Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and the weekend arrived.
Early that morning, Shen An dragged himself out of bed, slung his small backpack over his shoulder, and headed to the agreed-upon meeting spot.
Along the way, he kept chatting with Chen Nannan.
Thanks to it being the weekend, Chen Nannan finally had some rare free time.
She had originally planned to hang out with Shen An this weekend, but the art troupe’s retreat had swooped in and stolen him away midway.
In their conversation, she kept reminding him repeatedly—but this time, it wasn’t to watch out for Zhao Qingyu or anything like that. Instead, she was earnestly urging him to behave himself.
It almost sounded like a girlfriend telling her boyfriend to stay faithful, uphold his virtues, and keep his chastity intact.
It wasn’t that Chen Nannan was being overly clingy; she was actually pretty good at holding back.
But this two-day, one-night retreat really made it hard for her to feel completely at ease.
The gender ratio in the entire art troupe was so skewed that even the Student Union would shake their heads at it. It was almost entirely a sea of girls—a veritable nunnery.
Aside from a handful of boys in the performance groups, most departments were purely female.
And the overall quality of the girls in the art troupe was top-notch, outshining every other department, organization, and even the whole school.
Shen An’s trip was tantamount to a monk wandering into a cave of seductive spider demons. No matter how big-hearted Chen Nannan was, she couldn’t help feeling a bit worried. And since she couldn’t tag along, all she could do was remind him over and over.
“Alright, Senior Sister, I’ve reached the meeting point.”
The sun was already blazing by eight or nine in the morning. Shen An found a shady spot at the rendezvous.
He had truly kept his “promise”—the area around him was deserted, with just him standing there alone.
He was indeed the first to arrive.
“Mm, then I’m going to catch some more sleep.”
Chen Nannan lay on her bed without a stitch of makeup, pretending not to care, but her brows remained tightly furrowed.
She had a nagging feeling that something would happen on this retreat.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Shen An; she was just afraid some of the girls in the art troupe might be too desperate and hard to resist.
If they threw themselves at him, whether Shen An could hold back was another question entirely.
Over this period, Shen An had performed outstandingly, both within the art troupe and while handling Student Union matters on their behalf.
Praise for him kept drifting into Chen Nannan’s ears from time to time.
She hadn’t paid it much mind before, even feeling a bit smug about it—after all, he was a junior she’d watched “grow up.”
But ever since that night, that kiss, her attention to all the gossip had skyrocketed.
She hid it well, never showing it in front of Shen An, lest it inflate his ego.
In truth, she had a more reliable plan.
She could bombard him with chats nonstop, leaving him no time to deal with other girls over these two days.
Or, more aggressively, call him if he didn’t reply for half an hour.
But whether those tactics would work was one thing—and her pride wouldn’t allow her to come off so desperate anyway.
She was determined to maintain a “balance of power” with Shen An.
Even without any dating experience, girls had an almost instinctive sharpness for these emotional games, like a muscle reflex: once the conditions were met, it triggered without any training.
So she had to act breezy and utterly indifferent, as if she didn’t care one bit if he fooled around later.
She even had to play it big-hearted, projecting an air of “I couldn’t care less.”
“Hey, Senior Sister, chat with me a bit more~”
Shen An didn’t want to just stand there like an idiot.
“No way, I’m so sleepy right now.” Chen Nannan saw the message and secretly rejoiced, but on the surface she grumbled: “You called and woke me up at seven! I’ve already kept you company this long—that’s pretty good!”
“Fine then~”
Shen An replied with feigned disappointment: “Senior Sister, get some rest. They should be arriving soon anyway.”
“Mm, let me know once you’re there.”
“Got it!”
The chat ended, and Shen An immediately tapped on Wang Yuqiong’s profile pic, sending a voice message without another word.
After several rings, Wang Yuqiong finally picked up.
“Where are you?”
Shen An demanded right away.
“What’s the rush? It’s not even ten yet,” Wang Yuqiong’s voice carried a lazy drawl, like she hadn’t fully woken up.
Shen An raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re still in bed.”
“Hey, we rehearsed until eleven last night, and it was nearly one by the time I showered and got back.”
Freshly roused from bed, Wang Yuqiong’s voice was both languid and tinged with an endearing whine.
“Heh, excuses, all excuses.”
Shen An scoffed. “Song Rui’s already on her way, and you’re still sleeping in.”
“Why the hurry? The emperor’s not anxious, but the eunuch is~” Wang Yuqiong huffed.
Oh ho, time for a strategy shift.
Shen An pressed the phone close to his ear and murmured softly, “If you come early, I get to see you sooner.”
“?”
Wang Yuqiong’s steady breathing hitched for a moment.
“Right now, I’m standing here all alone—it’s so lonely. Can’t you come a bit early to keep me company?”
Shen An pleaded earnestly.
Wang Yuqiong’s lips curved up slightly as she huffed proudly, “Fine, since you sound so pitiful, I’ll drag myself out of bed.”
“I’m worried there won’t be enough time, though.”
Shen An suddenly fretted.
“What’s there to worry about? You’ve still got over an hour.”
“But you need to do your makeup nice and pretty.” Shen An’s voice softened. “I hear girls take a long time to get ready, especially for those elaborate looks that require extra effort.”
Wang Yuqiong was about to say she hadn’t planned on any makeup, but Shen An anticipated her and added quickly, “You’d look amazing in a bright, bold makeup style. Can’t you grant my little wish?”
“I…”
She hemmed and hawed, then grumbled “reluctantly,” “Fine, fine, so demanding. Just wait obediently for me.”
With that, Wang Yuqiong hung up the voice call and sprang out of bed in a flash.
Zhang Tong, who had been poring over some documents on the floor, heard the commotion and glanced back, her face full of shock.
This…
She had never seen Wang Yuqiong get up so quickly in the morning.
Wang Yuqiong was usually the biggest sleepyhead.
With Wang Yuqiong sorted, Shen An thought about calling Song Rui to check when she’d arrive.
But before he could send the voice message, a figure appeared in a flicker, accompanied by the morning sunlight of eight or nine o’clock and an enticing waft of perfume.
Shen An was lost in the intoxicating scent when someone patted his shoulder.
“You’re here awfully early.”
The low, sultry voice paired with lips like blazing flames.
Yu Wen wore a striking red dress, her wavy black hair cascading in soft curls that gleamed alongside her cool-toned skin under the sunlight and the hem of her red skirt. It all dazzled the eyes, much like the charming dimples at the corners of her mouth.
Already strikingly beautiful, Yu Wen’s meticulous outfit today amplified her mature, big-sister allure to the max.
Shen An quietly pocketed his phone and smiled. “Every time I see you, Senior Sister, I can’t help but sigh in admiration.”
“Oh? Sigh about what?” Yu Wen narrowed her eyes with a sly glint, waiting for his syrupy, clichéd flattery.
“Nothing much—just marveling at how perfectly put-together you always look. You must get up super early, right?”
Yu Wen tilted her head: ?
She snorted. “And you always dress so casually—must be rushing every time!”
“Casually?”
Shen An’s outfit was simple and comfortable: a crisp white short-sleeve shirt with loose pants.
“I call this effortlessly stylish. Effortless doesn’t mean sloppy!”
Shen An corrected her seriously.
Yu Wen rolled her eyes and, with surprising boldness, pinched his chin. “Your mouth isn’t as sweet today. Didn’t sleep well last night?”
Over their time together, Shen An had grown used to Yu Wen’s “boldness.”
She was a straightforward girl, unburdened by hang-ups.
So he replied without missing a beat: “All my sugar’s been drained dry. How about you replenish some for me, Senior Sister?”
Yu Wen’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in close, teasing, “Drained by whom, hmm?”
Shen An was about to spar with this little vixen—after all, he had nothing better to do.
But another figure approached quietly, accompanied by a soft murmur: “Your breakfast.”
Both Shen An and Yu Wen froze and turned to look. It was Song Rui.
She held a takeout bag of breakfast in her hand.
“Oh, thanks!”
Shen An’s expression didn’t change at all. He smiled, walked over, and took the breakfast from Song Rui’s hand.
Yu Wen, on the other hand, felt a bit awkward.
For some reason, looking at Song Rui, she had the odd sensation of being caught in the act.
Inwardly, she muttered to herself: “Kids these days~”
