Chapter 42 Becoming the Things You Want to Do...
Fu Yun pondered for a moment and then formed a guess in his mind.
As the Empress's personal guard, Ye Lan appeared with General Qian dressed in night clothes. Perhaps it was inconvenient for her to follow him at all times, but because of the task assigned by the Empress, she could also anticipate that he would come to find General Qian, so she simply stood guard with General Qian and patiently waited for him to come to her.
Thinking of this, he suppressed all his emotions, a faint smile curving his lips as he politely replied, "Thank you for your help the other day. I happened to have some time today, so I came to thank you and also to ask you about something."
While Fu Yun was pondering and replying, General Qian and Ye Lan had already walked up to Fu Yun's side.
General Qian smiled, asked nothing, and slightly raised his right arm, gesturing for them to go inside.
Fu Yun nodded, glanced at Ye Lan behind General Qian, and greeted her, "Commander Ye."
Ye Lan's gaze paused slightly, then she nodded gently in response.
The three entered the general's mansion one after the other and sat down in the main hall.
A servant came forward and took the gift box that Fu Yun had brought.
General Qian frowned slightly, seemingly only then noticing that Fu Yun had brought something. A hint of frustration flickered in her eyes: "You've come in person, why bring gifts?"
Fu Yun said seriously, "Since I've come to express my gratitude, I can't come empty-handed. Otherwise, wouldn't that show no sincerity? Besides, I still have a lot of things to trouble you with later."
General Qian was slightly taken aback, then his brows relaxed, and his eyes shone brightly as he looked at Fu Yun, seemingly pleased by her words.
"It's no trouble at all. It's just a small favor for me. No need to thank me."
Fu Yun insisted, "It's not that simple. I know that the time and manpower you need to spend are immeasurable, so I am really grateful to you because you have indeed helped me solve a very difficult problem."
General Qian was speechless for a moment, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes: "Do we have to be so formal with each other? I have already promised to help you, and that is what I am willing to do. Are you going to keep thanking me?"
Fu Yun: "..." It's not right to be so informal!
It seems that next time when Ye Lan is not around, there are some things I still need to clarify with General Qian. We agreed before that it would be a win-win cooperation, so there can be no personal feelings involved.
People caught in the whirlpool of emotions are prone to losing their rational judgment, which can easily lead to unpredictable troubles.
Furthermore, he is not from this dynasty, and it would be irresponsible for him to have emotional entanglements with anyone.
Unless he chooses to remain in this dynasty, but that possibility is extremely slim.
Seeing that Fu Yun did not respond, General Qian said in an unyielding tone, "From now on, when you come to see me, you don't need to bring any gifts, understand?"
Fu Yun felt both helpless and amused by General Qian's stubbornness over such a trivial matter.
However, he still felt that he should thank people when he should and repay favors when he should. He shouldn't take advantage of people just because they have a generous personality.
Fu Jun's lips curled up slightly, revealing a helpless smile, but her tone was firm and unwavering: "Even if friends need help, it's not an obligation, but a personal choice. When you receive help from others, you should be grateful and never take their efforts for granted. Otherwise, it's not a matter of being honest friends, but rather taking advantage of the other person's unequal relationship."
General Qian and Ye Lan were both taken aback, and then looked at each other, both seeing a hint of shock in each other's eyes.
After a moment, General Qian suddenly changed the subject: "I heard you rented a shop today. When do you plan to open it?"
Fu Yun wasn't surprised that they found out so quickly, after all, Lingzhou City was full of their spies.
Therefore, there was no intention to hide anything: "Yes, the shop has already been rented. Once Lu Zhisheng has finished his business, we can confirm the official opening date."
After thinking for a moment, he simply stated his purpose: "I came to see you today for two reasons, firstly to thank you, and secondly to ask you about the two things I mentioned to you before. Have you made any progress on those matters?"
General Qian did not answer directly, but instead glanced at Ye Lan.
Ye Lan lowered her eyes to the table with a calm expression, then picked up the teacup and gently fiddled with the lid, looking completely unconcerned.
Fu Yun knew what General Qian was worried about, after all, he had told her before that he didn't want too many people to know.
He said frankly, "It's okay, just tell me directly, she'll find out sooner or later."
Ye Lan raised an eyebrow, still somewhat curious, and asked, "Is there anything else I don't understand?"
General Qian chuckled and shook his head, not bothering to explain to Ye Lan. He simply answered Fu Yun's question: "I have already arranged the available space you requested. As for the people you need, we haven't found many who meet the requirements yet, and we are still searching."
Fu Jun nodded, feeling very happy: "I understand, thank you for your hard work. When can I go and take a look at the venue?"
General Qian readily agreed, "It can be done tomorrow."
A glint flashed in Fu Yun's eyes, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips: "Great, we've finally made progress."
General Qian was very satisfied to see Fu Yun so happy. He stared at Fu Yun for a while, but finally couldn't help but ask: "Most men in this world hope to meet a strong wife who will protect them at all times and take care of them no matter how difficult the times are. They don't have to work hard to support their families. Isn't their lifelong pursuit joy, peace, and a carefree life?"
Being out in the open, exposed to wind and sun, is always extremely arduous work. Why do you insist on doing everything yourself? Can you really endure such hardship and exhaustion? Wouldn't it be better if I did it for you?"
"..." Of course not.
Putting aside the fact that the two are just friends now, not confidants, let alone family, this kind of selfless devotion is not worth it for a complete stranger. It should be reserved for someone who truly deserves her love and care.
Moreover, some selfish people only care about themselves and their own interests, without considering the feelings of others. No matter how much they sacrifice, it's all in vain. In the end, they end up with nothing, which is very distressing.
Although I am not a great philanthropist, I am not an unscrupulous person either, and I would never take advantage of other people's sincerity to achieve my own goals.
Moreover, even if we take a step back and assume the worst, he comes from a peaceful era, and being responsible, having a sense of duty, and having courage are the true nature of a man of honor.
So, what kind of image does a real man have, letting a woman go to the front lines? Doesn't that make him look like a gigolo who lives off a woman?
Fu Yun would never allow himself to become a spineless coward.
However, he will no longer be in a hurry to express his opinion as before. Instead, he will selectively pick out some key points to talk about, because no matter how much he talks, it is not as intuitive as taking actual actions.
What he wants to express now is not so complicated; he just wants the other person to understand the life values he pursues.
"Success that others achieve is ultimately not mine. I only want to do what I want to do and become who I want to be."
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