B5SB -Chapter 93 Rumors

Outside the hospital, “Sister-in-law?”

Gu Yihan was pushing her bicycle when she heard Shen Yujie’s voice from behind. She turned and saw him standing not far away in a white coat.

Shen Yujie took long strides forward and stopped in front of her, his eyes filled with puzzlement. He asked, “Sister-in-law, why are you at the hospital so late?”

When Zhao Ju was in the delivery room, Gu Yihan’s nerves had been taut, and she hadn’t felt tired at all. Once she knew Zhao Ju was out of danger, her tension relaxed immediately.

Now, exhaustion swept over her. She gave Shen Yujie a perfunctory reply, “A friend was hospitalized, so I came to check on her. It’s late, so I’ll be leaving now.”

She had no energy to explain further, mounted her bicycle, and prepared to return to the staff quarters.

Shen Yujie hurriedly stepped forward to stop her, worry in his voice: “Sister-in-law, wait! Let me take you back. It’s so late—I can’t be at ease leaving you alone.”

Before Gu Yihan could refuse, she saw Shen Yujie turn and run back.

After a while, Shen Yujie returned, pushing a two-eight-cylinder bicycle. He approached her and said, “Sister-in-law, let’s go. I’ll follow behind you.”

It was too late, and Gu Yihan didn’t say much. She rode her bicycle toward the staff quarters, initially riding one after the other.

Later, they rode side by side. Along the way, Gu Yihan kept silent, secretly thinking: “Why is this guy such a love-struck fool?”

They soon reached the gate of the small courtyard. Shen Yujie watched as Gu Yihan opened the gate and said, “Sister-in-law, I’ll leave now.”

Gu Yihan, unable to resist her curiosity, asked, “Do you know Qiao Shuhui?”

Shen Yujie paused as he adjusted the handlebars. Then he smiled, his voice calm and steady: “Sister-in-law, I know what kind of person Qiao Shuhui is.”

“I know she’s selfish and heartless. I know she has a habit of lying and is skilled at deception.”

“I also know that deep down, she’s very insecure. Others may think her actions are despicable and her character vile.”

“But when I met Qiao Shuhui, I knew what kind of person she was—and yet I still liked her. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with liking her.”

“Even if everyone else says she’s unbearable, only I know that she’s actually a timid, insecure, sensitive person.”

Shen Yujie walked two steps with the bicycle, then stopped again. “Clearly, Sister-in-law, you don’t deserve Lu Huailin, yet he still married you.”

“So there’s no right or wrong—there’s only whether one is willing or not.”

Gu Yihan: “……”

Expressionless, she pushed open the courtyard gate, parked her bicycle, and slammed the door with a “click.”

She shook her head vigorously, silently cursing: “I need to stay far away from Shen Yujie in the future—this guy is contagious.”

The next morning, Gu Yihan lay on the spacious bed, arms stretched above her head as she yawned and stretched. She wasn’t fully awake and didn’t want to get up, but she had to go to work.

She glanced at her watch, quickly got out of bed, dressed, brushed her teeth, and washed her face—all within ten minutes.

At the last possible moment, she pushed open the accounting office door, walked to her desk, and leaned over to wake herself up.

Sister Min looked at her and laughed: “Xiaohan, were you so tired last night? Looks like soldiers really have stamina.”

Gu Yihan stiffened and rolled her eyes at her: “Nonsense.”

“Did you all hear?” Su Yonghong suddenly spoke in a low, mysterious tone.

Gu Yihan and Sister Min turned their heads toward her simultaneously.

Su Yonghong straightened her back, cleared her throat, and said, “I finally understand why Secretary Jiang comes from such a good family and still isn’t married.”

Gu Yihan looked at her, puzzled. “Sister Su, if he doesn’t want to marry, he doesn’t have to. Isn’t that his freedom?”

Su Yonghong smiled mysteriously. “He likes men, not women.”

Seeing Gu Yihan’s blank look, she elaborated: “Back in ancient times, this would be called a ‘cut sleeve.’”

Gu Yihan froze at the term “cut sleeve,” then widened her eyes in disbelief.

She burst into giggles. “Sister Su, you’re hilarious. ‘Cut sleeve’?”

Sister Min, curiosity piqued, asked anxiously, “Sister Su, who told you that?”

Su Yonghong’s expression turned mysterious. “In our compound, there’s a female worker from our factory workshop. She saw Secretary Jiang holding a man and kissing him.”

Gu Yihan: “……”

Sister Min’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in shock: “Ah… really? Secretary Jiang actually kissed a man?”

Gu Yihan, speechless, whispered: “Sister Min, lower your voice. Maybe he was saving someone.”

Su Yonghong didn’t buy it and spoke to Gu Yihan in a serious, experienced tone: “Xiaohan, you’re still young. When you save someone, do you need to kiss them? If it wasn’t love, could you do it in broad daylight?”

“Look at our textile factory—so many young women and new brides, all eager to curry favor. Yet none have caught Secretary Jiang’s attention. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

Sister Min, half convinced, said, “Maybe Secretary Jiang just doesn’t like women who are too forward.”

Su Yonghong’s eyes twinkled as she shook her head, clicking her tongue: “I don’t buy it. Think about it—if you were Secretary Jiang, so many beautiful women… could you resist?”

Gu Yihan glanced at Su Yonghong, then at Sister Min, and smiled: “I guess Secretary Jiang was saving someone—performing CPR, probably.”

Su Yonghong looked up at Gu Yihan teasingly: “Right, Xiaohan’s correct. Secretary Jiang was saving someone, not ‘cut sleeve.’”

Sister Min, listening to Su Yonghong’s childlike coaxing, couldn’t help but giggle: “Ha… Sister Su.”

“Xiaohan may have married young, but she’s only eighteen—she doesn’t know that you can’t judge a person by their appearance alone.”

Creak.

Secretary Jiang pushed open the office door, his expression dark. His gaze swept coldly across Gu Yihan and the others.

He said coldly: “Why are you spreading rumors? How did I become a ‘cut sleeve’? And why were you lurking outside my house in the middle of the night?”

Gu Yihan: “……”

Su Yonghong and Sister Min instantly turned bright red; none had expected Secretary Jiang to appear in the accounting office.

Secretary Jiang’s eyes shifted to Gu Yihan. “Comrade Gu, Director Yang is looking for you.”

He turned and left the office.

Su Yonghong and Sister Min cautiously exhaled.

Then his cold voice came from outside: “I don’t want to hear any more rumors about me.”

Inside, the three of them exchanged glances and nodded vigorously, regardless of whether he could see them.