Holding his room card, Shen An turned to leave the lobby and return to his room for some proper rest.
He reached the elevators and discovered Yu Wen standing right in front of the doors.
What a coincidence.
“Hey, Senior Sister.”
Shen An walked up and casually raised a hand in greeting. “How was the fishing today?”
Yu Wen had been waiting for the elevator. At the sound of his voice, she glanced back slightly. “What fishing?”
“You and Senior Sister Zhao went fishing, didn’t you?”
“?”
The moment Yu Wen heard the word “fishing,” discomfort flickered across her small face. She followed it up with an unabashed eye-roll aimed straight at Shen An.
“Heh.”
She let out a cold snort. “And what about you? How’d the sweet-talking go with that little lady?”
“No sweet-talking at all, Senior Sister—you’re pulling my leg.” Shen An denied it at once. “It was just a minor spat.”
“I wouldn’t call Yuqiong petty. It’s got to be your fault.”
Yu Wen turned to face him fully, instinctively taking Wang Yuqiong’s side. “Come on, spill. What mess did you make this time?”
“I never took you for the gossipy type, Senior Sister, but you sure know how to surprise.”
He fired back with equal sarcasm, and Yu Wen’s lips twitched. “Just listen to that mouth of yours. No wonder Yuqiong got upset.”
“Well, you threw the first punch, Senior Sister. I was purely on the defensive.” Shen An chuckled lightly.
“Fine, keep it to yourself then.”
Yu Wen looked away, but a sly glint soon flashed in her eyes. “Hold on—the Troupe Leader called you over earlier, didn’t she? Was that about this?”
Shen An stared up at the ceiling, hands clasped behind his back, meeting her probe with silence.
Yu Wen let out a delighted “pfft” of laughter. “Look at that pitiful expression. Nailed it.”
“Heh.”
Shen An offered no comment.
“But it seems you ignored my advice.” Her smile faded, giving way to a touch of gravity. “You might not have meant any harm, but that’s how it looks to the Troupe Leader—like you’re deliberately chasing after other girls.”
“If she chewed you out, consider it a warning.”
“I’m telling you now: the Troupe Leader has zero patience. Unlike me, she won’t put up with your silver tongue.”
Shen An cleared his throat lightly and steered the conversation elsewhere. “Speaking of which, Senior Sister, what kept you? You’re heading up pretty late.”
By the time the main group had returned, the members had trickled off to their rooms one by one.
Qi Taili had led the charge, vanishing in a flash before Zhao Qingyu could even finish speaking.
“It was nothing,” Yu Wen said evenly. “I stopped by the front desk for a charging cable. The one in my room doesn’t fit my phone.”
She held out her palm to reveal the white cable nestled there.
“Oh? You forgot yours too, Senior Sister?”
“What do you mean ‘too’? Did you?”
“I rushed out the door and left mine behind.”
“What about your phone?” Yu Wen fretted. “Hurry to the front desk and grab one. A dead battery these days is a nightmare anywhere you go.”
“Eh… it’s fine. I’ll borrow one upstairs later.”
Shen An considered mentioning that he’d already handed his phone over to Zhao Qingyu but decided against it.
“Fair enough, if you’ve got a plan.”
Yu Wen let the matter drop and pivoted. “By the way, you heading out tonight?”
“For the fireworks?”
“Yeah, it’s another treat the Troupe Leader lined up just for you all.” Yu Wen smiled gently. “Word is, it’s a big display. You can really enjoy the show.”
“I… I’ll play it by ear.”
“Tsk, bet you don’t even know who to watch it with.” Yu Wen rolled her eyes. “You really don’t bother avoiding suspicion, do you?”
“Both girls from your department are your classmates, and then there’s Yuqiong. You four huddled together all afternoon like a set of quadruplets, stuck to each other no matter where you went.”
“And you’re the Troupe Leader’s secretary. This isn’t helping her efforts.”
Zhao Qingyu’s aim for the trip was to break down barriers between departments, letting members from different groups mingle freely.
She didn’t expect instant friendships from this brief getaway, but hoped they’d at least make connections beyond their own teams.
Every activity carried that “exchange” intent.
She’d told everyone they were free to do as they pleased, no strings attached.
But behind the scenes, she’d tasked each department president with coordinating mixed outings involving at least two groups.
The outdoor barbecue had been Singing Group and Model Group together.
Even with a small turnout, it beat any single department going solo.
Yet Shen An and his trio had formed their own tight-knit unit, clustering everywhere they went.
That was the subtle edge to Yu Wen’s critique.
“I don’t follow, Senior Sister. Aren’t the four of us from two different departments?”
Shen An let out a light laugh, his shamelessness leaving her little room to push back.
Fair point.
Same class or not, they technically represented Office and Drama Group—two distinct departments blending.
“Besides, Senior Sister, don’t think same class guarantees closeness.”
Shen An sighed. “Even dorm mates don’t always click, much less classmates.”
“You’re a year ahead—you ought to know that better than me.”
Yu Wen paused, offering no rebuttal.
Her own class had dozens of people, but she only truly gelled with a handful.
Shen An pressed on. “If it were just classmates, I wouldn’t sweat it.”
“It’s because we’re classmates in the same big outfit like the Art Troupe. Call it a clique if you want, but aren’t all big groups built from smaller ones?”
“If I don’t lock down relations in my own department first—rushing to bond with outsiders instead—it won’t do the work any favors.”
Yu Wen found herself at a loss to argue.
Truth be told, she’d never been sold on Zhao Qingyu’s scheme from the outset.
In some ways, it mirrored Shen An’s logic.
She backed inter-department bonding and exchanges, sure.
But not this prematurely.
As Model Group president, she knew her members inside out: tight bonds here, invisible nobodies there.
Forcing grand mixers before even sorting internal familiarity—mandating cross-group mingling…
It could play out just as Shen An predicted: department ties still shaky, yet everyone’s attention drifting outward.
Too soon, plain and simple.
Not even a month since recruitment wrapped. No internal events kicked off yet. Building rapport took time.
“Judging by your face, Senior Sister, you’re leaning my way.”
Shen An blinked, his smile teasing.
Yu Wen sighed. “Can’t argue with that. Still, no call to flaunt it so much.”
“You think others haven’t noticed? Everyone knows you four are classmates. They’ll probably steer clear if you’re already thick as thieves.”
Shen An smiled faintly. “Doesn’t matter. Impact on work?”
“Tsk, heartless as ever.” Yu Wen’s lips curved in a grin. “But yeah, not really.”
“There you go.” Shen An shrugged.
“Oy, talk about a dog biting Lu Dongbin—you think I’m ragging on you? As if I’d bother. You’re not my assistant.”
“I’m saying keep an eye on the Troupe Leader’s mood. She’s your boss.” Yu Wen huffed.
“I get it.”
Shen An nodded, his voice softening. “But some things are out of my hands.”
“She wants the Art Troupe to feel like one big family, everyone friends, with me as the glue and the trailblazer. But she also doesn’t want me getting too chummy with others. That’s like dreaming of getting rich without lifting a finger.”
“Tell it to her. You’re barking up the wrong tree with me.”
Yu Wen stifled a laugh behind her hand. “Listen to you, rattling off wisdom like a pro. More glib than me.”
She reached out and patted his shoulder. “That said, striking it rich in your dreams? Not impossible.”
“The issue’s with the Troupe Leader, alright. I can’t rein her in—why don’t you give it a shot?”
“Handle her, and it’s better than dream-money.”
Shen An’s mouth twitched. “Just an example…”
“I know. But I’m giving it to you straight.”
Yu Wen spoke earnestly. “Tame the Troupe Leader, and every problem vanishes.”
“Your little quartet? Forget it. You could flirt with every girl in the Art Troupe, no sweat.”
Shen An arched a brow. “Don’t dig pits for me.”
“Pfft—no tricks here. Just your skill that’ll tell.”
Yu Wen spread her hands. “Bottom line: handle the Troupe Leader. If you can keep up with her, anything goes.”
Shen An rubbed his chin. “I get the sense you’re really looking forward to it, Senior Sister.”
“No sense needed. I am.”
Yu Wen perked up, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “I really want to see what the Troupe Leader looks like when she’s finally taken down. That has to be hilarious—really!”
Shen An quietly took a step back. “I can see some strange obsession in your expression, Senior Sister. Be honest—has Senior Sister Zhao bullied you too?”
“Ah, phooey—not bullied, more like oppressed?”
Yu Wen’s expression at that moment was just like that of someone who’d been constantly oppressed, desperately hoping to see their oppressor get oppressed in turn.
In simple terms, she’d been on the bottom forever, unhappy about it but powerless to change things.
All she could do was nurture this little wish: to see the one riding her get ridden by someone else.
It was an anticipation brimming with intensity, an obsession bordering on the perverse…
What kind of hentai plotline was this unfolding into?!
Yu Wen neither confirmed nor denied it.
Her slender fingertip traced along Shen An’s chin, gently pinching it. “Don’t gossip so much. Be careful, or you’ll invite trouble upon yourself.”
Shen An’s inner thought: More like inviting fire upon yourself, right?
