Oh no! My yandere school beauty is so clingy!

Zhang Shuyu stood there, holding her child in her arms, and it took her a long time to process what she had just heard.

Shen Yu's past, Lin Anran's past, and the deep, almost pathological, bond between them... that defies conventional reasoning.

She felt a heavy weight in her heart, a bit suffocated, a bit sad, but strangely she also felt... that they weren't so bad after all?

At least after all that, they met each other, and now it seems... although Lin Anran's state just now was a bit frightening,

But Shen Yu seemed to be able to soothe her well.

They're happy together, aren't they? It's a complicated feeling, a little subtle.

Shen Yu noticed that Zhang Shuyu seemed to have calmed down a bit, and the expression on her face had softened.

He gently released Lin Anran, who returned to her previous quiet demeanor, though her ears were slightly red, and she stood beside Shen Yu with her head down.

"And... what about you?" Shen Yu looked at Zhang Shuyu, her tone softening slightly. "Could you tell me about your past?"

Zhang Shuyu lowered her head, looked at her daughter who had already started to yawn in her arms, and remained silent for a long while.

Just when Shen Yu thought she didn't want to talk, she nodded slightly.

"Yes... I've been in the orphanage since I can remember..." Her voice was soft, and she spoke slowly.

"I had a lot of friends in the compound, and everyone was like brothers and sisters. At that time, I really didn't think much about my parents. I felt that having the aunties in the compound and playing with everyone was enough."

She recounted the story haltingly, from playing in the mud with other children in the yard to being scolded by her aunt for secretly climbing trees to pick fruit.

Later, when I started school, I was pointed at and gossiped about by some classmates because I wore old clothes and used stationery donated by others.

It was only then that I began to vaguely realize that I was "different" from others.

Her tone wasn't always heavy when she talked about those things.

When she talks about her childhood playmates, she can't help but chuckle, her eyes crinkling with a sparkle, though that sparkle quickly fades.

When talking about some of her mischievous antics, she finds them funny and will unconsciously chuckle. Although the sound is not loud, it is particularly clear in the small room.

As Shen Yu and Lin Anran listened, the corners of their mouths would also curve into smiles, and the atmosphere seemed to have really relaxed and become much more pleasant.

Time passed slowly as she narrated in a low voice.

It wasn't until the little one in her arms started to squirm restlessly and whimper and cry, clearly wanting to sleep, that Zhang Shuyu was suddenly jolted awake from her reverie.

She glanced at the sky outside the window, then at Shen Yu and Lin Anran, who were standing quietly by the bedside, listening to her.

They then realized that they had been standing there for almost an hour.

She hurriedly stood up, holding the child, her face showing embarrassment and apology.

"Ah! Please sit down for a while! Standing for so long must be tiring. Sorry, we don't have any chairs at home..."

Shen Yu waved his hand, his tone very calm:

"No, no... It's getting late, and the baby is sleepy. We should go back now."

Zhang Shuyu's heart skipped a beat, and a fleeting, inexplicable sense of loss crossed her mind.

She was stunned for a moment, not understanding where this feeling came from.

They had only known each other for a few hours, and she had just been wary and suspicious, but now... she was actually a little... reluctant to see them leave.

Shen Yu seemed oblivious to her subtle emotional shift. He pulled a pen from his pocket and then found a crumpled receipt that appeared to be from a previous purchase.

He wrote down his and Lin Anran's phone numbers on the back and handed it to Zhang Shuyu.

"Keep this safe..."

He placed the note on the old table beside the bed.

"You don't have a cell phone, so if you have an emergency, just borrow one to call us...and we'll be coming over often."

He paused, then looked at Zhang Shuyu with a serious expression:

"Remember, don't go back to work... Just stay home, take good care of the children, eat well, and rest..."

After saying that, he took out a wad of cash from his wallet, about two thousand yuan, and handed it over without counting it...

Upon seeing the money, Zhang Shuyu immediately recoiled as if burned, waving her hands frantically, her face flushed red.

"No, no, no! This is too much! I can't take it! I..."

Shen Yu didn't withdraw his hand, but just looked at her, his voice calm, yet carrying an undeniable power:

"Take this first, buy formula and diapers for the baby, and some nutritious things for yourself... Spend it now, and if it's not enough, or if you run out, just tell me and I'll give you more..."

"But..."

"This is for the baby..." Shen Yu interrupted her, using only one sentence.

Sure enough, this statement was more effective than any other advice.

Zhang Shuyu's hand, which was pushing away, stopped in mid-air. She pursed her lips and looked at her daughter in her arms, who was sobbing and whose little face was scrunched up.

She hesitated, struggled, and finally slowly and somewhat hesitantly reached out and took the stack of money.

Holding the money in her hand, it felt heavy, almost burning her skin, yet it also made her feel... as if the huge weight that had been hanging over her heart had eased a little...

She kept her head down, her face and ears were bright red, and her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, like a mosquito's hum.

"Thank you...brother...big brother..."

The last two words were so soft they were barely audible, and Shen Yu could only make out their shape from her lips.

This time, Shen Yu didn't correct her, nor did she say, "Just call me by my name."

He simply looked at her, and a very slight smile curved his lips...

Shen Yu said, "Then we'll be going."

Zhang Shuyu carried the child and saw them to the door.

Shen Yu waved his hand: "No need to see me off, go inside and get some rest."

"Um... goodbye..." Zhang Shuyu's voice was still very soft as she held the child and stood at the door watching them.

"Goodbye." Shen Yu nodded, took Lin Anran's hand, and the two turned and went downstairs.

The motion-activated lights in the stairwells of the old residential building flickered on and off, and footsteps echoed in the empty stairwells.

Stepping out of the building, a cool night breeze blew in.

There were hardly any pedestrians on the streets, only a few taxis cruising slowly.

Shen Yu hailed a taxi, and the two got into the back seat.

The car drove smoothly into the night.

Lin Anran leaned on Shen Yu's shoulder, neither of them speaking. The neon lights outside the car window reflected on their faces, flickering in and out.

After a while, Lin Anran spoke softly, breaking the silence in the car:

"We should bring over all the things we bought for the house... bottles, diapers, baby clothes, etc... and the stroller too..."

She and Shen Yu had bought a lot of baby and maternity supplies together to prepare for the baby they thought they were going to adopt, and they were all piled up at home.

Shen Yu hummed in agreement, leaning back in her seat with a relaxed air, her voice carrying a hint of weariness and emptiness.

"I thought... I would have to take care of the baby for a long time, but I didn't expect it to be over so soon."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, a hint of wistfulness in his voice:

"I never expected... that I would find her so quickly."

Lin Anran nodded and gave a very soft "hmm".

She turned her head, looked up at Shen Yu's profile which appeared somewhat weary in the dim light, and softened her voice:

"That's good... this way you can relax a bit more. You've been so tired lately."

As she spoke, she reached out and lightly touched Shen Yu's brow with her fingertips.

Shen Yu felt her touch, turned his head, and met her concerned gaze.

The carriage was dimly lit, but her eyes shone brightly, clearly reflecting his image.

His heart softened, and he raised his hand to gently stroke Lin Anran's cheek with his fingertips, the gesture filled with undisguised doting affection.

"You've worked hard too... Now we can finally get some rest... Just the two of us."

As Lin Anran listened to his words, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upwards, and something soft melted in her eyes.

Yes, from now on, it will be just her and Shen Yu in their own world again.

It's like... like God briefly disturbed them, and now, He has given them back the peace and quiet of solitude.

She gently pressed her face against Shen Yu's shoulder, closed her eyes, and felt his familiar scent and warmth. Her voice was filled with satisfaction and anticipation as she softly murmured "Mmm."

"Let's go home... I'll give you a good massage, relax... and get a good night's sleep..."