Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 568: Promoting Chen Wan

Ultimately, Minmin was still somewhat resentful of Tao Tian and Qu Jing. She always felt that those two girls were just lucky to have latched onto Zhou Yuwen's thighs. She believed her only shortfall was a bit of bad luck; otherwise, with her charm, there was no way she would be doing worse than them. Zhou Yuwen simply had not chosen her. If he had, she would have definitely used every trick in the book to serve him so comfortably that he would never be able to leave her.Although she thought this in her heart, on the surface she remained submissive, acting as though she understood everything perfectly.

Tao Tian felt helpless regarding her behavior, so she could only tell her to be more careful next time before sending her off to get busy with work.

That evening, Zhou Yuwen mentioned he was going to stay overnight at Tao Tian's place. Tao Tian and Qu Jing coordinated with each other, deciding to go to the shopping mall to buy groceries after getting off work so they could eat at home.

Minmin appeared visibly excited when she heard that Zhou Yuwen was coming to stay overnight at their home. Even though she was made to carry the groceries while shopping, she did so without a single complaint. She figured she would take the opportunity during dinner to properly explain today's matters to Zhou Yuwen.

The three girls bustled about in the kitchen for quite a while. Minmin wore nothing but a gray knit sweater. Without any pants, the hem of her top was entirely insufficient to cover her long legs, leaving half of her gray underwear exposed.

While they were cooking, Qu Jing found the sight rather unbearable.

'She is just waiting for Zhou Yuwen to arrive so she can seduce him again,' she thought to herself.

Thus, after the meal was prepared, Minmin asked Tao Tian and Qu Jing when Zhou Yuwen was expected to arrive.

Qu Jing fired back, "Why are you asking so many questions?"

"I was just thinking that if it takes too long, the food will get cold and won't taste good," Minmin replied.

Hearing this, Qu Jing let out a cold sneer and asked, "Is the food ready?"

"Pretty much," Minmin said.

Qu Jing then pulled out five hundred yuan and declared, "Here is five hundred. Go stay somewhere else tonight."

Minmin froze, staring at Qu Jing in absolute disbelief.

Meanwhile, Qu Jing maintained an impatient expression. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you actually still want to stay here?"

Minmin just kept staring at Qu Jing, remaining completely silent.

Finally, seeing that Minmin's reaction was a bit off, Tao Tian quickly pulled her aside and whispered, "Minmin, Qu Jing has always been like this."

"Don't hold it against her."

"But then again, Minmin, it really will be inconvenient for you to stay here once Zhou Yuwen arrives. Whether it is for your sake or ours, I am sure you can understand, right?"

"I..."

Minmin hesitated, truly wanting to say: 'Sweetie, why don't you talk to Zhou Yuwen and ask him to take me in as well!'

However, before she could even open her mouth, Tao Tian folded Minmin's fingers firmly around the five hundred yuan she was loosely holding. Tao Tian then handed her another two hundred yuan, saying, "Just treat tonight as a day off. You must be tired after helping with the shopping and cooking."

"Go book a nice star-rated room at a hotel and get a good night's sleep. Take this two hundred to buy yourself something nice to eat."

At that moment, Minmin realized that it was not just Qu Jing who found her to be in the way; Tao Tian felt the exact same way. She had originally hoped Tao Tian would help her out. Hearing these words made Minmin feel incredibly wronged, but in the end, she swallowed her protests and simply murmured, "Then I will go stay somewhere else tonight?"

"Mhm."

"Let me go change my clothes first."

With that said, Minmin retreated into her room.

Watching her dawdle, Qu Jing was full of disdain. She later whispered to Tao Tian, "Why did you give her an extra two hundred yuan? Five hundred was already too much."

Tao Tian merely shot Qu Jing a reproachful glance.

Minmin took her sweet time packing up her belongings. Twenty minutes flashed by, and she still had not emerged. This made Qu Jing rather impatient, prompting her to rap on the door and demand to know if she was done packing up.

In truth, Minmin was deliberately packing slowly to wait for Zhou Yuwen's return. However, after stalling for ages without a glimpse of him, and seeing Qu Jing's patience wear completely thin, she had no choice but to reluctantly grab her bag and head out.

Unexpectedly, the moment she stepped into the elevator, Zhou Yuwen stepped out of another one, resulting in the two of them missing each other perfectly.

Looking at the table full of delicious food, Zhou Yuwen was somewhat surprised. "Oh? Why is Minmin not here today?"

"Qu Jing gave her five hundred yuan and told her to stay out tonight," Tao Tian explained.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen nodded in satisfaction. "It would be great if she could always be this obedient."

Qu Jing pouted in utter disdain. "How is that possible? She is always thinking of ways to seduce you so she can turn her life around and become a master, just like us."

At the dinner table, the three of them started with some simple chatting about daily affairs. Tao Tian urged Qu Jing to be a little more polite to Minmin, pointing out that Qu Jing was being too disrespectful and that, at the end of the day, she was still their friend.

Qu Jing, however, disdainfully countered, "She is your friend, not mine."

"I have lost count of how many times I have told her not to sneak my clothes when I am not looking. Do you see her listening to me?"

Zhou Yuwen chuckled at this. "Well, there is nothing to be done about that. It is not like she can fit into Sweetie's clothes anyway."

After dinner, Zhou Yuwen watched a movie with an arm wrapped around each of them, embracing them closely before they eventually retreated into the room.

In truth, Zhou Yuwen and the two girls were like an old couple by now. If one were to speak of novelty, there was not much left; it was simply that they had spent so much time together that deep feelings had naturally developed.

Taking advantage of this rare opportunity for them all to be together, Zhou Yuwen asked about their plans for the future.

This question caught both girls off guard, making them momentarily fear that Zhou Yuwen no longer wanted them.

Zhou Yuwen quickly assured them that was not the case.

"Do not misunderstand. What I mean is, if I asked you to go abroad with me, would you be willing?"

Zhou Yuwen then revealed that he had purchased a large estate abroad. He also mentioned that he had stored a massive fortune in gold and jewels overseas, estimating its value to be at least nearly ten billion.

"What I am trying to say is, you have been by my side for a long time now. Do you have any other aspirations? If you do, tell me early on. If not, you might end up living abroad with me in the future. Are you open to that?"

Zhou Yuwen spoke with utmost seriousness. The two girls thought it over briefly before Qu Jing became the first to declare her stance. She stated that Zhou Yuwen was her master, and wherever he went, she would follow!

After saying this, Qu Jing affectionately nuzzled against Zhou Yuwen's body.

Zhou Yuwen stroked Qu Jing's head, chuckling as he praised her for being so good, before turning his gaze toward Tao Tian.

Tao Tian had remained silent, which left Zhou Yuwen feeling a bit uncertain. Assuming she had not made up her mind, he was just about to say something when Tao Tian suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Of course, I feel the exact same way. I will follow you wherever you go. There are just a few things I do not quite understand. Does going abroad mean we will never come back? If that is the case, how am I supposed to explain this to my parents?"

Zhou Yuwen pulled her into his embrace as well, explaining that they would not be gone forever. They were likely going to settle abroad, but their businesses would remain. With such a massive company operating domestically, it was impossible to just abandon it on a whim.

"However, I always intended to give you both a proper commitment."

Zhou Yuwen stated that if they went abroad, he could legally get married to all of them, ensuring that any future children would have a legitimate status.

As for the issue of their parents, there was no need to worry; if they wished to leave, they could follow along as well.

Hearing that Zhou Yuwen was actually considering marrying them naturally took them by complete surprise. And having children on top of that? This revelation made Tao Tian and Qu Jing exchange wide-eyed glances, their faces filled with sheer disbelief. They had never imagined that Zhou Yuwen was planning so far ahead. Zhou Yuwen softly added, "Since you have chosen to follow me, I absolutely cannot let your devotion be in vain."

That night, the three of them did not engage in much physical intimacy. Instead, they began genuinely planning for the future. Zhou Yuwen felt that while officially moving abroad might still be quite far off, it was necessary for the two girls to further their studying and skills. After all, his company was destined to become a massive multinational enterprise. No matter how excellent Tao Tian and Qu Jing were, they were ultimately just graduates from ordinary universities. Currently, they could handle trivial matters while working by his side, but they were still far from being able to take charge of major operations independently.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuwen had already laid the foundation for his operations abroad. Thus, he wanted to see when they would have the time to go overseas and study properly. If nothing else, they needed to improve their foreign language proficiency.

Since the company was currently short-staffed, they obviously could not both go at the same time. Zhou Yuwen suggested, "Decide between yourselves who wants to go first, and I will have Lu Wanting help find a school for you over there."

At the prospect of leaving Zhou Yuwen, both girls showed obvious hesitation. They exchanged a brief look before Qu Jing finally volunteered, "Then, I will go!"

Qu Jing explained that she knew she fell short of Tao Tian, not only in terms of physical appearance but also in intellect. The company could not afford to lose Tao Tian right now, whereas her own workload could easily be taken over by Lu Lin and the others.

"Even Zheng Yanyan could replace me. In truth, I know that being able to stay by your side is solely because of my good luck. I am aware that you do not have particularly deep feelings for me, but my feelings for you are deeper than anyone else's. I want to be able to help you better, so let me go first!"

Qu Jing gazed at Zhou Yuwen, her words brimming with profound sincerity.

However, this speech made Tao Tian secretly grumble in her heart. 'What does she mean by deeper than anyone else's?' she thought.

'Is it really appropriate to say such things right in front of my face?'

Listening to her heartfelt confession, Zhou Yuwen offered a wry smile. Pulling her into his arms, he whispered, "What kind of nonsense are you filling your head with every day? In my eyes, my feelings for all of you are exactly the same."

Tao Tian chimed in, "Exactly, Jingjing! How can you claim your feelings for Zhou Yuwen are deeper than everyone else's? So, only you are allowed to love him, and the rest of us are not?"

Qu Jing remained noncommittal to this remark. Clearly, deep down, she still believed that no one else's feelings for Zhou Yuwen could compare to her own.

Zhou Yuwen kept them wrapped securely in his arms, planting a kiss on the left and then on the right. He reminded them that they were close sisters and there was no need to fiercely compete for first or second place. Seeing that it was getting late, he suggested they go to sleep early.

"Mhm."

Zhou Yuwen lay down with them nestled against him. After the lights were turned off, Qu Jing asked roughly when he would be leaving. Zhou Yuwen replied that it would likely be very soon.

After a moment of silence, Qu Jing softly requested, "Can I make one tiny demand?"

"Go ahead," Zhou Yuwen replied, slightly curious.

In the darkness, Qu Jing could not resist stealing another glance at Tao Tian. Since the lights were out, she could not actually make out Tao Tian's full silhouette; she could only see those large, profoundly deep eyes and the twin patches of snowy white skin below her neck.

Lying prone against Zhou Yuwen's chest, Qu Jing quietly asked if he could spend a little extra time with her during his final few days before departure.

Zhou Yuwen had wondered what she was going to ask. Upon hearing this, he chuckled in amusement and readily agreed, "Of course I can."

"It is not like we will never see each other again once you go abroad. I will come visit you often in the future."

With Zhou Yuwen's comforting words, Qu Jing's heart was finally set at ease.

At the beginning of the New Year, Zhou Yuwen needed to finalize all his arrangements. Having just discussed the plan with Qu Jing the previous night, he communicated the matter to Lu Wanting the very next day. According to Zhou Yuwen's intentions, it would not just be Qu Jing; the other girls would also take turns going abroad for further studying.

Because Su Qing was already enrolled at Barnard College for Women, and Lu Wanting had subsequently made generous donations to the institution, she maintained an excellent relationship with the board of directors. Seeing that Zhou Yuwen planned to send the other girls over as well, she suggested enrolling them all at Barnard College for Women. After all, Barnard was affiliated with the prestigious Columbia University.

Zhou Yuwen felt this was an excellent idea, as it would save a lot of trouble.

Thus, Qu Jing's study abroad arrangements were quickly finalized. In the meantime, the company's organizational structure also underwent an adjustment. Due to Qu Jing's impending departure, the management position at the Cultural Media Company was left vacant.

While it could be said that both Lu Lin and Zheng Yanyan had the ability to run it, those two girls were rather prone to idleness and only thought about slacking off every day. After evaluating his options for a long time, Zhou Yuwen concluded that Chen Wan from the planning department was actually quite capable. He ultimately decided to merge the planning division with the Cultural Media Company and entrust the entirety of its operations to her.

The sudden appointment left Chen Wan immensely flattered yet overwhelmed. She had always believed the company was built on nepotism, considering that the few girls entrusted with heavy responsibilities had essentially all been intimately involved with Zhou Yuwen.

Who could have imagined that she, an outsider, would suddenly find herself managing two major sectors of the company simultaneously?

For a moment, Chen Wan was genuinely moved by a profound sense of gratitude toward Zhou Yuwen for recognizing and valuing her talents.

However, in the eyes of others, the situation appeared quite different.

Zhou Yuwen's habit of employing his romantic interests was no secret. Those holding vital positions in the company were all girls with whom he shared some form of ambiguity. Initially, everyone had assumed Chen Wan was the sole exception.

This sudden promotion, therefore, left everyone scratching their heads in bewilderment.

As for Qu Jing's departure, Minmin—who lived with her—found out a few days earlier than anyone else.

When she learned that Qu Jing was going to study abroad, her first reaction was overwhelming jealousy. She thought to herself that Qu Jing must have accumulated incredible karma in her past life to find a man like Zhou Yuwen. Letting her act as a high-level executive was one thing, but now he was directly paying for her to study overseas!

Just as she was continuously grumbling in her heart, she suddenly overheard a conversation between Tao Tian and Qu Jing: "Once you leave, the manager position at the Cultural Media Company will be completely vacant."

Minmin's eyes instantly lit up upon hearing this. She quickly scurried over to help pack up belongings, shamelessly beginning to fawn on them while pointing out that she was currently working at the Cultural Media Company.

"Jingjing, you are leaving soon. No matter what, you absolutely have to guide and support me a little!" Minmin coaxed, tugging affectionately at Qu Jing's arm.

Qu Jing had never held a good impression of Minmin. Shaking her arm free, she retorted, "My family does not own this company. I cannot just promote you on a whim."

Qu Jing's attitude was exceptionally resolute. Left with no alternative, Minmin had to turn her pleading gaze toward Tao Tian.

Tao Tian merely offered, "I can only try bringing it up for you and see what happens."

Overjoyed at this response, Minmin eagerly exclaimed, "As long as you speak up, there is no way Zhou Yuwen would refuse!"

Originally, she had assumed this was practically a done deal. Who could have imagined that Chen Wan would suddenly storm in halfway and claim the prize!

At this moment, Minmin truly loathed Chen Wan to the core.

The majority of Zhou Yuwen's employees were recruited from the university, so they all knew each other. Minmin was actually one year senior to Chen Wan, and back at school, Chen Wan had even respectfully referred to her as Minmin Xuejie. She never expected this woman would actually snatch away her rightful position.

The more Minmin thought about it, the more unbalanced and resentful she felt.

It just so happened that employees in the company were gossiping. One of them remarked, "I always thought President Chen was pure and flawless, like a lotus rising untainted from the mud. Who would have thought she also had some inexplicable connections with our Boss."

"But I find it quite strange. Even though Chen Wan is fairly pretty, she is entirely in a different league compared to President Zhou's previous girlfriends. I really do not understand what President Zhou sees in her."

Hearing this, Minmin pouted in disdain and interjected, "That is not necessarily true. Maybe our Boss just got bored of playing with the same types and wanted a change of taste."

Amused by Minmin's words, the other girls could not help but cover their mouths and giggle.

They were just about to say something else, but then they looked up.

"Chen... Sister Chen Wan!"

The girls hurriedly scrambled to their feet, looking nervously at Chen Wan, who was standing in the doorway without them having noticed her arrival.