The transition begins in Chapter 15
Shen Suyu finally felt relieved upon hearing this, realizing that Gu Yanshen’s efforts over this period had not been in vain. She had even been considering asking him for a loan.
“Of course you can. He’s in business, so no matter how much you buy, he should sell it. He won’t just turn you away,” Gu Yanshen said. “Out of respect for me, the price might be a bit lower, but the exact details should be discussed between you.” He nodded, making sure to explain everything clearly, avoiding misunderstandings that could damage their relationship.
“Don’t worry, I’m experienced in business. I just need you to introduce me to your friend. Whenever he has time, that will do,” Shen Suyu said confidently, a smile on her face that even made Gu Yanshen momentarily stunned. Compared to other women around him, none were as bright and charming as she was.
“There’s nothing major at the base. Finish your business first, and only then can I focus on mine without worrying,” Gu Yanshen replied firmly. “Don’t worry about me. Get things settled, and tomorrow I’ll take you to meet him.”
“Good.” Shen Suyu nodded. Gu Yanshen shook his head and rejected her request without hesitation. He had already delegated matters at the base; until Shen Suyu’s affairs were settled, he could not rest.
“Then I won’t be polite either. I’ll secure the silkworms first; later, I might need to do some business as a transitional step. I don’t have much savings left, so I need to earn money first, or I won’t be able to sustain my life,” Shen Suyu said without hesitation. The silkworm matter was pressing, and she needed to plan carefully, making decisions little by little without wasting time.
“Good.” After a few more words, Shen Suyu returned to her room without stepping outside again. She needed to create a concrete plan.
The next day, Gu Yanshen was already waiting outside her door. When she opened it, she saw him standing there and couldn’t help but smile.
“What exactly does Gu Yanshen mean? Why does he always like to block the door? Luckily, I was prepared, or I’d have been scared stiff,” Shen Suyu joked.
“You know this behavior isn’t very proper. We’re familiar, so I can tolerate it. But with someone unfamiliar, I’d hit you,” she continued teasingly. In reality, Gu Yanshen was very serious, and she probably shouldn’t have joked. But she was in high spirits today and couldn’t help expressing it.
“I just got up a bit early and thought you might be done getting ready, so I waited outside. I wasn’t deliberately blocking your door,” Gu Yanshen explained.
“I understand. This behavior isn’t appropriate. Next time, I’ll just knock on your door instead of having you wait outside,” Shen Suyu said. Gu Yanshen had little sense of humor and didn’t realize she was joking, so he quickly apologized. He rarely interacted with women and didn’t know what might upset them—apologizing was the only option.
“Gu Yanshen should really learn how to get along with women; otherwise, you’ll end up lonely forever. Interacting with women isn’t the same as interacting with soldiers,” Shen Suyu said lightly.
“Forget it, forget it. Enough of this useless chatter. Let’s go see the silkworms; I’m getting anxious,” she added.
“Good,” Gu Yanshen replied, his ears slightly red. He didn’t know what else to say and obediently led the way.
From a distance, Shen Suyu spotted a man standing at the entrance, watching ahead.
“That must be Gu Yanshen’s friend. I’ll go say hello first,” she said.
“Good.” Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, she hurried forward.
Ye Chen looked surprised at her sudden approach but quickly recovered and greeted her.
“You must be Miss Shen. You want to start a silkworm business to make clothes, right? Gu Yanshen has already told me about this,” Ye Chen said with a smile. “Are you two very close?”
Shen Suyu froze. Weren’t they here to discuss business? Why was he asking irrelevant questions? He seemed like a spoiled rich kid, acting flippant.
“Yes, I know Gu Yanshen. I asked for his help. May I know how to address you? You should know what I want to do,” she said, trying to steer the conversation back to business. “Can I go inside the factory to take a look?”
Ye Chen wanted to continue asking, but just then, Gu Yanshen approached from behind, his eyes warning.
“I brought her here to introduce business, not to satisfy your unnecessary curiosity,” Gu Yanshen said coldly. “You know what’s appropriate to say. Don’t waste words!”
Ye Chen shivered but dared not speak further. He could only answer Shen Suyu’s questions politely and then led her into the factory.
“She’s fine; I just wanted to joke a little, but got interrupted. Don’t mind me—it’s nothing important,” Ye Chen whispered to Shen Suyu. He clearly disapproved of Gu Yanshen’s overly serious demeanor.
“You wanted to see the silkworms, right? I’ll show you. The quality here is quite good. If you’re not satisfied, you probably won’t find any factory that meets your standards,” Ye Chen added cautiously.
Shen Suyu raised her eyebrows in surprise and glanced at Gu Yanshen, impressed that he had brought her to such top-notch contacts.
“I’m not very familiar with this island either. I mainly wanted to ask Mr. Ye why he chose to set up a factory here. Development here isn’t great,” she said politely, trying to gather information.
“Won’t you lose money doing business here?” Shen Suyu asked softly, avoiding a direct answer while probing further.
Ye Chen’s eyes lit up, as if he’d found a kindred spirit. “If it weren’t for Gu Yanshen working here, I wouldn’t have come. Frankly, I wouldn’t have cared for this place. But I have to admit, doing business here isn’t a loss. Although the profit isn’t huge, at least it’s not a loss. Compared to smaller factories, there’s something to gain,” he said, pride on his face.