Chapter 11: Holding Your Hand

ᰔYou look especially beautiful today.ᰔ

After getting home and taking a shower, Shen Suhui made herself a fruit salad. Just as she sat down to eat, her phone rang.

“Hey, sis, it’s me. How have you been lately?” Shen Dongting’s cheerful voice came through the phone, sounding quite upbeat.

“I’ve been good. How about you?”

“I’m great! Also, sis, I have a secret to tell you.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m in love!!!”

“Really?” Shen Suhui was genuinely happy for him. “When did this happen? Do Mom and Dad know?”

“Just today. I confessed, and she said yes! She’s a really cool tattoo artist with a great artistic vibe. You’ll get to meet her sometime.”

“As for Mom and Dad…” Mentioning their parents, Shen Dongting’s mood dropped a bit. “There’s no rush. Telling them would only ruin the mood. We won’t get any blessings, just criticism.”

“Yeah.” Shen Suhui agreed with her brother’s sentiment.

From childhood, Wang Lanzhi and Shen Suhui had always favored Shen Dongting. The love they received was worlds apart. Compared to her, Shen Dongting was more like their child.

However, despite the love, Shen Dongting also felt suffocated by it. They would use their so-called love to bind him and impose their expectations. They were willing to spend money to send him to the best schools or cultivate his artistic talents in music, but his future was also planned out by them.

For example, after graduation, he must find a job in a certain place, and he must marry a certain type of girl.

Every time there was a dispute, the most familiar phrase would be, “I’m doing this for your own good.”

Despite their parents’ favoritism, Shen Dongting never held any prejudice against Shen Suhui. On the contrary, he treated her very well.

From a young age, he would secretly pass his favorite snacks to Shen Suhui and accompany her after she was scolded by their parents, saying, “Sister, you still have me. When I grow up, I’ll make lots and lots of money to take care of you.”

Half the reason Shen Suhui held on until now was because she couldn’t bear to leave her younger brother.

“Mom called you a while back, asking you to come home. If you have time, go see her. She actually… misses you.”

“I got it, Sis.”

The siblings exchanged a few words before hanging up, and then Yu Ran sent a message.

-yr: What are you doing?

-Fourteenth Year: Just talked to my brother. He told me he has a girlfriend now, I’m so happy!!!

A voice message quickly came through.

—–

Shen Suhui’s heart began to beat wildly, unsure if it was joy or something else. She excitedly and seriously played the message.

The voice was gentle yet teasing, with a playful laugh.

“Congratulations, but if you tell your brother that you also have a partner, he’d probably be just as happy.”

Shen Suhui’s face quickly turned red. She thought Yu Ran was teasing her, so she changed the subject.

-Fourteenth Year: What are you doing? Not busy anymore?

-yr: Yeah, not busy if there’s no emergency.

-Fourteenth Year: So if you’re not busy tonight, can you rest? Do you have work tomorrow?

-yr: If there’s no emergency tonight, I can rest. I have surgery tomorrow morning. After the surgery, I have to go back to the ward to write the surgery report. Once that’s done, I can go off duty and rest.

-yr: Is there anything else you want to know? Feel free to ask.

Shen Suhui’s face grew hotter and hotter. Yu Ran was very patient with her questions. She could even tell from the texts that Yu Ran was smiling.

-Fourteenth Year: No, you should rest. It’s really tough.

Yu Ran sent an emoji of a cat sighing.

-yr: Can I ask you a question?

-Fourteenth Year: Sure.

-yr: Can I ask you out on the 29th?

Shen Suhui pondered for a moment.

-Fourteenth Year: Sure, I don’t have any plans anyway.

Yu Ran clenched her fist in joy upon seeing the message.

—–

On the 29th, Yu Ran had a sports safety education lecture at Zhangshan University in the morning and would be free in the afternoon. It was the perfect time for a date with Shen Suhui.

Yu Ran had considered many ways to pursue Shen Suhui. While others might invite her to dinner, watch movies, send red envelopes, or give gifts, Yu Ran thought what Shen Suhui needed most was companionship and a sense of security.

As for red envelopes and gifts, she’d have plenty of opportunities once she won her over.

—–

On the 29th, the weather was sunny and pleasant.

Yu Ran arrived at Zhangshan University at 7:30 AM. Due to the need to speak to students from different departments, the lecture would last all morning.

She and Shen Suhui agreed to meet at noon, with Shen Suhui coming to the school to find her.

Yu Ran was particularly well-dressed today. Her short hair was neatly styled, exposing her impeccable brow and features, with a pair of silver-framed glasses perched on her nose.

She wore a well-tailored black custom-made Zhongshan suit with a diamond cross pin at the collar and a long black leather coat over it. As soon as she stood on the podium, her aura was instantly commanding.

Today’s style was quite different from usual, giving off a more academic vibe.

After the first session, Yu Ran took a few sips of mineral water, and a young girl from the audience approached the stage, cheeks flushed, to ask a question.

“Hello, Teacher Yu. I’m a clinical medicine student. Can I ask you a few questions?”

During the fifteen-minute break, Yu Ran spent ten minutes patiently answering her questions.

The student closed her book, looking nervous. “Um, Teacher Yu, you look so young. Do you have a partner?”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Yu Ran glanced at her phone. Shen Suhui had sent her a message.

-Fourteenth Year: I’m here. You go ahead with your lecture. I’ll walk around the playground.

-yr: Okay, I’ll find you when I’m done.

As she replied, a smile unconsciously formed on her lips, filled with tenderness and sweetness. The student immediately understood.

The girl smiled awkwardly and apologized, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you have a partner. Sorry, Teacher Yu…”

“It’s alright, no need to apologize,” Yu Ran said with a generous smile. “Good luck with your studies.”

The girl nodded and returned to her seat, moving awkwardly.

The rest of the session went smoothly.

When Yu Ran found Shen Suhui, she was talking to a tall male student on the playground. The boy kept scratching his head, looking bashful and silly.

“Shen Suhui.”

Yu Ran called out from a distance.

She walked over and intimately wrapped her arm around Shen Suhui’s waist, glancing at the boy. “Who is this?”

“Just a classmate I just met. He said he wanted to be friends.”

“Friends or a boyfriend?”

“Actually, this sister has already rejected me. It seems like you two are a couple…” The boy, holding a basketball, blushed. “Sorry for disturbing you.”

He quickly left in a hurry.

Yu Ran laughed as she watched his back.

Shen Suhui asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, you know?” Yu Ran suppressed her laughter, feeling elated. “A lot of people said we look like a couple today.”

“Why?”

“Really? Don’t we look like one?” Yu Ran finally gave her a serious look. “And today, Boss Shen looks particularly beautiful.”

“You…” Shen Suhui said shyly, “Thank you for the compliment. You’re very beautiful too.”

“I know, thank you for saying so.”

Actually, their outfits today matched well, and if they were a bit closer, they could easily be mistaken for a lesbian couple.

Shen Suhui was wearing a beige wool coat paired with a red plaid scarf. Her long hair was curled into loose waves, and her bangs were styled into airy curls. A small button-shaped hairpin was clipped onto her curls, adding a lively, youthful, and sweet look, making her resemble a college student.

Yu Ran couldn’t help but glance at her several times.

“You really do look particularly beautiful today.”

Shen Suhui looked back at her and smiled, “Alright, I guess I must look really pretty since you’ve said it twice already.”

“I’d like to say it a third time, a fourth time…”

Many, many times.

“By the way, what do you want for lunch?”

“The cafeteria!” Shen Suhui said, “That boy just mentioned that their school’s spicy hotpot is really good.”

“Spicy hotpot? Sure!” Yu Ran had never tried it before, but her focus was not on the food at the moment. “Did you talk for a long time?”

“Not really, about twenty minutes.”

“Oh, did you exchange contact information?”

“No, he was just chatting with me at first, and then he asked for my contact info. I immediately realized his intentions and refused. Then you arrived.”

“If I hadn’t come, would you have given in and exchanged info with him?” Yu Ran stared at her, her expression very serious, as if she had to know the answer.

Shen Suhui slowly realized that Yu Ran might be jealous.

“I don’t know.”

Actually, Shen Suhui knew she wouldn’t have exchanged contact info with the boy. But today, she just wanted to see Yu Ran’s reaction.

“Shen Suhui,” Yu Ran’s expression became serious, with a hint of displeasure, “Don’t give him your contact information.”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t give your contact information to anyone you don’t know well.”

“Okay.” Shen Suhui buried her mouth in her scarf and smiled, “Alright.”

Zhangshan University, with a history of over a hundred years, had a large campus. After lunch, they strolled around the playground, surrounded by laughter and joy.

Students were riding bikes after class, holding balls, books, or playing games on their phones, carrying takeout boxes, or picking up packages… students were everywhere.

They walked and chatted, playing and joking, full of youthful energy.

The two 28-year-old women returning to campus had their own reflections.

“I’d love to know what you were like in college,” Yu Ran looked at Shen Suhui’s profile. “Were you as quiet as you are now?”

“I was lonely in college too, preferring to be alone. This… all feels very unfamiliar to me.”

“Were you always alone?” Yu Ran couldn’t help but frown, feeling a bit sorry for her.

“But I can guess what you were like in college.”

“Really? Tell me.”

“You were probably like them: always optimistic, confident, sincere… someone many people admired.”

Because she had seen Yu Ran like that, even if it was just a glimpse.

Yu Ran extended her right hand toward her, “Can I hold your hand?”

“…” Shen Suhui looked at Yu Ran’s eyes in confusion.

“Even though you’re not my girlfriend yet, it’s normal for girls to hold hands, right? Look at them…”

“Friends can hold hands, roommates can hold hands, classmates can hold hands.”

Yu Ran said slowly, “It’s not just for lovers.”

Many girls carrying books were holding hands, walking back to their dorms, chatting and laughing.

Shen Suhui’s heart surged as she placed her hand into Yu Ran’s palm. In that instant, Yu Ran tightened her grip, as if squeezing her heart.

“Let’s go.”

Yu Ran pulled Shen Suhui along, “I was just thinking, if we had gone to the same university, we would have had many ways to meet, and I would still have fallen in love with you at first sight.”

She spoke while turning back to look at Shen Suhui’s face.

“Then, during those college years, I would have pursued you passionately, since that was when I had the most free time.”

“You, sometimes, are really funny.” Shen Suhui was amused by her.

“Not too bad. If given the chance, I would really want to attend classes with you, eat with you, take walks with you…”

Be by your side, holding your hand.