Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 371: Should We Return to Hu City?

"No! That’s not what I meant! I just think that since you’re providing the factory with attractive designs, they should reward you, right? After all, they made quite a bit of money thanks to your ideas." The Auntie quickly explained, but the gazes from the other Aunties made her feel a bit self-conscious.

She had only been curious and asked out of habit. Frustrated, she stomped her foot and looked hopefully at Su Yijia, wishing to convey that she had no ill intentions.

Su Yijia couldn’t help but smile at her innocence, believing the Auntie was simply being chatty without any malice. "Creating beautiful accessories certainly deserves some compensation from the accessory factory. However, each person’s design is different, and whether the factory accepts it or how much they’ll pay is entirely up to them. I can’t really interfere with that," she explained lightly to the Aunties.

Getting Zhu Zirui into the factory as the director was her greatest reward. The Aunties only wanted money and jobs, and if they could come up with good ideas, Zhu Zirui could give them a chance. Cultivating new design talent was essential for the factory’s long-term success. Zhu Zirui wouldn’t manage the factory forever, and it was impossible for her to design for it her entire life. The goal was to establish a sustainable operating model that didn’t rely on any single individual.

"Really?" The Aunties’ faces lit up at Su Yijia’s positive response, but their joy only lasted a few seconds. They quickly realized they weren’t Comrade Su, and such design talent didn’t come naturally to them. Their delighted smiles gradually shifted to awkwardness.

Su Yijia pushed the fruit platter on the coffee table toward the first few Aunties. "Don’t just stand around talking; have some fruit!"

"No, no, it’s almost noon, and we still need to go home to cook. We don’t want to disturb you any longer." The Aunties felt they had likely said the wrong thing again, making Comrade Su unhappy, and they didn’t dare linger.

As they stood up to leave, Su Yijia didn’t try to keep them. Instead, she pointed to the items they had placed on the dining table when they entered. "I didn’t help with what you wanted, so I feel bad accepting these. You should take them back for your kids."

"Miss Su, why are you being so polite? We brought these to see Commander Qin. How can we take them back?" Auntie Ju smiled warmly.

"That won’t do. As I said earlier, Kaize will be returning to the team, and since he’s up and moving now, eating so many supplements would be a waste. Your goodwill is appreciated, but we shouldn’t leave behind evidence of our mistakes, right?" Su Yijia said jokingly while collecting the items from the table and handing them to the Aunties.

Initially, the Aunties protested, but as Su Yijia distributed everything they had brought, they were left speechless. They had placed the items on the table just after entering, and Comrade Su had only glanced at them without paying much attention. Yet, she had remembered everything perfectly.

Even if they had been given ten minutes to recall, with all the chatter they had exchanged, they would have likely forgotten it all. Shocked, they found themselves unable to refuse the items.

Su Yijia stood by the fence in the yard, smiling and waving to the departing Aunties, "Safe travels, Aunties!"

"Miss Su, you don’t need to see us off," Auntie Ju called back with a smile before quickly leaving with the others.

Watching them leave in a bit of a flurry, Su Yijia pursed her lips and sighed inwardly. Before entering this world, while she might not have been particularly outgoing, she had no issues interacting with others. If this kept happening, she feared she might develop social anxiety.

"Jiajia, what are you doing outside? Want to go for a stroll? I’ll accompany you," Qin Kaize said, returning home and finding Su Yijia looking off into the distance.

He followed her gaze but saw nothing unusual before walking over to take her hand.

"No, Auntie Ju and the others were just here asking about applying to the accessory factory," Su Yijia explained, naturally leaning against Qin Kaize’s arm.

Hearing this, Qin Kaize’s gentle demeanor faded, replaced by a hint of annoyance. It was rare for him to go out, and now people were bothering his wife with their questions.

"I’ll talk to their husbands about this," he said, frowning.

"Let’s not complicate things. I’ve already turned them down; they were just chatting and didn’t really affect me," Su Yijia replied, shaking her head.

Qin Kaize paused, reconsidering, and then turned to lead her back inside. "What if we just go back to Hu City?"

Living on the island was becoming cumbersome, and Jiajia was worried about the influence on him, even avoiding the black market. In Hu City, he could accompany Jiajia on excursions to the market and leisurely search for treasures.

Su Yijia was surprised. "Has the issue with Yin Zhenglin been resolved?"

"Almost; many people are already settling accounts with him." Qin Kaize thought of the man currently in a bind, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

Despite Yin Zhenglin having connections, he couldn’t touch Uncle Xia or Qin Kaize. Over the past twenty years, he had hoarded many things and framed numerous innocent people for his own gain. Now, with much of the evidence collected against him, he was like a grasshopper in autumn, unable to leap for long.

"Shall we book tickets for October 20th? After taking the Detoxification Pills in the morning, we should arrive by evening." Su Yijia realized she couldn’t stay on the island much longer. It had nothing to do with the Aunties but simply because she found the confinement of her space and room boring. Even in her research, she had no materials to experiment with.

Regardless of her task or Qin Kaize’s safety, they just needed to endure until he finished the Detoxification Pills.

"There’s only one left; it’s fine if we head back early. Hu City is safe now, and those who needed to be caught have been." Qin Kaize furrowed his brow, instinctively rejecting the idea.

Su Yijia looked at him in surprise. "Why are you refusing me?"

Wasn’t it always the case that whatever she said went? This wasn’t a big deal; why was Qin Kaize so adamant in his refusal?

Before she could finish, she noticed a faint blush spreading across his already fair skin, which he couldn’t hide.