When Gu Ruobai said this, his voice was hoarse beyond words, as if there was sand rolling in his throat. It inexplicably sent a chill down one's spine. That phrase "devour and assimilate" didn't seem to carry its ordinary meaning at all.
Su Mingyu couldn't help but shiver. She immediately raised three fingers and said, "I don't want to back out of the marriage! Really! I swear!"
Seeing her so sincere, Gu Ruobai's tone softened a bit. "Then why do you have that expression?"
Su Mingyu touched her nose and looked at Gu Ruobai somewhat awkwardly. "I can tell you, but you mustn't get angry."
"Whether I'll get angry depends on your answer," Gu Ruobai clearly showed no sign of giving in.
That meant he would definitely get angry.
Su Mingyu sighed silently in her heart. "I'm just used to being alone. Suddenly having to marry someone and live with another person, I'm still a bit... not quite adaptable."
Hearing her say this, Gu Ruobai thought for a while. "It's not that you don't want to marry me, but just that the change of status makes you feel a bit unreal?"
Su Mingyu nodded. "More or less like that."
"Me too..." Gu Ruobai tightened his hand around Su Mingyu's waist. "I'm also going to be a husband for the first time. But when I think about waking up and seeing you every day in the future, I'm full of anticipation."
As he said this, Gu Ruobai lifted Su Mingyu's chin and made her look at him. "During the days with me, have I ever stopped you? Do you feel free?"
Su Mingyu thought for a while and nodded. "Yes."
It was even better than when she was in the Su Mansion because she didn't have to face Wang Manwen and Su Yueyue.
"After we get married, nothing will change," Gu Ruobai looked deeply into Su Mingyu's eyes. "I just want a proof that you truly belong to me."
Looking at the tenderness overflowing from Gu Ruobai's deep eyes, Su Mingyu suddenly felt that all her previous troubles had vanished.
Getting married was just a formality. Whether they had this marriage or not, it actually wouldn't affect their way of getting along at all.
It was Gu Ruobai who had set a trap and forced her into marriage at first, but now Su Mingyu didn't feel forced at all.
Was she being boiled like a frog in warm water?
Thinking of this, Su Mingyu bit Gu Ruobai's shoulder. "You've really got me wrapped around your finger."
Su Mingyu didn't bite hard. It was like a kitten grinding its teeth.
Gu Ruobai's eyes darkened and his Adam's apple bobbed. "It's clearly me who's in your grip."
Su Mingyu looked up and grinned at Gu Ruobai. "I wouldn't dare. You're the famous God of War, while I'm just an unfavored maid. Marrying you is already a great honor for me."
Seeing her teasing him like this, Gu Ruobai reached out and pinched Su Mingyu's nose. "You're also a famous talented woman now. It's not an overreach."
Su Mingyu squinted at Gu Ruobai. Their eyes met, and both pairs of eyes were filled with smiles.
Since they had agreed to help Leng Ziyue find a way, Su Mingyu told Mu Yi to step up the investigation on Concubine Chen.
Meanwhile, Su Mingyu's Wuwang Pawnshop officially opened.
These days, Qi Yue had been extremely busy. When she saw Su Mingyu strolling into the shop, she couldn't help but complain, "Master, you're really enjoying your life as a hands - off boss, aren't you?"
Su Mingyu looked around. The price list and other things were well - prepared. At first glance, it really looked like a proper pawnshop.
"If I don't let you handle things on your own, how will you know how difficult it is to run a shop?"
Qi Yue pouted. "I only knew it was difficult before, but I didn't know it could be this troublesome. I not only have to deal with the local bullies on the street but also the government yamen. It's like both the officials and the outlaws want to skin you alive."
Seeing Qi Yue pouting so high that it could almost hang an oil pot, Su Mingyu couldn't help but laugh. "Why don't you just give some silver to the prefect and ask him to protect you? You're so silly to pay both sides."
"Ah?" Qi Yue scratched her head. "I didn't know I could do that... I thought it was a must because I observed the other shops around, and they all paid both."
Su Mingyu didn't blame her. "So, the silver I left for you is almost used up?"
"Yes." But Qi Yue grinned. "I just got an order today. It's a very simple assassination."
Su Mingyu raised her eyebrows. "Tell me about it."
"It's like this," Qi Yue squinted her eyes and smiled charmingly. "Today I saw a big and burly man come here to pawn a bag of hairpins and necklaces for women. He didn't seem to care about the price. He just wanted to get some money back."
"So I deliberately probed him, and I found out that he's a salt smuggler. He had a mistress in the capital. He treated her well, but unexpectedly, when he went smuggling, the woman got involved with his neighbor."
"He was furious. He wanted to catch them in the act and beat the two of them half to death, but unexpectedly, he overheard the woman planning to conspire with her lover to rob him of his wealth and kill him."
Su Mingyu raised her eyebrows. This kind of cheesy story was really never - ending, no matter what era it was.
"So," Su Mingyu continued Qi Yue's words. "You told him you could help him and took his deposit?"
Qi Yue nodded vigorously. "Yes. That man clearly had plenty of silver, so I told him it would cost thirty taels to kill one person and fifty taels to kill two. As soon as he heard it was so cost - effective, he immediately paid for both."
Su Mingyu didn't expect Qi Yue to be so good at doing business.
She nodded and patted Qi Yue's shoulder appreciatively. "It seems you're quite suitable for this line of work."
As she said this, Su Mingyu got up. "Since there's nothing wrong here, I'll leave first. I don't want to arouse suspicion."
Qi Yue was happy to be praised by Su Mingyu. "Yes, Master!"
After leaving Wuwang, Su Mingyu also stopped by Sinnan Pavilion.
As soon as Xia Mian saw Su Mingyu, she immediately rushed over. "My lady!"
Su Mingyu nodded. "I'm here to see you. And... I have something for you. I want you to find someone to make it for me quickly."
As she said this, Su Mingyu handed Xia Mian two pieces of paper.
When Xia Mian saw the contents on the paper, she was shocked. "What's this? I've never seen it before."
On the paper were the manuscripts of two dresses. The women's dress looked puffy and had a lot of lace she had never seen before. What shocked Xia Mian the most was the thing on the girl's head that Su Mingyu had marked as a veil.