Shen Suyu was a little stunned—she hadn’t expected Gu Yanshen to be so agreeable. Gratitude and a slight embarrassment showed on her face.
“Won’t this be a bother for you? Everything should still depend on what’s convenient for you. If it’s not convenient for you to make room, that’s fine. I can always find somewhere else to stay,” she said, her mind racing. Outwardly polite, she secretly hoped Gu Yanshen wouldn’t agree—after all, on this small island and in this tiny village, she really hadn’t found another place to settle.
“It’s not really a bother. It’s just that the place is mostly frequented by men, so it might be a little inconvenient. If you can accept that, it should be fine. But the room is in a corner, so it won’t have much impact,” Gu Yanshen said, shaking his head slightly, feeling a pang of sympathy for her. She was just a young girl, yet she had been through so much—betrayed by friends and having her reputation defamed.
“Then I won’t be polite. I do need a place to stay for now. Don’t worry—as soon as I have money or someone else is willing to take me in, I’ll move immediately. I promise I won’t trouble you at all.” Shen Suyu’s face brightened with a big smile, and she stopped saying any unnecessary words. In the face of absolute reality, pride was meaningless—securing a place to stay was far more important.
“It’s fine. It’s not safe for you to stay here anyway. As a young girl, you should be in a safer environment. Pack your things and come with me,” Gu Yanshen said, his tone cold and expression unreadable, though inside he was quietly excited. For some reason, just the thought of being close to Shen Suyu made him happy.
“Really?” Shen Suyu was astonished. She had thought it would take until tomorrow, but it was happening so quickly. Not daring to insist on keeping face, she nodded quickly.
“Then this will trouble you, Commander. My things aren’t too many, just a quick pack, though moving them will require some effort.”
“Will you help me move them yourself?” Shen Suyu asked cautiously, not wanting to assume too much, since Gu Yanshen hadn’t explicitly offered.
“In this place, apart from me, who else can help you move? Shen Suyu, your eyesight isn’t great,” Gu Yanshen said with a faintly teasing tone, causing Shen Suyu’s face to burn red. She had thought he was generous, but now she realized he was just being himself.
“Hurry and pack your things. I’m not sure if I can enter your dorm without disturbing anyone, but I’m worried you’ll take too long,” Gu Yanshen added, his ears slightly red. Normally, he wouldn’t interfere, but since it concerned Shen Suyu, he couldn’t stand idly by.
“Time’s getting late, so if you pack quickly, you can rest earlier,” he said, still slightly flustered.
“Don’t worry. You, Commander, are well-respected here. No one will say anything if you enter, but it’s still best to be cautious,” Shen Suyu replied.
“I’m leaving soon, and I don’t want to cause any trouble for you, so I’ll trouble you just a little,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. Gu Yanshen nodded, not insisting.
The two of them immediately got to work, packing her things as quickly as possible. The other sent-down girls watching were flustered—if they had known Shen Suyu had such powerful backing, they wouldn’t have provoked her.
“Shen Suyu, don’t be angry with us. We didn’t mean to slander you; it was Meng Zhiqing manipulating us, throwing dirt on you,” the girls cautiously explained, keeping an eye on her expression. No one knew that Shen Suyu had Gu Yanshen as her backing—truly a headache for them.
“Yes, we won’t trust her one-sided words next time. We’ll make sure to hear your side,” they added carefully.
“We weren’t doing it on purpose, so don’t take it to heart,” they continued. Shen Suyu felt disgusted—what good were their apologies after everything had happened?
“You don’t need to speak politely just because Commander Gu is here. I’m just ordinary friends with him. Do as you please. I find all your fawning expressions annoying,” Shen Suyu said bluntly, her words leaving the girls pale. If it weren’t for Gu Yanshen standing there, they might have cursed her out.
“Everyone should be careful. You’ve all been educated, and you know the legal consequences of spreading false rumors,” Shen Suyu warned. “I won’t pursue today’s incident, but next time, I won’t just stand by.”
Her words were shocking even to Gu Yanshen, but he didn’t overthink it. He focused on standing by Shen Suyu.
“Yes,” the girls replied, instantly subdued by Gu Yanshen’s presence. With the situation so clearly laid out, defiance would be foolish.
“Alright, these are my things. The rest you can have your people throw away,” Shen Suyu said.
“Can you help me move these to the car? We can leave now,” she added impatiently, not wanting to linger another second. Gu Yanshen sensed her mood and nodded without a word.
“The car is ready, and my men are waiting outside. I’ll have them come in to pack, and we’ll leave together.”
“Don’t pressure yourself. Handle things as they come—I’m here anyway,” Gu Yanshen said gently. Shen Suyu was slightly surprised; they weren’t close enough for such kindness, yet he was being so considerate.
“Okay,” she said. Despite her curiosity, she didn’t reveal anything in front of the others. The girls behind them grew even more suspicious. No wonder Shen Suyu had been untouchable all this time—she really had powerful backing.
“What did Commander Gu mean just now? Your words were so severe that they could be misunderstood,” one of the girls whispered.
“My reputation isn’t important, but yours is. Think carefully about how to explain, so no one spreads anything unpleasant about you,” Shen Suyu replied gently, almost casually. But Gu Yanshen knew the matter wasn’t trivial. That Shen Suyu spoke up meant she had already taken it to heart, making him a little nervous.