Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 419: Good Sisters for a Lifetime

Lu Hui temporarily settled down under Li Qiang's arrangements. When Li Qiang returned to the hotel to help Lu Hui fetch her belongings, he also bought a new set of bedding, along with some snacks and drinks.In the evening, Li Qiang had originally intended to stay and sleep there with Lu Hui. He hung around for a long time until Lu Hui finally asked out of curiosity, "Why haven't you left yet?"

Only then did Li Qiang come to his senses, muttering a couple of soft acknowledgments. Figuring there was no rush, he gritted his teeth and left the newly rented apartment he had gotten for Lu Hui.

Although he did not stay at Lu Hui's place tonight, Li Qiang felt that her attitude toward him had already undergone a massive shift. As long as he let Lu Hui see how much he had changed, moving in with her was only a matter of time. After all, if a dark and chubby guy like Liu Shuo could cohabit with Sister Hui, why couldn't he?

So, when he returned to the dormitory that night, Li Qiang was exceptionally happy. The radiant smile on his face never once faded. The moment he got back, he lay prone on his bed, grinning from ear to ear as he chatted with Lu Hui on his phone.

Just as he hoped, Lu Hui no longer ignored him like she used to. They exchanged a few simple messages, and when Lu Hui mentioned that the pillow at the new place was a bit uncomfortable, Li Qiang replied without a second thought, suggesting they go buy a new pillow tomorrow.

"Okay,"

Lu Hui replied with just a single word, but Li Qiang was still thrilled. This meant that Lu Hui was willing to go shopping with him tomorrow.

Of his original savings of seven thousand yuan, only three thousand remained after paying the rent today. Li Qiang knew that this money alone would not be enough to support Sister Hui. Therefore, he had to work twice as hard to ensure she could live a higher quality life.

In the days that followed, Chang Hao and Lu Yuhang rarely saw Li Qiang in the dormitory. Whether it was his days off or between Monday and Friday, Li Qiang always found various excuses to ask for leave and go out to work part-time.

Chang Hao found it incredibly difficult to comprehend Li Qiang's behavior.

The most baffling part was that even though Li Qiang had rented Lu Hui's current apartment, he had continued to live in the dormitory up to this point. He hadn't spent a single night staying out.

This prompted Chang Hao to mutter under his breath, "Has Li Qiang really not slept with Lu Hui yet?"

Saying this, Chang Hao looked toward Zhou Yuwen, as if seeking confirmation.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled softly and replied, "How would I know? I am not exactly close to Lu Hui."

During the morning, Zhou Yuwen was attending classes in the classroom. Su Qing kept messaging him to chat, asking if he was going to stay in the big flat again tonight.

Zhou Yuwen replied that he wasn't sure yet.

Su Qing said, "Shen Yu is coming over to our place today. After class, we are planning to buy some groceries and cook at home. Do you want to join us?"

"You guys are going to Lan Ting to cook?" Zhou Yuwen asked.

"Yeah, is that not okay?" Su Qing asked, seeking his permission.

Zhou Yuwen figured he had nothing planned for the evening anyway, so he replied, "Sure, count me in. We can have some wine."

"Got it!"

Su Qing sent an emoji.

And so, the plans were settled. That afternoon, Zhou Yuwen took the four girls to the supermarket to buy groceries.

Meanwhile, on Tao Tian's side, she had originally agreed to go pick up the new car with Qu Jing in the morning.

However, right after they left the residential area, Qu Jing received a phone call saying there was a slight issue at the exhibition center that required her immediate attention.

Qu Jing told Tao Tian to go pick up the car by herself while she headed over to handle the problem.

"Isn't Minmin going over to your place to hang out anyway? You can just drive the new car to pick her up," Qu Jing suggested to Tao Tian.

Tao Tian asked, "Are you coming over later?"

"I will see. I will come over if I have the time."

With that, the two parted ways.

The spring chill lingered in the air. April was still rather cold. Having worked for over two months, Minmin dressed far more maturely than she used to in the past.

Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders. She wore a black hip-hugging skirt paired with nude stockings, and a pair of black over-the-knee boots that accentuated her long, slender legs. She stood prettily by the subway entrance, holding a Starbucks paper bag containing the coffee she had just bought for Tao Tian.

"Hey, Sweetie, I am here. Where are you?" Minmin asked, making a phone call to Tao Tian.

"Honk!"

Just as she finished the call.

At that moment, a brand-new white Mercedes-Benz sedan pulled up not far from her.

At first, Minmin didn't quite process what was happening.

It wasn't until Tao Tian stepped out of the car that Minmin realized what she was seeing. She couldn't believe the girl standing before her was Tao Tian, her mouth falling open in sheer astonishment.

"Sweetie, you... this!"

Minmin looked at the Mercedes-Benz sedan parked by the roadside, then back at Tao Tian.

Tao Tian simply stood there, offering a faint smile.

"Your transformation is way too drastic!"

Excited, Minmin rushed forward and embraced Tao Tian. Tao Tian just chuckled and replied, "It is alright. I don't feel like much has changed."

Compared to Minmin's meticulous dressing up, Tao Tian did indeed look more naturally unadorned. Her long hair hung down loosely. Because of her well-endowed figure, her shoulders appeared slightly broader than most girls, so she opted for a white V-neck knit sweater paired with gray leggings. Her entire aura exuded the vibe of a gentle, domestic young housewife.

"Not much has changed?! You look exactly like a wealthy socialite! Look at me, I completely reek of the corporate grind," Minmin complained, looking thoroughly feeling wronged.

Tao Tian laughed. "You look fine, even prettier than before. Let's get in the car first; I can't park here for long."

With that, Tao Tian signaled for Minmin to hop in.

"Mhm!"

Although the Mercedes-Benz C-Class had the weakest horsepower among cars in its class, its interior trim was undeniably the most stunning. Furthermore, the model Tao Tian and Qu Jing had purchased was the top-tier version. As a result, the moment Minmin sat inside, she instantly fell in love with it. She touched this, inspected that, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Goodness, this car is so gorgeous!"

"Is this a gift from Zhou Yuwen?"

Starting the car, Tao Tian smiled and replied, "Not exactly. It is a gift Zhou Yuwen gave to both Qu Jing and me."

"To the both of you?" Minmin was genuinely stunned upon hearing this.

After listening to Tao Tian's explanation, Minmin gave a pout and remarked that it made no sense for two people to share one car.

"It is not like Zhou Yuwen is lacking money anyway. Why didn't he buy you guys one each?"

Tao Tian explained that the main reason was that they rarely ever needed a car for their daily routines.

"We mostly just commute to work together. Sometimes it is inconvenient, so we need to drive. Besides, even if he did give us one each, we might not be able to afford the upkeep."

"It is not like you'd have to pay for the upkeep! Obviously, Zhou Yuwen would cover it."

Minmin stated this as a matter of course before continuing, "Zhou Yuwen isn't oblivious to the relationship between the two of you. Why would he make you share a car? Oh, right, Sweetie, why did I see you and Qu Jing out shopping together the other day? What exactly is going on?"

The main reason Minmin had been in such a rush to come see Tao Tian was out of fear that Qu Jing and Tao Tian were getting too close and leaving her out. She was desperate to verify whether Tao Tian and Qu Jing were only hanging out together to coax Zhou Yuwen and keep him happy.

'It must be because of Zhou Yuwen's orders that they are acting like this.'

'After all, they had fought so fiercely back then!'

'How could they possibly reconcile?'

However, she received the answer she wanted the least.

Tao Tian's expression looked slightly unnatural as she drove. "We just went shopping together. Is there something wrong with that?"

"We have been living in the same dormitory for years anyway. Isn't it only natural for us to go shopping?"

"But back then," Minmin hurriedly interjected.

Before she could even finish her sentence, Tao Tian cut her off. "Let's not bring up the past anymore."

The drive from the subway station to the front gates of Zhonghai Garden took a mere two minutes. Although this well-known residential area had many tenants, its grand entrance was magnificent—leagues better than the cheap rental apartment Minmin lived in.

After parking the car in the underground parking garage, Tao Tian led Minmin to the elevator.

Along the way, Minmin had lost count of how many times she had sighed in admiration. Whether it was the small vendors lined up outside the gates or the lush greenery within the complex, her face was filled with envy.

While in the car, Minmin had taken quite a few pictures, sighing as she snapped away, "This is so great. My sister is already driving a Mercedes-Benz before even graduating. Unlike me, who has to take the subway every day." In response, Tao Tian remarked that taking the subway was quite nice too.

"It is environmentally friendly."

"Well then, Sweetie, how about you give me the car to drive, and you go be environmentally friendly!" Minmin quickly joked with a laugh.

Tao Tian replied, "That won't work. Qu Jing still needs to drive it."

That single sentence instantly left Minmin speechless.

It had been nearly two months since they last saw each other, so they chatted about everything under the sun. The biggest challenge when interning was renting a place. Compared to other rentals, Minmin's apartment was actually quite decent, but the soundproofing was still somewhat lacking, and the property management left much to be desired.

Minmin asked Tao Tian if she faced any similar issues living in Zhonghai Garden.

Tao Tian said that she hadn't noticed any so far.

"Are you living in a three-bedroom or a two-bedroom again?"

"You will see when we get there."

As they spoke, the two stepped out of the elevator.

Tao Tian unlocked the electronic keypad. The three-bedroom, one-living room apartment layout had been kept spotlessly clean by Tao Tian. Minmin fell in love with it at first glance, even feeling as though the rooms were filled with an indescribable, pleasant fragrance.

"Are you living in this entire place by yourself as one person?" Minmin asked in pleasant surprise as she paced around the living room, taking everything in.

Tao Tian nodded in agreement.

"Zhou Yuwen occasionally drops by, but for the most part, I live here by myself."

"This is amazing. You can even see the school from here!"

Tao Tian's unit was on a high floor, offering an excellent view. Looking out into the distance, one could spot a corner of their university.

The furniture inside had all been personally picked out by Tao Tian, giving the space a highly tasteful aesthetic. Minmin's shared rental apartment simply couldn't compare.

She wandered around to explore. In this three-bedroom layout, aside from the master bedroom used for sleeping, the other two rooms were kept incredibly simple. One functioned as a storage room, while the other had surprisingly been converted into a yoga studio by Tao Tian.

"God, Sweetie, you are completely wasting your resources. If you rented these out, you could easily get at least eight hundred yuan a month per room, right? And you are just using them for storage?" Minmin exclaimed.

Tao Tian gave a soft laugh. "Why would I ever rent them out?"

"Having strangers constantly coming and going would be far too messy. By the way, is pan-fried steak fine for lunch?" Tao Tian asked.

"Of course!"

And so, Tao Tian tied on her apron and personally started cooking. After finishing her tour of Tao Tian's home, Minmin hovered nearby, watching her prepare the meal.

As she watched, she continued to click her tongue in wonder, voicing words full of envy.

Minmin declared that she would only dare to dream of living a life like Tao Tian's—owning a little Mercedes-Benz, having a cozy three-bedroom small apartment, and being able to cook for herself in a proper kitchen.

Curious, Tao Tian asked, "Is there something preventing you from cooking?"

"The place I rent only allows the use of induction cookers at best. There is absolutely no gas line," Minmin complained.

"Oh."

This was something Tao Tian genuinely didn't know; after all, she had never had to rent a place before.

Minmin went on, "Sweetie, you don't even realize it, but the life you have right now is something countless people would envy but never achieve. Really, the real world out there is too exhausting. Everything costs money. You have to pinch pennies every single day. I only make about a hundred yuan a day, and if I miss the subway, taking a taxi costs thirty or forty yuan! Sigh, Sweetie, I am so jealous of you!"

Tao Tian just smiled from where she stood, not responding to Minmin's lamentations.

Truthfully, though, hearing Minmin say all this deeply moved Tao Tian. She thought to herself, 'If Zhou Yuwen hadn't taken me in, I'd probably be just like Minmin right now, squeezing onto the subway every day and living in a cheap rental.'

'I need to constantly remind myself to be content and happy with what I have. I can't be like before, constantly greedy for more.'

It had been nearing noon when Tao Tian brought Minmin home. For lunch, she treated Minmin to the steaks she had prepared and even specifically opened a bottle of red wine.

Minmin happily enjoyed the drinks. After lunch, she took a soothing soak in the bathtub, then walked out completely bare, waiting for Tao Tian to fetch her some clean clothes to change into.

Right at that moment, there was a sudden noise from the front door. Someone seemed to be unlocking it.

In reality, Minmin had plenty of time to react and dash back into the restroom to hide.

However, Minmin's quick-moving mind suddenly flashed with a thought: 'The person at the door might be Zhou Yuwen.'

Therefore, despite initially wanting to take cover, she felt as if possessed and stopped dead in her tracks. She wanted the arriving Zhou Yuwen to see her naked body. Who knew? Perhaps Zhou Yuwen would take an interest in her and add her to his harem as well.

It was a pity that when the front door swung open, the person stepping inside was not Zhou Yuwen.

Instead, it was Qu Jing, who had just finished her tasks.

Qu Jing stared at the stark naked Minmin standing before her, a slight frown creasing her brow. "It is the middle of the day. What are you doing?"

"Ah! Jingjing?"

Flustered, Minmin frantically covered her body with her hands.

Only later did Minmin learn that Zhou Yuwen was already aware she would be staying over at Tao Tian's place tonight, which was exactly why he wasn't going to show up.

Hearing this news left Minmin feeling somewhat disappointed.

What made her feel even worse was that Qu Jing and Tao Tian's relationship seemed to be far better than she had imagined. Just as Qu Jing had mentioned, they now operated with the seamless mutual understanding of biological sisters. In contrast, Minmin felt completely like an outsider.

The sky gradually darkened.

Qu Jing and Tao Tian began discussing what to have for dinner.

Tao Tian mentioned that she didn't have many ingredients left in her fridge.

"That's not a problem. I still have some over at my place."

It was only at this point that Minmin realized Zhou Yuwen had actually purchased two apartments of the exact same layout in this residential area—giving one to Tao Tian and the other to Qu Jing.

So, out of the three girls who used to share the same dormitory, she was the only one left scraping out a miserable living in the outside world.

While they ate, Tao Tian asked Qu Jing, "How did your work go today?"

Qu Jing replied that it wasn't anything major.

"It was regarding the villa banquet. A few girls didn't meet our selection criteria, so they offered to accept lower pay just to get in as waitresses. I turned them down."

"Huh? They wanted less pay? Why would they do that?" Tao Tian asked, utterly baffled.

Qu Jing answered, "They probably want to get in to fish for men. Because everyone attending this banquet is a wealthy or noble social elite, they figure that casually bumping into a rich man in there would make it worth it. And if they happen to catch the eye of our boss, they would truly transform from sparrows into phoenixes."

Hearing this, Tao Tian let out a laugh. "It is so hard to understand those girls."

As Minmin listened to their back-and-forth banter, her curiosity peaked. "What are you two talking about?"

Tao Tian asked, "You didn't know?"

"Know what?" Having already left for her internship, Minmin was genuinely clueless about everything happening back at the university.

Thus, Tao Tian recounted the details of the grand banquet Zhou Yuwen was preparing to host at the villa.

And Minmin's immediate first reaction was, "Zhou Yuwen bought another villa?"