Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 567: Hearts Have Changed

"I actually wish she didn't care so much about me," Zhou Yuwen said with a hint of annoyance.Hearing this, Tao Tian merely pursed her lips into a smile, remaining noncommittal. She naturally perched herself on the edge of the desk, facing Zhou Yuwen and showing off her long legs.

She said, "You really don't appreciate how good you have it. You claim you don't care about her, yet you continue doing business with her. If you actually had to let her go, you definitely wouldn't be able to bear it, right?"

Zhou Yuwen replied that wasn't the case at all, and that he would be more than happy to do so.

"She deserves someone better."

Tao Tian, however, pointed out that men were just full of contradictions.

"To be perfectly honest, out of all us women, Jiang Xinyi is the only one who brings you any substantial help. The rest of us are basically just sheltering under your wings. Not to mention anything else, but regarding the security company, if Jiang Xinyi hadn't helped, we probably wouldn't have so many local property management companies accepting our security services."

"So truthfully, you really owe Jiang Xinyi some gratitude."

Tao Tian was currently the equivalent of a vice president in the company, handling both major and minor affairs. Naturally, she had interacted frequently with Jiang Xinyi over the past two months. She could only admit that descendants of prominent families were fundamentally different from people from humble backgrounds like herself. As Zhou Yuwen's enterprise grew larger and larger, he truly needed the help of a capable wife with vision and perspective like Jiang Xinyi.

Moreover, Tao Tian could tell that Jiang Xinyi still held a place in her heart for Zhou Yuwen.

Therefore, Tao Tian felt there was no need for Zhou Yuwen to act so aloof. No matter what the issue was, he just needed to communicate clearly.

Seeing Tao Tian with her arms crossed, looking like she had everything figured out, Zhou Yuwen found it rather amusing. He reached out and pulled Tao Tian onto his lap. The sudden movement startled her, but she quickly recovered and gently chided him with a glance, asking what he was doing.

Zhou Yuwen wrapped his arms around her and chuckled. "When did you become so generous? Aren't you going to be jealous?"

"I am jealous, but what use is it to be jealous?"

Tao Tian was speechless. She was telling Zhou Yuwen to reconcile with Jiang Xinyi because she genuinely had his best interests at heart.

However, Zhou Yuwen told her that things were not as simple as she thought.

"If I were to be with her, it would mean giving up all of you. Could you really accept that?"

Hearing this, Tao Tian's eyebrows twitched, but her expression soon relaxed. "I feel like your way of thinking is too rigid sometimes," she said.

"How so?"

Tao Tian replied, "We all know exactly what kind of man you are, and Jiang Xinyi definitely knows even better. If she truly disliked you, she would have distanced herself from you a long time ago. The fact that she's still sticking around proves that she still has feelings for you. It's just that your own sense of morality is too heavy."

"No, my choice of words isn't quite right."

At first, Tao Tian attributed it to Zhou Yuwen's moral compass, but after giving it some thought, her brow furrowed. She pondered for a long while but still could not find the perfect phrase to describe him.

Actually, there was one, but Tao Tian did not know how to say it.

If she had to put it into words...

It would be...

Wanting to have it both ways.

"Wanting to have it both ways?" Hearing this phrase, Zhou Yuwen momentarily did not know what to say.

Tao Tian nodded very seriously, insisting that this was precisely his problem. Actually, anyone with eyes could see what Jiang Xinyi was thinking, yet he insisted on putting on airs. He just wanted her to tell him personally that she did not mind him keeping other women. He was secretly hoping she would crawl into his bed on her own initiative.

"You act this way with every girl, but sometimes, you need to leave people with a little dignity."

Having reached this point in the conversation, Tao Tian no longer hid anything and opted for absolute honesty.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen was at a loss for words for a moment. He simply looked at Tao Tian and smiled.

Tao Tian was right, because this was exactly the attitude Zhou Yuwen had taken with her back then.

"Are you regretting it now?" Zhou Yuwen asked.

Tao Tian shook her head and said she had no regrets.

"Even now, when I recall the moment I agreed to your terms, I still don't regret it. I am very satisfied with my life right now. But you have to understand, Jiang Xinyi is not like us. If you lose any of us girls, you could easily find another girl, but Jiang Xinyi..."

"She has some dignity."

When she uttered that last sentence, Tao Tian's voice dropped to a near whisper.

Zhou Yuwen temporarily did not know how to respond, so he simply stroked Tao Tian's thighs to show he understood.

"I'll take some time to visit her place and make things clear. Actually, I feel that while I could live without any of the other girls around me, you are the most irreplaceable."

Hearing this, Tao Tian let out a soft snort of laughter, teasing that Zhou Yuwen was just trying to coax her into a good mood.

Zhou Yuwen denied it, stating that first and foremost, she as a person was someone he simply could not do without.

"You probably don't even realize how much charm you have. To me, you're practically a honeypot. I just can't keep my hands off you and wish I could hold you every single day."

Zhou Yuwen murmured sweet nothings while wrapping his arm around Tao Tian's slender waist.

The word honeypot made Tao Tian blush slightly, and she muttered that Zhou Yuwen was not even afraid of someone walking in on them.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, Zhou Yuwen coaxed her, saying that no one would be coming around right now. Besides, he was only speaking the truth, and even if someone did walk in, what could they possibly do to him?

As he spoke, Zhou Yuwen slid his hand up under the shirt hem of Tao Tian's top, preparing to give her a little massage to stimulate her blood flow. The moment his hand touched her, she began humming softly.

He asked her, "It's been so long. Did you miss me?"

Closing her eyes, Tao Tian leaned into Zhou Yuwen's caresses. She nuzzled her head against him and whispered a question in return, "What do you think?"

"Oh, so is that a yes or a no?"

"Yes."

"Where did you miss me?"

Just as the two were flirting, the office door suddenly clicked open.

Minmin walked in hugging a document, only to freeze in shock at the sight before her.

Her intrusion gave Zhou Yuwen and Tao Tian a jolt as well.

Zhou Yuwen's face instantly darkened. "Who told you to come in?"

"I... I..." Minmin had never expected Zhou Yuwen to be doing something like this with Tao Tian in the office during broad daylight. More importantly, didn't he even know how to lock the door?

After stammering for a good while, she finally blurted out, "President Zhou, there's a document that requires your signature."

Zhou Yuwen originally wanted to give Minmin a harsh scolding. She had been with the company for a while now; how could she still lack such basic manners?

However, Tao Tian had always treated Minmin like a sister. Just as Zhou Yuwen opened his mouth, his anger was defused by Tao Tian's gentle offensive. Pressing herself against him, she murmured, "Alright, she's not an outsider. Besides, Minmin is just doing this for work, right?"

Before Zhou Yuwen could reply, Tao Tian turned to Minmin and asked, "Didn't you have a document for President Zhou to sign? Where is it?"

"Oh, right!"

Feeling as if granted a great pardon, Minmin hurriedly brought the document over for Zhou Yuwen's signature.

Zhou Yuwen glanced at it and realized it wasn't anything important. Still, hindered by Tao Tian constantly blinking at him from the side, he ultimately signed it. As he scrawled his name, he added, "Next time you need something, remember to knock on the door, okay?"

"Yes, I understand, President Zhou!" This was the first time Minmin had ever been snapped at by him. It was incredibly obvious that he was genuinely angry right now.

Strangely enough, before joining the company, even though Minmin had been somewhat cautious around Zhou Yuwen, she had still managed to maintain an air of being his senior sister. But ever since she started working there, despite not interacting with him much, she felt an inch shorter every time they crossed paths. By now, she had been completely assimilated into a regular employee and found herself genuinely caring about his moods.

Tao Tian told Minmin to hurry up and leave now that the signature was done.

Minmin hesitated on her way out, feeling as though she had caused a massive disaster. Fearing that Zhou Yuwen would harbor a bad impression of her, she looked at Tao Tian pitifully. In response, Tao Tian shot her a reassuring glance, signaling for her to exit first.

Only after the door clicked shut did Tao Tian turn back to Zhou Yuwen. Massaging his shoulders, she began to coax him, "There, there, stop being angry, hmm?"

Zhou Yuwen replied that he wasn't really angry, but rather felt she completely lacked discipline.

"It's not like she's fresh out of university. She's changed jobs two or three times already, yet she still has no common sense. It's only because you object that I haven't fired her already," Zhou Yuwen snorted coldly.

"Oh, I know, I know. You're doing it for my reputation. So be a dear and give me face this one more time, won't you?" Tao Tian sat back down on his lap, pressing herself intimately against him with a pout.

Naturally, Zhou Yuwen could not say much to that. He stated that he did not mind keeping a freeloader in the company, but she still needed to understand basic workplace rules.

"It's a good thing you were out there today."

"Otherwise, Li Shiqi never would have let her in." Before Zhou Yuwen could finish, Tao Tian smiled and blinked playfully.

Li Shiqi worked right outside Zhou Yuwen's office. She clearly only allowed Minmin to enter because she saw that Tao Tian was already inside and figured it would be fine.

Of course, it was also highly probable that after confirming Tao Tian was the one inside, Minmin had simply smiled and declared that she would just walk right in.

Either way, if it had been anyone else inside...

Tao Tian was certain the previous scene would never have happened.

"Even if it is you, she shouldn't be so unruly." Zhou Yuwen was susceptible to soft tactics but immune to hard ones. Seeing Tao Tian relentlessly wearing him down with her sweetness, he really had nothing left to complain about.

After all, Tao Tian had always been exceptionally obedient; this best friend of hers was essentially her only flaw.

Tao Tian nodded in agreement. She promised that once she went out, she would go find Minmin and properly teach her the rules, guaranteeing that nothing similar would ever happen again.

"So don't be mad anymore~"

"Okay?"

Zhou Yuwen had intentionally looked away, but Tao Tian actively leaned her head into his line of sight, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Naturally left with nothing more to say, he simply replied, "Just handle it however you see fit."

"Mhm. So tonight, are you coming over to my place?"

As Tao Tian sat on his lap, her fingers had already brushed against the bulge in his pants. His fighting spirit was clearly fully roused. If Minmin hadn't suddenly barged in, he probably would have already united with Tao Tian by now.

Zhou Yuwen rolled his eyes at her and scoffed, "Obviously."

"Unless I'm not allowed to?"

Tao Tian giggled and assured him that was impossible.

"You know me; I've been waiting for this."

"Then remember to wash up thoroughly tonight."

"Mhm."

The two chatted for a little while longer before Tao Tian finally prepared to leave.

"Sweetie..."

Minmin hadn't gone far. She had been waiting right outside the office for Tao Tian this entire time.

Seeing her emerge, she quickly scurried over.

Spotting Minmin, Tao Tian feigned surprise and asked, "Why aren't you back at work yet?"

Hearing this, Minmin looked as if she were about to burst into tears. "How could I possibly have the mind to work right now? Zhou Yuwen isn't angry with me, is he?"

Tao Tian assured her that it was such a minor matter, there was nothing to be angry about.

"Just focus on doing your job properly and don't overthink everything else." In truth, Tao Tian had been wanting to school Minmin for a long time.

Previously, people in the company had mistaken Minmin for Zhou Yuwen's lover and flattered her for a few days, and she had neither denied nor clarified the rumors.

Even when the truth came out later, she hadn't blushed in shame at all. Instead, she had paraded Tao Tian around as her backer, allowing her to coast through the company like a fish in water.

Tao Tian wouldn't usually say much about such things, but at this point, she felt she needed to remind her friend to be somewhat mindful of her image.

"Don't assume Zhou Yuwen is oblivious to the things you do around the company. He might actually be even more aware of them than I am," Tao Tian remarked as she led Minmin down the hall.

Tao Tian wasn't walking particularly fast, yet Minmin had to take quick, tiny steps in her high heels just to keep up. Looking on the verge of tears, she asked what she was supposed to do now.

Tao Tian replied that there was nothing else to do but change her behavior.

"Stop telling everyone you meet about our relationship. Let me ask you, did you tell Li Shiqi just now that it was fine because I was the one inside, which is why she let you through?" Tao Tian interrogated.

Minmin nodded, but then immediately shook her head. She suddenly gasped, "Oh, I get it now! Li Shiqi let me in intentionally! She just wanted to see us embarrass ourselves. I really couldn't tell; she looks so harmless, but she's actually so scheming!"

Hearing this, Tao Tian stopped dead in her tracks. Staring at the supposedly profound realization on Minmin's face, she was suddenly left utterly speechless. "If you hadn't taken the initiative to go inside yourself, do you think she would have pushed you through the door?"

"I..." That single sentence left Minmin completely bereft of excuses.

Tao Tian warned her to be a bit sharper in the company from now on. "Don't go around calling anyone harmless. Let me tell you, there isn't a single simple character staying by President Zhou's side."

Minmin nodded vigorously to show she understood.

Seeing her friend's repentant expression, Tao Tian really didn't know what else to say. She was even starting to doubt whether bringing Minmin along with her had been the right decision at all.

Even now, Minmin's internal mutterings were solely focused on how poorly she had performed in front of Zhou Yuwen just now, fretting over whether he would hold a grudge against her.

She felt truly miserable. She had finally gotten a rare opportunity to seek out Zhou Yuwen, only for such a catastrophic blunder to occur.

"There's one more thing," Tao Tian added.

"Hmm?" Minmin looked curious.

Tao Tian said, "Whether in private or in public, you must address him as President Zhou. Is the name Zhou Yuwen something for you to call out so casually?"

"President Zhou? Isn't that a bit too distant? I'm his senior sister, after all..."

"What kind of senior sister are you to him?"

Tao Tian was so exasperated by this remark that she actually let out a laugh.

She scolded, "Sometimes, I really wish I could be like Qu Jing and just give you a brutal scolding. Maybe then you'd finally get it through your thick skull."

"The two of you barely even interacted back at school, yet you still want to play the senior sister card? You're currently making a living under his roof; isn't it only right to call him boss? Look around and tell me which employee calls their boss by their full name. You're just way too lax sometimes. Not only should you address him as President Zhou on the surface, but deep down, you need to remember that he is your boss."

Tao Tian lectured her with a stern face.

Minmin felt somewhat displeased upon hearing these words. She thought to herself, 'Weren't you crying and begging Zhou Yuwen back then too? If it hadn't been for me, you might not have even made it to where you are now.'

'Every single one of you is just relying on the fact that Zhou Yuwen is rich.'

'And now you're lecturing me?'

'At the very least, I didn't go off to become a sugar baby or play the other woman. Hmph!'