Oh no! My yandere school beauty is so clingy!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment...

Shen Yu remained frozen in place, still holding the position of having opened the door and already stepped outside with one foot.

The anxiety, worry, and panic on his face hadn't even faded before they were instantly replaced by a huge, unexpected shock and bewilderment...

He stared blankly at Lin Anran, who was panting and had a somewhat shy and awkward smile, standing at the door.

Looking at the cake box in her hand that said "Happy Birthday," my mind went completely blank...

Birthday?

Oh right... today... seems to be his birthday...

He himself has forgotten...

Because he stopped celebrating birthdays a long time ago, starting from junior high school. His family doesn't celebrate his birthday.

Since his mother passed away, he has been even less inclined to remember his birthday, so... he has completely forgotten about it.

So... Lin Anran's restlessness, hesitation, frequent phone checks, and secretive behavior all day today... was it all because of this?

Is it to... celebrate his birthday?

How did she know her birthday? Did she secretly investigate?

Seeing Shen Yu's stunned expression, Lin Anran's smile became somewhat uneasy.

She hurriedly began to explain, her words trembling slightly from running and nervousness:

"I...I'm sorry! I...I didn't mean to hide it from you! Really!"

"I know I did something wrong... I snuck out without telling you... I... I was wrong!"

"You can punish me however you want! Please don't be angry..."

"I...I actually wanted to tell you about this this morning, and I was planning to stay up until midnight for you...but then I thought I'd give you a surprise, so I held back from telling you..."

"I secretly ordered the cake this morning. The cake shop closes early, so I told them to leave it at the supermarket downstairs once it was made. I just went to pick it up..."

"I'm so sorry! I should have told you..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, her head drooping, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the handle of the cake box, like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded.

While Lin Anran was still racking her brains trying to figure out how to continue apologizing and how to stop him from being angry—

Shen Yu suddenly stepped forward, stretched out his arm, and pulled Lin Anran into his arms tightly.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and the back of her neck, pressing her firmly and irresistibly against his chest.

The hug came so suddenly and so forcefully.

Lin Anran was completely stunned; her body stiffened instantly, and even her breathing stopped.

Her face was forced to be buried in Shen Yu's neck and shoulder.

She could feel his heart pounding even faster and more violently than hers, thumping against her eardrums...

Shen Yu hugged her very tightly, his arms gripping her so tightly that it even hurt a little.

His chin rested gently on the top of her head, his breathing slightly rapid.

This embrace, without a single word, was filled with so many indescribable emotions...

The lingering fear of losing something and then finding it again, the relief of finally being overwhelmed by joy, the bewilderment of being struck by surprise.

And a deeper, surging emotion that even he himself had not yet figured out.

After her initial stunned silence, Lin Anran gradually relaxed.

Her stiff hands carefully rose and gently embraced Shen Yu's waist.

Her cheek pressed against his warm skin, and she could feel the heat of the blood flowing beneath his skin.

A tremendous, unbelievable ecstasy exploded in her heart like fireworks!

He... hugged me!

Actively! With force!

Was it because of...surprise? Or because...worried about me?

Or both?

Whatever the reason, she was so happy she almost fainted.

She greedily inhaled the scent of his embrace, feeling the strength and warmth of his hold, and her lips couldn't help but curve upwards, higher and higher.

In the end, it turned into a silly, yet incredibly sweet and satisfied smile.

A long time passed, so long that the motion-sensor lights in the hallway all went out.

Shen Yu's arm finally loosened its grip slightly.

But he didn't immediately release Lin Anran. Instead, he lowered his head and slowly spoke.

His voice was soft and deep, with a hoarseness that Lin Anran had never heard before, as it rang in her ears:

"Next time...please don't...sneak out like that again, okay?"

He paused, his arm seemed to tighten for a moment, and his voice became even lower:

"I...I'm really worried."

"Just now... I thought... you were leaving."

"I'm very scared."

Every word seemed to carry weight, striking Lin Anran's heart heavily.

Lin Anran's body trembled violently the moment she heard these words!

Her eyes widened suddenly, her pupils dilating slightly with extreme shock and disbelief.

Shen Yu... is afraid?

Are you afraid I'll leave?

He doesn't want me to leave! He said he's very scared!

This realization struck her like a thunderbolt, exploding in her mind!

My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and then it started pounding even more wildly, almost bursting out of my ribs!

With a "whoosh," all the blood rushed to the top of my head, and my cheeks burned.

I felt an overwhelming surge of ecstasy, excitement, and disbelief.

A tinge of guilt overwhelmed her instantly.

She could even feel her fingertips tingling slightly from the excessive excitement and impact.

He's afraid I'll leave!

He doesn't want me to leave!

So... he cares about me this much! More than I imagined!

This thought made her so excited that she almost cried.

She nodded vigorously in his arms, as if she wanted to etch this promise into her very bones.

Then, she turned her head slightly and gently rubbed her equally hot cheek against the warm skin of his neck, her voice incredibly soft.

It was said clearly, word by word, right in his ear:

"Okay... I promise you..."

"I will never...never...leave you."

"don’t worry..."

After she finished speaking, Shen Yu's body seemed to stiffen slightly for a moment before completely relaxing.

He didn't say anything more, but buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck and held her quietly for a while longer.

The hallway fell silent again, with only the gradually calming breathing and heartbeats of the two people.

After a while, Shen Yu finally loosened his arms, straightened up, and distanced himself.

His expression had mostly returned to calm, and his eyes were deep and unfathomable.

He looked at her, his gaze complex, and finally simply raised his hand, gently ruffled her hair, and whispered:

"Okay, sure..."

Shen Yu didn't say anything more, stepped aside to let her in, followed her in, and closed the door.

In the living room, under the warm light, the small birthday cake still sat on the coffee table.

Lin Anran walked over, picked up the cake, turned around, and her face revealed that sweet smile again, tinged with shyness and anticipation:

"So...can we eat the birthday cake now, birthday boy/girl?"