Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 408: The Art of Managing a Harem

"This..."Lu Hui used to be Gao Yang's senior sister. Gao Yang was considered an honest kid, so being questioned by Lu Hui like this, he didn't know how to answer for a moment. He tilted his head to look at Liu Shuo beside him.

Seeing Gao Yang's reaction, Lu Hui immediately wiped away her tears and pleaded, "Gao Yang, no one is willing to help me right now. You have to help me!"

Then, Lu Hui began to carefully frame her words, explaining how difficult things were for her. She insisted that this time it truly wasn't her fault; it was all because of Li Qiang, who kept pestering her.

"I only kept chatting with him because he's Zhou Yuwen's classmate, and I felt too awkward to refuse him. Gao Yang, please tell Liu Shuo that I never betrayed him. I was already planning to cut ties with Li Qiang. I can even show him the chat records."

Lu Hui spoke tearfully, but Liu Shuo, who was listening nearby, had no patience for her nonsense. He directly snatched the phone and cursed, "Fuck you, Lu Hui! Do you really take me for an idiot? Damn it, you're spending my money to keep a gigolo, huh? You're even spending money on him? Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror and see what you look like? I was fucking blind to ever take a liking to you! You really think I'm too stupid to see through it? If you know what's good for you, move out tonight. I'll just pretend we never dated. But if I ever see you again, I'll beat you every time I catch sight of you!"

"I...!" Lu Hui was just about to cry and complain to Liu Shuo, but he simply hung up the phone.

Screw her, what an idiot. Time to drink!

At this point, Lu Hui burst into tears. She never expected Liu Shuo to be so unyielding.

It was over. Everything was completely over now.

And so, Lu Hui sat on the sofa, worrying about personal gains and losses all night. She kept waiting for Liu Shuo to return so she could explain things to him. She even thought that if all else failed, she would kneel before him and try some new tricks.

Unfortunately, Liu Shuo never showed up.

When dawn finally broke, Lu Hui wiped away her tears and started doing her makeup.

Although relationships were important, her career mattered more. Right now, her only hope was that Zhou Yuwen wouldn't fire her.

Normally, she would arrive just in time, or even rely on her relationship with Liu Shuo to show up late. Many people had already reported this behavior to Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen had always turned a blind eye to it, but today, Lu Hui arrived an hour early and pretended to be busy.

This made the employees who arrived later look as if they had seen a ghost, completely baffled.

It wasn't until someone started spreading gossip that they roughly understood the reason. The expressions on their faces were beyond spectacular.

Good heavens, she cheated on a partner? She cuckolded Liu Shuo? That was unbelievable!

Zhou Yuwen stayed at Tao Tian's place last night. At some point, he had fallen into a deep sleep resting his head on Tao Tian's generous breasts. The next day, before Zhou Yuwen even woke up, Tao Tian had already quietly gotten out of bed to make him breakfast.

Lying prone on the pillow, Zhou Yuwen rubbed his face against it, but something felt slightly off. He opened his eyes, only to realize that Tao Tian was not beside him.

Feeling curious, Zhou Yuwen got dressed and walked out, only to find Tao Tian busying herself in the kitchen.

It had to be said, Tao Tian looked truly beautiful in this moment.

Tao Tian was the gentle older sister type. With her flowing long hair and a loose round-neck white T-shirt, she looked stunning. The collar of the T-shirt was quite wide, exposing half of her beautiful shoulder.

Moreover, Tao Tian had a fantastic figure. Even a loose shirt like this could not hide her curves as she earnestly prepared breakfast.

The timing was perfect. The morning sun shone in through the window.

A brilliant golden glow draped over Tao Tian, making it look as though she had been coated in a layer of divine radiance.

Zhou Yuwen instantly felt a surge of affection and embraced Tao Tian from behind. More importantly, Tao Tian's body was incredibly soft. It wasn't just her front; because she practiced yoga year-round, her buttocks were also wonderfully perky and firm.

Holding Tao Tian close, Zhou Yuwen planted two kisses on her shoulder.

Tao Tian simply asked in a sweet, honeyed voice, "What are you doing?"

Zhou Yuwen asked, "Why are you up so early?"

Tao Tian giggled and replied, "I'm making breakfast for you!"

Seeing her busily slicing pieces of toast, Zhou Yuwen could not help but smile. Though he teased, "What kind of breakfast is this?" he grabbed Tao Tian's hands, and the two of them began slicing the toast together.

Resting his chin on Tao Tian's shoulder, Zhou Yuwen told her, "Thanks for your hard work last night."

"I didn't wear you out, did I?"

"Wear me out? In what way?"

Tao Tian turned her head, cupped Zhou Yuwen's face in her hands, and asked playfully.

Zhou Yuwen just chuckled. He had drunk a bit of alcohol the night before, so he woke up with a slightly heavy head. He recalled calling Tao Tian in the middle of the night to come pick him up.

Zhou Yuwen felt he had inconvenienced Tao Tian too much, but Tao Tian thought he was referring to their intimate activities.

As Tao Tian turned around, Zhou Yuwen smoothly wrapped his arms around her slender waist and clarified that he meant her taking care of him after he drank last night.

Hearing this, Tao Tian let out a sudden burst of laughter. "Isn't it only natural for me to take care of you?" she said.

"Who else would you call if not me? Were you going to call Qu Jing? That's not allowed. I want you to always call me!" Tao Tian pouted.

Zhou Yuwen replied, "But wouldn't that wear you out?"

"Wear me out? I don't think so. I was actually quite happy."

Looking at Tao Tian's sincere expression, Zhou Yuwen did not say anything more. He lowered his head and captured her soft lips, and the two of them shared another moment of intimacy.

At eight-thirty in the morning, the two finished breakfast at home and went downstairs together.

Having been with Zhou Yuwen for quite some time now, Tao Tian had grown increasingly full of womanly charm. She was already the type of girl who loved dressing up, and she went to extra lengths when it came to Zhou Yuwen. Today, she wore an off-the-shoulder V-neck oversized sweater. The neckline plunged straight to her shoulders, exposing her beautiful shoulder. Tao Tian's bone structure was a bit larger than other girls—after all, she had more to carry—but it was by no means unattractive. Instead, it gave her an air that was dignified and graceful.

She definitely fell into the stunning category.

Looking utterly beautiful, she affectionately linked her arm through Zhou Yuwen's as they stepped into the elevator together.

When Zhou Yuwen drove his car out with Tao Tian, he spotted Qu Jing by the roadside.

Actually, it was Tao Tian who saw her first. Even from a distance, she spotted Qu Jing wearing black tights.

Tao Tian said to Zhou Yuwen, "It's Qu Jing."

Zhou Yuwen saw her as well and directly honked the horn.

When Qu Jing turned around and recognized Zhou Yuwen's car, she was thrilled. Without a second thought, she ran over.

Tao Tian had not expected Zhou Yuwen to be so direct. When he honked the horn, Tao Tian reflexively ducked down a bit. Zhou Yuwen asked her what was wrong.

Tao Tian asked, "Did she notice us?"

Zhou Yuwen replied, "If she noticed, she noticed."

After the incident with Liu Shuo, Zhou Yuwen had become much more detached. He felt there was no need to keep hiding certain things. It would be better to just let nature take its course and lay his cards on the table. If some people truly could not accept it, they were free to leave.

Zhou Yuwen did not have that much energy to waste on endless romantic affairs.

Qu Jing originally thought Zhou Yuwen had come to pick her up. She was inwardly curious as to why he was appearing in her residential area so early, and why he hadn't come last night.

Carrying all sorts of questions, Qu Jing walked over, only to find Tao Tian sitting in the passenger seat. Qu Jing's face instantly dropped.

Zhou Yuwen rolled down the window and told Qu Jing, "Get in the back."

At this moment, Qu Jing was feeling exceptionally wronged. As she looked at Zhou Yuwen, her gaze even carried a trace of slight resentment.

Naturally, Zhou Yuwen couldn't cater to everyone perfectly. At this point, he could only pretend not to notice and gestured for Qu Jing to get in the car.

Once Qu Jing got in, Zhou Yuwen started the car again. On the way, he chatted casually with the two girls, asking Qu Jing why she was walking to work.

Qu Jing explained that since this place was close to the university, she usually rode an electric bicycle.

Zhou Yuwen uttered an "Oh," and then asked Tao Tian, "How do you usually commute?"

To be honest, sharing the same car with Qu Jing under these circumstances gave Tao Tian an indescribably delicate feeling, especially since Zhou Yuwen was asking questions as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

So Tao Tian replied, "Um, I also ride an electric bicycle."

Zhou Yuwen said, "That was thoughtless of me."

"Since the two of you live in the same residential area, I'll buy a car for you guys. That will make things much more convenient. Oh, Jingjing, you didn't know yet, did you? Tao Tian moved into your residential area," Zhou Yuwen said.

Qu Jing truly had not known, but she definitely knew now.

She did not harbor any resentment toward Zhou Yuwen, but she was genuinely feeling wronged.

Sitting in the back, Qu Jing just stared faintly at Zhou Yuwen, her gaze conveying an inexpressible sense of grievance.

Zhou Yuwen avoided meeting Qu Jing's eyes and simply continued on his own, "You two used to be roommates, and now you live in the same residential area. You can look out for each other from now on. No problem, right?"

As the latecomer, Tao Tian didn't have much of a temper to throw. No matter what Zhou Yuwen said, she just agreed with flushed cheeks, murmuring, "I'll listen to whatever you say."

Zhou Yuwen then said, "Alright. What do you think, Jingjing?"

Qu Jing pouted her small lips and murmured an agreement.

She was clearly unhappy.

The car soon arrived downstairs at the office and came to a halt.

Qu Jing surely had a mountain of things she wanted to say to Zhou Yuwen at this moment, but she didn't get the chance.

Moreover, she had to go change into her high heels.

After all, she couldn't commute wearing high heels. Many girls did the same thing: they kept a pair of flat shoes for their daily commute, then touched up their makeup and swapped into high heels once they reached the office.

Qu Jing not only had to change her high heels but also needed to change her clothes.

Therefore, Zhou Yuwen and Tao Tian entered the office first.

Tao Tian felt that Zhou Yuwen had openly favored her in front of Qu Jing during the ride, which made her very happy. Pulling on Zhou Yuwen's arm, she whispered, "Qu Jing seemed a bit upset just now."

"You don't need to worry about her. I'll talk to her in a bit," Zhou Yuwen waved his hand, speaking nonchalantly.

Women were just like that; no matter the situation, they would inevitably form small cliques. The women around Zhou Yuwen would naturally form their own little circle centered on him. This group would have conflicts, jealousy, and hidden rivalries, and the sole objective of their competition would undoubtedly be Zhou Yuwen.

They would end up worrying about personal gains and losses over his every move. As for Zhou Yuwen, as long as he showed the slightest bit of favoritism toward one person in front of another, he could manipulate the emotions of them both.

Take right now, for example. Zhou Yuwen hadn't done much, yet he had made Tao Tian happy enough to last the entire day. She even couldn't resist acting coquettishly and wanting to kiss him in public.

The only person he felt a bit guilty toward was probably Qu Jing, who would need some comforting later.

Zhou Yuwen pulled Tao Tian into the office.

By this time, the colleagues who had arrived at the company stood up to greet him.

"President Zhou!"

The first one to greet him was Lu Hui, who appeared extremely eager.

Zhou Yuwen was somewhat surprised to see Lu Hui, but he didn't let it show. He wasn't some naive university student fresh out of school; he knew better than to judge things solely by their surface appearance. A fleeting look of astonishment passed through his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal. "Oh."

Lu Hui said, "President Zhou, the statistical analysis on the changes in food delivery orders in the Southern Jiangsu region you asked me to do earlier—I've finished it!"

"Mhm, very good. Bring it to my office in a bit," Zhou Yuwen replied.

"Understood!"

Seeing that Zhou Yuwen was not holding last night's actions against her, Lu Hui's face lit up with immense joy.

However, Zhou Yuwen maintained a neutral expression throughout the exchange, simply pulling Tao Tian back to his office.

Tao Tian had accompanied Zhou Yuwen to dinner with Liu Shuo the night before, so she certainly knew what had transpired. Thus, she was also taken aback when she saw Lu Hui. Once they were inside the office, Tao Tian asked in confusion, "How does she still have the nerve to show up?"

"Why wouldn't she have the nerve? Where else is she supposed to go if not here?"

Zhou Yuwen said calmly as he drew the curtains shut.

Then, he made a phone call to Jiang Xinyi to ask how things were on her end.

Jiang Xinyi explained that she had stayed up late the previous night reviewing Lu Hui's work.

"She hasn't really been doing anything lately. All the work is being handled by Han Lu, the third-year student under her. I just touched base with Han Lu, and she's ready to take over Lu Hui's duties at any time. Also, while checking the accounts last night, I found that many of Lu Hui's reimbursement forms don't match up. There's a discrepancy of over five thousand yuan."

Zhou Yuwen said, "Alright then."

"Send the documents over to Tao Tian. I'll have Tao Tian gradually take over human resources from now on," Zhou Yuwen instructed.

"Mhm, okay."

"?" Tao Tian shot Zhou Yuwen a look of disbelief.

Although Tao Tian currently acted as Zhou Yuwen's secretary in the office, her specific duties had never been clearly defined.

While that arrangement was quite nice in its own way.

However, an ambitious woman like Tao Tian definitely wanted to actively assist Zhou Yuwen, thereby increasing her own standing and importance.

It was just that since Zhou Yuwen never brought it up, she didn't dare to ask.

She was afraid Zhou Yuwen might think she was insatiably greedy.

In reality, Zhou Yuwen had always been considering how to arrange Tao Tian's role. Back when the company was small, many tasks were shared and split up. For example, Lu Hui and Jiang Xinyi were initially just brought in to handle the accounts.

As the workload expanded, Lu Hui slowly began managing human resources, while Jiang Xinyi focused entirely on finance.

Now was the perfect time to take this opportunity to thoroughly restructure their roles.

Jiang Xinyi would exclusively handle the company's finance department.

As for Tao Tian, a new department would be established for her, called the Comprehensive Affairs Department.

This department would not only manage human resources but also oversee all other assorted administrative matters, big and small.

After all, given the company's current scale, it wasn't yet large enough to warrant a standalone human resources department.