Reborn in the 80s: Divorced and Spoiled by the Military Man - Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Captain Shen Probably Wasn’t Scolding Her, Right?

Shen Subai had already continued upstairs. Rather than block the flood, it was better to guide the current; he preferred solving problems at the root.

With the matter of finding a chef and the letter of introduction on her mind, Xie Yunshu hurried to the second floor to look for Shen Subai as soon as she was done. Before leaving, she did not forget to take two pieces of begonia cake to “show her filial respect” to Captain Shen.

When she knocked and entered, Shen Subai was sitting upright behind his desk, writing swiftly. He was still wearing the black wool coat from yesterday, but underneath he had changed into a white shirt, making his face look even more refined and his eyes bright as stars.

Was it really that warm today?

Xie Yunshu glanced at the sun outside in confusion. It was only the beginning of March, yet Captain Shen was wearing less and less. When they had first met, he had been in a heavy military coat. Later, it was a black down jacket. Yesterday, a wool coat. And today, he had even put on a white shirt!

Shen Subai’s pen paused. He looked at her. “What is it?”

Xie Yunshu came back to herself and placed the begonia cake on the desk. Her little face, without a mask, carried a smile. “Captain Shen, I’ve thought it through. I still want to attend night university.”

Although she had gone through a failed marriage, life was still long, and she had dreams of her own. Now that she had an opportunity, she had to seize it.

Shen Subai placed the letter of introduction he had already written on the desk. “The teachers at Haicheng’s night university are all invited by the government from actual universities. What they teach is no worse than what you’d get at a university. Although you didn’t attend high school, if you’re only studying one major and make up lessons in your spare time, you’ll be fine.”

Xie Yunshu nodded. “Captain Shen, thank you.”

This thank-you came from the bottom of her heart.

Shen Subai’s lips curved slightly. “It was just a small favor. It doesn’t count as any great kindness. Around six tonight, wait for me at the entrance of the Construction Site. I’ll take you to meet the chef from Haicheng Restaurant…”

Before he could finish, he covered his nose and sneezed.

Xie Yunshu was a little worried. “Captain Shen, aren’t you wearing too little? You’re supposed to keep bundled up in spring and let yourself toughen up in autumn. You can’t switch to thin clothes this quickly.”

Shen Subai’s eyes narrowed slightly. When he spoke again, his voice had somehow grown a little hoarse. “It was still a bit cold riding my bicycle to work this morning. I saw everyone else wearing scarves. I’ll find time to buy one.”

The weather these days was especially cold in the morning and evening, yet a little warm around noon. Shen Subai’s white shirt and wool coat were fine when it warmed up at midday, but if he rode his bicycle to work in the morning, it would be very cold.

That was why Xie Yunshu always wore a scarf when she went out. Li Fenlan used to knit sweaters for people, and she would always gather the leftover yarn to make things for her and Mingcheng, so Xie Yunshu had never lacked for items like that.

Looking at it that way, Captain Shen, who had come alone from Jingbei to Haicheng, seemed a little pitiful…

Shen Subai’s fingertips were faintly red. After saying that, he rubbed the spot between his brows and let out a silent sigh. “Unfortunately, I don’t have time… Forget it, let’s not talk about that. Remember to come find me at six tonight. Chef Chen is quite busy too, so we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

He had time to take her to find a master chef, yet no time to buy himself a scarf.

Xie Yunshu pressed her lips together and took off the scarf around her neck. “Captain Shen, if you don’t mind, you can wear this scarf. My mom knitted it just a few days ago, so it’s still very new. The color is grayish white, so both men and women can wear it.”

Once she took the scarf off, it still carried her body heat. Only then did she regret being so rash. If she wanted to give him one, she should have given him a new one. How could she give someone her old scarf to wear? Captain Shen was probably going to scold her for being a deadbeat miser!

“Actually, I can buy you a new one when I go to the market for vegetables this afternoon.” Xie Yunshu drew back the hand holding the scarf and gave a dry laugh. “You’ve helped me so much, so consider the scarf a thank-you gift. Captain Shen, what color do you like?”

Shen Subai calmly took the scarf from her hands and wrapped it around his own neck. “It’s just help between ordinary friends. If you go out and casually buy me a scarf, people could easily misunderstand. This one is fine. The color suits me too.”

For a moment, Xie Yunshu had no idea what to say. “Then this scarf…”

Something felt off, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. When she looked at Captain Shen again, he was still sitting perfectly upright, his expression cool as he read through the documents in his hands, as if he didn’t care about the scarf at all.

He was such an upright person. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed more like she was overthinking things.

But the scarf she had just taken off was now wrapped around Captain Shen’s neck, just like that. Xie Yunshu still felt a little uncomfortable. Captain Shen didn’t have a partner, and she was single now too. Although the two of them were not the least bit suited for each other, wasn’t Captain Shen being a little too good to her?

Xie Yunshu didn’t want to flatter herself, but she still couldn’t help letting her thoughts wander.

“By the way, there’s something I want to discuss with you. It’s about your personal situation.” Just as she was wondering whether she should keep a little more distance from Captain Shen in the future, Xie Yunshu was jolted back to her senses by those words, and her heart gave two hard thumps.

Captain Shen wanted to talk to her about her personal situation? What situation?

Shen Subai set down the documents in his hands, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness. “Ever since you came to the canteen to sell meals yesterday, quite a few young men have been asking about your name. If this goes on for a long time, it definitely won’t be good. So I wanted to ask whether you’re currently interested in considering your personal affairs. There are a few decent young men in the project team. If you’re thinking about it…”

“No, no! Absolutely not!”

Xie Yunshu hurriedly shook her head. She was here to make money, not to find a boyfriend, so her answer was extremely firm. “Captain Shen, you know my situation. I don’t plan on looking for anyone again in the future either.”

A faint flicker passed through Shen Subai’s eyes. “Never again?”

Xie Yunshu gave a soft hum of agreement. “At least not while I’m contracting the canteen. You can rest completely easy on that point!”

“Naturally, I won’t interfere with your personal affairs.” Shen Subai’s fingers curled slightly. The scarf around his neck still carried the scent of soapberry. He smiled faintly. “It’s good if you can focus wholeheartedly on your work, but other people won’t think that way.”

Xie Yunshu knew she could be considered good-looking, but it wasn’t as if she were some fox spirit. Where had all these men asking about her come from? Captain Shen had never dated anyone before. Could he be thinking that just because someone casually asked for her name, that meant they were interested in her?

Since when was she that irresistible?

Shen Subai gave a light cough, sounding somewhat helpless. “The project schedule is tight right now, and the matter of you contracting the canteen hasn’t been officially settled yet.”

Xie Yunshu understood. Captain Shen was worried it would delay the work of the Project Department! Although she didn’t think she had that much charm, it was true that the canteen contract hadn’t been formally decided yet. There was no harm in being careful.

As expected of Captain Shen. He really did consider things more thoroughly and deeply than she did.

So Xie Yunshu spoke with righteous resolve. “It’s fine. If anyone asks around, just tell them directly that I’m divorced and a single parent. That’ll definitely make them all back off.”

Shen Subai cut her off. “That doesn’t count as a flaw, and it certainly isn’t a reason to use as a shield.”

“Not a flaw?” Xie Yunshu frowned. Although she had the courage to get divorced, society was already harsh on women. Even she herself felt that having been divorced once would at least make many men stop considering her.

Shen Subai fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, there was something meaningful in his tone. “At the very least, I don’t think having been blind once counts as a flaw.”

Having been blind once?

Xie Yunshu pressed her lips together. Captain Shen probably wasn’t scolding her, right?