"Taohua, why didn’t you wait for me to come together at the shop today?"
Su Chengmin saw Gu Taohua walking out of the accounting room and hurriedly approached her.
Gu Taohua glanced at Su Chengmin and said, "The Great Commander is so busy, how dare I trouble you."
After speaking, she walked past him with no expression.
Su Chengmin felt as if a heavy hammer had struck his heart, leaving him breathless.
By the time he reacted, Gu Taohua had already left the shop, so he quickly chased after her.
"Taohua!"
"Taohua!"
Su Chengmin shouted as he ran.
Gu Taohua continued walking as if she hadn’t heard him.
Su Chengmin felt as anxious as a cat scratching at his heart.
"Taohua, are you mad at me?" Su Chengmin finally caught up with Gu Taohua and asked.
Gu Taohua gave Su Chengmin a sideways glance, her almond-shaped eyes filled with anger.
Su Chengmin’s heart trembled.
Last night, he learned from Liu Yueer that Su Shihang was planning to ask the emperor for a marriage favor for Su Chengmin’s cousin. Although she hadn’t taken it to heart,
she was inexplicably angry.
She was upset with Su Chengmin for not proposing to the Gu Family sooner and securing their engagement, allowing others to take advantage of the situation.
If he had proposed sooner, there would have been no reason for Su Shihang to request a marriage favor from the emperor.
Gu Taohua said, "Why should I be mad at you?"
Su Chengmin pulled Gu Taohua into a nearby alleyway.
Gu Taohua pulled away and said, "Stop pulling me around, if your cousin sees this, it might ruin your good match."
Su Chengmin swore, "There’s no cousin; that’s just my father’s idea. I only have feelings for you. As long as you’re willing, I’ll immediately propose to your family."
Gu Taohua snorted.
Seeing the anger on Gu Taohua’s face subside, Su Chengmin continued to gently coax her.
He was truly afraid that in a fit of anger, Gu Taohua might refuse to marry him.
Lu Yiner pondered all night on how she could successfully marry Su Chengmin.
Her aunt said that men needed to be cajoled. The reason she managed to win back her uncle from Min Baozhen was that she knew how to yield and condescend, while Min Baozhen was rather fierce. In contrast, men eventually chose her.
Lu Yiner decided to adopt her aunt’s strategy of yielding and condescending.
Early in the morning, she made some pastries and went to the Imperial Guard to find Su Chengmin.
She knew it wasn’t easy to get into the Imperial Guard’s place; even if she got close, Su Chengmin wouldn’t see her. She didn’t plan to go in; she just needed to stand on the road Su Chengmin would take to let him know she cared about him.
She stood for half a day, and one of Su Chengmin’s subordinates kindly told her that Su Chengmin was on leave and she wouldn’t see him today.
She curiously asked the subordinate how he knew she was waiting for Su Chengmin.
"Our Commander is young, promising, and handsome; since you’re here, you must be here to see him," the subordinate said.
Lu Yiner blushed.
The subordinate hadn’t spoken the truth.
He knew Lu Yiner was waiting for Su Chengmin because he was at the banquet yesterday and knew this girl was the cousin Su Shihang requested the emperor to arrange a marriage with for Su Chengmin.
The subordinate saw Lu Yiner wearing thin clothes in the deep autumn weather, feeling a bit sympathetic; this girl was just a pawn of Su Shihang.
"Miss, I advise you not to wait. Even if you wait until the end of time, our Commander will never see you," the subordinate said.
Lu Yiner bit her lip, eyes reddening.
She wanted to ask the subordinate which family’s girl was in Su Chengmin’s heart, but she didn’t dare.
She then carried her food onto the carriage and left.
The carriage clattered as it arrived at East Market Street.
Lu Yiner decided to wander around Jufu Supermarket.
Living with her aunt, though her basic needs were met, she couldn’t wear silk or satin. Her aunt didn’t give her much pocket money, and often she had to rely on her embroidery to supplement her parents in the countryside.
Having heard that Jufu had good quality and affordable cotton that kept warm, she wanted to buy some to make clothes for her parents.
Turning down an alley, she saw Su Chengmin talking to a girl in a lane.
The girl had her back to her, so she couldn’t see which family she was from, but Su Chengmin was smiling brilliantly, a smile she had never seen before.
The Su Chengmin she knew always had a stern face.
Lu Yiner’s heart ached as if pierced by a needle.
She ordered the carriage to stop.
Who was this girl that could make Su Chengmin so happy?
Her eyes were fixed on Su Chengmin and the girl.
The girl seemed angry, and after a long time, her anger subsided, she turned around, punched Su Chengmin lightly, then raised her face and smiled.
Lu Yiner’s eyes widened.
She recognized the girl—Taohua Dessert was named after this girl, and Jufu Supermarket belonged to her family.
She had heard this girl was very capable, having come from Qinghe Bay to Shengjing to do business, managing the shop with great success.
Recently, because of her conflict with Princess Ming Yue, her name was known throughout Shengjing.
Gu Taohua.
Lu Yiner clenched her fingers tightly.
She had even met Gu Taohua at Jufu Supermarket. At the time, Gu Taohua was inspecting the shop, and when she saw her interest in the cotton fabric, she personally came over to explain its advantages and even gave her a discount.
If Gu Taohua wasn’t the girl Su Chengmin had feelings for, she would think this girl was truly nice.
Beautiful, outspoken, and generous—it’s not unusual for a man to fall in love with her.
Could she ever win against Gu Taohua using normal means?
Gu Taohua is the civil aunt of the Taisun; as the Taisun’s guardian, the relationship between Su Chengmin and Gu Taohua wasn’t a day or two, but three to four years.
The way Su Chengmin looked at Gu Taohua was filled with tenderness and affection.
Lu Yiner almost vomited blood out of anger.
Heartbroken, she wandered into Jufu Supermarket, her legs feeling numb as she moved between the counters.
"Miss, miss, you’ve dropped your handkerchief."
Lu Yiner looked up to see Gu Taohua and Su Chengmin standing behind her.
Gu Taohua was inspecting the shop, with Su Chengmin accompanying her. She had picked up the handkerchief Lu Yiner had dropped and handed it back to her.
Lu Yiner took the handkerchief.
Su Chengmin’s face was cold as if he didn’t recognize her.
From his eyes, Lu Yiner saw disgust, the flames of jealousy burning within her, she glanced at Gu Taohua, then demurely curtsied to Su Chengmin, saying, "Cousin, what a coincidence meeting you here. I brought some pastries you like to give you, but your subordinate told me you were on leave. You should’ve said something, so I wouldn’t have made the trip in vain."
Su Chengmin’s face turned ashen, and he angrily said, "Who’s your cousin? Miss Lu, please don’t randomly claim kinship."
Su Chengmin was almost driven mad.
He had just managed to coax Gu Taohua, and they had agreed to propose to the Gu family.
Yet halfway through, Lu Yiner appeared out of nowhere.
He could see it; Lu Yiner was saying all this on purpose, deliberately trying to make Gu Taohua misunderstand.
Lu Yiner smiled gently and said, "Cousin, you’re joking. My aunt is your stepmother; who else should I call cousin if not you? Why are you at Jufu as well; are you here to shop as well? If so, cousin, why not help me pick a few bolts of cotton fabric?"
After saying this, she lifted her eyelids to look at Gu Taohua.
Curiously wondering why Gu Taohua had no reaction at all.