Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 320: New Year's Eve with Tao Tian

Earlier outside, Zhao Jun had been flush with excitement, claiming that Zhu Hong was looking for Zhou Yuwen to discuss an acquisition, and even urged Zhou Yuwen not to forget him once he struck it rich.However, during this meeting with Zhu Hong, she did not mention the word acquisition once from beginning to end.

She only mentioned that she had been stationed in Jinling by the head office to expand their business. After hearing from Peter that Young President Zhou also ran a food delivery company, she specifically wanted to meet him to learn from his experience.

Zhou Yuwen was simply too young. In all her years of discussing business, this was the first time Zhu Hong had dealt with an eighteen-year-old boy.

Calling him "President Zhou" felt somewhat awkward.

Yet, she did not know what else to call him.

After pondering for a while, she settled on "Young President Zhou."

It was the first time someone had addressed Zhou Yuwen this way, and he found he did not mind it at all.

Zhou Yuwen said, "What experience could you possibly learn from me? It's all just child's play."

Hearing this, Zhu Hong replied that he was being too modest.

At this point, Zhu Hong proactively raised her glass to offer Zhou Yuwen a toast, explaining that it was by way of an apology.

Zhou Yuwen was puzzled.

Zhu Hong explained that she had originally intended to find a formal occasion to get to know Young President Zhou.

"But Peter told me that the two of you were acquaintances. Had I known that you, Young President Zhou, had to rush over from somewhere else, I absolutely never would have made such an unreasonable request."

She needed to make this point perfectly clear to prevent any misunderstandings that might affect their subsequent negotiations.

To be fair, this really was not Zhu Hong's fault.

Before arriving, she had conducted a brief background check on Zhou Yuwen.

She knew that Zhou Yuwen not only owned a food delivery company but also a cultural media company and a labor outsourcing company.

Moreover, the labor company had business dealings with her old classmate.

Thus, Zhu Hong had thought to reach out to her old classmate first to learn more about Zhou Yuwen.

Who could have known that the moment Gao Bide heard his old classmate was coming, he would immediately take charge of everything to show off his success? He claimed that his company was holding its annual meeting on New Year's Eve, and Zhou Yuwen would be attending.

"Just come straight over when the time comes," he had told her.

To tell the truth, if Gao Bide had not said that, there was absolutely no way Zhu Hong would have attended another company's annual meeting on New Year's Eve.

Only after arriving did she discover that Zhou Yuwen had not even shown up.

Instead, Zhu Hong had ended up acting as free eye candy to boost Gao Bide's prestige.

Whenever Gao Bide saw someone, he would introduce her as his old classmate, adding that she would be developing her career in Jinling and asking everyone to look out for her.

When the other classmates saw Gao Bide bring such a gorgeous woman, they naturally looked at him with renewed respect.

All things considered, Gao Bide had his own selfish motives for arranging this meeting.

Zhu Hong could see right through it. However, since she was already there, and Gao Bide had firmly promised that Little Zhou was just tied up and would arrive shortly, she stayed.

It was not like she could just flip out and leave.

And so, this meeting had taken place.

Zhou Yuwen shook his head. "There is no need to apologize. I did have some matters to attend to earlier, and I came over as soon as I finished."

Zhu Hong nodded with a smile. "Today is still rather informal. Whenever everyone has some free time, I will play the host and treat you all to a proper meal."

Gao Bide chimed in, "Since President Zhu is offering, we will definitely make the time, right, Little Zhou?"

Zhou Yuwen did not respond, leaving Gao Bide feeling somewhat embarrassed.

The atmosphere seemed to turn a bit awkward.

Zhu Hong was a master of social grace. Seeing the conversation cool down, she immediately switched the topic. "Young President Zhou, your main focus right now is in human resources, correct?"

Zhou Yuwen shook his head. "I wouldn't call it human resources. I merely help my classmates find part-time work."

Zhu Hong nodded, mentioning that she had just discussed this with President Gao.

"President Gao mentioned that the security guards outside and the university students performing earlier were all arranged by your company. I was quite surprised. I feel that in the labor outsourcing field, Young President Zhou could definitely dive a bit deeper."

By this point, Zhu Hong and Zhou Yuwen had already clinked glasses once. This time, Zhou Yuwen took the initiative to raise his glass. "Sister Zhu, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Little Zhou."

Hearing this, Zhu Hong gave a smile with pursed lips. Holding her wine glass, she replied, "Well, since you're calling me Sister Zhu, I won't stand on ceremony either. I'll call you Yuwen; it sounds much more familiar."

Zhou Yuwen nodded, clinked glasses with her, and asked what she meant by diving deeper.

Zhu Hong explained that labor outsourcing was essentially human resources. "I think you've built a very solid foundation, Yuwen. You could easily use this as a stepping stone to expand into human resources and headhunting."

"You see, you are still a student, which means you control an abundance of student resources. You could simply keep a close eye out at your university, identify those with capability and potential, and channel them directly into corporate enterprises when it's time for their internships. This not only injects fresh blood into large companies, but you can also earn a handsome commission in the process. It's killing two birds with one stone."

Zhou Yuwen looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "I hadn't considered it that deeply before."

"Well, you can consider it now. If you're willing, I can be your very first client," Zhu Hong offered.

Zhou Yuwen looked puzzled.

Zhu Hong explained, "I came to Jinling on the head office's orders to open up the market. But right now, I'm just a one-woman army. The establishment of the Jinling branch is still barely in its infancy. If possible, Yuwen, could you provide a recommendation for a few outstanding graduating seniors?"

As Zhu Hong spoke, she stared at Zhou Yuwen with a very sincere smile.

Zhou Yuwen admitted that he had never done this kind of work before and knew little about it. However, if Sister Zhu genuinely needed help, he could ask around on her behalf.

"Since there really are many senior male students and senior sisters who will be needing internships next semester, if you want to recruit people, Sister Zhu, you can tell me your requirements, and I will keep an eye out for you."

"Alright, let's add each other on WeChat!" Zhu Hong said.

Zhou Yuwen nodded.

Just like that, the two exchanged WeChat contacts. In the process, they naturally leaned in closer to sit together. Zhu Hong remarked that she would be relying on her little brother to look out for her in Jinling from now on.

Zhou Yuwen humbly brushed it off, saying it was nothing.

"However, for now, I can only recruit a few interns for you, Sister Zhu. For higher-level positions, I probably can't compare to a professional headhunting firm."

Zhu Hong chuckled softly. "That will be more than enough. The head office didn't just send me here alone; I was just hoping to find a few capable young people to assist me."

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Oh, I understand now."

After that, the two did not discuss the matter any further.

In truth, Liu Shuo felt a bit uncomfortable sitting there. He had just heard from Zhao Jun that Gao Bide and his group had dragged Zhou Yuwen out to discuss business. Yet after chattering away for half the day, all they had talked about were trivial recruitment issues.

So, he tugged at Zhao Jun and muttered his dissatisfaction through whispers. "I say, Brother Jun, isn't this way too unreliable? My brother was called all the way out here by you guys, and it turns out it was just for casual chatting? What do you take my brother for? One of your subordinates?"

Zhao Jun looked equally embarrassed and whispered back, "Brother, I didn't lie to you. I really overheard them saying they wanted to acquire your brother's company earlier. Who knows why they are talking about this now? We can't be impatient; we have to hold steady."

"Hold steady, my ass! Just look at that boss of yours, ordering people around. Does he really think my brother is just some little sidekick?"

Zhao Jun could only offer a wry smile.

The two of them exchanged whispers under the table.

Over on the other side, Zhu Hong and Zhou Yuwen were thoroughly enjoying their conversation. She did not bring up the topic of an acquisition, and Zhou Yuwen was in no rush to ask.

At most, she simply mentioned that she would be running a food delivery business in Jinling moving forward.

"Yuwen, you are familiar with this industry. What are your thoughts on it?"

Zhou Yuwen said, "What thoughts could I have? My original intention was merely to make it convenient for my classmates to order meals, and to find stable work for students from difficult family backgrounds."

Unable to coax any further insights out of Zhou Yuwen, Zhu Hong did not press the matter.

After eleven o'clock, the atmosphere outside grew increasingly lively. Someone from Zhao Jun's company came in to announce that the activities were starting outside, and it would soon be midnight.

"The chairman will be here shortly."

Hearing that the chairman was arriving, Gao Bide apologized to Zhu Hong and hurried off.

Naturally, Zhao Jun followed him out.

This left only Zhou Yuwen and a few others in the private room, which felt a bit awkward, so Zhu Hong suggested they go outside together to watch the performances.

Zhou Yuwen nodded in agreement. With that, everyone filed out.

It was bustling outside, with the host on stage tossing out one witty remark after another.

As Zhu Hong and Zhou Yuwen strolled through the hall, she casually asked if he had a girlfriend.

Zhou Yuwen replied that he did.

"Oh, what a pity. I was just thinking of introducing a friend's daughter to you."

Zhou Yuwen chuckled lightly but did not reply.

His attention had been caught by Tao Tian in the distance, who seemed to be facing some difficulties.

Tao Tian was here working part-time today, dressed in a stunning green dress. The gown featured a striking design, with two leaf-like panels on the chest that perfectly cradled her full bust, while tantalizingly revealing a hint of pale, tender skin at the edges. It was a slip dress design, with two thin straps supporting the leaf-like panels, leaving her beautiful shoulder and slender arms fully exposed.

Though the lower half of the dress was long, the slit ran very high.

When she stood, her long legs were thoroughly concealed.

But the moment she sat down, a pair of beautiful legs adorned with silver high-heeled sandals would be put on full display.

At this moment, Tao Tian was not showing off her beautiful legs, but her full bust wrapped in those green leaves was more than enough to draw attention.

In truth, a girl like Tao Tian naturally had suitors at university, but students were generally somewhat timid. Out in the real world, however, she could encounter absolutely any kind of person.

Take today's event, for example. She had run into a balding, middle-aged man wearing a suit.

The moment he laid eyes on Tao Tian, he was practically rooted to the spot.

He kept looking for every possible excuse to strike up a conversation with her.

He asked how much money she made working here.

He boasted that his company just happened to be looking for an administrative assistant, offering a monthly salary of thirty thousand.

"I think your appearance is perfect for the role. Do you want to consider it?"

Tao Tian definitely knew what this middle-aged man was getting at. She tactfully declined, explaining that she was still a student and had no plans to find a job just yet.

Who would have expected the man to resort to relentless harassment, insisting that it did not matter.

If she had no plans now, she could always look for him after she graduated.

"With your stunning looks, you're truly a perfect fit. Here is my business card. Come on, let's at least add each other on WeChat. Hey, getting to know me definitely won't do you any harm. Come on, add my WeChat first!" the middle-aged man said, completely shameless.

Tao Tian said, "We have regulations. We aren't allowed to add people on WeChat during working hours. I apologize."

"Who made that rule? Isn't that a bit too rigid? Who is your boss? Call him out here; I'll talk to him," the middle-aged man demanded, acting as though he were someone incredibly important.

Tao Tian had not wanted to deal with him, but this middle-aged man was as clingy as a toad, trailing after her relentlessly.

Truth be told, there were times when Tao Tian felt genuinely distressed by all this.

This was not her first time stepping into the working world. With a figure as stunning as hers, it certainly was not the first time she had been pestered. She had dealt with similar harassment in the past. The only period of time she had actually felt comfortable was when she was with Zhou Yuwen.

During that time, Zhou Yuwen never made her do frontline work. All she had to do was help arrange tasks for the others. Yet, she had not known to cherish it, stubbornly choosing to throw a tantrum and fight with Zhou Yuwen instead.

And now look at the result. She had been given the cold shoulder by Zhou Yuwen for quite some time.

She had been demoted back to the front lines.

Being harassed on the job was a common occurrence. Whether she was working for Zhou Yuwen or anywhere else, she would be subjected to it—even in her future career.

During the past few days of part-time work, there had always been men taking the initiative to ask for her contact information. Minmin had claimed that this was Qu Jing intentionally messing with them!

"Tian Tian, we were roommates with Jing Jing for three years, after all. Now that she's developed so well, shouldn't she at least make us team leaders? But she actually has us standing here as hostesses! Hmph, if I had known she was so heartless, you never should have introduced her to Zhou Yuwen back then. Now that she's climbed into Zhou Yuwen's bed, she acts like she doesn't even know us."

Tao Tian had been exhausted lately, standing on her feet for an entire day at a time. When she returned to the dormitory, she did not even have the energy to talk to Minmin, only murmuring wearily, "Stop talking nonsense. You don't have any proof."

"What proof do I need? Qu Jing admitted it herself! Didn't she say Zhou Yuwen goes to her place for sleeping every day? Don't tell me they sleep in separate rooms when he's there! How shameless, willingly being the other woman!" Minmin had grumbled through whispers.

To say that Tao Tian had absolutely zero complaints would be a lie.

Especially when she saw Qu Jing strutting around the office so triumphantly.

All day long, Qu Jing wore black silk stockings and high heels, her steps clicking rhythmically back and forth across the office as she sipped coffee or chatted about gossip with the others.

The worst part was how fiercely the other women sucked up to Qu Jing. Flattery and sycophantic praises flowed from their lips endlessly, as if the words cost them nothing.

Women like them possessed incredibly sharp instincts for observing and reading a room.

They could tell at a glance that Qu Jing disliked Tao Tian and Minmin. Therefore, to curry favor with Qu Jing, they deliberately targeted Tao Tian with passive-aggressive, sarcastic remarks.

Some of those girls were even former members of the Arts Department. The very same girls who had once smiled brightly and fawned over Tao Tian were now aiming their most venomous sneers at her.

Sometimes, they would intentionally speak just loud enough for Tao Tian to hear, marveling at how she had the nerve to come back after being chased away.

"She hasn't given up hope, of course. She's still dreaming that President Zhou will take a fancy to her."

"Take a fancy to what? Swaying around all day with those huge boobs—doesn't she find it exhausting?"

"Hahaha!"

When young girls gossiped privately, they held nothing back. They could be far more vicious than one might ever imagine.

Logically speaking, it was true that Tao Tian had been the one to backstab Zhou Yuwen, but there was indeed a group of girls who had eagerly followed her in hopes of securing greater benefits for themselves.

And now, this very same group of girls were the ones cursing Tao Tian the most viciously behind her back.

They acted as if their past transgressions had absolutely nothing to do with them.

As if it had all been solely Tao Tian's idea.

Tao Tian had originally believed that as long as she stayed at Zhou Yuwen's company, she still had a chance with Zhou Yuwen.

But honestly, navigating the current office environment had become incredibly difficult for her.

She had truly witnessed the harsh vicissitudes of human nature.

Sometimes Tao Tian could not help but think that, had she known things would end up this way, she never should have fallen out with Zheng Yanyan. Quietly being the other woman for Zhou Yuwen did not seem so bad after all.

Wagging her tail eagerly in front of him, just like Qu Jing.

At the very least, all these girls would be flocking around her instead.

When she was young and studying, she had learned an idiom called "carving a mark on a moving boat to find a dropped sword." At the time, she thought the protagonist of the story was an idiot. Did he not know that an item dropped into a river would be swept away by the current?

Only after growing up did she realize that most people spent their entire lives stubbornly carving marks on moving boats, clinging to things already lost.

Take Tao Tian, for example. With her figure, her beauty, and her academic background, she was a trump card wherever she went.

She could easily find a wealthy second-generation heir.

It was not even an exaggeration to say that a horde of young men from privileged families would be willing to act as her devoted lapdogs for life. She could thrive effortlessly in any major corporation.

Yet, to the current Tao Tian, none of that seemed to matter.

After working at Zhou Yuwen's company for over a week and enduring everyone's bitter sarcasm, all Tao Tian could think about was regaining Zhou Yuwen's favor. Even if she could not be his girlfriend, even if she was merely a little mistress—as long as Zhou Yuwen liked her, that would be enough.

In a way, this was its own form of carving a mark on a moving boat.

Unfortunately, those involved are always blind to the truth.

Right now, even though Tao Tian was being harassed by a sleazy middle-aged man...

She didn't think to herself, 'I'm going to quit as soon as I get back!'

Instead, she only stood there wallowing in regret, wishing she had not started that fight with Zhou Yuwen.

If only she had been a bit more content back then and quietly stayed by his side, how could she have possibly ended up in such a miserable state today?

Alas, everything was her own doing. She had brought this upon herself.

If she were ever given another chance, she would absolutely behave herself.

Even if she had to throw away her dignity just like Qu Jing, she would do it!

Watching the middle-aged man blocking her path and aggressively demanding to see her boss...

Zhou Yuwen took in the sight of Tao Tian's predicament. In his heart, he could not help but think that this girl really was not suited to putting herself out in the public eye.

"I am her boss. May I ask what the problem is?" Zhou Yuwen finally walked over.