Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 512: Engagement Banquet

On October 1st, the university officially went on break.At the same time, it was also the day of Sister Milk Tea and Liu Dongqiang's engagement. This was no small matter for the Jinling business circle. After all, Zhang Tianze's family already held a certain status in the Jinling business world, and Liu Dongqiang was a major businessman renowned nationwide. The union of their two families was a powerful alliance; to say it caused a sensation throughout Jinling would not be an exaggeration.

The venue was the Shangri-La Hotel, currently the largest and most luxurious hotel in Jinling.

Early in the morning, Zhou Yuwen drove his newly purchased Porsche to Jinling University to pick up Li Shiqi. He had originally thought he would have to wait downstairs for a while, but to his surprise, Li Shiqi was already waiting eagerly downstairs. She wore her newly bought red dress paired with nude high heels. The dress was long, revealing only a small section of her long legs and fair ankles that were slender and delicately bony.

Standing so beautifully in front of the dormitory building in the morning, she was truly a beautiful sight to behold.

Zhou Yuwen parked the car and asked, "Have you been waiting long?"

Li Shiqi smiled and shook her head, saying she had just arrived.

"Mhm."

Zhou Yuwen acknowledged her response and lightly pressed the accelerator, ready to set off. However, when he looked up, he saw three heads poking out of the dormitory building, peering in their direction.

Feeling a bit awkward, Zhou Yuwen asked, "Uh, those three... they should be your roommates, right?"

If Zhou Yuwen had not mentioned it, Li Shiqi would not have noticed. Seeing them, Li Shiqi gave an embarrassed smile. Zhou Yuwen asked if she wanted to get out and say hello.

But Li Shiqi said there was no need.

"They just wanted to get a look at you."

"What is there to look at? It is not like they have not seen me before," Zhou Yuwen chuckled lightly as he started the car. Since Li Shiqi said it was unnecessary, he did not insist on getting out.

He just did not understand why those three girls were huddled over the windowsill up there.

Li Shiqi told Zhou Yuwen that he was different from before.

"There are many students at our school who really admire you." When Li Shiqi said this, her tone carried a hint of respect.

Zhou Yuwen was a little surprised and smiled. "No way, even you gifted scholars admire me?"

"It is not like that." These words left Li Shiqi unsure of how to respond.

In today's society, everything was about making money. Although Zhou Yuwen's educational background was not as impressive as being from Jinling University, the entire Jinling University would probably not produce many figures like Zhou Yuwen.

Therefore, it was completely normal for people to admire him.

Zhou Yuwen told Li Shiqi, "You cannot be like them. You need to focus on studying."

"Making money is something left for people like me whose brains are not that sharp. I was genuinely bad at studying, so I settled for the next best thing and chose making money. For someone with a bright mind like yours, it would be a real pity if you did not study and contribute to the country."

Zhou Yuwen's words sounded a bit self-deprecating. Fortunately, it was 2014; otherwise, Li Shiqi would have undoubtedly summarized it with one precise word.

Humblebragging!

Indeed, Zhou Yuwen's words at this moment were a textbook humblebrag.

Li Shiqi had no idea how to reply. She said that if she had a choice, she would rather be like Zhou Yuwen and make a lot of money.

She added that it would be great if Zhou Yuwen was willing to guide her.

Her words inevitably carried the implication of wanting to join Zhou Yuwen's company.

This lass was indeed short of money. Even though he had given her the agency rights for the phone cards, her family background inevitably left her with an endless desire for making money. One had to understand that her initial motivation for studying hard was merely to flee her family.

Zhou Yuwen told Li Shiqi, "You will not lack money in the future, truly. Your current task is studying. If you focus on making money now, you might earn a lot, but your life will not reach a higher level. However, if you study hard now, things will be completely different later."

Li Shiqi found his words somewhat amusing. She replied that sometimes, she did not even know what tomorrow would bring.

How could she even talk about taking her life to the next level?

"If you need money, I can actually sponsor you," he offered.

"Thank you, but I prefer relying on my own abilities," she replied.

Their topic of conversation ended there. Zhou Yuwen had always hoped to avoid altering the futures of certain people due to his rebirth. Yet in the end, these people had still been changed by him.

Upon arriving at the Shangri-La Hotel, the sheer luxury of the establishment completely subverted Li Shiqi's expectations. The entire hotel resembled a magnificent palace.

Liu Dongqiang and Zhang Tianze stood in the front hall greeting guests.

The nineteen-year-old Zhang Tianze had her hair coiled up and wore a red qipao. Her young girl appearance now carried a few touches of a wife's charm. Having gone viral on the internet for her looks, Sister Milk Tea's beauty was undeniably resilient—a true case of a lotus rising from clear water, naturally unadorned.

Of course, the forty-year-old Liu Dongqiang was not lacking in the slightest. Dressed in a sharp suit and exuding confidence, the two stood side by side.

Anyone who came over would have to admit they were a perfect match of a talented man and a beautiful woman.

Liu Dongqiang led Zhang Tianze there, shaking hands and sharing a laugh with whoever approached.

Zhou Yuwen brought Li Shiqi along, following behind the others. Liu Dongqiang was delighted to see Zhou Yuwen. He hurried over from a distance, grasped Zhou Yuwen's hand, and declared, "I am so happy you could make it!"

Zhou Yuwen took out the red envelope he had prepared in advance and smiled. "Congratulations, Brother Dong. Congratulations, Sister-in-Law."

Zhou Yuwen had never called Zhang Tianze "Sister-in-Law" before. This sudden address made Zhang Tianze feel a bit bashful. Her small face instantly flushed red as she protested, "Oh my, how can you call me that? You met me first, remember?"

Her adorable demeanor made both Liu Dongqiang and Zhou Yuwen chuckle. Liu Dongqiang said, "It does not matter what you call her."

Taking the opportunity, Zhou Yuwen introduced Li Shiqi, mentioning she was a friend.

Liu Dongqiang looked at Li Shiqi and cast an envious glance at Zhou Yuwen, saying meaningfully, "It is good to be young."

Zhou Yuwen retorted, "Brother Dong, you are not exactly old either, alright?"

"Sister-in-Law is in the prime of her youth, and the two of you are a match made in heaven."

After Zhou Yuwen offered a few more compliments, Liu Dongqiang laughed heartily. They chatted for a brief moment before Liu Dongqiang summoned someone to lead Zhou Yuwen inside to his seat.

He told Zhou Yuwen to go in first and promised to find him in a bit.

There were not too many people attending an engagement party like this. Most were the bride's friends. On Liu Dongqiang's side, aside from some relatives from Northern Jiangsu, it was mostly his business circle friends in Jinling.

There were about thirty tables in total, and the banquet hall was bustling with a dense crowd of people.

There were even a few people Zhou Yuwen recognized.

Li Shiqi had just seen two major celebrities at once, and her mind was still struggling to process it. She might not be familiar with a businessman like Liu Dongqiang, but she definitely knew who Zhang Tianze was.

Seeing her in real life now, she found Zhang Tianze to be even more beautiful than she appeared online—a girl truly radiating an ethereal, fairy-like aura.

How could such a girl choose a man old enough to be her father?

Zhou Yuwen asked Li Shiqi what she was thinking about.

Li Shiqi shook her head and said it was nothing.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled lightly. As he held Li Shiqi's hand and followed Liu Dongqiang's subordinate forward, he asked her, "Do you know how much personal wealth that Brother Dong from earlier currently has?"

"How much?" This was something Li Shiqi genuinely did not know. Zhou Yuwen held up two fingers.

The inexperienced Li Shiqi, having only seen a tiny glimpse of the world, blurted out, "Two hundred million?"

Zhou Yuwen replied, "Twenty billion."

"!" This made Li Shiqi gasp sharply. It was beyond her wildest imagination, prompting her to blurt out, "Then he is even richer than you?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen found it even more amusing. He laughed and said, "Isn't that obvious? Forget about him being richer than me—even in this very room, there are plenty of people wealthier than I am."

After all, he had spent some time networking alongside Jiang Xinyi and had met many successful figures in Jinling. Now was the perfect time to share this with Li Shiqi.

For example, sitting over there was the famous furniture tycoon of Jinling, holding at least seven or eight billion.

"And over there is the director of Jinling's most renowned law firm."

Zhou Yuwen pointed them out and introduced them to Li Shiqi one by one. Each person's identity and net worth left Li Shiqi trembling with awe.

After finishing his introductions, Zhou Yuwen could not help but mutter internally, 'Are there really this many rich people?'

He was right in the middle of whispering gossip with Li Shiqi.

Just then, someone came over to greet him: "Hey, little brother Zhou!"

"Little brother Zhou, come sit over here!"

One familiar face after another actively extended an invitation to Zhou Yuwen.

Back when Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi chose to break up, a rift had actually formed between him and the local Jinling business syndicate. Logically speaking, these people should not be paying much attention to Zhou Yuwen at all.

But who could have imagined that this kid, Zhou Yuwen, was so incredibly capable of making money?

And he was making money in finance, no less.

Because of this, Zhou Yuwen instantly became a hot commodity in their eyes.

These local businessmen certainly had money, but they did not know how to make that money generate more wealth.

They loved talents like Zhou Yuwen who understood how to use money to make more money.

Therefore, even though Liu Jing had already put out the word that she strongly disapproved of Zhou Yuwen, these people still came over grinning to make friends with him.

They even offered enthusiastic invitations for Zhou Yuwen to sit down so they could have a proper chat.

"President Zhou, even if you won't give me face, you must at least give President Zhu some face! I happen to know that the two of you are as close as a biological sister and brother!" the man declared, pointing at Zhu Hong sitting nearby.

If he had not said that, Zhou Yuwen would not have even noticed Zhu Hong.

He saw Zhu Hong sitting upright, dressed in a dark gold evening gown with a pearl necklace around her neck. Catching Zhou Yuwen's gaze, she offered him a slight smile.

Zhou Yuwen asked, "Sister Hong, you came too?"

Zhu Hong smiled and asked in return, "Why, can I not come?"

"It is not that. I just figured this was mostly a gathering of local factions. Do you know Brother Dong, Sister Hong?" Zhou Yuwen asked curiously.

Zhu Hong told Zhou Yuwen that she actually did not know Liu Dongqiang.

She had come this time to deliver a gift on behalf of her boss.

Oh, put that way, it was completely understandable. Attending such an occasion allowed Zhu Hong to build useful connections.

Zhu Hong looked at Li Shiqi standing behind Zhou Yuwen with keen interest and asked him when he had found himself another new girlfriend.

Li Shiqi kept her head down and remained silent.

Zhou Yuwen laughed it off, asking what she meant by girlfriend.

"She is just my high school classmate. I brought her along to broaden her horizons."

"Oh? When is President Zhou going to take me out to broaden my horizons?" Zhu Hong's remarks were as sharp and tricky to answer as ever.

Zhou Yuwen figured that he had to sit somewhere anyway, so he might as well sit next to Zhu Hong. At least they were acquaintances and could spend the time chatting.

However, the person guiding him informed Zhou Yuwen that he needed to sit at one of the two tables near the front, which were reserved for the groom's close family and friends.

"?" Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen paused in surprise.

Was this some kind of joke? He certainly did not belong with the groom's family and close friends.

But the man insisted, "These were President Liu's instructions. President Zhou, let us head towards the front."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuwen cast a glance at Zhu Hong sitting nearby.

Zhu Hong was actually quite surprised as well.

One had to know that Liu Dongqiang was currently a scorching hot figure in the internet business circle. Who would have expected him to have such a close relationship with Zhou Yuwen? To the point of placing him at the family and friends table?

Zhu Hong was rather curious about how exactly Zhou Yuwen and Liu Dongqiang had met.

However, she did not pry. She simply smiled and said, "Since President Liu has requested you, you should head over. We can catch up anytime, but today is President Liu's big day."

Zhou Yuwen nodded, taking Li Shiqi's hand as he said, "Then, Sister, I will head over first."

"Mhm."

Right after Zhou Yuwen walked away, a woman dressed in a sleek black suit, projecting the flawless aura of a strong woman in the workplace, sat down next to Zhu Hong.

When Zhu Hong saw clearly who had arrived, she paused for a moment before smiling.

She thought to herself that it made sense—half the Jinling business circle was here, after all.

How could this woman possibly miss it?

"What a coincidence," Zhu Hong muttered to herself.

"What was that?" The newcomer was quite familiar with Zhu Hong and could not help but ask in confusion.

Zhu Hong smiled brightly. "He just left, and then you arrived. Do you not think that is quite a coincidence?"