Oh no! My yandere school beauty is so clingy!

Shen Yu found out the location over the phone.

The moment the call ended, Shen Yu practically jumped up from the sofa. He used his phone's navigation to search for the location; it was a restaurant about seven or eight kilometers away.

Lin Anran had overheard the conversation on the phone. She didn't dare to breathe too loudly and listened quietly until the call ended. Only then did she stand up and prepare to go out with Shen Yu.

Shen Yu picked the baby out of the stroller and went out with Lin Anran.

As the elevator descended, Shen Yu's finger swiped rapidly across his phone screen; the ride-hailing app showed that the nearest car would arrive in three minutes.

Lin Anran leaned against him, her breathing a little rapid, and one hand unconsciously grabbed Shen Yu's arm.

The car arrived faster than expected. Shen Yu, carrying the child, and Lin Anran climbed into the back seat. The car smoothly entered the lane and then began to accelerate.

Only the steady beeping of the navigation system remained inside the car.

Shen Yu's Adam's apple bobbed. He looked down at the child in his arms and murmured:

"We're about to find your mother..."

Lin Anran leaned on his shoulder and heard the whisper.

She didn't respond, but simply pressed her face gently against his taut arm and closed her eyes.

Outside the car window, the city streetscape kept changing, gradually driving from familiar neighborhoods into unfamiliar territory.

The navigation prompt sounded again: "You are approaching your destination, which is on your right side of the road..."

Shen Yu raised his head and looked out the car window.

The car gradually slowed down and eventually stopped on the side of the road.

The roadside sign had a few not-so-eye-catching characters: "Old Place Home-Style Dishes".

An ordinary little restaurant that looks like it's been around for a while.

Arrived.

Shen Yu took a deep breath; her palms, holding the child, were damp.

He and Lin Anran exchanged a glance, both seeing the tension in each other's eyes.

The car came to a stop.

Shen Yu paid the fare, and he and Lin Anran got out of the car with the child in their arms.

The restaurant's signboard was covered with a thin layer of grease. The shop wasn't large; through the not-so-clean glass door, you could see a dozen or so tables inside.

The lunch rush had passed, and the restaurant was rather quiet with few customers.

Shen Yu held Shen Yu'an in his arms, with Lin Anran close beside him. The two stood outside the door, feeling a mix of homesickness and trepidation, and neither moved.

His gaze swept eagerly across the store.

Soon, their gazes locked onto a figure.

At a table by the window, a girl in a light blue waitress uniform with an apron was standing with her back to them, slightly bent over, mechanically wiping the table with a rag.

Her movements were slow, revealing a deep weariness.

The girl was extremely thin, and the uniform looked loose and ill-fitting on her.

Her exposed wrists were so thin they looked as if they could snap at any moment, and her profile was deathly pale...

Shen Yu and Lin Anran's hearts sank at the same time.

That's... light rain?

The girl in the photo with her bright smile and clear eyes is almost unrecognizable compared to the gaunt and lifeless girl in front of me.

Only the faint outline between the eyebrows and eyes can still be recognized as a shadow of the past.

But the lifeless stillness emanating from her was something that photographs simply could not convey...

"It's her..." Lin Anran's voice was extremely low, trembling slightly with disbelief, but more so with confirmation.

She instinctively gripped Shen Yu's arm tightly: "Let's go inside..."

"Wait a minute." Shen Yu gripped her wrist, his voice low and tense, his gaze fixed on the store.

Just then, a young male waiter wearing the same uniform, who looked to be in his early twenties, with a cheerful smile on his face, came out from the kitchen carrying a stack of washed dishes and chopsticks.

He walked over to Zhang Shuyu, seemingly wanting to help her straighten the chair after wiping the table, or take the dirty rag from her hand, while smiling and saying something...

Zhang Shuyu, who had been quietly wiping the table, was startled when her male colleague approached, even before he touched her.

He shuddered violently, like a startled rabbit, and quickly took a big step back.

Shen Yu and Lin Anran finally saw her face clearly.

It was an extremely handsome face, yet utterly haggard, with chapped lips and vacant eyes.

However, at this moment, those empty eyes were filled with intense vigilance.

She quickly waved her hand, her mouth forming the shape of "No, no need"...

Her male colleague was clearly taken aback by her intense reaction; his smile froze on his face, and he stood there helplessly, holding his bowl and chopsticks...

Outside the glass door, Shen Yu and Lin Anran witnessed everything...

Shen Yu knew very well that Xiao Yu had been provoked, to the point that she was hesitant to accept a man's kindness, fearing that he might have ulterior motives or be deceived.

Lin Anran glanced at Shen Yu's profile and said softly, "It seems that man has caused her a lot of psychological trauma."

Shen Yu took a deep breath, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Anran's face, his voice low and hoarse:

"Yeah, once you've suffered a big loss, it's hard for you to trust others easily again. Weren't you like that before?"

He paused, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Anran's eyes, which were now filled with deep sorrow and a profound understanding.

Lin Anran was taken aback and met his gaze.

She understood the complex heartache in his eyes, and certain scenes from the past flashed through her mind.

But then came Shen Yu's hands, which always looked at her with unwavering determination and held hers.

It was he who pulled her out of those unbearable memories and self-doubt, giving her the courage to believe again.

She pursed her dry lips, her throat tightening.

She reached out and tugged at Shen Yu's sleeve, her voice very soft:

"Yeah...thanks to you..."

Shen Yu didn't speak, but used the hand that wasn't holding the child to tightly grasp the hand that was clutching his clothes, palms touching.

"Aren't we going in now?" Lin Anran asked Shen Yu.

They were so lucky to find her so quickly, and now she's right in front of them. Shouldn't they seize this opportunity?

Shen Yu shook his head and said, "Let's wait until she gets off work. If we go in now, she'll be pointed at and gossiped about. We can talk slowly after she gets off work when there's nothing else going on."

Lin Anran nodded and said, "Hmm...that makes sense."

It was already afternoon, and she wouldn't be long before she got off work. Since they had already found their way here, there was no rush to meet.

At this moment, Shen Yu'an woke up in Shen Yu's arms, blinked her eyes, looked at Zhang Shuyu through the glass, immediately opened her little hands and stretched them forward, and hummed softly.

Lin Anran and Shen Yu both looked down at her and smiled faintly.

"Has this child recognized her mother?"

"Who knows..."