After dawdling for quite a while, Zhao Qingyu and Shen An finally left the suite and headed downstairs.
At the same time, she checked in on the situation with Qi Taili and Yu Wen, instructing people from those two departments to gather here.
In a rare display of democracy, Zhao Qingyu didn’t force every member from the two departments to join. She simply asked for their opinions, allowing anyone with other plans to opt out.
She also posted a question in the Art Troupe’s main group chat, directed at all the members participating in the event.
Shen An saw this as Zhao Qingyu’s slightly guilty attempt at damage control.
After all, heading out for a barbecue in this sweltering heat meant dealing with hassle and exhaustion—not to mention the risk of mosquitoes leaving welts all over everyone’s skin.
The democratic part only applied to that, though. For the boys, it was a different story.
Zhao Qingyu made it mandatory for every male member from the participating departments to attend the camping barbecue.
Shen An fully understood and wholeheartedly supported the decision.
Without other guys pitching in, he’d likely end up doing all the grunt work by himself.
A camping barbecue required a ton of manual labor, after all.
Soon enough, the members joining the barbecue gathered one after another at the entrance of the Grand Hotel.
As expected, when Zhao Qingyu wasn’t issuing direct orders, only a handful came from the Model Group and Singing Group—around twenty or thirty percent of each department.
Unexpectedly, a few people from the other departments showed up too, adding up to seven or eight in total.
With Wang Yuqiong tagging along by force, they had a group of twenty or thirty people.
Zhao Qingyu swept her gaze over them, mildly satisfied.
This size was just right—enough to avoid feeling sparse, lively without being rowdy or chaotic.
Under her instructions, the hotel manager had already prepared all the necessary gear and laid it out in the lobby.
Shen An’s eyes scanned the items one by one as he muttered under his breath.
The preparations were impressively thorough.
But that very thoroughness filled him with dread.
The more they provided here, the less ready-to-use stuff there would be at the site.
Take the barbecue grill, for instance.
They surely wouldn’t expect them to build one from scratch on location, right?
Clinging to that faint hope, Shen An helplessly spotted the unassembled barbecue grill.
Well, damn.
He couldn’t help walking over to the manager. “Is there no ready-made grill over there?”
The manager replied politely, “Under normal circumstances, we have a dedicated barbecue area.”
The implication was clear: this spot wasn’t a standard barbecue venue.
Shen An’s mouth twitched. “So what do they have?”
The manager smiled warmly. “There’s pleasant afternoon sunlight, a gently flowing icy stream, proximity to the artificial lake, and most importantly, the serene woodland setting.”
Shen An: …
Fine.
He sighed. “Does your hotel usually organize activities like this? You know, barbecues out there and such.”
The manager’s smile widened. “To my knowledge, this is the first time.”
“So you’re saying there’s nothing there?”
The manager glanced sneakily at Zhao Qingyu, who was still giving orders, then whispered to Shen An, “We’re following Miss Zhao’s instructions to the letter. We were going to set up a site, but she said no need.”
“She…” The manager hinted delicately, “She seems to prefer that pure natural vibe.”
“Got it.”
Pure natural meant everything DIY.
Shen An let go of that sliver of optimism and turned back to inventory the items, checking for anything missing.
Since there was nothing on-site, their preparations here needed to be even more complete—to avoid mishaps like assembling the grill only to find no charcoal.
As he counted, he suddenly spotted the fishing rods.
Huh?
Shen An picked one up and murmured, “What’s this doing here?”
Wang Yuqiong happened to walk up beside him and grabbed a rod too. “She wants to go fishing, obviously. Probably figures she can fish and eat at the same time without lifting a finger. Classic spoiled young lady move.”
“Fishing, huh…”
Shen An rubbed his chin. “Then we’ll need helmets.”
Wang Yuqiong’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Helmets?”
Why helmets for fishing?
A sun hat would do, wouldn’t it?
Shen An rolled his eyes at her. “Forget it. No chemistry between us.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Wang Yuqiong full of question marks.
Once everything was checked and accounted for, they set off in a grand procession toward the destination.
The girls, led by Zhao Qingyu, strode ahead, while the boys, led by Shen An, trailed miserably behind, laden with bags.
Only Zhao Qingyu and Yu Wen, as department presidents, enjoyed that privilege. The other ordinary girls helped with lighter loads, but mostly just token efforts.
Wang Yuqiong and Song Rui, however, carried plenty and stuck close behind Shen An.
Shen Lianyao was loaded up too, but she stayed with the girls’ group.
The subtle divide made it seem like Wang Yuqiong belonged to the office crew.
On the way, Wang Yuqiong casually asked Song Rui, “You fishing?”
“Fishing?”
Song Rui looked puzzled. “Aren’t we going for barbecue?”
Wang Yuqiong was speechless. “Aren’t you holding a fishing rod?”
Song Rui blankly glanced at the long bag in her hand. “Is there a fishing rod in here?”
“Don’t answer my question with a question!”
“Oh, oh~”
Song Rui used her nimble hands to unzip it herself. “Hey, it really is a fishing rod.”
Wang Yuqiong was utterly speechless. “You… you don’t even know what you’re carrying?”
“I didn’t know… Shen An told me to carry it, so I did.”
Song Rui was utterly obedient, her tone carrying a hint of grievance—not at Shen An, but confusion at Wang Yuqiong’s questioning.
She truly had no idea.
Wang Yuqiong skipped the topic. “Do they wear helmets for fishing where you’re from?”
Song Rui stopped short, her bright eyes flashing with thick bewilderment. “Why helmets?”
Wang Yuqiong realized asking Song Rui was a fool’s errand.
But she was genuinely curious.
Just like last time… what Shen An had said to her… that thing about “tonight, let’s have another dose.”
Wang Yuqiong still had no clue what it meant.
She’d have to look it up online properly.
In her mind, she muttered, “Beats me. Let’s hurry up—it’s so hot.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Song Rui nodded slightly.
The group left the hotel grounds, crossed a wide avenue, passed a winding stone bridge, and trudged through muddy woodland trails.
After a good half hour, they still hadn’t reached the destination.
The barbecue excitement had fizzled out before it began.
Even Yu Wen was struggling. “Troupe Leader, are we there yet?”
Zhao Qingyu…
She kept calm despite her guilt. “Almost.”
“How much longer?”
“Just keep walking!”
Zhao Qingyu quietly pulled out her phone to check the map.
Truth be told, she had no precise idea of the location. They were essentially wandering aimlessly.
Thankfully, thanks to the manager’s detailed directions, they soon found the spot.
The environment was indeed serene, nestled under a canopy of trees that blocked the scorching sun, letting only dappled light filter through.
A babbling stream ran nearby, offering waves of coolness.
Piles of bamboo and tree leaves formed a flat, spacious clearing—perfect for barbecuing, with minimal bumps.
A bit farther on lay the Mountain Villa’s artificial lake.
But most members had no energy to appreciate the tranquility. The moment they arrived, they dropped their loads and collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
The boys burdened with the heavy stuff were especially drained, sprawling like dead pigs without a care for the dirt.
Shen An set down his things too.
He turned, taking in the surrounding peace—one of the few to gaze at the scenery and savor the calm.
Suddenly, a cool dampness brushed his temple. Stunned, Shen An turned to see Wang Yuqiong wiping sweat from his brow.
“Wipe off a bit. You’re drenched.”
Wang Yuqiong expressed her feelings with a touch of shyness.
Seeing the fine sweat on her forehead, Shen An smiled inwardly, took the tissue from her hand, and dabbed at her instead. “You too.”
Then he called to Song Rui. “Come here. I’ll get you too.”
The disappointment on Song Rui’s face vanished instantly. She nodded eagerly and squeezed between them.
At that moment, Wang Yuqiong subtly deployed her secret weapon.
Cooling spray.
While Shen An wiped Song Rui’s sweat, Wang Yuqiong spritzed him.
With everyone around busy wiping sweat and chugging water, no one noticed the trio.
“You didn’t apply sunscreen, did you?” Wang Yuqiong whispered softly.
“I don’t even have this stuff,” Shen An said with his usual carefree grin.
“Hah, you’re so smug now. Don’t come crying to me when you get sunburned later,” Wang Yuqiong replied, pursing her lips.
“Isn’t it too late to put it on now anyway?”
“Beg me~”
Wang Yuqiong flashed a smug smile.
“You actually brought it with you?” Shen An asked in surprise.
“Of course.”
Wang Yuqiong turned around and pulled a bunch of items out of her little bag.
In truth, it wasn’t just her—most girls came prepared for weather like this, with a full arsenal of essentials.
That included everything from cooling sprays and mists to wet wipes, hydrating facial sprays, and sunscreen.
But before Shen An could even ask Wang Yuqiong for some, Zhao Qingyu walked over.
She took off her sunglasses and said softly, “You handle the arrangements, okay?”
“Me?”
“Yeah! We’re already at the spot!”
“Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to set this up?”
“I…” Zhao Qingyu pouted. “I’m not really familiar with barbecues.”
“My family doesn’t run a barbecue joint either, you know.”
“Well, that’s not my problem. You figure it out.”
With that, Zhao Qingyu glanced over at Wang Yuqiong and headed back to her spot.
Wang Yuqiong chuckled. “See? Total rich girl attitude—bossing everyone around without lifting a finger.”
Shen An sighed. “No more complaining. Let’s get to work.”
Wang Yuqiong puffed out her cheeks and huffed. “You do it yourself.”
Sigh~
Shen An had mentally prepared himself for this. Everyone here was probably used to a pampered life and hadn’t done much manual labor before.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad deal, though. Sure, it meant he had to organize everything, but it also gave him a chance to shine.
He clapped his hands and first rounded up the guys, assigning them tasks.
Then he went over to the girls and explained their jobs.
One group handled setting up the grill and lighting the fire, while the other washed the ingredients and skewered them.
A few others took care of prepping the site—like laying out mats so they wouldn’t have to sit in the dirt to eat.
Wang Yuqiong talked a big game, but it wasn’t long before she jumped in too.
Aside from Zhao Qingyu, the resident young miss, even Yu Wen got roped in by Shen An.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qingyu sat in the shade, watching Shen An bustle around everywhere. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
She propped her chin on her hand, eyeing him with keen interest.
