After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Marked by the Beautiful Mad Villain - Chapter 18

To be honest, this gesture was a bit like summoning a puppy.

Su Mi pulled Xu Nanqiao along as they walked over. They moved slowly, and by the time they reached her, the school executives and administrators who had previously accompanied Shen Han had already departed.

Su Mi greeted her obediently, “Hello, Sister.”

Xu Nanqiao also said politely, “President Shen.”

Xu Nanqiao remained expressionless. Toward Shen Han, she maintained her usual “incorruptible by wealth” demeanor, showing with her entire being that she did not care about Shen Han or the power and wealth she represented.

Su Mi knew that at a time like this, she—the cannon fodder—was needed to act as a buffer between the two of them.

She asked with a beaming smile, “Sister, what brings you here?”

Shen Han replied, “To discuss business. As for you two, school ended an hour ago; why haven’t you gone home yet?”

Su Mi was delighted: It seemed the antagonist hadn’t had time to check the messages on her optical computer yet.

She tried to gloss it over, saying, “We were doing problems in the study room and didn’t really keep track of the time.”

Shen Han’s gaze drifted toward the food bags they were carrying in their hands.

After a brief pause, Shen Han said, “So it’s already time for the dessert competition.”

Meeting Su Mi’s surprised look, Shen Han said quite calmly, “You didn’t know? The prize money for this competition is sponsored by the Shen Group. If you’re short on money, why didn’t you just tell me? I recall you’ve already completed your academic credits.”

Su Mi: “…”

Sister, that is not how you talk to people.

You and I both know that Xu Nanqiao is unwilling to accept the money you give her. She has been taking on various part-time jobs and activities outside of her studies precisely because she wants to escape the… embarrassment of being gifted money.

By saying it so bluntly, aren’t you just slapping her in the face?

Su Mi endured it and endured it, but eventually couldn’t help but steal a quick glance at Xu Nanqiao.

Sure enough, her expression was a bit unsightly.

It looked like the buffer agent had to step up again.

Su Mi took two steps forward, shielding Xu Nanqiao, and gave Shen Han a brilliant smile.

“Isn’t the midterm exam coming up? I wanted to relax a bit before the test, so I finally managed to drag Top Student Xu to accompany me to the competition and make some desserts for fun.”

She naturally waved the food bag in her hand.

“Nanqiao and I made some chocolates and cookies. Sister, would you like to try some?”

Shen Han: “Since when did you have a hobby of making desserts? Last time—”

“Sister!”

Su Mi was terrified that Shen Han would say something else that would trigger a reaction. She knew Xu Nanqiao was sensitive, and she must be feeling quite uncomfortable right now.

Decisively stuffing the food bag into Shen Han’s hands, Su Mi winked pleadingly.

“Sister, please try some! Nanqiao and I have things to do, so we’re leaving now! See you later!”

Then, pulling Xu Nanqiao, she quickly ran away.

Shen Han looked at the food bag in her hand. It was pink, decorated with some cute cartoon logos.

Looking in through the open top, she saw exquisitely packaged handmade sweets inside.

After a while, Secretary Zhuang came out of the office building, opened the rear car door, and handed the documents he had just retrieved to Shen Han.

Seeing that bag—which clearly clashed with the overall aesthetic—sitting right in the middle of the leather back seat, along with the chocolates inside, he instinctively froze for a moment.

Then he smiled.

“President Shen, you were only alone downstairs for a short while; how did you manage to receive a White Day gift?”

Shen Han, holding the documents, looked over in confusion upon hearing this and repeated, “White Day?”

Secretary Zhuang didn’t think much of it. He got into the driver’s seat and, while starting the vehicle, explained, “Indeed. The tradition of White Day is to give chocolate to the person you like.”

Shen Han said flatly, “Su Mi gave it to me.”

Secretary Zhuang almost slammed on the brakes.

Shen Han: “…Secretary Zhuang.”

Secretary Zhuang: “Sorry, sorry. Switching to smart driving immediately.”

Even so, after setting the smart driving, he didn’t dare look back.

Feeling a bit awkward, he said, “But if I didn’t see wrong just now, those chocolates are dark. It seems usually white chocolate is meant for a confession… haha…”

Shen Han remained noncommittal. She took a box of chocolate out of the bag, unwrapped the spoon, and took a bite.

She rarely showed such an indescribable expression.

Shen Han: “She might be trying to poison me.”

“Huh? Is it not good?” Secretary Zhuang regained his composure and took a peek through the rearview mirror.

Shen Han nodded.

Although Secretary Zhuang felt he shouldn’t get involved in this matter, he couldn’t help but say, “Miss Su does seem to have poor culinary skills, but making something at all is already quite good… fine, I’ll stop talking.”

He raised his hands, firmly refusing the other piece of chocolate that Shen Han gestured to hand him for a taste.

After the midterm exams, Su Mi successfully invited Xu Nanqiao out to go to a hot spring together.

One reason was to show gratitude for the heroine’s sincere help during this period, and the other was to draw closer to her.

She had looked into the details of the hot spring resort; the environment was very private and the facilities were complete. Su Mi had “sold the dream” to Xu Nanqiao: once they got there, they could soak in the hot springs and do homework while eating the free meals.

After being pestered by her for several days, Xu Nanqiao finally agreed.

Using an invitation card from her mother, Su Mi booked a private spring for two. The room was an independent courtyard.

Currently, the hot spring resort was still in its internal-only soft opening phase. The environment was quiet and secluded. A waiter led them to their reserved room, passing through Japanese-style pavilions and courtyards along the way without seeing another soul.

They arrived at noon and ate at the resort’s buffet. In the afternoon, they soaked in the private pool for a while before continuing their 1v1 study session in the courtyard.

As Su Mi reviewed her midterm exam paper for Xu Nanqiao, she thought silently: Doing exam papers in a place like this—truly, that is so us.

But coming out to rest for a bit was indeed very helpful for relaxing the body and mind.

This hot spring resort was located at the foot of a mountain in the suburbs, surrounded by lush greenery. It was early spring, and looking toward the mountain in the afternoon, everything was a shade of tender new green. The courtyard was also surrounded by flowers. The fresh air mixed with the misty steam from the pool was exceptionally leisurely.

During a break from studying, Xu Nanqiao couldn’t help but lean back on the soft leather sofa in the courtyard and let out a long breath.

Su Mi brought over some fruit and, imitating Xu Nanqiao, lay upside down on the other sofa, looking at her from that inverted perspective.

“What’s up?” Su Mi asked.

Xu Nanqiao burst into laughter, shifted her body, and also lay upside down like Su Mi.

“Nothing, I just think… it’s quite magical.”

Su Mi: “Eh? What’s magical?”

Xu Nanqiao sighed and said, “In the past, I never imagined that one day I would come to a place like this, soaking in a hot spring, eating fruit, and having the feeling that I can do whatever I want.”

Su Mi: “So, now that you’re lying here, do you have any thoughts?”

Xu Nanqiao: “My thoughts are that the lady lying on the sofa opposite me is quite a good person.”

Su Mi: “Hey!”

She intentionally snorted in mock indignation. The two of them made eye contact while upside down and both started laughing again.

Su Mi said, “Can I ask a curious question? Why do you dislike my sister being nice to you, but you don’t dislike me being nice to you?”

Xu Nanqiao feigned confusion: “Are you nice to me?”

Su Mi patted the sofa beneath her forcefully: “This! Doesn’t this count as being nice?”

Xu Nanqiao laughed heartily.

“I don’t know, but you are quite a good person. It’s just… you’re better than you were before the differentiation, and better than your sister.”

Su Mi coughed, attempting to probe indirectly: “My sister is a pretty good person too, right? What do you think of her?”

Xu Nanqiao thought for a moment and said, “She’s rather mysterious. I can’t see through her thoughts. Plus, she never smiles all day; it’s a bit scary.”

Su Mi: …I think so too.

But she still had to struggle a bit and said, “Don’t you think she’s quite generous to you? Maybe she’s just a bit oblivious to people’s feelings and isn’t very good at talking.”

Xu Nanqiao gave a “hmmm,” “Is that so? I didn’t really see it. She feels about the same as other rich people—not much sincerity.”

Well then.

Su Mi felt a slight pang of heartbreak but quickly rallied: At least she had found out that the heroine hadn’t reached the point of loathing the antagonist yet.

She had read the plot and had some memories; she knew that during the first few years after the heroine entered Loran Public School, she was always treated as a curiosity by these second-generation rich kids. Naturally, she had suffered a lot of malice, and since then, she had no good feelings toward these people.

Therefore, all she needed to do was make Shen Han step down from her pedestal and show more sincerity and her “ordinary person” side in front of the heroine. That should improve things a lot!

Su Mi gained confidence and clenched her fist tightly: “Come on, let’s keep doing problems!”

In the evening, the waiter specifically mentioned that there was a seafood buffet in the resort restaurant. Xu Nanqiao was allergic to seafood, so Su Mi went to check it out alone.

The dishes were decent. she asked the waiter to pack some dishes that didn’t contain seafood and carried the bags toward their small courtyard.

Just as she reached her area and turned a corner, Su Mi suddenly stopped in her tracks.

At the end of the path ahead stood a figure. He was wearing the uniform of the resort staff and was pushing a dining cart toward Su Mi.

Su Mi only needed one look at his face to confirm: How is the male lead here?!

She instinctively ducked behind the corner and, using the greenery at the corner as cover, peeked out again.

It was indeed Gu Yansheng.

Why would he be here?

Su Mi recalled the original plot did mention that after the male lead arrived in the capital, he not only enrolled as a special assistant student but also worked various part-time jobs, just like Xu Nanqiao.

Several plot points occurred at the places where they worked.

But this hot spring resort had never appeared in the original plot.

Although they had only met a few times, Su Mi had a gut feeling that the male lead wasn’t as simple as he was in the original plot; he seemed to have other motives.

Therefore, she didn’t really want Gu Yansheng to see her.

Hearing the sound of the delivery cart approaching, Su Mi looked back at the path she came from.

Her path was also a straight, long stretch. If Gu Yansheng turned this corner, even if she turned around and left immediately, she would be seen by him.

Looking left and right, she quickly found a room whose door was not tightly closed.

She ducked inside.

Upon entering, the room was a small living room lit by a single floor lamp. It was very quiet. Su Mi emboldened herself to close the door gently and hid by the door to listen to the movement outside.

Previously, she had asked the staff here; because it was still in the soft opening phase, only a few friends of the resort owner were staying there, and the other rooms were empty. If they wanted to switch, they could do so directly just by informing them.

Su Mi naturally assumed that this room with the door left ajar was also an empty room.

However—

The sound of the dining cart drew closer and closer and stopped at the door.

Separated by a single door, Su Mi heard Gu Yansheng ring the doorbell.

“Hello, Guest. Your meal has arrived.”

Su Mi:?!!

Wait a minute, there’s someone in this room!

She was startled and turned her head. Just as she was thinking about how to explain herself to this unknown friend of the owner, she saw an even more familiar figure walk out from behind the screen in the inner room.

The woman, tall and of cold demeanor, was wearing only a bathrobe. The sash was tied loosely, exposing the beautiful collarbone curves and the chest extending downward.

One hand was pressed against the bathrobe sash, while the other held a round comb. Her head was tilted slightly, and her straight black hair draped over her left shoulder, revealing her clean, fair right cheek and that ink-colored tear mole at the corner of her right eye.

“Leave it at the door…”

The clear, cold voice stopped abruptly mid-sentence. She looked up, capturing Su Mi—who was trying her best to press against the door—exactly in her sight.

Shen Han was also stunned for a moment, then she raised her sharp right eyebrow.

Su Mi’s brain almost short-circuited. She cowered tremblingly by the door, trying hard to pull her gaze away from Shen Han’s neckline.

She opened her mouth and instinctively hid the insulated food bag she had brought for Xu Nanqiao behind her.

With a shaky voice, she said:

“It’s… it’s not this meal…”