Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 350: Not Pretending Anymore, Laying the Cards on the Table

Peng Xiaoyong really was not good with words. He had only spoken a few sentences, but they left everyone unable to respond, creating a wave of awkwardness. The main issue was that he had not actually said anything wrong. Under normal circumstances, Zhou Yuwen was indeed just an ordinary university student. What kind of help could he possibly offer? It was better for him not to be adding to the trouble.However, Liu Shuo, who was sitting next to Zhou Yuwen, felt somewhat annoyed listening to his arrogant posturing. 'What the hell is this fake foreigner so full of himself for?' he thought. 'Meituan? Do you even know what Meituan is?'

Liu Shuo was just about to stand up and speak, but Zhou Yuwen stopped him. Zhou Yuwen felt there was no need to make his older cousin look bad right here.

Perhaps Peng Xiaoyong's words had indeed caused a chill to fall over the room, so his eldest aunt quickly stepped in to smooth things over for her son. "Xiaoyong, watch how you speak! Your uncle's family has taken such good care of you. What is wrong with treating your younger cousin to a meal when you go to Jinling?"

"Yuwen, do not mind him. Your cousin just has this kind of temper. Once he and your sister-in-law go to Jinling, you can visit him to hang out anytime!" his eldest aunt said to Zhou Yuwen with a cheerful smile.

Zhou Yuwen smiled and replied that they would talk about it when the time came.

His eldest aunt then asked Zhou Yuwen how things were at the university and if he was living in the dormitory. "Otherwise, in my opinion, you might as well move out. You could live with your cousin and his girlfriend so you can all look out for each other."

"Do you agree, brother?"

As she spoke, his eldest aunt looked over at Zhou Guobin.

Before Zhou Guobin could even respond, Peng Xiaoyong had already frowned and spoken up. "Mom, who knows where Yuwen is currently studying. We need to find an apartment close to our workplace."

"Then just rent a place near your work. Yuwen is a student anyway, so it will not matter if he is a bit further from the school. Right, Yuwen?"

Without waiting for Zhou Yuwen to reply, Peng Xiaoyong frowned and interrupted his mother. He stated bluntly that since he and Lu Wanting were returning as highly qualified talents, they were entitled to housing subsidies and did not need his uncle's help.

By saying this, Peng Xiaoyong was essentially giving his mother no face at all.

The relatives maintained neutral expressions on the surface, but secretly, they were already snickering.

His eldest aunt had been proud and stubborn in her youth, but that was a long time ago. After experiencing the hardships of life, everyone understood the importance of money. Her husband was just an honest, hardworking laborer. Sending Peng Xiaoyong abroad to study abroad had completely drained their life savings. The only reason she wanted her son to share an apartment with Zhou Yuwen was to get Zhou Guobin to foot the bill.

Peng Xiaoyong knew what his mother was implying, but he felt it was entirely unnecessary.

"You child, what kind of nonsense are you saying? Even if Yuwen is not there, your uncle would still help you," his eldest aunt muttered quietly, her old face flushing red from her son's bluntness.

She then stole a quick glance at Zhou Guobin.

Zhou Guobin kept his head down and sipped his tea, pretending he had not heard a word.

In truth, Peng Xiaoyong despised seeing his mother act this way. It was not as if he lacked the ability of making money, so why did she always have to act so subservient? Besides, his girlfriend was sitting right there; speaking like that was incredibly humiliating.

Originally, Peng Xiaoyong's mother had hoped to ask Zhou Guobin to sponsor a simple commuter car for her son. However, Peng Xiaoyong's outburst completely shut down that possibility, leaving her unable to utter another word on the matter.

Afterward, another relative changed the topic, asking about things overseas.

This temporarily eased the awkward situation, and the atmosphere around the dining table grew much livelier.

When a large extended family gathered for a meal, it was impossible for every topic to be so uncomfortable. In reality, everyone got along fairly harmoniously; the main source of tension was simply the feeling of disconnect with the eldest aunt's family.

As the meal progressed, people broke off into their own separate conversations.

Given that Peng Xiaoyong had returned from a study abroad program, his knowledge and broadened horizons were naturally far beyond what the others could compare to. He chatted confidently with his aunts and uncles, frequently mentioning how things were done domestically, but claiming that things were completely different overseas, and detailing exactly how foreign countries operated.

His aunts and uncles listened very attentively, as did several of his younger cousins.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuwen and his two companions simply kept their heads down and focused on eating their meal.

They had gotten on the expressway at eleven in the morning and only arrived home in the evening. If anyone asked if they were tired, the answer was undoubtedly yes. Furthermore, they had not eaten local hometown cuisine for an entire semester. Now, the table was covered with familiar dishes like stir-fried chicken, braised fish, and hand-grabbed lamb—all spicy, appetizing, and hearty meals.

It tasted incredibly delicious.

Even so, Liu Shuo muttered a complaint, "Bro, this cousin of yours really knows how to put on an act!"

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Why do you care? Let him do whatever he wants."

Liu Shuo let out a soft chuckle and said, "That is true."

"Just wait until we are back in Jinling. See how I teach him a lesson on how to behave," Liu Shuo whispered.

Zhou Yuwen glanced at him and retorted, "Look at you acting so capable. You are just a junior college dog, yet you want to teach someone else how to behave."

Liu Shuo chuckled mischievously. "What is wrong with my junior college degree? I am in a junior college, and I am proud of it!"

While Zhou Yuwen and his friends were chatting quietly in the corner, someone approached to speak with him.

It was his fourth aunt.

His fourth aunt noted that Zhou Yuwen had lost weight, but added that he was looking much more like an adult now.

Zhou Yuwen offered his fourth aunt a warm smile.

Zhou Yuwen still held a deep affection for his fourth aunt's family. When he was young, his parents had been too busy with work to pick him up for lunch, so he almost always ate at his fourth aunt's house. Back then, she would always prepare a table full of delicious food for him.

His fourth aunt asked Zhou Yuwen how things were going in Jinling.

"Are there any universities suitable for your younger cousin?"

Her daughter was the quiet younger cousin who had barely spoken outside earlier. Her name was Liu Yilin, and she was in her final year of high school this year. Her grades were fairly decent; getting into a second-tier university would be a breeze, but she would need to work hard to reach a first-tier one.

He remembered that in his past life, his cousin had attended a first-tier university in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, which was quite a good school.

When they were young, Zhou Yuwen had a rather good relationship with his cousin Liu Yilin. However, as they grew older and gradually lost touch, their bond had faded.

Zhou Yuwen recalled that while his cousin had always been quiet, she had never been quite this withdrawn. Now, she was overly silent, bordering on completely introverted.

Zhou Yuwen told his fourth aunt that with his cousin's grades, getting into a second-tier university would be completely effortless, but the final choice would depend on what she wanted.

"It would be nice if she came to study in Jinling, as I could take care of her. However, if she prefers to go to university somewhere else, I will fully support her," Zhou Yuwen explained.

Hearing this, his fourth aunt let out a long sigh. "With her temperament, I really do not feel at ease sending her anywhere else. I was thinking of sending her to Jinling, where you and your older cousin could keep an eye on her!"

The eldest aunt happened to overhear this remark and quickly interjected, "Fourth Sister, you can rest assured. Once Yilin goes to Jinling, our Xiaoyong will definitely help take care of her. When girls are away from home, they absolutely need someone to look after them!"

His fourth aunt nodded, expressing deep agreement with the sentiment.

Soon after, the fourth aunt was pulled away by the eldest aunt for a chat.

Seeing her own son completely absorbed in devouring his food, Zhou Yuwen's mother felt a bit displeased. 'You brat, how do you only know how to eat?' she thought.

'These are all your relatives and friends, yet you do not even know how to greet them properly!'

"Zhou Yuwen, I think Auntie wants something from you," Su Qing whispered softly to him.

Zhou Yuwen looked up, only to see his mother shooting him a pointed glare.

Zhou Yuwen completely understood the meaning behind her look, but he thought to himself, 'It is not like I can even get a word in edgewise here.'

At that moment, his little cousin Erya skipped over to Zhou Yuwen with another younger cousin in tow and asked, "Brother, have you finished eating!?"

Normally, they would use the formal titles for older cousins, but because Zhou Yuwen was closer to these younger girls, the little brats just called him 'Brother'.

Zhou Yuwen effortlessly scooped her up into his arms and teased, "What is it? Did you miss your big brother?"

Relying on his impressive strength, Zhou Yuwen swung her through the air like an airplane, making his little cousin burst into a fit of giggles. She squealed, "Brother, once you are done eating, drive your BMW and take us out for a spin!"

Her voice was not particularly loud, but when the others caught the words 'your BMW', they froze for a second. Their immediate first reaction was: 'What? Did Zhou Guobin buy a BMW for his son? Does he really have the guts to do that?'

In an instant, every relative at the table turned their gaze toward Zhou Yuwen.

Completely ignoring the stares, Zhou Yuwen lightly pinched Erya's nose and said, "You little rascal, how old are you, and you already know about driving BMWs? Are you going to be driving Porsches and Ferraris when you grow up?"

"What are those?" Erya blinked innocently.

Alright, it seemed she still had no idea what those cars were.

Zhou Yuwen had no intention of taking Erya out to play, but the little girl stubbornly clung to him. She had previously seen her classmate Huang Xiaoshuai's family driving a BMW, and the boy had even tried to show off to her. He had claimed he would not let her ride in it and would take another girl from their class instead.

This had infuriated Erya to no end. She was determined to go back today and tell Huang Xiaoshuai: 'My brother has a BMW too! And my brother's BMW is bigger than yours!'

Erya kept tugging at Zhou Yuwen's sleeve, throwing a playful fuss.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled and said, "Cry for me, and I will take you out to play." "Ah," promptly, Erya began forcing out fake tears.

Zhou Yuwen burst into laughter. "You little rascal, you actually cry on command?"

Zhou Yuwen's mother grew slightly displeased, frowning and shooting her son a look that ordered him to stop teasing his cousin.

Meanwhile, one of the relatives across the table asked Zhou Guobin, "Oh my, brother, did you buy Yuwen a car?"

Zhou Guobin shook his head and replied, "I certainly do not have the spare cash to buy him a car."

"Then why is Erya saying her brother drives a BMW?" someone pressed.

"Yeah, brother, you really spoil Yuwen rotten!"

Initially, the various aunts and uncles had all been surrounding Peng Xiaoyong, peppering him with questions.

This was the first time Peng Xiaoyong had ever experienced the feeling of being the center of attention at a family gathering. Yet, in the blink of an eye, all his glory had been stolen by Zhou Yuwen's supposed 'BMW'.

Truthfully, Peng Xiaoyong was genuinely upset.

He had previously discussed with his mother about buying a secondhand commuter car first, but his family could only scrape together a maximum of twenty thousand yuan to support him.

And yet, Zhou Yuwen was already driving a BMW at such a young age?

A group of relatives badgered Zhou Guobin, their voices tinged with a teasing tone. After all, everyone knew that Zhou Guobin had a solid financial foundation, but no one actually knew exactly how much wealth he possessed.

But now, Zhou Yuwen had bought a BMW while still a freshman in university.

This clearly proved that their family was finally showing their wealth.

Zhou Guobin found himself utterly unable to defend himself against the accusations, and he could not help but ask Zhou Yuwen what was going on.

Zhou Yuwen hoisted Erya onto his knee and smiled brightly. "How could my dad possibly buy me a BMW! Erya is just tricking you."

"I am not!"

Erya immediately became anxious upon hearing this. She was a good kid; how could she possibly tell a lie!

"He really did drive here in a BMW! And my brother's BMW is super, super big! It is even bigger than my classmate's car, like this big!" Erya exclaimed, stretching her arms wide to gesture the size.

Zhou Yuwen had originally intended to deny the claim completely.

But who could have predicted that Erya would immediately dig her hand straight into his pocket. "His car keys are still right here!"

This little brat had incredibly sharp eyes!

It turned out she had been keeping an eye on his BMW this entire time!

Caught red-handed with the evidence, there was no way for him to deny it now.

One of the sharper-eyed relatives not only spotted the car key, but more importantly, noticed that the key clearly had 'X7' written on it!

"Are you serious! Erya, hand that key to your youngest uncle so I can take a look. Is this not the key to an X7? Goodness, Yuwen, you drive this car?"

His youngest uncle repeatedly gasped in utter astonishment.

A BMW X7! That was a luxury car worth over a million yuan!

Several other relatives also crowded around to examine the car key.

At this revelation, Zhou Guobin could no longer remain seated. A car worth millions?

'Are you trying to get your old man fired?'

Zhou Guobin's face instantly hardened, and he sternly demanded that Zhou Yuwen explain exactly what was going on.

Zhou Yuwen offered a wry smile and replied that there was nothing to explain.

"It is an X7. You have a good eye, youngest uncle."

This left absolutely everyone stunned, and they all turned their eyes to Zhou Guobin.

Zhou Guobin demanded, "Where did you get it?"

"I bought it myself."

"You bought it yourself? Where did you get the money yourself?"

"Do you guys not watch the news?"

At that moment, the entire table of relatives stared at Zhou Yuwen in absolute disbelief.

The fact that Zhou Yuwen owned a million-yuan luxury car.

Was infinitely more shocking than Peng Xiaoyong returning from his study abroad.

To be completely honest, aside from Peng Xiaoyong feeling a sense of superiority about his studies overseas, the others merely flattered him a little. As for his future prospects, no one could truly say for sure how things would turn out.

But Zhou Yuwen's million-yuan luxury car was entirely different!

Truly, seeing a relative thrive was sometimes more agonizing for people than being killed themselves.

Even though Zhou Guobin held a relatively high position, working within the government system meant that everyone's living standards were roughly the same.

The problem was that his child was driving a BMW X7!

"News, what news?"

Seeing everyone staring blankly at each other, Zhou Yuwen could not help but find it amusing. "Ahem, then I will forward the news article to the family group chat. You guys can take a look."

With that, Zhou Yuwen opened the 'A Loving Family' group chat that he had muted for a long time.

He found the news article titled "Genius Writer Earns a Million a Month", clicked, and forwarded it.

Immediately, every single relative at the table lowered their heads to look at their phones.

Good heavens! The title alone was enough to leave them reeling in shock.

Even Zhou Yuwen's parents looked down at their screens.

Peng Xiaoyong had originally been baffled as to how his younger cousin suddenly possessed a luxury car. Now, hearing Zhou Yuwen's words, he felt completely bewildered.

'If you want to say something, just spit it out,' he thought to himself. 'Why bother sending it to the group chat?'

Beside Peng Xiaoyong, Lu Wanting also blinked curiously, leaning down to peek at his phone screen.

Su Qing turned to Zhou Yuwen and asked, "Your family has a group chat? How come I was never invited in?"

Zhou Yuwen chuckled softly, exchanging whispers with Su Qing beneath the table. "Why would you want to join this garbage group chat?"

As the relatives finished reading the entire article, their faces became completely consumed by shock.

If something like this had happened to a stranger, they would not have been surprised in the slightest.

But for it to happen within their own family, that was truly...

Too spectacular.

Everyone lifted their heads, their gazes locking onto Zhou Yuwen with sheer disbelief.

"Wow, your younger cousin makes three million yuan a month!" Lu Wanting could not hold back an exclamation of pure awe.

That single sentence struck a devastating blow directly to Peng Xiaoyong's fragile pride.