The two immediately tussled. Shen An poured every ounce of effort into finally subduing Wang Yuqiong’s Nine Yin White Bone Claw.
One hand turned into a restraint for her restless arms, the other pressed lightly against her neck, pulling her onto his lap.
“Go ahead, let me go if you dare!”
Wang Yuqiong was trussed up like a king crab, pinned by Shen An and unable to budge.
“Go ahead, break free.” Shen An smirked roguishly.
“You… you’re shameless.” All she could do was snap back verbally. “All you do is bully girls. Big man.”
“Correction: I only bully you.”
Shen An murmured.
Ah…
Getting bullied didn’t sound great, but exclusive bullying… seemed like special treatment, right? Sort of?
Wang Yuqiong mulled it over, and most of her embarrassment faded.
Mainly, she really couldn’t beat Shen An. She was helpless against him.
“Let me go. No more playing.”
She pouted.
“Really done?”
“Done!”
“Then call me ‘brother,’ and I’ll let you go.”
Shen An had wanted “daddy,” but they were in class. Save that super intimate stuff for when they were alone.
“No way~” Wang Yuqiong lowered her voice.
“No? Then I’m not letting go.”
“Aaaah…” The classic nasal whine of a girl acting coquettish.
“Ah, that won’t work.”
Shen An remained utterly indifferent, determined not to yield to such a soft tactic.
“I’m not joking. You need to watch out.”
Wang Yuqiong’s big eyes sparkled as she tried a diversionary tactic. “What if Song Rui and Lianyao run into trouble down the line? You’d have zero preparations.”
The move worked like a charm.
Shen An gently released his hold on Wang Yuqiong and murmured, “What inside info do you have?”
Wang Yuqiong wrenched herself free and rubbed her wrist, which was sore from his grip.
Without that physical restraint, she immediately puffed up with arrogance again. “Want to know? Call me ‘sister’ first.”
Shen An arched a brow. “Sister.”
Wang Yuqiong: …
She had almost forgotten—this jerk had no shame.
Shen An leaned in close. “Sister, sister, sister~ Come on, spill it.”
Hiss.
Wang Yuqiong clapped a hand over his mouth, shuddering. “Shut up. That’s creepy.”
“Wasn’t it you who told me to call you that?”
Shen An flicked out his tongue and gave the center of her palm a light lick.
Wang Yuqiong’s lithe body quivered. She yanked her hand back and shot him a glare that mixed anger with playful reproach.
“Come on, spill it—or else~” Shen An raised a fist.
Wang Yuqiong shrank back, looking a little scared. “I don’t actually know anything. I’m just giving you a heads-up.”
“Huh?”
Shen An narrowed his eyes. “Playing mysterious, are we?”
“I’m not!”
Wang Yuqiong scooted sideways, terrified he’d pin her down and start pummeling her again.
To act calm, she crossed her legs.
“Ahem~”
She cleared her throat lightly, propped her chin on one hand, and said softly, “I’m a girl myself, but I have to tell you: dealing with other girls is the most trouble you’ll ever face.”
The corner of Shen An’s mouth quirked up. “Tell me about it.”
“Tch!” Wang Yuqiong bared her teeth. “I’m one of the easygoing ones. How am I trouble?”
“I never said it was you. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
Shen An let out a light chuckle and reached out to tousle her silky hair.
Wang Yuqiong smacked his hand away. “Who are you talking about, then?”
Shen An cast a subtle glance at the seat behind him—Shen Lianyao’s usual spot.
Wang Yuqiong’s furrowed brows smoothed out at once. She nodded vigorously in agreement.
Yeah, just throw the blame on Shen Lianyao. Perfect.
She glanced cautiously around the room. Fortunately, it was still early. Only a handful of students had arrived in the classroom, and they were sitting scattered in pairs or small groups.
“Actually, someone like her isn’t troublesome at all.”
Wang Yuqiong didn’t like Shen Lianyao much, but she wasn’t the type to lie through her teeth.
When it came to the real topic, she stayed pretty objective.
“She’s aloof and doesn’t socialize much, but she never causes problems for anyone. If it were me, I’d just steer clear of her. No big deal.”
“The real troublemakers are the ones who smile all sweet and seem super approachable—but are always ready to stab you in the back.”
Wang Yuqiong twirled a lock of her hair and whispered, “The Drama Group already has a few like that.”
“And I hear things are even worse in the Dance Group.”
“Heard?” Shen An narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah, Drama Group folks told me.” Wang Yuqiong pouted. “The Dance Group’s always been the weirdest out of all the Performance Groups.”
“Can you be more specific?”
Shen An prompted gently.
“Hey, are you dense or what?” Wang Yuqiong pursed her lips. “They’re just… super vain. They’d rather leverage the Art Troupe name to chase attention than focus on actual dance work.”
“I’ve also heard they hit the nearby bars almost every night. You can spot them there constantly.”
“Hanging out with all sorts of shady types.”
Shen An frowned slightly at that.
He didn’t find it all that surprising. In this day and age, it was par for the course.
Forget college—even high school had kids who dressed flashy and loved partying everywhere.
Of course, looking good didn’t mean you partied hard, and partying didn’t mean you were wild.
No need for stereotypes or hasty judgments.
Some people just enjoyed drinks with friends, nothing more sinister.
But from Shen An’s own experience, plenty of girls haunted bars chasing thrills and that rush of flattery—the “vanity high” of constant attention and pick-up lines.
Their resolve crumbled easily. They were ripe for manipulation.
He was used to it by now.
The reason for his frown, though, was concern for Shen Lianyao.
With her personality, she didn’t seem like the type to mesh with that crowd.
She wouldn’t just fail to fit in—she’d probably struggle to even coexist peacefully.
Shen Lianyao might not provoke them, but they… who knew?
Wang Yuqiong went on. “The Model Group used to be the same way.”
“But the last few group leaders there were straight-laced types who turned things around by force of will.”
“Especially this year—don’t sleep on Senior Sister Yu Wen. She’s got real chops when it comes to handling stuff like this.”
Her fingertip tapped the desk with a hint of mischief. “I even suspect she used to be one of them. How else could she nail the fix so perfectly?”
Shen An pinched her cheek. “Don’t spout nonsense.”
“It’s just a hunch.” Wang Yuqiong fixed him with a stare, a playful glint in her eye. “What, you got a thing for Senior Sister Yu Wen?”
“You’re turning into quite the little vinegar jar.”
Shen An said softly, “From now on, do I have to file a report every time I chat with a girl?”
Wang Yuqiong arched a brow and shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“You’re the one who’d hate it.”
“Heh, stick to business. No changing the subject.”
“I’ve told you everything.” Wang Yuqiong pouted. “You know what Lianyao’s like. No way she’d click with the Dance Group crowd.”
“Sure, if she just steers clear, that’s fine. But what if some weirdos drag her down and pull her into that messed-up circle?”
As she spoke, she scrutinized Shen An’s every micro-expression.
She had a nagging feeling that Shen An and Shen Lianyao were keeping secrets from her.
Their dynamic looked like rivalry on the surface, but there was this undercurrent of unspoken understanding.
Right now, though, Wang Yuqiong was suspicious of everyone.
Anyone who got too close to Shen An landed on her watchlist.
Shen An kept his expression neutral. “She can hang with whoever she wants. Our worrying won’t change a thing.”
“She’s an adult, isn’t she?”
Wang Yuqiong blinked in surprise, then smirked. “Oho, finally shaking off that babysitter mode?”
“But isn’t that a bit cold for her? She’s your colleague—and your classmate, at least.”
Shen An arched a brow, sounding annoyed. “I’m not the meddling type.”
He tilted up her chin. “The only person I meddle with is you, my little vinegar jar.”
Pfft~
Wang Yuqiong broke into a beaming smile, clearly pleased. She pinched his cheek in return. “Mm-hmm.”
But then she frowned. “I’m not a vinegar jar!”
“Sigh~”
Shen An sidestepped her protest with a sigh of his own.
Wang Yuqiong blinked. “Now what?”
“I’m worried.”
“Worried about what? You just said you don’t meddle.” Wang Yuqiong sounded displeased.
“No, no—it’s not about her personally. It’s her work I’m worried about.”
Shen An rubbed his chin. “If the Dance Group’s really as bad as you say, she’ll butt heads with them for sure.”
“And with her personality, once there’s friction, work grinds to a halt.”
“Then progress stalls, and guess who gets chewed out? Me.”
Wang Yuqiong rolled her eyes. “You’d just get an earful at worst. What, is Senior Sister Zhao gonna fire you?”
“Getting yelled at still sucks. You like it?”
Shen An shot back.
“I… of course not, but… you put her in the Dance Group. What are you gonna do now?”
Wang Yuqiong huffed.
“How about I swap back in?”
Shen An propped his chin on his hand. “The Dance Group sounds like a real den of vipers. Might as well let me go mingle with those girls.”
Slap.
Wang Yuqiong’s fair little hand landed lightly on Shen An’s cheek.
She stared at him, her tone laced with teasing. “Oh, they’d love you.”
Shen An flashed a grin. “That’s what I figured.”
“Heh, to them, you’d be top-tier prey.”
Wang Yuqiong knew their type well. Vanity bred competition.
Shen An was handsome, and he had massive name recognition in the Art Troupe. No other guy could touch him in looks or popularity.
“Who’s preying on who remains to be seen. But at least work would go smoother.”
Shen An said seriously.
“Then why don’t you just take over the other four groups out of the Art Troupe’s seven? Save everyone the drama.”
Wang Yuqiong’s face was cold, her words dripping with sarcasm.
“I’ve actually thought about it too, but on one hand, I might not be able to juggle so many responsibilities, and on the other, it would make me look like a dictator, not giving them a chance to gain some experience.”
Shen An replied with earnest seriousness.
“You actually thought about it?”
Wang Yuqiong immediately lost her composure, displeased as she pinched the soft flesh on his side. “You’re not allowed to go over there. Just stay right here obediently, got it?”
“What’s this? Afraid I’ll get lured away?”
The corners of Shen An’s mouth curved up slightly.
“Hmph, I’m afraid you’ll lose control when faced with temptation.”
A flicker of disdain appeared in Wang Yuqiong’s eyes. “The tricks those fox spirits use are so underhanded and disgusting!”
“But they work especially well on lecherous guys like you.”
She pressed against his Adam’s apple, her tone carrying a hint of disdain toward him.
“Even when facing a fox spirit like you, I can keep my composure. What do you have to worry about?”
Shen An smiled tenderly as he cupped her small face. “You’re the top-tier fox spirit, after all.”
This…
Wang Yuqiong felt a bit happy hearing that.
It seemed like he was praising her, giving her some special treatment.
But… upon closer reflection, it also felt like he was taking a sarcastic dig at her.
Fox spirit?
Who was the fox spirit?
Zhao Qingyu was the biggest fox spirit!
