After Marrying the Cold and Elegant Beauty, I Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 14

The preparatory bell for the afternoon class rang.

Yan Huan yawned as she sauntered into the classroom. She sat down next to Han Shuangshuang and hooked her arm around Han Shuangshuang’s neck.

“Holy crap, Miss Han really has changed. You actually made it to class on time? Don’t tell me you even got up for the 8:00 AM lecture?”

Han Shuangshuang had dark circles under her eyes, and her face was a mask of resentment as she glared at Yan Huan. She pulled Yan Huan’s arm off her neck and shoved it aside.

She had spent the entire night having nightmares.

At first, she dreamed of Shen Yuru pinching her cheek and telling her not to use those “tricks” on her. Then it turned into a knife being held to her throat, Shen Yuru’s lips curled into a smile that was as eerie and blood-soaked as a ghost’s. Finally, she experienced the actual ending of the original host: Shen Yuru was so furious that she drove Han’s family into bankruptcy and left her without a penny. She ended up begging on the streets, getting kicked and beaten by everyone she had ever bullied. The last steamed bun she found was thrown into a sewer, and she starved to death on the street.

Terrifying. Truly terrifying.

“You have the nerve to talk? What kind of friend drags someone to a bar like that? Do you have any idea what I went through yesterday?” Han Shuangshuang ground her teeth, feeling like she was about to cry.

Yan Huan curled her lip. “What’s so bad about it? We all saw it yesterday—you and Shen Yuru were hugging so tight, it looked like you were kissing. Between us, there’s no need to hide it. Tell me the truth: do you have a crush on Shen Yuru?”

Han Shuangshuang opened her mouth to speak, but caught a glimpse of Yun Yun at the door.

Yan Huan had already told her about the relationship between Yun Ruyi, Yun Yun, and Shen Yuru. The Yun sisters were essentially Shen Yuru’s protectors. Appearing here, they were definitely trying to figure out why she was approaching Shen Yuru. She couldn’t survive without being near Shen Yuru, so she couldn’t let the misunderstanding deepen.

Han Shuangshuang immediately covered Yan Huan’s mouth. “Stop digging a hole for me! You were the one who said Shen Yuru is a genius and that I’d be fine as long as I got her ‘secret teachings.’ Why are you acting like I have ulterior motives now? I am sincerely trying to study!”

Yan Huan spat in disgust and slapped Han Shuangshuang’s hand away. “Why are you so flustered? We’re all adults; even if you have other motives, it’s perfectly normal.”

Han Shuangshuang slumped her head and sighed. Although she had confronted Shen Yuru outside the bar and it was too dark to see her exact expression, those glowing phoenix eyes were as scary as they could get.

[System: Friendly Reminder: Shen Yuru’s heart healing progress has increased to 20%. She will begin to feel noticeable physical improvements. Please keep up the good work!]

Han Shuangshuang wasn’t happy at all. Instead, she felt this “healing method” was basically an exchange of lives—trading her life for Shen Yuru’s. In the book, the person who actually harmed Shen Yuru was the male lead, so why wasn’t his life being traded? She was just a pitiful bystander.

[System: Friendly Reminder: There has been no significant fluctuation in Shen Yuru’s Blackening Value. Please actively lower it, or your cannon fodder fate will not change.]

Han Shuangshuang’s head dropped even lower. To heal the heart and lower the blackening value, she had to have daily contact. But she was traumatized now. She was even using “studying” as a way to escape.

She tilted her head to look at Yan Huan, who had been sleeping all day. “This first period is for self-study. Why are you even here?”

Yan Huan’s eyes were sparkling with anticipation. “Don’t you know? There’s a meeting later in the grand auditorium. I heard the juniors are giving study plans to the freshmen since midterms are coming up. For people like you with lots of failed classes, there will be specific senior sisters assigned to help—one-on-one.”

Just then, Yun Yun entered the room and wrote this announcement on the blackboard. Han Shuangshuang shot a look of disdain at Yan Huan. “You really are a person who puts ‘love’ before friends.”

Yan Huan was busy staring dreamily at Yun Yun on the podium and ignored her. Han Shuangshuang thought to herself: Shen Yuru probably won’t participate in an event like this.

Since it was a mandatory event, not many students actually showed up. The auditorium wasn’t even half full; only the “troubled” students were forced to attend. Han Shuangshuang, having had zero sleep, listened to the speeches in a daze, planning to sneak a nap in a corner.

Before she knew it, they reached the final segment: “Juniors assisting Freshmen.” Yan Huan nudged the drowsy Han Shuangshuang.

“Wake up, it’s almost over. The seniors are picking their ‘partners.’ Do you want to try for someone? Some of them are really hard to get along with.”

Han Shuangshuang opened one eye. “Can’t I just rely on myself? What can a senior do?”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t care, but once the partnership is set, you need the senior’s signature to pass your final exams. Otherwise, you’ll be held back regardless of your score.”

Hearing this, Han Shuangshuang snapped awake. Most people had already left. Only a few teachers and seniors remained by the podium. One silhouette looked familiar.

The original host’s family was too rich and her personality too arrogant; no one wanted to tutor her. But because of her family’s power, they couldn’t reject her outright. The teachers were at their wits’ end and had stayed behind to figure out how to handle the “problem child” who had failed a dozen classes.

Han Shuangshuang was called to the podium. She saw several unfamiliar faces, and then there was the annoying Long Aodi.

Sensing an unavoidable, cold gaze from the side, she turned to see Shen Yuru, who was standing there with a low profile. Han Shuangshuang instinctively shuddered. Is she still mad about yesterday?

Wait—with Shen Yuru’s personality, why would she attend such a boring event? And why was she still here when Han Shuangshuang was the only “problem child” left?

Long Aodi looked at the teacher with dissatisfaction. “Teacher, Classmate Shen is in poor health, and Han Shuangshuang’s foundation is too weak. If Shen Yuru tutors her, it might affect her own studies.”

Even though Han Shuangshuang didn’t want to deal with Shen Yuru right now, hearing Long Aodi say that made her bristle. Me choosing not to and you not letting me are two different things.

Long Aodi knew Shen Yuru was constantly annoyed by Han Shuangshuang. He couldn’t let the girl ruin his plans. Normally, Shen Yuru wouldn’t attend this, but since Han Shuangshuang was here, Shen Yuru had come too. A sense of crisis rose in Long Aodi’s heart.

Han Shuangshuang stepped forward. “How does the President know Sister Shen isn’t willing to help me? Since she’s here and I’m the last one left, isn’t she clearly waiting for me?”

“You!” Long Aodi gritted his teeth. “Your grades are abysmal; not a single subject is passing. It’s clearly an attitude problem. Shen Yuru helping you is a total waste of her time.”

Hearing Long Aodi speak, Shen Yuru kept her head slightly down, her expression unchanged. However, in the eyes of the other students, Han Shuangshuang was the villain and Long Aodi was the knight protecting the princess.

The onlookers whispered:

“The President is such a good guy, protecting Shen Yuru like that.”

“Didn’t you know? There have been rumors about them for a long time.”

“They really are a match. Both are top of the grade. It’s a good thing their majors are different, or it’d be ‘two tigers on one mountain.’”

“One mountain can’t have two tigers unless one is male and one is female—they’re a perfect pair.”

Long Aodi, satisfied by the gossip, shot a look at Shen Yuru just as she raised her eyes.

Han Shuangshuang clenched her fists. Long Aodi was just a “Phoenix Man” trying to use Shen Yuru. She couldn’t let her be tricked.

“If Shen Yuru can’t teach her, what about me?”

A baby-faced beauty walked out from behind the podium. Shi Nianxue, with her doll-like large eyes, blinked at Han Shuangshuang with a smile. “I was delayed by some things. If no one wants Han Shuangshuang, give her to me. I’ll make sure to teach her well.”

Han Shuangshuang felt those words sounded strange. Looking at this woman—baby face but “big sister” body—she wondered: Is this another woman I paid to seduce my dad?

Suddenly, she saw Shen Yuru’s expression shift. Her face darkened visibly, and those phoenix eyes seemed to glare at her.

Han Shuangshuang pouted. Yesterday was a mess, and today you’re still acting like you’re too good for me? Fine. I’m not unwanted. If Shen Yuru won’t teach, she won’t teach.

“Teacher, since someone wants me, let’s finalize it.” Han Shuangshuang looked at the teacher with puppy eyes.

But Shen Yuru, who had been silent for so long, suddenly spoke: “Are you really going to choose her?”

Han Shuangshuang saw a flash of mysterious anger in Shen Yuru’s eyes, as if she were a wife catching her husband cheating red-handed.

“Why not? Don’t I have the right to choose?”

Yan Huan blinked in shock. “Han Shuangshuang, Shi Nianxue is your other ex-girlfriend. Are you really still pining for her?”

Han Shuangshuang’s puppy eyes went wide.

Yan Huan, if you knew everything, why didn’t you tell me sooner?!

Facing Shen Yuru’s face—which was now so dark it was practically green—Han Shuangshuang swallowed hard.

Shen Yuru let out a cold sneer. “Han Shuangshuang, you’re really something.”