Please, I'm Trying to Study, Your Highness! - chapter 31

The commercial exchange of compliments with Xu Hao, which had little nutritional value, came to an end.

I found a secluded corner and sat down.

Here, far from the crowd and bathed in ample light,
it was the perfect spot for deep learning.

The dedicated classroom for the competition group was steeped in a strong academic atmosphere.

Everyone was immersed in their own world, wrestling with complex formulas.

I quickly got into the zone.

With Qiao Nian’s thought patterns enhanced by the Thought Thief, my brain’s computational efficiency was elevated to a whole new dimension.

It felt like upgrading an old computer with the latest top-tier CPU-every lag and delay vanished, leaving only pure satisfaction.

I became a parched sponge, greedily absorbing the sweet rain of knowledge.

Time lost its meaning in this state of absolute focus.

Until a fresh fragrance, in stark contrast to the room’s musty paper scent, began to waft from my side.

It was a unique blend of cedarwood and clean soap.

Not at all aggressive, yet impossible to ignore, it seeped into my senses, gently pulling me out of the sea of logic.

Shen Ruanruan quietly brought over a chair and sat beside me.

My previously crystal-clear train of thought was interrupted, and I felt a twinge of annoyance.

“Shen Classmate?”

Her arrival made no extra sound, as if she were simply part of the air itself.

How does she walk so silently?

Almost startled this Goblin.

“Did you run into any difficulties, Lin Classmate?” Shen Ruanruan asked softly.

Her voice didn’t disturb anyone else, yet I could easily hear her question.

“There are a few, but it’s not a problem.” My gaze returned to the draft paper.

This wasn’t just perfunctory-it was the truth.

With a powerful cheat at hand, so-called tough problems only required a bit more time to “compile” and “run.”

My energy-saving instincts made me want to dive right back into my efficient study mode.

However, Shen Ruanruan didn’t seem to receive the “end of conversation” signal.

She moved a little closer to me,
the chair legs making a faint scraping sound against the floor.

“Which ones are they? Maybe we can look at them together.”

She spoke naturally, “Isn’t the point of a group to discuss and make progress together?”

Did she not catch my subtle refusal?

But to be fair, her words were flawless, and her attitude beyond reproach.

She showed the responsibility of a group leader and left no room for any excuse to refuse.

No wonder she’s the “gentle Saintess” with zero negative reviews on the campus forum.

Her warmth is like spring rain, nourishing everything quietly.

Her natural persuasiveness makes it hard for anyone to say “no.”

The social program in my mind quickly processed and gave the “accept” command.

To communicate with a top student, to observe a top-tier mind at work-
such opportunities are rare and truly high-yield investments.

Hmm? You ask about risks?

Naturally, there are none.

“Alright, I’ll trouble you then, Shen Classmate.”

I pointed out the problems I’d marked with question marks.

“The solution paths for these always feel a bit roundabout. I can solve them in the end, but the process never seems quite concise.”

A spontaneous one-on-one tutoring session began.

“Hmm… This problem does have several proof methods. The way you did it isn’t wrong, just more conventional.”

The girl didn’t give me the answer directly, but instead traced the knowledge thread from the most fundamental point of the problem.

Her explanations started simple and grew deeper.

Her thinking, unlike Qiao Nian’s pure logic, included the subtle associations of a humanities student.

She would liken an abstract mathematical concept to something concrete from daily life, making the originally dry logical deductions vivid and full of imagery.

The combination of Qiao Nian’s efficient algorithms and Shen Ruanruan’s patient teaching created a wonderful chemical reaction.

Not only could I instantly follow her train of thought, but I could also draw inferences during her explanations.

I even proposed a few conjectures that she hadn’t considered herself.
“Look at this problem. If we replace the variable with a mapping over the field of complex numbers, couldn’t it be generalized to a higher-dimensional space?”

“Hm?” A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

“That’s a very interesting idea. I hadn’t considered it before-let me think…”

I was utterly captivated.

The intense, mutual exchange of intellect brought an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

My entire being was immersed in the joy of my rapidly advancing thinking.

Learning from Shen Classmate is truly wonderful.

But…

This ultimate pleasure was gradually being invaded by another, increasingly tangible sensation on the physical level.

At first, Shen Ruanruan was merely sitting at my side.

We maintained a standard social distance between us.

She would occasionally glance up to check whether I was keeping up.

Her attitude always remained gentle and patiently instructive.

Gradually, she began to unconsciously lean forward.

The distance between us shrank from an arm’s length to only half an arm.

As our discussion deepened, the subtle fragrance around us grew ever more pronounced.

Her fingers, as she pointed at the paper, even brushed against the back of my hand by accident.

She withdrew almost instantly, in less than a second.

And now…

I’ve already found myself silently retreating, pressed against the wall in surrender of my ‘territory.’

Even so, my left shoulder was inevitably touched by the girl who had leaned in.

Beneath my shirt, my shoulder felt the soft warmth of her body.

Her voice, drawn closer by our shrinking distance, seemed to whisper right by my ear.

Warm, humid breaths accompanied each mathematical term, spilling gently over my ear.

It tickled, making me restless and uncomfortable-

She was just short of leaning straight into my arms.

My focus was forcibly broken by this contact, which was now approaching the threshold of my sense of safety.

No, no, no.

I urgently withdrew my earlier assessment of this being a high-reward, zero-risk venture. Damn it, this is a high-reward, high-risk investment!

“Shen Classmate.”

I finally couldn’t help it, trying my best to keep my tone calm. “Are you… sitting a little too close?”

Shen Ruanruan’s writing hand paused.

Those tea-colored eyes, absorbed in the problem a moment ago, now met mine, a trace of confusion in them.

Then, she finally realized how intimate and ambiguous our posture was at this moment.

The girl immediately pulled her body away.

The entire process was smooth and graceful, not the least bit flustered, and she maintained an extremely elegant bearing.

Only a faint blush appeared on her perfectly composed face-

Like a rosy tint gently diffused by water.

Not obvious, nor ostentatious.

“I’m sorry, Lin Classmate.”

Her voice was soft, her speech slightly quicker. “I got too absorbed in explaining and didn’t notice… I’m really sorry.”

She lowered her gaze, her tone radiating sincere apology.

“I must have made you uncomfortable, Lin Classmate.”

This gentle vulnerability softened her dignified aura-no one could possibly blame her.

The slight embarrassment, in breaking her perfect composure, only made her even more charming.

I averted my gaze, heart steady as still water. “It’s fine, just be mindful next time.”

“Mm…”

She nodded gently, letting out a breath of relief.

The blush faded from her face as she adjusted her posture, her voice returning to its usual gentle calmness.

“Shall we continue, then?”

“No need. I’ve already figured out most of the remaining steps.”

I crumpled my scratch paper into a ball, unilaterally ending this session.

“I’ll do it myself-no need to trouble you further, Shen Classmate.”

“…Alright. Lin Classmate, if you need help, just ask me.”

“Mm, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The cedar scent faded away.

I took out a new piece of scratch paper, my pen flying across the page.

Even the campus goddess who ranks first in the grade has such absentminded moments…

Is this the so-called gap moe?

Forget it, no point thinking about it-better get back to studying.