It wasn’t clear whether Zhao Qingyu had said this intentionally or not, but the words carried a hefty dose of information.
At the very least, they clearly revealed her disdain for Xu Yijing.
This also confirmed that Shen An’s suspicions were spot on—there was indeed some deep-seated grudge between the two women.
But with Zhao Qingyu right there in front of him, Shen An had to play along and put on a suitably flustered expression.
If this was her casually tossing out a probe, then he needed to respond in kind—deliberately oblivious.
Zhao Qingyu took in his bewilderment and let out a soft chuckle. “Tsk, sorry about that. Looks like I’ve shattered your ‘idol’ illusion a bit.”
“But I’m just speaking the truth. I’m a straightforward person—no good at all those twists and turns.”
Shen An shook his head with a wry smile. “Senior Sister, you’re overthinking it. I’m just a little curious.”
“Why don’t you spill it?” Zhao Qingyu said, crossing her arms and looking down at him imperiously, as if bestowing a great mercy. “For helping me out once, I might just clear up your confusion.”
“Senior Sister, it seems like… your relationship with Senior Sister Xu isn’t great?”
The best disguise was no disguise at all. Shen An cut straight to the chase.
“Did you really need to ask?” Zhao Qingyu sneered. “I don’t have a high opinion of her, and I’m pretty sure the feeling’s mutual.”
“Whether you believe me or not doesn’t matter. You’ll figure out soon enough if it’s true once you interact with her more.”
Shen An waved his hands in denial. “No, no, of course I believe you, Senior Sister.”
“Oh? So obedient?”
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
“You’re going to be my direct superior from now on, Senior Sister. Please take good care of me.” Shen An flattered her.
“Heh, don’t count your chickens yet. You haven’t passed the interview.”
Zhao Qingyu replied coolly.
Shen An’s mouth twitched. “You’re kidding, right? There’s more?”
“Of course.” Zhao Qingyu grinned slyly. “But don’t worry—it’s not some impossible task.”
Shen An chuckled dryly and glanced at the impeachment document for Xu Yijing. “Senior Sister, you’re not asking me to impeach Senior Sister Xu, are you?”
“Mmm, now that’s an idea.” Zhao Qingyu tilted her head, pretending to mull it over. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you know, it doesn’t sound half bad.”
She looked at him eagerly, her voice turning soft and seductive. “Don’t you want to give her a taste of her own medicine?”
“Even as vice president, she should face supervision and criticism. Just like any student union president would.”
“That’s true impartiality.”
Shen An waved it off lightly. “I’m afraid I can’t take on that mission.”
“Oh? Even if it means forfeiting your spot?” A hint of threat laced Zhao Qingyu’s casual tone.
“Doing that goes against my principles. Senior Sister Xu wasn’t targeting me on purpose. You might have grounds to resent her for disrespecting you, but her criticism of me was unrelated.”
Shen An’s stance was firm.
“So even if you revoke my qualifications, Senior Sister, I still couldn’t do it.”
Zhao Qingyu lowered her eyelids and let out a long sigh, almost as if relieved. “You’re a principled one, aren’t you? Unlike me, so petty.”
“I wonder if you’re really sticking to your guns… or just scared of losing favor with Xu Yijing and making her dislike you?”
With a flicker of her gaze, Zhao Qingyu found the perfect jab.
Before Shen An could respond, she sighed again, wallowing in self-pity. “One glance and you’re smitten. What does she have that I don’t?”
“Looks?”
Zhao Qingyu brushed back her short hair, revealing her delicate earlobe and dangling earring.
“I’m pretty, aren’t I?” she asked.
“Of course.” Shen An nodded without hesitation.
“Then… figure?”
Zhao Qingyu rose slowly, twisting her body like a seductive Medusa, her waist bending like a slender willow branch on the verge of snapping.
Her ample chest swayed, accidentally revealing a glimpse of soft white skin and alluring depth.
Whether in face or figure, Zhao Qingyu was nearly flawless—plump where she should be, slim where it counted, curves in all the right places.
But Shen An wasn’t some average guy to be petrified by her charms.
His expression remained calm. “Senior Sister, there’s no need to compare like this. You’re you, and Senior Sister Xu is Senior Sister Xu. Each of you has your own appeal and strengths.”
“Besides, you’ve got the wrong idea. Sure, I felt a spark for Senior Sister Xu, but that’s just human nature. Nowhere near lovesick territory.”
“Pfft~”
Zhao Qingyu covered her mouth and giggled, biting her lip lightly. “I know where the gap is now.”
She reached out with a fingertip, cradling her cheek with a touch of resentment. “I can’t pretend like she can.”
Shen An: ?
“Aw, but that’s not something you can just learn.”
“Who knows where she picked up the knack? Pretending to be a saint like that—you guys just eat it up. All pure and icy on the surface, stoking that dirty, low conquest urge of yours.”
“Someone like me, all foxy and seductive like a brothel girl? Yeah, that doesn’t fetch top dollar.”
“Tsk, a girl throwing herself at you is never as good as one playing hard to get. Dogs gonna dog, I guess.”
A black line appeared on Shen An’s forehead. “Why’d you suddenly go all literary on me, Senior Sister?”
The resentment vanished from Zhao Qingyu’s face as she shrugged. “Blame you for rubbing off on me.”
“Alright, drop the Liu Xia Hui act. Unlike her, I prefer honest types.”
Zhao Qingyu sat back down and crossed her legs. “I don’t care if you’re head over heels for her or just a natural reaction—I’m not gonna push you. I’ll handle this document myself.”
“Thanks for understanding, Senior Sister.”
“Mmm~ Hope you still feel that way later.” Zhao Qingyu flashed a bewitching smile.
Shen An rubbed his forehead. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”
“Because it’s a doozy!” Zhao Qingyu burst into bright laughter. “The final task? You’re standing in for me as the interviewer for recruitment.”
That was it?
Shen An had spent a bit of time in the interview room earlier and actually enjoyed the vibe—as long as he wasn’t the one being grilled.
He loved putting questions to others.
“Whoa, whoa, thinking it’s a cakewalk?” Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes mockingly. “You believe it’s just sitting there, asking a few questions, giving a once-over?”
Shen An shot back, “Isn’t it?”
“Of course not. You’re taking my place.”
“If you’re in my shoes, you need to be picky. Scrutinize every freshman thoroughly and strictly—question them, and do it to my tastes and standards.”
“If even one doesn’t meet my approval, you’re out.”
Shen An knew it couldn’t be that simple.
He sighed. “How am I supposed to know your tastes and standards, Senior Sister?”
Zhao Qingyu smiled breezily, her voice syrupy sweet. “I trust you do. You’re so smart, right?”
Shen An: Heh.
Like hell I do.
Zhao Qingyu pulled out her phone and muttered, “Let me check how many freshmen are left.”
“Hmm, not many. Just three hundred and seventy-five waiting to be interviewed. You’ll have to buck up.”
Shen An: ????
Just?
Three hundred and seventy-five?
Shen An’s face fell instantly, looking like the bottom of a decade-old wok. “Senior Sister, this is too much, isn’t it?”
Interviewing three hundred and seventy-five people all by himself? Who knew how long that would take—until the year of the monkey and month of the horse?
And with that many, his free time was toast.
A freshman like him, turning into a corporate drone like Chen Nannan.
“Pfft~”
Zhao Qingyu covered her mouth, chuckling slyly. “How is this ‘too much’? Recruitment is the top priority for every department. The whole next school year depends on your hard work—no slacking.”
Shen An gave up resisting and said shamelessly, “How about you give me the document instead, Senior Sister? On second thought, getting chewed out to my face really stings. I’ve got this pent-up frustration now.”
“Suddenly?”
“Suddenly!”
“Now?”
“Right now!”
“Nope. I thought about it, and I can’t let you have this chance.” Zhao Qingyu said seriously. “Opportunities to make her squirm don’t come often in a year. I can’t pass it up.”
Shen An slumped in his chair. “Then just disqualify me, Senior Sister. I can’t do it.”
“Trying to threaten me again?” Zhao Qingyu arched a brow. “Warning you—my patience has limits.”
Shen An shrugged indifferently. “It’s not about patience. This isn’t a one-man job.”
“It’s fine to push a little, but driving someone into a corner? That’s no fun.”
“I’m only putting up with it because you’re easy on the eyes, Senior Sister.”
He leisurely crossed his legs too. “But that doesn’t mean I’m your puppet. Worst case, I skip all clubs and orgs for four years, chill in the dorm solo—happy as a clam.”
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes, and Shen An met her gaze without flinching.
Their stares locked in a standoff for a moment.
“Tsk, got some spine. I never planned to actually leave it all on you anyway—just testing the waters.”
Although Zhao Qingyu had chosen to back down, she had no intention of losing face in her words.
She chuckled lightly. “I just like this side of your personality—soft when it calls for softness, firm when it demands firmness. That’s how you uphold the Art Troupe’s reputation.”
“Otherwise, you might end up getting bullied by those Student Union types one day.”
Shen An kept a smile plastered on his face, but inside, he was sneering nonstop.
So hung up on saving face, huh?
He could see it clearly now. Zhao Qingyu had repeatedly gone out of her way to make trouble for him and disgust him, but her real target wasn’t him at all—it was Xu Yijing.
That gave him all the leverage he needed to bargain with her.
Even if things fell apart completely, he might be willing to let it happen, but she certainly wouldn’t.
No problem. For now, her reluctance stemmed from Xu Yijing.
But soon enough, her reluctance would be all about him!
When that time came…
A classic line suddenly flashed through Shen An’s mind: If our roles were reversed, I’d show you what true cruelty looks like!
He had to endure.
Zhao Qingyu shifted gears. “That said, I do plan to put you in charge of the interviews.”
“But not for these ordinary freshmen.”
“You’ve heard the rumors, right? Some standout freshmen get special privileges, like early interviews.”
Shen An’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Like me?”
“Exactly like you.” Zhao Qingyu’s voice softened. “Though none of them shine quite like you do.”
“If I didn’t stand out, how could I have caught Senior Sister’s eye?” Shen An replied evenly.
“Well said.”
Zhao Qingyu chuckled again. “So, you’ll handle the interviews for this select group of freshmen.”
“This isn’t me making things difficult for you—their numbers are pretty small, after all.”
“No matter where you look, true talent is always rare,” Shen An said slowly.
“Tsk, you get it.” Zhao Qingyu was clearly pleased with his response. “This was originally my responsibility.”
“I’m handing it over to you entirely. Don’t let me down.”
Shen An sighed. “Senior Sister, are you just looking for another excuse to slack off?”
“What do you mean ‘another’?” Zhao Qingyu pouted playfully. “I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself.”
“Finish this task smoothly, and even as a newbie, no one will dare treat you like one.”
“A little sweat now means smooth sailing later. Got it?”
Shen An grinned. “I figure if I just hug Senior Sister’s thigh tight enough, they wouldn’t dare treat me like a newbie—even if I did nothing at all.”
Zhao Qingyu let out a sultry, low laugh at that, her beautiful eyes sparkling with mischief. “Then you’ll have to work a bit harder~ My thigh hasn’t been touched by anyone before, let alone hugged~”
As she spoke, she seemed to be deliberately teasing Shen An. She crossed her long legs with exaggerated flair, swinging them to the other side.
Her tight jeans hugged every curve perfectly, revealing no excess fat—long, straight, and rivaling Wang Yuqiong’s 5-foot-10 model legs.
