"...I don’t know." The adjutant’s eyes darted around, not daring to look at Gu Yao. Usually unafraid of facing enemy fire, he now found himself sweating in his palms from the questioning.
After all, this wasn’t a trivial matter. If Miss Gu discovered something, the boss might just have his head. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
"How many years have you been by Shangguan Yu’s side?"
"...Why does Miss Gu ask that?" The adjutant still didn’t dare to meet Gu Yao’s eyes.
"I remember when I met Shangguan Yu, you weren’t his adjutant yet."
"Miss Gu, you must be mistaken..."
Knowing Gu Yao was trying to get information out of him, the adjutant became more cautious.
But Gu Yao had miscalculated this time; he indeed followed Shangguan Yu earlier than she did.
Gu Yao’s tear-stained eyes fixated on the adjutant, trying to catch a hint of a slip from his face.
Yet, she was left disappointed.
Did he say that because he knew she was trying to trick him, or was this just the reality?
Did she really know Shangguan Yu before?
"Miss Gu, are you here to see our boss? He won’t wake up anytime soon. Why don’t you come back later?" The adjutant didn’t want to leave them alone together; it might lead to trouble.
Besides, it seemed Miss Gu had already started to suspect her amnesia. She kept probing him, and he needed to give the boss a heads-up before they met, to prevent the boss from accidentally revealing something.
"No need, I’ll wait for him to wake up."
"This... Miss Gu, I’m afraid that’s a bit inappropriate."
"What’s inappropriate about it?"
"Well..." The adjutant hesitated, knowing it was hurtful to say, but he spoke nonetheless.
He was only doing it for their own good.
"The boss’s mother has been looking for a wife for him, you know, and what you’re doing might be somewhat improper. Besides, both you and our boss are people of status, you should avoid any suspicion." The adjutant felt he had put it quite tactfully, avoiding harsher words.
"I’m just here to see a patient. How others see it is their concern." Gu Yao said as she tried to bypass the adjutant to enter the ward, but he stopped her.
"What do you mean by this?"
"Miss Gu, please don’t put our boss in a tough spot."
"Fine, I won’t go in. I’ll just wait for him to wake up out here."
Gu Yao said this, stepped back a few paces, and sat directly on a bench across from the ward.
Seeing that Gu Yao didn’t intend to leave, the adjutant felt troubled and sympathetic, feeling guilty as she sat there.
So he didn’t go into the ward either, standing with Gu Yao outside the door, since leaving her alone out there was too harsh.
At that moment, Shangguan Qingmu, who had originally intended to stay by Shangguan Yu’s side instead of his wife but had to leave due to an urgent matter in the military district, returned.
He immediately saw Gu Yao sitting there and the adjutant looking guilty at the door.
Upon hearing footsteps, Gu Yao looked up, saw Shangguan Qingmu, and immediately got up to greet him properly, "Uncle Shangguan."
"Miss Gu, came to see Yuyu? Why not go inside and wait, it’s getting cold in the corridor." Shangguan Qingmu spoke in a tone of elder concern for a younger person.
Hearing Shangguan Qingmu’s words, the adjutant lowered his head in guilt, feeling his previous actions were excessive.
"He’s not awake yet. Waiting outside is just the same." Gu Yao responded with a polite smile.
"Let’s go in together, I think he should wake up soon." Shangguan Qingmu, however, invited Gu Yao inside without any reservations.