Chapter 79: Like Part 1

Su Mi stood frozen in place, blankly staring at Shi Shuyue who approached with slow steps.

Saved! Saved my life!

For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.

They stood some distance from the stage. Shi Shuyue walked unhurriedly, lifting the hem of her slightly long skirt with elegant poise, though her expression remained indifferent, as if she was holding herself a bit taut.

The surrounding guests parted a path for her and didn’t dare stare openly at Shen Han. Instead, they all stole glances.

At the center of those iffy sidelong gazes from the crowd, the blonde girl being led along had her eyes wide and round as she stared at Shi Shuyue, seemingly entranced.

It wasn’t quite like anyone’s expected reaction. Rather interesting.

Su Mi herself wasn’t really entranced by the sight of her.

It was just… from the tension, her legs went weak, and she trembled.

Her heart even raced a bit.

After thinking for ages, she finally remembered that Shen Han was still holding her hand.

She swallowed and tried to pull her hand free.

The first couple attempts failed. Shen Han showed no sign of letting go.

But on the third try, her wrist was suddenly released.

Su Mi blinked in slight daze, a bit bewildered. She quickly found a reason in her mind. Yeah, that made sense. After all, her white moonlight had arrived.

But right after, a cool touch slipped into her palm.

—Shen Han had gripped her hand tightly.

…Huh?

Su Mi felt utterly lost, almost thinking it was an illusion.

So she looked down and peered in horror.

No, not an illusion.

It was literally holding hands.

Shen Han’s slender, jade-like fingers slid into Su Mi’s palm like flowing water and, without refusal, clasped her hand firmly.

Every finger slotted securely between Su Mi’s.

Then, quite naturally, she gave a light squeeze, asserting an especially strong presence.

Su Mi couldn’t believe it.

She couldn’t think of anything else. She twisted her head around with a creak, looked at Shen Han, her voice faint as a thread: “Sis… you…”

Shen Han seemed perfectly at ease with it. She lowered her eyes, paused, and said, “Your eyes were practically glued to her.”

Su Mi: …Huh? Who?

She turned her head in confusion and glanced at Shi Shuyue, unable to believe Shen Han meant her and Shi Shuyue.

What was going on?

Shen Han tilted her head to look at her. In a calm tone laced with something Su Mi found oddly eerie, she said matter-of-factly, “BOs are different. Since you said your dating pool doesn’t include Omegas, then whenever you meet an Omega, remember you’re of the opposite sex. Don’t always…”

Su Mi was baffled and couldn’t help interrupting: “Wait a sec.”

Why did it feel like Shen Han wasn’t even on the same wavelength as her?

With so many people around sneaking peeks at them, wondering if some drama would unfold, Shen Han acted like she wasn’t in the same scene as her, Shi Shuyue, or anyone else in the room?

Had she not caught on, or…

Su Mi’s mind was a mess. Subconsciously, she glanced toward Shi Shuyue again.

In Shen Han’s eyes, for some reason, it came off as lingering reluctance.

Shen Han lightly ground her teeth, lowered her gaze at her for a moment, then suddenly let go of her hand.

Her voice cooled a bit as she said, “If you want to go get acquainted, then go… Oh, right, you two already know each other. You’ve even followed each other on socials. Only I was left in the dark.”

Su Mi naturally picked up on the bluster in that huff, like she was just putting on a front. After all, it wasn’t the same vibe as Shen Han’s cold indifference from way back.

But… socials? How did Shen Han even know about that?

Su Mi was completely thrown. Her brain couldn’t process it. Shen Han’s reaction didn’t match any of her expectations.

It was like she was tuned into the channel where her white moonlight returned to slap the vicious supporting female lead in the face, while Shen Han was still on…

A pure romance channel?

And she seemed dead serious about the misunderstanding, not happy at all.

Su Mi looked down at her now-freed hand, then at Shen Han beside her.

Stammering a bit, she went with her first instinct—or rather, gut feeling. Her actions outpaced her thoughts as she reached out and took Shen Han’s hand.

Her smaller hand earnestly slipped into Shen Han’s palm, and she gave Shen Han’s thumb a placating squeeze.

Su Mi pursed her lips. Even with her heart in chaos, she still whispered proactively, “About the account… I’ll explain later, but can we consider the occasion? Everyone’s watching…”

An extra soft hand appeared in her grasp.

Shen Han paused ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.

She let out a soft hum, and the pressure of a top-tier Alpha spread out, forcing everyone sneaking peeks their way to avert their gazes.

The weight on Su Mi lifted. Then she saw Shen Han glance at her and grip her hand back.

She said flatly, “Then let’s find somewhere quieter. The performance is over anyway. You can take your time explaining.”

Ignoring everyone in the venue, she led Su Mi off toward the other side.

Su Mi didn’t react at first and stumbled after her. After two steps, she hurried to catch up and walk beside Shen Han.

She knew full well they had the attention of the entire room on their backs.

Especially with Shi Shuyue approaching.

Su Mi was numb.

She couldn’t have imagined this “shura field” ending like this, even if she racked all eight brains.

Let alone with her one dumb brain.

She dazedly followed Shen Han all the way out. At the door to the corridor, even the server blinked in surprise before reacting and opening the door.

Su Mi shot the server a sympathetic look. Pretty confused, huh? Same here.

It led to the lounge corridor. The Shi Family Main Residence had a Japanese style, with dim lighting in the hall. Heels clicked crisply on the wooden floor, one after the other.

Passing door after wooden door, Shen Han led her into an empty lounge.

It was a quaint room, with a paper lantern casting warm yellow light—the only light source inside.

Beside it, an intricately shaped side table held burning incense. Su Mi instinctively found a tatami mat and sat, her legs weak.

Her gaze lingered on the drifting wisps of smoke as her sluggish brain finally turned a full circle.

Escaped the shura field…

Su Mi hadn’t said anything yet when she heard a gentle knock at the door.

The deliberately antique wooden door had faux paper windows, through which she could make out a slender silhouette.

A cool voice, deliberately softened, belonged to Shi Shuyue: “Shen Han, let’s talk.”

Shen Han pressed her lips together, said nothing, and glanced at Su Mi.

It seemed accusatory, like: You and your romantic debts.

Su Mi felt helpless and threw up her hands: “She’s calling for you… What does it have to do with me? I’m not close to her at all. No ideas whatsoever.”

Shen Han lowered her eyes, brushed off her sleeve, and said, “Every time you see a pretty, gentle Omega like this, don’t you always act like you like them a lot?”

Su Mi’s eyes widened: “You’re slandering me!”

Her voice rose a bit, and Shi Shuyue outside clearly heard it. She paused, then knocked again.

With a graceful sigh, Shi Shuyue said, “Little Crane, even if you don’t want to work with the Shi Family, can’t you chat with me?”

Someone lingered outside, and the conversation couldn’t continue.

Shen Han went to open the door and stood in the doorway, blocking Su Mi’s view of Shi Shuyue.

She neither invited her in nor stepped out. Standing ramrod straight, her expression cold, she asked politely from a short distance away, “Is there something you need?”

Shi Shuyue: “Can I come in?”

Shen Han: “Not convenient.”

Shi Shuyue drew a soft breath, her voice muffled between her lips and teeth.

Su Mi sneaked a peek and saw her clenched skirt hem. She vaguely made out Shi Shuyue saying, “Do you have to be this heartless? Earlier upstairs, my father was a bit pushy, but no family in Prime City can offer the Shi Family’s level of profit that you’d give up. And you and I know each other inside out. Even if I just got back…”

Shen Han interrupted politely: “Shi Shuyue, if you’re here to talk business, Secretary Zhuang is still at the venue. He can represent the Shen Corporation and continue the talks. This is my personal time now.”

So Secretary Zhuang was on the clock at the banquet.

“It’s only been a few years since I left, and you’re already calling me by my full name?” Shi Shuyue clearly hadn’t expected this level of detachment from Shen Han in private.

She nearly couldn’t hide the emotion in her voice, suppressed it, and said softly, “I admit, I left the country in a rush back then and haven’t returned these years. But Little Crane, you personally helped me shake off the Shi Family’s quagmire. You wished me freedom. I thought… I thought we were of one mind. When I heard about your parents, I immediately booked a flight back, but Mother stopped me. You know the Shi Family’s situation—you helped me escape it. I couldn’t just rush back recklessly.”

By the end, her voice trembled, laced with a sob.

Shen Han was puzzled: “Then what are you back for now?”

Shi Shuyue paused, stared at Shen Han, and said, “What am I back for? These years abroad, I’ve worked hard to improve myself, studying the world’s cutting-edge healing music knowledge. I didn’t want to be a useless waste mired in the Shi Family’s swamp. I wanted to be worthy of you.”

Shen Han evaluated objectively: “But you came back without enough ability to stand on your own. In the earlier talk, your father’s tone still pushed for a marriage alliance.”

Shi Shuyue lifted her chin proudly: “It was my choice. I’m the Shi Family’s most legitimate only daughter. Father thought I wouldn’t return, so he let all these other sons fight it out. Now that I’m back, no one can climb over my head. The Shi Family shares in my hands and Mother’s are second only to Father’s. You know, earlier this year, the Shi Family’s business lifeline in the Central Province was also handled by…”

Every point she laid out was indeed perfect credentials for a business or marriage partner.

Pretty much the same as what Shi Shuyue’s father had said upstairs.

Shen Han grew slightly impatient and cut her off: “I’ve already rejected your father on these. Besides, do you think the Shen Corporation needs these icing-on-the-cake additions?”

Cut off abruptly, Shi Shuyue froze. Meeting Shen Han’s indifferent gaze, her poised arrogance shattered.

Unwilling to believe it, she said, “I know you’ve run the Shen Corporation even more prosperously than your mother did. You really don’t need such boosts. Then what about our childhood friendship?”