Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 222: Blocking Tao Tian

“Zhou Yuwen, Tao Tian is panicking in her dorm right now. She just contacted Zhao Jun, trying to arrange some exhibition part-time jobs for the students, but Zhao Jun flat-out rejected her! (snicker)”  Qu Jing sent this message to Zhou Yuwen, eagerly reporting her findings. She knew Zhou Yuwen was using her, but she didn’t mind. The fact that he was using her meant she had value, and she wanted to make the most of that.  

If not for Tao Tian, Qu Jing might never have had the chance to connect with Zhou Yuwen, let alone openly message him.  

Zhou Yuwen read the message and responded calmly: “Good.”  

“????????,” Qu Jing replied with two emojis, clearly fishing for more attention.  

Zhou Yuwen didn’t bother replying further. It was late, and after his shower, he lay down to rest with Zheng Yanyan. Despite being a couple, they didn’t always engage in intimacy. Zheng Yanyan, though affectionate, gave Zhou Yuwen his space when needed.  

The two lay in bed, each preoccupied with their own activities. Zheng Yanyan leaned against Zhou Yuwen’s shoulder, playing on her phone.  

Not long after, Qu Jing sent another message: “Zhou Yuwen, I’ve already contacted five second-year girls. They’re all fed up with Tao Tian’s behavior. The moment I mentioned it, they agreed to join us. They even said they’ll stick with me from now on! ????”  

Zhou Yuwen found her enthusiasm amusing and replied with two thumbs-up emojis.  

“Keep it up.”  

Zheng Yanyan, still leaning on him, noticed Zhou Yuwen picking up his phone to respond to messages, a faint smile on his face. Feeling uneasy, she asked, “Who are you chatting with?”  

There was a hint of worry in her tone. She feared Zhou Yuwen might leave her for someone else.  

Zhou Yuwen, calm as ever, replied, “Qu Jing.”  

“Her?” Zheng Yanyan immediately sat up, her expression shifting to one of concern. After hesitating, she said cautiously, “Hubby...”  

Her voice betrayed her fear of being replaced. She reminded Zhou Yuwen of how Qu Jing had sided with Tao Tian to insult her, saying some particularly hurtful things.  

“I know,” Zhou Yuwen replied. “You’ve told me that before.”  

He explained, “Qu Jing isn’t a bad person. Tao Tian is her roommate, after all. I only contacted her for help with the part-time jobs; there’s nothing else going on. Look.” He handed Zheng Yanyan his phone.  

Zheng Yanyan hesitated but ultimately didn’t check the messages. She leaned back into his chest, saying, “I trust you, hubby. Give me a kiss.”  

Zhou Yuwen responded with a soft “Mm” and held her by the waist while resuming his work on his laptop.  

Qu Jing continued sending updates every few minutes, reporting her progress and even gossiping about Tao Tian and Min Min’s conversations in the dorm.  

Though Zhou Yuwen wasn’t particularly interested, he occasionally encouraged her to keep her motivated.  

Later in the evening, Qu Jing sent another flurry of messages.  

“You don’t have to tell me everything,” Zhou Yuwen eventually told her. “You’re doing great, but this is too much trouble for you.”  

“It’s no trouble at all,” Qu Jing quickly replied. “I know it’s bad, but seeing you and Tao Tian fall out makes me so happy. ????‍♂️”  

“Because if you hadn’t fallen out with her, you’d never have noticed me. I’d never have had the chance to talk to you like this.”  

Her words grew increasingly heartfelt, leaving Zhou Yuwen unsure how to respond. He sent ellipses.  

Sensing his hesitation, Qu Jing added, “I’m not like Tao Tian. I don’t want to ruin your relationship with Zheng Yanyan. ????‍♂️”  

“I think things are fine the way they are now. You can use me however you want. I’m happy to be useful to you. I just...”  

“I just worry that someday you won’t need me anymore, and you’ll stop talking to me.”  

“I won’t,” Zhou Yuwen reassured her. “You’re a good girl. I’m glad we can be friends.”  

Qu Jing was deeply moved by his words. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked, “You really think of me as a friend?”  

“Of course. I don’t have many friends, but you’re one of them,” Zhou Yuwen replied.  

After a moment, Qu Jing sent back a simple, “Thank you.”  

“Zhou Yuwen, I’m so touched. I never thought you’d want to be friends with me,” she whispered through tears, lying in her dorm bed.  

The dorm lights were already out, and she apologized for getting carried away.  

“It’s okay,” Zhou Yuwen reassured her.  

Qu Jing confessed, “I can’t control myself. My body feels strange.”  

Sensing where the conversation was heading, Zhou Yuwen quickly said, “It’s late. You should get some rest ????”   Latest content published on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

Before he could send the message, Qu Jing sent a photo of her long legs. Zhou Yuwen immediately hit send on his reply, ignoring the photo.  

Disappointed by his abrupt sign-off, Qu Jing hesitated before messaging again.  

“Zhou Yuwen, can I think about you tonight?”  

“Try not to,” he replied. “You need to rest and save your energy for tomorrow. (smile)”  

“Okay... I won’t tonight. But can I tomorrow?”  

“We’ll see. Go to bed now,” Zhou Yuwen said.  

In fact, it didn’t matter much to Zhou Yuwen how Tao Tian quarreled with Zheng Yanyan, but joking about work was crossing the line.  

When Tao Tian realized her calls couldn’t get through, she sat up from her bed, tears streaming down her face. In desperation, she tried adding Zhou Yuwen as a friend on WeChat, sending one apology after another.  

“Zhou Yuwen, I was wrong. Please don’t delete me, okay?”  

“I know I was wrong. I’ll have everyone work the part-time jobs tomorrow. I won’t force you to break up. I beg you, please don’t delete me. I’m so sorry...”  

“I’m in so much pain, I feel like I’m going to die.”