Han Shumo looked at Xu Suyu in disbelief.
She wasn’t someone who nitpicked over every little thing, yet today she was acting so out of character. Clearly, she was harboring resentment because he hadn’t agreed to marry her.
In his previous life, he had already repaid the debt of gratitude. But in this life, Xu Suyu—who urgently needed marriage to escape her predicament—didn’t know any of that. It was understandable that she would feel upset.
Forget it. What would it matter if he took a step back?
“Comrade Xu, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to pressure you just because I was anxious. I apologize for my behavior. Please forgive me.”
“Mm.” Xu Suyu’s expression was calm. “Although I stayed at your house for three days because of my grandfather’s life-saving favor to your family, we’re not close. I don’t like people I’m not close to crossing boundaries with me. Let this be the first and last time.”
“Alright.” Han Shumo also had no desire to be too entangled with Xu Suyu in this lifetime.
She turned to Jiang Sun and pointed at the pile of things she had bought. “A-Sun, carry these. Let’s go home.”
Home?
The corner of Jiang Sun’s lips curled upward. He bent down and picked up all her things. “Coming, Sister.”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the two walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative side by side.
Jiang Sun wore his usual roguish grin. “Sister, hurry and try the candied hawthorn I bought for you. See if it’s good.”
Xu Suyu took a bite. “Not bad.”
“Of course. I bought it. If you said it wasn’t good, I’d get angry.”
Their voices gradually faded into the distance until their conversation could no longer be heard clearly.
The crowd’s attention shifted away from Qin Wanqiu’s confession. Instead, everyone began gossiping about Jiang Sun and Xu Suyu’s marriage.
“With someone like Jiang Sun, he can actually get a wife? What kind of elders would push a perfectly good girl into a fire pit like that?”
“Exactly. He’s indulging her now because she’s pretty. Once he gets tired of her, who knows—he might start hitting her.”
“With his little tyrant temper, he won’t beat her to death in a few days, will he?”
“Surely not. Would Old Commander Jiang really just watch him beat his wife to death?”
“Hah, if the old commander could control Jiang Sun, would he dare run wild in the compound like this?”
Han Shumo stood there watching the two figures walk away. He already found it irritating to see them together, and now, hearing the crowd’s chatter, his chest tightened inexplicably.
Xu Suyu had such a steady and honest temperament. If she suffered domestic violence, she probably wouldn’t even tell anyone…
“Shumo.”
Qin Wanqiu’s voice sounded beside him. Han Shumo snapped back to his senses and looked at her.
“Were you angered by Jiang Sun?” she asked soothingly. “I’m sorry. I dragged you into this.”
She had been waiting for Han Shumo to confess to her properly, to make their relationship public. Jiang Sun had interrupted earlier—this time couldn’t go wrong.
Han Shumo shook his head. “Don’t say that. You’re a good girl. Jiang Sun just speaks harshly. There’s no need to take his words to heart. We couldn’t buy the clothes today. When the new shipment arrives in a few days, I’ll buy them and bring them to you.”
Qin Wanqiu frowned. Why wasn’t he getting to the point?
Had he forgotten because the topic changed? Then she needed to steer it back.
“Shumo, you don’t need to spend so much on me. Someone like me doesn’t deserve you treating me this well. I can only secretly like—”
“Wanqiu, I have something urgent at home. I’ll come find you after I buy the clothes.” His mind was in turmoil; he hadn’t even heard what she was saying. He patted her shoulder and hurried off.
Qin Wanqiu: …
Was Han Shumo crazy? He just left her there. Wouldn’t people laugh at her as a foolish woman overestimating herself?
If she had known, she wouldn’t have confessed just now. How embarrassing!
On the way home, Jiang Sun recounted the entire process of beating Jiang Mingguang, sighing repeatedly about how he finally understood why that wretched woman Sun Rou always schemed against him behind his back—because scheming against someone felt so satisfying!
Xu Suyu watched him looking smug and couldn’t help the faint curve at her lips.
He was just a boy who had never tasted much sweetness in life. After suffering so many grievances, he was this happy just because he beat someone up.
But when she thought of his fate in her previous life, she gathered her thoughts and asked calmly, “Jiang Sun, is there a girl you like? Even a secret crush counts.”
In her previous life, Jiang Sun had been arrested for hooliganism, causing quite a stir in the entire compound. But because the girl involved had a special background, the organization had protected her reputation. Apart from the few who participated in the arrest that day, no information leaked out.
If she wanted to save him, she would have to observe and figure it out herself.
Jiang Sun scoffed. “A secret crush? Me? As if! There’s no one in this world worthy of my liking.”
Xu Suyu couldn’t help but laugh at his excessive confidence. If there wasn’t, he could just say so. Why so much nonsense?
“Are there many girls who like you?”
“Hah. Not to brag, but the girls who like me could line up from here to my front door! Sister, you being able to marry me is a blessing earned by your ancestors.”
Xu Suyu: He’s bragging.
“Jiang Sun! I’m not joking. Answer properly.”
Seeing her face turn serious, Jiang Sun somehow felt an inexplicable pressure, as if she could see right through him. He subconsciously straightened up.
“I wouldn’t know about secret admirers, but there is one who openly likes me. Li Baomei, the granddaughter of Li Dexing in this compound.”
“Have you ever thought about sleeping with her?”
Jiang Sun stared at Xu Suyu in shock. His face had already turned red before he even realized it.
Xu Suyu frowned. “You’re blushing. So you’ve thought about it.”
“Who’s blushing? No—who’s thought about it! Who would want to sleep with a woman who looks like a sweet potato turned into a spirit? I don’t even like her, okay?”
“Then why are you embarrassed?”
“I’m not embarrassed! It’s just—you look so proper and virtuous, how can you say things like that…”
Xu Suyu hadn’t expected that this foul-mouthed kid was actually rather innocent.
Seeing no one around, she turned and stepped in front of him—
…she stepped closer.
Although Jiang Sun didn’t move, his expression clearly grew more tense. “You… what are you doing?”
“You called me ‘sister,’ so that makes us insiders now. You can secretly tell me—among the people in this compound, have you ever thought about sleeping with anyone?”
“Y-you-you…” Jiang Sun was completely stunned by her words.
“What ‘you’? I know that when it comes to relationships, you’re still just a rookie. But boys all have that kind of curiosity. So tell your sister—who have you wanted to sleep with? I’ll keep it a secret for you, hmm?”
A rookie? Who? Him? Jiang Sun?
He refused to admit it.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know anything—he just hadn’t met a woman worth his attention before.
His eyes fixed on Xu Suyu’s rosy lips, so close to him.
They looked soft. Tempting. He wanted to taste them.
Lowering his head, his lips landed on hers—