Chapter 32: Let Me Shear This Wool First, With Respect

Xu Lingling froze on the spot, stiff as a board. She never imagined he’d stand up so fiercely for two nobodies from the countryside—going so far as to hit her in public and utterly humiliate her!

Apologize? Pah!

Not a chance in hell.

Gu Qingyu, seeing her still rooted in place, spoke again:
“Don’t bother thinking about your son’s schooling anymore. From now on, no school in this county will accept him.”

Xu Lingling halted mid-step, originally intending to storm off and complain—but now, her legs wouldn’t move.

Her family had already pulled every string imaginable to get her son into school. She had bent over backwards just to beg Gu Qingyu’s mother to convince him to help.

But now, he says he won’t help—and that’s that?!

Xu Lingling ground her teeth in frustration but was ultimately forced to swallow her pride. She turned around and muttered, “Sorry!”

Then immediately made a run for it!

Damn it. Never in her life had she been so humiliated.

Gu Qingyu scoffed coldly. Clearly, he didn’t take her seriously. A backwater pheasant like her really thought climbing into the Gu family meant she could transform into a phoenix?

Chu Peihan said nothing, though his silence brimmed with suppressed anger.

He’d been back for a while now, but this was the first time he seriously wanted to get something done—and the moment he walked in the door, he was slapped with a snub.

No one would be pleased with that kind of reception.

Gu Qingyu glanced cautiously at Chu Peihan’s expression and said in a small voice,
“Brother Pie, sorry. This is my oversight. I didn’t plan this properly and made you feel disrespected.”

Jiang Yunhe: “…”

This was surreal.

She could clearly tell Gu Qingyu wasn’t the type to bow and scrape to others. In fact, he gave off the vibe of someone who could walk both sides of the line—black and white. Dangerous. The kind of man you’d rather not cross.

So how was he mixed up with Chu Peihan?

And being so respectful, too?

After Gu Qingyu spoke, seeing no reaction from Chu Peihan, he cursed Xu Lingling again in his heart. That damn woman—always making things worse.

If he’d known it would come to this, he never would’ve let her work at the restaurant in the first place!

Just then, he caught Jiang Yunhe watching him with curiosity. His eyes shifted, and his face broke into a bright, somewhat dazzling smile directed straight at her.

Well, damn—

He’s bold!

Chu Peihan immediately stepped in front of her and snapped, “What are you staring at?!”

Gu Qingyu quickly cleared his throat and gave a formal bow. “It’s just that this is the first time I’ve seen you bring a lady with you, so I assume this is our little sister-in-law. I’m Gu Qingyu. Pleased to meet you, sister-in-law.”

Jiang Yunhe: “…”

Oh. Wow.

That was definitely a first.

Chu Peihan looked slightly embarrassed, though his face remained calm—like nothing affected him. The truth was, he had no experience with this sort of thing. Still, deep down, he quite liked the idea. To him, Jiang Yunhe was his wife, and Gu Qingyu seeing it that way only made things easier.

“I need a favor.”

“You only need to give the word. I could’ve come to you—no need for you to make a special trip!” Gu Qingyu replied humbly, no airs about him. And he didn’t dare have any.

In front of a former King of Soldiers, acting tough would only get you beaten.

Jiang Yunhe arched an eyebrow, unable to fully read the situation.

She knew Chu Peihan. She understood where he was in life right now—his career hadn’t even started yet. No matter how you looked at it, there was no reason for him to be treated with this much deference.

So that begged the question—

What was Gu Qingyu playing at?

Chu Peihan casually pulled her forward, resting his hand on her waist with an unrestrained possessiveness. He wasn’t trying to be discreet at all. Or perhaps… being close to her had become a habit—an addiction, even.

At first, he’d tried to be restrained, to hold back.

But now… he figured it was better to just take her home and keep her there.

This was also his way of making their relationship clear to Gu Qingyu.

“Let her tell you.”

“Sure thing! Sister-in-law, anything you need, just say the word. If it’s doable, I’ll definitely make it happen.”

“I’ve got vegetables. Want to buy them?” Jiang Yunhe blinked innocently. Whatever the case, she figured she’d take advantage of this situation while she could.

“Vegetables?!” Gu Qingyu was fully prepared to say yes to anything—clothes, jewelry, gold, whatever. Just for the sake of helping out his bro Pei and getting in her good graces.

But vegetables?

What the hell?!

Was Chu Peihan seriously planning to hang up his boots and start… farming?

He was a little shocked. And a lot confused.

Something about this just didn’t add up.

Jiang Yunhe nodded seriously, completely unfazed. “Yup. I’ve got a batch ready. If you’re interested, I can sell them to you.”

Gu Qingyu turned to Chu Peihan: “Brother Pie…”

Chu Peihan: “You two talk. I’m not involved.”

As if he were giving Gu Qingyu the choice.

But the truth was—just by standing there, even more so by bringing Jiang Yunhe through that door—he’d already made his position clear.

Claiming to “not be involved” at this point was… a bit disingenuous.

Jiang Yunhe raised an eyebrow. “Why’re you looking at him? These are my vegetables. I make the calls. Do you want them or not?”

To be honest, she wasn’t worried about selling them.

After all, anything that came from her space was top-notch.

If she hadn’t hit rock bottom, she never would’ve chosen this path. But… she still wanted to test Chu Peihan’s connections.

If their relationship wasn’t great—or if there was even a chance he’d become a future adversary—then she’d walk away.

Gu Qingyu hurried to put on a flattering smile. “I want them, I want them! With my relationship with Brother Pie, I’d take anything you offered—not just vegetables.”

Jiang Yunhe: “You don’t need to suck up to him. And don’t butter me up either. Think carefully—I’m here to do business, not exchange favors.”

She knew exactly what Gu Qingyu was trying to do.

But that didn’t mean she had to play along.

If he thought he could use her to leverage something from Chu Peihan, or cozy up to him through her—that was not going to happen. Not in this life.

Gu Qingyu’s smile faltered slightly. For a moment, he wasn’t sure what expression to use.

This woman… she was sharp.

“Well then, if it’s business we’re talking, please come inside.”

“Alright.” Jiang Yunhe didn’t hesitate at all. Since she had taken the first step, she was already mentally prepared.

Having Chu Peihan with her was great.

But if he didn’t come, she’d manage just fine on her own.

That said, she still carefully supported him as they entered, making sure he was comfortable before sitting down herself—ready to look after him if needed.

Then, and only then, did she turn her attention to Gu Qingyu.