After Marrying the Cold and Elegant Beauty, I Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 8

Shen Yuru set down her pen. She rested her hands on the books, fingers interlaced. Her slender fingers were so pale they seemed to reflect the light.

Perhaps due to her heart condition, her general frailty, or anemia, her already fair complexion held a persistent pallor—the look of someone who hadn’t seen the sun in years. This gave her beauty a certain fragile, “shattered” quality.

She wore her hair in a low, simple ponytail, clean and devoid of any ornamentation. But often, the simpler the style, the more it tests the foundation of a beautiful face. Beauty is in the bone, not just the skin. Han Shuangshuang felt that Shen Yuru was exactly that kind of beauty.

However, despite that pale air of sickly weakness, those phoenix eyes commanded respect without needing to show anger. When she locked eyes with someone, her lack of emotion created a natural sense of pressure.

Han Shuangshuang pouted and made a soft plea. “Sister Shen, whether you believe it or not, I really need to study hard. If I keep failing, I’ll be held back. Then I’ll still be a freshman while you’ve already graduated and started working. How could I fulfill my promise to my mother to take good care of you then? I’d be plagued by guilt for the rest of my life.”

Shen Yuru’s index finger twitched slightly. She could still feel the residual warmth on the crown of her head from where she had patted the girl earlier. Han Shuangshuang’s high ponytail was thick; the new hair growth at her forehead was a bit fuzzy and prickly to the touch.

For some reason, Shen Yuru felt a twinge of regret. She had somehow succumbed to a moment of bewitchment and nodded, agreeing to help.

She still knew very little about Han Shuangshuang. The Shen family treated her like a puppet for an arranged marriage to consolidate family interests, but she was not willing to let her future be held in the hands of others—controlled like a marionette by invisible, fine threads.

Shen Yuru suddenly raised her phoenix eyes, staring intently into Han Shuangshuang’s “puppy eyes” to scrutinize her. Her initial plan had been to “counter soldiers with generals and water with earth”—to see what Han Shuangshuang’s angle was when she called her to the lake. Yet, since yesterday, this girl had been constantly appearing before her.

Shen Yuru couldn’t be certain if Han Shuangshuang knew about the future marriage. Her butler’s investigation yielded a 95% certainty that the girl was clueless, but Shen Yuru never took anything for granted unless it was 100%. She was prepared for the 5% chance of a variable.

If Han Shuangshuang was sent by the Han family to intentionally get close to her to ensure the marriage went smoothly… she shouldn’t get too close.

Having grown up in a wealthy clan, Shen Yuru had watched her relatives reveal their ugly, greedy faces after her parents died. she knew that all warmth was a facade; filthy motives were hidden in the heart, and only when true interests appeared would people show their wolf-like nature, tearing at each other with no regard for blood relations.

She had been given a “poisoned apple” laced with cheap rat poison by her own biological aunt. She had witnessed her uncle bribe people to stage a car accident to “send her away.” At first, she didn’t understand why her family did this and wanted to expose their masks, but she later realized everyone’s heart was the same. They were kind on the surface but knew the truth in their hearts; no one was willing to speak up. Gradually, she became numb.

Now, keeping what her parents left her firmly in her own hands was the only thing that mattered. Thus, she was wary of every kindness shown to her. Behind every “good” act lay a bottomless abyss; one moment of soft-heartedness could lead to a fall into ruin. Ever since her parents died, she had stopped trusting people, becoming sensitive and suspicious just to survive.

[System: Friendly Reminder: Shen Yuru is currently trapped in traumatic memories. Please interrupt immediately, or her Blackening Value will rebound.]

Han Shuangshuang snapped into action and stood up.

“Sister Shen, you already nodded and agreed, so you can’t back out!” Han Shuangshuang reached out and grabbed Shen Yuru’s cold hand, forcefully hooking her own pinky with the other’s. “Pinky swear. Now it’s a promise.”

Han Shuangshuang leaned down slightly, whispering into Shen Yuru’s ear, “Sister Shen, the library is for quiet study. It’s too quiet for you to teach me. Why don’t we go somewhere else?”

Before Shen Yuru could react, Han Shuangshuang had already “bossily” pulled her up. The sudden contact broke Shen Yuru’s train of thought. Han Shuangshuang’s palm was very hot, warming the back of her hand. Before she could refuse, she was dragged out of the library.

Shen Yuru’s eyes held an unreadable emotion. Since Han Shuangshuang was being so proactive, she might as well “beat her at her own game” and test if she was indeed a spy for the Han family.

Shen Yuru gently pulled her hand back, standing still. She said calmly, “Classmate Han, we aren’t in the same major. I’m afraid I won’t be much help.”

“How could that be? Sister Shen is the school’s number one, a total ‘Study God.’ Even if the majors are different, study methods are the same! Once I get the ‘secret teachings’ from you, my future grades and those failed classes won’t be a problem. Then I can spend all my time with you.”

Seeing her persistence, Shen Yuru said nothing more. She just raised an eyebrow, seemingly humoring Han Shuangshuang’s next move.

Han Shuangshuang found an empty classroom. As Shen Yuru sat down, Han Shuangshuang “doggedly” pulled out the chair for her.

Wait—I just held her hand. Why didn’t her heart healing progress increase?

[System: To increase the heart healing progress, there must be a change in Shen Yuru’s mental state. Just now, her heart was completely still with no ‘ripples,’ so there was no healing gain.]

Han Shuangshuang’s small brain filled with a big question mark. Ripples? What kind of ripples?

Shen Yuru did everything seriously. The corners of her phoenix eyes were slightly tinged with red, adding a touch of color to her pale face. She began asking Han Shuangshuang several questions.

However, Han Shuangshuang’s attention was entirely on how to make physical contact to trigger a “ripple.” She stared at Shen Yuru’s slender thumb, her own index finger surreptitiously inching toward it.

Shen Yuru: “So, have you borrowed notes from anyone else? These are basic assignments, and I’m not entirely familiar with your major’s specific…”

Han Shuangshuang: “Uh… yes, yes.”

Almost there. Just 3cm more and I can touch her pinky.

Shen Yuru followed Han Shuangshuang’s distracted gaze. At the very moment the girl was about to succeed, she swiftly withdrew her thumb. Her voice turned cold instantly. “It seems Classmate Han’s heart isn’t on studying. In that case, there’s no need for me to continue.”

Han Shuangshuang wanted to cry. She didn’t expect to be caught! She had been so careful! Her “rusty” brain went into overdrive to find a plausible reason.

She immediately sat up straight, looking righteous. “That’s not it, Sister Shen! I didn’t mean to do that, and I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you. It’s just that your fingertips are so pale. I was wondering if it’s because your heart is weak, leading to poor circulation and blanching in your joints. I just wanted to touch them to see if your finger pads were cold.”

As she spoke, her back—which had been straight as a pine—slowly slumped. Her tone became filled with grievance, her eyes looking pitiful. “I always mean well, so why do you always misunderstand me? I’m being so sincere, yet you still don’t trust me?”

She looked at Shen Yuru with those miserable puppy eyes—the very picture of a good dog being wrongly accused.

Shen Yuru sighed, looking as if she had no choice. She stretched her hand out and laid it flat in front of Han Shuangshuang.

Like a dog receiving a reward, Han Shuangshuang’s face lit up. She held Shen Yuru’s wrist with one hand and used the index and middle fingers of her other hand to sandwich Shen Yuru’s finger, pulling firmly from the knuckle to the tip. “Sister Shen, this promotes circulation and helps with cold fingers. It’s so hot out, yet your hands are so cold.”

As she massaged, she even blew warm air onto Shen Yuru’s fingertips.

[System: Friendly Reminder: Shen Yuru’s heart healing progress increased by 2%. Current total: 3%.]

Shen Yuru’s expression shifted slightly. Somehow, she actually felt a warmth in her finger pads. Her heart condition wasn’t purely congenital; it was a psychological trauma left by her parents’ death. Doctors said it was psychosomatic—medicine couldn’t cure it. It had been many years since she felt warmth like this.

Outside the classroom, Wu Huimin happened to be looking for a place for self-study. Through the window, she saw Han Shuangshuang and Shen Yuru sitting close together. From her angle, it looked like Han Shuangshuang was kissing Shen Yuru’s fingertips.

Wu Huimin immediately took several blurry photos, then quietly locked the classroom door from the outside.

Hmph. They’re clearly already together, yet she still wants to mess with my and the Senior’s relationship. Shameless. Satisfied, she walked away.

Han Shuangshuang studied hard all afternoon until all her energy was drained. She slumped over the desk. She had been so engrossed that it wasn’t until her stomach growled that she snapped out of it. She looked up and realized it was dark outside.

Shen Yuru packed her things. “That’s enough for today. Do the homework; I’ll check it tomorrow.”

Han Shuangshuang smiled joyfully, her invisible tail wagging. Great! Now I have a reason to see her tomorrow too.

But when they reached the door, they found both the front and back doors had been locked from the outside.

The sky was completely black. After about half an hour of being trapped, Shen Yuru’s face suddenly went pale. She clutched her chest in discomfort, swaying as if she couldn’t stand. She leaned against a desk for support.

She hadn’t had an attack this severe in a long time. It felt so cold… like she was going to faint. Breathing was difficult; her body felt heavy and exhausted.

Han Shuangshuang rushed to support her.

[System: Alert! Alert! Shen Yuru’s physical state has reached a critical low. Please take immediate action. She needs continuous heat and warmth right now.]

Han Shuangshuang was frantic. What do you mean ‘continuous heat and warmth’? It was summer; it wasn’t cold, and there was no heating! She couldn’t just hug her all night, could she?

[System: Friendly Reminder: The thickness of clothing may affect the efficiency of heat transfer.]

Han Shuangshuang: Ah-ha?

Does the 4cm chest padding count as an obstacle? That’s the pride of the small-chested!