Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 372: Buying a Car, Sister-in-Law's Disappointment

The term "sister-in-law" rolled off his tongue incredibly smoothly. He kept one hand on the steering wheel while the other naturally slid onto Su Qing's leg.Su Qing's outfit today was absolutely stunning. She wore flesh-colored stockings paired with over-the-knee boots, making her legs feel wonderful to the touch.

Hearing this, Lu Wanting felt curious. "Huh? Are you buying a car too, Yuwen?"

"Just looking. I might not necessarily buy one."

The 100-kilometer journey would take about an hour. Once they merged onto the expressway, there was nothing else to do but chat.

Before deciding to buy a car, Liu Shuo had definitely done his homework on vehicle performance.

Lu Wanting was a rather talkative girl. She asked Liu Shuo what car he planned to buy.

Liu Shuo immediately replied, "A Magotan!"

He had his heart completely set on a Magotan!

"Stepping toward happiness, cherishing you for a lifetime!"

Zhou Yuwen found this quite amusing. "Do you really like the Magotan that much? Why don't I chip in some money and you can switch to a better one?"

"I don't need you to chip in. I earned this money myself. Besides, I think the Magotan is pretty handsome. Once I drive it to Jinling, Sister Hui will definitely love it!"

Zhou Yuwen simply replied, "All right then."

He turned to ask Su Qing if she wanted a Magotan, but she shook her head in refusal.

"It looks too old-fashioned."

"Hey, I actually think the Magotan is quite nice. It looks steady and reliable," Lu Wanting chimed in. Although she was a girl, she knew a little bit about cars.

However, a Magotan currently cost at least 230,000 yuan.

"What does your family do? You're already buying a car while still in university?" Lu Wanting asked, blinking her eyes.

Zhou Yuwen answered for him, "He is a Second Generation Factory Owner. The largest marble factory in our county belongs to his family."

"Wow! Then doesn't that mean your family is super rich?" Lu Wanting's mouth formed a small 'o' in surprise.

Liu Shuo scratched his head and chuckled foolishly, denying it.

"My car purchase has nothing to do with my family. It's all from the money my brother Yuwen helped me earn."

"Oh? Yuwen, do you do anything else besides writing books?"

"I run a Food Delivery Company. I told you about it before."

The group continued to chat happily in the car.

Peng Xiaoyong couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Having listened to Zhou Yuwen and Liu Shuo chat over the past few days, Peng Xiaoyong couldn't be bothered to join in anyway.

Second Generation Factory Owner and all that nonsense.

When it came down to it, weren't they just part of the privileged class?

And the privileged class was exactly what Peng Xiaoyong disdained the most.

Moreover, the topic itself irritated him. Actually, Peng Xiaoyong's mother had originally wanted him to buy a used car for around 50,000 yuan, but he felt it was unnecessary. He chipped in an extra 20,000 of his own savings, aiming to buy a new car for 70,000 or 80,000 yuan.

This was already the absolute limit of Peng Xiaoyong's financial capabilities.

He had been brimming with expectation for his new car.

As a result, seeing this inexperienced youth whom he looked down upon casually preparing to buy a Magotan made him feel thoroughly uncomfortable. Anyone would feel unsettled in his position.

Most importantly, Lu Wanting was over there chatting away happily with them.

During the conversation, Lu Wanting actually tried to pull Peng Xiaoyong into the discussion.

But it was obvious that Peng Xiaoyong had no desire to talk.

Unbothered, Lu Wanting generously asked Zhou Yuwen if there were any Teana models for sale where they were going.

"Your cousin plans to buy a Teana."

Zhou Yuwen said, "Oh, the Teana is actually quite nice. It's fuel-efficient."

"No, I haven't decided yet." Before Zhou Yuwen could even finish, Peng Xiaoyong quickly denied Lu Wanting's claim.

He stated that he actually preferred to check out Toyota and Nissan.

"Those are not bad either."

Zhou Yuwen was just casually keeping the conversation flowing. He mentioned that the automotive district they were heading to had all sorts of cars, so it was the perfect time to show them around.

They first went to look at the Magotan.

Liu Shuo wanted to take it for a test drive.

Zhou Yuwen used this opportunity to take Su Qing around to see the other car models in the 4S Dealership.

However, Su Qing was clearly not interested in Volkswagen.

Her gorgeous beautiful legs paired with long boots were indeed a stunning sight today. As she pulled Zhou Yuwen along to stroll through the Volkswagen dealership, she whispered to him, "If you're really going to buy my mom a car, it's best to buy a Mercedes-Benz."

"Why is that?"

"Because a Mercedes-Benz looks gorgeous!" Su Qing replied.

Watching her act like an excited little girl, Zhou Yuwen asked, "Is it your mom who likes it, or is it you?"

"Hmph, you're so annoying." Su Qing's small face turned slightly red as she shot him a playful glare.

The two of them happened to stroll past a Volkswagen model featuring letters on the back.

Zhou Yuwen pointed at it and asked, "How about I buy this car for your mom?"

Su Qing firmly replied, "No, it's too old-fashioned. Zhou Yuwen, why don't you just buy a Small BMW for me too!"

Su Qing grabbed Zhou Yuwen's hand, acting coquettishly.

Zhou Yuwen flatly refused.

"Why not?!"

Zhou Yuwen wrapped his arm around Su Qing's neck and whispered, "Actually, it's not entirely impossible. If you get down on all fours tonight, I'll buy it for you."

"You're despicable!"

"Hmph, I'm ignoring you!"

Su Qing continued to flirt playfully and giggle with Zhou Yuwen inside the store.

Watching them from the sidelines, Lu Wanting remarked to Peng Xiaoyong, "Your cousin and his girlfriend have such a wonderful relationship."

Peng Xiaoyong merely adjusted his glasses and said nothing.

Since he was already there, he had actually spent some time looking at the cars too. However, the bitter reality was that the ones he liked were completely out of his budget.

It was the most powerless feeling in the world.

He asked Lu Wanting what kind of car she liked.

Lu Wanting replied, "Me? I don't really know much about cars, honestly. But if I had to choose, I would definitely pick a Mercedes-Benz!"

In truth, she had been pestering her dad to buy her a Mercedes-Benz for quite a while.

But her father had laid down an ultimatum: return home, and he would buy it for her.

This left Lu Wanting feeling extremely frustrated.

Peng Xiaoyong really loved the way Lu Wanting stood there with her hands on her hips, complaining in that sweet, whiny tone of hers.

It was incredibly cute.

Every time he saw her like this, Peng Xiaoyong felt as if his very soul was being healed.

He said, "Wanting, believe me. Give me two years, and I will definitely buy a Mercedes-Benz."

The sudden declaration was actually rather baffling.

'Huh?'

"Oh, then you have to work hard! You can do it!" Lu Wanting pumped her fist in a cheering gesture at him.

Peng Xiaoyong immediately felt his confidence surge.

Unlike other people who hesitated endlessly, Liu Shuo didn't dawdle when buying a car. Once he found what he liked and made his decision, he paid the deposit on the spot.

Furthermore, since it was the last two days before the New Year, there were plenty of promotional events.

As long as one wasn't in a hurry to pick up the car.

After paying the deposit, the dealership could simply transfer the vehicle over straight after the New Year.

The salesperson receiving Liu Shuo was a young man who eagerly called him brother with every breath. When taking Liu Shuo's Identity Card, he respectfully held out both hands.

After accompanying Liu Shuo through the car purchasing process.

Zhou Yuwen suggested taking them to look at the Teana models.

Peng Xiaoyong quickly replied, "Forget it. Let's not look."

"Since we're already here, we might as well take a look. It's not like you're forced to buy anything," Zhou Yuwen encouraged.

"Is there a Mercedes-Benz dealership around here?" Peng Xiaoyong asked.

Zhou Yuwen raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing, Cousin. Looks like you made quite a fortune while studying abroad?"

"No, it's just that Wanting likes Mercedes-Benz. I figured if we have nothing else to do, we could all go take a look together."

"That works too."

Zhou Yuwen turned the car around, casually complaining along the way, "Why do all you women like Mercedes-Benz so much?"

"Because they're gorgeous!"

"Right? I think so too!"

The two girls had finally found a common language, excitedly chattering away at the same time.

The Mercedes-Benz Dealership did indeed look far more upscale from the outside compared to the other stores.

However, to be completely honest, the sales staff at such high-end dealerships were notoriously arrogant. If they took one look at you and decided you had no purchasing power, they wouldn't even bother receiving you. They didn't care at all about those cliché scenarios of being proven wrong by hidden millionaires.

Because the Mercedes-Benz Dealership had a massive influx of customers. Missing out on one potential sale might be a pity, but they could just as easily secure another order right after.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuwen's group had no such issues.

They drove over in a BMW X7.

Before the car even reached the store entrance, several salespeople were already gazing longingly at it.

They fought over the chance to receive Zhou Yuwen's party.

It wasn't easy for these saleswomen. It was the dead of winter, yet they were dressed in tight skirts and black stockings.

They practically rushed out directly to open the car doors for them.

"Sir, are you here to look at some cars?"

"Sir, please come in quickly. It's freezing outside, but we have the heater on inside."

Among Zhou Yuwen's group, Peng Xiaoyong was the oldest, and his style of dress was also much more mature.

Naturally, the saleswomen assumed he was the primary buyer and spoke to him first.

The overwhelming enthusiasm completely caught Peng Xiaoyong off guard, leaving him immensely flattered.

The group was warmly welcomed inside and guided to sit down on a plush sofa.

Three saleswomen in tight skirts attended to them, pouring glasses of water and serving up small snacks.

"Here, sir, have some ginseng tea to warm your body."

The saleswomen prioritized Peng Xiaoyong, asking him how they should address him.

"Oh, Mr. Peng. Do you have a specific car model in mind, Mr. Peng?"

The New Year was fast approaching, and the pressure of end-of-year key performance indicators was undoubtedly intense. These young ladies were incredibly enthusiastic. Before they even made it to the showroom floor, they were already half-squatting to respectfully serve Peng Xiaoyong his tea.

Furthermore, they positioned themselves exceptionally close to him.

Through their collars, soft curves were clearly visible.

Peng Xiaoyong was too embarrassed to even look up. He stuttered, "J-Just looking around casually."

The saleswomen were highly experienced and had seen plenty of timid young men like him. They smoothly replied, "Oh, just browsing casually?"

"There's no rush at all. We have quite a comprehensive range of models here. Why don't I take you around for a look?"

"No, no, that won't be necessary. We can just look around by ourselves."

Peng Xiaoyong absolutely did not want these women tailing him, only to spend half the day with them before finally confessing he wasn't buying a car.

That would be humiliating beyond belief.

"Uh..." Peng Xiaoyong's abrupt rejection left the fawning saleswomen utterly awkward.

Watching from the side, Zhou Yuwen found the whole scene quite amusing.

Actually, he felt this setup was perfect.

He despised being swarmed by aggressive sales staff. Having his older cousin act as a shield felt absolutely fantastic.

However, he couldn't bear to watch Peng Xiaoyong continue to suffer in embarrassment.

He spoke up directly to the sales staff, "These two ladies are the ones looking at cars. Why don't you take them around?"

As he said this, Zhou Yuwen pointed at the two girls, Su Qing and Lu Wanting.

Recognizing someone who could actually call the shots, the saleswomen instantly realized they had been sucking up to the wrong person. They hastily abandoned Peng Xiaoyong and rushed over to fawn on Zhou Yuwen.

Following his instructions, they quickly prepared to guide Su Qing and Lu Wanting around the showroom.

Both Su Qing and Lu Wanting felt a bit uncertain. Mostly, the grand reception was intimidating; if they didn't end up buying a car, it would be extremely awkward later.

Zhou Yuwen reassured Su Qing, telling her to go look around with an easy mind.

"It's fine even if they look and don't buy anything, right?" Zhou Yuwen asked the saleswoman.

The most enthusiastic saleswoman could only offer a strained smile in response, remaining utterly silent.

In the end, one saleswoman led Lu Wanting and Su Qing to view the cars, while another stayed behind to chat amiably with Zhou Yuwen.

Unfazed, Zhou Yuwen requested a car model magazine to flip through.

He then asked the saleswoman standing before him, "What in-stock vehicles do you currently have available?"

"Um, actually we don't have many left in stock. There is one E-Class, and two C-Class models."

"What colors are the C-Class models?"

"One is white, and the other is black."

Zhou Yuwen continued to casually converse with her.

Watching all this, Peng Xiaoyong felt deeply embarrassed. 'You're not even going to buy anything, so why are you asking so many questions?' he thought to himself, lowering his head to drink his water.

Meanwhile, the third saleswoman was still glaring like a tiger watching its prey, fixing her gaze firmly on Peng Xiaoyong.

Seeing that his cup was nearly empty, she immediately offered, "Sir, shall I pour you another cup?"

"N-No, thank you."

Peng Xiaoyong hastily declined.

It was the last two days of the year, so there were genuinely quite a few people checking out cars.

Over in the showroom, Su Qing and Lu Wanting walked arm in arm, examining car after car. The assigned saleswoman trailed behind them, offering a couple of brief introductions, but after realizing that the two girls didn't seem like serious buyers, she quickly found an excuse and slipped away.

This, however, was exactly what Su Qing and Lu Wanting wanted. The two of them truly adored Mercedes-Benz. They knew nothing about cars; they simply felt the C-Class was beautiful.

They sat inside the vehicles together to experience the luxurious interior.

They even took special care to snap plenty of photos.

Friendships among women were a strange phenomenon. Even if they had just met, they could become intimate confidantes who shared everything within just a day or two. Merely talking about Mercedes-Benz gave them an endless supply of conversation topics as they enthusiastically took turns photographing each other.

After finishing their tour of the showroom, Lu Wanting told Su Qing that she was falling more and more in love with Mercedes-Benz.

"When I get back, I am absolutely forcing my dad to buy me one!" Lu Wanting declared with unwavering determination.

Linking her arm through Lu Wanting's, Su Qing teased with a bright smile, "Just make Brother Xiaoyong buy you one!"

As she said this, they happened to stroll right back to the sofa in the reception area.

Her words were undoubtedly heard by everyone present.

Hearing the remark, Lu Wanting giggled lightly. She glanced over at Peng Xiaoyong and asked, "Your younger cousin's girlfriend says you should buy me a Mercedes-Benz. Can you do it?"

"I..."

Awkwardness was plainly written across Peng Xiaoyong's face, but he still tried to reply, "Give me tw..."

"All right, I'm just teasing you! We're done looking!" Lu Wanting announced to the group, cutting him off.

Peng Xiaoyong shot Zhou Yuwen a sideways glance, thinking to himself, 'Let's see how you're going to wrap this up.'

Earlier, while listening to Zhou Yuwen converse with the saleswoman, Peng Xiaoyong had nearly died of embarrassment.

Because Zhou Yuwen was putting on way too much of an act.

He was carrying on as if he were genuinely going to buy a car.

He even specifically requested an in-stock vehicle.

He even had the audacity to ask if he could drive it straight off the lot if he ordered it today.

And that foolish saleswoman had actually bought the act entirely. She promised Zhou Yuwen that, despite the logistical difficulties, if he truly placed an order today, she would personally make the arrangements happen.

'Go ahead and arrange it, let's see how you manage when nothing gets bought,' he mocked internally.

Now that Su Qing and the others were done looking.

He wanted to see exactly how Zhou Yuwen was going to backtrack and escape this mess.

Instead, Zhou Yuwen remained calmly seated, seriously asking Su Qing what she thought of the cars.

Su Qing cheerfully replied that they were quite nice.

"Zhou Yuwen, why don't we just buy a Mercedes-Benz!"

Peng Xiaoyong thought to himself, 'These two are really putting on a performance.'

Zhou Yuwen informed Su Qing that the only E-Class they currently had in stock was black.

"And they have two C-Class models, one black and one white. See which one you prefer."

Su Qing pondered for a moment. "If I were driving it myself, I'd definitely want the E-Class. But since it's for my mom, I think being too flashy isn't good. The white C-Class is perfectly fine."

"Of course, if you want to buy one for me as well, I wouldn't mind at all."

With those words, Su Qing playfully dropped herself right onto Zhou Yuwen's lap.

Witnessing this public display, the nearby saleswoman could only offer a polite, embarrassed smile.

Zhou Yuwen laughed, "Keep dreaming!"

"I'll let you drive the BMW X7, and I'll just buy a new one for myself."

"I don't want that!" Su Qing pouted.

The two of them had actually started to flirt playfully right there in the middle of the dealership.

Peng Xiaoyong coughed pointedly and interjected, "Why don't we go check out a few other stores?"

"Sure! Hey, Yuwen, why don't we go look at the BMWs instead?" Lu Wanting cooperatively chimed in to give them an out.

The moment those two sentences were spoken.

The saleswoman standing by them saw her expression sour at a visibly rapid pace.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuwen didn't disappoint her.

"Let's wait a minute," Zhou Yuwen stated calmly.

"The 'on the ground' price for that white C-Class is 360,000 yuan, correct?"

This was what they had negotiated earlier. In truth, Zhou Yuwen felt that buying a C-Class for his future mother-in-law was more than sufficient.

360,000 yuan covered the highest-tier configuration, which even included the ambient lighting package.

"Yes, exactly."

"Are you absolutely certain I can pick up the car today?"

"I am completely certain."

"All right then."

Zhou Yuwen simply pulled out his bank card and handed it to Su Qing, instructing the saleswoman to take her to sign the contract.

Zhou Yuwen spoke as breezily as if he were ordering a cup of coffee, but the people beside him were completely stunned, their faces covered in figurative question marks.

???

Buying a car was one thing.

But sending Su Qing to sign the contract?!

"Hubby, am I really signing my name!? Aren't you buying it for my mom?"

Su Qing playfully accepted the bank card, her term of address spontaneously shifting to reflect her sheer delight.

Zhou Yuwen smirked. "Then call your mom over to sign for it."

"No way! Hehe, I'll just sign my name. I love you!"

Completely disregarding the eyes of everyone around her, Su Qing leaned down and planted a loud kiss directly onto Zhou Yuwen's cheek.

A car worth 360,000 yuan.

He said it was for Pan Min.

But it inherently had to be registered under Su Qing's name.

This was his way of providing an answer to Pan Min, proving that Zhou Yuwen was not just casually toying around as she might have assumed.

However, to the uninformed onlookers, the entire display was genuinely mind-blowing.

Even Lu Wanting found herself frozen in utter shock.

Su Qing happily followed the saleswoman to process the paperwork.

Yet Lu Wanting could only stare blankly at Zhou Yuwen in absolute silence.

Knowing that Zhou Yuwen was wealthy was one thing.

But witnessing his breathtaking generosity toward his girlfriend firsthand was an entirely different matter.

"You treat your girlfriend so well. Whatever made you suddenly decide to gift her a car?" Lu Wanting asked, entirely unsure of the complex psychology driving her question.

Zhou Yuwen corrected gently, "Not exactly. I actually met her mother over the past couple of days. This car was bought for her mother to commute in, it's just registered under Su Qing's name."

"Huh. Here in the country, if it's registered under her name, doesn't that mean it legally belongs entirely to her?" Lu Wanting asked, blinking rapidly.

Zhou Yuwen nodded. "You could understand it that way."

"Oh."

Driven by some inexplicable emotion, a distinct trace of disappointment laced Lu Wanting's tone.

The paperwork was processed with extraordinary speed. Soon after, a brand-new white Mercedes-Benz C-Class was parked right outside the dealership doors.

Su Qing sat in the driver's seat, her face glowing with pure joy. "Zhou Yuwen, quickly take a photo of me! I want to show my mom!"

Zhou Yuwen laughed, "Just drive it straight to her and show her in person. She'll definitely be even happier."

For the return trip, Su Qing would be driving back herself. Knowing it would be boring to drive alone, she enthusiastically invited Lu Wanting to sit in the front passenger seat.

They had chatted extensively while viewing the cars earlier, and Su Qing knew exactly how much Lu Wanting adored this model.

Now that there was a perfect opportunity to let Lu Wanting experience the ride, why not bring her along?

But from the looks of it, Lu Wanting didn't seem very happy at all.

Her mind drifted back to what Su Qing had joked earlier in the showroom: "If you really like it, just make Brother Xiaoyong buy you one."

And she had foolishly responded that it was impossible.

'Boyfriends and girlfriends aren't married. And even if they were married, he still wouldn't buy a car for you!'

Thinking back on it now, Lu Wanting truly felt like an utter clown.

All right, she was the type of good girl who wasn't materialistic.

She had always believed that she had the ability to build the life she desired with her own hands.

She didn't need a man's help.

Yet today, she had helplessly watched a young man casually gift his girlfriend a brand-new Mercedes-Benz.

Right before her very eyes!

To claim that Lu Wanting's heart remained completely undisturbed...

That was entirely impossible.