After waiting a moment, Wang Yuqiong returned from the bathroom. Shen An picked up the materials and walked back with her toward the Art Troupe’s interview classroom.
Twilight was settling over the sky, draping the campus in a hazy veil. The Art Troupe area felt much quieter than during the day, though a long line of applicants still snaked down the corridor.
One of the Art Troupe’s senior sisters checked the time and clapped her hands lightly. “We’ll wrap up today’s interviews here. Anyone who hasn’t had their turn yet can come back tomorrow after classes.”
“Um, Senior Sister, what time exactly?” a freshman asked.
She replied softly, “From eight in the morning until evening. Someone will always be here.”
“Oh, got it.”
The freshmen dispersed one by one.
Shen An turned to Wang Yuqiong with a light chuckle. “The Art Troupe has a reputation for being the most laid-back group in the Student Union. I didn’t expect them to pull all-nighters like this.”
Wang Yuqiong rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’re handling everything solo.”
“With all those people in the Art Troupe, they could rotate one person per hour and keep it going for three days and nights without repeats.”
“Besides, it’s only hectic during recruitment season. Once that’s over, things lighten up a lot.”
Shen An gave a wry smile. “You know, I still have no idea how many people are actually in the Art Troupe.”
Wang Yuqiong rattled off the details knowledgeably. “Seven groups, five departments, at least thirty people each—that’s a minimum of 360.”
“But exactly thirty per department is rare. Most hover between forty and fifty, and the Model Group is the biggest with over seventy members.”
“So altogether, you’re looking at four hundred or so.”
“Those are last term’s numbers, though. With the handover, most who don’t get promoted bail. I’d guess we’re down to a few dozen now?”
Shen An feigned shock. “From four hundred down to a few dozen in one term?”
“Isn’t that normal? Didn’t you join the Student Union in high school?”
Shen An shook his head.
“What about clubs, then?”
Shen An flashed a dopey grin. “This is my first time in any school organization.”
Wang Yuqiong let out a puff of laughter, half-exasperated. “No wonder. Think about it—only the ones who level up stick around, going from ordinary staff member to president. Each department can’t have a dozen presidents, right?”
“Four or five at president level per department. Seven groups and five departments make twelve total—that’s your few dozen.”
Shen An mulled it over thoughtfully. “Hmm, but that doesn’t add up.”
Wang Yuqiong blinked. “How so?”
“If there are only a few dozen left, one per hour wouldn’t stretch to three days and nights~”
She hadn’t expected him to circle back to that.
Wang Yuqiong stifled a laugh at his nitpicking deep down and explained with mock seriousness. “Are you just picking a fight on purpose?”
“Those who leave might not be official members anymore, but plenty drop by to lend a hand.”
“Especially during crunch times like recruitment.”
Once she’d cleared the room, the senior sister turned toward the pair whispering among themselves. A small smile curved her lips as she sidled up. “What are you two gossiping about?”
Her demeanor made it clear she wasn’t treating them like freshmen anymore—she’d already tacitly approved them.
Wang Yuqiong grinned warmly. “Senior Sister Shishi, I’m just teasing him.”
“What’s so funny? He’s been busting his butt all afternoon—give the guy a break.” Senior Sister Shishi shot Wang Yuqiong a playful glare and scolded.
Wang Yuqiong pouted. “I helped too!”
“Fine, fine, you really should pitch in more.” Senior Sister Shishi’s gaze softened as it shifted to Shen An. “All done with interviews?”
Shen An lifted the materials. “Yeah.”
“You’re quick. We haven’t even finished ours.” She took the stack from him. “Head on back, you two.”
“Tomorrow as well?”
Shen An asked.
“That’s for the Deputy Troupe Leader to say—I’m not in the loop.” Senior Sister Shishi paused, then added gently.
“Got it. Thanks.”
After a few polite words, Shen An and Wang Yuqiong left the teaching building.
“Why the rush? Hey, slow down!” Wang Yuqiong stumbled as he tugged her sleeve, struggling to match his stride.
Shen An deadpanned, “I’m starving.”
“Rushing won’t help—you’ll just burn calories faster and drop dead before we get there!” Wang Yuqiong huffed petulantly.
“If I keel over on the road, you can piggyback me. At least I’ll catch a whiff of food before the pearly gates.”
Shen An licked his lips, already daydreaming about dinner.
“I couldn’t carry you if I tried. Best I could do is throw a mat down right here and call it a day.”
“You come off so sweet, but damn, you don’t pull punches.” Shen An grumbled good-naturedly.
Wang Yuqiong smirked. “You look straightforward, and you are.”
Straightforward again.
Shen An chuckled.
“That senior sister—you know her?”
“Senior Sister Shishi?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, she’s my high school senior. Actually, a bunch of my old classmates from high school ended up here.”
Wang Yuqiong sounded a touch proud. Shen An nodded thoughtfully. “No wonder you’re more clued in on the Art Troupe than I am. You’ve got connections everywhere.”
“It’s on you for not digging around first. Gotta scout ahead to make smart calls.”
Wang Yuqiong teased with a coquettish pout.
“What about Senior Sister Zhao?” Shen An’s eyes narrowed as he beamed at her.
The abrupt pivot caught Wang Yuqiong off guard. Panic flickered through her, freezing her smile for a split second.
Meeting his steady gaze, she felt an odd twinge of unease, like he was peering right through her.
In that moment, it hit her—he might not be quite as guileless as he let on.
“Uh~ What about Senior Sister Zhao?” Wang Yuqiong recovered swiftly, playing it cool.
“Oh, I figured you knew her too.” A keen spark flashed in Shen An’s eyes before he scratched his head with feigned innocence.
“Pfft, if we were buddies, she wouldn’t have iced me out on sight.”
Wang Yuqiong jumped on the opening to vent. “No clue what her problem was—picked on me like it was personal during my interview.”
Shen An glanced around furtively. Wang Yuqiong stomped her foot. “What’re you looking at? Scared of spies?”
“Cough—better safe than sorry.”
He whispered, “Senior Sister Zhao’s everywhere and nowhere. Gotta watch it.”
“I don’t give a damn if she’s a ghost or goddess—this grudge is mine.” Wang Yuqiong wrinkled her dainty nose with childish spite. “One day, I’ll pay her back in kind!”
Shen An’s aloof little expression irked her. Her smile twisted into a smirk. “Don’t come crying to me for payback then!”
“Can we please just get some food?”
Shen An clutched his stomach. “I’m dying here.”
“Eat, eat, eat!” Wang Yuqiong threw up her hands in exasperation. “I’ll take you to the South District—tons of good spots there.”
“Sounds good. I haven’t checked out South District yet.”
“You’re joking, right? You’ve been here for days!” Wang Yuqiong gaped in disbelief.
“For real. These past few days… ugh.”
Shen An sighed, the story too messy to unpack. Wang Yuqiong got the picture in a flash and snorted. “So yeah, don’t beg me for revenge later!”
“No sweat—just have that mat ready.”
“Heh, should I scout a prime burial spot with good feng shui too?”
“Your tongue’s sharper than a knife.”
“You’re the one who started it!”
They bickered all the way, gradually making their way from the Central District toward the South District.
Through it all, Shen An came to see a new side of Wang Yuqiong.
Under that poised, elegant shell lurked another layer—like a petulant little girl, willful and quick to sulk.
It fit perfectly with her flashes of cuteness.
If only for her height…
Shen An couldn’t decide whether her stature cramped her style or her face undercut her stature.
Somehow, “cute” and 5’10” didn’t quite line up.
“What? Quit sneaking peeks!” Wang Yuqiong stepped back and shot him a glare.
“I’m serious—you’d kill it in the Model Group.” Shen An offered earnestly.
“Oh?” She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes twinkling mischievously. “You’re not the first to say so. Why? My height?”
“That’s part of it.”
“Then why not you in the Basketball Organization? You’d crush it with your build.”
“?” Shen An cocked his head. Wang Yuqiong glared right back, refusing to yield. “Hmph.”
Fine—he took back the “poised maiden” label.
She was a full-on bratty girl!!!
“Does the Student Union even have basketball?”
“Nope, but the Sports Department does, and they’ve got a Basketball Organization.”
“Huh. Might be worth a look.”
“As if. Senior Sister Zhao’s got you pegged—no way she’d let her prize jump ship.” Wang Yuqiong drawled sarcastically.
“Can’t I double up? You’re eyeing the Discipline Department, aren’t you?”
“How could I stack up to you?” A sly curve touched her lips. “Senior Sister Zhao’s a control freak. Once she claims you, it’s her way or the highway.”
“So you should just stay put in the Art Troupe and not even dream of going anywhere else.”
“Alas…” Shen An let out a long sigh toward the heavens.
Wang Yuqiong pouted her lips, reining in her sharp tongue as she comforted him. “Stop your wailing. Actually, if you think about it from another angle, staying in the Art Troupe isn’t so bad.”
“There’s not much work on a normal day, and Senior Sister Zhao thinks so highly of you. By your junior year, you probably won’t have to worry about finding a job at all.”
Shen An turned his head. “I wasn’t wailing. I was just lamenting how overwhelming my charm is. I just wander around a bit, and someone takes a liking to me.”
Wang Yuqiong’s mouth twitched. “Go die, Shen An!”
“I already told you—get me a cooling mat first.”
“Tch. You’re not so sharp-tongued in front of Senior Sister Zhao.” Wang Yuqiong huffed. “I take back what I said. You’re not the least bit sincere.”
Shen An grinned. “Then let me emphasize what I just said—you really do have a vicious streak.”
Wang Yuqiong immediately fished her phone out of her pocket, opened a shopping website, and searched for “cooling mat.”
She handed it to Shen An. “Pick one yourself. What style do you like?”
“You’re not going to give me the full VIP service?”
“Sure, you want it right now?” Wang Yuqiong raised her small hand and balled it into a fist, her face a mask of threat.
Shen An cleared his throat. “You just said there’d be no job worries by junior year. You gonna hook me up?”
Hmph.
Wang Yuqiong snatched her phone back from his hand and pursed her lips. “Looks like your info really is outdated. You don’t even know about this?”
“Should I?” Shen An shot back.
“Every freshman who enters this university should know.”
Wang Yuqiong gave Shen An a serious rundown. “By your junior and senior years, every student has to deal with internships.”
“East China Comprehensive University has a stellar reputation, so landing an internship is usually pretty easy.”
“But easy doesn’t mean it’s the one you actually want.”
“Normally, when internship season hits, big companies from abroad and at home come recruiting on campus. That’s when your resume really matters.”
“For these companies, they put a lot of weight on your social experience—what clubs or groups you joined in college, what roles you took on, your overall evaluation.”
“Don’t underestimate those factors. Sometimes, they count for almost as much as your grades.”
“And the more prestigious the group you get into, the better your odds of catching their eye.”
Holy crap!
Shen An finally got why so many freshmen had been wailing and begging him for mercy during his interview earlier.
He’d been puzzled—it was just a school organization, not some iron rice bowl job for life.
Turns out it actually tied into employment.
But…
Shen An frowned. “This seems a little too frivolous, doesn’t it?”
“Mm, I agree, but it’s been tradition for years.”
“Besides, even without that, you’d start from the bottom at those big companies anyway, and the work might not even relate to your major.”
“Compared to all the nitty-gritty details of your field of study, judging you on social involvement is actually pretty reliable.”
“No matter your grades, at least you’d have real experience getting things done.”
Wang Yuqiong gave him a mocking smile. “So in a way, these school groups here are like your pre-company internship.”
“The rules and the way things work are a lot like the real corporate world.”
“The tender, lovey-dovey days of student life are over, Shen classmate.”
