Gu Zi changed into a new outfit and sat in front of the brand-new dressing table. Her vibrant and charming face appeared in the intricately carved bronze mirror, looking particularly enchanting.
When receiving guests, formality was essential. She applied a bold red lipstick, creating a formal look while concealing the hint of coquetry brought out by the man.
Using a makeup brush, she lightly swept her face, instantly exuding an air of grace and delicacy around her eyebrows and eyes.
Taking out a small and simple gold necklace from the drawer, she adorned herself with it. The addition lent her an extra touch of elegance and sophistication. She felt that it was just right.
As she descended the stairs, Su Shen was busy brewing tea for the guests.
The guests were three elegantly dressed ladies, clearly women of high status. It seemed that Su Shen had quite a few influential connections.
Approaching slowly, Su Shen had already noticed her descent. He politely excused himself from the three ladies, saying, "Please enjoy your tea; I'll escort her down." He then walked over to Gu Zi.
A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the three ladies. When did Su Shen become so considerate?
To ease Gu Zi's nerves, Su Shen embraced her waist and introduced each lady one by one. The leader was Mrs. He, the wife of Deputy Chief He, and the other two were also wives of officials. Under Su Shen's guidance, Gu Zi exchanged greetings with each of them.
The trio of official wives responded warmly, discreetly sizing up Gu Zi.
With her striking facial features and graceful figure, dressed in a light blue chiffon maxi dress, her long hair neatly coiled into a flower bud at the back of her head, she seemed youthful yet exuded a sense of beauty and dignity. Despite her apparent young age, she left an impression of a beautiful and poised woman – truly a remarkable person!
In the end, all three ladies showed satisfied expressions, thinking that her figure and demeanor did not at all belittle the former prospective son-in-law they had once considered.
This was the first time Mrs. He had seen Su Shen being so intimate with a woman, and her gaze carried a subtle hint of affection.
Teasingly, she remarked that she had expected to witness a rather peculiar scene, but instead, what unfolded before her eyes was the normal appearance of an impending wedding between a man and a woman deeply in love. It seemed that Mr. He was right; it was true love.
Gu Zi blushed slightly. but she maintained her composure well. She smiled and
asked, "Mrs. He, what was he like before?"
Mrs. He noticed Gu Zi's unfamiliarity with her title and reminded her, "Just call me Auntie He. Well, back then, quite a few female soldiers in the army had a secret crush on him. Some even brought him food. He would sternly reprimand them for not focusing on their duties, neglecting their parents' expectations, and wasting the country's resources. Later, the higher-ups wanted to arrange a marriage for him, but he claimed to be too young to marry, infuriating the leaders..."
The Deputy Chief's wife had no airs about her; she spoke like a kind elder gossiping about a younger generation. The other two ladies followed suit and quickly joined in the banter about Su Shen.
Su Shen remained silent, calmly listening and frequently observing the reactions of the woman beside him.
Gu Zi had previously heard the leaders at the police station complain about Su Shen's peculiarities. However, this kind of banter felt more like the affectionate teasing of elders, much like how Aunt Zhang complained about Shi Tou.
Sensing this, Gu Zi felt the tension she had towards the wives dissipate. The atmosphere gradually lightened up.
Another lady added, "Later, my husband insisted on Su Shen becoming our son-in-law, wanting to marry our daughter to him. However, this guy's marriage condition was not having children after marriage. My daughter wanted to have her own child, so she refused. They argued about this every day, and my life was quite lively during that time."
Gu Zi glanced at Su Shen, catching his gaze. His lips curled into a faint smile, and there seemed to be a vortex in his eyes, ready to pull her in.
She silently took a breath; he was so handsome and captivating—absolutely irresistible!
She turned her head, avoiding his gaze, and continued chatting with the ladies. It was then that she learned just how sought-after Su Shen was.
It turned out that the other two official wives had considered introducing their daughters to Su Shen earlier. However, upon learning that Su Shen had a condition of not having children after marriage due to his commitment to the three children, they hesitated.
The wives were open about it, revealing that their daughters were not willing to come to the countryside, wanted to pursue their studies, and lacked confidence in raising non-biological children wholeheartedly.
Although the fathers had high regard for Su Shen as a potential son-in-law, their love for their daughters prevailed. After careful consideration, they decided not to insist.
Mrs. He, with a tone of sincerity and concern, told Gu Zi, "In any case, your appearance is a blessing from heaven, a blessing for Su Shen and the three children. But you have to believe, this man is worth it."
During the conversation, Gu Zi brought out a few pastries, claiming she made them herself. The ladies were surprised; not only was this beautiful woman skilled in the kitchen, but she was also going to make her husband and children very happy..
...