Oh no! My yandere school beauty is so clingy!

Lin Anran then slowly released her hand, obediently humming in agreement, but her body remained motionless in the position where he had put her down.

She watched as Shen Yu straightened up, walked to the door, turned off the overhead light, leaving only a warm yellow nightlight by the bedside, and then walked back to the bedside.

In the dim, soft light, he lifted a corner of the blanket and sat down first.

Then, quite naturally, he patted the spot next to him and looked at her: "Come here."

Lin Anran immediately seemed to receive a command, scrambling out from under the covers and snuggling up to him.

Then she turned to the side, snuggled into his arms, found the most comfortable position, rested her forehead on his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Here I am!"

Shen Yu looked down at the person in his arms and smiled silently.

He reached out and pulled her close, adjusting their position to make them both more comfortable, then pulled the blanket up to cover them both completely...

The bedside lamp was still on. They both knew it wasn't time to sleep yet, but they just wanted to stay snuggled together like this.

Lin Anran could also sense that Shen Yu had changed since yesterday, or more precisely, since yesterday afternoon.

I can't quite put my finger on what's different, but it's probably just that... my relationship with her is better now, I'm more tolerant of her, and I like her even more...

So Lin Anran was very happy, indulging in Shen Yu's gentle embrace and unable to extricate herself.

Lin Anran's fingers unconsciously circled one of the buttons on his pajamas, turning it twice. Suddenly remembering something, she looked up, rested her chin gently on his chest, and whispered:

"By the way, Shen Yu... today... Jiang Xiaohan seemed to have seen the '..." on my shoulder.

She didn't finish speaking, but Shen Yu immediately understood.

It's the mark he left behind...

He hummed in response, his arm still loosely around hers, his fingertips idly twirling her hair, his tone calm:

"What did she say?"

"She didn't say anything special... so I... asked her to keep it a secret."

Shen Yu chuckled softly upon hearing this and said casually:

"It's okay even if she doesn't keep it a secret."

Lin Anran was taken aback and subconsciously looked at him.

"But...won't this cause you trouble?" she asked hesitantly.

She didn't care; she wanted everyone to know!

She wanted everyone to know that she belonged to Shen Yu, that she was the mark Shen Yu had left behind...

But she was afraid Shen Yu would be unhappy, since Shen Yu was the class monitor and had a leading role in the class.

Moreover, the college entrance examination is approaching, and schools are being more strict at this time. If something goes wrong and the school catches you doing something wrong, it will be even more troublesome.

She didn't want to be a burden to Shen Yu, nor did she want to cause him trouble or make him unhappy...

Shen Yu was silent for a moment, then stopped twirling the strands of hair with his fingertips and gently stroked her cheek instead:

"trouble?"

"No, it's not a problem. Maybe... I used to care about too many things..."

"Being a good class monitor, maintaining a good image, getting into a good university, and walking a path that everyone approves of... those are all important..."

He paused, his fingertips sliding from her cheek to behind her ear, gently pinching her soft earlobe.

"But now, none of that matters anymore..."

Lin Anran's heart skipped a beat, and she stared at him blankly.

Shen Yu's voice was even lower:

"I am now..."

"You're all I have left, Lin Anran...you are my everything."

These words instantly stirred up a tidal wave in Lin Anran's heart.

A mix of emotions—bitterness, sweetness, shock, helplessness—rushed to her eyes, causing a sudden stinging sensation in her nose...

"Will I be a good class monitor? Will I get into a good university? Will this have any negative impact? What will happen if the school catches me...?"

"None of that matters anymore..."

He cupped her face in his hands and wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes with his fingertips.

"You are the most important person. You don't need to be afraid of anything. No matter what happens, I will stand by your side."

"If you want to be a good student, I'll be a good student with you..."

"If you want to be a bad student, I'll go with you."

"I don't care about anything else... I only care about you."

The last few words fell lightly, yet they weighed as heavily as a thousand pounds, making Lin Anran dizzy.

Tears could no longer be held back, streaming down his face, dripping onto the back of his hands, and soaking the front of his shirt...

"Waaah..."

She let out a soft sob, then suddenly lowered her head, burying her face and tears in his warm neck, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist.

Shen Yu let Lin Anran cry. He didn't say anything more, but just gently patted her back with both hands.

Lin Anran cried without any regard for her image, as if she wanted to pour out all her previous unease, anxiety, and the overwhelming happiness she felt at that moment through her tears.

She clutched the fabric of his pajamas tightly at the back, her sobs escalating from faint to suppressed whimpers, her shoulders trembling in his arms...

Shen Yu held her silently the entire time. The room was quiet, save for her intermittent sobs...

After an unknown amount of time, the intense crying gradually turned into soft sobs, and finally only the occasional sniffling sound remained.

Lin Anran went limp in his arms, her eyes swollen, her nose stuffy, and her breathing labored, yet she felt a lightness and peace she had never felt before...

Feeling the movement in his arms subside, Shen Yu slowly opened his mouth:

"Okay... stop crying..."

Lin Anran shifted in his arms, not looking up, but pressing her face even closer to him.

Shen Yu paused for a moment, then asked in a solemn tone in a low voice:

"Now...you know how I feel..."

"So...I want to ask you..."

"Could you...not leave me?"

He paused, seemingly waiting for her reaction, or perhaps afraid she hadn't heard him clearly, and then pronounced each word perfectly:

"Stay with me forever... okay?"

This is unlike his usual style.

With just a cautious request, he laid bare his deepest fears and desires before her without reservation.

Lin Anran suddenly lifted her head from his embrace.

In the dim light, her swollen, red eyes stared wide open, still brimming with wet tears.

Her face was streaked with tears, her nose was red, and she looked somewhat disheveled, but the light in her eyes was captivating...

"Of course!"

She said it out loud almost without hesitation.

"I'd rather die than leave you!"

She gripped his shirt tightly, her fingers digging in, her body leaning forward slightly with excitement, her eyes fixed on him.

"You are the same, you are my everything, my life..."

Even if you don't want me anymore, I'll still cling to you. I'll stay by your side for the rest of my life. I can't live without you...

"Because all I want is to live on with you."