Chapter 65

She stared at the message for a good while, but Shen Han did not withdraw it.

Fine… She was serious.

Su Mi sent over a string of ellipses.

:……

:Why?

Shen Han: I’m in the car. Typing makes me carsick. Can I video call you instead?

Su Mi felt a huge shock. Wasn’t it Secretary Zhuang or her usual secretary driving? She got carsick?

And even without typing, there were plenty of other options… She could send a voice message, or just call directly.

Her fingertips hovered over the virtual screen for a moment, but Su Mi found she couldn’t quite ask.

She had a premonition that if she asked Shen Han “Why video?”, the response would likely be something like, “Because I want to see you while we talk.”

Though it might just be her overthinking.

Su Mi thought it over, but still didn’t dare to ask.

After hesitating for ages, she replied: Okay.

Then the video call came through from the other side.

Su Mi had never used her Light Brain to video call anyone before. Seeing Shen Han connect so quickly, she panicked for a second and looked around for a suitable video background.

A few seconds passed, but she couldn’t find one. The dorm looked the same everywhere, so Su Mi gave up and sat in her chair to answer.

The interface shook a little, and Shen Han’s face appeared right in the center of the screen.

The background was indeed inside a car, with the vehicle’s dark gray leather interior behind her.

The camera only showed from her shoulders up. She wore a black shirt with silver cloud patterns embroidered at the collar, which made her porcelain skin look even more elegant and refined. Her long hair was pinned up behind her head, and a dangling silver pendant was faintly visible on the left side.

Her beautiful, deep eyes looked straight into the camera. When Su Mi’s figure appeared on the screen, her thin lips curved into a noticeable smile, and she said, “Su Mi.”

Su Mi cleared her throat awkwardly. “Ahem… Sis.”

She glanced at Shen Han on the video, then quickly looked away.

Damn…

Why did it suddenly feel like she didn’t recognize Shen Han anymore?

Just one look made her feel uncomfortable everywhere, her heart pounding.

Su Mi touched her face to mask her nervousness and cautiously said, “You’re… on the way to the airport?”

Shen Han said, “Zhong City doesn’t have an airport, but it’ll take a little over two hours driving.”

She paused, then her eyes softened a bit as she suddenly added, “It’ll be eight by the time I get there. No time to stop on the road. I’m going straight to meet a friend. We set it at a teahouse, but I don’t know if the food there is any good.”

Su Mi’s heart stuttered: Why say it in such detail? It even sounded like she was playing the sympathy card.

Must be an illusion.

She didn’t even know where Zhong City was, but this topic was easy enough to pick up.

Su Mi blinked and asked, “How about eating somewhere else? Does the teahouse even have filling food?”

Shen Han sighed and said, “Not sure. Sigh, I don’t want to go to Zhong City.”

Su Mi: “……”

Sis, aren’t you supposed to be a workaholic?

She awkwardly shifted her gaze back to her desk, not daring to ask more, afraid she’d get a response she wouldn’t know how to follow up on.

Then she heard Shen Han say softly, “I prefer eating hot food, like…”

Su Mi’s instincts told her the next words would be too much for her to handle.

She firmly interrupted with inward panic: “Next time you go on a business trip, bring Mama Zhang with you.”

A light laugh came from Shen Han’s side.

The atmosphere seemed to thicken with that soft chuckle.

Su Mi shifted her gaze back and glared at the faintly smiling antagonist on the screen, puffing out her cheeks indignantly. “Well? What then?”

Shen Han put away her smile, leaned back into the comfortable seatback, and fixed her lazy gaze on Su Mi on the screen. In a light voice, she said, “Mama Zhang won’t do. She’s on vacation these days, cleaning her old house near Prime City University.”

Prime. City. University. Nearby. Old. House.

Su Mi blinked and said blankly, “Huh?”

She had almost let Shen Han steer the topic away and was about to ask what she was doing in Zhong City.

Hearing this, she suddenly remembered the interrupted conversation. Su Mi paused, then hurriedly said, “Oh right, that house… Sis, I can’t accept it.”

Shen Han calmly asked back, “Why not?”

Su Mi frowned. “Why what? Out of nowhere, why transfer a house to me?”

Shen Han seemed not to have expected that question. After all, Su Mi had accepted gifts before without asking any reasons.

She paused, lifted her hand to adjust the bracelet on her wrist, then slowly said, “Mm… Consider it compensation.”

Su Mi asked in confusion, “Compensation for what?”

Shen Han lowered her eyes to fiddle with the bracelet, as if organizing her words. She stayed silent for a long while.

Su Mi inexplicably waited. After a bit, she suddenly felt something was off.

Before Su Mi could figure it out, she heard Shen Han say, as if carefully choosing her words, “Didn’t we say yesterday… about catching that person.”

Su Mi’s heart thudded hard.

Catching the one who stole the kiss.

Wait… Don’t we both know exactly who it was?

She hesitantly met Shen Han’s gaze.

Those usually cold and aloof eyes now clearly showed a hint of discomfort.

Shen Han’s fingers toyed with the bracelet like prayer beads, gently rubbing over the sections that resembled bamboo joints.

Her pale lashes trembled. After fiddling for a while, she said, “I checked, but the surveillance that night didn’t have night vision. Probably can’t identify who it was…”

Su Mi: “……”

Do you expect anyone to believe that? Who would?

Take the incident with Xu Nanqiao and her being surrounded by thugs—how quickly had Shen Han dug up footage from every obscure corner? How could she possibly not get this…

What was she pretending for…

But…

Su Mi silently bottled up all her emotions, not daring to let a hint slip.

She mumbled, “I-Is that so?”

Shen Han actually gave a serious “Mm,” though the end of it sounded a bit… guilty.

She continued, “After thinking it over, if I hadn’t left your side, you wouldn’t have been taken advantage of. As your big sister, I failed to protect you, so this is my way of making up for it. Plus, an incident like this suggests there might be security issues on campus. A neighborhood like that is safer for living, so…”

Su Mi: “……”

Isn’t the biggest danger right in front of me?

Shen Han went on, “Even though you said you don’t mind, I think that person was really out of line—not dignified or considerate at all. It was definitely taking advantage of you. Like you said, even if she really… she should do it openly and aboveboard, not these sneaky things, but instead…”

O-Openly do what?

Su Mi’s heart nearly skipped a beat. She panicked and cut Shen Han off: “W-Wait a second.”

Did Shen Han know what she was implying? Was she dropping the act again?

How was that person’s lack of dignity and consideration connected to Shen Han, who “couldn’t identify them”? And now suddenly talking about doing things openly.

Even though the dorm’s ventilation was running normally, Su Mi felt heat rising all over her body.

Shen Han stopped talking and waited for Su Mi.

Su Mi’s mind was in turmoil. After sorting through her thoughts for a long time, she only managed this: Shen Han really did seem to want to use the house as compensation.

To the Shen Corporation, the house was nothing—probably less than half a day’s worth of Shen Han’s wealth growth.

But to Su Mi, it was still too valuable.

Not to mention…

Su Mi felt awkward. If Shen Han thought a stolen kiss warranted such heavy compensation, what if she found out about that Susceptible Period, when Su Mi had already gone at it with her over and over…

Wouldn’t the Su Family have to pay until they went bankrupt?

Su Mi pinched her palm. No, no, that wasn’t the point. Her relationship with Shen Han was already messy enough; she absolutely couldn’t think about the past right now.

She suppressed her panic and could feel Shen Han watching her the whole time. Those pale pupils showed no emotion, but she was waiting for an answer.

Anyway… better to muddle through for now.

Su Mi hemmed and hawed, “It’s really fine. I mean, it truly has nothing to do with you, Sis. It’s all in the past for me. Like I said, it wasn’t my first kiss anyway… and right now, I don’t really have those kinds of… thoughts…”

Across the screen, Su Mi suddenly felt the pressure from Shen Han drop.

Oh no.

Su Mi froze. Why had she brought up first kisses again?

She pressed her lips together and glanced up in panic.

Shen Han maintained her poised and dignified demeanor, her expression calm, seemingly waiting for her to explain.

She was probably overthinking. Why would Shen Han be jealous over something like that?

Su Mi sighed inwardly.

What exactly did Shen Han mean? Did she like her? Or was there something else?

Su Mi didn’t think Shen Han liked her. She didn’t really understand Shen Han or know how she saw her.

If Su Mi had to say, she didn’t think she had much going for her. Shen Han’s descriptions of her always seemed limited to “idiot.”

Who falls for an idiot? She was probably just teasing her for fun.

After all, drunk Shen Han flitted around like a butterfly, liable to flirt with a stray dog. Even if she felt some fondness, it probably wasn’t that deep…

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if Shen Han did have some affection, Su Mi couldn’t necessarily influence her Blackening Value.

Another ten thousand steps: Even if she could affect the Blackening Value, getting close just for that would be deceiving her. Su Mi couldn’t accept doing that.

Of course, all this assumed Shen Han actually had feelings for her.

Most likely, Shen Han was just whimsically toying with her, and in the end, she’d go back to Xu Nanqiao or someone more suitable.

Meanwhile, Su Mi still had tasks to complete. The Su Family hadn’t left the Shen Corporation’s framework. If her relationship with Shen Han messed things up for the whole family or the mission, it wouldn’t be worth it.

So keeping things as they were was best.

Su Mi’s heart jittered all over, a total mess, her cheeks gradually heating up.

She wanted to know what Shen Han was really thinking, but also feared her coming on strong—afraid she couldn’t handle it.

The topic stalled awkwardly, freezing the atmosphere into a tense stagnation.

On one side was the girl in the dorm, frozen in place, lips pressed tight, cheeks flushed pink, her round eyes brimming with unconcealed panic.

On the other was the back seat of the smoothly driving car, separated by a partition for privacy. The space was so quiet not even the wheels’ hum could be heard, yet Shen Han could hear her own heartbeat.

Her fingers, lightly twisting the silver bamboo-joint chain, paused in a gap. Her gaze dropped to Su Mi’s distressed and visibly flinching face.

Like a little dog sensing things spiraling out of control, alert and shrinking back from the changes around her.

Shen Han suddenly felt a touch of helplessness.

She hadn’t meant to push Su Mi that hard—just testing the waters, but it seemed to make her overthink.

She let go of the bracelet and said gently, “Sorry.”

The apology came abruptly. Su Mi startled like a frightened bird, her lashes fluttering as she looked up at Shen Han.

Shen Han said, “I didn’t mean anything else. I just wanted to apologize with this since the surveillance didn’t turn up anything. As your god-sister, I should protect you. If you don’t want it, no need to agonize—just tell me no. I won’t make it hard for you.”

Shen Han rarely spoke so much at once, her tone calm and patient as ever.

Su Mi was stunned.

Shen Han smiled reassuringly at her, her brow arching gently, her expression so mild it almost didn’t seem like her. “Video calls can be awkward with words. If you don’t want this compensation, when I get back, I’ll take you to see some fun stuff. We can talk face-to-face about what you want, okay?”

Ah, face-to-face.

Su Mi blinked. She still wanted to dodge…

But face-to-face it was. Only sober, in person, could she really gauge Shen Han’s intentions.

She nodded. “Okay.”

Shen Han smoothly changed the subject. “Had dinner yet?”

Su Mi said, “About to cook something.”

Shen Han asked about her dorm situation, her tone very gentle.

Su Mi didn’t need to use her brain much at all; Shen Han led the conversation effortlessly, and they chatted very relaxedly and happily. In no time, the awkward and ambiguous atmosphere from moments ago completely dissipated.

When the video call ended, she even felt a bit reluctant to part, as if she had suddenly found someone perfectly compatible to chat with…

After realizing this, Su Mi paused.

Had Shen Han been possessed or something?

In the past, chatting with Shen Han always ended with her getting blocked after just a few exchanges and sulking, or walking on eggshells not knowing what to reply.

Chatting so relaxedly and happily with Shen Han like this would have been utterly unthinkable back when she had just transmigrated.

Su Mi didn’t dare think about what it signified behind the scenes. She silently rubbed her face and got up to boil water for dinner.

On Wednesday evening, Shen Han inexplicably video called her again.

Xu Nanqiao was still in the dorm at the time, and Su Mi suddenly felt like a thief with a guilty conscience. She jumped up and ran to the windowsill to answer the video.

In the video, Shen Han was still in a hotel in Zhong City. She told Su Mi that her schedule in Zhong City would be extended by two days.

Su Mi thought to herself, extend it if you’re going to, but she clearly wasn’t in the car this time—why video call again?

Still, she casually checked out Shen Han’s outfit.

It was past ten at night, and Shen Han seemed to have only taken off her suit jacket, unbuttoning three buttons on her shirt. The loose collar dipped low, and the undulating curves seemed to draw one’s gaze to places they shouldn’t linger…

Su Mi looked once, twice, three times, four times…

There was no air conditioning on the balcony. She felt a bit restless and, in the summer breeze, finally couldn’t hold back from asking, “Sister, do you have meetings with others with your shirt open like that?”

Shen Han chuckled in amusement.

When Su Mi closed the light brain and returned to the dorm, she was met with Xu Nanqiao’s surprised gaze.

Xu Nanqiao asked her curiously, “Were you video calling your uncle and aunt? How did it take so long?”

Su Mi glanced at the time and was shocked to realize that nearly an hour had passed.

“…” Had Shen Han used some kind of business rhetoric on her!

Su Mi resolved not to answer Shen Han’s videos next time.

These two chats alone hadn’t even reduced the blackening value.

Wasn’t this just freeloading off her!

Su Mi angrily sat back down at her desk and firmly ignored Shen Han’s goodnight message.

The next day was the first time Su Mi’s major class visited the lab.

It seemed to be a fixed procedure for their major. Freshmen were taken to tour the lab and learn about its basic setup, gaining a deeper understanding of how the knowledge framework they would study applied in practice.

At the same time, everyone underwent a mental power test. Rumor had it that because funding was ample this year, the whole class could try out the latest research results from the Light Brain Laboratory related to mental power.

Su Mi was quite curious too. Prime City University’s Light Brain Laboratory had a different research focus from Shen Corporation’s, and the instruments the professor displayed on stage differed from the ones she had seen. For example, the current one—the professor was explaining their research project on how humans could directly control light brains with mental power without needing to touch them with their fingers.

Upon first hearing it, Su Mi immediately thought of Shen Han.

A second later, she remembered that was a freakish SS-grade mental power.

After all, A-grade was already considered top talent in modern society. S-grade and above, up to SS-grade, were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, so most people had little concept of anything beyond A-grade.

After introducing the research prospects, the professor had the students try it one by one. They sat on the instrument with a device strapped to the sides of their heads, then attempted to control a distant light brain using mental power with its assistance. It would also produce a test result.

Their major had only about thirty students. The professor called them up by student number, and Su Mi’s turn came in the mid-to-late segment.

Su Mi felt a bit apprehensive. Everyone else in the class seemed to know their mental power levels inside out, but she had no clue about hers. Wen Zisu had seemed about to tell her back then, but for some reason, he never had.

In the original plot, the original host’s mental power was B-grade or something, right?

Su Mi naturally assumed she was about the same. She sat down and followed the professor’s instructions methodically.

Close eyes—concentrate—visualize ahead—

Suddenly, a stabbing pain shot through her temples.

…

When Su Mi opened her eyes again, she panicked to find herself lying on a hospital bed, with a faint ache inside her skull.

It was a single-person room with fresh air and a nice environment. From the signs, it seemed to be a hospital under Shen Corporation.

This… had she fainted?

Su Mi subconsciously felt a bit guilty. Had something gone wrong when she tried the instrument? Would that hold up the whole class’s progress?

She should have asked Wen Zisu about her mental power level first instead of trying it.

As these messy thoughts swirled, a few people approached outside the door, their voices growing closer.

A cold voice like ice rang out: “I won’t accept any other explanations. In previous years, your major used standard testing devices for mental power tests. What possessed you to let students onto machines that haven’t been universally tested without their mental power test reports? This time it was just fainting from overstimulation—what if next time it’s a more serious safety incident? At this rate, whether Shen Corporation should continue cooperating with a lab that has such safety hazards—or even with a school like this—is still very much in doubt.”

A middle-aged man’s voice stammered, “President Shen, about this matter, this matter—I did ask the lab. That instrument has indeed only tested up to A-grade mental power so far, but actually, the professor’s intention was…”

Shen Han’s voice grew impatient: “Only tested A-grade? Is this your idea of safety awareness?”

Another female voice said, “President Shen, this was indeed a lapse in our school’s safety protocols. We’ll cover all of Su classmate’s hospitalization costs, and the lab professor has guaranteed that Su classmate can start interning in the lab early as compensation.”

Shen Han seemed to sneer: “An S-grade mental power—they’d be crazy not to want her…”

She seemed about to say more but suddenly paused, likely noticing the person inside had woken up.

She murmured something in a low voice, then turned, gently knocked on the door, and pushed it open to enter.