Everyone present harbored their own ulterior motives, each exploiting a gap in information.
Shen An’s information gap stood out the most: he had no idea about the relationship between Zhao Qingyu and Wang Yuqiong.
He assumed the two women were complete strangers with no connection whatsoever. Naturally, he attributed Zhao Qingyu’s targeting of Wang Yuqiong to his own presence.
This left him no choice but to stand up for Wang Yuqiong—if he had even a shred of responsibility left in him.
Beyond mere responsibility, he had to step in for her sake anyway. It tied directly into his own schemes.
Fawning and yielding had never been Shen An’s style. His constant concessions to Zhao Qingyu were all part of a calculated plan: bide his time, soften her up, and get close.
As the saying goes, the best way to stab someone in the back is to first stand right behind them.
But such retreats weren’t endless. He had to—and would—hold firm to his principles.
Endless yielding never earned sympathy from a bully; it only made them think you were an even easier mark, squeezing you for more.
You had to show your steel at the right moment to earn respect, no matter the power imbalance.
Besides, in Shen An’s judgment, Zhao Qingyu would never take a liking to someone who fawned over her endlessly.
He’d met girls like her before. Their personalities were notoriously contradictory.
On one hand, they were proud and unrelenting, domineering and forceful, with an almost obsessive sense of self.
On the other, they admired those who clashed with them at every turn—people who held their ground under pressure.
They craved total submission from everyone, yet despised pure yes-men.
The persona Shen An projected in front of Zhao Qingyu was that of a mild-mannered junior: responsible, principled, but not a pushover.
He believed this image would win her friendship far more easily than sweet talk or bootlicking—and bring him closer to her.
As for whatever was going on between Zhao Qingyu and Wang Yuqiong, that was outside Shen An’s current considerations.
The information gap left him little room to probe deeper right now.
Plus, he knew his own value to Zhao Qingyu. This move was just like when he’d helped Song Rui before: sacrifice something to force her retreat. A classic strategic advance by retreating.
Zhao Qingyu was undoubtedly furious.
This was the second time Shen An had threatened her!
Yet deep down, a flicker of pleasure stirred. His boldness in stepping up again proved he wasn’t as “soft and spineless” as he seemed.
His chivalrous stand hit right at her preferences, so amid her anger, she couldn’t help a touch of admiration.
A guy like that was worth toying with and using, wasn’t he?
Wang Yuqiong stared blankly at Shen An standing protectively in front of her. Though she knew he wasn’t the type to bully the weak and yield to the strong, the moment he truly stood up for her…
A ripple of emotion still spread through her heart.
He really did love sticking his nose into other people’s business, didn’t he?
Her anger toward Zhao Qingyu faded in an instant. With his large hand clamped firmly over her mouth, the corners of her lips began to curl upward.
As his words landed, the atmosphere in the room froze solid.
Zhao Qingyu let out a cold laugh. “What a good friend you are. In that case…”
Wang Yuqiong’s heart jolted. She quickly pinched the soft flesh at Shen An’s waist, twisting hard!
“Hiss!”
Caught off guard, Shen An yelped inwardly, nearly crying out loud.
His hand yanked away from Wang Yuqiong’s mouth as he clutched his lower back in pain.
“Wait a minute!”
She hurriedly cut off the rest of Zhao Qingyu’s words, biting her lip slightly. “This is between you and me. It has nothing to do with him!”
Shen An cursed under his breath—damn that woman, she didn’t hold back!
Even his tough hide felt the sting.
He kept rubbing his lower back, wondering if she’d left a bruise.
But he pushed the pain aside for now. “Senior Sister…”
“Shh~”
Zhao Qingyu pressed a fingertip to her red lips, narrowing her eyes at him. “You’re right. This doesn’t concern you.”
Shen An turned to Wang Yuqiong. “Yuqiong…”
“You can step out for a bit, can’t you?” Wang Yuqiong said coolly.
Shen An: ?
Wang Yuqiong reached out to rub his lower back gently. “Let me talk to Senior Sister alone, okay?”
Shen An shook his head slightly. “Did you forget what I just said?”
“This is different!” Wang Yuqiong didn’t want to drag him into it. In her urgency, her voice took on a pleading, almost coquettish tone. “Let me handle Senior Sister. I can take care of it—trust me, please?”
Zhao Qingyu’s lips curved faintly. She chuckled lightly. “Tsk tsk, what is this, some cheesy romance drama?”
“It’s not that serious. I’m no big bad villain, after all.”
She propped her chin on her hand. “Just head out for now. I only want to hear her thoughts. Who knows? We might even reach an understanding.”
Fine.
With both Zhao Qingyu and Wang Yuqiong insisting, there was no point in Shen An forcing the issue.
He just said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”
Then he left the office, closing the door behind him.
The moment Shen An was gone, the irritation on Wang Yuqiong’s face could no longer be contained. She strode up to Zhao Qingyu and hissed through gritted teeth, “What exactly are you trying to do?”
She glanced back at the door, afraid Shen An might overhear.
Zhao Qingyu’s expression remained impassive. “Relax. The soundproofing in my office is top-notch. You can speak up louder if you want.”
Wang Yuqiong took a deep breath, her anger flaring. “Zhao Qingyu, do you really have to play these petty games?”
Yes.
Wang Yuqiong had her own information gap!
She had no clue about the entanglements between Zhao Qingyu and Shen An!
From her perspective, she wasn’t the one dragging Shen An down—no, it was the other way around. He was the one caught in her mess!
She and Zhao Qingyu had plenty of unresolved grudges already. In a way, they were natural adversaries, always at odds.
That’s why Shen An’s defense touched her so deeply.
She interpreted Zhao Qingyu’s nitpicking as abuse of authority for personal revenge.
If not for her unavoidable reasons to join the Art Troupe… Wang Yuqiong never would have become Zhao Qingyu’s subordinate.
Zhao Qingyu remained nonchalant, chuckling softly. “You’re actually mad? Wow, that’s a rare sight.”
“You’ve put up with worse before without batting an eye. Is it because of him?”
“It’s got nothing to do with him,” Wang Yuqiong said coldly. “Can you just stop messing with him? He’s innocent.”
“Good one—innocent~” Zhao Qingyu snorted. “Do you even know what he’s been up to behind your back?”
Wang Yuqiong froze.
What did that mean?
He…
Did he have some hidden side?
Zhao Qingyu stopped herself just as the words reached her lips.
She wasn’t ready to tell anyone about this yet!
Composing herself, she flashed a charming smile. “Why so worked up? I’m helping you out here.”
Wang Yuqiong gathered her thoughts and scoffed. “Helping me? Since when are you so kindhearted?”
“Of course I am.” Zhao Qingyu brushed back her short hair, her voice softening. “I’m testing his character for you. You’re this mad because his stand touched you, right?”
“See? That’s the test.”
“First his ability, now his character. I’m looking out for you—to make sure you don’t go blind and pick the wrong guy.”
Wang Yuqiong paused, frowning. She couldn’t believe this sly fox was being so generous.
“Look at that expression. How little do you trust me?”
“But if I didn’t do this, how would you know if he’s really worth your heart?”
“You can’t judge a book by its cover. Plenty of smooth talkers bail at the critical moment.”
“So far, though, he’s passing muster. Your taste isn’t half bad—for now.”
Zhao Qingyu was the real smooth talker. She stood, reaching out to touch Wang Yuqiong’s cheek. “It might look like I’m targeting you, but really, I’m helping you.”
“Aren’t you going to say thank you?”
Wang Yuqiong recoiled in disgust, dodging Zhao Qingyu’s hand. “Hah, you’ve been a slick debater since we were kids, you sly fox. Don’t pretend you don’t have your own agenda.”
“Naturally I do.”
Zhao Qingyu shrugged. “I’m not your real sister. Only a fool works for free.”
“What do you want from him?” Wang Yuqiong lowered her gaze, her expression grave. “He’s not your plaything, and he never will be.”
“I’ve warned you—know when to stop.”
She knew Zhao Qingyu’s vicious streak all too well. Once she took an interest, she’d toy with her target until she was satisfied.
Zhao Qingyu leaned against her office chair, her fingertip brushing her earlobe. “Is that all you wanted to say? Can’t you come up with something new? I’m getting calluses on my ears.”
Veins throbbed on Wang Yuqiong’s forehead, her fists clenched tight.
But she reined in her emotions.
She knew Zhao Qingyu wasn’t afraid of her. Her threats meant nothing.
Right now, she truly lacked the capital to confront her.
“I’ll step down from the Discipline Department,” Wang Yuqiong declared. “Whatever you want to do, I can play along at my own pace!”
“But don’t drag him into this. This is between you and me—it has nothing to do with him. If you do, I’ll make you pay the price.”
Zhao Qingyu let out a scornful laugh upon hearing this. The sound was crisp and melodious, yet it only fueled the rage churning in Wang Yuqiong’s heart.
“Tsk, now you’ve really piqued my curiosity.”
Stifling her laughter, Zhao Qingyu’s beautiful eyes gleamed with profound bewilderment. “What kind of spell has he cast on you? You’ve only known each other for a few days. Even if your hormones are raging, there’s no need to fall head over heels for him this quickly, is there?”
“He’s not bad, sure, but not so irresistible that you’d be completely besotted like this.”
“Tsk, the Discipline Department is your obsession. By doing this, you’re basically severing your own obsession for his sake.”
Wang Yuqiong pursed her lips and said coolly, “You wouldn’t understand.”
A mocking curve tugged at her lips. “You’ll never understand.”
Zhao Qingyu’s expression shifted subtly. She’d witnessed this kind of silent disdain countless times before, but it rarely ever got under her skin.
Yet in this moment, an irrepressible anger surged within her—the bitter unwillingness of being dismissed and belittled.
“Heh, Wang Yuqiong, if you’d just lower your head and play nice, I might actually let him off the hook once.”
“But that stubborn streak of yours never changes. Even when you’re begging, you act so superior—it’s downright infuriating!”
Zhao Qingyu crossed her legs and added with a playful lilt, “The more you care about him, the more I want to dig into it.”
“I want to see just what charm he has to leave you this besotted.”
Wang Yuqiong knew there was no point in saying more to Zhao Qingyu.
With a cold snort, she turned to leave.
“Hey, don’t rush off like that. Call him in—I still have some instructions for him.”
Wang Yuqiong halted in her tracks and whipped around to glare at Zhao Qingyu.
Zhao Qingyu shrugged. “Don’t give me that murderous look. What I need to tell him is serious business.”
Wang Yuqiong slowly withdrew her gaze and pushed the door open.
Shen An was standing by the railing, watching the scene below with keen interest.
Wang Yuqiong gazed at his back, composing her expression and slipping her gentle smile back into place.
She walked up beside him, about to speak.
But as her eyes drifted downward, Wang Yuqiong’s face instantly soured.
The direction of his gaze was none other than the Model Group’s training ground.
At that moment, a parade of leggy beauties over five-foot-seven strutted seductively across the T-stage in skimpy outfits.
Wang Yuqiong glanced at the rapt focus on Shen An’s face. A cold scoff escaped her lips as her small hand clamped down hard on his waist.
Hiss!
“Ow!!!”
Shen An let out a piercing yell that echoed through the entire venue.
