Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 269: Youth is Always Tinged with an Inexplicable Sorrow

Qu Jing was slightly curvier than Zheng Yanyan and Lu Lin.You couldn't exactly call her fat. Having lived two years longer, she naturally had a bit more flesh on her bones, but the weight went exactly where it was supposed to.

Take right now, for example. Tossed onto the sofa by Zhou Yuwen, Qu Jing covered her face in overwhelming shyness. The motion of lifting her arms caused her small white sweater to ride up naturally, exposing her slender midriff and cute navel.

The matching white tight shorts clung perfectly to her perky rear. Her legs were a bit more toned than Zhou Yuwen's other girls. She wore sheer, flesh-colored pantyhose and tall white boots. She turned slightly to the side, shifting her body coyly as if consumed by shyness.

What she didn't realize, however, was just how incredibly seductive her posture was at that moment.

Zhou Yuwen had just returned from his exclusive interview. Riding a high of sheer satisfaction, he had been looking for a way to blow off some steam. Without a word of nonsense, he lunged forward, prying Qu Jing's hands away from her face with a soft chuckle. "What's wrong? Still shy?"

The reason Qu Jing was acting so coy wasn't out of genuine shyness, but because Zhou Yuwen was simply too handsome today. Earlier, while he was doing the interview on stage, many people in the audience murmured about his impeccable ability to command the room.

It was entirely unlike anything an eighteen-year-old boy should possess.

He was exactly like the mature men described in novels, radiating a deeply masculine charm.

The director in charge of the shoot even joked that if this young man entered the entertainment industry, it was impossible to say how many people he would leave swooning.

Several young girls at the venue were whispering among themselves about how incredibly handsome and capable he was, wishing he could be their boyfriend.

Just hearing those comments made Qu Jing's heart surge with excitement. Looking at Zhou Yuwen on stage, she couldn't help but gaze at him with eyes full of longing. An unexplainable sense of pride welled up within her—this man, whom others could only dream of having, had been showering her with affection these past few days. Wasn't that something to be proud of?

Just the thought of it made Qu Jing unconsciously squeeze her legs, clad in those white shorts, tightly together.

So in reality, Qu Jing had already become fully aroused while still at the venue.

And later, when Zhou Yuwen forcefully and wordlessly slung her over his shoulder, how could her heart not flutter? She absolutely loved it when he treated her with such domineering assertiveness.

Thus, she feigned bashfulness, waiting delicately for him to ravish her.

And Zhou Yuwen actually quite liked seeing Qu Jing in this state. He pinched her small face and asked, "What's the matter? Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?"

Qu Jing quickly shook her head. Even without him touching her, her body had gone soft and entirely limp. She gazed at him with a face as flushed as peach blossoms, her small mouth slightly parted, and after a long moment, she stuttered out a single word: "Want..."

"Want? Want what?" Zhou Yuwen teased her with a light laugh.

Qu Jing was so desperate she was on the verge of tears. Her beautiful legs instinctively writhed as she blurted out, "I want you, Big Brother!"

The moment those words left her lips, she threw herself at Zhou Yuwen and forcefully kissed him.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled inwardly, thinking that this little kitten had finally learned how to take the initiative.

Content to let her do the work, he relaxed and allowed Qu Jing to crawl on top of him and kiss him deeply.

The web platform had booked Zhou Yuwen a room in a well-known five-star hotel in Shanghai. With an average price of around five hundred yuan, it wasn't exactly a top-tier luxury hotel, but the environment was decent enough. The wall behind the sofa featured a massive floor-to-ceiling window design.

Looking out, one could see the entire night view of the Huangpu River.

Zhou Yuwen sat casually on the sofa with Qu Jing straddling his lap. As they kissed, his hands roamed over her thighs.

But he wasn't satisfied with just that. He tore straight through the sheer pantyhose on her legs. With this kind of nylon hosiery, a single flaw was all it took for the entire fabric to completely unravel.

For a moment, the room was filled with the sharp sound of tearing fabric.

The stockings were left with gaping holes of various sizes. Some of the frayed runs connected into long strips, stretching all the way from her thighs down to her calves.

Zhou Yuwen held her slender waist as they kissed, his hands slipping under the hem of her sweater. With a swift upward motion, he pushed the sweater all the way up to her neck.

Trailing his hands back down along her spine, he traced the edge of the white denim shorts clinging to her perfect rear.

Tonight marked a minor milestone for Zhou Yuwen. He had made money before, but he hadn't truly made a splash in society until now. After today, he was officially a somewhat famous author. With his memories from his past life, securing a solid foothold in the NovelFire community would be an absolute breeze.

How could he not be thrilled?

And so, it continued.

Framed by the brilliantly lit cityscape outside the window, he let a blushing Qu Jing whimper softly against him.

Naturally, they changed positions a few times as the night progressed.

For instance, there was a moment when Qu Jing braced herself against the sofa, leaning forward as she gazed out at the glowing skyline.

Zhou Yuwen took up his position behind her, taking in the night view alongside her.

Grasping the back of her neck, Zhou Yuwen felt as if the entirety of Shanghai was lying right beneath his feet!

Zhou Yuwen stayed in Shanghai for a total of three days. During that time, the impact of his exclusive interview continued to build, and the platform steadily pushed traffic to his novel.

For those few days, his average daily income reached a staggering two hundred thousand yuan.

Honestly, it all felt a bit surreal to him.

He knew the novel he had written was high quality, but he never expected it to explode in popularity like this. Over the course of those three days, all sorts of people tried to contact him through various channels. Some offered to buy the comic or film adaptation rights, while others aggressively begged him to write another novel.

This put him in a rather awkward position.

After all, he had merely transported this story over from his past life.

If he were forced to write another one, he had absolutely nothing left in the tank.

The only thing he could write about from scratch would be the petty jealousies and romantic dramas he was so personally familiar with.

Thus, Zhou Yuwen politely declined the passionate invitations from various businessmen, earnestly declaring, "I am only a student right now. My primary duty is to focus on my studies."

Aside from the corporate inquiries, old classmates and friends also reached out.

He had completely forgotten who half of the people asking for loans or trying to ride his coattails even were. When he ignored them, they called him stingy. He simply blocked those types of people without a second thought.

Then there were his actual close friends, like Liu Shuo, who sent messages to congratulate him.

Liu Shuo forwarded the interview link with the message: "Bro! You blew up! (Grinning)"

Zhou Yuwen rolled his eyes when he saw it. 'I'm the one who recorded the damn interview,' he thought. 'Of course I know I blew up!'

Girls like Su Qing, Zheng Yanyan, and Shen Yu also sent their congratulations.

Su Qing spammed him with emojis, practically demanding praise for her foresight.

She added, "See? I told you that you'd be a hit! (Smug)"

"Zhou Yuwen, tell me the truth. Did you base the female lead on me?"

"Zheng Yanyan actually claimed it was written for her."

"Heh, how long has she even known you? She truly has no self-awareness whatsoever!"

"I'm your original, lawful wife! Anyone can see this novel was written for me!"

"Zhou Yuwen, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Are you really busy?"

"It's fine. Just reply when you're done! (Smile)"

Su Qing's messages were manageable enough; Zhou Yuwen could easily fire back a brief reply. The real headache came from Zheng Yanyan's endless stream of texts. She probably hadn't slept a wink last night. She had sent him one or two messages every single hour, likely trying to move him with her devotion.

The problem was, Zhou Yuwen didn't feel moved in the slightest. He only felt incredibly burdened.

To be honest, the only reason he had agreed to be her boyfriend in the first place...

...was because he remembered her as a very free-spirited and easygoing woman in his past life. How had she become so hopelessly love-struck in this one?

Damn it, what a headache.

Zheng Yanyan had texted him non-stop from nine o'clock last night until six in the morning. She finally stopped after six, presumably having passed out from exhaustion. Zhou Yuwen didn't bother replying.

He figured he'd let her get some proper rest.

Aside from those girls, Tao Tian had also reached out to him.

She had sent her message at eleven o'clock the previous night.

It was just a single line: "I read your novel."

"It's really well written."

Just those two sentences in total. When he didn't respond, she didn't send anything else.

Tao Tian's reaction was actually quite normal.

Whether male or female, anyone going through a breakup or a rejection experienced a withdrawal period. At first, they might do things that were completely incomprehensible to outsiders.

But once they got past that stage, they would feel embarrassed by their previous behavior and become exceptionally reserved. Tao Tian was the perfect example of this.

In truth, when Tao Tian saw Zhou Yuwen's exclusive interview last night, she had been completely overwhelmed by a tangle of complex emotions.

She naturally wouldn't have been following news about male-oriented NovelFires on her own. After being rejected by Zhou Yuwen, she had turned over a new leaf and matured significantly.

Before meeting him, she had adored the vanity of the material world. She loved being surrounded by boys who worshipped her like a goddess, and she relished the lofty status of being the head of the Arts Department.

But ever since he turned her down, all of that had suddenly felt completely meaningless.

Next semester, she would be leaving campus for her internship. During this recent period, she had effectively washed away her superficial vanity and completely settled her mind. Surprisingly, she had started spending all her time in the library, planning to diligently review her major's coursework, achieve good grades, and eventually find a solid job at a respectable company.

Of course, in the dead of night, she would still feel a profound loneliness. She would scroll through inspirational chicken soup videos online, listening to spiritual gurus preach about meeting the best version of yourself.

Everyone has a youth they can hardly bear to look back on.

But you shouldn't let the regret consume you.

Perhaps, many years from now, your paths will cross again.

Don't you want him to see a more outstanding version of yourself when that day comes?

Tao Tian really took those words to heart. She eagerly anticipated the day in the future when she and Zhou Yuwen would bump into each other at some high-end business gathering. By then, Zhou Yuwen would still be impeccably dressed...

...and she would be glowing with elegance and success.

Just picturing that scene...

...was enough to make Tao Tian wipe away her tears.

That's right. She was going to meet a better version of herself.

As a result, she no longer flaunted her figure. Instead, in the biting winter cold, she bundled herself up tightly.

Clad in a thick down jacket, thermal leggings, and fluffy earmuffs, she would fill a thermos with boiling water and march to the library every single morning at eight o'clock, without fail.

Naturally, she would occasionally post on her social media feed, captioning her photos with: "Working hard to meet a better me."

She desperately hoped that one day, Zhou Yuwen would notice her transformation and leave a like on her post.

Unfortunately for her, Zhou Yuwen didn't have the habit of scrolling through social media feeds.

On the night of Zhou Yuwen's exclusive interview, Tao Tian was quietly studying in the library.

Her phone was on silent. She didn't care about anything else right now; her only desire was to focus on her studies.

It wasn't until ten o'clock at night...

...when the library finally closed.

Tao Tian picked up her phone, only to realize that Minmin had called her over a dozen times.

Confused, Tao Tian wondered what could possibly be so urgent.

Slinging her backpack over her shoulders as she walked out of the library, she dialed Minmin back.

"Hello? Minmin, did you need me for something?"

Minmin asked angrily, "Tian Tian, why are you only answering your phone now?!"

Tao Tian was puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

"Ugh! Forget it, I'm sending you a link. Just watch it yourself!"

Without another word, Minmin sent a video link straight to Tao Tian's phone.

Tao Tian felt completely baffled.

It was already late December.

Truth be told, Tao Tian didn't have much mobile data left for the month.

If Minmin hadn't sounded so frantic, she would have waited until she got back to her dormitory to connect to the Wi-Fi.

But seeing how desperate her friend was, Tao Tian figured it must be a real emergency and decided to take a quick peek.

But that single glance...

...made her forget all about her remaining data.

"Hello, everyone. I am the author of I Don't Want to Rebirth, Zhou Yuwen."

Just one sentence, paired with a smiling nod.

That was all it took to utterly shatter the mental fortitude Tao Tian had fought so hard to rebuild.

One million yuan a month.

A famous novelist.

None of these things were what truly shook her.

The only thing that moved her was Zhou Yuwen's handsome face as he chatted and laughed with effortless grace.

He was flawlessly polite and well-mannered toward everyone.

He spoke so naturally about his thoughts and experiences writing the novel.

"Well, throughout my life, I have indeed met a variety of outstanding girls. They all had such distinct personalities. It's probably because of them that I was able to write this novel so organically. Regardless of whether there's a story between us or not, I sincerely thank them from the bottom of my heart."

Zhou Yuwen spoke with absolute sincerity.

And with every single word, Tao Tian felt as though he was talking about her.

She had originally planned to watch the video while walking, but eventually, her legs refused to carry her any further. She stopped at a small pavilion by the side of the road, put her earphones in, and devoted all her attention to the screen.

During the interview, the host asked, "You're so good at writing a scummy man's perspective. How many girls have you actually played?"

Zhou Yuwen shook his head and denied it.

"However, I did hurt one girl. She was my Senior Sister."

At that moment, tears streamed freely down Tao Tian's cheeks.

He...

...really did have feelings for her after all.

Tao Tian practically sobbed through the entire remainder of the interview. With every sentence Zhou Yuwen spoke, she felt she could see her own shadow in his words.

By the time she returned to her dormitory, she had wiped away her tears.

But her eyes were still noticeably red.

Minmin immediately bombarded her, "Tian Tian, where did you go? Why are you just getting back?"

"Did you watch the interview?!"

"Tian Tian, say something!"

Minmin had fully expected Tao Tian to suffer an emotional breakdown and burst into loud wails.

Yet, at that moment, Tao Tian did absolutely nothing.

Truthfully, she didn't even know what she was feeling. Watching Zhou Yuwen succeed felt almost like an inevitable matter of course. She was genuinely happy for his triumph.

But she also felt a deep sense of loss.

It felt as though the distance between her and Zhou Yuwen was growing wider and wider...

That night, her mind raced with countless thoughts, leaving her unable to sleep.

It had been a very long time since she last messaged him.

But in the silence of this lonely night...

...Tao Tian finally couldn't hold back anymore.

After agonizing over it for what felt like forever, she finally sent a single line:

"It's really well written."