Shen An returned very late, around one in the morning.
He slipped back into the apartment and gently opened the door. The place was shrouded in darkness, so Xu Yijing must have already gone to sleep.
He closed the door just as quietly and tiptoed inside, doing his best not to disturb her rest.
A irrepressible smile hung on his face—he’d clearly taken plenty of advantages from Chen Nannan again.
But the moment he shut the door and turned toward his room, the lights in the living room and hallway blazed to life, banishing the darkness and flooding the space with light as bright as day.
Shen An jumped in fright and, in his panic, spotted Xu Yijing’s figure.
She stood in her doorway, her finger on the light switch, staring at him with an impassive expression.
“Senior Sister?”
Shen An relaxed a little and gave a light chuckle. “You’re still up? Did I wake you?”
His enthusiasm earned him no smile in return—like pressing a hot face against a cold buttock.
Her brows furrowed tightly as she slowly uttered a chilling remark. “You really treat this place like a hotel, don’t you? Coming and going whenever you please?”
“Uh…”
Shen An looked embarrassed on the surface, but deep down, he was seething with dissatisfaction.
Wasn’t this a case of the river not crossing the well water? What business was it of hers when he came back?
To be honest, ever since getting solid evidence from Zhao Qingyu, Xu Yijing’s image in Shen An’s mind had plummeted.
Of course, she’d never truly earned his trust—he’d always been on guard against her.
He just hadn’t expected her schemes to run so deep, with every step calculated.
That time at the Grand Hotel with the seafood feast, he’d already sensed something off.
But being summoned to the Student Union by Zhao Qingyu for a report—and discovering it was Xu Yijing pulling the strings behind the scenes—that had exceeded his expectations.
So what else was she plotting?
And just how much did she know about his deal with Zhao Li?
Now, as Shen An gazed at Xu Yijing’s stunningly beautiful face, he felt only a chill.
“I got held up by some other business today. It won’t happen again.”
Shen An apologized amiably, though his mind was already scheming.
He needed to bide his time, waiting for the perfect moment to turn the tables and shift from defense to offense.
Just like he had with Zhao Qingyu.
For now, his relationship with Xu Yijing remained unequal.
Whether it involved his agreement with Zhao Li or not, he was still the “offender” in her eyes.
After all, he was living in her apartment, relying on her “hospitality.”
Even though the arrangement had been Zhao Li’s doing, not his choice, at the core of it, Shen An still needed something from Xu Yijing.
Because of this imbalance, he had to stay patient until the right opportunity arose.
Once he found it, everything would change completely.
He vowed to make Xu Yijing’s attitude toward him shift even more “docile” than Zhao Qingyu’s had.
“Held up?”
Xu Yijing narrowed her eyes and said coolly, “Even Art Troupe overtime shouldn’t drag on until one in the morning, right?”
“It had nothing to do with the Art Troupe. It was personal business.”
Shen An replied softly.
“Personal business, huh…” Xu Yijing suddenly seemed intrigued. She stepped past him and sank slowly onto the living room sofa.
She didn’t press for details right away. Instead, she started with work. “How’s the Art Troupe treating you? Manageable?”
“Mm, it’s a bit hectic, but overall, I can handle it.”
Shen An chuckled lightly. “Plus, the senior sisters in the Art Troupe are pretty welcoming. It’s not like the rumors say at all.”
Xu Yijing gave a soft scoff. “That’s because you’re an official member now. They tend to be gentler with their own people.”
“But only Art Troupe members get that treatment.”
“Still, you’ve got some patience. From what I hear, you’re the only one actually working in the Art Troupe office right now, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” Shen An nodded slightly.
“Not tired?”
Xu Yijing feigned concern. “Running all those errands by yourself—you must be swamped.”
“And Zhao Qingyu even put you in charge of recruitment. Tsk, your Troupe Leader is a bit irresponsible, isn’t she?”
Shen An arched a brow. Xu Yijing was clearly trying to drive a wedge between him and Zhao Qingyu, both overtly and subtly.
He decided to play along. “What can you do about it?”
He shrugged helplessly. “I’m an official Art Troupe member now—it’s all on record. And I’m Senior Sister Zhao’s secretary. If she gives me work, it’s not like I can refuse.”
Xu Yijing propped her chin on her hand and murmured, “Tell me, are you satisfied with your current job?”
“Uh… Senior Sister, are you conducting a survey or something?”
Shen An couldn’t quite figure out what she was after.
“No, I’m asking seriously.”
Xu Yijing narrowed her eyes. “I want you to answer seriously too.”
“Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“Uh…” Shen An hesitated, as if afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Seeing this, Xu Yijing’s lips curved slightly as she gently coaxed him. “Don’t worry. As Vice President, it’s my duty to help any member with their issues.”
“If you’re unhappy with your current position, I can help you. I could arrange a transfer to another Student Union department.”
There it was—her true intentions laid bare.
Shen An immediately sensed the danger.
A transfer, just like that? As if it were so simple?
Xu Yijing and Zhao Qingyu were archrivals. Moving him to another Student Union department right in front of Zhao Qingyu’s nose would be a blatant slap to her face.
Shen An was closer to Zhao Qingyu now. Compared to Xu Yijing, he preferred standing by Senior Sister Zhao’s side.
“Well?”
Seeing his silence, Xu Yijing assumed he was wavering.
“I think there’s no need to trouble you, Senior Sister.”
Shen An’s response caught her off guard. “It’s tiring, sure, but I can handle it.”
“Besides, I think Senior Sister Zhao is trying to train me. Otherwise, why pile all this work on me specifically?”
He spoke with such sincerity, his expression earnest, that a flicker of frustration rose in Xu Yijing’s heart.
But she didn’t show it. Instead, she mocked coldly, “You’re probably the only one who thinks that.”
Shen An stood firm on Zhao Qingyu’s side. “No, I can feel it. Senior Sister Zhao has my best interests at heart.”
Stubborn fool!
Xu Yijing sneered inwardly.
She rose to her feet, brushed past Shen An, and headed to her room. “If that’s how you see it, I hope you stick to that notion until the end.”
Just as she was about to step inside, she paused, turned back, and added, “What I said still stands. If you ever change your mind, you can come to me.”
Shen An watched her and said softly, “Senior Sister, are you hiding something from me?”
Xu Yijing froze. “Why do you say that?”
“If you weren’t keeping secrets, why would you try to get me to leave the Art Troupe?”
Shen An spread his hands earnestly. “You were the one who recommended it to me, saying it was the best fit among all the Student Union departments.”
“I chose the Art Troupe largely because of your advice.”
“But now you’re pushing me to leave—sure, you didn’t say it outright, but transferring departments amounts to the same thing, doesn’t it?”
Xu Yijing responded to his accusation with cool detachment. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t trying to get you to leave the Art Troupe.”
“I was just asking if you could handle the workload.”
“After all, plenty of people join the Art Troupe each year and end up quitting.”
“If you see this routine check-in as stirring trouble, then pretend I never said anything.”
“It’s late. Get some rest.”
With that, Xu Yijing shut her door, restoring the quiet.
Shen An let out a low sneer. He didn’t buy her sudden “kindness” for a second.
Especially not waiting up until one in the morning.
He narrowed his eyes, pondering deeply.
The invisible clash between Zhao Qingyu and Xu Yijing— the first round was probably over.
In Shen An’s view, it had ended in a draw, with both sides winning and losing ground.
He was their battleground, the sole wildcard.
Xu Yijing’s “concern” just now felt like the opening salvo for the second round.
If he’d agreed, Zhao Qingyu would brand him a traitor and dismiss everything he’d told her before.
Then he’d be caught in a vise—led around by Xu Yijing while facing outright hostility from Zhao Qingyu.
That said, Xu Yijing was undeniably better at concealing her real motives.
Without all his suspicions and the intel from Zhao Qingyu, he might have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
Even thanking her for being such a “nice person” after she’d sold him out.
To outsiders, his job looked utterly thankless—the epitome of Zhao Qingyu’s prank.
No…
Maybe Xu Yijing had sensed something too.
She must have noticed something.
Was it the fact that he was growing closer to Zhao Qingyu that was making her uneasy?
