After Being Bitten By Top-Tier O, Flop A Went Viral - Chapter 48

48: Do You Like Yan Qing?

Yan Qing: “Wow.”

Being caught gossiping about the teacher behind her back, even Yan Qing felt a bit nervous under Wu Zihan’s stormy expression. But her face and words remained stubbornly defiant. “Did you manage to calm those two kids down?”

Qin Que: “…”

Now is not the time to bring that up!

Mentioning Yan Jin and the other two made Wu Zihan’s temple twitch. She tugged at her wrinkled, tear-stained shirt collar and waved at Yan Qing. “You, come with me.”

Is she going to hit Yan Qing?

Qin Que’s mind was filled with images of Yan Qing getting her palms smacked with a ruler. Without thinking, she stepped forward, shielding the woman behind her. “Teacher Wu, Yan—Yan Qing didn’t tell me anything!”

The woman behind her, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the impending danger and even leaned on her shoulder to whisper, “Isn’t that just admitting guilt? She definitely won’t believe you.”

I know! But she’s glaring at me!

Trapped between Wu Zihan’s icy stare and Yan Qing’s warm, fragrant presence murmuring in her ear, Qin Que broke out in a cold sweat.

Wu Zihan took a step forward. Qin Que instinctively retreated, her mind racing with the possibility of grabbing Yan Qing and making a run for it.

Please don’t let today’s headline be #WuZihanChasesDownRebelliousStudent.

Wu Zihan looked at the nervous alpha in front of her and the “star student” behind her, who was smiling fearlessly, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion.

Yan Qing might be unruly, but she was one of the most clever and perceptive students Wu Zihan had ever taught.

At least in terms of reading people, she was miles ahead of Nie Sijun.

That was probably just natural talent.

She remembered a long time ago when Yan Qing had mentioned to her that Xiao Yu didn’t look at her like a teacher and that she should be careful.

Wu Zihan hadn’t taken it seriously… If she had cut ties earlier, maybe things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.

Thinking about those two kids made Wu Zihan feel exhausted. She no longer had the energy to play the stern teacher scolding her juniors and simply said, “I need to talk to her. I won’t do anything to her. Besides, her mouth is her own—what she says is none of my business.”

“…”

Qin Que hesitated as Yan Qing stepped out from behind her. The woman turned back and stuck out her tongue. “Don’t worry.”

“Okay, then I’ll leave you two to talk.”

Qin Que walked out of the classroom and closed the door behind her, but she couldn’t shake her confusion.

If Teacher Wu wasn’t planning to scold Yan Qing, what did she want to talk about?

Was she going to ask Yan Qing for advice on the matter?

Even Qin Que knew Yan Qing wouldn’t have anything constructive to say.

—

The two inside the classroom remained silent from the moment Qin Que left. After a long pause, Yan Qing sighed and raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, I give up. Can you stop looking at me like I’m some kind of child-snatching villain?”

Wu Zihan snorted. “Aren’t you?”

“Of course not,” Yan Qing retorted matter-of-factly. “If you’ve watched the show, you’d know I care about those two. If they end up together, wouldn’t that solve your problem?”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” Wu Zihan glared at her student, who was feigning ignorance, and cut straight to the point. “Your fight with Xu Zheng is a power struggle at the top of the company. You shouldn’t have dragged those two into it just to pull me in.”

The battle between Xu Li and Xu Zheng for control of Bo Sen had reached a fever pitch. Xu Li, with her years of experience managing the company, held the upper hand in operations, while Xu Zheng, backed by family support, was constantly looking for ways to undermine her authority.

In this context, winning over Bo Sen’s top artists had become a key part of their struggle.

Xu Zheng had the advantage here. Unlike Xu Li, who was constrained by her position as CEO, Xu Zheng was willing to use any means necessary—intimidation, bribery, sabotage—to win.

Most people lacked firm principles and simply went with the flow. Under Xu Zheng’s relentless pressure, many artists had already sided with him, while others were waiting to see which way the wind blew.

Yan Qing could only counter Xu Zheng’s influence with her commercial value and fame. Xu Li’s side still needed a figurehead with enough prestige among artists and Bo Sen’s upper echelons to sway the fence-sitters.

Wu Zihan was the perfect candidate.

But from the beginning of this conflict, Wu Zihan had made her stance clear: Stay out of my way. I’m not picking sides.

Now, however, Yan Jin and Jin Shuo’s participation in Destined, a show backed by Xu Li’s faction, had likely marked them as Xu Li’s allies in Xu Zheng’s eyes. If Xu Zheng won, they would face retaliation.

Wu Zihan wanted no part in the power struggle, but she couldn’t abandon her students. She had effectively been dragged onto Xu Li’s side.

Yan Qing, seeing her teacher’s displeasure, didn’t defend herself. Instead, she pretended to be hurt. “Wow, you only care about your new students and not your old one’s survival. That’s really cold.”

Wu Zihan rolled her eyes. “You’re a grown adult. Don’t you know what you’re doing?”

Worrying about Yan Qing? She might as well drink more tea.

Unless Yan Qing allowed it, no one could take advantage of her.

“So you still see them as kids,” Yan Qing mused, her smile turning sly as she spotted a flaw in Wu Zihan’s logic. “Did it ever occur to you that, like me, this was their choice?”

“I was the one who suggested inviting them to Xu Li,” Yan Qing admitted frankly. “But I also explained the risks to them—including the possibility of Xu Zheng’s retaliation and the fact that you’d likely be forced to step in. You can ask Xiao Yu or Jin Shuo if you don’t believe me.”

Wu Zihan’s eyebrows lifted slightly. She had found it odd—Yan Qing could be aggressive, but she wasn’t the type to manipulate inexperienced kids.

Yes, in her mind, Yan Jin and Jin Shuo were forever frozen at fifteen, on that unforgettable winter night… She hadn’t seen them in so long that she still thought of them as children who needed protection, who knew nothing of the world.

But five years had already slipped by.

“What did they say?” Now, more than the matter itself, she wanted to know why they had made this choice.

“Jin Shuo didn’t say much. When I told her Xiao Yu was coming, she just said one word: Go.” Yan Qing smiled. “She still cares about her shijie. She didn’t want Xiao Yu facing this threat alone.”

“Xiao Yu, on the other hand, had a lot to say. Let me paraphrase for you.” Yan Qing cleared her throat and switched to a bright, determined tone. “I’m not scared of that bastard Xu Zheng! Who does he think he is? If people don’t side with him, he cuts their resources or forces them to drink at banquets. We’re artists, not slaves! Sister Yan, let’s team up and kick him out!”

After this rather impolite outburst, Wu Zihan actually laughed—a genuine, hearty laugh. “She really said that?”

Yan Qing grinned. “Sounds a lot like you when you were younger, doesn’t it? I remember every word.”

“I wasn’t that reckless,” Wu Zihan retorted, though her smile faded slightly. “She’s more like Yan Sheng.”

Yan Sheng was Yan Jin’s mother.

Yan Qing didn’t know much about the late actress, so she didn’t comment. Instead, she continued, “She also said you didn’t need to get involved—that she could take responsibility for her own choices. I thought she’d tell you herself, but I guess she’s not as independent as she claims. The moment she saw you, she just started crying.”

Wu Zihan scoffed. “What she does is her business. Whether I get involved is my business.”

“Exactly. Since when do students dictate what their teachers do?” Yan Qing winked mischievously. “But they’ve grown up well—with ideals, principles, and talent. You taught them well.”

Wu Zihan understood the comfort in her student’s eyes.

The fledglings’ attachment to their protector hadn’t stopped them from spreading their wings. Perhaps when they grew a little older, they would soar even farther, no longer lingering by the nest that had once sheltered them.

And she could finally let go completely.

“Heh,” she murmured, satisfied. “You’re nothing like your mother.”

Yan Qing’s smile faltered. Her pupils trembled slightly before she forced another smile, her voice soft. “Thank goodness for that.”

—

“Teacher Wu!”

Qin Que saw Wu Zihan emerge from the classroom alone. Yan Qing was nowhere in sight.

Did they really fight?

Anxious, she tried to enter the classroom but was stopped by Wu Zihan.

“She’s fine. She might be reminiscing. Let her be for a while. I’d like to talk to you.”

Qin Que glanced through the window. Yan Qing was resting her chin on her hand, gazing out at the sky, her slender figure looking a little lonely.

“Okay. What is it?” She turned back to Wu Zihan, standing with her by the railing in the hallway.

The setting sun cast an orange glow over them, and the autumn breeze brushed past their ears—a perfect moment for a conversation.

Wu Zihan stared at the distant clouds and casually dropped a bombshell. “You like her?”

For a moment, Qin Que wondered if she’d misheard. “Huh?”

Wu Zihan turned to her, her gaze firm. “I said, do you like Yan Qing?”