Achieving A Happy Ending With The Tragic Female Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 44

In the end, Lin Nanyue stayed behind, just as Su Mi had hoped.

When Lin Nanyue requested her leave of absence, Su Mi offered some assistance. Out of professional duty, the counselor made a video call to confirm the situation and happened to recognize Su Mi, who was testifying for Lin Nanyue, as a somewhat famous teacher from the neighboring university. Consequently, the leave was approved without a hitch.

After the leave was finalized, the two finally added each other as friends on WeChat after a series of twists and turns.

In a fairly good mood, Su Mi sat across from Lin Nanyue and opened the packaged food items one by one. She hadn’t just ordered congee to ward off the cold, she had also ordered several Cantonese dim sum dishes. Because the insulation was well-done and the delivery was timely, the food was still hot.

Lin Nanyue was very quiet while eating at the dining table. Although Su Mi had ordered a lot, she only ate the few dishes closest to her.

As Lin Nanyue kept her head down, taking small bites, she felt an invisible pressure approaching her. She looked up and realized that Professor Su had been watching her since the beginning. Feeling a bit self-conscious under the gaze, she asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Su Mi wasn’t very hungry to begin with, and at this moment, her mind wasn’t on the food at all. However, she realized that staring like that was inappropriate, so she stood up and said, “Eat slowly. I’m going to go handle some matters first.”

She returned to the living room, but this time she didn’t dive straight into work. Instead, she picked up the stylus for her tablet and began twirling it aimlessly.

Su Mi found it hard not to dwell on the image she had caught a glimpse of earlier. She had to find a way to confirm it again. However, she hadn’t yet figured out how to achieve her goal.

After about ten minutes of contemplation without a solid plan, a slight noise came from the dining table behind her. She turned around to see Lin Nanyue, who had finished eating, tidying up.

Su Mi put down the stylus and stood up to help. Lin Nanyue had originally intended to clean up by herself since she was the one eating and staying over, but Su Mi wouldn’t allow it.

During this time, Su Mi’s gaze kept drifting toward Lin Nanyue. The latter thought she might have accidentally dropped food on her clothes, but upon checking, she found her clothes were perfectly clean.

By the time they finished tidying, it was already past 10:00 PM.

“Are you cold?” Su Mi asked suddenly.

Lin Nanyue shook her head. The long-sleeved shirt Su Mi had given her was thin, just right for this drop in temperature.

“Does the clothing fit?” Su Mi asked again.

Lin Nanyue nodded. “It fits. Thank you, Professor Su.”

Su Mi was silent for a while. After some internal psychological preparation, she spoke again: “I see. Then… what about the undergarments? If they aren’t comfortable, there are others you can try.”

Lin Nanyue hadn’t expected to be asked this. Although they were both women, being asked so suddenly made her feel a bit shy. “They… they fit.”

Privately, she couldn’t help but think that Professor Su was incredibly thoughtful, almost as if she were treating her like a child, fearing she might be uncomfortable anywhere.

After asking, Su Mi wondered what on earth she was saying. Seeing Lin Nanyue looking at her with eyes full of gratitude, Su Mi pursed her lips uncomfortably and said dryly, “That’s good. I’m going to my room to take a shower first.”

She used this as an excuse to leave the area.

However, Lin Nanyue remembered her wet clothes were still in the bathroom, so she went to retrieve them first. Su Mi led her to the laundry room on the balcony and taught her how to use the washing machine.

Lin Nanyue listened intently and then leaned over to operate the machine. Su Mi’s gaze fell on the girl’s slender back, because she was quite thin, the shoulder blades were clearly visible beneath the fabric as she moved.

For a moment, Su Mi regretted choosing a high-collared shirt for her, the area below the neck was covered tightly, revealing nothing.

Having finished with the machine, Lin Nanyue turned to look at Su Mi with a smile on her face. “Professor Su, did I do it right?”

Meeting those bright eyes, Su Mi felt a momentary daze and gave a casual “Mm” in response.

She unnaturally averted her gaze. “You can sleep in the guest bedroom tonight.”

Before leaving, Su Mi handed her some brand-new toiletries and then headed back to her own room to shower.

The slightly hot water cascaded down, turning Su Mi’s skin a faint red and surrounding her in a misty heat that blurred her vision.

She was absentmindedly thinking about Lin Nanyue. She couldn’t exactly ask the girl to strip and show her back right to her face. But she couldn’t think of a better way right now, and if she missed the chance today, she didn’t know if there would be another.

With her mind in a slight mess, Su Mi turned off the shower and stepped out.

It was very quiet outside. She noticed the door to the guest room was closed, she assumed Lin Nanyue had already gone to bed. She stood at her own door for a few seconds before walking toward the living room.

She had originally intended to just grab her laptop, but as she walked over, she saw Lin Nanyue lying on the sofa, seemingly asleep.

Su Mi stood there for a moment before walking over. There was a thick rug in front of the sofa. Su Mi prepared to wake her up to go to the bedroom, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed some items on the coffee table. They appeared to be the things that had gotten wet in the rain, including Lin Nanyue’s student ID.

As if possessed, Su Mi reached out and picked up the ID card. The Lin Nanyue in the photo looked much more youthful than she did now, with rounder cheeks.

While she was looking at the card, Lin Nanyue slowly opened her eyes. “Professor Su?”

Su Mi immediately turned toward her. It looked like she had just drifted off and wasn’t in a deep sleep yet.

Lin Nanyue’s eyes lacked their usual clarity. Seeing Su Mi, she propped herself up and rubbed her eyes, looking drowsy.

Su Mi quietly put the ID back. Seeing how tired she was, she said, “If you’re sleepy, go to bed.”

Lin Nanyue had stayed there specifically to wait for her to come out so she could say goodnight before going to her room, but she had fallen asleep midway.

She stood up. “Then… goodnight, Professor Su.”

Su Mi nodded slightly. “Goodnight.”

After exchanging goodnights, they returned to their respective bedrooms.

However, Su Mi couldn’t sleep yet, she still had a bit of work to finish.

Meanwhile, in the guest room across the wall, the previously drowsy Lin Nanyue had become much more alert. She lay in bed clutching the quilt, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Su Mi.

After that lecture the other day, she had “crammed” a lot of information about Su Mi. Everyone said she was a “cold beauty” professor who was difficult to approach.

But she didn’t feel that way at all. The Professor Su she met was clearly so kind and didn’t seem difficult to approach in the slightest.

Suddenly, her phone on the pillow vibrated twice. Lin Nanyue unlocked it to find a message from Yan Han, asking why she wasn’t back yet since it was past curfew.

Lin Nanyue realized she had forgotten to tell her about the leave of absence. She quickly explained, though she didn’t mention she was staying at Professor Su’s house, only that she had found a hotel.

Yan Han didn’t ask further questions. Instead, she started sharing some gossip, saying she had just learned some shocking news regarding that Professor Su from the neighboring school.

Upon seeing news about Su Mi, Lin Nanyue flipped over energetically on the bed, replying to the message with great interest.

LNY: [What news?]

Yan Han first sent three crying, heartbroken emojis.

Hanhan: [People from the other school said that yesterday after class, when someone asked if she was single, Professor Su personally admitted she has a partner!!! She has a partner!!!]

Hanhan: [They didn’t believe it and went to ask other teachers, and another teacher confirmed the news.]

The smile on Lin Nanyue’s lips froze. Her gaze fixed intently on the first two messages Yan Han sent.

Then, Yan Han sent a video about twenty seconds long.

Lin Nanyue clicked on it. Once it loaded, the noisy background audio filled the room. The person holding the phone was shaking slightly, but in the center of the video, one could clearly see Su Mi standing at the lectern.

Her features were sharp and cold, beneath her high bridge of her nose were thin, rosy lips. She scanned the students below and asked, “Last question, then we’re finished.”

Someone shouted from a corner, “Professor, do you have a partner?”

This sparked a wave of agreement from the crowd, everyone eager to know the answer.

Su Mi, who had looked cold and indifferent just a moment ago, suddenly let a smile grace her lips. Her eyes softened significantly as she gave a brief reply: “Yes.”

The crowd immediately erupted into wails of disappointment. The camera footage jerked several times before finally cutting to a black screen.

Silence returned to the room. The video on the screen looped back to the start frame, and Lin Nanyue stared fixedly at the image of Su Mi.

Her phone continued to vibrate with incoming messages, but she didn’t look closely at what Yan Han sent next.

There was a faint ringing in her ears, and her mind felt somewhat blank. She lay prone on the soft bed, looking down at her phone, her grip tightening slightly. Finally, she hurriedly told the other girl she was going to sleep, turned off the phone, and tossed it aside.

Looking at the room’s decor, she felt an empty, uncomfortable tug in her heart. It wasn’t until drowsiness finally overwhelmed her that she couldn’t hold out any longer and closed her eyes.

In her blurred state of mind, she seemed to dream of a scene.

In the dream, she was using both her hands and feet to cling tightly to someone, calling them “Sister.” The person carried a pleasant fragrance, exactly like the scent on Su Mi. Just as she wanted to confirm further, she was pulled away somewhat roughly. A voice identical to Professor Su’s rang out:

“Please behave yourself. I am already married!”

Su Mi typed the last character, saved the file, and closed her laptop. She took off her glasses, set them on the desk, and reached for the cup beside her, only to find it empty.

She stood up with the cup, intending to get some water before heading to bed. As she stepped out, she noticed a faint sliver of light leaking from the crack of the guest room door.

She checked her watch; it was already 12:30 AM. Why wasn’t she asleep yet?

Su Mi changed direction and walked toward the guest room. Standing at the door, she hesitated for a moment before knocking softly. When there was no response, she pushed open the door, which hadn’t been fully latched.

The floor lamp by the bed was on, illuminating only that specific corner. Su Mi walked over and saw the person lying on her side, asleep.

Lin Nanyue was clutching the quilt tightly with her eyes shut. A strand of long hair was pinned under her hand, and the hem of her shirt had bunched up at her waist due to her posture, faintly revealing a patch of fair skin.

At first, Su Mi thought she had simply fallen asleep and forgotten to turn off the light. She leaned in to turn it off and tuck her in, but then she noticed that Lin Nanyue’s face looked flushed under the lamplight, and her breathing sounded heavy.

Su Mi immediately reached out to touch her forehead and found it slightly burning to the touch. She went out to find the first-aid kit and returned, using a thermometer gun to check her temperature.

37.7°C.

Fortunately, it was only a mild fever.

Su Mi found the fever reducers in the medicine box, read the instructions carefully, and brought back a glass of water before starting to wake her.

“Lin Nanyue, wake up.”

But Lin Nanyue seemed trapped in a dream. At first, she just whimpered, unwilling to wake, and even buried her face into the bedding. This movement caused Su Mi’s mind to wander, a certain someone also liked to bury themselves in the covers like that.

However, Su Mi quickly composed herself and focused on waking her. Eventually, Lin Nanyue managed to open her eyes, her gaze still dazed. She stared blankly at Su Mi for a long while before mumbling, “Is it a dream again…?”

The voice was muffled and unclear, so Su Mi didn’t hear it distinctly. Her focus was entirely on the low-grade fever.

Seeing her awake, Su Mi helped her sit up and handed her the warm water and medicine. “You have a slight fever. Take this before you go back to sleep.”

Lin Nanyue, still in a half-awake state, did exactly as she was told, though her understanding was a bit skewed. She obediently opened her mouth and looked at Su Mi.

Su Mi’s hand paused briefly before she brought the medicine to the girl’s lips. Although she was careful, she inevitably brushed against those soft, warm lips.

She lowered her eyes imperceptibly and brought the water cup to Lin Nanyue’s mouth, feeding her.

After taking the medicine, Lin Nanyue lay back down and closed her eyes, falling asleep again almost instantly. She seemed exhausted.

Su Mi left the water cup on the nightstand. Just as she was about to get up and leave, her gaze swept over Lin Nanyue and she froze.

Perhaps because of the fever, Lin Nanyue felt hot and was sleeping restlessly. She unconsciously rubbed against her clothes, and as the hem shifted upward, a small section of her waist was exposed.

Su Mi suddenly realized this was an opportunity.

Although it felt a bit like taking advantage of someone, there might never be a more suitable moment than right now.

After a moment of internal struggle, Su Mi finally leaned over, supporting herself with one hand on the edge of the bed. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of nervousness and guilt for what she was about to do. It felt somewhat dishonorable.

She carefully touched the bunched-up hem at the waist. The soft fabric was gently lifted, revealing skin as white as snow. Further up was the camisole, the form-fitting fabric clung tightly to Lin Nanyue’s body, rising and falling slightly with her breath.

Thanks to the looseness of the outer shirt, Su Mi was able to lift the fabric upward without much effort, even though Lin Nanyue was partially lying on it.

As the clothing on the back moved higher, Su Mi unconsciously held her breath. Amidst the tension, there was a sliver of hope.

The back of the camisole was designed with a large U-shape. Lin Nanyue was so thin that the slight protrusions of her spine were visible.

In the next instant, Su Mi’s hand rolling up the clothes suddenly stopped. She stared dead-fixedly at a mark on Lin Nanyue’s back, her heart seemingly stopping.

The mark on Lin Nanyue’s back, both in size and shape, was identical to the one she knew so well. Even the smallest details were perfectly replicated.

How could there be such a coincidence in this world?

Su Mi let go of the clothes and reached out to touch the mark. For a split second, she thought she saw the mark flash with a spark of light.

It was gone in an instant, like a hallucination. But she knew deep down it wasn’t a trick of her mind. Those secret connections were hidden within her body, only she could clearly feel the throb and resonance from moments ago.

It was her.

Beneath her long lashes, a faint glimmer flashed in her amber eyes.

Su Mi’s fingertips trembled slightly. She couldn’t help but look at Lin Nanyue’s face, as if wanting to carve every feature into her own eyes.

Outside the window, the torrential rain drummed softly against the glass.

The warm light draped a glow over Lin Nanyue’s face. Su Mi used her trembling fingertips to trace her features inch by inch, from the brow to the corner of the eye, from the bridge of the nose to the lips. The warm, real touch made her feel as though her heart had truly begun to beat again.