The fox’s seduction was like an exquisite delicacy laced with poison. It looked perfectly appetizing in every way, its aroma alone enough to lift the spirits—but one bite, and you’d drop dead on the spot!
Shen An watched closely, his expression betraying not the slightest hint of interest.
Zhao Qingyu hadn’t expected to ensnare his soul anyway. Their interactions over the past few times had given her a rough sense of his personality.
He seemed like a warm, gentle, utterly harmless sunny boy on the surface. But deep down, he had his own stubborn streak.
She figured he already resented her, but so what?
Zhao Qingyu couldn’t care less about his opinion of her.
On the surface, they got along amicably, but in truth, it was a game of negotiation—one side making an offer, the other haggling until they reached a mutually acceptable deal, then sealing it.
Since it was a transaction, all Zhao Qingyu needed was to hold the upper hand.
Worrying about the other party’s feelings had never been in her wheelhouse.
“Go over there now. I’ve already given the instructions.”
Zhao Qingyu picked up the cup of milk tea and handed it to Shen An. “Don’t forget your milk tea. I bought it, so you have to finish it.”
“Thanks, Senior Sister.”
Shen An smiled as he took the milk tea and stood to leave.
The moment he turned away, the smile vanished from his face.
“I’ve already given the instructions.” That single sentence brimmed with Zhao Qingyu’s confidence.
She was so certain he’d accept the task that she’d issued orders before they’d even finished negotiating.
For the moment, he was still the one being played.
But Zhao Qingyu’s read on the situation was dead wrong.
His relationship with Xu Yijing wasn’t as close as she imagined.
If he wanted, he could walk away at any time—free from her manipulation, free from Xu Yijing’s control, as if nothing had ever happened.
But doing so would mean letting Zhao Qingyu toy with him for nothing. He’d have to swallow that bitter pill.
If he wanted to turn the tables in this game and come out on top, he’d have to grit his teeth through this and bide his time for a counterstrike.
Shen An had never been one with a particularly broad mind, especially when his pride was on the line.
Endure it!
He left the area and headed to the Art Troupe’s interview room.
Zhao Qingyu’s orders were carried out with impressive speed. The moment he stepped inside, someone stood up and approached him.
“Shen An, right?”
This was another senior sister.
“Hello, Senior Sister.” Shen An flashed a polite smile in greeting.
“Hi. You’re aware of the Deputy Troupe Leader’s instructions, yes?” the senior sister asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good! Head to Room A105 now. The others will be coming to Room 105 for interviews shortly.” She handed him a file. “This is the info on the new students you’ll be interviewing. Put a check mark if they pass, an X if they don’t.”
Then she handed him a pen. “No matter the outcome, write down your reason. Got it?”
“Uh, just me?” Shen An frowned, a touch of concern in his voice.
“That’s right, just you.” The senior sister sighed. “Sorry to put you through this.”
Shen An pressed on. “I’m fine with the workload, but…”
He hesitated, trailing off.
The senior sister was sharp enough to read between the lines. “You’re worried about making a mistake?”
“Yes.”
Shen An said earnestly, “Recruitment is the top priority for any group. The new members will carry the workload for the whole year ahead. We can’t afford to be careless.”
“These are the ones who’ve already been carefully screened—the future backbone of the Art Troupe.”
“If I slip up…”
The senior sister just smiled easily at his words.
“Relax,” she said with a laugh. “The Deputy Troupe Leader has her reasons for this arrangement. It’ll be fine.”
Of course she knew recruitment couldn’t be taken lightly, and that this task shouldn’t have been assigned so casually.
But in the Art Troupe, Zhao Qingyu’s word was law. No one dared defy her—not even the Student Union could touch her. So even if her orders flew in the face of reason or protocol, they had no choice but to obey.
Naturally, with that kind of authority came responsibility.
If anything went wrong with the Art Troupe, Zhao Qingyu would shoulder the blame. It wouldn’t fall on them.
Everyone was just filling temporary roles—no real jobs, no pay. Why take on extra hassle and risk when they could let her handle it?
Beyond that, Zhao Qingyu’s whims weren’t backed solely by her formidable background. Her abilities were exceptional too.
Time and again, her seemingly reckless decisions had yielded impressive results.
Over time, both within the Art Troupe and in the Student Union, people feared her connections but had to respect her talent.
She had every right to be willful and arrogant.
Seeing the genuine ease in this senior sister’s smile, Shen An gained a deeper appreciation for Zhao Qingyu’s standing in the Art Troupe.
It wasn’t just fear—the members respected her too.
“Alright, I’ll do my best.”
Shen An took the file and pen, murmuring softly.
“Oh, and I heard you did great at the summary meeting. Hope you’ll contribute even more to the Art Troupe going forward.”
The senior sister added the standard encouragement.
“Naturally.”
Shen An chuckled and turned toward Room A105.
Room A105 was spacious and classroom-like, quiet for the moment.
Shen An found a comfortable seat and settled in. After a bit, he stood again, walked to the blackboard, and wrote “Art Troupe Interviews” in big letters.
He glanced at the empty doorway and inwardly kicked himself for not grabbing a few people from the Art Troupe on the way.
What if he had to fetch each interviewee one by one?
Oh well. He probably couldn’t have dragged anyone over anyway.
That fox Zhao Qingyu had thought of everything. She wouldn’t give him a chance to slack off.
Back at his seat, he flipped open the file.
Each page was a form filled out by the new students themselves: name, height, weight, contact info, department of interest, reasons for applying, and so on.
Shen An was still reviewing them when the first newcomer arrived in Room A105.
It was a girl.
She entered timidly, glancing at Shen An, then at the words on the blackboard, hesitation plain on her face.
Shen An raised an eyebrow. “Here for the interview?”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
The girl didn’t take him for a fellow freshman. Anyone conducting interviews had to be an upperclassman.
Shen An didn’t correct her. “Close the door then. Let’s get started.”
“Huh?”
“Huh what? Need time to prepare?” Shen An said coolly.
“No…” The girl shrank back a little, frightened, and quietly shut the door.
That timid, aggrieved expression made Shen An wonder if he was coming off like some sleazy boss pulling strings.
“Name?”
The girl slowly gave her name.
Shen An pulled her form from the stack.
“Oh? You want the Dance Group. Are you any good at dancing?”
“I’m okay.”
“What styles do you know?”
Shen An knew next to nothing about dance, but that didn’t stop him from acting the part of a seasoned interviewer.
In a way, Zhao Qingyu’s choice of him for this role was spot-on.
He had none of a freshman’s nerves. The moment he opened his mouth, he sounded like a university veteran of several years—no cracks in his facade.
And he’d already checked out mentally.
Zhao Qingyu had handed him the decision-making power, so he’d pick whoever he liked.
If he got it wrong, there was still the final round.
Shen An didn’t buy that she’d trust him with the last interview’s decisions too.
That fox might act impulsive, but she was sharp as a tack.
As for whether it suited her tastes? He doubted she’d dare boot him out.
He might be on the back foot for now, but he had an invincible position.
Until Zhao Qingyu achieved her goal, he’d make the Art Troupe no matter what.
So Shen An wasn’t just phoning it in—he was going full rogue.
“Alright, you’re good. Go wait for the results.”
“Oh, and on your way out, check if anyone’s outside. If there is, bring them in.”
Shen An delivered the verdict deadpan.
The girl nodded timidly. “Okay, Senior Brother.”
As she left, she spotted a few shadowy figures lingering outside the classroom door.
The moment they saw her, the other girls crowded forward. “Are you here for the Art Troupe interview?”
The girl nodded. “Yeah.”
“How’d it go? Is the interviewer strict? What questions did he ask?” The girls bombarded her with eager questions.
The girl hung her head, on the verge of tears. “Really strict.”
“He just asked a couple basic questions, had me show my talent, then stared at me stone-faced…”
The others gasped.
“Next!”
Shen An had overheard the commotion outside. He raised his voice and called out.
The girls outside jolted, panic rippling through them.
The first girl shrank back. “Get in line, quick. This senior brother… doesn’t look like a good person.”
