Oh no! My yandere school beauty is so clingy!

"Ranran! Is that Ranran?"

Grandma's voice came from the other end of the phone.

Aged, anxious, with a suppressed sob and a hint of forced toughness:

"Where did you go? Why didn't you come home after school? Your dad! Your dad had a brain hemorrhage and is in the hospital! He's being treated! You come here right now! The Municipal People's Hospital! Did you hear me?! No matter what, he's the father who gave you life and raised you!"

The old lady practically shouted the last sentence, trying to use the weighty burden of "the grace of giving birth and raising" to suppress it.

Lin Anran's eyes showed no emotion, only deeper disgust and mockery.

My mother gave birth to me.

"He... I could thank him for letting me live until now, for not killing me..."

She paused, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the still-closed bathroom door.

"...He gave me a reason and hope to live...So, that's it, I don't owe him anything."

Grandma was stunned by her calm, almost indifferent words, followed by even greater anger and heartache:

"You! What are you saying?! He's your father! He's lying in the hospital right now, his life hanging in the balance! And this is your attitude? Is your heart made of stone?!"

Lin Anran retorted, her tone calm but her words piercing: "Don't you know best whether my heart is made of stone or not? Can a heart that lived in that family still be made of flesh?"

On the other end of the phone, Grandma was speechless, only able to breathe rapidly and sob quietly.

It seemed someone snatched the phone from the side, and then my second uncle's rough, furious voice boomed like thunder:

"Lin Anran! You unfilial daughter! Your father is dying and you haven't come! Are you even human?!"

Lin Anran interrupted his unoriginal cursing and threats, her voice remaining calm:

"What would I do there? Stand in front of his bedside so he can see me, hoping it will raise his blood pressure and hasten his death? Would I be causing him trouble, or causing trouble for you?"

"You! You! You! You!"

Lin Anran gave him no further chance to speak, and clearly stated in a tone reminiscent of an ultimatum:

"I'm no longer part of your family. I'm an adult and have the right to decide where I live and how I live. Don't call me again. Whether you live or die is none of my business. Get out."

"Unfilial daughter! You deserve to be struck by lightning! You will be punished..."

Lin Anran listened to the vicious curses without expression, and hung up the phone decisively without saying another word.

Then, she turned off her phone and threw it far away as if it were some kind of trash.

The living room fell silent again, with only her slightly rapid breathing and the faint sounds of Shen Yu wiping her body or getting dressed coming from behind the bathroom door.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, the intense emotions in her eyes had been forcibly suppressed.

She took a few deep breaths, adjusted her facial muscles, and tried to restore her expression to normal.

She picked up the book again, laid it on her lap, her eyes fixed on it, but her ears were perked up, listening carefully to the sounds coming from the bathroom.

Finally, with a soft "click," the bathroom door was pulled open from the inside.

Shen Yu dried her hair and came out in her pajamas.

He spotted Lin Anran curled up on the sofa at a glance. She had her head down, seemingly reading a book, but her posture was a little too tense.

"Just now... I think I heard you on the phone?" Shen Yu asked casually as he walked towards her.

Lin Anran's heart tightened. She looked up and gave him a faint smile, the same one she always wore:

"Yeah, nothing...just nuisance calls."

Shen Yu glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her face for about two or three seconds.

Her smile was perfect, and her eyes tried hard to appear calm, but the lingering coldness deep within them did not completely escape his notice.

He certainly heard her on the phone, though he couldn't make out the content, but it definitely wasn't a spam call.

He didn't press further, but remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said in a casual tone:

"Okay, go take a shower."

"Hmm." She immediately got up from the sofa, not forgetting to pick up her phone that she had tossed in the corner. She only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that it was completely turned off.

Then, she took her change of clothes, quickly went into the bathroom, and closed the door.

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Shen Yu sat down on the sofa, picked up a book, leaned back, and started reading.

About thirty minutes later, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

After a while, the door was opened, and Lin Anran came out wearing pajamas, her body covered in warm, damp steam.

Shen Yu remained seated on the sofa, his gaze shifting from the book to her slender figure.

Then, without saying a word, Lin Anran walked straight to the sofa.

Shen Yu looked up at her.

Lin Anran didn't say anything, but she did something rather forceful as she straddled Shen Yu's lap, facing him directly.

Her movements carried an undeniable force, causing the hem of her pajamas to ride up slightly, revealing her fair legs...

Shen Yu was startled by her sudden movement and leaned back slightly against the sofa. The book in her hand was knocked to the ground and landed on the carpet.

But he didn't push her away, nor did he speak. He simply tilted his head slightly, calmly looking at Lin Anran, who was straddling him and looking down at him...

Her eyes were bright, but they held a complex mix of emotions...

She didn't say anything, but stretched out her arms and hugged Shen Yu's neck tightly, then buried her face deeply and forcefully in the crook of his neck.

Her body was still trembling slightly, and her arms were tightly bound.

She surrendered her entire body weight to him, pressed herself tightly against him, and absorbed the reassuring warmth and familiar scent emanating from him.

Shen Yu silently felt the tense yet completely dependent body in his arms. After a few seconds, he slowly raised his hand and gently wrapped it around her waist.

With his other hand, he stroked the back of her head, his fingertips running through her hair, caressing it gently.

Lin Anran took a deep breath into the crook of his neck...

"More than..."

"Um."

"Just like that... let me hold you for a while..."

Shen Yu paused for a moment, then continued to gently stroke her, softly responding in her ear:

"Okay, you can hug me for as long as you want..."