After changing into a pair of pants, Shen An emerged to find that the wrinkles on Zhao Qingyu’s light red long skirt had vanished completely.
“Does this look okay?”
He walked up to Zhao Qingyu and spun in a circle, striking a pose like some flamboyant male model.
Zhao Qingyu rolled her eyes. “Follow me.”
“Got it—I’ll stick right by your side. Piece of cake.” Shen An grinned, his smile laced with teasing.
They reached the entryway, where Zhao Qingyu crouched slightly to slip on her strappy black red-soled high heels. Paired with her sheer black stockings, those red soles were an absolute knockout.
In that instant, her innate seductiveness ignited fully. She pursed her red lips, and even without a flicker of emotion in her foxy eyes, they drew him in completely—utterly mesmerizing.
Shen An let his admiration show just enough, then asked softly, “It’s pretty late. Do you really have to wear heels?”
“Aren’t we supposed to go soak in the baths?”
Zhao Qingyu arched a delicate brow. “Who said anything about soaking with you? The very thought is gross.”
Shen An shrugged. “So where are we headed, then?”
“Quiet. Just follow.”
Zhao Qingyu gave a gentle sway of her slender fingers, beckoning him like a siren’s call. His shadow clung tightly to her heels.
The elevator descended slowly from the eighteenth floor, but their stop wasn’t the bustling first-floor lobby.
Zhao Qingyu had pressed the button for the negative first floor.
Basement one? Parking garage?
Shen An stared at the panel, turning the possibilities over in his mind.
When the doors slid open, a rush of air carried the scent of her perfume. Shen An inhaled deeply, a touch intoxicated.
Tonight’s Zhao Qingyu was the most polished he’d ever seen her—head to toe, every detail impeccable.
Some of his wariness eased. No way was she dressed like this to drag him off for an interrogation.
He glanced around. This basement level wasn’t the garage; it was another hotel lobby, empty and gleaming under bright lights.
Her heels clicked sharply against the polished floor, echoing crisply in the silence—one after another.
Shen An trailed right behind, his eyes tracing her silhouette. She was captivating, no doubt about it.
For a moment, he imagined nine fox tails swaying from her full, rounded hips.
But what he really wanted was to reach out and give those swaying curves a firm smack. The feel of them had to be incredible.
They crossed the lobby and reached an exit door.
Zhao Qingyu pushed it open and glanced back. “Do you like the sea?”
The sea?
Shen An lifted a brow. “Senior Sister, you’re not seriously taking me to the beach, are you?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Her voice softened. “It’s the perfect night for it.”
The mountain villa had its own beach. It might not rival those pristine island shores, but for two “travelers” like them, it was more than enough.
“If that’s what you want, Senior Sister, I’ll tag along.”
Shen An kept his own tastes to himself, echoing her words. “Gotta stick close, right?”
“Mm.”
Zhao Qingyu nodded faintly. “Let’s go.”
She stepped out first, with Shen An right on her tail.
The moment they emerged, a breeze—cool yet laced with summer mugginess—engulfed him.
This was some side exit, tucked away and far less obvious than the main lobby doors. The surroundings were unfamiliar; this had to be the villa’s other side.
Overhead, fireworks cracked and burst. Shen An looked up instinctively.
Blooms of color lit the night sky, their brilliance framed by silvery moonlight in an endless expanse of deep blue—not a single cloud in sight.
He halted, and Zhao Qingyu stopped too.
She tilted her head up alongside him, watching the display for a moment before saying, “No fun watching from here. The beach is where it’s at.”
Shen An caught on immediately.
Beachside, with the sea breeze whispering and sand beneath you—that was prime fireworks viewing.
One thing nagged at him, though.
If they were beach-bound, why the heels?
His eyes flicked to the red soles peeking from her stockings. Aren’t those tiring? he wondered silently.
Zhao Qingyu didn’t linger. She strode onward toward the shore.
Shen An shelved his questions and kept pace.
The beach was still out of sight, some distance off. No waves crashing in his ears—just the pop-pop of fireworks.
And, of course, the steady click-click of her heels right ahead.
They walked on amid empty paths, lit only by the steady glow of lamps lining both sides, standing sentinel in isolation.
Shen An smirked to himself. He half-suspected Zhao Qingyu had cleared the area just for their private stroll to the sea.
“What’re you grinning about?”
Zhao Qingyu asked abruptly.
Shen An froze, only then noticing she’d turned, her lovely eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Just the weather—perfect night,” he said breezily. “Good vibes all around.”
She nodded. “True. I love it like this—not scorching like daytime, no gloomy clouds. And that moonlight… so gentle.”
She glanced skyward at the moon, unable to resist.
Shen An murmured, “Moon that round? Festival’s right around the corner.”
Zhao Qingyu arched a brow and shot back over her shoulder. “Getting close. What, missing home?”
“Ha, nah.”
Shen An shoved his hands in his pockets, playing it casual. “Holidays mean time off. Actual rest for once.”
“That’s your big vacation plan?” Zhao Qingyu teased, lips quirking. “Vacation hits, and boom—straight to lounging. If word gets out, folks’ll think I’m working you to the bone. That eager to slack?”
The easy mood let Shen An unwind. He figured that’s exactly why she’d brought him out here.
So he vented freely. “Not working me hard? Classes aside, every waking hour’s sunk into the Art Troupe.”
“Sigh. Other freshmen? Dorm gaming marathons, mall runs with buddies, pickup games, casual walks. Me? Out before dawn, back after dark—beats a nine-to-five.”
Zhao Qingyu huffed softly. “Wasting time’s the fun part. No studying required.”
“Tch. Senior Sister, you wouldn’t be grooming me as the next Art Troupe Leader, would you?”
Shen An quickened his step to draw alongside her, close enough to catch the drift of her perfume.
“Deputy Troupe Leader.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Troupe Leader’s the Student Council President.”
“Same diff. In the Troupe, the Deputy runs the show—the Leader’s just for show.”
“You’re off base there.”
Zhao Qingyu shook her head. “The Student Council President isn’t window dressing. That’s the real power at the top of the Student Union.”
“I might call the shots in the Troupe, but cross the President? The whole thing could get shut down.”
Oh?
That caught Shen An off guard.
He’d pegged the presidency as a fancy title with no teeth—nice on paper, useless in practice.
And wasn’t day-to-day stuff all handled by Xu Yijing, the Vice President?
“Oh yeah? I figured President was basically a mascot.”
“Most of the time, sure.” Zhao Qingyu’s tone shifted, tinged with disdain.
“Most? Man, that sounds messy.”
Shen An scratched his head.
“Once you’re in that spot, you’re either a figurehead… or you go full iron fist.”
Zhao Qingyu gave a light laugh. “But Presidents? Juniors at earliest, usually seniors on the cusp of graduating. Who has bandwidth for this? They’re all graduation-focused.”
“Someone like me—a junior still neck-deep in club drama? That’s the weird one.”
“But Senior Sister Yu Wen and the others aren’t?”
“They’re different.” Zhao Qingyu shook her head gently. “Sure, they log hours in the Troupe, but they just handle what I assign. No big-picture worries.”
“Me? I have to sweat every detail. Like this event.”
She crossed her arms, weariness creeping into her voice. “Nail it? No pats on the back—just ‘that’s your job, Leader.'”
“But flop? Oh, it’ll stick. Black mark long after I graduate.”
Shen An got it now.
Yu Wen and her crew—still ministers on paper—but executors at heart, not architects.
They followed orders, split their focus between club and personal lives.
Zhao Qingyu? She was the visionary, the risk-taker. Every call weighed on her, demanding her full attention.
“Of course, I could just go through the motions, same as every previous term, following in the footsteps of those who came before me.”
In that moment as Zhao Qingyu lowered her head, she seemed hesitant.
“But,” she continued, “I’ve always felt that those old plans were too outdated, hopelessly stale.”
The hesitation vanished the instant she looked up again, replaced by a confident smile tugging at her lips. “So it’s no one else’s fault. I’m the one who wants something different, which means being busier is just what I signed up for.”
Shen An stood quietly behind her and murmured softly, “I think I should help you shoulder some of the burden.”
“You?”
Zhao Qingyu glanced back over her shoulder, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly.
“Then why go to all this trouble messing with me? Isn’t it because you want to be a hands-off boss like the Student Union President?”
Shen An pulled a face.
Zhao Qingyu pressed her lips together, drawing out her words teasingly. “You really have no idea how to hold back, do you? You actually think you’ve got what it takes?”
“I don’t know,” Shen An replied with a grin, “but there’s only one way to find out—give it a try.”
“Heh~” Zhao Qingyu turned her gaze away, but a flicker of complexity danced in her beautiful eyes.
It was exactly what she wanted to hear.
But what she truly yearned to know was whether those words came from the heart.
If they were just some carefully crafted response… well, that would be disappointingly dull.
Zhao Qingyu started walking again. “We’re not there yet. We can rest in a bit.”
Their shadows stretched long under the bright moonlight as they continued on, until they reached the seaside beach she had mentioned.
From their vantage point above, Shen An could already feel the warm breeze blowing in from the ocean. It made him a little uncomfortable, that humid heat building up.
He glanced down at the beach, and just as he’d expected, there wasn’t a soul in sight.
He couldn’t resist a jab. “I figured there might be other people out here watching the fireworks.”
Zhao Qingyu leaned against the railing. “They’re all on the other side.”
“So this was all Senior Sister’s careful arrangement?”
He turned his head, studying her profile.
“Do I have to admit it for you to be happy?” Zhao Qingyu shot him an annoyed glare, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Fine, yes—it was me. I sent them all to the other side. Tonight, it’s just you and me here.”
“Tsk, it’s not easy getting Senior Sister to admit something so frankly.” Shen An sighed in satisfaction.
“Heh, it’s not easy getting you to show a spark of smarts for once either!”
Zhao Qingyu bit her red lip, her eyes reflecting his face.
“I just think there’s no need to hide it,” Shen An said gently. “Sometimes, being upfront about it isn’t so bad.”
“I’m not hiding anything. I just didn’t want to say it out loud.”
Zhao Qingyu turned her head away, a touch of pride in her tone.
“Then~” Shen An extended his hand. “Are we just going to watch from up on the shore?”
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes, fixing them on his outstretched hand, her voice playful. “What are you thinking?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea, Senior Sister. I’m just worried you might trip.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “High heels aren’t exactly made for walking on sand.”
“Oh~ So this is a precaution?”
Zhao Qingyu arched a brow.
“It’s thoughtful care,” Shen An said with a wink.
“Hmph.”
A thousand emotions swirled in Zhao Qingyu’s heart, but she couldn’t resist the impulse to reach out.
At last, her fingertips brushed lightly over his palm.
Shen An turned his hand and clasped hers, holding her small hand securely in his.
“Take it slow, Senior Sister.”
This time, he took the lead.
“Watch out for yourself~” Zhao Qingyu felt the warmth of his palm against hers, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.
