Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 341: Subway and Ambiguity

"Even if you aren't close, you can still try getting in touch!"The management of the Student Union did not put too much pressure on Li Shiqi. They simply wanted to collaborate with the Xuhuai Association, or rather, the grassroots organization Zhou Yuwen had founded—the Student Mutual Aid Association. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Li Shiqi could only reluctantly agree.

In truth, she had absolutely no intention of mentioning this to Zhou Yuwen.

However, there was one matter she did need to contact him about.

Although Li Shiqi was far from wealthy, her life wasn't entirely destitute, thanks to the tutoring part-time job Zhou Yuwen had helped her secure. Having been taken care of by her roommates throughout the semester, she wanted to treat everyone to a meal before the term ended.

Everyone was quite happy to hear about the dinner invitation. Someone even joked, asking if they could bring their boyfriend.

"Oh, right, Shiqi! You should just invite Zhou Yuwen too. We really want to meet him!"

"Yeah, I've finished reading his entire novel! He is the idol of so many people right now. Give us a chance to meet our idol!"

Her three roommates chimed in, insisting that she bring Zhou Yuwen along. They even claimed this dinner would be the perfect opportunity to test his attitude toward her.

"Isn't he single right now anyway?"

The roommates chattered away, one after another.

Seeing how eager everyone was to meet him, and remembering that he had promised to take her back home for the winter holiday, Li Shiqi figured she really ought to treat him to a meal. It would also be a good time to ask when he planned to head back.

Goaded on by her roommates, Li Shiqi made the phone call.

At that moment, Zhou Yuwen was still busy in the office. Seeing Li Shiqi calling, he picked up. "Hello?"

Upon learning she was calling about their trip home for the winter holiday, Zhou Yuwen felt a wave of embarrassment. The winter break job initiative had sprung up so suddenly that he had completely forgotten his promise to travel back with her.

With a mountain of tasks, big and small, waiting for him, he estimated it would take at least a week before he could finally head back.

Yet here she was, calling to invite him to dinner as a thank you for offering to take her home.

Zhou Yuwen stammered for a moment, scratching his cheek. "Uh, Shiqi."

"Something suddenly came up on my end, and I probably won't be able to leave anytime soon. How about I get you a ticket so you can head back first? Or... do you want to wait for me?"

He genuinely felt bad about the situation. With the New Year approaching, train tickets were incredibly difficult to book.

Li Shiqi, however, did not mind at all. She did not particularly like her home to begin with.

The only reason she had planned to go back was because Zhou Yuwen offered to take her; otherwise, she would have just stayed in the dormitory for a long time.

Hearing his suggestion, she immediately replied, "It's fine, I will just wait for you."

Zhou Yuwen apologized, "I am really sorry about this. These things just popped up out of nowhere, and I am completely overwhelmed with work."

Li Shiqi loved chatting with him. Listening to his complaints, a faint smile graced the corner of her mouth. She asked if it was about the winter break job.

Zhou Yuwen confirmed it was.

"You know about that too?"

"Mhm, our university has been talking about you. They are calling you a hero."

Zhou Yuwen humbly brushed it off, stating it was just something he did in passing.

"Plus, it is not entirely volunteer work."

Li Shiqi and Zhou Yuwen chatted for a bit longer before she asked if he was free this Friday evening, offering to treat him to a meal.

"There is no need for that," Zhou Yuwen replied. "I am already delaying your trip, I feel bad enough as it is."

Li Shiqi explained, "Actually, it is not just you."

"The main thing is..."

Pausing, she felt a little embarrassed. "Mainly, my roommates want to meet you, and they insisted I bring you along."

"If you are free, you should come."

"It will be livelier with more people."

She blurted out the sentences in one breath.

Hearing her plea, Zhou Yuwen agreed. "Alright then. I will check my schedule and head over."

"Mhm."

The end of the semester was undoubtedly hectic. Organizing work for four thousand people left no room for error. His small company was operating at full capacity: Jiang Xinyi handled the finance department, Lu Hui managed human resources, Gao Yang coordinated with the factories, and Liu Shuo oversaw vehicle rentals and transportation.

Before the factories even transferred their funds, Zhou Yuwen had already fronted hundreds of thousands of yuan out of his own pocket.

The initial estimate of making six million this semester was strictly gross profit.

Jiang Xinyi had run the numbers for him, calculating that based on his current operational scale, the actual net profit would only be around four million.

"You sound dissatisfied with that," Zhou Yuwen noted.

Jiang Xinyi pouted and said, "My mom said that with your current scale, making tens of millions shouldn't be a problem."

"You truly are the daughter of a capitalist. Pure ruthlessness."

"What are you talking about! I was just making a casual comment!"

Jiang Xinyi instantly grew defensive but could not hold back a smile. Even though the profit margin on this deal was lower, it was clear proof that Zhou Yuwen had a conscience.

Seizing the moment while they were alone in the office, Jiang Xinyi remarked, "I have been working myself to death for you lately."

"Once this busy period is over, how are you going to reward me?"

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Didn't I already give you your bonus in advance?"

"Not that. Do you have any other rewards?" she asked, blinking innocently.

Feigning ignorance, he said, "The bonus has been paid. Don't be too greedy, rich young lady!"

Jiang Xinyi pouted, muttering under her breath about how unromantic he was.

Then, facing him with an arrogant yet charming air, she asked, "Do you have any plans to travel during the winter holiday?"

"Where is there to go? Doesn't everyone just stay home for the New Year?"

"What about after the New Year?"

Zhou Yuwen stated he would return to the university for classes after the holidays.

"Your life is so boring, Zhou Yuwen."

"Nothing I can do about it. That is how poor people live."

"You guy..."

Jiang Xinyi asked if he wanted to visit Sanya after the New Year, suggesting they could go together.

"Just the two of us?"

"Yeah!" she replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Where would we stay? Book one room or two?" he inquired.

"Well..."

The question stumped her. After some serious thought, she said, "We could get a standard room. You sleep in your bed, and I sleep in mine."

"If you try anything with me at night, you are an absolute beast!" she warned.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled at her words. "And if I end up doing absolutely nothing, are you going to scold me for being worse than a beast?"

"Get out of here!" Her beautiful face flushed crimson as she shot him a playful glare.

Despite her invitation, Zhou Yuwen did not agree to the Sanya trip.

First, he would be genuinely busy during the New Year period and simply lacked the time.

Second, their relationship was not officially established. Taking a trip alone with her so rashly would set a bad precedent.

She felt extremely disappointed, but he just told her to focus on her work, promising to give her a massive red envelope at the end of the year.

"Tch, who cherishes that big red envelope of yours."

Amidst the constant hustle and bustle, Friday arrived. Li Shiqi had invited her roommates to a hot pot restaurant near San Mountain Street, following an entire afternoon of shopping at Xinjiekou.

They eventually settled on a hot pot restaurant and sent the location to Zhou Yuwen.

He happened to be with Liu Shuo at the time, so he asked if he could bring him along.

Since there were four girls from her dormitory, adding one more guy shouldn't be an issue.

As for the extra cost, since he was going, there was no way he would let Li Shiqi foot the bill anyway.

Once Li Shiqi gave her approval, Zhou Yuwen drove over, with Liu Shuo tagging eagerly along like a loyal puppy.

Liu Shuo was quite thrilled about dining with Li Shiqi, mentioning he hadn't seen the Class Monitor in ages and actually missed her a bit.

"Bro, if you ask me, you might as well date Li Shiqi. I mean, look at her—she is gorgeous and exceptional at studying. She is way better than those other girlfriends of yours!" Liu Shuo babbled as he drove.

"Why do you spout so much nonsense?" Zhou Yuwen shot back. "If you like her so much, why don't you go after her?"

Liu Shuo chuckled. "Bro, don't say crazy things. My heart is already taken."

"..."

Back in high school, Li Shiqi was undeniably the goddess in the eyes of many boys in their class. But times had changed. Ever since she got into Nanjing University, she practically lived in a different world compared to her old high school classmates.

After parking the car, the two of them entered the hot pot restaurant.

Zhou Yuwen had a well-proportioned figure. Dressed in a black wool coat, he exuded the aura of a refined young master.

He had no idea how much this wool coat cost.

It was a gift from Liu Jing.

Despite Jiang Xinyi repeatedly telling her mother not to visit the company without a good reason, Liu Jing just had too much free time on her hands. Bringing over homemade soups and drinks was one thing, but she even started bringing clothes.

It made Zhou Yuwen feel embarrassed. He had protested, saying it was far too expensive and he could not accept it.

But Liu Jing had nonchalantly replied that it was merely a return gift.

"The necklace you gave Xinyi was quite valuable as well. Little Zhou, you are a man, you do not know how to pick out clothes. Hurry up, try it on and let Auntie take a look."

And it was true—once he put the coat on, his entire temperament shifted drastically.

Standing next to him with his big belly shoved into a down jacket, Liu Shuo instantly looked like nothing more than a lowly minion.

Since it was the dead of winter, the hot pot restaurant was exceptionally lively. They searched for a while without spotting her until Li Shiqi, with her sharp eyes, took the initiative to wave him down.

When they finally found their table, all four girls from the dormitory were present.

The probability of an entire dorm being filled with beauties was exceptionally low. In this particular room, only Li Shiqi stood out with her slender, graceful figure. She sat there in a white crewneck wool sweater, her hair tied back in the same ponytail she had worn in high school.

Her vibrant eyes sparkled, giving her an ethereal appearance, like a lotus rising untainted from the worldly dust.

The moment Zhou Yuwen approached, the three other girls enthusiastically greeted him.

They exchanged introductions. Zhou Yuwen obviously didn't need to introduce himself since they all knew him, so he simply introduced Liu Shuo to the group.

To their surprise, a chubby round-faced girl claimed she knew Liu Shuo.

"Huh?" Taken aback, Liu Shuo could not suppress the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

He constantly heard people say they knew his brother, but very few ever claimed to know him.

Intrigued, he asked, "Where did you meet me?"

The chubby round-faced girl covered her mouth and giggled. "I saw you at the school gate the other day. From a distance, I thought you were a huge wild boar that ran down from the mountains. Only when I got closer did I realize you were a person."

The other girls burst out laughing at her comment.

"Damn!" Liu Shuo did not find it funny in the slightest. He glared at the woman in displeasure, thinking to himself, 'A fat woman has the nerve to talk about me? You look just like a pig yourself.'

The girl clearly wasn't good with words, having offended Liu Shuo right out of the gate.

Realizing her mistake a moment later, she kindly tried to salvage the situation. "Hey," she prompted.

"What?"

He was still highly displeased.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"I do. My girlfriend is incredibly beautiful, I will show you a photo!" Speaking of his girlfriend filled him with immense pride. He scoffed inwardly, 'You probably assumed I couldn't get a girlfriend, didn't you? Well, let me tell you, my girlfriend is absolutely stunning!'

Zhou Yuwen opted out of their banter. Taking his seat, he started conversing with Li Shiqi about his recent busyness with the winter break job.

With her roommates present, Li Shiqi acted rather quiet, merely shaking her head and whispering that it was fine.

Her roommates, however, eagerly bombarded him with questions. They asked if he really made millions from writing novels and inquired if the forum rumors about his breakup were true.

Before Zhou Yuwen could even answer, Liu Shuo proudly interrupted, "Of course it's true! My bro is single right now."

"Then what kind of girls does your bro like?" the round-faced girl quickly asked.

Liu Shuo deadpanned, "Well, definitely not ones like you."

While the other girls failed to suppress their giggles, the round-faced girl's expression noticeably soured. Frowning in discontent, she shot back, "Why do you have to speak like that?"

"Heh, I have always spoken like this. My bad, beauty!" Liu Shuo grinned widely, satisfied that he had successfully turned the tables.

She glared at him discreetly, cursing the 'damn fat pig' in her thoughts. During the meal, they didn't discuss anything too heavy. At most, Li Shiqi's roommates brought up the Student Union collaboration. Zhou Yuwen responded that as long as it benefited the students, a partnership was definitely possible.

Once they had almost finished eating, Zhou Yuwen slipped away to settle the bill.

The dinner had started at six o'clock and lasted all the way until half-past eight.

Only when everyone was fully satiated did Li Shiqi grab her phone and head over to pay.

The cashier politely informed her that the tab had already been cleared.

Walking up with his wool coat draped over his arm, Zhou Yuwen told her, "I already paid."

"Oooh." The other girls chimed in with perfectly timed teasing, praising his gentlemanly demeanor.

"Zhou Yuwen, I noticed you really dote on our Shiqi!"

Her roommates were completely uninhibited, speaking whatever came to mind. It left Li Shiqi feeling rather awkward. Her usually snow-white face was now as red as a ripe apple, and she kept her head lowered, too embarrassed to speak.

"Do I?" Zhou Yuwen asked lightly.

"You definitely do! We all saw you putting food into her bowl. You were even worried the spices would be too hot for her, so you specifically rinsed it in the clear broth first!"

The more they teased, the redder her cheeks burned. She frantically urged them to stop talking.

The girls clearly had no intention of letting them off the hook. They continued their relentless banter, even exposing how she had spent time knitting a towel for him back in the dormitory!

Hearing this, Liu Shuo instantly perked up. "Is that true!?"

"Why are you getting so excited? It is not like anyone is knitting a towel for you!" the round-faced girl harrumphed.

Liu Shuo suddenly realized just how much he despised this fat girl.

'Damn it,' he thought. 'Every time I open my mouth, she tries to retort.'

"Who says no one knits for me? I have a damn girlfriend, alright!"

"Oho! Then go ask your girlfriend to knit you one!"

The group of six chatted and laughed as they walked out of the hot pot restaurant.

Then, things became a little awkward.

Because Zhou Yuwen's car could only seat five people.

But there were six of them in total.

Li Shiqi suggested that he drive her three roommates back to the university while she took the subway by herself.

The girls naturally refused. "How could we do that?"

"Just let Zhou Yuwen leave first. We can all take the subway together."

The round-faced girl offered another solution. "Why not just make the fat guy walk back by himself?"

"Why don't you walk back by yourself?" Liu Shuo snapped, deeply dissatisfied.

Right then, another girl chimed in. "How about Wang Fang and Liu Shuo take the subway, and the rest of us take the car?"

"???" Liu Shuo was dumbfounded.

Wang Fang froze in sheer shock as well.

The third girl, however, giggled delightfully. "Great idea! What a wonderful idea!"

"No, wait, bro," Liu Shuo stammered speechlessly, turning to look at him.

Zhou Yuwen laughed heartily. "It really is a great idea."

"?"

Naturally, they were just joking around.

In Liu Shuo's own words: 'No way, bro, I already have a girlfriend!'

The final decision was for Liu Shuo to drive the three roommates back to the university first.

"I will keep Shiqi company on the subway," Zhou Yuwen declared.

Liu Shuo furrowed his brows. "That is even worse!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Wang Fang poked him hard from behind.

Annoyed, he demanded to know why she was poking him.

Wang Fang silently cursed him for being an absolute blockhead.

"Let's just settle it like this. You drive us back to the school, and let Zhou Yuwen and Shiqi take the subway!" she finalized.

It took Liu Shuo a long time to finally catch on. Even though he was irritated by how much this fat girl seemed to target him, for the sake of his bro's happiness, he sensibly agreed, driving the three girls away and leaving the two of them behind.

Left alone, Zhou Yuwen and Li Shiqi made their way to the subway station.

Li Shiqi's hair was tied up in a ponytail. Underneath, she wore a wool sweater, but her outer layer was the down jacket that he had gifted her.

Strangely enough, when surrounded by a crowd, she had managed to speak a fair amount.

But now that it was just the two of them, her words had dried up entirely.

It felt as if merely standing next to him filled her with a profound sense of shyness.

She walked half a step ahead of him, while he followed half a step behind, his wool coat draped effortlessly over his arm.

Li Shiqi kept silent, and Zhou Yuwen followed quietly in her wake.

The subway station at San Mountain Street was located right in the heart of the bustling downtown area. Given that it was past eight in the evening, they had hit peak transit hours, and the station was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with commuters.

Standing at the edge of the platform, Li Shiqi waited for the train.

Through the reflection on the glass doors, she caught sight of him standing directly behind her.

Zhou Yuwen had his head bowed, currently playing on his phone.

Li Shiqi stole glances at him through the reflection, unable to stop the corner of her mouth from curling upward into a sweet smile.

The train arrived, and the two of them stepped aboard.

Initially, there were no empty seats. They both reached up, gripping the handrail overhead to steady themselves.

At every stop, a dense swarm of passengers flooded in, while another group shoved their way out.

To prevent the surging crowd from bumping into her, Zhou Yuwen intentionally stepped closer, effectively forming a half-embrace to shield her from the crush of bodies.

Li Shiqi showed no signs of resisting. On the contrary, she deeply cherished these thoughtful little details about him.

Keeping her head bowed, she maintained a soft, lingering smile.

The dark window glass mirrored the tall, broad-shouldered young man protectively caging the delicate girl in his arms.

Clack-clack. The train swayed rhythmically as it barreled down the tracks.

The journey continued in absolute silence.

Tilting her head up slightly, she saw Zhou Yuwen standing tall and perfectly straight. Hand firmly gripping the bar, he was as unmovable and steadfast as a towering mountain.

Sheltered entirely by his frame, Li Shiqi appeared incredibly small and fragile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another couple nearby where the girlfriend was practically hanging off her boyfriend's body.

The sight made her blush with embarrassment.

She swiftly averted her gaze.

Softly, she asked, "Have you been very busy lately?"

Zhou Yuwen glanced down at her. "Honestly, it's not too bad."

"It is not exactly exhausting, just an endless pile of tasks that gets a bit annoying."

"Oh, what kind of tasks?"

And so, they fell into an easy rhythm of chatting. Zhou Yuwen listed out his endless responsibilities: processing student forms, acting as a liaison with the factories, signing a mountain of legal contracts, procuring daily necessities for the workers in bulk... the list was infinite. He simply had too much on his plate.

"I heard the winter break job you organized pays up to six thousand yuan a month?" she inquired.

"Theoretically, yes," he confirmed.

"That is if they work twelve-hour shifts every single day. But there is no need to push that hard. Under normal circumstances, making four to five thousand a month is more than enough."

"Mhm."

Their conversation flowed at a leisurely pace, with sentences exchanged only after long, comfortable pauses.

For the most part, he carried the dialogue, detailing the various problems that had cropped up recently and venting about the sheer complexity of the whole operation.

Li Shiqi loved watching him speak with such calm, breezy confidence.

Because they were in a public train car, he deliberately kept his volume low.

His hushed tone made him seem incredibly gentle.

Staring at his tranquil expression as he narrated his daily struggles, Li Shiqi honestly had no idea what was running through her own mind.

Suddenly, she asked, "Can I work for you as a winter break temp?"

"?" Zhou Yuwen was bewildered. "There is no need for that, right?"

She reasoned that she would not have much to do back home over the New Year anyway, so she might as well use the time to earn some extra cash.

"Going there would just be a waste of your time," he argued.

"You are an intellectual worker. There is absolutely no reason for you to do manual labor. If you need money, you can come work part-time at my company. We happen to be swamped right now. Just come over, and I will find something suitable for you to do."

"I do not want to," she rejected softly.

"Why not?" he pressed.

"Because you will definitely overpay me," she stated simply.

"I will only go help you if you promise not to pay me at all."

He laughed aloud at her condition. "Has the sun risen from the west? Is our little money-grubber suddenly turning down cash?"

Hearing his teasing remark, a fiery blush swept across her cheeks. She playfully smacked his chest. "You are so annoying."

He just flashed her another warm smile.

Clack-clack. The train kept rumbling forward.

Even while clinging tightly to the handrails, the standing passengers still swayed back and forth in sync with the violent motions of the carriage.

Tucked safely within his protective shadow, she still maintained a polite distance. At first, they hadn't touched at all.

But as the train lurched along the tracks, her forehead bumped gently against his chest.

Clack.

Clack...

With every violent sway, her head inevitably bumped back against his chest.

Yet, terrified of overstepping her bounds, she dared not linger in his embrace.

Each time she tumbled against him, she would immediately pull away, as if trying desperately to avoid any suspicion of impropriety.

In reality, she wished nothing more than to be like all the other couples around them, resting comfortably in his arms without a care in the world...

Regrettably, he remained entirely silent.

She could only rely on the erratic motions of the train carriage to fleetingly satisfy her secret little desires.

That was, until the train finally pulled into the next station.

Suddenly, another massive wave of passengers swarmed into the car.

As the fresh crowd forcefully pushed their way inward, before she could even react, someone slammed into her back, shoving her violently right into his chest.

"Oof."

Still too shy to indulge in his embrace, she instinctively tried to straighten back up.

However, at this point, the train car was bursting at the seams.

Seeing the sheer crush of bodies, Zhou Yuwen decisively kept one hand anchored to the handrail while wrapping his other arm securely around her waist.

Startled, she sneaked a peek up at him, her long eyelashes fluttering rapidly like butterfly wings.

Yet he simply kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, scanning their surroundings without once looking down to meet her eyes.