Following Yu Wen’s directions, Shen An easily found the Publicity Department.
He pushed open the door and scanned the room. Four people occupied the office, which boasted seven desks, each equipped with a computer.
At first glance, it looked no different from any ordinary workplace.
The girl seated nearest the door stood up, a trace of puzzlement in her voice as she asked, “Is there something you need?”
Shen An hurriedly explained himself. “Uh, hello, Senior Sister. I’m a new assistant with the Art Troupe. My name is Shen An.”
The girl waved a hand to cut him off, her tone flat. “I know who you are. What do you need?”
Shen An arched an eyebrow slightly. “Senior Sister Zhao sent me to pick up my member card.”
“Senior Sister Zhao?” The girl’s expression remained impassive. “You mean the Troupe Leader? You should watch how you address her from now on.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Shen An nodded vigorously.
“You might have gotten it wrong. Member cards aren’t handled by our Publicity Department. You need to go to the Organization Department.” The girl stepped to the door and pointed the way for him. “Second room down there.”
Shen An blinked in confusion.
Zhao Qingyu, well played.
“Anything else?” The girl turned back, asking indifferently.
“No.”
“Alright then~”
Shen An stepped out of the office and closed the door behind him. He exchanged a glance with Wang Yuqiong, both of them reading the sheer exasperation in each other’s eyes.
Once they had walked a little farther, Wang Yuqiong draped an arm over his shoulder and teased, “Oh wow, that senior sister sure has personality.”
“Heh.”
Shen An smiled but said nothing.
Personality? She might as well have had “strangers keep out” tattooed across her forehead.
Compared to Yu Wen’s warm and open enthusiasm, that girl fell far short in the people skills department—not by just a little, either.
“Do you think she’s the president of the Publicity Department?” Wang Yuqiong asked out of nowhere.
“Hell if I know.” Shen An hadn’t even gotten her name, much less any other details.
“Tsk. Feeling a little deflated, are we? Guess there are girls in this world immune to handsome guys after all.” Wang Yuqiong clearly relished seeing him taken down a peg.
“Maybe I interrupted her work,” Shen An said with a shrug, grasping for another excuse. No way was he admitting any flaw in his charm.
“When people get frustrated, they naturally look for excuses. I understand.”
Wang Yuqiong patted his shoulder, her face wearing an all-knowing expression.
“So~” Shen An turned to her, flashing a brilliant smile. “Does that mean you’re not immune to handsome guys?”
Wang Yuqiong froze for a moment.
“See? You hesitated. No wonder you’re leaning in so close. You’ve gone and fallen for my good looks.”
Shen An playfully twirled a lock of her silky long hair, mirroring her knowing look right back at her.
Wang Yuqiong’s lips twitched in disgust as she rolled her eyes and ignored him.
“And didn’t you say the Publicity Department handled member cards? You were so sure of it!”
Shen An grumbled.
Wang Yuqiong pouted. “Hell if I know how the Art Troupe runs things. Back in high school, it was the Publicity Department.”
“High school didn’t even have an Organization Department, though. The school handled everything.”
“College must be different from high school.”
“Alright, alright. You’re not exactly reliable yourself.”
“You’re the reliable one!” Wang Yuqiong scoffed.
The two bantered back and forth as they followed the directions to the Organization Department.
Shen An pushed open the door cautiously this time, half expecting another senior sister with an icy demeanor.
“Yo? The big celebrity has arrived.”
Before Shen An could pinpoint the speaker, a graceful figure swept toward him on a wave of fragrant perfume.
His eyes narrowed as he took in the girl.
“Uh… hello, Senior Sister. I’m Shen An.”
“Mm-hmm, no need to introduce yourself. I know all about you!” The girl giggled. “Oh, right—I should introduce myself. I’m Xu Ling, president of the Organization Department.”
“You’re here for your member card, right?”
“Yes.”
“Here you go. I had it ready ages ago.” Xu Ling fished the card from her pocket and handed it to him.
It bore Shen An’s details: his name, department affiliation, and the bold title—Private Secretary.
“The Troupe Leader gave specific instructions about this one. Don’t go complaining.”
Xu Ling noticed the shift in his expression and offered a gentle smile.
“Of course not.”
“I’m just a bit curious.”
“Hm?”
“Am I the only one who didn’t know about my position until now?” Shen An asked earnestly.
“Hmm~ Didn’t the Troupe Leader tell you ahead of time?” Xu Ling explained. “She let me know the day before yesterday and got your file set up in the Student Union and troupe databases.”
She pulled out her phone. “There’s a Student Union app. You can look up basic info on every member here.”
“That’s probably how the other troupe members found out about you.”
Shen An glanced at the app, and it all clicked.
No wonder…
“You haven’t downloaded it yet?” Xu Ling gazed at him hopefully.
“Uh, no. Zhao… the Troupe Leader didn’t mention it. She just told me to come get the member card.”
“I see. She’s probably swamped and forgot.” Xu Ling nodded slightly, then added earnestly, “You should support the Troupe Leader properly from here on out. She works really hard.”
“After all, you’re her Private Secretary—a role she created just for you.”
There was a meaningful glint in Xu Ling’s eyes, and Shen An caught a whiff of something unusually flirtatious in her gaze.
He nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Alright, I won’t hold you up anymore. Time for us to clock out anyway!”
“Sure, sure.”
After a few more words, Shen An pocketed his member card and headed down from the second floor to the first.
Wang Yuqiong grabbed the two suitcases. “Where’s Song Rui?”
“That girl’s off chatting with Senior Sister Qi somewhere. Mind helping with hers too?”
Wang Yuqiong eyed the books cradled in his arms and smirked. “You mean help with yours too, right?”
Shen An grinned sheepishly, a hint of wheedling in his expression.
The last thing he wanted was to push a luggage cart all the way back to the North District Apartment.
Two suitcases plus his books would fit with room to spare.
Wang Yuqiong huffed cutely and bent down to unzip her suitcase. “Fine, put it in. But you’re walking me back to my dorm!”
“Again?”
“Got a problem with that? Then lug your books home yourself.”
Seeing her reach for the zipper, Shen An caved fast. “Okay, okay. You were dropping me at my dorm first anyway.”
After all the fussing, they had finally completed their Art Troupe tour.
By the time they stepped out of the academic building, night had fully descended, blanketing the earth. A pale, luminous moon hung high in the sky, still some distance from its zenith.
Shen An now dragged both suitcases.
Wang Yuqiong clutched her phone, firing off a message to Song Rui before checking the time. Plenty early still.
The night air around the academic building was hushed. They’d walked a fair stretch without passing many people.
Wang Yuqiong slipped her phone into her pocket. A gentle evening breeze lifted the hair from both sides of her face, the stars twinkling like the soft glow in her lovely eyes.
Brushing back a stray lock, she turned her head as if casually, glancing away before speaking in a nonchalant tone. “Are you hungry?”
She aimed for casual, but her opening words gave her away.
Shen An got the hint right away. “If you’re buying, I’ll keep you company for dinner.”
Wang Yuqiong spun back around, her face a mix of shy embarrassment and irritation. “You’re shameless! I just asked if you were hungry—how does that turn into me treating?”
With her little scheme laid bare, the flush of embarrassment made her double down. “Acting so full of yourself! Like I need your company?”
She tossed her hair and crossed her arms in an elegant, captivating pose. “I mentioned it offhand, and who knows how many guys are lining up for me.”
Shen An brushed off her sharp retort, sticking to his single tactic. “Not treating? Then let’s split up and each grab our own dinner.”
“You…”
A wave of helpless frustration washed over Wang Yuqiong.
Even if she wanted to share a meal with him, did he have to be so bluntly direct?
It made her sound like she was the one trying to mooch off him!
Her pride wouldn’t let her take that lying down.
She tamped down the ripples in her heart and said coolly, “Fine, no dinner. Let’s head straight to the East District!”
“East District? I thought North District first.”
Shen An blinked. “I live in the North District, you know.”
“I don’t care where you live,” Wang Yuqiong huffed. “You’re escorting me to the East District, then you’re on your own.”
“That’s not fair.” Her plan was obvious: salve her bruised pride by making him schlep his books all the way back to the North District.
Wang Yuqiong lifted her chin haughtily, meeting his gaze with smug defiance.
Hmm~
Shen An paused to think, then came to a stop and bent down.
Wang Yuqiong noticed the suitcases halt and stopped too. She watched him bend over, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“What’re you staring at? Just tying my shoelace.”
“As if!” Wang Yuqiong bared her teeth in a mock snarl, huffed coldly, and turned away with her arms crossed.
In that instant, Shen An straightened up, stepped behind her, and murmured softly, “What do you want to eat?”
The sudden noise startled Wang Yuqiong, and Shen An’s unexpected closeness shattered her smug confidence.
In a slight panic, she twisted around, instinctively glancing at the ground. His shoelace wasn’t undone at all.
“Wasn’t it you who said ‘eat yourself’?”
Amid her fluster, Wang Yuqiong quickly regained her composure. Her sharp little tongue and willful temper stripped away every trace of her usual gentle elegance.
Yet this brand of petulance and willfulness was far more endearing than any forced annoyance—it added a touch of coquettish shyness.
She wasn’t truly spoiled or capricious. It was just that Shen An kept pressing forward, refusing to back down or soften even a little.
Wang Yuqiong had grumbled about his thick-headedness more than once, thinking to herself that if he would just speak nicely for once, she wouldn’t have to act this way.
This time, however, Shen An didn’t argue back or pick a fight.
He simply stood quietly at her side, gazing at her with gentle eyes under the bright moonlight.
The evening breeze swept her long hair aside once more, illuminating the unintentional allure that peeked through her petulance.
She really was beautiful.
The kind of poised, regal beauty.
Even with her brows furrowed and one eye rolling in a cold sideways glare, it couldn’t hide her striking good looks.
“Wh-what… what are you staring at?”
Shen An’s tender gaze eroded the last of her confidence. A hint of panic softened the tension on her small face and eased her furrowed brows.
She simply couldn’t conceal her shy embarrassment.
“I’m asking you—what do you want to eat?” Shen An said softly.
Wang Yuqiong averted her eyes from his. Why did that damned look of his unsettle her heart without reason?
She had grown accustomed to his lazy, infuriating ways, yet she still found herself helplessly touched by his rare moments of gentleness.
And because they were so rare, they moved her all the more.
Wang Yuqiong let out a frustrated breath, pursing her soft lips before murmuring softly, “Do you think I’m being too willful?”
Shen An gave a faint smile. “No.”
“Yeah, right.” Wang Yuqiong pouted. “I’m not usually like this. It just depends on the person.”
“Why can’t you talk to me nicely like you are right now?”
“If you were a little kinder in your attitude, I wouldn’t have to keep getting mad at you.”
Shen An let out a light chuckle. “You’re the one who started picking fights with me first.”
“Tch!” Wang Yuqiong huffed. “I only asked if you were hungry as a casual question. You’re the one who misunderstood me—now you’re blaming me for it?”
Shen An didn’t argue. His eyes simply reflected her face, her mix of indignation and shyness coming through crystal clear.
For a fleeting moment, Wang Yuqiong felt a pang of guilt. She lowered her voice. “Fine, fine. Even if that’s what I meant, can’t you just talk to me nicely?”
“Do you have to tease me like that to feel clever?”
Shen An suppressed a laugh, his voice still soft. “So, what do you want to eat, anyway?”
Wang Yuqiong puffed out her cheeks. It took her a long moment before she muttered, “I don’t know…”
