Deliberately putting on a pitiful, vulnerable expression, Shen Suyu made Gu Yanshen feel a headache. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to pry too deeply. After all, she was just a girl; even if there was some secret, it wouldn’t affect their safety.
“Fine, since you don’t want to be fully honest, I won’t press too much either. Let’s just stop deceiving each other.”
“I’ve learned plenty of skills in the army—you can’t hide anything from me with just a look,” Gu Yanshen said, no longer pretending. He cut straight to the point. Although it was a little awkward, at least the problem was addressed, and he wouldn’t have to keep wondering.
“From now on, I won’t ask too much about this, but I hope you keep it in mind: don’t do anything bad, and don’t endanger anyone’s safety.”
“I’ve already caused you trouble, so I’m willing to help, but if you use my authority for ill, don’t blame me for being harsh,” he warned in a cold tone. He didn’t want to be so severe with Shen Suyu, but the matter at hand needed to be resolved. Better to face it now and have honesty going forward.
“Don’t worry, there are some things I can’t fully explain—they’re family secrets, and you should understand how important they are. But I can promise you this: my actions are meant to generate income, not cause disaster. I swear I have no ill intentions.”
“Good.” They spoke frankly, and Gu Yanshen finally relaxed. Although he still didn’t fully understand Shen Suyu’s ultimate goal, he knew it wasn’t harmful, which made him feel much more at ease.
“You should rest early. If you need help later, just tell me. I can help with the ready-made garments.”
“You only need a small amount, right? You won’t need too much. Once the silkworms are raised, you’ll have to make them yourself, right?” Gu Yanshen asked, standing at her door. He wanted to get these matters sorted quickly and thoroughly, so asking a few extra questions seemed reasonable.
“Yes!”
“I only need a temporary batch of garments, around 100 pieces. My embroidery skills are quite good, and I plan to use them to attract attention.”
“It’s like creating a pre-release hype. Later matters can be dealt with afterward, like a kind of scarcity marketing,” Shen Suyu explained confidently. She wasn’t seeking Gu Yanshen’s opinion—she just wanted to clarify everything so he wouldn’t worry.
“Then we’ll follow your plan. I’m not very familiar with business, and I don’t fully understand this ‘scarcity marketing’ thing. But I know you’re reliable. Nothing will go wrong. Just tell me if anything comes up, and I’ll handle it all at once.”
“Good.” Gu Yanshen continued discussing several matters and assigned tasks before finally leaving. Shen Suyu let out a heavy sigh. Every interaction with him put her under tremendous pressure, always worrying about keeping her secrets hidden. It was exhausting. Once the matters were settled, she returned to rest.
The following days, Gu Yanshen was constantly busy outside, occasionally returning to the military camp for training. Shen Suyu was also occupied with various errands. Even though her tasks were small, she had no quiet moments. They met whenever possible and cherished even a few exchanged words.
“If you ask me, the boss is way too good to Miss Shen. Do you think he likes her? Is he really interested?”
“Then why doesn’t he confess? Miss Shen is busy with her business now. Once it grows, wouldn’t she be less likely to be with him?” Gu Yanshen’s subordinates, noting his constant early departures and strict demeanor, occasionally whispered gossip among themselves.
“The boss always keeps a cold expression, no matter who it is. Even with Miss Shen, he hasn’t changed much.”
“Who could tell if he really likes her? I bet Miss Shen herself has no clue. Better not talk nonsense and make him angry,” someone said helplessly. Gu Yanshen wasn’t young, and if things dragged on like this, finding a partner would become even harder.
“I really don’t understand the boss’s mind. If it were me, I’d seize the chance to win over Miss Shen. Look how capable she is—educated and business-savvy. People like her will only become more sought-after. The boss is just too confident in himself, making it frustrating.”
The group continued gossiping during the meal, while Shen Suyu quietly stood behind. When they finished talking, she finally spoke up.
“Gu Officer, do you know you all have been gossiping behind me? I hope you stop discussing such things, or I might have to report it to you.”
“I just want to do business and have no intention of stealing your officer away,” she added gently, jokingly. The group was startled and quickly apologized. They had only been casually discussing things, never expecting it to reach the person in question—how awkward!
“The military has strict discipline. We’ve never had this happen before,” she said.
“Sorry, Miss Shen. We didn’t mean to discuss this. The officer is always out early and back late, so we were just talking,” they explained.
“But whatever happens is our responsibility. We’ll go do the punishment—ten laps around the training ground each.”
Shen Suyu was slightly surprised and immediately refused. She only wanted to give a gentle reminder, not make things difficult.
“I just want these things not to be mentioned again. I’m not saying you have to punish yourselves. I’m not unreasonable.”
“This kind of thing shouldn’t be said again. I can let it slide, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will ignore it,” she said softly. They quickly shook their heads. Regardless of Shen Suyu’s intentions, they hadn’t followed military discipline and still needed to be punished.
“Miss Shen, we’ll decide for ourselves in the future and never discuss your matters again. We’ll run the laps,” they promised sincerely.
“Please don’t take it the wrong way. We weren’t avoiding you, just chatting. Sometimes it comes up,” they added apologetically. Shen Suyu felt a little embarrassed. She hadn’t realized the military discipline was so strict.