Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 161: Everyday Transitions, Business Elements, and 13 Million in Cash

As the video was sent out, Tao Tian's face flushed deeply. Her head felt hot, a reflection of her internal turmoil. She knew that Zhou Yuwen's attitude toward her remained ambiguous.But she couldn't help it—she liked Zhou Yuwen too much.

“?” Zhou Yuwen replied with a question mark.

Tao Tian responded, “A reward for you.”

“What reward?” he asked.

“A reward for protecting the girls in our Arts Department tonight.”

“Oh.”

Zhou Yuwen’s reply was cold, leaving Tao Tian feeling hollow. Her excitement fizzled into disappointment. She had hoped for more warmth, perhaps even flirtation, from him.

Had Zhou Yuwen responded with a risqué joke, Tao Tian would have been thrilled. But after a few minutes, he sent a more sobering message: “Don’t casually send private videos like this to others. I’ve deleted it.”

To emphasize his point, Zhou Yuwen sent a screenshot of their chat, proving he had indeed deleted the video.

This message plunged Tao Tian into an emotional abyss. Her heart sank, and her nose tingled with an unspoken ache.

After a while, seeing no further messages from Zhou Yuwen, Tao Tian sent another: “You’re the first guy I’ve sent a video like this to because I trust you.”

Zhou Yuwen replied, “You can never truly know someone.”

“I’m two years older than you, yet I feel like a child in front of you.”

“I always feel immature no matter what I do in front of you, like you can see right through me.”

Tao Tian bared her vulnerability, using a metaphor: she felt like a little puppy exposing its belly, seeking attention, but Zhou Yuwen wouldn’t even glance her way.

Late-night ambiguities rose between them.

Zhou Yuwen finally said, “Why bother?”

“I have a girlfriend.”

“I know,” Tao Tian replied, “but I still can’t accept it.”

Zhou Yuwen then said, “It’s late. I need to sleep.”

“Okay, you go ahead. I won’t be able to sleep anyway,” Tao Tian replied, painting herself as pitiful in the conversation.

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Yuwen asked.

“Because I keep thinking about you. My head is full of you, so I can’t sleep,” Tao Tian admitted, growing bolder.

“…”

Zhou Yuwen sent an ellipsis.

“?” Tao Tian replied with a question mark.

“Drinking some milk might help,” he suggested.

“There’s no milk in the dorm.”

“…”

“Are you selling ellipses now? Hmph!”

Zhou Yuwen sent a grinning emoji.

This frustrated Tao Tian, prompting her to exclaim that Zhou Yuwen was infuriating.

He replied, “You can’t beat me anyway.”

Tao Tian teased, “Would you even dare hit me?”

Zhou Yuwen answered, “Of course not.”

That one sentence warmed Tao Tian’s heart.

“I have a question for you,” she said.

“Go ahead.”

“If, and I’m just saying if, you weren’t dating Zheng Yanyan, would you consider me?”

There was a pause, making Tao Tian nervous. After what felt like an eternity, Zhou Yuwen finally responded:

“Yes.”

Just that one word—“yes”—made Tao Tian smile uncontrollably. She sent him a wide-grinning emoji available only on iPhones.

“I’m so happy,” she said. “Even though it’s just hypothetical, hearing you say that still makes me happy. I almost fell off my bed just now. Qu Jing and the others asked me what happened! (laugh-cry emoji).”

“Be careful,” Zhou Yuwen replied.

After some more chatting, Zhou Yuwen urged her, “Get some rest. Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I’m feeling much better now. I think I can sleep now (laugh emoji).”

“Good night,” Zhou Yuwen said.

“Good night (emoji),” Tao Tian replied, sending a pouting bunny asking for a kiss.

Zhou Yuwen didn’t respond further. He had been chatting not just with Tao Tian but also with Zheng Yanyan and Lu Lin.

Zhou Yuwen initiated a conversation with Lu Lin, asking, “Why did you grab a bottle earlier?”

“To fight,” Lu Lin said.

Zhou Yuwen patted her on the shoulder, laughing. “You? A little girl like you, who can you beat?”

“I’ll still fight.”

“Cool.”

“Going to sleep.”

“You’re so cold to your man?”

“What else? Didn’t I already give it to you today?”

“Still want more.”

“I can come over now.”

“Watch out for Yanyan tearing you apart.”

“She can’t beat me.”

“…”

Zhou Yuwen said, “In the future, just stay behind me in situations like this.” Check latest chapters at noᴠelfire.net

“What kind of man can’t handle such trivial matters?”

“Are you really a mob boss?”

“You guess!”

“(pout emoji).”

Their chats often stretched until the early hours. Zhou Yuwen would then bid all the girls goodnight, finally setting his phone aside for a deep sleep.

### The Next Morning

The sun rose as usual. After a quick wash, Zhou Yuwen drove to the cafeteria for a simple breakfast before casually strolling to the classroom.

Before long, classmates trickled in, gossiping about last night’s freshman gala—a campus-wide event. Discussions ranged from who looked handsome to who was stunningly beautiful.

One classmate approached Zhou Yuwen, asking, “Hey, did you check the school forum? Your girlfriend is currently leading the campus belle vote.”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Zhou Yuwen replied nonchalantly.

His lack of modesty drew laughter from everyone.

Liu Yue teased, “With such a pretty girlfriend, aren’t you afraid she’ll leave you?”

“I’ve got skills to keep her,” Zhou Yuwen retorted.

“And you better watch your handsome boyfriend,” he added.

“Hmph~” Liu Yue huffed, visibly pleased as Zhou Yuwen praised her boyfriend. “That’s none of your concern~”

More classmates arrived, including Chang Hao and Li Qiang. They gathered around Zhou Yuwen, exchanging casual banter before roll call began.

Throughout the morning, Zhou Yuwen exchanged messages with Tao Tian. She sent a photo, showcasing her cheongsam outfit paired with red high heels for her part-time job. Zhou Yuwen complimented her with a thumbs-up emoji, saying, “Beautiful.”

Their relationship remained in a gray area—Tao Tian, fully aware of Zhou Yuwen’s girlfriend, still flirted boldly, aiming to win his heart. Zhou Yuwen didn’t outright reject her, finding their chats enjoyable.

After a few classes, Zhou Yuwen excused himself. Today marked his first day managing the courier station, and he needed to check if everything was running smoothly.

Business Ventures and Investments

By the end of October, Zhou Yuwen’s financial situation saw significant improvement. His investment in Hong Kong had yielded a sixfold return, converting it into 13 million in cash.

Returning to Jinling, he felt the cold breeze brush past as he stepped off the plane.

Ah, autumn had truly arrived.