After Marrying the Cold and Elegant Beauty, I Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 23.1

Due to Long Aodi’s arrest, the matter of Han Shuangshuang and Shen Yuru not returning to the school dorms gradually lost its heat on campus.

[System: Friendly Reminder: Shen Yuru’s current Heart Healing Progress is 50%, and her Blackening Value is 80%.]

Han Shuangshuang sat in the classroom, utterly perplexed as to why Shen Yuru’s Blackening Value was dropping so slowly.

Yan Huan rushed into the classroom, sat down abruptly beside Han Shuangshuang, and placed her phone in front of her to browse the campus forum. “Look! The posts on the forum are exploding. The incident with Long Aodi couldn’t be covered up at all. I heard Han Ruhua deliberately leaked the news just to associate herself with him. Now the school has forcibly suppressed the topic, but expulsion is a certainty. Since Long Aodi brought such a negative influence to the school, they won’t let him off easy. By the way… did your family give you any trouble?”

Han Shuangshuang shook her head, resting her face in her hands and dazing off. “I don’t know.”

She stared blankly at the phone in front of her. An entire night plus a whole morning had passed, yet Shen Yuru hadn’t sent her a single message. It didn’t make sense; their relationship was already quite close. Han Shuangshuang felt that if she wanted to bridge the distance with Shen Yuru, she couldn’t always be the proactive one. Otherwise, wouldn’t she just be a one-sided “simp”? Shen Yuru wouldn’t take her to heart. She couldn’t become a puppy that comes and goes at a mere whistle.

“So… did your family get any inside info on how Long Aodi will finally be dealt with?” Han Shuangshuang finally gathered some spirit to ask Yan Huan.

Yan Huan leaned into Han Shuangshuang’s ear and whispered, “The Han family cleared Han Ruhua completely, claiming Long Aodi went to a prostitute. Any topic related to Han Ruhua is being suppressed. Look at the forum—there isn’t a single post about her, they’re all about Long Aodi. Now his entire background has been dug up. He’s not from an ordinary family; he’s from a single-parent home and is actually quite poor. Yet he never applied for financial aid, pretending to be a top student and a ‘refined gentleman’ while being a beast in disguise. Behind the scenes, he threatened students from poor families to obey him, or he’d withhold their aid. He even associated with thugs to do his dirty work, paying those students with scholarships and grants as rewards. He treated a ‘chicken feather’ like a ‘command arrow,’ playing everyone perfectly. Now the campus sentiment has flipped; everyone is stepping on him. But it’s not a case of ‘pushing a falling wall’—Long Aodi’s wall was made of paper to begin with; it falls at a breeze. He just hid it too well before.”

Yan Huan spoke at length, looking quite relieved. “Sister, don’t worry. I’ve blocked those rumors for you. I’ve even hired people to clarify the smears Shen Yuru was getting because of you. Your reputation will be restored soon, so Shen Yuru won’t hold a grudge against you over this.”

Han Shuangshuang grabbed Yan Huan’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Sister, you are my savior.”

Yan Huan slyly pulled a registration form out of her bag and placed it before Han Shuangshuang. “If we’re sisters, then do me a favor.”

Yan Huan’s smile was far too cunning; Han Shuangshuang couldn’t help but be wary, though she knew Yan Huan wouldn’t harm her.

“What’s with that look? Would I ever trick you? Yun Yun’s department is hosting a food competition—a culinary contest. Just sign up to make up the numbers, the two of us together. It would be even better if you could pull Shen Yuru in too.”

Yan Huan knew Han Shuangshuang’s cooking skills were mediocre at best, so she didn’t expect her to win any prizes.

Upon hearing that it was related to Yun Yun, Han Shuangshuang’s eyes instantly lit up. Yun Yun and Shen Yuru were old acquaintances. This gave her a perfect topic to seek out Shen Yuru and establish a connection.

Yan Huan placed the form in front of her. “The food section is divided into two major factions: Chinese and Western. Last year, the two top senior sisters from the Chinese section graduated, so Chinese food has been losing to Western food. The Western food department people act arrogant just because their food looks good—they find every way to brag, but their stuff actually tastes terrible. Yun Yun is in the Chinese section. I don’t know if they can win this year, otherwise they’ll be mocked by the Western department again. Why are they so obsessed with foreign things?”

Han Shuangshuang grabbed the form and dashed out. Yan Huan watched her go, feeling like her “great daughter” had finally grown up. She didn’t expect Han Shuangshuang to be so reliable—executing the task the moment she mentioned it. Truly a good sister.

Han Shuangshuang found out where Shen Yuru’s class was and slipped through the back door. Long Aodi, Shen Yuru, and Yun Yun were all juniors, so at the junior teaching building, the sounds of people discussing Long Aodi were even more frequent.

“I really didn’t expect him to be like that behind our backs. Truly disgusting.”

“Yeah, looking all ‘refined and upright’ on the surface. Didn’t many girls in our department have a crush on him? I wonder if they feel grossed out now.”

“I heard he’s from a single-parent home. To keep it a secret, he wouldn’t even let his mom visit the school; he hid her away. He’d sneak off to a remote restaurant to work every day after class, then squander that money during the day to act like he was from a wealthy family.”

“Why are men so hypocritical? Dying for the sake of ‘face,’ and then going to prostitutes? So dirty—aren’t they afraid of catching something?”

“Maybe the pressure of faking it at school was too much. I heard the school gave him major disciplinary action—expulsion—and various universities have issued a joint notice. Even if he gets out, he won’t be able to attend college again. His life is basically over.”

“Exploding with so many scandals has damaged the school’s reputation. The people admitted here are usually rich or noble, with exceptions for students with top grades and poor backgrounds. To think such a scumbag appeared—I bet the future will be even harder for those top-performing poor students. They’ll all be viewed through colored lenses. Long Aodi is a ‘stinky fish’ that ruined a whole pot of soup.”

“What you’re saying is mild. I heard from my brother that Long Aodi did too many bad things and someone retaliated. He’s going to be stuck inside for several more years; he won’t be out anytime soon.”

Han Shuangshuang didn’t particularly want to listen, but standing at the stairwell, their voices were too loud to ignore. It seemed the “retaliation” they spoke of was the Han family’s doing; to vent their anger for Han Ruhua, they shifted all their fury onto Long Aodi.

Only after they finished gossiping did Han Shuangshuang clench her fist, cough twice, and emerge from the stairwell. Seeing her, the group immediately shut up. They had heard rumors that the Long Aodi incident was related to Han Ruhua, and that Han Shuangshuang and Ruhua were half-sisters.

Enduring their probing gazes, Han Shuangshuang walked all the way to Shen Yuru’s class. Just as she reached the back door, she heard someone teasing inside.

“Shen Yuru, your little girlfriend is here for you.”

“A junior actually came. Why stand outside? Come in and sit next to your Senior Shen. There’s a perfect spot. Want to listen to a lecture?”

“Come in, come in! Why stand there like a fool? Your Senior Shen might not be looking at you, but her heart has already flown to your side.”

The classroom was filled with loud, joking voices. Shen Yuru’s face remained expressionless, but she didn’t show any signs of repulsion.

Han Shuangshuang was suddenly in a daze. Was Shen Yuru getting along this harmoniously with those around her?

Shen Yuru unhurriedly packed her things, walked to the door, and stood before Han Shuangshuang. For some reason, Han Shuangshuang felt a sense of guilt; unable to lift her head, she stared at her toes, hesitating. “Sister Shen… I…”

Shen Yuru lifted her chin without a word, slung her bag, and walked ahead. Han Shuangshuang had no choice but to follow like a little tail. Han Shuangshuang felt that Shen Yuru truly smelled wonderful—not like a pungent perfume, but a faint body fragrance. It was incredibly attractive; a little proximity made one want to get even closer for a better sniff.

Consequently, Han Shuangshuang unconsciously sped up. Shen Yuru suddenly stopped at the corner of the first-floor lobby. Han Shuangshuang, having not stopped her momentum, crashed right into Shen Yuru’s back. From another angle, it looked like she was hugging her tightly.

“Classmate Han really will stop at nothing for those 100,000 Yuan.”

Shen Yuru’s cool voice entered her ears. Han Shuangshuang felt her scalp tingle and immediately jumped away, letting go. She pouted, countering with dissatisfaction: “I solved such a big trouble for you without even asking for credit, yet your first words are to scold me.”

Shen Yuru acted as if she hadn’t heard the protest and changed the subject. “It’s self-study time for me this afternoon. You should still have classes; why find me at this hour?”

From a conversation with Yun Ruyi, Shen Yuru heard that women shouldn’t have too much money—especially those who have lived through hard times—because they “go bad” once they’re rich. Thus, Shen Yuru was more determined to keep the 100,000 Yuan check for Han Shuangshuang. It wasn’t that she was stingy; she was just keeping it safe. Han Shuangshuang was only a freshman; she’d return it when she graduated. This was to prevent her from wasting money on hedonism or toying with emotions instead of studying, which would leave her unable to find a job and still under her stepmother’s thumb.

Shen Yuru had also heard the teasing from the other students. She frowned slightly but didn’t feel much repulsion. Han Shuangshuang followed her every day; it was inevitable people would gossip, as long as she knew the truth herself. She assumed Han Shuangshuang came because she couldn’t stop thinking of her and wanted to say some useless “cheesy” lines. Still so young, obsessed with romance every day without a grand goal, not thinking of her future.

Shen Yuru’s thoughts drifted quite far. Han Shuangshuang pulled two crumpled registration forms from her pocket. “Yan Huan said Senior Yun Yun is hosting a cooking competition and hopes for more applicants. I already promised her. Do you want to join with me, Sister Shen?”

Han Shuangshuang’s puppy eyes were full of expectation, and an invisible tail seemed to be wagging happily. Shen Yuru felt a breath of frustration in her chest—she didn’t expect Han Shuangshuang to seek her out just for this. “Boring,” she said. Yet, she took one form from Han’s hand and placed it carelessly in her bag. “I’m very busy. Participating in such a meaningless activity would only waste my time and won’t add any credits.”

The light in Han Shuangshuang’s eyes vanished instantly. Two invisible dog ears drooped, and her face was full of disappointment. Shen Yuru felt her fingertips itching again; she felt she needed to touch something and “lubricate” it properly.

Han Shuangshuang felt a warm palm cover her head, stroking her hair as if to smooth her fur. Wait! What’s with this ‘petting a dog’ expression? I’m not a brainless puppy who only knows how to wag its tail!

“Fine, if you won’t agree, I’ll just find someone else.” Han Shuangshuang turned her head away petulantly, refusing to let Shen Yuru touch her. She turned her back to the woman, showing off her “backbone.”

Shen Yuru’s cold, beautiful face darkened instantly, and the hint of a smile in her eyes vanished. “Oh?” She let out a light, upward-tending “oh.” Han Shuangshuang felt her heart thud with a bad premonition.

“It doesn’t matter to me if I participate… Right, after all, Sister Han is surrounded by people. Your ‘ex-girlfriend’ is eagerly waiting for you every day, full of passion. You can just go find her; why bother showing off in front of me?”

Han Shuangshuang: “?” I didn’t mention Shi Nianxue; why did she bring her up?

She stared with puppy eyes and turned around. “I—”