Chapter 19.1: Two-in-One

(Part 1)

The room fell into silence.

Outside, the male protagonist heard Shen Han’s words and loudly said, “Okay, ma’am, I’ve left it on the table by the door.”

The sound of the food cart gradually faded away.

Leaving Shen Han and Su Mi alone, the only sound was the faint trickle of water from the outdoor hot spring.

Shen Han glanced at Su Mi, neither approving nor disapproving, and said, “Come in.”

With that, she led the way to the inner room.

Su Mi took a deep breath and nervously followed her, lamenting internally.

How could she have such bad luck to run into the antagonist here of all places?

When she invited Xu Nanqiao to this hot spring resort, she did consider the possibility of running into Shen Han. After all, the Su family and the Shen family were close business partners, and it wasn’t surprising that Shen Han might know the commercial partner Su Ciyu mentioned.

But Su Mi didn’t expect to meet Shen Han in such an awkward and guilty situation.

And why did Shen Han invite her in?

Following Shen Han closely, Su Mi felt like crying but had no tears.

The room had soft carpeting, muffling their footsteps. Shen Han walked around the tea table and cushions, placing the comb on a small side table in the inner room, then opened the glass door to the courtyard.

As evening approached, the mountain air grew chilly. This courtyard was larger than Su Mi’s and Xu Nanqiao’s, with mist swirling around, facing the rolling distant mountains.

Su Mi quietly placed the food bag on the tea table inside, then changed into slippers at the courtyard steps, following Shen Han outside.

Shen Han walked straight to the hot spring.

Su Mi, still dazed, watched Shen Han, unsure of her intentions.

She saw Shen Han lower her head, her movements slight, tilting her neck back, letting her bathrobe slip off her shoulders, revealing her beautiful butterfly bones and the line of her back, skin as white as snow, seemingly about to remove the robe entirely—

“I-I’m not looking!”

Su Mi instinctively covered her eyes tightly.

What-What was the antagonist thinking?

Her ears felt like they were burning up.

The white skin she inadvertently saw was etched in her mind.

Hiding behind her hands, she tightly shut her eyes, almost holding her breath.

Then she heard a light laugh.

The sound of wooden sandals on the grass came closer, and Shen Han seemed to stop right in front of her, carrying a fresh, cold scent.

“So timid, Su Mi?”

Shen Han’s voice was a soft murmur, without any real affection.

Cool, smooth fingertips lightly touched the back of Su Mi’s neck.

It felt like a piece of ice had been placed on her neck, making Su Mi shiver slightly.

Feeling the woman’s slender fingers caress her neck, rubbing gently.

Su Mi hazily thought that if she were an Omega, this would definitely be considered harassment.

Shen Han didn’t linger on her neck, gently pinching there for a moment, then slid her fingers along Su Mi’s jawline, effortlessly pulling her hands away from her eyes.

Shen Han laughed again.

“Why are your eyes still closed?”

Su Mi swallowed.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Su Mi trembled as she quickly opened her eyes.

To her surprise, Shen Han wasn’t as close as she feared. They were about an arm’s length apart, and her expression was indifferent, with a cold and lazy look in her eyes, completely different from the suggestive tone she had used earlier.

Shen Han’s bathrobe hung loosely around her elbows, her damp hair draped over her collarbone, drawing attention.

Under the bathrobe, instead of being completely naked as Su Mi feared, Shen Han was wrapped in a towel.

Su Mi’s gaze flickered over the white towel, quickly looking away as if electrocuted.

Her voice turned dry, her face flushed, and she forced out, “Sister… Please, don’t tease me.”

Shen Han showed a puzzled expression, gently pinching Su Mi’s cheek. Her hand was cool, a stark contrast to Su Mi’s burning cheeks, making her instinctively want to lean into it.

Su Mi subconsciously moved closer but quickly corrected herself.

Shen Han looked down at her, her ice-blue eyes deep and slightly amused, but still cold.

“You seem very tense,” Shen Han said matter-of-factly. “Are you attracted to Alphas?”

Su Mi nearly choked.

What does this have to do with sexual orientation!

Stripping in front of someone would make anyone embarrassed, right?

She quickly looked up, but facing Shen Han’s strikingly beautiful face, she felt guilty again and almost let her thoughts wander.

The mist in the courtyard was thick, and even Shen Han’s eyelashes were adorned with tiny water droplets, making her deep blue eyes even more mesmerizing.

Su Mi: “No… I-I like Betas.”

Shen Han repeated calmly, “Betas?”

Su Mi explained anxiously, “Yes, yes, I like Betas!”

Shen Han leaned closer, the cold fragrance becoming more intense.

“Really?” she murmured.

The woman’s beautiful face was very close, her eyelashes trembling, a tiny droplet rolling off and landing on Su Mi’s face.

Su Mi could almost hear the droplet sizzle and evaporate on her hot skin.

Shen Han asked softly:

“Don’t you like someone like me?”

Her voice was teasing, like it had hooks in it.

Su Mi’s heart trembled.

…Oh dear.

What does she mean by that?

Su Mi’s mind was a mess, alarms blaring in her head.

Someone like Shen Han… do I like her or not…

No, I can’t say I like her…

In a panic, she blurted out:

“Sister, in my heart, you’re like a senior, a parental figure!”

Yes, a benefactor is like a parent!

For a moment, Su Mi thought Shen Han would be angry.

But she wasn’t. Shen Han just paused, a faint, unreadable smile curling her lips.

Casually, she said, “Really?”

Su Mi nodded, then shook her head.

She tried to clarify, “I mean, like family! You know, I never had a sister growing up, and you’ve been so good to me, I really see you as a sister!”

Shen Han glanced at her and said, “Never had a sister?”

Okay, maybe that was a bit ambiguous.

Su Mi scratched her face, saying, “That’s basically what I meant… And I’m firmly for AO relationships. Someone as beautiful and strong as you, only a kind, gentle, and generous Omega could match you!”

Like Xu Nanqiao, right sister!

She blinked at Shen Han, trying to convey her meaning.

Shen Han paused.

Her expression seemed to flicker briefly with something else.

She hummed lightly, saying again, “Really.”

Her tone was weary.

Su Mi opened her mouth, thinking it might be best not to provoke the boss when she was in a bad mood.

She nodded vigorously.

Seeing no further reaction from Shen Han, she cautiously asked, “Sister, are you hungry? Should I bring in the food?”

Seeing Shen Han nod, she hurried out to get the food tray, carefully setting the dishes on the vine-covered table in the courtyard.

When she looked back, she noticed Shen Han had already entered the hot spring.

Amid the swirling mist, Shen Han lazily leaned on the edge, only her smooth shoulders and arms visible, her wet hair floating behind her.

Her long, slender brows were slightly furrowed, her breathing steady.

In this scene, she looked like a mythical creature from the mountains.

While she was just an innocent passerby?

Su Mi felt her face heating up again, awkwardly standing by the edge, she took small steps forward.

Squatting by the hot spring, she softly said, “Sister, the food is ready.”

Shen Han didn’t open her eyes, merely hummed, “Thank you, I’ll eat later. You can go about your business.”

Why so polite all of a sudden…

Su Mi thought, glancing through the mist, realizing Shen Han seemed a bit off.

Her face looked slightly flushed?

Could it be the hot spring was too hot?

She remembered Shen Han always had a lower body temperature, soaking like this might not be good.

Feeling a bit hesitant, Su Mi went to the bathroom inside, got some towels, dampened them, and placed them on a small plate, bringing it to the hot spring.

Before speaking, she tested the water temperature.

…It’s quite cool.

Su Mi looked at the misty hot spring in disbelief, feeling confused. Was this some special principle?

Though Shen Han’s eyes were closed, she seemed to sense everything Su Mi was doing.

Her voice grew colder, wearier, as she said, “Aren’t you going to deliver food to someone? It’ll get cold if you don’t go.”

She sounded quite unwell…

Just a moment ago, she was teasing and saying those things, now she seemed exhausted, completely drained.

Su Mi felt worried but dared not say more, afraid Shen Han might think she was lying if she said too much.

She took a few steps, then couldn’t help but look back twice.

Shen Han seemed to reach her limit.

She opened her eyes, staring deeply at Su Mi, her voice heavy, “Not leaving, do you want to join me?”

Su Mi: !

She shook her head vigorously, forcing a dry laugh, “Of course not… Sister, I’ll go now. Contact me anytime if you need anything!”

With that, she grabbed her things and dashed out.

With so many staff at the resort, it’s not like Shen Han could disappear here, right?

Moreover, with so many people around eager to serve Shen Han, there was no need for Su Mi to stick around and raise suspicions.

Su Mi reached her room and immediately checked her blackened value.

…?

Wait.

She stopped abruptly at her door, confused.

Had she just seen the value drop?

The blackened value, which was at 85% after leaving the hot spring resort, had risen slightly to 88% over the past few days.

But now, it was fluctuating wildly, like a slot machine, sometimes +2, sometimes -3, sometimes +1.

The fluctuations were small, but each time the number changed, Su Mi’s heart skipped a beat.

She was afraid that if Shen Han got too upset, the blackened value would shoot to 100%, and the world would be doomed.

This was the first time she had seen the blackened value fluctuate in real-time.

But why?

Shen Han seemed to have suddenly become very moody.

Was it because Su Mi said her orientation was towards Betas? But what did that have to do with Shen Han?

Su Mi was puzzled but decided to go back and check.

The corridor was still empty. Su Mi’s legs moved faster than her brain, and she found herself at Shen Han’s door again, hesitant to knock.

What would she say? “Sister, I’m here to soak in the hot spring with you”?

That would probably get her torn apart…

Su Mi shrank back, standing at the door, her hand raised and then lowered, unable to muster the courage to knock.

She watched the blackened value fluctuate in front of her eyes.

Suddenly, it stopped.

The blackened value settled at 85%.

Three percent lower than it was when she left the hot spring resort a few days ago.

Huh?

Su Mi was confused.

Why? What kind of emotional turmoil did Shen Han go through?

She was relieved but also very curious.

But now, she didn’t have the guts to knock on Shen Han’s door again.

She had just decided to leave when her wrist terminal beeped.

Shen Han: I understand your respect for elders, but please leave my door.

…

The silence spread through the quiet corridor.

Su Mi’s face turned red, and she hurriedly replied on her terminal.

: Yes, sister!!!!

Help.

She dashed back to her room as fast as she could.

Xu Nanqiao was reading when Su Mi entered.

Looking up with concern, Xu Nanqiao asked, “Su Mi, why did it take you so long?”

Su Mi caught her breath, embarrassed to admit she had run into Shen Han.

She made up an excuse, “The hallway was empty, and I got a bit scared, so I took a longer route.”

Xu Nanqiao opened the food box, saying, “Indeed… With the trial run, there aren’t many people. I didn’t dare go out either.”

Su Mi asked, “Did you need to go out to find me?”

Xu Nanqiao shook her head, “The smart system alerted me that someone was standing outside the door for a while. I thought it was you at first, but then I remembered we both have the room info in our terminals, so it couldn’t be you. Being unfamiliar with the place, I stayed inside.”

Su Mi: …

Mystery solved.

This smart resort system is really smart.

She wiped her face, feeling like crying.

Shen Han was already suspicious for no reason.

Now, she probably thought Su Mi was up to something she couldn’t explain.

Thankfully, nothing happened the next day. Su Mi drove Xu Nanqiao back from the hot spring resort, keeping an eye out for any plot twists.