As soon as they left the teaching building, Wang Yuqiong hopped out of the car. She held up her umbrella with the poise of a perfect lady, looking utterly elegant.
Thanks to the earlier incident, Wang Yuqiong this time dragged Song Rui along to keep a strict distance from Shen An. No matter what, she refused to let him hog her shade.
Shen An couldn’t be bothered to argue with her childish schemes. He braved the blazing sun and ambled leisurely toward the library.
Song Rui kept glancing back, worried. “Maybe you should go shade him a little?”
Wang Yuqiong replied coolly, “Why worry about him? A little sun won’t kill him. Look at his face—he doesn’t seem bothered at all.”
“Oh…” Song Rui pursed her lips and nodded quietly.
“By the way, let me ask you something.”
“What?”
“Do you know what ‘night duty agent’ means for tonight?”
“Huh?” Song Rui looked utterly confused.
Wang Yuqiong shrugged. “Never mind. Let’s get going.”
They dawdled along the way, and by the time they reached the library, it was already half past two—about half an hour before afternoon classes.
A few of the class cadres who’d been summoned ahead of time were nowhere to be seen. The only ones present were Shen Lianyao and Yuqiong’s two dormmates.
With Song Rui and Shen An added in, that made six people total.
A long line had already formed at the book pickup area, everyone jammed up at the door and grabbing their copies one by one in order.
“Lianyao, go grab the books with him. I’ll round up the other classmates.”
Wang Yuqiong finished handling the paperwork and made the assignment.
“Okay.” Shen Lianyao shot Shen An a glance, walked over to his side, and they joined the end of the line together.
“What about me?”
Truth be told, Song Rui wanted to line up with Shen An too.
“You wait here with Li Li and the others.” Wang Yuqiong smiled lightly. “Isn’t a chance to rest nice?”
Song Rui couldn’t very well defy Wang Yuqiong’s orders—after all, she was the class president.
Shen An gripped the handle of a small cart and glanced over at Shen Lianyao. She stood perfectly straight, no doubt a habit from years of dance training. She didn’t have a single trace of slouching or hunching.
Her profile, edged with frost, practically screamed “keep away.” With short hair and a bit of styling, she could easily pass for a cool guy.
Noticing Shen An’s stare, Shen Lianyao felt a flicker of annoyance. Her delicate brows furrowed, and she shifted her position to stand a little farther off.
Shen An smiled faintly. “Did you get the message?”
“What message?” Shen Lianyao asked indifferently.
“The re-audition notice, obviously.” Shen An said offhandedly. “The Art Troupe ought to be pretty efficient about it.”
“Not yet.”
Shen Lianyao shook her head slightly.
“Have you thought about what happens if you don’t make the Dance Group?” Shen An found this aloof, androgynous girl rather intriguing.
Shen Lianyao thought to herself, Aren’t you being a bit too nosy?
But she kept her politeness, replying patiently, “I haven’t considered that possibility.”
“You must be pretty confident, then.”
Shen An’s lips quirked up. “Convinced you’ll get in for sure?”
“If the interviewers are sane, I can’t imagine any reason they’d reject me.” Shen Lianyao’s answer cut like a knife.
It was sharp—and impossible to argue with.
Even among the special batch of auditionees, Shen Lianyao’s dance skills stood out as top-tier.
If Shen An were doing the placements, she’d land in the Dance Group without question.
But nothing was set in stone. And the wildcard here was undoubtedly Zhao Qingyu.
As the Art Troupe’s supreme leader, Zhao Qingyu held absolute power over Shen Lianyao’s assignment—even the power to reject her outright.
Well…
Strictly speaking, the wildcard was Shen An himself.
He hadn’t brought it up out of nowhere; he had a hunch.
If Shen Lianyao weren’t in his class—if she were just some stranger—she’d be a lock for the Dance Group.
But she was his classmate.
Given Zhao Qingyu’s treatment of Wang Yuqiong’s audition, Shen An strongly suspected she’d pull some strings to crush Shen Lianyao’s hopes.
Zhao Qingyu’s vendetta was indiscriminate. Familiar or not, friend or foe—if there was any connection to him, she might target them.
That’s why he wanted to give Shen Lianyao a heads-up, prepare her mentally.
“Nothing’s absolute in life. Better to have a backup plan.” Shen An said gently.
Shen Lianyao scoffed inwardly. She dismissed his concern—and felt a twinge of resistance.
What was that supposed to mean?
She’d seen his reaction yesterday.
One day later, and he already lacked faith in her?
It was well-intentioned advice, sure. But Shen Lianyao had no doubt she’d make it!
She had no idea about the bad blood between Shen An and Zhao Qingyu—or just how petty Zhao Qingyu could be.
“Thanks for the reminder,” Shen Lianyao said softly. “But needless worrying isn’t always necessary.”
Uh…
Shen An knew he was killing the vibe a little. But he couldn’t spill too many details.
He tried again, more tactfully. “Okay, but suppose—just suppose—you don’t make the Dance Group. Would you quit the Art Troupe altogether?”
Shen Lianyao held her tongue time and again, but this pushed her. “Do you actually want me to fail?”
“No, not at all.” Shen An shook his head. “Quite the opposite—I really hope you get in. And with your talent, I think you will.”
“But we should always plan for the worst, no matter what.”
“I’m just worried it’ll throw off your mindset. You know?”
“Call it needless worrying if you like. It’s a flaw of mine—I tend to fret over others.”
He spoke with such sincerity, his eyes free of mockery or teasing. Shen Lianyao’s irritation faded a touch. Maybe he’s just being kind, she thought.
She remembered how he’d meddled like this during the first class meeting election, too.
“You make a fair point,” she said softly.
“So if you don’t make the Dance Group, would you leave the Art Troupe?”
Shen Lianyao started to reply, then paused and looked at him. “What do you think?”
“Huh?”
“I’d like your take on it. If I don’t make it, should I stay or go?”
Shen An hesitated. “Honestly, I don’t know your thoughts—or what the Art Troupe means to you.”
“It’s hard to say.”
“But if it were me? If I missed out on my first-choice group, I’d walk away.”
He turned the focus to himself, softening her defenses and framing it as casual discussion, not poking at her.
The stance caught Shen Lianyao off guard.
“That decisive?” Her brows knitted slightly.
“Yeah.” Shen An chuckled lightly. “Truth is, I don’t have any real attachment to the Art Troupe. It’s just a step up from the other groups.”
“Get in? Great. Don’t? No sweat. That’s always been my approach.”
“Of course, I’d fight for it if I had a shot.”
The surprise in Shen Lianyao’s eyes deepened. “Do you even know what the Art Troupe represents at this school?”
“Oh, so that’s your hang-up.”
Shen An laughed brightly. “I know—it’s elite. That resume line alone could land you a killer job down the road.”
“But I’ve always relied on myself. I won’t force a fit.”
“Plus, I haven’t ticked it off, right? If I can join, I can leave. The Art Troupe isn’t that tyrannical, is it?”
A rare faint smile tugged at Shen Lianyao’s lips. She shook her head. “You really don’t get it.”
“The Art Troupe is infamous for being overbearing. If they want you and you say no—they absolutely can make it that bad.”
“Cough cough—no big deal. I get along okay with Senior Sister Zhao. Worst case, I talk to her, and she’ll cut me some slack.”
“That’s precisely why I doubt your laid-back attitude will fly,” Shen Lianyao added under her breath.
Shen An froze.
Not at her words—but at what they implied.
Did that mean Shen Lianyao had ties to Zhao Qingyu?
At the very least, she knew her well enough!
Holy crap. Was every girl around him linked to Zhao Qingyu somehow?
Shen Lianyao assumed he’d been spooked. For the sake of his good intentions, she murmured, “Call you lucky—you crossed paths with her right at the start of term.”
“Call you unlucky—most people would kill for that chance and never get it.”
“She’s a double-edged sword. Get in her good graces, and you’ll leap from rags to riches.”
“But she’s moody and unpredictable, impossible to read. Dealing with her is like tightrope walking—one slip, and you plummet into the abyss.”
“Watch yourself.”
Shen An: …
Here we go again.
Shen Lianyao’s demeanor cracked him up.
She wasn’t the first to say something like that. Come to think of it, every girl seemed to.
It was nothing more than warning him how terrifying Zhao Qingyu was, advising him to keep his distance and stay on guard, things like that.
Could Zhao Qingyu really be some kind of demon from hell?
Shen An refused to buy it. This wasn’t some world of martial arts masters—no matter how frightening she was, she couldn’t possibly tear him limb from limb with a single palm strike, could she?
The thought stirred a spark of competitive spirit in Shen An.
Everyone said she was terrifying, but he was determined to witness her truly gentle side.
They all claimed a wild horse was impossible to tame, but he was going to try roping her in!
“What are you smiling about?” Shen Lianyao noticed the grin on his face and assumed he was mocking her good intentions. A flicker of annoyance rose in her. “I’m only telling you this because you voted for me earlier.”
“Believe it or not, that’s up to you.”
Shen An shook his head with a smile. “No, no, I’m not mocking you.”
Shen Lianyao arched an eyebrow. “I never said you were!”
“Hmm, I’m just curious. The ‘she’ you’re talking about—is that Senior Sister Zhao?”
“Who else in this school has such a notorious reputation?” Shen Lianyao shot back with a wry smile.
“So, you know Senior Sister Zhao?” Shen An pressed smoothly.
“Not really,” Shen Lianyao denied.
“Uh… so it’s just rumors you’ve heard?” Shen An shrugged.
“Not entirely. We’re not close, but we’ve crossed paths.”
By “know,” Shen Lianyao meant having some connection, not just recognizing the person.
“So I know a bit about her tactics. Not the full picture, but enough to learn from.”
She laid it out methodically.
Shen An couldn’t help chuckling. “Did you study science in high school? Your logic is airtight.”
Shen Lianyao scoffed. “Logic has nothing to do with your major—it’s about the person.”
“Besides, this isn’t logic; I’m just stating the facts clearly.”
“Alright, alright, we’ve strayed off-topic. We were talking about your situation, and now it’s about my choices.”
“Me? Weren’t you just asking my opinion?”
“Uh, I already said I don’t know what you’re thinking, so it’s hard to say.”
“Go ahead and guess. You’re assuming things anyway, so assume my thoughts too.” Shen Lianyao pursed her lips and spoke evenly.
“Fine, I’ll take a bold guess then.”
Shen An studied her. “With your personality—stubborn to the end—if you don’t get in, I doubt you’d stick around the Art Troupe.”
“I’m just curious: if you don’t stay with the Art Troupe, would you try another group?”
“By then, recruitment would probably be over, right?”
Shen Lianyao narrowed her eyes. “Too many assumptions. That’s a dangerous way to answer.”
“So I got it right?”
“You got it wrong.”
Shen Lianyao turned her head, gazing ahead. “If I don’t make it into the Dance Group, I’ll find a way to get in.”
“The Art Troupe doesn’t ban switching groups.”
“Oh?” Shen An’s face lit up with surprise. “You really have a fixation on the Dance Group, huh.”
“I just don’t change my goals lightly.”
Shen Lianyao crossed her arms over her chest, her posture brimming with confidence and resolve. “Thanks for your needless worries. You’d do better to worry about yourself.”
“I thank you for the heads-up too. I hope you get what you want.”
Shen An looked away and murmured softly.
