After Marrying the Cold and Elegant Beauty, I Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 16

Han Shuangshuang felt completely shell-shocked.

In her original world, she had been a shy, well-behaved girl; she had never done something as bold as forcibly kissing someone. Hearing Shen Yuru’s “nuclear-kind” words—which felt more like a looming weapon of mass destruction—Han Shuangshuang lowered her head, not daring to meet her gaze.

At a time like this, any explanation was just a cover-up, and a cover-up was as good as a confession. Anything she said would be as useless as hot air; she had zero credibility.

Shen Yuru felt the pain in her mouth. The more she calmed her mind, the more the sensation amplified. This Han Shuangshuang was truly something.

Although her head was bowed and she couldn’t see Shen Yuru’s face, Han Shuangshuang could feel the powerful aura radiating from her—as if the woman were staring at the back of her head, silently calling her “impressive.”

[System: Friendly Reminder: Shen Yuru’s heart healing progress has increased by 5%. Current total: 25%. Keep up the good work!]

Hearing the notification, Han Shuangshuang’s depressed mood lifted slightly.

[System: Friendly Reminder: Shen Yuru’s Blackening Value has decreased by 5%. Current Value: 87%.]

Her mood improved further. It seemed that being shameless truly made one invincible. To save her little life, what did sacrificing a bit of integrity matter?

[System: It’s good that you think that way, Host. What use is integrity if your life is gone?]

This dog system is making snide remarks again. As if I wasn’t the one trapped by it in the first place.

Now, her mouth and her entire body felt like they were covered in Shen Yuru’s scent.

“Sister Shen, it’s all your fault. If you had chosen me from the start, none of this would have happened,” Han Shuangshuang grumbled, voicing a soft accusation.

Shen Yuru was so exasperated she almost laughed. This Han Shuangshuang was truly a master at shifting the blame. A cold sneer curled the corner of her mouth, but it accidentally tugged at the wound Han Shuangshuang had bitten into.

Shen Yuru let out a soft hiss of pain. Han Shuangshuang swallowed nervously again.

Suddenly, Shen Yuru’s phone vibrated. After glancing at the message, her expression immediately became serious, and she left without a word.

Han Shuangshuang let out a massive sigh of relief. After a moment of recovery, she walked out of the grove. But before her nerves could fully relax, she heard that cloyingly sweet voice again.

“Quite the romantic life you lead. You just kicked me to the curb and immediately hooked up with another one.”

Han Shuangshuang turned her head. She saw Shi Nianxue leaning against a nearby tree, watching her with an unreadable gaze. Dealing with one Shen Yuru was enough; what was with this Shi Nianxue now?

Shi Nianxue walked forward, her lips curled into the smirk of a malicious fox. She looked Han Shuangshuang up and down, eventually letting her gaze linger on the girl’s swollen lip. She let out a couple of “tsk-tsks.”

“That was quite intense. Han Shuangshuang, you’ve only just turned eighteen and you’re already playing this hard?”

Han Shuangshuang couldn’t stand the sarcasm. Although she didn’t know the full history between the host and Shi Nianxue, the current situation suggested they certainly didn’t part on good terms. The breakup must have been ugly.

“Let the past be the past, okay? Just assume I wasn’t good enough for you.” Han Shuangshuang tried to use a “universal formula” to resolve the conflict.

Shi Nianxue huffed, her exquisite large eyes glaring as she moved closer. Han Shuangshuang instinctively covered her mouth.

Shi Nianxue scoffed. “Is it at that level already? Guarding your ‘purity’ for Shen Yuru?”

Han Shuangshuang felt that Shi Nianxue was angry. She couldn’t be blamed for being confused. While she was sensitive to emotions due to growing up as an orphan, people as temperamental as Shen Yuru and Shi Nianxue were beyond her understanding. She had no idea why they were actually mad.

Seeing Han Shuangshuang’s guarded posture, Shi Nianxue suddenly lost interest. “I haven’t seen you in half a year, and you’ve certainly become… something. I’ve secured a spot to study abroad. If you want to leave, I can take you with me.”

The offer was unexpected. But Han Shuangshuang knew she couldn’t go. Not only could she not go, she couldn’t even leave Shen Yuru’s side for a single day, or her life would be forfeit.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m doing quite well here at school.”

Shi Nianxue froze. The smile vanished from her eyes, replaced by an even deeper chill. “For Shen Yuru, you’re willing to endure your current environment?”

Han Shuangshuang nodded. Obviously. Shen Yuru is my lifeline right now.

Back at the dorm, Han Shuangshuang still couldn’t figure out what Shi Nianxue’s final look meant. For once, all four roommates were present.

[System: Apologies, Host. Since the novel revolves around the male and female leads, the original character had very little screen time. Characters related to her but unrelated to the leads aren’t recorded; you’ll have to unlock that info yourself.]

Han Shuangshuang’s eyes lit up when she saw Yan Huan. Yan Huan seemed to know everything.

Aside from the two of them, there was Wu Huimin and Bai Liangfen. Bai Liangfen was the female lead’s lackey—a “dog” Han Ruhua had recruited in university. Seeing Han Shuangshuang, she immediately began her usual snark.

“We’re sisters, yet the difference is so vast. Then again, it makes sense since you don’t share the same mother.”

Han Shuangshuang was about to speak to Yan Huan when she was interrupted by this gold-digger. She narrowed her eyes; it seemed many of the nasty rumors about the host had originated from this girl’s mouth. Bai Liangfen knew Han Shuangshuang had a temper, but thought she was “all bark and no bite.” Relying on Han Ruhua’s backing, she frequently bullied Han Shuangshuang.

“It’s a joke, really. Joining a peer-support meeting and still being the last one left that nobody wanted. Like mother, like daughter.”

Slap!

Han Shuangshuang, face cold, rubbed her wrist as she looked at the arrogant Bai Liangfen. The latter clutched her burning cheek, staring at Han Shuangshuang in disbelief.

“You… you actually dared to hit me?”

Han Shuangshuang’s voice was dark. “I am the eldest daughter of the Han family. Why wouldn’t I dare?”

Yan Huan waved her phone. “I recorded that! Some people should think twice before acting one way to a person’s face and another behind their back.”

Han Shuangshuang had only wanted to change her fate, but small-time minions kept dancing in front of her. Just because she didn’t want to pick a fight didn’t mean she was a pushover. The original host was helpless because her scumbag father favored Han Ruhua, but Han Shuangshuang didn’t care about that father. Dealing with people who rely on others’ power is simple: just hit back.

Sure enough, Bai Liangfen shut up and didn’t dare say a word for a long time. Wu Huimin, meanwhile, was secretly recording from the top bunk. A moment later, Bai Liangfen clutched her face and ran out.

Han Shuangshuang sat on her stool, feeling the future was bleak. Yan Huan patted her shoulder. “What are you thinking about so deeply? At least you finally made a move. If you hadn’t, I would have slapped her for you.”

Han Shuangshuang pouted. In times of danger, Yan Huan was a protector; in times of peace, Yan Huan was the biggest danger herself.

“By the way, you and Shi Nianxue… didn’t you two break up cleanly? Why is she coming back for you now?”

At this, Han Shuangshuang sat up straight. She couldn’t explain the system, so she just sighed and tried to bait Yan Huan for more info.

Yan Huan continued as if she understood. “Is it a case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone’? But Shi Nianxue doesn’t look like she’s still pining for you.”

From Yan Huan’s rambling, Han Shuangshuang pieced it together. Shi Nianxue was adopted from an orphanage by the host’s mother. She was one year older than the host, and they grew up together. After the father cheated and the mother died, they were all each other had. The host was dependent on her, but Shi Nianxue eventually drew a line, choosing to side with the scumbag father. They parted ways. The original host became increasingly rebellious, falling in with a bad crowd.

Han Shuangshuang’s heart thudded. Could the host’s tragic ending have had Shi Nianxue’s fingerprints on it? It certainly looked like Shi Nianxue was calculating something.

“It’s all in the past. There’s no ‘old flame’ to speak of. I was just a pitiful ‘simp.’ Let’s not talk about it.”

This only made Han Shuangshuang more determined to cling to Shen Yuru’s leg.

After the peer-support was finalized, Han Shuangshuang spent every day glued to Shen Yuru to prepare for midterms and make-up exams. She followed her to the library and studied with her in classrooms. They ate together; the only thing they didn’t do was sleep in the same dorm.

When she walked Shen Yuru back to her dorm, Han Shuangshuang noticed that the room was empty—those disgusting roommates were gone.

Shen Yuru said indifferently, her eyes downcast, “The items they stole were too valuable. They were expelled for theft and are currently in custody.”

Han Shuangshuang shuddered. Shen Yuru was so calm, as if she were a high-ranking ruler indifferent to the lives of minor figures.

For the next half month, they lived like this. The heart healing progress only increased by 0.1% a day. Han Shuangshuang felt she was living in a pressure cooker because Shi Nianxue kept appearing in front of them with that fake, “skin-deep” smile. Every time, Han Shuangshuang could feel Shen Yuru’s aura turn icy. Then she would get a glare, as if she were being blamed for “attracting butterflies.”

Checking the time, Han Shuangshuang watched Shen Yuru and tried to negotiate. “It’s already 10:30. Sister Shen, why don’t we call it a day? I’m so sleepy. Aren’t you? You stay up so late every night, yet you don’t even have dark circles. You must be naturally gifted; I’m so envious.”

Han Shuangshuang’s puppy eyes had turned into panda eyes from the late-night studying. She reached out toward Shen Yuru, hoping to squeeze in one last bit of physical contact for the healing progress, but Shen Yuru slapped the back of her hand away.

They were the only two left in the classroom. Han Shuangshuang saw Shen Yuru’s lips move, about to say “okay.”

Just then, there was a sound at the window. Shi Nianxue was there with her exquisite fake smile, waving at Han Shuangshuang.

Han Shuangshuang felt a bad premonition. Shen Yuru’s relaxed mood plummeted to freezing point. For some reason, seeing the connection between the two of them made her feel as though something was stuck in her chest—it wouldn’t go up or down. She was incredibly irritable, yet she didn’t know why.

Shen Yuru, sitting opposite Han Shuangshuang, looked at her book and then at Shi Nianxue. She tapped Han Shuangshuang’s book with her pen. A slow smile curled her lips—a rare, “amiable” look that felt chilling.

She spoke softly: “You have an exam tomorrow. Tonight… we’re staying up all night. Classmate Han wouldn’t be in such a hurry to see her ex-girlfriend that she’d ignore my words, right?”

Han Shuangshuang felt that when Shen Yuru said “ex-girlfriend,” she emphasized the words with a distinct hint of gritted teeth.

“How could I? Your words are like a decree to me, Sister Shen.”

Shen Yuru rested her head on her hand, her phoenix eyes lifting as she let out a cool huff. “At least you’re sensible.”