Chapter 65: A Twist of Fate

Is Ruan Hongzhuang beautiful? Of course she is. She is like a luminous pearl, radiating a dazzling brilliance no matter where she casually sits, instantly drawing everyone's attention toward her.

However, compared to her innate aura, her physical appearance almost seemed secondary. She resembled a towering, high-and-mighty queen. Even just sitting there casually, her back remained straight, her shoulders formed a sharp line, and when she looked at people, she met their gaze directly. Her eyes were clear, fierce, and carried an intense, aggressive quality.

Her formidable aura exuded an absolute sense of oppression, making it difficult for ordinary people to maintain eye contact with her, instinctively forcing them to look away.

Clearly, Shen Siyuan was no ordinary person. Not only did he meet her gaze directly, but he also sat down opposite her with complete composure.

Is Shen Siyuan handsome? Of course he is, but he is certainly not the type of strikingly, earth-shatteringly handsome man that leaves people breathless. Within the circles Ruan Hongzhuang frequented, there were countless men far more handsome than Shen Siyuan.

Yet, Shen Siyuan possessed an ethereal, cloud-like disposition. He was like a wisp of clear breeze or a drifting cloud, appearing capable of scattering with the wind and gathering at will in his every movement and stillness. It was a remarkably unique quality that made people feel deeply at ease, unconsciously stirring a sense of closeness.

When he smiled, it felt as refreshing as a spring breeze. Especially his eyes—they were like deep pools of water, firmly pulling one's gaze toward them.

Right now, Ruan Hongzhuang's gaze was doing precisely that, fixed on Shen Siyuan, unwilling to look away.

Shen Siyuan felt slightly uncomfortable under her scrutiny, yet he understood why she acted this way.

Ever since he devoured the Netherworld Demon Sovereign, his divine sense had awakened. This was a form of spiritual power. Because he lacked formal cultivation, he was unable to properly restrain his divine sense to keep it internalized and unmanifested.

Consequently, he constantly radiated his unique spiritual power outward into his surroundings—which could also be interpreted as an aura, a magnetic field, or vital energy.

Naturally, the stronger someone else's aura or magnetic field was, the more easily they would be drawn to him.

Of course, in real life, people like this were exceedingly rare. At the very least, ever since his divine sense awakened, Shen Siyuan had practically never encountered anyone like this.

Most people might simply feel that something about him had subtly changed, or that his eyes were unusually captivating, but they could never pinpoint the exact reason.

Yet Ruan Hongzhuang possessed an inherently formidable aura by nature. Combined with her upbringing and life experiences, she constantly exuded a powerful presence that influenced everyone who came into contact with her. She seemed born to be a leader.

Thus, the moment she laid eyes on Shen Siyuan, she was drawn to him. In Shen Siyuan's eyes, she was like a bright pearl; but in Ruan Hongzhuang's eyes, was Shen Siyuan not the exact same?

However, the very first moment Shen Siyuan saw her, he had already mentally dismissed her.

It was not because she was inadequate or because he looked down on her; rather, it was because she was too exceptional—almost to a fault. How could someone like that ever be content living the ordinary life of a housewife, boiling rice and cooking salt with him, peacefully watching the years slip by?

Still, basic politeness remained necessary. So, with a smile, he asked, "You must be Accountant Jiang's relative from the same clan, right?"

Ruan Hongzhuang nodded instinctively, only to realize the truth a second later and hurriedly shook her head.

Shen Siyuan did not understand what she meant, but he did not dwell on it.

Instead, he smiled and introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Shen Siyuan. I'm twenty-six years old and currently working at a gaming company..."

Ruan Hongzhuang stared intently at Shen Siyuan, listening quietly to his self-introduction.

Aware that her unwavering stare was impolite, she picked up her coffee cup, took a small sip, and used the movement to look away. Yet, an instant later, her gaze drifted right back to him.

"My name is Ruan Hongzhuang. I'm twenty-eight, and I currently run my own small company..."

Ruan Hongzhuang's company was by no means small; it was a source of great pride in her heart. Yet, facing Shen Siyuan, she unconsciously grew modest, wishing to conceal her sharp edges...

Shen Siyuan shifted his gaze slightly to the left, looking at the elderly woman with white hair who had originally been standing behind Ruan Hongzhuang and was now seated beside her.

The elderly woman had silver hair, wore a qipao, and sported a string of pearls around her neck. Her smile was exceptionally gentle. At a single glance, she looked like someone who had lived a life of pampered luxury yet possessed profound erudition.

As Ruan Hongzhuang introduced herself, the elderly woman was also introducing her.

According to the elder, Ruan Hongzhuang's company was far from the "small" venture she claimed—it was successful to an almost exaggerated degree.

"Miss Ruan is from Siming, I presume?" Shen Siyuan asked with a smile.

"Yes."

Ruan Hongzhuang nodded, but immediately followed up with a question, "Do I speak with a Siming accent?"

She harbored a trace of doubt, believing her Mandarin was standard and shouldn't carry any regional accent. Back in her school days, she had even been a member of the campus broadcasting station and had hosted successive freshman welcome galas.

Shen Siyuan smiled without explaining the matter, continuing instead, "After graduation, why didn't you stay in Siming? Why choose Binhai to start your business?"

If it had been anyone else speaking to Ruan Hongzhuang in such a manner, she probably would have grown impatient long ago and refused to entertain them.

Yet, for reasons unknown, as Shen Siyuan spoke, she found herself patient enough to offer an explanation.

"My family has always been in the shipping business, and Binhai, as a port city..."

Her original intention in coming from Siming to Binhai was to carve out a career of her own, to prove herself and fulfill her ambitions.

Though she had utilized certain family resources along the way, she made it a strict rule never to bring it up voluntarily when dealing with outsiders.

Just like many successful tycoons who only spoke of their relentless hard work and how they hacked through thorns and thistles to achieve their success, while deliberately omitting their family backgrounds—it was the exact same principle.

"Young man, you are very special. You are the very first person I've met who can actually see me," the elderly woman beside them said to Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan offered no reply, merely smiling faintly. Ruan Hongzhuang assumed the smile was directed at her.

The old woman introduced herself in turn, "I am her maternal grandmother. My surname is Su, and my given name is Xiuyiu. You may call me Grandmother Su..."

"Our Hongzhuang is a wonderful person. Even though she acts a bit domineering on weekdays, it's only because of her strong-willed personality. In truth, she can do everything from washing clothes to cooking. She grew up by my side since she was little, so nobody knows her better than I do..."

Clearly, Grandmother Su had also noticed her granddaughter's unusual behavior. Furthermore, considering her granddaughter's age, it was high time she settled down, prompting the elder to enthusiastically pitch her to Shen Siyuan.

Ruan Hongzhuang was still talking about her own affairs, completely unaware that Grandmother Su was spilling all her secrets and exposing her past from top to bottom.

"Hongzhuang's parents were busy with business, so she grew up by my side..."

"When she was little, she was just like a tomboy. She cut her hair short and got into fights at school every single day..."

"It wasn't until junior high that she suddenly grew out her long hair, changed her personality, and started acting more like a young girl. At first, I thought she had taken a fancy to some boy, but I later found out that a very good friend of hers had passed away from cancer. She started acting like that little girl, perhaps to keep her friend's memory alive through her own life..."

"She's clearly from Siming, yet she's loved eating spicy food ever since she was a child. How strange..."

Mid-sentence, a voice suddenly echoed from behind them.

"Uh, has the person already arrived? I'm so sorry."

Hearing the voice, Shen Siyuan turned his head. With just a single glance, he knew he had mistaken the person; the young woman before him must be his actual blind-date match.

Because the girl standing there with a few crumbs of cake at the corner of her lips looked precisely like an older version of Doudou.

Looking at her, one could almost vividly imagine what Doudou would look like when she grew up.

He had been silently wondering to himself just moments ago how Accountant Jiang's relative from the same clan could possibly have the surname Ruan.