Chapter 19 You Have No Choice

“Girl,” Bao Yunxiu said excitedly, grasping Shen You’s hand, “I’m free.”

“I’m truly free!” She was almost crying with joy, and quickly knelt down to kowtow to Shen You. “You are so kind and righteous, Miss. I will repay your kindness by serving you like a cow or a horse.”

Shen You snapped out of her daze, quickly helped the person up, and said with a smile, "From now on, you will be free from all constraints."

"Um!"

The two walked out while talking.

Shen You asked gently, "What are your plans for the future?"

Bao Yunxiu is now full of energy, her eyes brimming with hope for the future. "Girl, I can do embroidery, I can support myself!"

"Embroidery?" Shen You looked at her. "If you don't mind, may I see your embroidery?"

“Great!” Bao Yunxiu smiled, her eyes shining even brighter when she talked about embroidery. “I’m not bragging, but all the neighbors who saw my embroidery used to praise it.”

"Oh?" Seeing her happy, Shen You felt like teasing her and asked with a smile, "Really?"

"Of course it's true."

The Marquis's carriage was parked on the street outside the Jingzhao Prefecture. Because Shen You had other matters to attend to later, she brought a large number of people with her today.

Wisteria, Green Ivy, and Granny Zhao were all there, and there were even two other guards besides the groom.

They arrived at Luoyu Lane. The coachman and guards stayed at the entrance of the lane, while Shen You and the other three entered the courtyard with Bao Yunxiu.

It wasn't until Shen You saw the embroidery that Bao Yunxiu brought out that she realized what she had said was true.

The beauty of needlework is fully displayed in Bao Yunxiu's hands. The patterns on the silk handkerchief are lifelike, and the interweaving of lines and colors contains a unique rhythm of embroidery.

"Yunxiu, you have such skillful hands," Shen You praised sincerely, already having an idea in mind.

"Miss Bao's embroidery skills are indeed superb," ​​even Zhao Mama, who had served Madam Shen for many years and had a discerning eye, praised Bao Yunxiu's embroidery.

Bao Yunxiu was a little embarrassed by the praise and hadn't even replied when Shen You said, "I wonder if Yunxiu would be interested in opening an embroidery workshop with me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Bao Yunxiu looked up in disbelief, "Miss..."

What did you say?

Shen You smiled and repeated, "With such excellent skills, would you be willing to open an embroidery workshop with me?"

"You..." Bao Yunxiu's eyes reddened slightly, and she seemed somewhat at a loss for words. "Yunxiu is just a commoner, what virtue or ability do I possess to deserve this..."

She wanted to say that she was unworthy and that she had absolutely no business acumen.

But Shen You held her hand, his eyes brimming with a soft yet firm strength, "You have a skill, that's your asset, there's no need to belittle yourself."

"If you believe you can do it, then you can."

Green Ivy chimed in, "Miss Yunxiu's needlework is better than that of many clothing stores."

“Indeed,” Zi Teng echoed, “Miss Yunxiu’s skills are more than enough to teach apprentices.”

Bao Yunxiu blushed as they praised her, and nervously twisted her sleeves.

Shen You pulled the person to sit down on the bench. "I will choose the location of the embroidery workshop and pay for it, but I am not very proficient in this craft, so you will have to help me."

“You used to make a living from this, so you must know many women like this. If more people join the embroidery workshop, it will surely thrive.”

Bao Yunxiu's brow twitched slightly, and she smiled. "I do know quite a few women who make a living by embroidery, and their skills are all excellent."

"If we could secure a permanent embroidery workshop, they would surely be very happy."

Taking on odd jobs is ultimately unstable; if you're unlucky, you might not have enough to eat.

If the embroidery workshop is indeed settled, it would be the best news for the embroiderers who come from poor backgrounds.

Bao Yunxiu's eyes were filled with anticipation, "Miss, are you really going to open an embroidery workshop?"

The events of the past few days have been so good to her that she almost doubted whether she was dreaming.

Only in dreams can one encounter a benefactor as kind and gentle as Shen You.

“Of course it’s true.” Money and location were not difficult for Shen You, and now that Bao Yunxiu had joined, there was no need to worry about the skills either.

"Yunxiu is willing to work alongside the girl!"

Bao Yunxiu clenched her fist tightly, encouraging herself, and also encouraging Shen You and the future embroidery workshop, "I believe in you, young lady!"

“Alright,” Shen You turned to Zhao Mama, “Mama, you can tell Uncle Fang that we don’t need to rent out that shop in the East Market anymore. We can keep it to open our embroidery workshop.”

"Yunxiu, in the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you could contact a few skilled embroiderers."

On the day the embroidery workshop opens, a large number of embroidered products will be needed, which will require Bao Yunxiu and a group of embroiderers to work hard.

“Yes,” Bao Yunxiu replied. After spending the past few days together, she understood that Shen You was a serious and efficient person, and therefore deserved to be especially serious. “Yunxiu will definitely select the embroiderers carefully.”

"Alright, then it's settled."

After arranging everything for the initial setup of the embroidery workshop, Shen You led her group away from Luoyu Lane.

The sound of horses' hooves clattering could be heard from Luoyu Lane to Bilu Pavilion in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

When Shen You and the others pushed open the door to the second-floor room, Chen Huarui's face lit up with joy, and he stood up to greet them, "Miss Shen..."

However, the next moment, his smile froze on his face.

The person who came was indeed Shen You, but with Shen You were also maids, servants, and even guards.

As the group squeezed in, the private room suddenly seemed smaller.

Chen Huarui chuckled awkwardly and stepped back, "Miss Shen, what are you doing..."

Could it be that she was angry that he abandoned her that day and wanted to deliberately lure him out to beat him up?

After returning from Bilu Pavilion that day, he thought it over and over and felt that things between the two of them were probably over.

Therefore, when his father asked about it the next day, he wanted to find an excuse to brush it off and have his mother find a new woman to look after.

Unexpectedly, Shen You's men came to deliver a message, inviting him to meet today.

Although he had some doubts, Shen You was, after all, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Chengde, and if possible, Chen Huarui would naturally want to marry her.

That's why I'm here today to keep my appointment.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be like this.

The last guard to enter closed the door with a loud bang, making Chen Huarui's hand tremble.

Shen You glanced at him, a smile playing on her lips. "Young Master Chen, please don't mind. I'm out on business today, so I brought a few more people with me."

Chen Huarui was unsure of her meaning and chuckled awkwardly, "Oh, so you're going out on business. Then you should... you should bring more people with you."

Shen You sat down at the table with a leisurely air and said in a calm voice, "Young Master often travels around. I would like to ask you about a few people. I wonder if Young Master Chen could help me see if he knows or has seen these people?"

Upon hearing that Shen You made no mention of the day he abandoned her, Chen Huarui felt a slight sense of relief. "It is my honor to share Miss Shen's burdens. I..."

But before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly turned extremely ugly.

Shen You had already laid out the few sheets of paper that Chu Xiao had given him on the table. The names, addresses, and daily livelihoods of the men he often hung out with were all clearly written on the papers.

"What does Miss Shen mean by this?"

Chen Huarui's voice suddenly turned cold.

But Shen You was not intimidated at all, and his expression was even colder than his. "I should be asking Young Master Chen that question."

She suddenly smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Does Young Master Chen know these people?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Chen Huarui's face flushed red, and he turned to leave, but before he reached the door, he was stopped by the guards brought by Shen You.

He then realized that all the people in the room were prepared for him by Shen You.

They really came prepared.

Shen You sat at the round table. The girl was dressed in a light blue dress, with a slender and graceful figure. Beneath her womanly updo was a beautiful, fair neck.

Her slender fingers rested on the paper, tapping it gently.

The sound was especially noticeable in the quiet room.

Chen Huarui's hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists, his expression barely concealed. "What are you going to do?"

From those names to the people in the room, everything indicated that Shen You already knew about his sexual orientation.

If it weren't for those papers, he could simply deny it, but since Shen You had approached these people, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't let it slip.

He can't gamble, and he doesn't dare to gamble.

Shen You looked at him with a cold gaze, "Don't worry, Young Master Chen, I'm not interested in your private affairs."

“However, I must remind you that your orientation is not your fault, but…” She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was frighteningly cold, “If you harm innocent women to appease your family, then I cannot guarantee that these things will not be found out by others one day.”

This is a blatant threat.

Before meeting Shen You, Chen Huarui had heard of this eldest daughter of the Marquis of Chengde's family. She was said to be exceptionally beautiful, with a graceful figure, and one of the most beautiful women in Lin'an City. She was also described as having a refined and gentle temperament and being polite and courteous. Upon meeting her last time, he found that to be true.

But Shen You's imposing aura today...

It was completely the opposite of that day.

It remains elegant, yet it is extremely cold and aloof.

Chen Huarui narrowed his eyes, his scrutinizing gaze particularly evident.

Finally, my gaze fell on the few sheets of paper on the table covered with names.

Shen You naturally noticed his gaze and said calmly, "Young Master Chen is a smart man. He should know that these papers covered with names, if there is one, there could be ten, a hundred, a thousand... How to solve this is entirely up to you."

She saw through Chen Huarui's intention to destroy the list and had already made preparations before coming.

Hearing her words, Chen Huarui clenched his fists even tighter, his face turning terribly gloomy, completely losing the refined and handsome demeanor he had shown a few days ago.

The room quieted down. Zi Teng came to the table to pour tea. Shen You raised the cup with her slender fingers and drank the tea in one gulp.

As she put down her cup, she looked at Chen Huarui with a charming smile. "Young Master Chen, I do not wish to make enemies. Once I leave Biluxuan, I can pretend I know nothing about this matter."

She wasn't interested in Chen Huarui's sexual orientation; all she wanted was for him not to drag innocent women into the mess. As for how to explain things to Chen's parents, that was Chen Huarui's own business.

From the day Chen Huarui cowardly fled in front of Biluxuan, Shen You had figured out the man's nature. "Courtesy first, then force" would only make him take advantage of her. Now, the "force first, then courtesy" approach was the only way to truly control him.

Chen Huarui's chest heaved up and down, clearly indicating that he was holding back his anger, yet dared not and could not vent it.

Compared to his parents' constant nagging and pressure to remain unmarried, he couldn't afford to offend the Chengde Marquis's family, nor could he afford to gamble on the potential consequences of making these names public.

He understood the principle of choosing the lesser of two evils.

Thinking of this, he looked at Shen You, gritting his teeth, "I, Chen, will agree to Miss Shen's request."

“In that case,” Shen You looked up at him, a clear smile on his lips, “it’s settled then.”

"Young Master Chen, you must keep your promise."

Having achieved his goal for the day, Shen You stood up and prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, Chen Huarui reached out and stopped her. "I, Chen, will not break my promise, but how can Miss Shen guarantee that she will keep her word?"

Shen You raised her lips in a cold smile, glanced at him indifferently, and said, "Young Master Chen, you have no choice but to trust me."

As soon as she finished speaking, the guards opened the door, and she left without looking back.