After Marrying the Cold and Elegant Beauty, I Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 23.2

Shi Nianxue seemed very cheerful when she saw Han Shuangshuang.

Shi Nianxue said, “Shuangshuang, did you come here especially to find me? My classroom isn’t here. I’ll take you there so you can familiarize yourself first, in case you come looking for me again in the future and go to the wrong place.”

Seeing Shi Nianxue’s overly familiar manner made Han Shuangshuang a little uncomfortable.

Because she was not clear about the original owner and Shi Nianxue’s past and entanglements.

Moreover, the way Shi Nianxue smiled was rather unsettling, as though she had no good intentions.

Han Shuangshuang’s body instinctively rejected contact with Shi Nianxue.

Shi Nianxue seemed not to see the rejection on Han Shuangshuang’s face and grabbed Han Shuangshuang’s wrist at once. “Oh, Senior Shen is here too. I didn’t see you just now. I’m truly sorry.

“Then excuse me. I’ll take my family’s younger sister away first. This afternoon, the Han family is holding a banquet. I heard the Shen family is also among the invited guests. Senior, you must arrive on time. Shuangshuang and I will properly entertain Senior Shen.”

When Shi Nianxue said the words “my family’s younger sister,” she deliberately emphasized them, as though purposely saying them for Shen Yuru to hear.

Listening to Shi Nianxue’s words, Han Shuangshuang actually forgot to struggle free for a moment.

The Han family banquet?

Did this mean she also had to return to the Han family this afternoon?

This was the first time since transmigrating into the book that she had heard anything related to the Han family.

Shen Yuru’s phoenix eyes were clear and淡淡, without any emotion, as they slowly landed on the wrist where Han Shuangshuang and Shi Nianxue were touching.

Han Shuangshuang suddenly felt her scalp go numb.

Although Shen Yuru had said nothing, Han Shuangshuang could feel that Shen Yuru was unhappy.

Han Shuangshuang immediately shook off Shi Nianxue’s hand, walked a few steps toward Shen Yuru, and stood behind Shen Yuru.

That Shi Nianxue—she had better not harm her.

Shen Yuru looked at Han Shuangshuang running over and felt Han Shuangshuang place both hands on her shoulders, leaning lightly against her, then saw her look at Shi Nianxue across from them with a guarded gaze.

The corners of Shen Yuru’s pressed lips relaxed slightly, showing a faint tendency to curve upward.

Her originally gloomy and irritated mood suddenly swept away completely.

“If I’m going home, then I’m going home. Why are you touching me?” Han Shuangshuang hid behind Shen Yuru and said to Shi Nianxue, “And I came here to find Sister Shen, not you. The Han family notified you but didn’t notify me. Looks like to the Han family, my status as their daughter isn’t even as important as you, an adopted daughter.”

After Han Shuangshuang finished saying these words, she also froze slightly and immediately covered her mouth.

These words had been spoken without passing through her brain. She had said them subconsciously, not under her control at all. It was as though this body had accumulated resentment for a long time, and the moment it saw Shi Nianxue, it would produce a rejection reaction.

Shi Nianxue, however, seemed not to hear Han Shuangshuang’s sarcasm. She walked to Shen Yuru’s side on her own. “Don’t always pester Senior Shen. Senior Shen is already a junior and needs to prepare for internships. Her coursework is busy, and she still has to look for a job. Where would she have time to indulge your nonsense? If anything happens in the future, come find me.”

As she spoke, she grabbed Han Shuangshuang’s wrist again. She even used her other hand to interlock fingers with Han Shuangshuang, shaking it in front of Shen Yuru as if showing off.

Shen Yuru had originally wanted to say something, but after seeing this scene, she suddenly no longer wanted to speak.

It was like thick chocolate was stuck in her throat. She could neither swallow it nor spit it out. In short, it was irritating and uncomfortable.

[System: Warning! Warning! Host, Shen Yuru’s emotions have been stimulated, and her blackening value is fluctuating. Please resolve this as soon as possible.]

Han Shuangshuang did not think too much. Because her body instinctively rejected Shi Nianxue, she also felt Shen Yuru disliked Shi Nianxue. So her first reaction was to pull Shi Nianxue away from Shen Yuru’s line of sight.

After all, Shi Nianxue refused to let go of her hand, as if they were glued together. Han Shuangshuang could not shake her off at all.

“Sister Shen, then I’ll leave first to discuss my family matters. Sister Shen doesn’t need to worry about me. I’ll be able to see Sister Shen again this afternoon…”

As Han Shuangshuang spoke, she pushed Shi Nianxue away, urging her to leave quickly.

Shen Yuru watched Han Shuangshuang’s departing back, narrowed those phoenix eyes, then slowly breathed out a cold breath.

Her heart was still beating normally and did not feel uncomfortable. But these past few days, whenever she came into contact with Han Shuangshuang, she always felt a kind of discomfort lodged in her heart.

Shen Yuru did not like her emotions being controlled by someone else.

In order to disguise herself, she never placed her emotions on her face. Yet Han Shuangshuang had made her lose control several times.

Shen Yuru stood in place for several minutes, calming her emotions. Only then did she return to that unapproachable, cold and distant appearance.

Shen Yuru turned around, intending to return to the classroom. Unexpectedly, the registration form that had originally been placed in her bag accidentally fell out.

Shen Yuru bent down and picked it up. Looking at that wrinkled registration form, it was as though she could see Han Shuangshuang smiling dogleggedly in front of her.

As if venting anger, she flicked the form with her index finger.

It was like flicking Han Shuangshuang’s forehead.

This Han Shuangshuang who attracted bees and butterflies.

She was unclear with others, yet still dared to come provoke Shen Yuru.

When she came back to herself, Shen Yuru was rather shocked. She had actually produced such a childish action.

Shen Yuru hurriedly stuffed the registration form back into her bag, blaming all of today’s strange behavior on Han Shuangshuang.

Heh. Dog thing. She still wanted to see Shen Yuru this afternoon? In her dreams.

Even if Shen Yuru deliberately hid, she would not let Han Shuangshuang see her. She would make her anxious to death.

Meanwhile, on the other side, after walking onto campus, Han Shuangshuang finally shook off Shi Nianxue’s hand.

Shi Nianxue’s exquisite brows furrowed. “Shuangshuang, stop fooling around. This brings you no benefit. When can you be a little more obedient?”

Han Shuangshuang choked, not knowing where Shi Nianxue got the right to start scolding her the moment she opened her mouth.

She had not inherited the original owner’s memories, only the little information she knew from reading the book before.

Shi Nianxue said she had gone abroad this year. That meant during the years the original owner grew up in the Han family, Shi Nianxue had not participated.

Shi Nianxue and Han Shuangshuang’s relationship should have been ordinary.

Moreover, to the original owner, Shi Nianxue was someone who had betrayed her, someone who had betrayed her mother.

It was her mother who adopted Shi Nianxue, but Shi Nianxue ultimately chose to stand on the side of the original owner’s father and stepmother.

Seeing Han Shuangshuang looking dazed and blank, Shi Nianxue rubbed her furrowed brow and softened her tone. “I know you feel unconvinced, but don’t be unconvinced yet. There are too many eyes and ears at school. This afternoon at the Han family, I’ll properly explain everything to you. After lunch, I’ll pick you up and go with you.”

Han Shuangshuang shook her head, suppressing the inexplicable resistance that had surged from nowhere in her heart. “No need. I still know the way home. I’ll go by myself.”

After saying that, Han Shuangshuang turned and left.

[System: Host really is straightforward, not dragging things out at all.]

Han Shuangshuang walked through the campus. The sunlight shining on her body was warm, but Han Shuangshuang’s eyes were blank as she stared into space.

Hearing the system notification, she gave a self-mocking cold snort in her heart.

What was there to be decisive about?

This was nothing more than a fictional world inside a book. She was only a cannon-fodder female supporting character.

The system had already explained it so clearly. If she wanted to change her ending, she only needed to complete the two missions related to Shen Yuru. Then everyone else held no meaning in her eyes.

In her original world, she had always lived under other people’s biased gazes, living under someone else’s roof.

She knew very well that the opinions of people who had nothing to do with her were useless to her.

Because none of them were truly doing it for her own good. In that case, why should she care about those people pointing fingers at her?

The Han family was the same. Shi Nianxue was the same. They all had their own purposes.

To the original owner, that was family, an inseverable bond. But to Han Shuangshuang, those people were nothing more than paper characters in a book, used to push the plot forward.

[System: Host really lives quite clear-headedly.]

……

Yan Huan said, “Sis, even though I’m not going this afternoon, contact me immediately if anything happens. Whatever I can handle, I’ll definitely handle it for you.”

Han Shuangshuang, with tears streaming down her old motherly face, bid farewell to Yan Huan as though she were heading to the execution ground, then took a car to the Han family.

[System: Host still needs to be a little careful.]

Han Shuangshuang got out of the car and looked at the villa before her, letting out a breath.

Of course she had to be careful. How good could the family environment that forced the original owner into that state possibly be?

Unfortunately, Han Shuangshuang overlooked one thing. She did not have the original owner’s memories, so she could not tell which room was which.

“Can you detect which room Shen Yuru is in?”

Han Shuangshuang did not remember very clearly the scene where Shen Yuru and the original owner’s engagement was decided, so she had to determine whether today was the day their two families arranged the engagement.

Shen Yuru’s blackening value had not dropped much. If an engagement was rashly set now, Shen Yuru would definitely develop resentment toward her. When that happened, her ending would be difficult to change.

Moreover, Han Shuangshuang had always had a question in her heart. Long Aodi had already been expelled now, which could be considered completely breaking away from the male lead halo.

[System: Don’t worry, Host. Although the male lead has disappeared, Host can still support the entire plot.]

Han Shuangshuang did not think too much and ignored the system’s reminder. She casually found a room and had just planned to raise her hand to knock when the door opened by itself. Inside stood a man. After seeing her face, he froze, then immediately unfolded a polite smile and invited her in.

“I didn’t expect it to be the Han family girl. You came especially to find Yuru, didn’t you?”

An elderly voice came from inside the room.

After Han Shuangshuang saw that old woman, a name suddenly flashed through her mind. She was an elder of the Shen family.

A great deal of information poured into Han Shuangshuang’s head.

The Shen family was a large clan with an ancestral hall.

After Shen Yuru’s parents succeeded in business, they created their own family enterprise.

The other people in the family swarmed over like bloodsuckers.

When Shen Yuru’s parents were still alive, those people at least pretended to be human. They behaved themselves and lived good lives by borrowing Shen Yuru’s parents’ halo. However, after Shen Yuru’s parents passed away, those relatives revealed their ugly faces. They wanted to divide the assets left behind by Shen Yuru’s parents, and that so-called family elder even used Shen Yuru’s young age as an excuse to seize all authority over the Shen family company.

Han Shuangshuang wore a dry smile on her face as she was pulled inside. She saw Shen Yuru sitting together with those people, her head slightly lowered, her face without much expression, and those phoenix eyes faintly lowered, looking very lonely.

The first thing Han Shuangshuang felt upon entering the room was oppression. She had lived under someone else’s roof since childhood, so she was very sensitive to atmosphere.

These people from the older generation were far too pretentious.

After seeing Han Shuangshuang, that old woman grinned, revealing two tacky gold teeth. “You’re called Han Shuangshuang, right? I heard you and Yuru have been quite close at school and have a very good relationship. Then sit beside Yuru. This child has never been good with words since she was young. Having someone lively like you by her side makes me feel a bit more at ease.”

Han Shuangshuang saw that there was an extra chair beside Shen Yuru, so she could only walk over and sit down.

But Han Shuangshuang sensed something wrong from the old woman’s words.

She had spent so much time with Shen Yuru and could tell that the Shen family did not particularly care about Shen Yuru. Yet they knew Shen Yuru’s every move. This meant these people had been secretly watching Shen Yuru all along.

Shen Yuru was being monitored.

For some reason, Han Shuangshuang suddenly felt irritated, as though she could not stand seeing Shen Yuru being bullied like this.

She felt that Shen Yuru should be the way she was in front of her—silent, but full of little thoughts. She should not be schemed against and bullied like this.

Han Shuangshuang smiled politely. “I’m used to being casual. I just like people with good temperaments like Sister Shen. Right, Sister Shen?”

After Han Shuangshuang finished speaking, she propped up her head, tilted it toward Shen Yuru, and even gave Shen Yuru a big wink.

A servant poured tea for Han Shuangshuang and Shen Yuru.

Throughout the entire process, Shen Yuru did not look at Han Shuangshuang, but she could still feel the enthusiasm Han Shuangshuang was sending her way.

Shen Yuru merely lowered her head and quietly looked at the tea before her. Just as she was about to lift it and take a light sip, the old woman knocked her cane and looked at Shen Yuru in a low voice. “That tea is too sweet. It isn’t good for your heart. You should drink more bitter things. Only then will you know how difficult it was for us to raise you, and you should be more sensible and obedient.”

Han Shuangshuang saw the hand Shen Yuru held the teacup with pause.

Someone immediately changed Shen Yuru’s tea and placed another cup back into Shen Yuru’s hand.

Han Shuangshuang knew Shen Yuru disliked bitter flavors.

Why was this old hag so annoying? Shen Yuru’s blackening definitely also had something to do with these people.

So Han Shuangshuang directly stretched out her hand in a careless, delinquent way, pretending it was accidental as she snatched the cup of tea from Shen Yuru’s hand and knocked it over onto the table. Then, naturally, she pushed the sweet tea in front of herself over to Shen Yuru.

“I’m sorry, Grandma Shen. I’ve been spoiled rotten by my parents and have been arrogant since I was little. I can’t stand the smell of bitter things. I accidentally knocked over the tea. I hope the Shen family head won’t mind.”

Han Shuangshuang smiled crookedly and evilly.

She had to admit, being a malicious female supporting character was quite satisfying.

The spilled tea was immediately cleaned up by someone. Shen Yuru looked at the tea pushed in front of her, picked it up, and took a light sip.

The warm tea flowed through her mouth and throat, all the way to her stomach. She felt as though all her limbs and bones warmed because of this breath of heat.

Han Shuangshuang was extremely arrogant with her mouth, but she secretly reached her hand under the table. From an angle no one could see, she secretly stretched out her little finger and hooked Shen Yuru’s pinkie. Her movement was slow and carried a cautious desire to please.

Shen Yuru’s expression paused slightly. Then, naturally, she set down the teacup in front of her. She did not acknowledge Han Shuangshuang’s little movement, but she also did not refuse, allowing Han Shuangshuang’s little finger to hook onto her like a slippery snake tongue.

Shen Yuru’s lashes trembled lightly. She thought of how Han Shuangshuang had once told her she wanted to become a new person and shake off all the misunderstandings others had toward her before.

But today, for Shen Yuru’s sake, she was openly challenging those elders of the Shen family.

These elders were no different from long-tongued gossips. They were the best at saying all kinds of messy things.

The little finger tangled by Han Shuangshuang moved slightly. Shen Yuru kept feeling as though the sensation of the skin on that finger had been magnified several thousand times. It was cool and very itchy. That itch traveled along her arm all the way into her heart. Her heart began beating powerfully again, one beat after another, deafeningly loud. She could even ignore the probing gazes of the people around her and the quiet mocking voices of those relatives.

Was Han Shuangshuang really this simple?

Did she like someone so shallowly?

Was this face of Shen Yuru’s enough to make Han Shuangshuang so devoted to her?

She said studying was for Shen Yuru’s sake. Becoming a new person was also for Shen Yuru’s sake. Now, even being arrogant and domineering was still for Shen Yuru’s sake.

Shen Yuru had never had this feeling before. This feeling of being firmly chosen by someone, of someone firmly standing by her side and always believing in her unconditionally.

Her heart, sealed away for so long and full of wounds, had been frozen into a lump of ice, never easily softening. But at this moment, the frozen edges and corners of that heart seemed to begin cracking, showing traces of softness.

This Han Shuangshuang really left her helpless. That one-hundred-thousand-yuan check… she could give it to Han Shuangshuang first. At worst, she would keep an eye on her and not let her spend it recklessly.

Han Shuangshuang did not know Shen Yuru had so many thoughts at this moment. She only felt that Shen Yuru’s face seemed to have reddened a little.

Shen Yuru was originally a cold type of beauty. Because her brows were always slightly furrowed, she seemed somewhat gloomy, but that did not affect her beauty in the slightest. At this moment, Shen Yuru’s cheeks were flushed, that complexion like peach blossoms, as though dipped in honey. She was so beautiful that people could not look away.

So Han Shuangshuang released Shen Yuru’s little finger and curled her index finger slightly, hooking Shen Yuru’s palm again and again, as though wickedly seducing her.

Shen Yuru could only furrow her brows slightly, turn her head, and glare at Han Shuangshuang with a half-annoyed, half-chiding look, telling her not to fool around.

However, at that moment, a knock came from the doorway.

Shi Nianxue entered with a polite and proper smile. Her gaze swept over everyone’s faces before finally landing on Han Shuangshuang. “I’m sorry, Shen family head. My younger sister has caused everyone trouble. Father is looking for her. I’ll take her over now. The banquet will begin in half an hour. I hope everyone enjoys their time at the Shen family.”

Han Shuangshuang was a little dazed when she saw Shi Nianxue’s face. Before she could react, her hand had already been shaken off by Shen Yuru.

She saw Shen Yuru turn her head away and give a cold hum. “If you went to the wrong place, then hurry back. Everyone else is worrying themselves sick.”

Han Shuangshuang wanted her one hundred thousand yuan?

In her dreams!