Before Shen Suyu could say anything, Gu Yanshen took the initiative to take responsibility. Shen Suyu was slightly surprised and looked back at him, her face full of disbelief, and quickly refused.
“How can I trouble you so much? You’ve already helped me with so many things. I should handle this myself and can’t always rely on you,” she said gently. “I can go out and run the business myself. After all, it’s something I have to do, and I should deal with it personally rather than putting everything on you.”
Gu Yanshen’s heart softened immediately. Without considering anything else, he shook his head.
“I said I’d help, so I’ll help. When helping someone, you help completely. You’re in this situation because of me, so if I arrange everything for you, I can also train properly without having to worry,” he said logically. Shen Suyu was caught off guard and speechless, unsure how to respond.
“This can’t be said to have happened because of you. They already had unusual intentions toward me; if it weren’t for that, how would I have fallen into the whole trap?” she argued.
“Don’t say that, or I’ll feel embarrassed,” Gu Yanshen replied, his face serious. Shen Suyu blushed and hurriedly defended herself, but Gu Yanshen had made up his mind. She sighed helplessly, realizing she couldn’t argue further. She did need someone’s help, and this also saved her from running into trouble while handling the business herself.
“Then I won’t be polite with you, Gu Officer. If there’s anything I can do later, just tell me directly. Don’t hold back,” she said warmly.
“This business is mine anyway. If you push all the responsibilities onto me, I won’t be happy,” Shen Suyu said softly. Gu Yanshen smiled along with her and nodded this time, not refusing. As long as he could help, letting Shen Suyu do a few small tasks was no problem.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take on all the work myself. You still need to do what’s necessary, but I’ll think things through carefully,” he said thoughtfully.
“I’ll try to finish as much as I can to make things a bit easier for you, so you can focus on the business. Otherwise, we won’t know when the wager agreement can be fulfilled,” Shen Suyu said. Gu Yanshen’s consideration moved her deeply, and they exchanged a glance; she felt her face heat up unexpectedly.
Ye Chen watched silently nearby for a while, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“You two seem to have discussed everything. Can we now consider how many silkworms to start with? Give me an exact number,” Ye Chen said bluntly.
“Weren’t we supposed to cooperate? You should at least give me some idea. If you say nothing, I won’t know how to work with you,” he added. Shen Suyu realized and quickly apologized.
“I’m not refusing to tell you; I simply forgot because my memory is poor. Please don’t blame me. I need about a thousand silkworms,” she said gently.
“I know the quantity I need is somewhat large, but I don’t intend to take them all at once. Can they be delivered in batches?” Shen Suyu drew on her previous life’s experience and explained calmly. Ye Chen first looked puzzled, trying to understand her meaning, and asked directly.
“I’ve been in the silk business for years, and I honestly don’t understand why you want them in batches. No one has ever requested this before,” he said.
“It’s not that I can’t meet your request; it’s just that I need to explain my reasoning so you understand,” she replied without hesitation. Since Ye Chen could see that she had experience, she figured it was better to explain openly to avoid misunderstandings.
“Logically, I should take them all at once. But you know my situation—I currently live in the military camp. My space is limited, so it’s impossible for me to raise all the silkworms at once. I could rent a place outside, but my funds aren’t enough, so this is the only way,” she admitted, slightly embarrassed. Honestly, it did feel like she was taking advantage of the two of them, and saying it made her even more ashamed.
“Another reason is that I want to generate income quickly. I’ll produce clothes in batches to fulfill the wager agreement, while receiving the silkworms gradually,” she continued seriously. “Even though it’s pure profit, it’s mainly to save time. I hope Mr. Ye can understand my reasoning. Many businesspeople operate this way.”
Ye Chen listened carefully and finally understood. His eyes lit up with surprise, full of admiration for Shen Suyu.
“You’re incredible! I didn’t expect all these methods—you’ve really thought of everything. Truly impressive.”
“You’ve never done business before, right? Where did you get all this experience? I can’t help but be curious—you must have done business before, right?” Ye Chen said, gripping her hand like he had found a kindred spirit. As a businessman, he naturally admired someone as capable as Shen Suyu; only with such people could one complement each other and go further.
“This is really my first time doing business, but my family has been in business since I was little. I guess I absorbed it naturally,” she said gently. She quietly pulled her hand back, becoming cautious, unsure if she was revealing too much.
“That makes sense. My family did business when I was young too, so I’m familiar with it. But I don’t understand it as thoroughly as you. In business, you have more experience than I do,” Ye Chen said warmly, affirming her words. He didn’t skimp on praise; talent is talent.
“Please don’t praise me any further, or I’ll be embarrassed. Shall we proceed with the business as I proposed?” Shen Suyu said, smoothly steering the conversation back.
“Don’t forget, we have a wager agreement. If you don’t speak up, I might not be able to carry out the business,” she added with a gentle smile.
Ye Chen didn’t think much and immediately nodded in agreement.
“However, I need to clarify the conditions in advance. Following your method, I’d be at a disadvantage. You should provide some compensation,” he said.
“Whether or not there’s a wager, I still don’t agree with your method. Do you have any objections?” Shen Suyu immediately returned to business mode, not daring to insist on additional conditions, and agreed directly.