They hurried to the entrance of the Grand Hotel, where the Art Troupe members had already gathered in clusters.
Zhao Qingyu stepped forward and waved casually. Yu Wen and Qi Taili exchanged a glance before following her lead, heading into the hotel first.
Shen An scanned the crowd, quickly spotting his own group. Wang Yuqiong and the other two girls stood off to the side in a corner, chatting about something.
“Phew~ It’s really hot out today.”
He squeezed in uninvited, letting out a hearty laugh.
Wang Yuqiong rolled her eyes, shooting him a sidelong glare. “The AC was nice and cool on the bus,” she said sarcastically. “Naturally, it’s a bit uncomfortable now that we’re off.”
“Didn’t you have AC on your bus?” Shen An asked.
He could sense the awkward tension in the air. Turning to Song Rui first, he tried to crack their fragile alliance.
Song Rui had been about to answer, but the overpowering fragrance wafting from his shoulders was too much. Even as she leaned in slightly, the scent assaulted her nose, leaving her irritated.
That bus had clearly been a lair of sirens, with all their perfumes clinging to him. He must have enjoyed quite the “blessing”!
“It was on,” Song Rui replied curtly.
“Then why aren’t you feeling the heat?” Shen An asked softly.
Wang Yuqiong had caught a whiff of the pungent perfume by now. She gritted her teeth. “Go wash that stench off before you say another word.”
Shen An blinked in confusion. “Huh?”
He turned to Shen Lianyao. “What perfume?”
Shen Lianyao sniffed the air solemnly, then pinched her nose lightly. “Very strong.”
“Strong?”
Shen An played dumb, waving his sleeve under his own nose. “Huh, there is perfume. I think it smells pretty good, actually.”
Wang Yuqiong unleashed her full force. “Of course it does. Every young lady’s perfume on that entire bus ended up on you alone.”
With that, she tossed her backpack at him. “Hold your own bag!”
“Hey, hey, that’s going too far.”
Shen An caught it deftly. “With our Art Troupe’s gender ratio, I’d probably end up the same no matter which bus I took.”
“Also, Shen Lianyao!”
He slipped in a subtle explanation. “Did you check the bus I was on?”
Shen Lianyao’s expression remained calm. “Which one?”
“The one with the Model Group and Singing Group.”
“I don’t really remember.”
“…”
Shen An suspected she was feigning ignorance at first, but then he realized she probably genuinely didn’t. Unlike him, she likely didn’t know many people from the Model Group or Singing Group. To her, all the girls probably looked the same—who could tell them apart?
Whether she remembered or not wasn’t the point anyway. Shen An had said it deliberately for Wang Yuqiong and Song Rui to hear.
Listening to their exchange, Song Rui and Wang Yuqiong shared a knowing glance, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.
It wasn’t on purpose?
“Then next time, could you at least ask first?”
“Is that necessary?”
“Yes.” Shen An sighed. “If I’d known it was the Model Group and Singing Group’s bus, I wouldn’t have gotten on.”
Wang Yuqiong let out a mocking chuckle. “Don’t you get along well with the members of those groups?”
“Exactly because we get along that it’s more trouble.”
Shen An kept rubbing his shoulders, then patted Song Rui. “Don’t just stand there. Help me rub one.”
“Oh…”
Song Rui’s small hands began to knead gently. She whispered softly, “Tired from sleeping?”
“Not even close. These shoulders of mine got worn out.”
“Worn out?”
All three girls latched onto that word.
“Yeah. After I got on, I ended up sandwiched between Senior Sister Yu and Senior Sister Qi. I didn’t expect both of them to pass out asleep right away. Stuck in the middle like that, I didn’t dare move a muscle.”
Shen An quietly cleared his name, dispelling the misunderstanding in Wang Yuqiong and Song Rui’s minds. At the same time, he aired his grievances loudly to preempt any future gossip.
He was careful, though, not to mention how both women had ended up leaning against him. He simply blamed his sore shoulders on not daring to shift position.
He figured Qi Taili and Yu Wen wouldn’t want their embarrassing moment spread around either—otherwise, they wouldn’t have slipped away so quietly.
Without question, Shen An’s words always left plenty of wiggle room. He never truly offended anyone.
Pfft.
Shen Lianyao’s lips curved in faint mockery. “Isn’t that just left and right beauties in disguise? What a huge perk, Classmate Shen.”
Wang Yuqiong ignored Shen Lianyao’s subtle jab.
She did mind Shen An sitting between the two senior sisters a little, but she also realized she’d wronged him.
Accounts had to be settled one by one, so she dutifully moved to his other side and began massaging his free shoulder.
With Song Rui and Wang Yuqiong on either side, Shen An looked every bit the pampered lord, serviced even after getting off the bus.
“Now this is the real left and right beauties,” he teased Shen Lianyao smugly, eyes half-closed in bliss.
Shen Lianyao’s mouth twitched. She couldn’t bear to watch, muttering under her breath, “Shameless.”
Wang Yuqiong wasn’t pleased either. She pinched the soft flesh on his side. “If you’re tired, talk less!”
Shen An promptly shut his mouth and savored the attention.
Before long, Yu Wen and Qi Taili emerged from the hotel one after the other. Neither looked happy—like they’d just been chewed out inside, with a hint of sheepishness.
Zhao Qingyu followed right behind them.
She removed her sunglasses, her face stern as she stood on the steps and cleared her throat lightly.
The noisy crowd below fell silent at once, instinctively forming groups by department.
“This is the hotel manager,” Zhao Qingyu introduced the man in the black suit beside her.
“If you run into any issues here, come find him at the front desk. He’ll help sort it out.”
She then delivered a short speech.
It was straightforward: an overview of the Mountain Villa’s entertainment options, with members free to choose and participate as they wished.
The emphasis was on the purpose of this vacation—to bond as a group, avoid acting alone, and steer clear of being lone wolves detached from the collective.
Shen An had to stifle a laugh.
The biggest lone wolf in the entire Art Troupe was Zhao Qingyu herself.
The other members, however, listened with eager anticipation.
For many of them, a vacation like this was a first.
Especially at a place this upscale and luxurious.
It was a rare chance to indulge.
Her brief address earned a round of applause.
Zhao Qingyu waved them off, signaling the department presidents to come forward.
Shen An stayed put until her sharp gaze pinned him down. Only then did he reluctantly step forward.
Once inside the hotel, Zhao Qingyu slipped her sunglasses back on and settled casually onto a large sofa.
She waved offhandedly, and the hotel manager approached to brief the presidents.
Nothing major—just handing out room keycards and covering some basic rules.
Each department received rooms based on their member count.
Bigger groups got more rooms; smaller ones got fewer.
The standard was four per room: luxurious suites with bathtubs, two bathrooms, and four beds.
So where did that leave Shen An?
He rubbed his chin. His Office group had only three members. They’d probably share one room?
Didn’t that mean bunking with Song Rui and Shen Lianyao?
He perked up at the thought.
Unfortunately, Zhao Qingyu seemed to have anticipated his scheming.
The manager handed him two keycards.
Shen An eyed the man quizzically. “Uh… my department only has three people.”
The manager smiled warmly. “Is that so? But per Miss Zhao’s instructions, your group gets two cards.”
“No, but—”
“If you have questions, feel free to ask Miss Zhao.”
The manager nodded toward Zhao Qingyu, who lounged nearby.
Shen An clutched the two cards. “Alright.”
He turned and sat down beside her.
Zhao Qingyu didn’t look his way. “What is it?”
“Senior Sister, we only have three people in our department.”
“I know.”
“But he gave me two cards.”
“I arranged it.”
She turned her head slightly. “Any objections?”
“None.”
“Good. The gold one is for a single room.”
Zhao Qingyu took off her sunglasses, fixing him with a sly smile. “You get my meaning, right?”
Shen An nodded listlessly. “Crystal clear.”
Sigh.
All alone. Kinda lonely.
“Don’t rush off. Sit here for now.”
Seeing him about to stand, she pressed his shoulder and instructed softly.
“Huh?”
“What ‘huh’? Didn’t I just tell you to stick with me?”
“But my members…”
Zhao Qingyu arched a brow and turned. “Yu Wen.”
“Troupe Leader?”
“Have the Office members come in.”
“Oh, got it.”
With the message relayed, Zhao Qingyu turned back to Shen An. “Any more objections?”
“Nope…”
Shen An flopped back on the sofa, staring speechlessly at the ceiling.
Seeing this, Zhao Qingyu snorted coldly. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. I gave you the secretary position so you could properly assist me, not so you could run wild!”
Shen An pursed his lips. “When have I ever run wild?”
“You still deny it!”
Zhao Qingyu leaned in close and whispered, “Then what’s with the perfume smell on your clothes?”
Oh ho?
The corners of Shen An’s mouth curved up slightly. He had thought Zhao Qingyu could hold out a bit longer.
He turned his head and parroted his earlier excuse with an innocent look. “I was the only guy in the car, surrounded by girls, with the AC blasting and the windows shut tight. Isn’t it normal for the perfume to linger like that?”
Zhao Qingyu sneered. “I’m asking about the two different scents—one on each side!”
She straightforwardly jabbed his shoulders on both sides with her finger. “This side is Qi Taili’s, and the other is Yu Wen’s. Care to explain?”
Shen An feigned surprise. “Senior Sister, you can even tell whose they are?”
“Of course!” Zhao Qingyu said flatly. “Every girl’s perfume is unique—they all use different brands.”
“True, there might be some mix-ups now and then if two use the same brand, but who are Qi Taili and Yu Wen? Their perfumes come from exclusive brands with one-of-a-kind scents.”
She paused after saying this. “At least, that’s how it is in our Art Troupe.”
Shen An flashed a carefree smile. “I’m not up on all that. I just think they smell nice.”
“Oh? Then whose smells better?”
In a moment like this, the right answer should have been: Yours smells the best.
But who was Shen An?
He met the warning glare in Zhao Qingyu’s eyes without a shred of concern. “I think Senior Sister Yu Wen’s smells a bit better. It’s stronger, while Senior Sister Qi’s is kinda faint.”
“Then what does mine smell like?”
Zhao Qingyu pinched his chin, forcing his gaze to stay locked on her face.
Shen An froze for a moment.
“It’s not fox scent, is it?” Zhao Qingyu said with a mocking smile. “I seem to recall fox scent being the seductive kind.”
“Senior Sister, do you want the truth?”
“You can lie if you want, but…” Zhao Qingyu tilted his chin. “See that over there?”
Shen An followed her fingertip to a water reservoir.
“I see it.”
“Mm. That’s what you get for lying.”
Shen An blinked. “You want me to go for a swim?”
“I’ll make you sleep in there tonight!” Zhao Qingyu said coldly.
Shen An shrank back. “Actually, I have no idea what yours smells like, Senior Sister. If you let me sniff it up close, I might figure it out.”
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes, her smile turning dangerous.
“Cough cough. Actually, I don’t need to get that close—my nose is pretty good. Even at this distance, I can tell.”
“Ah~ It smells so good. It’s the best one!”
Zhao Qingyu didn’t even bother rolling her eyes at Shen An’s half-hearted flattery.
Her finger shifted, grabbing his collar instead. “Don’t change the subject. Explain these two perfumes on your shoulders.”
“Did all the car’s scents blend together, but somehow only Yu Wen’s and Qi Taili’s ended up stuck to your sides?”
Meanwhile,
Yu Wen and Qi Taili watched the sofa scene in silence.
Seeing Shen An collared like that, both women shot him sympathetic glances.
Then they exchanged a look.
Yu Wen said, “This is all your fault!”
Qi Taili replied, “? Didn’t you make him sit in the middle?”
Yu Wen stammered, “I…”
Qi Taili added, “Should I send the photo to the Troupe Leader?”
Yu Wen quickly backpedaled. “I was wrong. I really was wrong.”
“Hmph. What were you thinking, flirting with him like that?”
Qi Taili pursed her lips. “Didn’t you see how the Troupe Leader treats him? He belongs to her.”
“If there’s a next time, you know what’ll happen!”
Yu Wen nodded casually. “Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
But as she turned away, a mischievous smirk crept onto Yu Wen’s face.
