She changed into a simple blue cotton shirt, carried an old cloth bag, and discreetly walked through several alleys.
Throughout the journey, she paid extra attention to whether anyone was following her.
With frequent travel between urban and rural areas and a diverse population, nothing unusual has been noticed.
Unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes were coldly watching her from behind.
It's Liu Yuelan.
She hid behind the general store at the alley entrance, clutching the corner of a bundle in her hand, her eyes gloomy.
"What's she doing here again? Who is she meeting?"
These past few days, she'd felt that Su Qingzhi was acting mysteriously, and today she finally caught her red-handed.
She followed quietly behind, intently watching that familiar figure from behind.
Su Qingzhi walked into the abandoned courtyard.
This time, I didn't wear makeup or change my appearance.
She no longer worries about being recognized, because she knows that those who truly know her will not betray her.
She hid the things in the dilapidated house in the corner of the yard, and then sat outside waiting for Shen Cunpu.
Shen Cunpu, wearing a faded work jacket, walked steadily into the courtyard.
When he saw Su Qingzhi, he simply nodded slightly.
It was as if her presence here was entirely expected.
Su Qingzhi raised an eyebrow.
Aren't you surprised?
"I didn't disguise myself anymore, I just came openly and honestly, and you didn't even flinch?"
Shen Cunpu smiled, a hint of understanding in his eyes.
"I guessed it a couple of days ago."
How did you guess?
Su Qingzhi was taken aback, her brows furrowed slightly, and her tone was somewhat puzzled.
"Taste".
Shen Cunpu spoke of it casually.
Su Qingzhi lowered her head, half-believing and half-doubting, and sniffed her sleeve carefully.
"What's that smell? I can't smell it."
Shen Cunpu tilted his head, recalled for a moment, and slowly said.
"I can't quite describe the scent, it's just a very faint grassy smell. I first smelled it when that uncle was delivering goods last time. He came out of the warehouse and I happened to be passing by, and that scent wafted over."
"When I saw you again later, I vaguely felt that you had that smell too."
"Furthermore, when I thought about it later, I realized that the way that man walked was a bit strange. His steps were too light, and his shoulders didn't look natural. It wasn't like a man's habit."
"Although he spoke in a low voice and acted quite convincingly, I still felt something was off. So I started to wonder if he was a woman dressed as a man."
After hearing this, Su Qingzhi smiled with a complicated expression and had no choice but to admit defeat.
I did put a lot of effort into disguising myself.
He changed his voice, bent his body, wore loose clothes, and deliberately imitated male posture when walking.
In order not to give away any clues, they even observed several workers who regularly moved goods.
However, there are still some oversights.
The lingering scent of herbs was something she had unintentionally picked up while gathering herbs on the mountain, and she couldn't completely remove it even after washing it several times.
It doesn't matter.
She never intended to keep it from him forever.
At least with a partner like Shen Cunpu, a long-term pretense is more likely to lead to trouble.
Honesty may be risky, but trust is the foundation of doing business.
As long as he doesn't say anything, there won't be a problem.
She glanced around the long-abandoned courtyard and realized that constantly running into each other here wasn't a solution.
The place may be remote, but if someone happens to pass by and stumbles upon their secret meeting, then there will be big trouble.
She paused for a moment, then looked intently at Shen Cunpu.
"Are there any quiet houses around here? I'd like to rent one, preferably with a small yard or a back door, in a secluded location. That way, it'll be easier to arrange our meetings later, and we won't have to sneak around like this every time."
Upon hearing this, Shen Cunpu felt that the idea was indeed quite reliable.
The current situation is complex, and policies are sometimes tight and sometimes loose. They are engaged in this kind of borderline business, so there is no room for the slightest negligence.
He nodded in agreement, his tone solemn.
"Okay, I'll look around and see if there's anything suitable. I'll let you know as soon as I find something."
Su Qingzhi gave a soft "hmm," then remembered something and took out a set of men's clothing from her cloth bag.
She handed it over.
"I'll leave the clothes here for now. You can take them home when you have some free time and ask Aunt Su to alter the size."
“I live in a family compound now, and I’m watched every time I come and go. It’s inconvenient for me to bring things to your house, especially men’s clothes like these. If someone sees them, they’ll inevitably become suspicious.”
Shen Cunpu took the clothes and nodded.
He understood what she meant.
Recently, he inquired around and heard more than once that Liu Yuelan had some complaints about Su Qingzhi in private.
He knew that Su Qingzhi's current situation was not easy.
The residential compound is full of people and gossips; even the slightest rumor can spread like wildfire throughout the city.
If their frequent secret meetings are discovered, not only will Su Qingzhi suffer, but their business will also collapse instantly.
Su Qingzhi had been focused on Su Qingzhi all this time and was completely unaware of the rumors circulating outside.
On his way back from Su Qingzhi's house that day, he happened to see Sister Wu hanging clothes to dry as he passed by the gate of the courtyard.
She asked casually with a smile.
"Sister Wu, what are people talking about outside lately? Tell me about it."
Upon hearing this, Sister Wu quickly put down the clothes rack in her hand, looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, lowered her voice, took a step closer, and spoke almost into Su Qingzhi's ear.
“Some people say that when you were working in the countryside in Guanshigou, your relationship with Li Hong, who was also sent down to the countryside, was not clean, and there was something unclear about it.”
Su Qingzhi was taken aback, her brows furrowed immediately, and she asked seriously.
Who spread this rumor?
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