It couldn't be said that Zheng Yanyan was hopelessly in love with Zhou Yuwen, but he was undeniably the only man who had ever truly walked into her heart. The fact that she had already prepared herself to move in with him proved that she had firmly chosen him. Who could have known that, at this exact mont, Zhou Yuwen would suddenly declare he needed so ti to cool off?
Zheng Yanyan couldn't accept it. She desperately tried to salvage their relationship by acting humble and pitiful, even going so far as to harm herself just to win Zhou Yuwen's sympathy.
Unfortunately, Zhou Yuwen was far too ruthless.
When Zheng Yanyan saw Lu Lin, she froze in astonishnt. "Why are you here?" she asked.
Lu Lin sighed. "Zhou Yuwen was afraid you might have an accident, so he asked
to co take care of you. Also, he told
to tell you that he won't be coming back tonight."
At that mont, Zheng Yanyan fell into complete despair. She had no idea what she had done wrong.
Why was Zhou Yuwen torturing her like this?
What a scummy man!
At this mont, Zheng Yanyan's emotions completely erupted.
With red, tear-filled eyes, she cried to Lu Lin, "Zhou Yuwen is nothing but a scummy man!"
"He definitely planned this all along, didn't he? To break up with ? And then get together with Su Qing?"
"He just wanted to dump !"
No matter what Zheng Yanyan said, Lu Lin simply stood there nodding and agreeing with every word.
"Alright, can we head back to the dormitory now?"
"I..." At the ntion of returning to the dormitory, Zheng Yanyan hesitated again, unable to hold back her tears. "But Linlin... I miss him so much."
People going through a breakup were naturally very emotionally unstable.
Fortunately, Zhou Yuwen's intention in not coming ho tonight was to let Lu Lin properly console her in the apartnt.
Lu Lin complained to Zhou Yuwen over the phone, saying that being his lover was truly not easy. Not only did she have to sleep with him, but she also had to help him coax his girlfriend.
Zhou Yuwen, holding Qu Jing's slender waist with his fingers gliding back and forth over her delicate skin, chuckled and said, "What else can we do? I'll pay you extra."
Zhou Yuwen's fingers trailing along her waist actually tickled, but Qu Jing was very obedient. She lay quietly in his embrace, occasionally unable to resist sticking out her little tongue to lick his cheek.
Yet, she was so well-behaved that she didn't make a single sound.
However, she wasn't stupid either. From the few phone calls between Zheng Yanyan and Zhou Yuwen, she could tell that Zhou Yuwen had seemingly broken up with Zheng Yanyan.
'Doesn't that an I've truly beco Zhou Yuwen's only woman?' she thought.
With this in mind, Qu Jing worked even harder to please Zhou Yuwen.
Her outfit perfectly accentuated her figure. While Zhou Yuwen was on the phone, she kissed his neck and draped herself over him, eager to win his favor.
Zhou Yuwen continued to laugh and chat with Lu Lin.
Honestly speaking, seeing Zheng Yanyan looking so heartbroken made Lu Lin's heart ache a little, and she couldn't help but want to plead on her behalf.
"It's not that I don't want her anymore," Zhou Yuwen explained. "It's just that I'm really busy lately. I might have to go to Shanghai tomorrow for so business regarding my novel. Just stay with her and keep her company today."
With that, Zhou Yuwen hung up the phone.
Zheng Yanyan was indeed running a fever, though thankfully, it was only a mild one.
Lu Lin helped Zheng Yanyan take a shower, changed her into a clean bathrobe, and then blow-dried her hair for her.
Zheng Yanyan wrapped her arms around Lu Lin's waist, pressing her face against Lu Lin's stomach. Pouting, she mumbled, "You're the only one who treats
well. n are all terrible! Hmph, saying he doesn't want
anymore? It should be
not wanting him!"
"Linlin, I'm done with dating. Let's just live together from now on!" Zheng Yanyan declared firmly.
Lu Lin stared at the naive look on Zheng Yanyan's face, hesitated for a long ti, and finally couldn't help but say, "Are you crazy?"
"?"
"You might not have a man who wants you, but I certainly do."
These words instantly pierced her heart. Zheng Yanyan imdiately burst into tears, wailing, "But Zhou Yuwen really doesn't want
anymore..."
"Alright, alright, stop crying. I'll take you, okay?" Lu Lin patted Zheng Yanyan's head.
That night, Zheng Yanyan and Lu Lin slept together in Zhou Yuwen's king-size bed room. Zheng Yanyan cried several tis throughout the night. Sotis, between sobs, she would curse Zhou Yuwen for being a scummy man, and other tis, unable to bear the pain, she would weep about how much she missed him, crying that she missed him so much she didn't know how she could live without him.
Regardless, these were all normal reactions after a breakup.
So people recovered in just three days.
Others never truly recovered for the rest of their lives.
Although Zheng Yanyan verbally cursed Zhou Yuwen as a scummy man, she still desperately hoped he wouldn't actually break up with her. She stubbornly stayed at his apartnt, refusing to leave, just wanting to see him one more ti.
But then Lu Lin told her that Zhou Yuwen had already gone to Shanghai.
"To Shanghai?"
"What is he doing in Shanghai?" Zheng Yanyan asked.
Lu Lin replied that it seed to be sothing regarding his novel.
The few girls around him were aware that Zhou Yuwen was writing a novel, but none of them knew exactly how far along he was or how successful it had beco.
However, she had previously heard Su Qing ntion that Zhou Yuwen was incredibly talented and would beco a famous author in the future.
Thinking of this, Zheng Yanyan felt miserable again. She turned to Lu Lin and complained, "Zhou Yuwen and Su Qing are definitely secretly hooking up. No wonder he writes his novel every single day. This novel is practically written for Su Qing! Hmph, what a scummy man!"
After spending the past few days with her, Lu Lin had long since grown accustod to Zheng Yanyan's erratic mood swings.
Hearing this, Lu Lin simply smiled helplessly.
Life had to go on.
The first day of a breakup was agonizingly painful.
The second day was still painful.
By the third day, although the pain lingered, she eventually had to return to classes, even if she wasn't quite in the best state of mind.
Su Qing had been probing from the sidelines. Noticing that Zheng Yanyan hadn't returned to the dormitory the previous night and had shown up to class today with red, puffy eyes, she teased, "Oh my, Minister Zheng, why do you look so awful? Don't tell
you're getting dumped?"
Zheng Yanyan reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "What nonsense are you spouting?! Zhou Yuwen and I are doing perfectly fine!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Su Qing gave a mischievous smirk.
Zheng Yanyan was so furious she wanted to punch her.
Truth be told, Zhou Yuwen was quite lucky to have experienced rebirth right at the historical turning point of the web novel industry in 2013. Prior to 2012, although the number of web novel authors was gradually increasing, most of them weren't writing to make money. They wrote out of pure passion. As a result, many excellent works were born. These authors had genuine talent; they possessed solid writing skills and structured their plots with sound logic.
Even though so novels had elents of wish fulfillnt, readers could genuinely walk away having learned practical life skills or historical facts.
However, after 2012, the web novel industry underwent a massive wave of strict regulations. A universal ban was enforced across the board. It didn't matter how brilliantly a book was written—if it contained any violating content, the only outco was getting banned.
Let alone web novel writers, even classic literary figures like Alexandre Dumas and his son had pushed boundaries in their writing. Not to ntion dostic literature or Japanese works, which frequently featured thes of carnal desires and indulgence.
Yet, strangely enough, while traditional literature was given a free pass, web novels were strictly forbidden. Any physical description below the neck was completely outlawed.
During that period, everyone in the industry lived in fear. Writers couldn't even describe the male and female leads holding hands.
This harsh crackdown dealt a severe blow to the web novel community. Zhou Yuwen clearly rembered that prior to 2012, he could log onto a novel website, randomly pick a book, and eagerly read it all day long. Reading web novels back then was sheer bliss because there was an endless supply of great stories—far more than one could ever finish.
But after 2012, that happiness vanished. He would spend ages scrolling through the hopage without finding a single story to his liking. The novels were either heavily dumbed down for a younger audience or featured logic so flawed it felt like an insult to the reader's intelligence.
And now, in 2013, the web novel industry was exactly in this transitional, drought-like phase.
When Zhou Yuwen first experienced his rebirth, he only wanted to earn a little pocket money. So, he took a highly popular romantic drama novel from his past life titled "I Don't Want Rebirth" and adapted it.
It was important to note that this novel wasn't just popular.
It contained only the faintest traces of mature content, so subtle that it could practically be ignored.
In this completely barren web novel market, the appearance of "I Don't Want Rebirth" was not rely a phenonal masterpiece; it perfectly aligned with the current mainstream direction of the industry.
Because of this, after only four months of writing, his monthly royalties broke through the one-million mark. The writing was mature, the emotional depth was spot-on, and the portrayals of the two female leads were so vivid and lifelike that it felt as if the author had experienced it all firsthand.
Not only were the readers unable to put it down, but even the chief editors and executives at the novel platform found themselves completely engrossed. They all thought the sa thing: 'With such seasoned prose, the author must be at least forty years old!'
'This kind of writing style clearly cos from personal experience.'
'The author is probably a highly successful individual.'
Speculations ran wild for a ti, until they finally checked the author's background information.
'What the hell? The author is eighteen?!'
In an instant, everyone from the top executives to the frontline editorial staff was utterly shocked.
'This newly erged god-tier urban novel author is actually an eighteen-year-old university student?'
'Are you kidding ?'
'Is he naturally gifted with a divine physique for writing novels?'
The platform's executives imdiately convened a eting. Taking the current literary environnt into consideration, they realized this was a golden opportunity. By heavily promoting Zhou Yuwen, they could show the public that there was still hope for web novels. They wanted to prove that even without relying on borderline explicit content, incredible masterpieces could still be produced.
Furthermore, an eighteen-year-old genius author was the perfect hook to draw more mainstream attention to web literature.
Consequently, his editor contacted Zhou Yuwen to invite him to the platform's annual author convention. They planned to upgrade him to a higher-tier contract right on the spot. In addition, they wanted to package and market his image, turning him into a star-like public figure.
But Zhou Yuwen casually declined. "Let's forget it. I don't really like showing my face in public."
"If you eat a delicious egg, there's no need to go et the hen that laid it. I'm just a guy who writes stories, not so trendy idol."
As expected of a writer, even at just eighteen years old, his words carried profound depth.
This response only made the executives even more eager to et this eighteen-year-old prodigy.
So, they offered Zhou Yuwen a deal: if he agreed to cooperate with their promotional campaign, they would pay him a one-million promotional fee.
Naturally, this million wasn't just handed out for nothing. It served as a signing bonus for Zhou Yuwen to agree to a long-term contract.
Furthermore, they would publicly tip his novel two million on the platform—which, after the platform's standard revenue split, would flawlessly equal his one-million payout.
They had even cooked up the perfect backstory: the CEO of a listed company had fallen so in love with Zhou Yuwen's novel that he casually tossed out a lavish two-million tip!
Wouldn't that headline be absolutely explosive?
Not only would they secure Zhou Yuwen's loyalty, but it would also beco a landmark news event. It would show the world just how profitable writing web novels could be, thereby attracting even more readers and aspiring authors to their platform.
Originally, Zhou Yuwen had no desire to step into the lilight.
But the platform was throwing a cool million at him right out of the gate.
That was no small sum.
After a year of hard work, Zhou Yuwen's personal net worth was currently only around forty million (most of which was tied up in stocks, steadily appreciating in value).
After a brief mont of hesitation, Zhou Yuwen agreed. "Alright."
"I accept."
Thus, Zhou Yuwen inexplicably beca the most popular author of 2013. Upon arriving in Shanghai, not only did he sign the higher-tier contract, but the team also eagerly snapped several promotional photos of him with a flurry of cara clicks.
To be completely honest, seeing Zhou Yuwen in person truly left the platform staff stunned for a mont.
The vast majority of web novel authors were typically bespectacled shut-ins or pot-bellied middle-aged n. A dashing, elegant young man like Zhou Yuwen was an incredibly rare sight.
In fact, when Zhou Yuwen's editor ca to pick him up at the station, she didn't even dare to recognize him when he first greeted her. Seriously, how could he be this handso?
The editor Zhou Yuwen had chosen was actually the sa person from his past life. Only, in this life, she was much younger, still unmarried, and right at the age where romance was just beginning to blossom.
She stared blankly at Zhou Yuwen for a long ti, thinking to herself, 'This guy is so handso.'
"Sister Ya, here to pick soone up?" Zhou Yuwen greeted her with an amused smile.
"Ah, are you... Teacher Zhou?" At this point in ti, his editor was still remarkably green, actually addressing him with the respectful title of Teacher Zhou.
Zhou Yuwen laughed. "Why so formal? Weren't you just calling
Little Zhou online?"
"N-no, I wasn't."
The editor blushed deeply, embarrassed by his teasing. She couldn't help it; Zhou Yuwen was simply too good-looking.
Unfortunately, he had brought his girlfriend along.
That's right. When Zhou Yuwen ca to Shanghai, he brought Qu Jing with him.
Otherwise, traveling alone would have been far too boring.
Despite how submissively she acted in front of Zhou Yuwen, practically fawning over him, whenever she was brought out in public, both her stunning looks and elegant temperant were absolutely top-tier and commanding.
Hearing that Zhou Yuwen was taking her out on a trip this ti, she had been overjoyed. Last night, she had hugged and kissed him endlessly, practically wagging a taphorical tail as she continuously praised, "Big brother treats
so well! Jingjing will only belong to big brother from now on."
The closer this girl got to Zhou Yuwen, the sweeter and more coquettish her voice beca, showing zero self-awareness of being an older female student.
Following Zhou Yuwen to Shanghai today, she wore a small white knit sweater paired with white hip-hugging shorts. Her perfectly proportioned legs were clad in sheer pantyhose, finishing off the look with a pair of white knee-high boots.
The two of them appeared hand in hand in front of the editor.
Alright, seeing Zhou Yuwen bring his girlfriend along did leave the editor feeling a bit disappointed.
However, her professionalism was still comndable. Pushing up her glasses, she said, "Right, let
take you to the hotel first. Our company has booked a three-day, two-night hotel stay for you. There's nothing on the schedule for today, so you can explore and enjoy the city tonight. Tomorrow morning at nine, I'll co pick you up and take you to the company headquarters."
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