Please, I'm Trying to Study, Your Highness! - chapter 44

Xia Shiyu leaned against the doorframe,
her fingertips twirling her hair, her posture relaxed.

Her presence was like a spotlight meticulously blended with a sweet, cloying fragrance, constantly announcing her existence.

It was precisely her arrival that happened to break the subtle and tense standoff in this study room.

As her words fell,
Shen Ruanruan’s gaze, which had been locked on me, finally shifted slightly and turned to the unexpected guest at the door.

“Classmate Xia, you haven’t left yet?”
She nodded politely, her face showing no sign of annoyance at being interrupted.

“Lin Classmate and I were indeed discussing some matters regarding the competition study group.”

Her words lightly drew a line, defining Xia Shiyu as an “outsider.”

At the same time, she circled me and herself back into a private domain called “study.”

Catching the underlying meaning, Xia Shiyu tilted her head.

“Is that so? But just now…”
She deliberately paused for two seconds, her smile growing even sweeter.

“How come I heard you wanted to invite Xiao Huihui to dinner?”

This was Xia Shiyu’s counterattack.
She used a pure and innocent tone to pierce Shen Ruanruan’s excuse of “discussing study.”

The secret clash between the two School Belles began at this moment.

“Dinner is for another reason.”
Shen Ruanruan gently placed the test papers on the table.
Her fair fingers smoothed out the creases at the edge of the paper, and a soft, graceful curve appeared at her lips.

“But before that, Teacher Li specifically asked me to help Lin Classmate with a few problems today.”

“Teacher Li?”
Xia Shiyu stepped in, wearing black Mary Jane shoes.
The rich scent of high-end perfume invaded the air, which had previously been filled only with cedarwood.

“Is that the new teacher who just transferred today to take charge of the math competition?”
Her steps were light,
the sound as if beating the war drums for this silent battle.

“So efficient-on the very first day, our great School Belle Shen is already helping to tutor classmates.”

“That’s the group leader’s duty.” Shen Ruanruan’s expression didn’t change.

“Hehe.”
Xia Shiyu covered her mouth and laughed, “No wonder you’re so soft, Ruanruan~”

As a spectator, I could already smell the gunpowder in the air.

On the left was the gentle and kind Shen Ruanruan, who sometimes struggled with boundaries.
On the right was the smiling, probing Xia Shiyu, every word hiding a blade.

And at the center of the battlefield was me, a prop not worth mentioning.

But why did this scene feel a bit like…
a Shura field?

Wait, are you kidding me??

A Goblin like me, only fit to eat leftovers, is actually involved?!

Before I could find an excuse to escape, a slender, fair hand landed on my shoulder.

It was Xia Shiyu.

“So, you’ve finished discussing the problems, right? After all… I see Xiao Huihui has already packed up his backpack.”

My escape route was blocked, so I silently continued to play dead.

“By the way, Ruanruan, why did you suddenly think of inviting him to dinner?”
Xia Shiyu looked puzzled, appearing innocent.

“When did you two become so close? I didn’t even know.”

“Classmate Xia, you must be joking.”
Shen Ruanruan’s gaze swept lightly over the hand on my shoulder.

“I’m inviting Lin Classmate to dinner simply to thank him for helping me out in a big way yesterday.”
She adjusted her cuffs, her voice gentle as water. “As the one who was helped, it’s basic courtesy to formally express gratitude.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Shiyu’s curiosity became even more exaggerated.

“Help? What kind of help?”
She even clasped her hands together at her chest, her eyes shining with a thirst for knowledge as she looked at me.

“Xiao Huihui, what did you do for our talented School Belle to make her invite you to dinner so solemnly?”

The ball was finally at my feet.
I could no longer remain silent.

Under the gaze of the two heroines, I recounted yesterday’s events in the simplest, clearest terms.

As I finished speaking, Xia Shiyu gasped.
She covered her mouth with both hands, her peach blossom eyes wide, her face full of shock and lingering fear.

“Oh my! Locked in the old storage room for nearly fifty minutes?”
She exclaimed, her voice noticeably louder.

“It’s so dark and stuffy in there, it must have been terrifying!”

“Ruanruan, you actually have claustrophobia? You weren’t scared out of your wits, were you?
Oh dear, that’s so dangerous.”

As she spoke, she looked Shen Ruanruan up and down, her gaze overflowing with sincere concern.

But the words of care coming out of her mouth had a different flavor.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it strange? How did the old door lock just happen to break? I remember that storage room is rarely used.”

“And… Ruanruan, aren’t you always the most careful? How did you end up accidentally locked inside?”

Faced with these seemingly caring but actually challenging questions, Shen Ruanruan maintained her dignified poise as the perfect goddess.

“Everyone has moments of carelessness, unlike Classmate Xia, who is always so… flawless.”

“Me? Flawless?”
Xia Shiyu chuckled, “Compared to you, Ruanruan, I’m far behind. Oh, right… speaking of this thank-you dinner.”
She seemed to have just remembered something, wrinkling her delicate nose in slight distress.

“Today might really not work, because I already made plans with Xiao Huihui to go to the library in the south of the city to look up some materials.”

I, who was just playing a game of Red Light, Green Light with the air, blinked in confusion.

Huh? When did I ever agree to go to the library with you…

Suddenly, I realized Xia Shiyu’s intention and swallowed back the question that almost slipped out.

It wasn’t hard to tell from her words just now that she was hinting that Shen Ruanruan was acting strange…

She was also trying to remind Shen Ruanruan that her so-called “gratitude” was actually laced with a certain purpose and an overly attentive “diligence” that went beyond normal social boundaries.

But, let’s not talk about whether that’s normal or not…

The key is, why should I choose to believe what you, this crazy woman, say!

Whether it’s true or not, I’ve always only trusted my own judgment.

It’s precisely this decisiveness that has allowed me to live peacefully and without worry since transmigrating, never getting caught up in any unexpected incidents.

Do you understand what it means to be steady as a rock!

Ignoring the Green Tea Bitch’s attempts to sow discord, I calmed down inside.

Alright, time to analyze.

First, Shen Ruanruan.

From our previous interactions, I had wondered if she might have feelings for me.

But that thought only lasted a few seconds before I laughed at myself.

What kind of daydream is that!

It’s like, in real life, you’re a nobody with no looks, no money, and no presence.

And yet the perfect, gentle School Belle of the school goes out of her way to get close to you, just to take advantage of you?

Even Liu Cixin wouldn’t dare write something so sci-fi!

You can’t fall into the trap of the three great illusions of life.

If she really had a problem, there’s no way it would escape my eyes.

After all, when it comes to acting, I can confidently say I’m number one.

She can’t possibly have “Unyielding” too, right?

Of course, it’s still important to stay alert-there’s always a chance her acting skills are truly masterful.

Given Shen Ruanruan’s age, though, that’s unlikely.

So, she’s probably just a naturally airheaded, contrasting-type character.

But that doesn’t mean Shen Ruanruan is harmless. On the contrary, she’s also a very dangerous existence.

Because I have absolutely no way of predicting her next move.

Yesterday’s “punishment” in the storage room still makes my heart race.

If I really agreed to have a meal with her, what if something like yesterday’s accident happened again in a private room at some restaurant?

Not only would I waste a lot of study time, I’d also have to stay on guard to avoid accidental contact with her.

From an energy-saving perspective, that’s a huge loss!

As for Xia Shiyu…

At most, it’s a bit troublesome. Just bicker with her for a few lines, act a little, and I can go home early.

That’s a good deal.

In just six seconds, my rapidly spinning brain had finished analyzing and made a decision.

“There’s a library at school, no need to go so far. I can go with you guys later.”

On the other side, Shen Ruanruan downplayed Xia Shiyu’s “prior arrangement,” sticking to her own principles.

“Lin Classmate’s kindness to me can’t be repaid with a simple ‘thank you.'”

“I believe Lin Classmate can understand my sincerity.”

Even though her tone was gentle, it was still obvious that she emphasized the words “kindness” and “sincerity.”

Xia Shiyu wasn’t buying into this moral coercion at all.

“Oh, Ruanruan, now you’re just making things difficult for him.”

Her tone carried a hint of coquettish grievance, as if standing up for me.

“It’s just a meal, it’s not as serious as you make it sound. You’re acting like if our Xiao Huihui doesn’t agree, he’s some ungrateful villain.”

That “our Xiao Huihui” was spoken with such naturalness, an invisible declaration of ownership over her prey.

Now!

Just as Shen Ruanruan was about to respond to that sarcastic “concern,” I seized this fleeting, perfect opportunity to cut in.

“Um… Shen Classmate.”

Turning slightly to avoid the hand resting on my shoulder, I looked at Shen Ruanruan with an expression of helplessness that fit my persona.

“The materials we need aren’t in the school library, and… we really did make plans before. Standing someone up isn’t very nice.”

In that instant, a barely noticeable crack, like a spiderweb, appeared in Shen Ruanruan’s gentle smile.

She looked at me, and in the depths of her almond-shaped, gentle eyes, something seemed to be rapidly solidifying.

She must be angry now.

Anyone would feel a bit uncomfortable if their invitation was rejected.

Meanwhile, Xia Shiyu looked as if she’d just heard the best news ever, her smile growing even brighter.

“See, I told you.”

Without giving me a chance to object, she grabbed my wrist.

Her voice was sweet and coquettish, as if filtered through honey.

“Ruanruan, we won’t bother you then. We’ll be off first, bye-bye~”

With that, like a victorious little fox, she pulled me toward the door.

I let myself be half-dragged, half-led out of the study room by her.

My steps didn’t hesitate or pause.

From beginning to end, I never looked back at the one left alone in the empty, coldly lit classroom… Shen Ruanruan.