One of the perks of university life was that convenience stores or small supermarkets could be found just about anywhere on campus.
Even in the Central District.
Shen An figured Wang Yuqiong would need around ten minutes or so. After Zhao Qingyu left, he didn’t waste any time and moved on to interviewing the next applicant.
But he never imagined that Wang Yuqiong hadn’t gone to buy tissues at all.
Instead, she stood silently on the other side of the corridor, waiting.
Soon enough, Zhao Qingyu rounded the corner and came face-to-face with her.
“Senior Sister.”
Wang Yuqiong tilted her head and flashed a sweet smile. But as she took a step forward, the imposing aura from her towering 1.78-meter frame actually overshadowed Zhao Qingyu in that moment.
Zhao Qingyu wasn’t short by any means—she stood around 1.7 meters tall. She might not match Wang Yuqiong’s height, but she’d have no trouble working as a model.
Upon seeing Wang Yuqiong, Zhao Qingyu’s expression remained impassive, as if she’d anticipated this encounter.
She tilted her chin up just a fraction, a faint smirk playing on her lips. “It’s so annoying having to crane my neck to talk to people. Normally, I’d just look down.”
The height difference between 1.78 meters and 1.7 wasn’t much; even looking up required only the slightest adjustment.
This was classic Zhao Qingyu—words laced with hidden barbs.
Wang Yuqiong responded by bending forward slightly at the waist, the corners of her mouth curving upward. “I can make some allowances for you, Senior Sister.”
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes, mockery dripping from her tone. “Haven’t seen you in two years, and you’re still as arrogant as ever, Yuqiong.”
It turned out the two women were old acquaintances.
“Pot calling the kettle black.” Wang Yuqiong dropped her sweet facade, revealing a rare cold edge.
Her features were soft and elegant, but without that smile, she exuded an entirely different vibe—one that was downright intimidating.
It was much like Xu Yijing. Though Xu Yijing’s looks leaned toward sultry and alluring, her perpetual lack of smiles led people to assume she was aloof by nature.
Wang Yuqiong usually came across as gentle and approachable. But when she wasn’t smiling, she turned downright scary—more so than Xu Yijing, even. It had that sharp edge of a mild-mannered person finally snapping.
Zhao Qingyu stayed perfectly composed, even finding room to tease. “Tsk, we’ve never gotten along since we were kids. I figured after high school graduation, that would be the end of it. Never dreamed we’d cross paths again in university. What a pain.”
Wang Yuqiong replied coolly, “Someone else is the one who doesn’t get along with you, Senior Sister. Don’t take it out on me.”
“Hmm~” Zhao Qingyu’s smile widened. “Getting mad? Or did I embarrass you in front of him?”
Wang Yuqiong’s gaze hardened, chill creeping in.
“Oho, looks like I nailed it.” Zhao Qingyu’s voice carried a trace of pity. “Who would’ve thought? You’re actually into a guy like that? Your heat must be hitting early.”
Wang Yuqiong brushed off the sarcasm with a dry chuckle. “Aren’t you the same, Senior Sister?”
“Me?” Zhao Qingyu scoffed. “I’m nothing like you. Oh, wait—”
She cocked her head, eyeing Wang Yuqiong thoughtfully. “Don’t tell me you’re the same as me?”
Wang Yuqiong averted her gaze and turned away. “You’d better rein it in, Senior Sister.”
“You don’t have the standing to lecture me.” Zhao Qingyu’s voice turned icy. “Maybe your sister could pull that off.”
“Speaking of which, where is your sister anyway? Haven’t seen her in forever. Her vanishing act caused us no end of headaches.”
Wang Yuqiong didn’t break stride. “I’ve already given you fair warning, Senior Sister.”
“You know how much I hate being threatened.” Zhao Qingyu refused to yield, locking eyes with her.
“Then look after yourself, Senior Sister.”
With that, Wang Yuqiong headed back toward the classroom.
Zhao Qingyu raised a delicate hand and called after her with a playful jab. “Did you buy those tissues? If not, how are you going to explain it to him?”
Wang Yuqiong faltered for a split second, her expression growing even frostier.
That stinky fox!
Once Wang Yuqiong was out of sight, Zhao Qingyu’s playful smirk faded, replaced by a grave look.
Why was this girl getting mixed up in it?
Didn’t she know about that guy…?
If her sister found out, things would get even messier.
Whatever.
Zhao Qingyu shook off the worry and simply walked away.
By the time Wang Yuqiong returned, she had composed herself completely. Her gentle smile was back in place.
She pushed open the door. Shen An was in the middle of interviewing the next freshman.
With a quick glance around, she offered a soft smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
She stepped aside on her own initiative and watched quietly as Shen An continued with the interview.
Once the freshman had left, Shen An turned to her. “Ahem, well… Senior Sister Zhao had something come up and had to go.”
Under Shen An’s watchful eye, a flicker of irritation crossed Wang Yuqiong’s face. But she quickly suppressed it in front of him and shook her head. “It’s fine. I couldn’t find any anyway.”
“I checked the supermarket nearby, but the boss said they were out of stock.”
“Ah, thanks for saving me a few bucks.”
Shen An smiled.
Wang Yuqiong’s eyes widened in surprise, anger flaring up. “She was going to make you pay?”
“Sigh, I’d have gladly paid.” Shen An eyed the thick stack of resumes and sighed in defeat.
“She’s way out of line.” Wang Yuqiong puffed out her cheeks a little, grumbling.
Shen An felt a touch helpless himself. “Things should calm down once I’m officially in the Art Troupe, right?”
“Yeah, right. Don’t kid yourself.”
Wang Yuqiong pouted. “She’s already pushing you around before you’re even in. Imagine how much worse it’ll be once you join.”
“Why not just skip the Art Troupe altogether? It’s not worth it.”
She gazed at him with genuine concern, offering heartfelt advice.
Shen An shook his head slightly. “Better to avoid the hassle.”
How else am I supposed to get my revenge if I don’t join?
“You’re just too nice for your own good.” Wang Yuqiong stood up and leaned in close. “Being kind isn’t a flaw, but you have to pick your recipients. Show it to the wrong person, and your good intentions backfire.”
“Look at her—she’s clearly bullying you on purpose. Why put yourself through that?”
“You’re dodging conflict to avoid trouble, thinking you can just tough it out. But the more you bend, the more she pushes. She has zero empathy and will grind you down eventually!”
Wang Yuqiong ranted on about Zhao Qingyu, equal parts concern for Shen An and venting frustration.
After their long chat the other night, the two had grown much closer, shedding their initial awkwardness.
Shen An watched her uncharacteristic outburst with amusement, thinking to himself that if even someone as even-tempered as Wang Yuqiong was getting riled up by Zhao Qingyu, then her reputation really wasn’t just empty rumors.
“Still laughing?”
Wang Yuqiong’s brows shot up. “How can you laugh at a time like this?”
“Senior Sister wasn’t trying to make it hard on purpose. It’s just part of the interview process.” On the surface, Shen An was consoling her, but really, he was fanning the flames.
“Hah. Should I send her a thank-you note, then?”
Wang Yuqiong rolled her eyes. “You’re actually sticking up for her? What kind of spell did she cast on you?”
She furrowed her brow. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush on her?”
Shen An’s mouth twitched. Why did everyone jump to that conclusion? Wang Yuqiong thought so, and so did Chen Nannan.
“Not saying anything? Did I get it right?” Wang Yuqiong sneered.
“I like you, okay?” Shen An waved her off.
“Huh? Then drop the Art Troupe. I’ll bow out too, and we can both go for the Discipline Department!” A faint smile lit up Wang Yuqiong’s face.
“Right, you mentioned wanting to join both clubs before. Have you done the interview for the Discipline Department yet?”
Shen An steered the conversation elsewhere.
Wang Yuqiong shot him a look and huffed cutely. “Not yet.”
“Are there more interviews lined up here?”
She asked.
“Nope.” Shen An shook his head. “What else is there to ask?”
“You can ask me anything. I’ll answer honestly.” Wang Yuqiong’s big eyes sparkled with sincerity. “No secrets.”
“Hmm. In that case, how about we switch up the interview format?”
Shen An said, turning serious.
“To what?”
“Could you give me a hand?” Shen An put on a troubled expression. “It’s just me here, and there’s a whole line of people waiting. I have no clue how long this’ll take.”
Wang Yuqiong snickered. “She’s bossing you around, so now you’re bossing me? Don’t forget, I’m your class president!”
“You’re not worried I’ll make your life miserable later?”
Shen An buttered her up. “You’re too magnanimous to hold a grudge. Just help a guy out—have some pity on me?”
“You’re impossible. Fine.” Wang Yuqiong acted reluctant, but she eagerly grabbed the next resume from the stack. “Count yourself lucky you ran into me. I’ve got nothing going on this afternoon, so I’ll pitch in.”
“Ahem, Class President, you’re the best.”
Shen An beamed.
“Hah, you’re seriously having me do interviews? Not scared she’ll find out and come after you?” Wang Yuqiong’s beautiful eyes narrowed in teasing.
Shen An backpedaled quickly. “I meant you could help call people in and keep things orderly. I’ll handle the actual interviews.”
Wang Yuqiong: ?
She laughed despite herself—this guy had actually tried to treat her like one of the freshmen!
“You don’t mind, do you?” Shen An asked cautiously.
Wang Yuqiong’s heart softened, and she pouted playfully. “A little, but I’m not as petty as she is.”
“We’ll be classmates for four years, after all. Just remember—you owe me one now.”
Shen An looked utterly defeated. “I have a feeling I’ll be racking up even more favors from you down the line.”
Wang Yuqiong giggled. “No rush. Just keep a tab open and pay it off bit by bit.”
With that, Wang Yuqiong swayed her long legs as she carried the remaining application forms out to the corridor, where she began organizing the queue.
This kind of task was right up her alley.
She was a natural at coordinating crowds.
With just a few casual instructions, the chaotic mob in the hallway quickly fell into neat lines. The constant chatter died down, and an air of quiet settled over the group.
She poked her head back inside. “Ready to start?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Shen An nodded slightly.
“OK~” Wang Yuqiong flashed a thumbs-up, then turned to the crowd. “Alright, we’ll go in order. You first.”
“O-okay…” The freshman shuffled inside, visibly nervous.
Wang Yuqiong closed the door and turned back to the remaining applicants with a cheerful smile.
Shen An’s interviews were always efficient, but with the sun dipping toward evening, he’d picked up the pace even more.
Before long, one by one, the new students filed in and out. The line in the corridor thinned out steadily.
When the last applicant finally emerged from the classroom, Wang Yuqiong finished jotting down her notes and pushed the door open. Her eyes landed on Shen An, sprawled face-down over his desk, looking utterly wiped out.
“What’s up? You that tired?”
Wang Yuqiong asked with genuine concern.
Shen An replied weakly, “Not tired, exactly. But my mouth’s a bit dry, and my hand’s starting to cramp.”
His desk, once bare except for the neat stacks of forms, was now covered in his handwriting.
Wang Yuqiong glanced at it and teased, “You really take this seriously. If it were me, I’d have cut a few corners.”
Shen An chuckled lightly. “Different story. Business is business, personal is personal. Interviews are a big deal—better to be thorough.”
“Heh, only a goofball like you would think that way.”
Wang Yuqiong pursed her lips. “If she was really that serious about it, she wouldn’t have dumped the job on you and run off to slack.”
Whoa there~
Shen An let out a helpless laugh. “Still hung up on that?”
“Well, what do you expect? I’ve never met anyone as nitpicky as her.” Wang Yuqiong huffed.
“Come on, just think of it as helping me out. Once you’re in the Art Troupe, you’ll be under Senior Sister’s leadership anyway.”
Shen An played the role of the ultimate nice guy to perfection.
“Tch. Did she even say which department she’d stick you in?” Wang Yuqiong didn’t want to belabor the point and risk leaving a bad impression on him.
“Eh, actually, no.”
Shen An hesitated. “But I figure it’ll probably be the office.”
“I mean, I can’t sing, can’t dance, and runway modeling? No clue.”
“Tsk, that’s rough.”
Wang Yuqiong gave him a half-smile, half-pout.
“Huh?”
“I’m probably headed to the office too. We’d end up as coworkers. Then she’d boss you around, and you’d boss me around—what’s not rough about that?”
Wang Yuqiong stared at him, her tone a mix of teasing and mock grievance.
“No, no, nothing like that.” Shen An shook his head vigorously, sincere as ever. “Only if I can’t handle it alone would I ever bother you.”
“Tch.” Wang Yuqiong covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Still ends up with you bossing me around.”
“Are the interviews done? Let’s grab some dinner together.”
“Pretty much… Wait, one more!” Shen An shuffled through the forms and spotted one that hadn’t been touched.
It had gotten stuck in the pile and never made it to Wang Yuqiong.
He glanced at the name on the form, and his expression turned subtly odd.
Wang Yuqiong leaned in, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
She saw the name too, and her eyes narrowed.
“Oh? It’s Lianyao.”
Wang Yuqiong raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The untouched form belonged to their classmate: Shen Lianyao!
Just as Shen An opened his mouth to say something, the classroom door swung open again.
They both turned to see Shen Lianyao, slightly out of breath!
Speak of the devil!
