After finishing her makeup, Wang Yuqiong picked up her phone and quietly slipped out to the balcony.
The other three women noticed and exchanged covert smirks.
Roughly a minute after Song Rui had sent her message to Shen An, his phone lit up with one from Wang Yuqiong.
“Where are you right now?”
What was interesting was how different their questions were, each revealing a distinct style.
In terms of content, Song Rui seemed more direct, but she was subtly placing herself in a weaker position—a cautious probe.
Wang Yuqiong, on the other hand, sounded more casual, like an everyday chat between equals, with just a hint of parity.
Yet during the wait, the anxiety and anticipation they both showed were strikingly similar.
It was probably a universal trait among girls caught in the whirlpool of romance.
Song Rui’s nervousness stemmed from Wang Yuqiong herself. She feared Shen An had already been snatched away for a date, which would prove Shen Lianyao right—she’d end up stuck in the room, watching fireworks through the window with her.
Wang Yuqiong’s anxiety, however, wasn’t about Song Rui. It was aimed at someone far more formidable and threatening: Zhao Qingyu!
Her instincts were sharper than Song Rui’s. While Song Rui was still stewing over Zhao Qingyu’s overly familiar behavior toward Shen An, Wang Yuqiong had already picked up on the unusual undercurrent in Zhao Qingyu’s attitude.
It was almost unbelievable, bordering on wild fantasy.
But Zhao Qingyu had deliberately meddled more than once, forcing Wang Yuqiong to abandon her illusions and view their relationship with scrutiny and caution.
Just a minute passed, and Wang Yuqiong was already growing impatient.
Standing on the dark balcony, she pressed her vividly painted red lips together tightly. Her perfectly arched brows furrowed, and she unconsciously bit her fingertip as she fired off message after message, urging him on.
Still no reply. She looked up at the bright moon in the sky, a bad premonition rising in her heart.
At that moment, Shen An was still lost in deep sleep, even rolling over lazily.
His phone kept buzzing and ringing noisily.
Zhao Qingyu cast it a sidelong glance and muttered with disdain, “Not just the phone case— even the ringtone is weird.”
She rose slowly from the sofa, stretching her graceful figure, and grumbled as she walked over, “So impatient. It’s not even that late.”
She picked up Shen An’s phone and unplugged the charger.
With a light tap on the screen, messages from Song Rui and Wang Yuqiong popped up one after another.
Without hesitation, she opened them.
Thus, both women’s messages came into full view.
Through the text, Zhao Qingyu could sense Song Rui’s urgency and caution, as well as Wang Yuqiong’s mounting impatience.
Her brows knitted, her expression darkening.
She had anticipated this, which was why she had gone to such lengths to lock Shen An in his room.
But anticipation and seeing it firsthand were two different things psychologically.
At least for Zhao Qingyu, she suddenly had the urge to smash the phone to pieces right then and there.
The impulse hit her abruptly, much like the strange emotions that had stirred when she lay beside him.
“Keep sending them. No one’s replying tonight.”
Zhao Qingyu snorted coldly and switched the phone to silent.
But after turning away and taking just a few steps, she stopped.
Letting them go unanswered like this felt… off. Ghosting wasn’t polite.
What if…
A sly glint flickered in Zhao Qingyu’s beautiful eyes, like a fox scheming.
She turned back, picked up Shen An’s phone again, and considered imitating his tone to reply to both.
Her fingertips danced across the screen, words forming one by one.
But just before hitting send, she hesitated.
Yes, she hesitated.
Was it really okay to take it upon herself to reply on his behalf?
If he found out—no, he definitely would.
Would he… get angry?
Zhao Qingyu stared at the blinking messages on the screen, plunged into deep uncertainty.
When had it started…
That she cared about his feelings? Worried if he was happy?
Her mind split in two, each side conjuring an image.
One side smirked coldly, mocking her cowardice: You weren’t like this before. He’s just a subordinate assistant—why tie your own hands for him?
Think about it: teasing two girls by replying in his place—doesn’t that sound fun?
The other side wore a gentle expression, urging restraint in a soft voice: This is his business. You’ve already taken his phone and cut off contact. Why meddle further?
He’d mind. He’d get mad at you.
“Ha~ If he gets mad, so be it. Why care? Worst case, replace the secretary. No big deal.”
“But isn’t he pretty good? He reads my intentions perfectly and handles things I’m not great at. Finding a replacement won’t be easy.”
“Good or not, you’re not incapable. It’s just more hassle.”
“Don’t forget his position. Do you really believe there’s nothing deeper between him and Xu Yijing? He might be the one hiding the most.”
“But you’ve already investigated his background privately, haven’t you? Nothing suspicious. You can’t brand him an enemy on a baseless hunch.”
“Backgrounds can be faked easily!”
The two voices clashed.
Her hesitation boiled down to how much she cared about Shen An.
In the end, the other voice won out.
Because it said: “You have reservations and can’t fully trust him, yet you’re trying to. Why not use this to test him?”
“You want someone who can fully accept you, but wishes don’t make it real. It takes harsh tests.”
“You’ve probed him twice already. One more won’t hurt.”
Fine.
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes and retyped the deleted replies.
To Song Rui: “Do you want to watch with me?”
To Wang Yuqiong: “I’m in the room.”
Song Rui: “Sure… I… I’ll wait for you?”
Wang Yuqiong: “Why are you replying so late? Slept like the dead again!”
Reply to Song Rui: “That spot we went to this afternoon, by the little bridge. Meet me there.”
Reply to Wang Yuqiong: “Sorry, a bit tired from this afternoon.”
Song Rui: “Okay!”
Wang Yuqiong: “? You sound kinda weird.”
Zhao Qingyu’s gaze sharpened. So perceptive…
How well does she know him to pick up on that?
“Whatever. Wanna watch the fireworks? I’m thinking of heading out for a stroll.”
“I’m not inviting you or anything—just asking. But if you don’t come, you’re dead meat!”
Classic Wang Yuqiong style, but it made Zhao Qingyu’s frown deepen.
That tone, that phrasing… it far exceeded mere friendship.
Hmph.
Zhao Qingyu curled her lip in faint disdain. Still just a little girl.
She copy-pasted her reply to Song Rui for Wang Yuqiong too, sending her to wait at the little bridge.
Wang Yuqiong: “Hurry up then—I’m heading out now!”
“Got it.”
With the chats closed, Zhao Qingyu inexplicably let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
For some reason, she didn’t feel much pleasure or relief.
If anything, it felt heavy.
Right then, the voice in her head resurfaced: “Congrats. You’ve just exposed yourself.”
“They’ll realize from his responses it wasn’t him.”
“He’ll tell them you took his phone.”
“And you dove right in, laying it all bare.”
Zhao Qingyu gritted her teeth, finally understanding the weight.
Yeah…
Doing this wasn’t…
“But isn’t this your style? He’s yours. Time to let them know—let everyone know—he’s yours.”
The other voice countered firmly.
“Exactly. Like a lion on the African savanna marking its territory. You’ve already staked your claim.”
“So why not check his other messages? Like chats with other people.”
“Think about it—this is a golden opportunity. Weren’t you suspicious?”
Zhao Qingyu felt a flicker of temptation.
It really was an unprecedented chance.
If he’d cleared his messages, it proved he had ulterior motives.
If not, she’d see the real him.
No better evidence.
But as her finger began to swipe, the other voice rebelled fiercely: “No, absolutely not!”
“He gave you his phone—that’s trust.”
“Snooping on his privacy would betray it!”
“Hahaha, that’s rich. You’ve already impersonated him. What’s this compared to that? You’ve invaded his privacy already.”
“No—these are different! Think carefully.”
“If he finds out, he might distance himself from you forever!”
Distance…
Zhao Qingyu’s pupils contracted, a flicker of unease passing through her eyes.
“Then don’t let him know! You’re so clever; you must have a way to keep it from him.”
“At worst, just deny it to the death. Does he have a camera turned on in his phone or something? Ridiculous!”
“Yes, if you don’t admit it, he truly won’t know. But can you get past the test of your own conscience?”
“You’ve always held yourself to a clear conscience. If you can’t face yourself without guilt, can you really live with that?”
Two lines of thought collided wildly in her mind.
After a long moment, Zhao Qingyu silently set her phone down.
She turned and headed toward the bathroom.
But the voices in her head did not fade.
“You’re utterly foolish!” The indifferent voice carried a hint of exasperation.
“How is that foolish? You’re simply respecting his privacy!” The gentle voice defended her, as always.
“Bullshit—that’s just a hypocritical excuse. You’re clearly afraid. You don’t dare look because you’re terrified of finding proof that he’s been deceiving you! Foolish!!”
Hot water poured down, cascading over her fair and delicate body.
Bathed in steam, Zhao Qingyu closed her eyes and murmured, “Don’t lie to me…”
