Chapter 85

Shen Han in front of her spoke sanctimonious words that sounded like a refusal.

She was bringing up old scores again, asking if she hadn’t said they could only be intimate three times a day? This was overstepping.

But there was no sign of resistance at all. The finger pressed to Su Mi’s lips rubbed ambiguously, more like deliberate temptation than refusal.

She was trying to induce Su Mi to take back what she had said before.

Su Mi was also dazed, like a puppy lured by beauty. Just before she leaned in, she snapped awake.

She practically bounced up and stood by the sofa for a moment before sitting back down at a distance from Shen Han.

She vaguely recalled what Shen Han had just said, and what she herself had done when her mental power was stimulated.

Su Mi: “…”

She lowered her head and awkwardly added, “Um, three times a day.”

The air went quiet for a moment.

The surrounding air was even colder than when they had come in. Su Mi’s wrist was gripped by Shen Han. The force wasn’t strong, but it carried a chill. The spot touched by Shen Han nearly broke out in goosebumps.

Before Su Mi could get uncomfortable and stand up, Shen Han spoke.

Shen Han said steadily, “I feel like you haven’t prepared yourself to try being with me. You don’t really want to be together with me.”

Su Mi felt unconvinced and lifted her face to retort, “…How not?”

Was there anyone whose progress was faster than theirs? It was only the second day, yet it felt like they had been dating for two months. Not only all sorts of kissing and hugging, but they were already living together.

She had just set a three-chapter agreement, and Shen Han said she wasn’t sincere?

Su Mi puffed out her cheeks, feeling that Shen Han was the one being too hasty.

Shen Han poked the puffed cheek flesh, flattening the curve with her fingertip.

Shen Han said, “We’ve just gotten together. Even if it’s just a trial like you said, for most people, it would be the honeymoon phase. Don’t you want to be intimate with me? Holding hands, hugging, kissing, and even more intimate things after that—they’re all things lovers do. But you don’t want to do them with me.”

Su Mi was stunned for a moment. Where had this conclusion come from?

Shen Han paused, furrowed her brows as she looked at her, and said, “And from my current observations, you don’t seem like a Plato.”

Su Mi watched wide-eyed as she was nearly labeled a Plato. She hadn’t expected Shen Han to think that far.

Her ear roots turned red as she defended herself. “Of course I’m not.”

Shen Han lowered her eyelids, her lashes trembling as if on the verge of breaking. She seemed not quite convinced. “So you do like doing these things with me?”

Su Mi’s eyes widened as she hurriedly proved her innocence. “Of course I like it.”

After saying it, her face heated up. She realized this admission was tantamount to saying she liked kissing Shen Han and doing intimate things.

Su Mi was still in a state of some shame and passivity toward these things.

She paused and added, “I just think everything should have a limit. Our progress is already very fast.”

“Is this already fast for you?” Shen Han seemed not to believe her. “If you like it, how could you not have the desire to be even more intimate with the other person? If you can restrain it so easily, then it’s not love.”

Shen Han said, “Like how I always can’t help wanting to be close to you in front of you. I want to hold you, kiss you, meld you into my very bones. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have specially ordered this neck ring.”

As she spoke, she stared straight into her eyes, seemingly filled with an intense, inseparable longing.

“…” Su Mi’s heart felt like a puff of cotton candy had suddenly exploded inside. Her face burned as she pondered her own thoughts.

Was that… so?

Yes.

Of course she had that kind of desire for Shen Han too, but she was timid and lacked confidence, ashamed to express her feelings.

“I-I do too,” Su Mi mumbled, stuttering. “But I’m… pretty good at holding back, right?”

The word “good” made even her feel guilty when she said it.

Shen Han didn’t press her on the thoughts she wasn’t willing to share now. She just sighed lightly and asked, “Then what should I do? Leaving my beloved right in front of me but not letting me be close—it’s too cruel. And it won’t help advance our relationship or take us to the next step.”

Su Mi was dazed. “Next step?”

Shen Han leaned back a bit and said candidly and seriously, “We officially confirm our relationship, then get married.”

The conjunction and the word “married” came too suddenly. Su Mi almost thought she’d misheard.

A question mark popped up over her head.

“Then… get married?” Why use the word “then”?

Su Mi couldn’t hide her confusion. “Aren’t there other steps? Dating, engagement, proposal, and such? Straight to marriage?”

What was the legal marriage age in this world again?

Shen Han smiled faintly. “Every step will be there: proposal, engagement, wedding, grand banquet for guests.”

Su Mi hesitated instinctively. “Then wouldn’t a lot of people know?”

Shen Han studied the expression in her eyes and said, “Given my shareholding ratio in the Shen Group, we’d at least need to make an information disclosure.”

Su Mi: “…Oh, oh.”

Everyone would know.

Shen Han’s expression was firm. Given their identities, status, and wealth, Su Mi was clearly the one getting the better deal.

Yet Shen Han seemed to have no intention of leaving herself any way out, determined to jump into the “fire pit.”

She was truly looking forward to marrying her.

Su Mi looked into Shen Han’s eyes and read it: for Shen Han, marriage seemed irreplaceable, the most important thing. Only by reaching that step would their relationship be complete.

…So, would she marry Shen Han?

Wearing a wedding dress, exchanging vows of forever, swapping rings, pledging loyalty with their consciences.

And as Shen Han said, together forever and ever.

Just like in a fairy tale.

Bubbles seemed to gurgle up from the tip of Su Mi’s heart.

Because her lover was firmly expecting their future, her own heart firmed up too. She couldn’t help thinking if that day would really come.

But her hesitation, in Shen Han’s eyes, clearly revealed that Su Mi hadn’t given any thought to their future.

Shen Han’s aura grew imperceptibly lower. Her tongue tip ground lightly against her sharp tooth.

After a while, Shen Han asked, as if calmly, “What do you think?”

Su Mi was at a loss and said, “I think… it’s pretty fantastical.”

Like a meticulously decorated dream castle, telling her that as long as she said yes, she’d become the princess inside.

But she was clearly just a fool who had never dreamed of being a princess as a child. Much less able to play the role of princess with the delicate dolls most people played with.

The only rag doll she’d ever owned as a kid—a messy one with yellow braids—had only stayed with her for a week before being snatched away.

Shen Han lowered her eyes. “You don’t look forward to our future. You were brushing me off yesterday. That’s the purpose of your three-chapter agreement with me.”

Three hats buckled onto Su Mi’s head in a row. Su Mi was stunned, watching as Shen Han was about to conclude: Su Mi didn’t like Shen Han.

Her actions outpaced her brain. Su Mi leaned forward and planted a quick, firm “smack” on the tightly pursed thin lips.

The soft lips pressed hard. Though she released quickly, she left a bit of wetness.

Clinging to Shen Han, Su Mi explained, “I-of course I look forward to it.”

She looked at Shen Han eagerly and continued, “I just don’t have much concept of marriage yet. But I’ve seriously thought about it: for two people to live together long-term, it’s not just about love. They need lasting common topics, shared hobbies and life goals, and enough familiarity with each other’s personalities and character. That’s one reason I wanted to try first, and also why I agreed to move in…”

Before she finished, Su Mi said, “I do want to be properly together with you.”

Though she’d agreed on impulse, Su Mi had always thought that way.

Feelings were serious matters. Liking now didn’t mean liking forever. She wanted to give complete, well-considered feelings.

After saying it, Su Mi felt her face about to burn red again. Embarrassed, she thought her words sounded naive and tried to sit up using Shen Han’s shoulder.

But her lower back was firmly pressed down by Shen Han.

Su Mi’s waist went soft. The next moment, Shen Han gripped her outer thigh, lifted it, and turned Su Mi’s position to sitting on her lap.

Facing each other, Shen Han hooked up the corner of her mouth and said, “You’ve broken the three-chapter agreement.”

Su Mi wanted to say something, but her lips were captured by Shen Han’s. The exquisite face drew near, hands embracing her lower back, seriously kissing her.

Sticky wet sounds rose. Su Mi’s breathing quickened. Her legs knelt on either side of Shen Han, the space between touching the soft hem of Shen Han’s nightgown oddly. She felt her body sinking, legs going weak, wanting to rub.

Until the fabric at her lower back was lifted by slender hands. A cool touch probed in, the fingertip lingering on the girl’s delicate, warm lower back skin.

Su Mi jolted awake from the chill, pushed Shen Han’s shoulder, leaned back a bit, lowered her eyes to look at Shen Han, and swallowed the ambiguous wetness in her mouth. “It’s too late.”

Shen Han blinked slowly and asked, “Want to sleep with sister?”

Su Mi touched her burning face and said helplessly, “…I just said that. This is way too fast. You aren’t taking my words seriously.”

Shen Han’s fingers still pressed into Su Mi’s waist dimple, seriously feeling the intimate skin with her fingertip.

A muffled nasal hum brought a light laugh. Shen Han said, “Intimate contact is also a way to deepen mutual understanding. I just…”

She paused. Shen Han’s gaze sank uncontrollably, not knowing what she was thinking. She said frankly, “Just looking at you, I always feel that even though we’re together, no amount of closeness is enough. No speed is fast enough. I wish we could get married tomorrow. Even marriage might not be enough. I want a deeper bond that ties us together.”

She pulled Su Mi closer, buried her face in Su Mi’s neck, nuzzled, and closed her eyes, which held strong possessive thoughts.

“I want to completely possess you.”

Shen Han sighed, the airflow tickling Su Mi’s skin itchily, carrying a chill like it wanted to seep into her bones.

She said, “I have no sense of security, Baby.”

Su Mi was stunned. She lowered her eyes to Shen Han’s head and reached out to rub it.

Had her hesitation been too long, making Shen Han lack a sense of security?

But with Shen Han buried in her arms like this, it surprisingly gave Su Mi a more grounded feeling.

She stammered, “Then I’ll try… to confirm it faster.”

Shen Han’s voice was muffled. “Mm.”

That night, Shen Han didn’t continue pestering. She stayed buried in Su Mi’s arms for a long time, calmed down, then had Su Mi put on another device to sort through her newly stimulated mental power.

The device was very effective. Under Shen Han’s guidance, Su Mi comfortably completed her first mental power sorting.

Back in the room, Su Mi had thought Shen Han might do something, but they just exchanged a goodnight kiss, and Shen Han left.

The next day, Su Mi’s biological clock woke her early.

She felt incredibly refreshed. She’d never felt her mind so clear.

Was it the effect of mental power?

When Su Mi walked out of the bedroom, Shen Han was in the dining room talking with Mama Zhang.

Seeing Su Mi come out, Mama Zhang’s eyes crinkled with a smile. She greeted her good morning, wiped her hands, and went into the kitchen to bring breakfast for Su Mi.

After breakfast, Shen Han headed to the company. Su Mi parted with her downstairs and biked eight minutes to school.

She had considered driving, but it was too close—just a few minutes by bike. Plus, Shen Han said she’d drive to pick her up that afternoon when moving her things.

Su Mi figured a bit of trouble would deepen their bond, so she didn’t touch her own car.

She spent the morning in the library reading. At noon, she met Xu Nanqiao for lunch and mentioned again—something she’d already said once on Guangxun—about moving out.

She didn’t mention much about the changed relationship with Shen Han, attributing the reason to issues with mental power fluctuations and another hospital visit over the weekend.

That was why there was this off-campus house with professional mental power sorting equipment. Once her mental power stabilized, she might even move back to live with Xu Nanqiao.

Xu Nanqiao naturally understood. Health came first.

After Xu Nanqiao expressed some concern, Su Mi looked at her and suddenly remembered.

Xu Nanqiao was still doing the reading assistant part-time for Shen Han, and it was always at Southern Garden. It was too far; the round trip took a long time each time.

Since Shen Han had moved in, could Xu Nanqiao come to her and Shen Han’s home?

Or was this part-time job still necessary?

Su Mi glanced at the blackening value.

Since last time, after it dropped to 49%, it had hardly risen again, as if 50% was a very important dividing line.

But after dropping below 50%, it also became much harder to reduce. It seemed that last week when Xu Nanqiao returned from studying, the blackening value hadn’t moved much.

Instead, after her relationship with Shen Han broke through, the blackening value slowly dropped to 45%. Compared to when it was 80% before, the decrease was simply pitifully small.

Weird.

After finishing class in the afternoon, Su Mi and Xu Nanqiao returned to the dorm together. Su Mi didn’t pack too many things; she only used two boxes to pack most of her books and daily necessities.

After staying in the dorm for a bit, she saw Shen Han’s message that she was downstairs, so she took her things and went down.

Shen Han’s car was parked not far from the dorm entrance. When Su Mi approached, the driver’s side window slowly rolled down, revealing Shen Han’s face.

Su Mi leaned over and made a funny face at her, but her hand was grabbed by the beautiful woman in the car and kissed.

Shen Han’s lips curved up. “I was thinking about you the whole time during today’s meeting.”

A clear lipstick mark was left on the back of her hand, proclaiming its presence and possession.

Su Mi: !

Her ears turned red, and she hurriedly said, “You… this is outside.”

Shen Han tilted her head and frankly explained, “Couldn’t help it.”

Su Mi: “…”

Somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, she pounded Shen Han’s shoulder once. Then she looked around left and right and saw no one paying attention.

She turned and had the little robot send the things to the trunk, then discovered she had forgotten to bring down a small bag.

Su Mi went upstairs to get the bag. When she took the elevator down again, she was blocked at the elevator entrance by an unexpected person.