Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 521: You've Completely Disgraced the Jiang Family

In reality, it was not as exaggerated as Qu Jing made it out to be. As it stood, Zhou Yuwen only had two main residences where he stayed: one with Tao Tian, and the other with Zheng Yanyan.He had spent most of his recent time with Tao Tian and Qu Jing, so he naturally needed to carve out some time to accompany Zheng Yanyan and the others.

Since it happened to be the National Day Golden Week, Zheng Yanyan lay prone in Zhou Yuwen's arms, acting coquettishly as she begged him to take them on a trip to Xi'an City.

Figuring he had nothing else going on anyway, Zhou Yuwen decided to just pack up the car and hit the road.

Naturally, there were more than just the three of them on this trip. His bodyguards drove Jeeps, trailing them from a distance, and would not show themselves unless something actually happened.

By 2014, the domestic tourism industry was already beginning to take off, and the thousand-year-old ancient capital of Xi'an City was slowly gaining momentum.

Zhou Yuwen brought the two girls around Xi'an City for about five days, wandering through every street and also visiting the famous Grand Tang Everbright City.

Lu Lin maintained her usual quiet and aloof temperament, generally just following by Zhou Yuwen's side without saying a word. Zheng Yanyan, on the other hand, was much more boisterous, exclaiming in excitement wherever she went and constantly pestering Zhou Yuwen to take pictures of her.

The two girls were dressed as if they were experiencing entirely different seasons. Zheng Yanyan was still in summer mode, wearing a small white camisole that left her beautiful belly button exposed, paired with dark blue bootcut jeans. Her thighs were already attractive, and the bootcut jeans made her legs look even more slender and long.

Wearing a breezy pair of high heels, she found everything completely novel no matter where she ran, pestering Zhou Yuwen to snap photos of her.

"Hubby, Hubby, right here! We haven't taken a picture here yet!"

Meanwhile, Lu Lin had already put on a black windbreaker paired with black flare pants, wrapping herself up tightly. When they came out to shop that night, she huddled her shoulders, looking as if she were genuinely freezing.

It made sense. Before they knew it, it was already October.

The summer of that year had slipped away just like that.

Having come to Xi'an City, the two girls definitely had to change into traditional Chinese costumes. At first, Lu Lin refused, simply because she felt it was too cold. Who on earth would wear a camisole in the late autumn chill of October?

Zheng Yanyan was unconvinced, pointing out that there were girls wearing camisoles all over the street.

Well, fair enough.

Lu Lin remarked, "That just proves they are stubbornly braving the cold."

"Oh, come on, my dear Linlin, just change with me! It was so hard for us to make a trip to Xi'an City. Just pretend you're dressing up for our hubby to see. Our hubby definitely wants to see it too. Right, Hubby?" Seeing that Lu Lin refused to change, Zheng Yanyan had no choice but to act coquettishly toward her while seeking help from Zhou Yuwen.

Lu Lin looked over at Zhou Yuwen and asked him, "Do you want to see?"

Watching Zheng Yanyan winking and making faces at him, Zhou Yuwen could not help but smile helplessly. "Since we are already here, we might as well experience it for a day, right?" he replied.

"Exactly, exactly! A daily experience!" Zheng Yanyan caught Zhou Yuwen's drift and played along perfectly.

Lu Lin could do nothing against these two.

They went straight to a shop in Grand Tang Everbright City to pick out traditional Chinese costumes. Lu Lin honestly could not comprehend it.

'Did ancient people actually wear this stuff?'

'Were the ancients really this open-minded?'

A specialized shop assistant smiled and explained that during the Tang Dynasty, women truly were quite liberated in their dress.

The assistant then continued to talk and laugh while explaining the historical context.

Lu Lin remained half-skeptical. Her point was that even if society was open-minded back then, these kinds of clothes were definitely worn by wealthy families. What normal person would wear something like this?

That logic was sound, but nowadays, who was not treating themselves like a wealthy daughter?

In any case, Zheng Yanyan was interested in anything that could make her look beautiful, and she was already sitting there getting her makeup done, feeling completely justified and at ease.

Seeing that Zheng Yanyan had already started her makeup, Lu Lin sighed in resignation and picked out an outfit for herself.

Not long after, the two of them emerged with their makeup finished.

Truth be told, they looked absolutely stunning in traditional Chinese costumes.

Though called traditional Chinese costumes, the designs actually catered very much to modern aesthetics, basically consisting of an outer robe paired with a camisole.

Moreover, Zheng Yanyan had never liked wearing her clothes properly. With playful cunning, she allowed the outer robe to deliberately slide off her shoulders down to her arms, exposing the camisole embroidered with a lotus flower underneath. Her hair was styled high up, complemented by her exquisite makeup.

This sudden appearance truly made Zhou Yuwen's eyes light up.

Zheng Yanyan happily ran up to Zhou Yuwen and said, "Hubby, Hubby, look! Do I look like a wealthy daughter from ancient times?"

Looking at her casual and unrestrained posture, Zhou Yuwen could not help but shake his head. "To be honest, you really don't."

"How could I not?"

"You look more like a hostess welcoming guests at a brothel."

Zhou Yuwen covered his mouth, snickering.

At first, when Zheng Yanyan heard 'hostess,' she did not quite grasp the implication. But after a moment's thought, she quickly caught on and instantly puffed up with indignation. "Oh, you! How dare you call me that!"

She swung her small fists, aiming to playfully hit Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen laughed and dodged away, even pulling Lu Lin over to use as a human shield.

Lu Lin was left utterly speechless by the two of them and flatly demanded to know if they could act just a little more mature.

Zheng Yanyan, however, felt wronged, claiming that Zhou Yuwen was the one constantly bullying her.

After the two girls changed into their traditional Chinese costumes, Zhou Yuwen took them for another stroll down the main streets. This time, Zheng Yanyan did not just take photos; she also recorded short videos and badgered Lu Lin into dancing a little routine with her.

When it got quite late, Zhou Yuwen booked a very unique hotel near Everbright City. In local terms, it was an ancient inn. The interior decoration and architecture were entirely antique-style, and even the exterior resembled an ancient two-story building with high, swooping eaves.

Zhou Yuwen booked the largest room available, which came with a private hot spring.

The two little ancient beauties gently slipped out of their silk garments.

A pair of fair, pristine thighs emerged from beneath the skirts.

Their legs were still wrapped in matching hosiery, professionally known as silk stockings.

Who could possibly endure such a sight? Wasting no words, Zhou Yuwen lunged right in.

As the old saying goes, with no pressing matters today, one might as well enjoy the pleasures of the brothel.

Untying a modern set of underwear and untying a traditional Chinese bra served the exact same purpose, but the experience was entirely different.

Zheng Yanyan was wearing a small red traditional Chinese bra, while Lu Lin wore a purple one.

Zhou Yuwen took them on one by one. Today, he truly embodied the poetic sentiment: my clothes grow looser, yet I regret nothing; I wither away for her sake.

However, during the exact same few days that Zhou Yuwen was enjoying himself with Lu Lin and Zheng Yanyan...

Jiang Xinyi's mother, Liu Jing, was on the verge of dying from anger because of her daughter.

She never could have imagined that the daughter she had so painstakingly raised would act so immaturely.

"Do you think you are still a child?"

"Making a scene like a complete shrew in front of so many people—what on earth were you trying to achieve?"

Liu Jing's face was livid. Ever since the night of Liu Dongqiang and Zhang Tianze's engagement party, the incident of Jiang Xinyi choosing to curse in the street right outside Zhou Yuwen's room had already spread throughout Jinling's upper-class circles.

It was an absolutely colossal joke.

Liu Jing had always maintained a high-end, sophisticated image. Their family was not just wealthy; more importantly, they were an old, established aristocratic family with a legacy spanning several generations.

When Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi broke up, things had ended on a rather unpleasant note. Though most people did not know the exact reason for the split, Liu Jing had openly stated that Zhou Yuwen was not worthy of her daughter, and since it was over, it was over.

After all, he came from a humble background; his vision and perspective simply did not match their family's standing.

But right after she had made those claims, Jiang Xinyi had gone and completely undermined her.

She had boasted about their family being a prestigious lineage, but look what happened?

Her daughter acted like an abandoned wife, crying and throwing a tantrum right at his door.

And the worst part was, she did not even win the argument.

She ended up getting utterly humiliated by some random little lass from who-knew-where.

Was there any gossip more entertaining than this to watch the drama unfold? Now, all of Liu Jing's friends were spreading rumors that Zhou Yuwen had dumped Jiang Xinyi.

And to make matters worse, Jiang Xinyi had unwillingly crawled back to him, refusing to let go.

Haha, Liu Jing truly had raised a fine daughter.

These whispers left Liu Jing unable to hold her head up in her social circles. As soon as she got home, she could not hold back and began to scold her daughter severely.

At this moment, although Jiang Xinyi had sobered up, her cheeks were still flushed bright red.

Upon realizing how furious her mother was, she merely showed disdain.

She declared that if she lost face, then so be it.

"I've already lost count of how many times I've lost face anyway!" Jiang Xinyi pouted, looking rather adorable as she did so.

She was actually telling the truth. Speaking of losing face...

'Could anything be more embarrassing than what happened at the gala that night?'

However, her words were far too irresponsible. Liu Jing retorted, "So now that you've completely ruined your own reputation, you've decided to ruin my face too, is that it?"

Jiang Xinyi had just been dragged out of bed by Liu Jing. She was sober but still half-asleep and groggy. "Did I ruin your face? It's my own business. What does it have to do with you?" she mumbled.

Liu Jing stared at Jiang Xinyi, who was entirely willing to abandon herself to despair, and felt she might actually die of sheer exasperation. Gripping Jiang Xinyi's shoulders with both hands, she told her in absolute seriousness that she was no longer a child.

"You said you wanted to start a business. I begged your father for a long time before he finally handed the real estate company over to your management. You are now the primary person in charge of Heartjoy Real Estate. Every word you say and every move you make represents your company. Look at the state of you right now. Do you honestly think that if I were an investor, I would pour money into a company run like this?"

Only after Liu Jing said this did Jiang Xinyi's mind gradually begin to clear.

Liu Jing sighed and told Jiang Xinyi, "Whatever was between you and Zhou Yuwen is over. I'd love nothing more than for the two of you to get back together, but the problem now isn't on our end. He already has a new girlfriend. It is truly over between you two."

"If you are truly my daughter, you should hold your head high. Just as you said before, prove yourself in the business world and make him look at you with new eyes."

Jiang Xinyi fell silent for a moment before she could not help but ask, "Which family does his new girlfriend belong to? Is she another wealthy Miss?"

"..."

Liu Jing looked at Jiang Xinyi and remained silent for a long while before finally saying, "She's not a Miss from some rich family. She's just an ordinary person. A sophomore at Jinling University with excellent grades. I hear she wins a scholarship every year."

Hearing this, Jiang Xinyi could not help but look at her mother with new eyes. "Madam Liu, you certainly seem to know quite a lot about her?"

Liu Jing rolled her eyes. "It's not that I know a lot. Thanks to you, that girl is practically famous now."

"?"

On the day of the engagement banquet, Jiang Xinyi making a scene outside the room seemed like a minor incident. However, one had to remember that the guests attending the engagement banquet were all prominent figures with real status. Li Shiqi was not famous, but Jiang Xinyi was famous, and Zhou Yuwen was famous too!

Caught right in the middle between the two of them, it was hard for Li Shiqi not to become famous.

Everyone was gossiping, saying, "Good heavens, no wonder Zhou Yuwen dumped the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. It turns out he found himself such a formidable young girl."

This girl was also a student at Jinling University.

Her academic grades were actually quite good?

Sigh, was giving up the Jiang family's tens of billions in fortune for an ordinary girl really worth it?

"Why wouldn't it be worth it? At the very least, he gets to live a relaxed and free life. It is not like he lacks money anyway. Think about it—that woman from the Jiang family is six years older than Zhou Yuwen. If given the choice, who would choose someone six years older than themselves?"

"That's true."

Originally, these matters were only circulating within the business circles, just something for people to gossip about after tea and dinner. But somehow, some family's kid managed to bring the topic straight onto the university campus.

After all, Jinling University was the best university in all of Jinling, so there was bound to be some overlap with those social circles. Thus, the wilder the story got as it spread.

By the end of it all, one thing was confirmed as absolute fact.

And that was that Li Shiqi was Zhou Yuwen's new girlfriend.

"What? Our school's Li Shiqi is that Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend?"

"It's absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes that day! It looked like she snatched him right out of Jiang Xinyi's hands."

"Damn, seriously? I actually know this Li Shiqi. She usually looks so fragile and weak. I never expected her to be so scheming!"

"I know, right!"

For Li Shiqi, this situation carried both pros and cons. Most people had not actually witnessed what happened with their own eyes, but one detail was undeniable: Li Shiqi had personally admitted to being Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend.

With the recent start of freshman year, several girls who had just entered university felt the stirring of romantic feelings upon learning that the school had such an impressive senior male student. There was even a post on the campus forum asking: "Does anyone know if Senior Zhou Yuwen has a girlfriend right now?"

Beneath the post, quite a few people took it upon themselves to list out all of Zhou Yuwen's past girlfriends.

And in the last few days, some fresh gossip had been added to the mix.

That's right, Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend was Jinling University's Li Shiqi, and he had even taken her to Liu Dongqiang's engagement banquet.

"Liu Dongqiang? You mean that billionaire?"

"Yes, that's him!"

"Zhou Yuwen actually got to attend his engagement banquet?"

"Isn't that obvious? Did you think Zhou Yuwen was just a broke student like the rest of us? Don't forget, the guy is a billionaire too."

Put that way, it was completely true.

Well, since they mostly only saw figures like Liu Dongqiang on the internet, whereas Zhou Yuwen was right there beside them on campus, they had a bit of trouble reconciling the two concepts.

But thinking about it now, they suddenly felt that Zhou Yuwen was incredibly impressive.

Rumor had it that Liu Dongqiang had booked the entire Shangri-La Grand Hotel for his engagement to Sister Milk Tea.

"Doesn't that mean Zhou Yuwen got to see Sister Milk Tea in person?"

"Duh, they're good friends. I even have a photo of them right here."

"I'm so envious of that Li Shiqi. How is she so lucky?"

Because an insider had leaked the details, Li Shiqi's situation simply could not be kept under wraps.

After the National Day Golden Week passed, the campus grew crowded once more. Li Shiqi went about her routine as usual, studying when she needed to study, and eating when it was time to eat.

On this particular day, she headed to the school cafeteria for a meal just like normal. But for some inexplicable reason, she noticed that quite a few people seemed to be discussing her in hushed tones.

'Was it just an illusion?'

Li Shiqi lifted her head, but they all immediately looked away.

Li Shiqi could not figure it out, until she returned to her dormitory.

Her roommates swarmed around her like crazy, inspecting Li Shiqi from top to bottom, left to right.

Li Shiqi blinked her large eyes and asked them, "Is... is something the matter?"

"Shiqi, are you hiding something from us?" one of them asked solemnly.

"Hmm? No, I'm not?"

"Stop pretending! Are you dating Zhou Yuwen?"

"Huh?" Li Shiqi was completely bewildered.