After Marrying the Cold and Elegant Beauty, I Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 22.1

[System: Congratulations, Host. Shen Yuru’s heart healing progress has increased by 5%. Shen Yuru’s current heart healing progress is 45%. Warm reminder to Host: Although Shen Yuru’s heart healing progress is steadily increasing, you must also pay attention to Shen Yuru’s blackening value. Otherwise, if the blackening value is too high, it will affect the progress of the heart healing. If certain accidents occur, it may also cause the heart healing progress to rebound.]

In the bathroom, Han Shuangshuang sat on a small stool with a doglegged smile on her face, serving Shen Yuru.

Her attitude was extremely serious, and her expression was solemn and proper. She was afraid Shen Yuru would misunderstand her as some lecher who wanted to take advantage of people.

After all, great villains were all unpredictable. One second, they might smile at you. The next second, they might suddenly get angry just because your eyes wandered twice.

Instead, Han Shuangshuang felt that this was more like Shen Yuru testing her.

In that book with twisted values, the early plot was all about the male lead, Long Aodi, creating various motives to actively form a connection with Shen Yuru. Meanwhile, the female lead, Han Ruhua, was more like a brainless simp, licking after the male lead. In the end, after the male lead obtained what he wanted, he abandoned Shen Yuru and turned around to be with the female lead, Han Ruhua. Shen Yuru could not withstand that blow, so she blackened.

Then she finished off everyone who had once humiliated and hurt her.

And now, Han Shuangshuang should have changed the direction of the original plot to a large extent. Because of her, Shen Yuru had already cut off contact with Long Aodi.

That drink incident had happened too. After all, the one who spent the night with Shen Yuru was her.

But why had Shen Yuru’s blackening value still never dropped significantly?

Han Shuangshuang could not figure this out.

Nor could she figure out why Shen Yuru, who had sworn in the morning that they should part ways and never meet again, had suddenly brought up making her take responsibility.

In the original book, the original owner was only a cannon-fodder supporting character. Her role was to push the plot forward. She did not have many scenes and was probably meant to help the villain blacken.

So in the original book, the original owner and Shen Yuru’s engagement only appeared in the middle-to-late plot. Han Shuangshuang had only skimmed it a few times and remembered this point.

And after the original owner became engaged to Shen Yuru, she was cannon foddered within a few chapters. It seemed that by the time the engagement with Shen Yuru happened, Shen Yuru had already completed her blackening. She was merely enduring and had not revealed it easily.

Han Shuangshuang became somewhat distracted. She had originally been holding Shen Yuru’s wrist and scrubbing downward bit by bit. But as she thought, her hand slowly continued moving downward. Only when she failed to pay attention did she discover that her hand had actually drifted toward some important area.

Han Shuangshuang’s scalp went numb. She immediately came back to herself and pulled her hand back with a whoosh. But that arm still felt as though it had been shocked by electricity, numb beyond description. Even her little finger was lightly trembling as though cramping.

By contrast, Shen Yuru leaned lazily against the edge of the bathtub, seemingly admiring Han Shuangshuang’s embarrassment.

“You were quite bold last night. Why are you so shy today? Isn’t Younger Sister Han experienced in battle and someone who has dated many girlfriends? Just this bit of contact can make Younger Sister Han blush like this? Could it be that Younger Sister Han is deliberately pretending to be pure in front of me?”

What was with this “sister” and “younger sister” thing?

Why did it sound so strange when Shen Yuru called her “younger sister”? It sounded like flirting.

Those words were sticky and lingering, teasing and tangled, like thousands of threads that could not be cut and only became more chaotic the more one tried to sort them.

“Sister Shen, what nonsense are you saying? I’m very upright, okay? Where did all those girlfriends come from? Other people framed me. Sister Shen is teasing me with those things again.”

Shen Yuru actually nodded quite seriously. After thinking for a while, as though she had remembered something, she looked at Han Shuangshuang and said, “Indeed very upright. Your technique isn’t very good either, yet you still pretended to be experienced. Don’t even think about getting that check back. I feel that the amount I wrote was a little too much. You weren’t worth that price for one night.”

Han Shuangshuang: “!”

Han Shuangshuang felt that ever since she transmigrated into the book, she had not had any contact with the Han family, nor had she revealed that she knew she would be engaged to Shen Yuru in the future.

But on the day she transmigrated, Shen Yuru’s blackening value had already been one hundred percent. Han Shuangshuang could not guarantee that Shen Yuru knew nothing about this matter.

However, from Shen Yuru’s perspective, Shen Yuru was not certain whether Han Shuangshuang knew.

So combining this with Shen Yuru’s change in attitude, Han Shuangshuang felt that Shen Yuru was testing her.

And the original owner was a brainless, shallow troublemaker. Suddenly changing completely, becoming clever, and clinging to Shen Yuru to study was indeed a little too strange.

She had to give Shen Yuru a reasonable explanation now, making the motivation behind the series of actions she had taken since transmigrating into the book become reasonable.

Han Shuangshuang’s little brain suddenly lit up. Wasn’t this simple? Shen Yuru was so good-looking, and every single point about her was dancing wildly on Han Shuangshuang’s aesthetic preferences.

In any case, the system only told her to heal Shen Yuru and lower Shen Yuru’s blackening value. It had never told her to capture Shen Yuru’s heart and make Shen Yuru fall in love with her.

As long as the two of them maintained a friendly and peaceful distance, she could complete the mission without causing misunderstandings.

So in the face of Shen Yuru’s faint testing and teasing, Han Shuangshuang directly threw away the shy expression from earlier and switched to another face.

Han Shuangshuang rubbed her little finger and no longer restrained her gaze. She openly looked over Shen Yuru’s body. Once those puppy eyes became serious, they looked bright and full of spirit. The moment the corner of her mouth curved, she seemed a little silly and simple.

But Han Shuangshuang’s appearance was sweet. Her big eyes were round, and when she smiled, two little canine teeth showed. So it did not affect her beauty at all.

“Isn’t it because I like Sister Shen too much? Every move I make is filled with caution. I’m afraid that if even one thing makes Sister Shen unhappy, you’ll distance yourself from me.”

As Han Shuangshuang spoke, she dragged the little stool under her butt a little closer to Shen Yuru. Then she propped both elbows on her knees and held her face in her hands. Her eyes carried a smile as she said sweetly, “If my reserved and restrained behavior has made Sister Shen feel that your charm has declined, then there’s really no need for me to keep pretending like this. My eyes want nothing more than to stick themselves to Sister Shen. Sister Shen is pure and flawless, like God’s favored child. From head to toe, there isn’t a single imperfection. You’re like a top-grade collectible. Who wouldn’t be jealous after seeing you? Who wouldn’t crave you? If I could, I’d truly want to hide Sister Shen away and not let anyone see you.”

[System: Host is truly amazing. You can say such embarrassing words without changing expression.]

Han Shuangshuang’s facial expression did not change, but inside her slippers, her toes had already curled up.

There was no choice. She was also very embarrassed, okay? But in a confrontation like this, whoever had the weaker aura lost.

After Han Shuangshuang finished speaking, she even placed her fingers into the bathtub, unhurriedly stirring the water. A sweet smile still hung on her face, but her gaze was rather direct.

Shen Yuru felt her breath catch. The feeling that she had already taken control of the whole situation instantly retreated. Clearly, just now, while lying in the bathtub, she had not been afraid of being looked at by Han Shuangshuang.

But now she felt as though every piece of armor covering her body had been stripped away by Han Shuangshuang. That direct gaze seemed to pass through her body and strike straight at her heart. Her heart once again began beating powerfully, thump after thump, and blood flowed through her entire body.

Even water at an extremely high temperature could not warm her skin, but wherever her blood flowed, everything became scalding hot.

Han Shuangshuang watched Shen Yuru’s face, as lovely as peach blossoms, visibly flush red.

“Sister Shen, are you… shy?”

Han Shuangshuang’s final syllable rose slightly, sounding rather like a reckless fool flirting with a beauty.

Shen Yuru glared at Han Shuangshuang, half annoyed and half embarrassed. “What nonsense are you saying? Do you not want that check anymore?”

The curve at the corner of Han Shuangshuang’s lips grew even wider. “What does that check count for? The check was given to me by Sister Shen. If I obtain Sister Shen, won’t I own countless checks? I can still tell which is more and which is less. So, Sister Shen, it’s better to teach someone to fish than give them a fish. Since Sister Shen is so kind, why not be kind to the end and help me?”

Although their answers did not match at all, Shen Yuru could still understand the hint in Han Shuangshuang’s words.

Shen Yuru lifted her arm and reached toward the small porcelain bowl beside the bathroom, grabbing a handful of rose petals and scattering them into the bathtub. She also took out a bath bomb and placed it in the water. The moment the bath bomb dissolved into the water, pink bubbles quickly formed.

The bathtub, which had originally been clear to the bottom, was instantly dyed with pink bubbles.

Shen Yuru sank even deeper into the water. The bathtub’s waterline had almost reached her chin, and when she spoke, her words came out in bubbling murmurs. “Forget it. I don’t need you to serve me anymore. Go heat up the egg fried rice. I don’t like eating cold rice.”

Han Shuangshuang’s brow twitched.

Being an obedient doggo would not bring any benefits. If she wanted benefits, she had to fight for them herself.

So Han Shuangshuang stood up rather obediently, but she did not leave right away. Instead, she bent down toward the bathtub, hooked Shen Yuru’s chin with her finger where it was half-submerged in the water, lifted it slightly, then pressed her lips down.

“Sister Shen, consider this payment.”

After saying that, she happily left the bathroom.

Shen Yuru was left soaking alone.

This time, Shen Yuru’s entire body sank into the bathtub. Large bubbles continuously floated up to the surface of the water with gurgling sounds.

The pink bubbles from the bath bomb covered Shen Yuru’s flushed face.

This Han Shuangshuang was shallow after all. She merely liked Shen Yuru’s beauty. With just a little tease, she could no longer hold herself back.

Shen Yuru endured her heart beating violently in a way she found difficult to adapt to.

But this feeling was not unpleasant. Instead, it brought an inexplicable and indescribable thrill.

It made her whole body tremble.

This was even better. A Han Shuangshuang like this was easier to control and could be used by her, allowing Shen Yuru to achieve her goals.

……

Han Shuangshuang and Shen Yuru stayed together for three days, only returning to school the following Monday.

As a friend, Yan Huan was naturally loyal enough. She blocked many nasty comments for Han Shuangshuang.

Online, she went on a rampage, deleting posts.

Yan Huan: [Damn it. You dare touch my sis? I’ll break your wings and destroy your entire heaven.]

Yan Huan: [A bunch of gossip mongers. When it’s time to study, I don’t see you this attentive. But when it comes to digging up gossip, you rush forward like you’re fighting for food in the cafeteria. Do you have any shame? Fake, fake, it’s all fake.]

As for Yun Yun, in order to protect Shen Yuru, she was naturally also surfing wildly online.

However, as the student council vice president, Yun Yun used an alternate account. And because she was usually cold, aloof, and unsmiling, no one would associate this extremely powerful online fighter with her.

Yun Yun: [This is spreading rumors and violates Student Shen’s right to reputation. She has the right to take you to court and hold you responsible.]

Yun Yun: [You’re all adults already. Whoever Student Shen wants to associate with is her own right. There is no need for all of you to worry about it. I have taken screenshots one by one of these insulting words.]

Passerby: [What’s the relationship between these two people above? Why are they both speaking up for Han Shuangshuang and Shen Yuru? Even taking screenshots? Could they be the actual people coming to eat melons?]

Yun Yun and Yan Huan were both wearing aliases, so neither recognized the other. However, Yun Yun had finally seen someone speaking up for Han Shuangshuang and Shen Yuru, so she immediately extended a friendly olive branch. The two hit it off at once, using the strength of two people to fight this army of gossiping commenters.

Yan Huan: [Sis or bro? You couldn’t have been hired by Han Shuangshuang, right? Han Shuangshuang has money but never uses it where she should. For this kind of thing, having me is enough.]

Yun Yun: [Thank you for speaking up. There’s no need to care who I am.]

Yan Huan: [Add me as a friend.]

Yun Yun: [All right.]

Because Han Shuangshuang and Shen Yuru had not appeared on campus for a while, public opinion had been stirred to a certain height. Most of it came from trolls Long Aodi had paid for, frantically smearing Shen Yuru and Han Shuangshuang.

However, when Han Shuangshuang returned to school on Monday and appeared in the classroom, everyone blinked and cast their gazes toward Han Shuangshuang. But not a single person dared open their mouth to talk or comment.

After all, this was the brainless young miss of the Han family. If they provoked her anger, even ten lives would not be enough for her to ruin.

At this moment, Han Shuangshuang suddenly somewhat understood that being a malicious female supporting character was also quite satisfying.

Yan Huan hooked an arm around Han Shuangshuang’s neck and whispered in her ear, “No, sis, you’re way too disloyal. You went out to play for so many days and didn’t reply to a single message. I practically transformed into a blue-flame Gatling gun on the forum—rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat—fighting one against a hundred.”

Han Shuangshuang gave Yan Huan a thumbs-up.

“Good sister!”

“But I heard your younger sister has been walking very close to Long Aodi recently. These past two days, people keep seeing the two of them paired up together.”

Han Shuangshuang rested her chin on her hand in a daze. Right now, Han Ruhua had not danced in front of her yet, so whatever happened between Han Ruhua and Long Aodi had nothing to do with her.

Yan Huan looked at Han Shuangshuang with a gossipy expression. “Tell your sis the truth. How far have you and Shen Yuru gotten? Hm?”

Han Shuangshuang slapped down Yan Huan’s hand from her shoulder. “If you’re my sis, then don’t ask anymore. Your sis is already troubled to death right now.”

Although the three days she had spent in Shen Yuru’s house had been rather pleasant, that one-hundred-thousand-yuan check had been taken back by Shen Yuru in a very real way. Right now, Han Shuangshuang was the pretty boy who had been used for free, used as hard labor for one night and a nanny for three days, yet obtained not a single benefit.

And the moment she thought of Long Aodi, Han Shuangshuang became so angry her teeth itched. How could she let this kind of person continue being arrogant?

At this moment, a familiar face suddenly walked into the classroom.

Yun Yun held a textbook and walked to the podium. Yan Huan immediately sat up straight, somewhat afraid to lift her eyes. Her whole person was written in large letters with restraint and shyness.

Yun Yun had come to substitute for the class.

Han Shuangshuang let out a meaningful “oh,” then placed her arm on Yan Huan’s shoulder and leaned close to Yan Huan’s ear to secretly ask, “You have a crush on the student council vice president? What stage are you at? Have you confessed? Added her contact information? Does she know you like her?”

Yan Huan made exaggerated faces, gritted her teeth, and threatened Han Shuangshuang, “Stop talking. Say another word and we’re cutting ties.”

Yan Huan forcibly suppressed the feeling of her heart racing like a little deer.

This feeling was hard to describe, because from the first time she saw Yun Yun when she entered university, she knew she had fallen in love with this girl at first sight.

Yun Yun was not good with words and rarely spoke. Every movement carried a cold aura, and she always wore formal clothes. That noble and abstinent style was perfectly full, and every point matched Yan Huan’s preferences.

Moreover, she discovered that Yun Yun’s every move could seize her heart.

But Yun Yun was a member of the student council. Although Yan Huan wanted to get close to her, she disliked that place called the student council. Yun Yun was two years above her, and they were also in different majors, so they had no real points of communication at all.

She had gathered the courage to ask for Yun Yun’s contact information, but Yun Yun had acted as though she did not see her at all and walked straight past. Several confessions had ended without result.

Later, she asked friends to inquire, only to discover that Yun Yun had not noticed her at all back then, as though her mind was completely not on romance. Over time, Yan Huan gave up. Since a flower on a high peak could not be casually plucked, then she would simply watch from afar.

Seeing her once was still better than not seeing her at all.

Suddenly, Yan Huan’s phone received a message.

After Yan Huan opened her phone and saw it, her eyes immediately widened. She hurriedly used her elbow to nudge Han Shuangshuang.

Han Shuangshuang frowned in confusion, not knowing why Yan Huan had such a big reaction.

Yan Huan placed the phone in front of Han Shuangshuang and leaned close to her ear, whispering, “Your younger sister and Long Aodi got a hotel room. And the hotel she used her own ID card to book just happens to belong to our family. The staff told me the room number.”

The Han family could also be considered a major family and had business dealings with the Yan family. Moreover, the Han family was famous for having strict family rules and placing particular importance on their children’s upbringing. So they had communicated with the general circle of big families: if their own children did anything out of line, it had to be quietly concealed at the first moment, lest it damage the family’s reputation. Therefore, after the staff discovered Han Ruhua had booked a room, they immediately recorded her ID card and room number, then sent a message to their young miss, Yan Huan, right away to ask how this matter should be handled.

“Good heavens, your younger sister plays pretty openly. She can even take a liking to a man like Long Aodi. I really didn’t expect someone to actually like that kind of hypocritical man. I heard the money Long Aodi used to hire trolls was all given by your younger sister. You’re at least half-siblings and share half your blood. Your younger sister is really ruthless enough.”

Yan Huan still wanted to say something, but Han Shuangshuang had already stood and secretly slipped out the back door of the classroom.

As she walked, she sent Shen Yuru messages.

The teaching buildings for juniors and freshmen were not in the same place. To go to the building where Shen Yuru had class, she just happened to have to pass the small pavilion where, on her first day in the book, she had kicked the cannon fodder into the lake.

Han Shuangshuang was frantically typing on her phone while passing the pavilion. But when she turned her head, she saw Shen Yuru sitting there, quietly reading.

After hearing the movement, Shen Yuru lifted her head. Their eyes met.

For some reason, Han Shuangshuang felt as though Shen Yuru was deliberately waiting for her here.

“Sister Shen, you already know?”

There were no overly obvious emotions in Shen Yuru’s phoenix eyes. She only nodded slightly. Every movement was full of the calm of someone who held all strategies in hand.

It was as though everything had long since been predicted by her.

Two words appeared in Han Shuangshuang’s mind: elegant. Truly elegant. As expected of the villain.

Han Shuangshuang said, “Then what do we do now? Long Aodi bought so many trolls to smear you. Even I can’t stand watching it. We can’t let her go so easily.”

The corner of Shen Yuru’s mouth curved slightly. Looking at Han Shuangshuang’s extremely anxious appearance, her mood suddenly improved quite a bit.

Today, those relatives had sent her messages again, urging her to hurry with her marriage. After all, she was close to graduating. They said that once a girl graduated, she had reached the age to marry. And since her health was poor and her heart was so bad, whether she could bear children for her husband’s family in the future was still a question. They told her to hurry up, otherwise the enormous Shen Group would fall into the hands of outsiders. Every sentence was aimed at her, and she was too lazy to deal with those people.

It just so happened that Yun Ruyi had also sent her a message. She had found out the route Long Aodi used to buy that thing, as well as the transaction records.

Yun Ruyi ran a bar. She herself did not do that kind of business, but as for whether other bars did, her heart was as clear as a mirror.

So investigating whose hands that kind of thing came from was very simple.

In just one day, she had investigated the price, dosage, and source of the thing Long Aodi bought with complete clarity.

And incidentally, she had also told Shen Yuru about Han Shuangshuang’s spending situation at various bars.

In the end, Yun Ruyi even reached a conclusion.

[Han Shuangshuang used to be just a little brat who had only recently turned eighteen. She was always treated like an easy mark. She was always thinking of making her stepmother and stepsister look bad, but she couldn’t outtalk them and didn’t have that many schemes either, so she was always turned against instead. Her reputation grew worse and worse. And her temper is as stubborn as an ox, so she refused to explain. Over time, things became like this. Thinking back, one-tenth of the money I used to open this bar was contributed by Han Shuangshuang. Calculated like that, I even owe her a favor. In short, this child isn’t bad. But for you, it’s still better to stay away from her. After all, she is a member of the Han family.]

Shen Yuru recalled what Yun Ruyi had told her.

As for Long Aodi, in her eyes, he was nothing more than a small shrimp. She was in no hurry to deal with him, because she only needed to use a small method to easily make him fall into hell, never to turn over again.

It was just that Han Shuangshuang’s reaction was somewhat unexpected to her. She was so anxious, with concern written all over her face.

Ever since her parents passed away, Shen Yuru had never again felt such direct worry.

Shen Yuru looked at Han Shuangshuang and suddenly asked, “The one Long Aodi harmed was me. Why do you look even angrier than I am?”

Han Shuangshuang felt like she was truly the eunuch worrying while the emperor was not. Such a good opportunity was placed in front of Shen Yuru, so why did Shen Yuru not use it?

Could Long Aodi’s male lead halo be that strong? Was Shen Yuru still not guarded against Long Aodi even now?

“Of course it’s because I like Sister Shen. I don’t want you to suffer any harm. Long Aodi’s intentions are impure. He’s a proper phoenix man. For the sake of his own goals, he can do anything. I only want to give Sister Shen justice.”

Only by taking down Long Aodi could she lower Shen Yuru’s blackening value. Besides, a man like Long Aodi should leave the stage as early as possible. Just looking at him was irritating.

Shen Yuru covered her chest and felt waves of warmth surge into her heart, making it thump nonstop. All her irritation was swept away, like cloudy, rainy weather suddenly clearing.

The corner of Shen Yuru’s mouth curved slightly. Her voice was very soft, as though she had been carried along by Han Shuangshuang’s emotions. For once, she followed Han Shuangshuang’s words.

“Then I’ll listen to you. Come with me.”