore. Do you think you could bend the rules a little and let me go to Zhou Yuwen's villa to earn some living expenses?"

"Huh? But the day of the banquet is a workday," Tao Tian pointed out.

"That doesn't matter, I can just ask for leave! Taking a day off will deduct two hundred yuan at most, but if I go work as a server at Zhou Yuwen's place, I can earn four hundred. That means I'd still make a net profit of two hundred. More importantly, I've never attended this kind of party before, and I want to see the world. Sweetie, please, I'm begging you! Let me go broaden my horizons!"

Minmin pressed her hands together in prayer, pleading with Tao Tian in a playful manner.

Tao Tian felt that Minmin's request was a bit too strange. The main issue was that the part-time group had clear regulations stating that girls doing internships had to voluntarily leave the group. If she just let Minmin go like this, wouldn't she be abusing her power for personal gain?

Despite being deeply favored by Zhou Yuwen now, Tao Tian was actually incredibly cautious around him, terrified of doing anything that might displease him.

Tao Tian thought that if Minmin was short on cash, she could just give her the four hundred yuan directly.

However, seeing that Tao Tian didn't want to let her go, Minmin immediately pouted, accusing Tao Tian of forgetting her good sisters now that she was living a good life.

"You've found your Mr. Right now, living in a three-bedroom small Western-style house and driving a Mercedes-Benz, but your sisters are still squeezing onto the subway! It's such a rare opportunity, Sweetie, can't you just help me out? Who knows, maybe I'll also meet a tall, rich, and handsome guy just like Zhou Yuwen!"

"This..."

Tao Tian hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Minmin was about to get angry, she finally relented. "Alright then, but you have to promise me, absolutely do not be too flashy!"

"Don't worry! I definitely won't be flashy!"

And so, the matter was settled. Having gotten her wish, Minmin was so delighted that she even had sweet dreams that night, hugging Tao Tian and showering her with all sorts of flattery.

As for Tao Tian, she still treated Minmin as a true sister and confessed her own worries—namely, that although Zhou Yuwen treated her well, she was not his only woman after all.

"Actually, regarding this kind of relationship, I'm always worrying about gains and losses. I really lack a sense of security."

"What is there to worry about gains and losses for? Sweetie, among all these women, you're the most beautiful. Why should you be so anxious? Although Zhou Yuwen is a bit playful right now, who knows, maybe one day he'll wake up, chase all the other women away, and then kneel down to propose to you!"

Tao Tian didn't believe a word of what Minmin was saying.

But Minmin was very firm. She continued, "Sweetie, sometimes you're just too kind. Don't worry, if anything happens in the future, just discuss it with me. If I can offer an idea, I will; if I can lend a hand, I absolutely won't hesitate. Anyway, from now on, you are my real older sister. I'll do whatever you tell me to do!"

Tao Tian murmured, "We'll see!"

In truth, by this point, Tao Tian didn't really want to keep chatting with Minmin anymore. But Minmin, clearly harboring ulterior motives after seeing Tao Tian's affluent lifestyle and Zhou Yuwen's potential, kept pestering her, rambling on and on about one thing after another.

She had even begun trying to sow discord between Tao Tian and Qu Jing.

In Minmin's eyes, the only reason Zhou Yuwen had taken a liking to Qu Jing was simply because she was slutty enough, right?

Enjoying playing with things that ordinary people couldn't accept.

But Sweetie, if you were to wear that collar or something similar...

"Do you think Zhou Yuwen would even spare Qu Jing a second glance?"

While Minmin was endlessly pestering Tao Tian, Zhou Yuwen had also finished eating dinner with the four girls from Su Qing's dormitory. Overall, it had been quite a pleasant time.

Although it wasn't Shen Yu's first time visiting Zhou Yuwen's luxury flat, compared to her last visit, the apartment clearly had much more of the taste of home this time.

Since Lu Lin and Zheng Yanyan had been living in the luxury flat all along, their outfits were much more casual.

Zheng Yanyan was wearing a red camisole paired with a tight skirt of the same color, exposing her slender, perfectly right-angled shoulders and smooth, long legs.

She had bought this camisole last year. It was a matching sister outfit purchased with Lu Lin, who owned the exact same little camisole in black.

It was just that Lu Lin hadn't worn hers today.

Now that the weather had warmed up, Lu Lin had changed into her favorite style—a crop top paired with black, slightly flared jeans. Not only did it accentuate the slenderness of her legs, but it also showed off her slender waist, looking delicate enough to be grasped in one hand.

Shen Yu was technically here as a guest this time, so her attire was slightly more formal. Since the new semester began, Shen Yu had actually undergone quite a big transformation, even perming her hair.

Now, her long hair fell in gentle waves with a slight yellowish tint. She possessed the sweet and adorable charm typical of a Jiangnan girl. Although she was a bit shorter than the other three girls, she was equally elegant and cute.

Visiting as a guest today, she wore a solid-colored off-the-shoulder top paired with a gray pleated skirt.

Her smooth, tender long legs were adorned with white slouch socks.

When she arrived at the door, she had even specially prepared a gift.

It was two bottles of red wine she had bought at a nearby supermarket.

By the looks of it, they were probably worth around five or six hundred yuan a bottle.

Zhou Yuwen took the red wine with a smile and teased, "Since when is Minister Shen so polite?" That single title of 'Minister Shen' made Shen Yu feel incredibly embarrassed, her face flushing crimson.

The position of Vice President of the Student Union had already been secured for Su Qing, so Shen Yu had settled for the next best thing and chosen the role of Deputy Minister of the New Media Broadcasting Department. This department had just been established, and for now, it didn't hold any real power.

Shen Yu protested, "It won't be confirmed until next semester! It's a bit too early to call me that now!"

"Then should I call you that next semester?"

With Zhou Yuwen firing off one playful remark after another, Shen Yu had no idea how to respond. Yet, she thoroughly enjoyed this feeling of chatting with him. Unfortunately, this feeling didn't last long before it was interrupted by Su Qing.

Su Qing rolled her eyes at Zhou Yuwen and scolded, "Stop bullying her!"

Zhou Yuwen chuckled, "Alright, alright, President Su knows how to protect her own people now!"

"You're so annoying~"

When Su Qing acted coquettishly with Zhou Yuwen, she seemed much more comfortable and natural.

Upon hearing the commotion, Zheng Yanyan ran out of her room. Smiling, she pulled Shen Yu along, wanting to give her a proper tour of the place.

Zheng Yanyan was the type who wanted to compete with Su Qing over absolutely everything, not just Zhou Yuwen.

Even with Shen Yu, who had just arrived, Zheng Yanyan wanted to win her over, pulling her into the small clique she shared with Lu Lin in order to isolate Su Qing.

However, Su Qing clearly didn't care.

If Shen Yu was taken away by Zheng Yanyan, wouldn't that give her the perfect opportunity to spend time alone with Zhou Yuwen?

Speaking of which, it was quite embarrassing. Out of the three of Zhou Yuwen's women living under this roof, not a single one of them was a good cook. As a result, when guests arrived, Zhou Yuwen still had to cook personally.

Wearing her tight skirt, Zheng Yanyan led Shen Yu on a casual tour, showing off spaces like the bedroom and the gaming room.

They also went out to the balcony to look at the flowers she and Lu Lin were raising.

Then, Su Qing would chime in from the side, telling Shen Yu which flowers she had grown herself.

Zheng Yanyan shot a glare at Su Qing and sniped, "Your flowers are all growing into other people's pots. Just like you, always liking to snatch what belongs to others?"

"What do you mean growing into other people's pots? You put your flowers in the spot with the best sunlight. Plants exhibit phototropism—don't tell me you didn't know that?" Su Qing retorted.

The two of them began bickering again over this. Feeling a bit helpless, Shen Yu quickly took a step back to flee the battlefield.

Turning around, she secretly peeked at Zhou Yuwen, who was over there cooking.

An entire semester had already passed. Sneaking another glance at Zhou Yuwen...

Shen Yu's heart stirred, and she still felt that familiar flutter in her chest.

Even though Zhou Yuwen wasn't doing anything special—just wearing a simple black T-shirt and holding a pan as he cooked—the sight of him made Shen Yu unable to control herself, her heart skipping a beat.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Shen Yu asked softly.

Zhou Yuwen smiled. "No need, just sit on the side and relax."

"Mhm."

Clasping her hands behind her back, Shen Yu watched him cook and murmured with a hint of admiration, "I never would have guessed that you know how to cook."

"Why, is it that strange?" Zhou Yuwen asked.

Shen Yu shook her head, denying it.

"It just feels like there's nothing you can't do. Are you making cola chicken wings?" she asked after getting a clear look at what was in the pan.

Zhou Yuwen nodded in confirmation.

"Actually, it's been a long time since I last made this, so I'm not sure how it'll taste," he admitted with a laugh.

"It smells pretty delicious."

"Do you want a taste?" Zhou Yuwen offered.

"Huh? Is that okay?" Leaning against the nearby kitchen island, Shen Yu was somewhat flattered by the unexpected gesture.

Zhou Yuwen picked up a small plate, used his chopsticks to pluck out a piece, and held it out in front of her. "It's fine," he joked with a smile. "Just think of it as testing for poison."

Hearing this, Shen Yu's pretty face instantly flushed red. "Oh, so you're treating me like a lab rat!"

As they spoke, Zhou Yuwen had already brought the cola chicken wing right to her lips.

Shen Yu felt that being fed like this was a bit too intimate, but she couldn't resist. And so, she opened her small mouth and took a delicate bite.

"Is it good?" he asked.

Shen Yu praised, "It's unexpectedly delicious!"

"Well, then I consider it a success."

Chuckling, Zhou Yuwen prepared to scoop the pan full of cola chicken wings out. Shen Yu took the initiative to grab the serving plate, saying, "Let me help you."

It was only then that Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan, who had been arguing over on the other side for ages, finally realized that Shen Yu had already wandered over and was chatting happily with Zhou Yuwen. Her sense of crisis immediately flaring up, Zheng Yanyan exclaimed, "Ah! Shen Yu, you're so sneaky, actually trying to seduce my hubby!"

"Huh?"

That single sentence startled Shen Yu so much that, while still holding the plate, she felt a sudden pang of guilt.

It wasn't until Zheng Yanyan clutched her stomach and giggled, saying, "I'm just teasing you! Look how scared you got," that she relaxed.

"..."

That comment instantly drained all of Shen Yu's irritation. She shot Zheng Yanyan a roll of her eyes and huffed, "That wasn't funny!"

The group shared dinner together, chatting and laughing throughout. Zhou Yuwen stir-fried two dishes, while Su Qing and Zheng Yanyan each cooked one. Surprisingly, Lu Lin had also prepared a dish, and her culinary skills were actually superior to both Su Qing's and Zheng Yanyan's.

This was something no one had expected.

Lu Lin, who usually loved eating instant noodles and ordering food delivery the most, actually knew how to make spicy stir-fried diced chicken. Moreover, the chicken she made was incredibly flavorful and spicy, making it impossible for anyone to stop eating once they started.

It left Zheng Yanyan completely astounded. "Wait, Linlin, if your cooking is this good, why didn't you ever cook before!?"

Lu Lin simply stated, "Why would I want to cook?"