The academic genius started by accidentally flirting with the rich female principal.

A faint blush crept onto the mature female professor's cheeks, as if she had been burned by those words.

She pursed her lips, her tone cold and fierce, but without much anger, and said, "Stop with the sweet talk. What exactly do you want here?"

"Didn't I already say that..."

I miss you.

Chen Yu strolled leisurely into the lab, picked up the plastic bag in his hand, and said earnestly, "I specially went out to buy you a late-night snack. It's all your favorite snacks, like crystal shrimp dumplings, spring rolls, and cream buns. I must say... it was quite a chore to find these late at night, especially with my injured foot..."

Shen Yanru looked at his leg in a cast, and a ripple of emotion stirred within her. However, being proud and aloof, she didn't show much emotion. She slowly stood up and came to Chen Yu's side, watching him take out plastic bowls from the bag, filled with the snacks he had mentioned.

"Here you go—"

Here are your chopsticks.

"Do you need me to feed you?" Chen Yu asked cheekily as he handed her chopsticks.

The mature female professor rolled her eyes and didn't respond to his words. She sat there eating the late-night snack that someone had brought, but still kept a straight face... as if Chen Yu owed her a lot of money.

Chen Yu sat beside her, watching her eat intently. Although this tigress was usually fierce, she ate with a rather elegant manner, similar to Wen Yan.

"Yanru?"

Are you happy?

"I'm delivering midnight snacks late at night," Chen Yu asked cautiously.

Shen Yanru was stunned for a moment, then felt a little embarrassed and annoyed. It wasn't because of his self-praise, such an extremely shameless behavior, but because of his...unbridled disrespect towards her. He had clearly told her to address him as "professor" at school, but he kept calling her by her name.

In his eyes...

I'm his professor, and it feels... almost like his wife.

The thought of the word "wife" made Shen Yanru's ears turn bright red, almost to the point of bleeding. She bit her lip hard, trying to use the pain to bring herself back to her senses.

"I'm unhappy!"

"Your arrival has completely disrupted my work."

"Get out of here...don't linger in front of me, just looking at you annoys me." Shen Yanru turned her head and glared at him fiercely, as ruthless as a grumpy groundhog.

Chen Yu was already used to her personality. She seemed a bit unreasonable, but in reality, her emotions were probably overflowing. In fact, such a woman is very fragile... Her toughness is just a protective color. Once that color is removed, what's left is her most vulnerable side.

Silently, she stood up, went to the mature female professor's workplace, looked at the data on the computer screen, glanced at the pile of manuscripts on the table, and said softly, "Leave the rest to me; these are not difficult for me."

As soon as he finished speaking,

He then sat down in the chair and officially took over Shen Yanru's follow-up work.

Shen Yanru didn't say anything, sitting there eating while watching his serious expression, and an indescribable feeling welled up from the bottom of her heart.

The crystal shrimp dumpling in her mouth was still warm, while her gaze fell on the cast on his left foot. It was late at night, and he was running all over the streets looking for his favorite snacks, despite his injury and the use of crutches. Should she scold him for being reckless and ignorant, or should she praise him for his concern for her?

stinky man...

That naughty, shameless, and mischievous little man!

Amidst a mix of complex emotions, Shen Yanru's gaze gradually became unfocused, and a faint hint of happiness appeared between her brows.

He was decisive and efficient in academics, aloof and proud in front of others, and someone others looked up to from childhood. But then this little lecher barged into his world and disrupted all his rhythm.

She would call out to me affectionately, tease me in a cheeky way, and deliberately make me angry. But at the same time, she would quietly stand up for me when I was most helpless, shouldering all my problems, just like she is now...

Ugh--

This is so annoying... I'm so annoyed!

Shen Yanru pouted slightly, her expression showing a hint of helplessness.

She didn't know whether she would be the winner or the loser in this emotional game with Chen Yu, but it seemed that both endings were the same: her final fate was predetermined from the moment the game began...

never mind,

So what if he's a small-minded man? So what if he's a little lecherous?

The mature female professor stared intently at him. The light from the computer screen illuminated his profile, revealing a maturity and seriousness that had faded from his usual mischievousness. His hands moved rapidly across the keyboard, his movements fluid and practiced, his brows furrowed with focused concentration.

unconsciously...

Shen Yanru's lips curved slightly upwards, but then her lips drooped sharply, and her whole body began to burn.

What's going on?

Did I just have a crush?

The mature female professor hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to eat the spring roll in her bowl, her heart beating faster and faster, as if it was about to burst out of her chest at any moment.

"Well..."

"That's pretty much where the problem lies."

"There's a constant correction term that wasn't included in the statistics, and that's quite important...it reflects the long-range entanglement characteristics of the system's ground state." Chen Yu's voice suddenly broke the silence of the laboratory and interrupted the mature female professor's chaotic thoughts.

"oh..."

Shen Yanru responded and continued eating.

In the time that followed, the two did not communicate much. Chen Yu focused on helping the mature female professor complete the remaining content, while Shen Yanru struggled with her complex emotions of longing and helplessness.

I don't know how much time has passed...

Chen Yu stopped what he was doing, then stretched comfortably, turned around to look at her, and said with a smile, "Done!"

The mature female professor snapped out of her reverie, her words still carrying a hint of haughty stiffness, and muttered, "Then you can go back."

"what?"

"No... you're telling me to get lost after you've used me?"

Chen Yu pursed his lips and said in a slightly forceful tone, "At least give me some reward."

"..."

"Today...today...I wasn't wearing stockings," Shen Yanru said, embarrassed and annoyed.

Chen Yu was speechless for a moment, then said irritably, "I'm not some kind of pervert. Just because I touched your... no, no, massaged your feet twice, does that mean I have a stocking fetish?"

Humph--

Is not it?

If I hadn't stopped you, you...you probably would have touched my thigh.

The mature female professor rolled her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and asked calmly, "So, what do you want?"

"I think..."

Chen Yu deliberately dragged out the sound, trying to evoke Shen Yanru's emotions.

As expected, this tactic worked. The mature female professor's heart jumped into her throat. Facing the 'reward' that someone was about to offer, she felt a little nervous and scared, but also a little expectant.

"Wear stockings for me just once!"

Chen Yu straightened his chest and said in a serious tone.