Shen An completed this incredibly difficult task with a suave and effortless flair.
As he stepped down from the stage that moment, a slight sigh of relief escaped the depths of his heart.
He wasn’t nearly as calm and collected as he had appeared. After all, he had needed to summarize and condense so much material in such a short time.
Moreover, he wasn’t entirely sure if the enhancements from his transmigration were truly that powerful. This had been merely a small test of his abilities.
When he returned to his seat, Xu Yijing—uncharacteristically—offered him some praise. “You performed very well.”
She wasn’t trying to make things difficult for Shen An; she was simply conducting official business.
It might have seemed a bit impersonal, but in her position, impersonality was the best policy.
If there was anyone to blame, it was the true culprit: Zhao Qingyu.
Xu Yijing wasn’t the only one to show her appreciation for Shen An. Pei Xiuran, seated in the middle row, turned around and gave him a deliberate glance. She said nothing, but the approval shining in her eyes was unmistakable.
These women all knew Zhao Qingyu’s temperament well enough that Shen An didn’t need to explain a thing—they already understood the task had been thrust upon him at the last minute.
Shen An acknowledged their praise one by one. Then he turned to glance at Chen Nannan. The expression in her beautiful eyes wasn’t simple approval but a joyful sense of relief, like a weight had been lifted.
That realization warmed Shen An’s heart all the more.
Praise was merely positive feedback from outsiders. Worry, on the other hand—that was the response from people who truly cared.
It also made clear, from the side, that Xu Yijing wasn’t as friendly toward Shen An as their surface interactions—or their temporary “cohabitation”—might suggest.
But before Shen An could flash his smug grin at Chen Nannan, an impact struck him from behind.
“Wow! Junior Brother Shen, you’re amazing!!”
The outburst came from Qi Taili.
In front of Xu Yijing and Pei Xiuran, she lost a bit of her composure and boldly slung her arms around Shen An’s neck from behind.
It was the same praise, but Qi Taili’s way of showing it was far more enthusiastic.
“Easy… I can’t breathe…”
Shen An found himself squeezed uncomfortably and could only gently pat her small hand.
“Oh, oh, sorry, sorry! Hehe, I just got a little too excited for a second.”
Qi Taili noticed the surprised looks from those around her and quickly reined herself in, reverting to the poised, ladylike demeanor she’d shown when they first met.
Yet her excitement lingered, as if Shen An’s success was a miracle she could scarcely believe.
And so, even though the meeting was far from over—the second president already speaking at the podium about her department’s summary—Qi Taili sidled up behind Shen An to whisper with him.
Shen An kept his eyes fixed forward, but his attention was on her.
He moved his lips with extreme subtlety; from any distance, it wouldn’t have looked like he was chatting idly with Qi Taili.
Neither Xu Yijing nor Pei Xiuran seemed to mind, perhaps tacitly permitting him this one breach of meeting protocol in recognition of their earlier praise.
In this way, Shen An learned more details.
First off, Qi Taili was a third-year senior, just like Zhao Qingyu.
But she was from the Art Department, not the same major as Shen An—which also made her Xu Yijing’s senior.
Second, her title as Office Director was honorary; her real role was Singing Group Leader in the Art Troupe.
Finally, Shen An understood why she was so thrilled.
Zhao Qingyu hadn’t shown up. If Shen An hadn’t stepped in, Qi Taili would have been the one forced onstage to embarrass herself.
She was the highest-ranking Art Troupe member present, but merely a group leader.
She excelled at singing, but summary reports were beyond her.
From Qi Taili’s words, Shen An could sense that she’d already braced herself for Zhao Qingyu’s absence and accepted the inevitable humiliation.
Shen An’s intervention had “saved” her, at the very least sparing her the role of the ridiculed fool.
She wasn’t a bad person at heart. If someone had to take the fall, she wouldn’t volunteer herself unless there was no other choice.
She had planned to treat Shen An to a nice meal after he fielded the questions, as thanks for his “sacrifice.”
Instead, his performance had far exceeded her expectations, flawlessly handling the daunting task.
“Junior brother, once you’re officially in the Art Troupe, I’ll make it up to you properly, okay?”
Qi Taili noted the debt with cheerful frankness. Then the meeting drew to a close.
With so many departments in attendance, it couldn’t wrap up in a single session.
Starting from the Art Troupe and working down, after about three or four more, the gathering paused. They would pick up with the second half that evening.
If it still wasn’t done by then, they’d continue the next day.
Shen An felt a twinge of disappointment. He’d been hoping to see Chen Nannan take the stage.
But the meeting ended before the Club Federation Department had its turn.
As the session concluded, the attendees filed out in orderly fashion.
Shen An stayed right where he was. Qi Taili passed by his side and, on tiptoe, patted his shoulder. “Junior brother, who are you waiting for?”
At around five foot five, she was on the shorter side among the girls Shen An knew.
But her sundress revealed calves that were pink and tender, her skin every bit as fair as Chen Nannan’s.
Most strikingly, her features were sweetly pretty, evoking the charm of a youthful beauty with a baby face.
That height suited her vibe perfectly. Too tall, and she’d risk coming off like Wang Yuqiong—gentle and elegant in face, but her one-seventy-eight frame undercut the softness with an unintended air of intimidation.
Shen An smiled and murmured, “Waiting for you, Senior Sister. Didn’t you say you’d repay me properly?”
Qi Taili covered her mouth in a bright, tinkling laugh. “Oh, right—a shame, really. I’ve got another commitment now.”
“I’ll treat you to a real feast once you’re officially in the Art Troupe!”
Her smile carried a deeper meaning. “Keep up the good work, junior brother. I’m looking forward to your next showing. Hope you can hang in there a little longer~”
Huh?
Shen An arched a brow. He had the distinct feeling this was only the beginning.
Qi Taili’s meaningful grin brimmed with mischievous schadenfreude.
After her, the rest of the Art Troupe presidents greeted him one by one. His debut had clearly stunned them.
Yet every one ended on the exact same note as Qi Taili, their smiles eerily similar—laced with that same gleeful anticipation of his misfortune—as if they’d all conspired to some shared understanding.
They passed one after another, until Chen Nannan.
That was who Shen An had been waiting for.
Chen Nannan had deliberately hung back until the room had mostly cleared. Only then did she reach his side.
“Se—”
Shen An started to greet her, only for Chen Nannan to clap a hand over his mouth.
Mmph?
Stunned, Shen An let her drag him out of the large classroom and into a quiet corner.
She kept her hand clamped firmly over his mouth. Her bright eyes sparkled with intense confusion and caution.
“Don’t talk yet. I have questions,” she said softly.
Shen An pressed his lips together and nodded.
“What’s the deal with you? Why butt in out of nowhere?”
A touch of shy frustration crept into Chen Nannan’s voice. “Do you realize screwing this up could ruin your whole college experience?”
“Credits, scholarships—they’re all handled by the Student Union.”
“One misstep, and your four years will be nothing but nose-to-the-grindstone studying.”
Her tone held more worry than scolding.
She was truly concerned for him.
“Even if you don’t care about credits or scholarships, haven’t I told you over and over not to get too chummy with Senior Sister Zhao?”
“She…”
Chen Nannan glanced warily around, as if afraid of eavesdroppers.
Satisfied they were alone, she leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “Getting mixed up with her goes way beyond credits or scholarships.”
“In the worst case, you could get expelled.”
The warm puff of her breath from those cherry lips tingled straight into his ear, sending an itchy warmth spreading through Shen An’s chest.
He shrank back on instinct.
“Say something!” Chen Nannan huffed, a bit peeved.
Shen An: ???
He pointed at her hand.
“Oh…” Chen Nannan yanked it away and put on a stern face. “Talk now.”
He finally drew a deep breath.
Shen An exhaled with a helpless shrug. “I didn’t want to, but today was the final interview round, right?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I’d just reached the classroom when Senior Sister Zhao dumped this task on me. She said it was part of the last round—to test my capabilities.”
“Turning it down would’ve meant forfeiting the interview outright.”
“I’d cleared two rounds already. Bailing unceremoniously on the final one felt… off.”
Shen An’s acting was flawless. His aggrieved expression instantly redirected all her ire toward Zhao Qingyu.
That damn woman…
Always so headstrong. Was there no one to keep her in check?
She’d stoop to any nonsense!
Still, Chen Nannan rolled her eyes and huffed coquettishly, “What’s so bad about that? Just skip it! It’s not like the Art Troupe is your only option.”
“There are so many pretty girls in this school. Staying out of the Art Troupe would let you enjoy the view more freely and easily.”
“But now that you’re getting involved, you won’t be able to extricate yourself so simply anymore.”
“Even if you only joined out of necessity, in everyone else’s eyes, your relationship with Zhao Qingyu definitely won’t look innocent.”
Chen Nannan skipped the “Senior Sister” honorific and called Zhao Qingyu by name directly.
As she spoke, a hint of resentment crept into Chen Nannan’s voice. “You’re always so cocky around me, but you turn into a total wimp the second you’re in front of her?”
“She tells you to go, and you just go? Do you really think the Student Union is her personal kingdom? Why didn’t you even resist?”
“No matter how amazing she is, she can’t rule everything single-handedly, right?”
It was unclear whether that last line was aimed at criticizing Shen An or cursing Zhao Qingyu.
Shen An smiled wryly at her words.
He gently lifted a lock of Chen Nannan’s silky hair and said softly, “Come on now, it’s no use talking about it. The deed is done—the meeting’s already over.”
“Don’t touch me!”
Chen Nannan angrily slapped his hand away and huffed cutely. “Watch it—you’ll mess up my hairdo. I’ve got another one tonight.”
“I’m just helping you smooth it out, Senior Sister.”
Shen An didn’t let go. He kept teasing her hair. “You seem really mad. You’re all puffed up, and it’s messing up your style.”
Chen Nannan: ?
She stared at him, utterly speechless. “What do you mean ‘I’m mad’? I’m just worried about you, you idiot. Got it?”
“Yes, yes, I know Senior Sister cares about me a lot.”
Shen An’s voice was gentle. “By the way, Senior Sister, how did I do back there? Wasn’t I awesome?”
Chen Nannan was about to nod and say yes, but then she caught the smug look on his face and stopped herself. She huffed lightly. “Eh, so-so at best.”
“Can’t help it—I only took on the job last minute. If Teacher Pei hadn’t spoken for a full hour, I probably wouldn’t have memorized all that stuff.”
“But Teacher Pei sure can talk. An hour off-script, no less.”
“Pfft, you should be thanking Teacher Pei right now. Do you really think she dragged it out on purpose? She was helping you out.”
Chen Nannan said with a coquettish pout.
“Really?” Shen An scratched his head sheepishly. “I thought Teacher Pei’s speeches were always that long-winded.”
“Hah, Teacher Pei is usually straightforward and to the point. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
“Hey, speaking of which, I’m a little disappointed. I wonder if I can make it to the evening meeting.” Shen An looked at Chen Nannan expectantly.
“What for?”
“To see you, Senior Sister. I wanted to watch you give your speech on stage, but the meeting wrapped up so fast.”
At his words, Chen Nannan’s pretty face flushed slightly. She felt a bit embarrassed. “What’s there to see? Haven’t you looked enough already?”
“Besides, you’ve got class tomorrow, and you have homework to turn in tonight. You’re not going anywhere—stay put and behave yourself.”
“I’ll be patrolling classes tomorrow morning. If you’re not in yours, just see how I deal with you!”
Shen An grinned. “So heartless, Senior Sister.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m heartless. Zhao Qingyu’s the one who’s nice to you.” Chen Nannan said it with sarcastic bite.
“That’s true.”
Shen An nodded slightly.
Chen Nannan grinned and raised her little fist.
“Go die!!!”
