Shen An had just been worrying if there’d be any conflict, and now this—he’d overheard the whole storm.
Those four girls were all from the Dance Group, and their chat had been all about Shen Lianyao.
The content? Not exactly friendly—more like malicious gossip, at best.
Shen An wasn’t surprised at all. If anything, he had that “I knew it” feeling of absurdity.
He’d been concerned earlier about Shen Lianyao coming off too aggressively, precisely to avoid this scenario: an outsider getting shut out, trapped in a vicious cycle of poor relations.
If the Dance Group’s vibe was as harmonious as the other departments, fine—but it was the weirdest atmosphere among all of them, a total mismatch for her.
Shen Lianyao was probably in for some subtle isolation in the Dance Group.
And that was just one of the three departments she oversaw.
What about Street Dance Group and Musical Instruments Group?
The key was what those four girls had said—pure character assassination, slapping stereotypes onto Shen Lianyao.
But it could also be dismissed as mere angry words, hardly ironclad proof—especially since Shen An had only overheard it with no recording to back it up.
Oh well~
At this point, all Shen An could do was worry a little. There wasn’t much else he could manage.
Of course, he could force his way in and intervene, but was it really necessary?
Given Shen Lianyao’s personality, if he tried to muscle in right now, it might just backfire—wasted effort and a slap in the face.
It wasn’t that he wouldn’t help; it was just that the timing wasn’t right.
Helping others was a good thing, but knowing when to do it was crucial.
Besides, even if he thought her situation was precarious, she might not see it that way. There was no need to overthink things on someone else’s behalf.
So for now, Shen An could only wish her well and quietly cheer her on from afar. That was it.
After using the restroom, he left the Art Troupe and headed toward the North District Apartment.
Pushing open the door, he found the apartment quiet and still.
If Zhao Qingyu and Qi Taili were both at meetings, then Vice President Xu Yijing should have been presiding over them.
Humming a tune to himself, Shen An strolled into the kitchen and started preparing dinner.
He’d bought a ton of groceries the day before and stuffed the fridge full. It would be a shame to let it all go to waste.
Meanwhile, as he happily cooked away…
Just before six in the afternoon, in the Art Troupe Office.
Song Rui pushed open the office door with a deflated look, only to catch sight of a flustered Shen Lianyao.
She was hunched over her seat, fumbling awkwardly at her computer screen, clearly unsure what she was doing.
Song Rui’s sudden entrance had obviously thrown off her rhythm.
“Huh? Lianyao?”
Song Rui glanced around, a touch of disappointment creeping in when she didn’t spot Shen An.
But she perked up quickly, flashing Shen Lianyao a bright smile as she greeted her.
“Mm.”
Shen Lianyao bent down further, pretending nothing was amiss as she held down the computer’s power button.
Only after the screen went dark did she stand up and chat with Song Rui. “All done?”
“More or less.”
Song Rui sighed, scratching her head in frustration. “I still haven’t gathered any info, Lianyao. What about you?”
Shen Lianyao replied softly, “Just six more to go, and I’ll have the Dance Group’s info complete.”
“Wow… Lianyao, you’re amazing.”
Song Rui didn’t hide her envy at all, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Lianyao. “Can you teach me how?”
Shen Lianyao shook her head with a light laugh. “I was about to ask you the same thing—how come you haven’t gotten a single one?”
“Um~”
Song Rui’s face fell at the question. “Didn’t I tell you at lunch? Senior Sister Qi told me not to rush it, to just chat with them and get to know them first.”
“Mm. And then?”
“Then this afternoon, Senior Sister Qi wasn’t around—she went to a meeting.”
Song Rui scrunched up her face. “Shen An told me to spend the afternoon hanging out with them and chatting too, so that’s what I did.”
“But with Senior Sister Qi gone, I… I didn’t know what to talk about.”
“They were all busy training. They’d chat with me a bit here and there, but I always felt too awkward to ask for their info.”
“So you’ve just been sitting around doing nothing?”
Shen Lianyao frowned.
“Yeah.”
Song Rui nodded meekly.
“The Singing Group’s training, so you could’ve gone to other departments. Don’t you still have two more to cover?”
Shen Lianyao said gently.
“I tried, but the other groups were training too. After all… the school’s Freshman Welcome Gala is coming up soon.”
“But, but…” Song Rui suddenly perked up. “The Model Group’s catwalk was so cool!”
“Especially Senior Sister Yu Wen—she’s gorgeous.”
As she spoke, Song Rui couldn’t help but grin dreamily.
Shen Lianyao patted her head in exasperation. “Snap out of it. The Freshman Welcome Gala is coming up fast, and we don’t have much time left.”
Song Rui pouted. “That’s why I came to you for advice.”
“No real tricks to it,” Shen Lianyao said flatly. “Just go up and ask them directly. It won’t take long—just snap a pic of their schedules.”
“Huh, that direct?”
“Our job is to collect info, isn’t it?” Shen Lianyao countered. “We’re not from their departments. No need to beat around the bush.”
“Um~”
Shen Lianyao made it sound simple, but to Song Rui, it felt daunting.
Those without social anxiety could never truly grasp the hesitation that plagued the socially anxious.
Something as routine as saying hello—simple for most—could leave them second-guessing a thousand times over in mere seconds, their mind racing through endless possibilities.
Song Rui wasn’t severely socially anxious, just introverted. She felt that being so direct might come off as rude or impolite.
“If only Senior Sister Qi could just have them prepare it all and send it to me one by one.”
Song Rui slumped into her seat, shoulders drooping. “That’s how we did it in high school—our class handled it that way.”
Shen Lianyao narrowed her eyes. “I think that’d be better too. No idea why they insist we do it ourselves.”
She found the whole approach unreasonable.
The office was already short-staffed—why waste time like this?
The department presidents could just tell their members to prepare it, snap a pic, and send it over. How hard could that be?
As the Discipline Committee Member for the English Class, that’s exactly how Shen Lianyao handled info collection when needed.
Simple and efficient!
“How about…”
Song Rui’s eyes lit up. “We ask Shen An to talk to their presidents?”
“It shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
Shen Lianyao shot her a sidelong glance. “You can ask him.”
“Me… ask him?”
Song Rui blinked in surprise.
“Mm.”
Shen Lianyao nodded slightly.
“Well…” Song Rui gave an awkward smile and mumbled, “Never mind, then.”
Shen Lianyao’s lip twitched. Looking at Song Rui’s timid defeatism, she found it utterly baffling.
Was it really that big a deal?
It was just asking him one simple question. How hard could it be?
Why did everyone have to complicate the simplest things!
She pulled out her phone.
Fine, if you won’t ask, I will.
Song Rui watched cautiously, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes.
But the moment Shen Lianyao opened her phone and tapped Shen An’s avatar, she hesitated.
Asking him like this would be admitting she needed his help—admitting she couldn’t handle this little task on her own.
Right?
She could absolutely manage something this trivial.
Shen Lianyao refused to let Shen An look down on her. She couldn’t explain why this weird competitive streak had flared up, but the thought of that playboy getting one over on her made her stomach turn.
So she pocketed her phone again, pretending she’d just been checking the time. “It’s past six already. Heading back?”
Oh…
Song Rui looked disappointed. “You going?”
“Mm, it’s getting late.”
Shen Lianyao said softly.
“You go ahead, then. Senior Sister Qi said there’s a ton of data on the office computers—she wants me to go through it all to avoid any mistakes later.”
Song Rui turned on the computer. “I’ll look for a bit before heading home.”
“What about Yuqiong?”
Shen Lianyao asked.
“No idea.” Song Rui glanced at the screen. “Probably still training.”
“Want me to ask her?”
“No need. I’m heading out.” Shen Lianyao slipped her phone into her pocket and turned to leave.
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you.”
Leaving the office, Shen Lianyao headed for the exit.
At the same time, the Dance Group members had just wrapped up training. As Shen Lianyao descended the stairs, she ran into them.
The Dance Group’s Group Leader spotted her and waved cheerfully. “Lianyao? Heading out?”
Shen Lianyao had been trying to play it cool and ignore them, but with her name called, she turned back with a forced smile. “Mm.”
“Why don’t you join us for dinner?”
The Group Leader said enthusiastically, stepping forward. “We just finished training too.”
Shen Lianyao kept smiling as she shook her head. “I’ve got something to do back home. Next time.”
“Oh, okay then.”
The Group Leader smiled softly. “How’s it going with everyone? Got all the schedules? Need me to remind them for you?”
Shen Lianyao took a subtle step back. “No, no need. I should have them all by tomorrow.”
“Great.”
“Mm.”
They waved goodbye. As Shen Lianyao left the office, the Group Leader watched her back, a slight smile curving her lips.
Once Shen Lianyao had exited the Art Troupe headquarters, a voice came from behind the Group Leader. “Senior Sister.”
“Hm?”
She glanced back.
“You…” The member looked a bit uneasy. “You asked her out?”
“Just mentioned it.”
The Group Leader’s eyes narrowed.
“Did she say yes?”
“No, she had something to do and said next time.”
The member’s expression visibly relaxed. “Oh, too bad.”
“By the way, Senior Sister, are we still going tonight?”
“Yeah, let’s go unwind.”
“Yes!!”
Meanwhile…
The door to the large classroom swung open, and a group of people filed out.
They were all dressed in formal wear—suits and leather shoes.
The shoes clicked crisply against the floor.
Amid the crowd, only two people stood out in their attire.
“Phew, it’s finally over.”
A somewhat cute voice rang out as Qi Taili rubbed her shoulders. “Troupe Leader, wanna grab some dinner?”
Zhao Qingyu crossed her arms over her chest, her expression indifferent. “Go eat by yourself.”
“Aww? We rarely finish a meeting together.”
Qi Taili wheedled, tugging at Zhao Qingyu’s arm. “Come on, let’s eat together! I heard there’s a new hotpot place in the South District—supposedly amazing, and they have discounts!”
Zhao Qingyu shot her a sidelong glance. “All you ever think about is food. Didn’t you learn anything from getting chewed out earlier?”
“Tch~”
Qi Taili pouted slightly. “It’s not the first time. I’m used to it by now.”
“Besides, you got the worst of it, Troupe Leader. Hahaha!”
Black lines appeared on Zhao Qingyu’s forehead. She raised her small hand and pinched Qi Taili’s cheek. “That funny to you?”
Fox-like eyes glinting with a hint of menace, Qi Taili immediately straightened up and put on a serious face. “Not funny at all! Why should you be the one getting criticized, Troupe Leader? Our vacation event didn’t cost the Student Union a single cent.”
“You footed the bill yourself!”
“Anyone who wants to chew you out will always find an excuse.”
Zhao Qingyu huffed lightly and released Qi Taili’s cheek.
Whew~
Qi Taili let out a sigh of relief and whispered, “So what do we do? Write a self-criticism?”
“Self-criticism? Screw that. I’ll keep doing what I want next time too—see what she can do about it.”
Zhao Qingyu sneered.
Just then, Xu Yijing emerged from the doorway in her suit.
Qi Taili noticed Xu Yijing’s figure and gently tugged at Zhao Qingyu’s sleeve.
Zhao Qingyu turned her head slightly, and Xu Yijing’s gaze shifted toward them as well.
The two women stood on opposite sides, exchanging a simple glance that instantly made the surrounding atmosphere heavy and oppressive.
For a moment, the other Student Union members didn’t dare pass between them and quietly skirted around.
“Let’s go get dinner.”
Qi Taili murmured softly.
“Mm. Later, I’ll treat you to something nice. We’ll see if they try to charge it to the Student Union’s tab again.”
Zhao Qingyu said coldly, right in front of Xu Yijing.
Hiss.
Qi Taili’s smile froze.
Xu Yijing remained expressionless as she stepped forward, ignoring Zhao Qingyu’s jab.
“Tch, so rude. Can’t even greet your senior properly.”
Zhao Qingyu let out a snide little laugh.
Xu Yijing didn’t look back, simply following the flow of the crowd.
Qi Taili sighed. “Qingyu, does it have to keep going like this?”
Zhao Qingyu arched a brow. “Ask her about it. She’s the one stirring up trouble for me everywhere.”
“I’m just done with you two…”
Qi Taili scratched her head, then broke into a soft smile. “Heehee, anyway, let’s go get something yummy first!”
“Eat your head. I’m going home.”
Zhao Qingyu snorted coldly.
“Huh? You can’t just go back on your word like that!”
“I like going back on my word.”
“Tch, fine! I’ll go find Yu Wen instead. Not playing with you anymore.”
Qi Taili wrinkled her dainty nose, turned away from Zhao Qingyu, and headed off in another direction.
