Chapter 22: Hotpot (Please Vote)

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“Are you here to pick up Accountant Jiang after work?”

Shen Siyuan was somewhat surprised to see Tao Guangxia as well.

Tao Guangxia nodded without denying it, but immediately continued, “Mr. Shen, are you free tonight? Doudou’s mother and I would like to treat you to dinner.”

“Again?”

Only then did Shen Siyuan realize that Tao Guangxia was not here to pick up Jiang Wenxin after all. He had come specifically to wait for him.

Unfortunately, tonight would not do. He had already made plans with Jiang Tingyu.

“We’re going out for dinner tonight. I’ve reserved a table at the Summit Restaurant.”

The Summit Restaurant was the tallest restaurant in Binhai City. Dining there offered more than just a view of the sea; the entirety of Yulong Bay could be seen from above, making it an exceptional place to take in the scenery.

Naturally, the prices were far from modest. Shen Siyuan had only ever come across the restaurant on TikTok and had never actually eaten there.

To be honest, he would have liked to broaden his horizons, but he could not break his promise to someone else.

So he shook his head at once. “I can’t tonight. I already have plans.”

“I see...” Disappointment appeared on Tao Guangxia’s face.

Shen Siyuan gave a soft laugh, pinched his fingers together, and formed a spell seal. A gust of dark wind suddenly rose from the ground, circling Tao Guangxia once like a mischievous little spirit.

“Doudou?”

Tao Guangxia’s face lit up with delight, and he cast an inquisitive look at Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan nodded. “All right, then. We’ll have dinner together another time. I’ll be going now.”

With that, he stepped into the open elevator.

As the master of the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner, Shen Siyuan could summon Doudou at will and send her away just as easily, even if she was separated from him by vast distances.

The reason he could let Doudou wander about freely without worrying that she might reveal herself, harm anyone, or cause trouble was also related to the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner. To Doudou, his words were effectively commands to be obeyed.

Even though Doudou was still a child, she would never disobey anything he told her.

Shen Siyuan went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and headed for the place where he had arranged to meet Jiang Tingyu.

As for his electric scooter, he had no choice but to leave it at the company. Lin Manzhi had driven there that day, so he could not ask her to ride it home for him.

Shen Siyuan and Jiang Tingyu were meeting at a hot pot restaurant called Old Qiao.

He had chosen the place himself. He had eaten there several times before, and the food was excellent. Since Jiang Tingyu was from Sichuan, hot pot would naturally suit her tastes as well.

Sure enough, she had no objections to his suggestion and agreed immediately.

Shen Siyuan finished work at six, but because of the evening rush, it was nearly seven by the time he reached the restaurant.

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Jiang Tingyu had arrived long before him. She was already seated, quietly waiting as she browsed her phone.

“Jiang Tingyu?” Shen Siyuan approached and asked tentatively.

At the sound of his voice, Jiang Tingyu looked up. Her eyes were clear as autumn waters, her brows dark and graceful, her cheeks softly rounded, and her nose high-bridged. Her hair was tied high, giving her a neat and capable appearance.

She smiled brightly and nodded. “Shen Siyuan?”

“Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“It’s all right. I arrived early. It isn’t the agreed time yet.” Jiang Tingyu set her phone aside.

Shen Siyuan sat down opposite her and glanced at the empty table. “Haven’t you ordered anything yet?”

“No. I didn’t know if there was anything you couldn’t eat, so I didn’t order.”

Hearing that, Shen Siyuan immediately scanned the code with his phone and opened the ordering app. Then he handed the phone to her. “Order whatever you like. We can talk while we eat.”

Jiang Tingyu accepted the phone without hesitation and asked, “Can you handle spicy food?”

“I can.”

“Then I won’t order a split pot. I’ll get a full spicy broth.”

“No problem,” Shen Siyuan replied.

While she placed the order, he took the opportunity to look her over again.

She wore a round-neck, off-the-shoulder blouse that revealed her delicate collarbones and softly rounded shoulders. She was beautiful, though there was not much flesh on her frame, making her appear somewhat slender.

Although she was seated, judging from her upper body alone, she seemed to be at least five feet seven.

Jiang Tingyu handed the phone back to him and asked with a mischievous smile, “Do you like what you see? Satisfied?”

Clearly, she had noticed him looking at her, which made Shen Siyuan slightly embarrassed.

“You’re very beautiful,” he said.

Then he lowered his head to see what she had ordered.

Jiang Tingyu, meanwhile, made no attempt to hide the fact that she was carefully examining Shen Siyuan in return.

Shen Siyuan added several more plates of meat, placed the order, and put away his phone. Looking at her, he repeated her earlier question. “Do you like what you see? Satisfied?”

At that, Jiang Tingyu laughed. “Since this is a blind date, naturally we should get a clear look at each other.”

Jiang Tingyu had a forthright personality. When she smiled, two rows of pearly white teeth showed, giving her a bright and open air.

“But are you really twenty-six? You don’t look it at all.”

Jiang Tingyu stared intently at Shen Siyuan, especially at his eyes. They were clear as autumn waters, sparkling with starlight, and she could scarcely look away.

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“As genuine as they come. Do you really think I’d lie to you?”

“But you look much younger than your actual age. How do you take care of your skin?” Jiang Tingyu asked in amazement.

“Take care of my skin? I’m a grown man. What would I need that for? Besides, I don’t have the spare time. I just happen to have a naturally youthful face.”

“Your eyes are truly beautiful. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Since your eyes are so beautiful, you must be a good person too.” Jiang Tingyu gazed at Shen Siyuan.

“Does that count as being handed a nice-guy card?” Shen Siyuan joked with a smile.

Then he continued, “You’re very beautiful too. You must have plenty of admirers. How did you end up having to go on a blind date?”

Jiang Tingyu did not answer. Instead, she asked him in return, “What about you?”

“Because I’m poor, but I wanted to eat hot pot,” Shen Siyuan replied.

At that, Jiang Tingyu burst out laughing. She understood what he meant: he was single because he was poor, and he had come on the blind date because he wanted someone to eat hot pot with.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Shen Siyuan pressed.

“If I said I simply hadn’t met the right person, you’d probably think I was brushing you off. But that really is the truth. Of course, there’s another reason as well...” Jiang Tingyu said.

Shen Siyuan was listening, but she suddenly stopped.

“I’m sorry.” Clearly, she did not wish to talk about it.

Shen Siyuan shook his head, indicating that he understood.

Seeing how magnanimous he was, Jiang Tingyu instead began to feel a little embarrassed.

“It’s just that I...”

She wanted to explain, but did not know how to begin.

“You don’t have to explain. Not everything needs a reason, and not everything needs to be explained to outsiders.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Tingyu said gratefully.

Shen Siyuan was startled by her response, but then he smiled inwardly.

The person Lin Manzhi had introduced to him seemed quite reliable. Judging from their conversation so far, Jiang Tingyu really was a wonderful young woman.

His impression of her improved further. At the same time, however, he could tell that Jiang Tingyu had no intention of entering a relationship at present. She had probably agreed to the blind date only because she could not bring herself to refuse Lin Manzhi’s favor.

Even so, the two of them enjoyed their hot pot and talked animatedly. Shen Siyuan shared amusing stories from his work at the game company, while she told him about the people and events she had encountered while working at the aquarium.