Oh no! My yandere school beauty is so clingy!

Lin Anran asked casually, not with any particular intention.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yu turned her gaze away from the window and subconsciously began, "When I was little, my grandfather took care of me..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, the rest of his words stuck in his throat.

Lin Anran's smile froze for a moment, and she almost immediately realized that she had asked the wrong question.

Shen Yu's grandfather...

It seems that she severed ties with Shen Yu after he sent her father to prison...

If I accidentally bring it up now, Shen Yu will definitely be unhappy...

"Ah...I'm sorry!" Lin Anran apologized immediately, her voice a little flustered, and her hand instinctively grabbed Shen Yu's hand that was on the table:

"I...I didn't mean to...Let's not talk about this anymore..."

She hurriedly tried to change the subject, her eyes filled with annoyance and unease, afraid that she might have stirred up unpleasant memories for him.

Shen Yu grasped her nervous hand in return and said, "It's alright."

He didn't care about that, but when "grandfather" was mentioned just now, he had a strange feeling in his heart.

Why would he suddenly want to bring this up?

He could easily say he came or not, but... at that moment, the image of his grandfather came to mind...

It was as if... it suddenly barged into his mind.

The food was served shortly afterward.

He silently suppressed those stifling emotions deep within his heart.

He released his grip, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of food into Lin Anran's bowl:

"Let's eat."

Seeing that he looked normal and even served her food, Lin Anran felt a little relieved.

She nodded quickly, picked up her chopsticks, and tried to focus her attention on the food in front of her.

"Mmm! This is delicious, you should have some too..."

In the following period, Lin Anran became exceptionally well-behaved, speaking and acting cautiously, never mentioning any topics that might be related to the past or family, only talking about trivial matters.

Shen Yu saw this, and the inexplicable emotions in her heart were slowly replaced by other feelings.

He knew she was deliberately avoiding him, clumsily trying to please him.

Because... she understands her own feelings.

Mentioning relatives, or rather... former relatives, brings a sense of heartache and sorrow.

The meal was finished in a subtle atmosphere.

Lin Anran did most of the talking, while Shen Yu responded occasionally.

After paying the bill, we left the restaurant.

The afternoon sun was still bright, but there seemed to be fewer tourists on the streets of the ancient town than before.

The two walked side by side on the bluestone path, their shadows overlapping beneath their feet.

Lin Anran secretly observed Shen Yu's expression. He was calm and looking straight ahead, seemingly no different from usual.

But she just felt that something was different.

She felt a little flustered and subconsciously tightened her grip on his hand.

"Shen Yu...where are we going now...?"

Shen Yu stopped and turned to look at her.

"We..." He paused, his voice lower and softer than usual, "Let's go home. Can we stay home this afternoon?"

Lin Anran nodded immediately without hesitation: "Okay! Let's go home!"

She couldn't wait to leave this noisy environment and return to their safe little nest, which belonged only to the two of them.

Only at home could she truly feel that Shen Yu belonged to her, and those unpleasant past events, those people and things that silenced him, were kept at bay.

Seeing that she agreed so readily, Shen Yu hummed in agreement and said nothing more. He simply took her hand and turned to walk out of the ancient town.

On the way back, the two of them barely spoke.

Lin Anran stopped chattering, and Shen Yu also fell silent.

But they didn't let go of each other's hands. Lin Anran could feel that Shen Yu's hand seemed to be holding hers tighter than usual.

As Lin Anran sat on the bus on her way back, she leaned against the window, watching the street scene rushing past outside. Her unease resurfaced.

She quietly turned her head to look at Shen Yu.

He leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, looking somewhat tired.

She couldn't help but reach out her other hand, the one he wasn't holding, and gently touch him.

Shen Yu's eyelashes trembled, and he reached back and grabbed her mischievous hand, enveloping it in his palm.

Shen Yu finally opened his eyes, turned his head to look at her, and asked in his eyes.

Lin Anran gave him a fawning smile and whispered, "Are you tired? Do you want to lean on me and sleep for a while?"

Shen Yu shook his head, his voice a little hoarse: "I'm not tired, I'll be home soon."

He didn't say anything else, he just held her hand and closed his eyes again.

But this time, he turned his head slightly toward her and gently rested it on her shoulder.

With a very gentle movement, Lin Anran carefully adjusted his posture to make him more comfortable.

The bus swayed and bumped as it stopped at a bus stop near their home.

The walk back to the neighborhood from the bus stop wasn't long, and the afternoon sun was shining brightly, warmly bathing me.

Back home, Lin Anran opened the door and rushed in like a bird returning to its nest. She took off her shoes, slipped on her slippers, ran to the sofa, and sat down comfortably with a sigh.

"Home is still the most comfortable place!"

Shen Yu was changing her shoes at the door. Seeing her childish behavior, the corners of her mouth curved slightly, and she said:

"Remember to wash your hands first!"

"Okay~"

Shen Yu felt that her home seemed to have gained more vitality and warmth because of her.

Shen Yu bent down and neatly arranged the two people's shoes. Just as she straightened up, preparing to close the door—

The phone in my pocket vibrated without warning...

Shen Yu frowned, picked up his phone, and saw an unfamiliar, local number flashing on the screen.

Shen Yu's movements stopped...

My heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason...

That jump was heavy and rapid, as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

An extremely ominous premonition surged up his spine, making the hairs on his back stand on end...

He has always had accurate premonitions and has great faith in them.

He felt something was off during dinner and on the way back...

Now, this unfamiliar phone call makes him feel that perhaps his premonition is related to this call...

He stood there, not immediately taking it, his fingertips feeling a little cold.

"Shen Yu?" Lin Anran finished washing her hands and came out of the bathroom, looking at the door with a puzzled expression.

Shen Yu stood with his back to her in the entryway, his posture seemingly stiff.

Lin Anran's heart skipped a beat, and the smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by worry and tension.

The vibration continued, stubbornly ringing, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet living room.

Shen Yu closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he extended his index finger and swiped lightly on the screen to answer the call, then held the phone to his ear.

"Hello, are you Mr. Shen Yu?"

Shen Yu frowned and asked, "Yes, that's me. And who are you?"

"Hello, this is Mingde Law Firm. My name is Chen, and I am Mr. Shen Dekun's lawyer. It is with regret that I inform you that your grandfather, Mr. Shen Dekun, passed away a week ago due to illness. According to Mr. Shen's will, you are the designated heir to a portion of his estate. Are you currently in this city? Would it be convenient for us to arrange a time to discuss the will in person?"

The lawyer's formulaic voice came through the receiver, each word clear and cold.

Like sharp knives, they pierced Shen Yu's eardrums, making his blood feel frozen.

Shen Yu's fingers tightened suddenly around the phone, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force.

The color drained from his face in an instant; his lips moved, and a buzzing sound filled his ears.

The world seemed to lose weight and distort in an instant, leaving only the lawyer's emotionless voice echoing repeatedly in the empty space of my mind...

"My grandfather... is he dead?"