Chapter 67 Destined or Not

This was, of course, no telepathic connection.

What to eat has always remained one of the greatest dilemmas plaguing mankind.

Therefore, when Granny Su suggested going to the "Hearing the Sea Tides" restaurant, he did not overthink it and simply blurted out agreement.

Consequently, they were now on their way to Hearing the Sea Tides.

Hearing the Sea Tides was actually a local adaptation of Sichuan-style hotpot.

It retained the distinct characteristics of Sichuan hotpot while weaving in various local flavors.

Because of this, it was immensely popular among locals, though it attracted very few tourists.

Although Ruan Hongzhuang was not a local, she possessed a strong fondness for spicy food, which made her deeply attached to this restaurant.

Whenever she had free time, she would drag Jiang Taozhi along with her.

This used to torture Jiang Taozhi, who harbored a passionate love for sweets, to the point of sheer agony.

Sometimes, Jiang Taozhi could not help but complain, wondering if their parents had somehow mixed them up at birth.

Clearly, Ruan Hongzhuang was a native of Siming, and people from Siming ought to lean toward a preference for sweets, so why on earth did she adore spicy food?

And she herself was clearly from Binhai, where the locals relished yellow lantern chilies and bird's eye chilies above all else, yet she had a craving exclusively for sugary treats.

Seeing Ruan Hongzhuang stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, Jiang Taozhi felt a flicker of annoyance and said, "Tonight is my blind date, anyway. Since you don't like it, don't you dare compete with me."

"Oh? Do you like him that much?"

Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at her, inquiring in what seemed to be a casual and indifferent tone.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say I like him; after all, it's our first time meeting. But being around him is very comfortable, so I'm willing to give it a try," Jiang Taozhi replied after a brief moment of reflection.

She spoke from the bottom of her heart, with no intention of deliberately provoking Ruan Hongzhuang.

Ruan Hongzhuang's eyes flickered as she gave a gentle nod. "Trying it out is fine, but don't lose your heart completely. You can know a person's face without knowing their heart; better safe than sorry, lest you regret it later."

Hearing this, Jiang Taozhi giggled and said, "Are you concerned about me? Or is it..."

Yet Ruan Hongzhuang left the question unanswered, striding forward instead.

"Let's go. Don't keep people waiting."

It turned out that Shen Siyuan, noticing the two women lagging behind to talk, had stopped in his tracks to wait for them.

"Tripe, shrimp paste, beef balls, and fish slices..."

Shen Siyuan listened to Granny Su's recommendations while checking off items on the menu.

He failed to notice the look of absolute astonishment on Jiang Taozhi's face as she stared across the table at Ruan Hongzhuang.

Meanwhile, Ruan Hongzhuang's beautiful eyes shone brightly, as if she, too, was profoundly shocked.

For every single item Shen Siyuan had ordered happened to be her personal favorite.

And her shock deepened when she discovered that even the dipping sauce Shen Siyuan had mixed matched hers precisely.

"Is this really delicious?"

Taking advantage of the moment when the two women were absent, Shen Siyuan asked Granny Su in a quiet voice.

"Of course it is! You have to trust me. Before I passed away, I was quite an expert on culinary arts," Granny Su declared with absolute conviction.

Thus, Shen Siyuan trusted her. After giving it a try and finding that the flavor was indeed remarkably good, he accepted it.

He remained entirely oblivious to the fact that Ruan Hongzhuang kept fixing her gaze on him from across the table.

After finishing the hotpot, the three of them exchanged WeChat contacts and parted ways without planning any further activities.

Meeting for the very first time, sharing a meal was already pushing the limit—especially with three people, which made lingering around rather inconvenient.

Therefore, Shen Siyuan took the initiative to say goodbye and leave.

Seeing him depart, Jiang Taozhi finally felt bold enough to interrogate Ruan Hongzhuang.

"Confess honestly, do you have feelings for him?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ruan Hongzhuang walked on, absorbed in her own thoughts.

"You two knew each other before, didn't you?"

"Do you know how annoying you are?"

"I have no idea. But since you don't like him, then I'm going to pursue him, and you aren't allowed to fight me for him," Jiang Taozhi declared.

At these words, Ruan Hongzhuang halted her steps and turned to look at her.

Jiang Taozhi felt a sudden flutter of nervousness under that gaze.

"You... why are you looking at me like that?"

"Do you like him?"

"Not really. Didn't I just say so earlier? I only have a mild favorable impression."

"Then why are you going after him?"

"Because that way, you'll come and snatch him away."

Ruan Hongzhuang frowned and shot Jiang Taozhi a cold, fierce glare.

As the other girl instinctively shrank her neck, Ruan Hongzhuang resumed her stride forward.

"I would never steal my best friend's boyfriend."

"Hmph~"

Jiang Taozhi excelled at being a coward who loved to stir up trouble.

-----------------

Granny Su did not continue trailing after Ruan Hongzhuang.

Instead, she followed right behind Shen Siyuan.

"Let me tell you, you and our Ruanruan make such a wonderful match..."

"You're a very unique person, and my Ruanruan is quite capable, too..."

"Even though her personality is a bit strong, she's actually very gentle with you, always considering your feelings in everything..."

...

Granny Su chattered incessantly in Shen Siyuan's ear all the way, desperately trying to play matchmaker.

Shen Siyuan understood that her intentions were entirely kind. Ruan Hongzhuang was already twenty-eight, no longer young, and Granny Su's anxiety regarding her lifelong affairs was quite understandable.

Nevertheless, he gently declined, saying, "It's not that I think she has flaws. On the contrary, she's too wonderful, which makes her unsuited for me."

"Why say that? Is being too good a bad thing?"

"Do you think someone with her temperament would ever be content staying at home to raise children and manage household trivialities?" Shen Siyuan retorted with a question.

Granny Su fell silent at these words.

Yet, after a moment, she still argued, "If she truly loves you, she can actually learn those things."

"Would she still be herself then?"

Granny Su lapsed into silence once more.

Being a woman of worldly experience, she naturally grasped the logic behind his words.

"When a person changes completely for the sake of another, they lose their own self. Maintaining one's true self is when a person is most charming."

"Though Miss Ruan is undeniably beautiful, what makes her truly captivating is the extraordinary aura she carries. If she were confined to a domestic life of raising children, would that breathtaking aura still remain?" Shen Siyuan pressed on.

Granny Su grew silent again, this time for a remarkably long while.

Only after quite a while did she speak up once more. "She's a young woman, after all. She has to marry someday."

Her words were laden with helplessness and deep concern for Ruan Hongzhuang's future.

Ruan Hongzhuang's personality was indeed a shade too formidable, making her path to marriage all the more difficult.

"Let nature take its course. Let's not dwell on this anymore, Granny Su. Is there some unfulfilled wish of yours that keeps you lingering by Miss Ruan's side?" Shen Siyuan deftly steered the conversation away.

"Naturally, it's her lifelong happiness," Granny Su smoothly looped the topic right back.

"There's simply no talking to you about this."

Granny Su burst into hearty laughter.

It was evident that during her lifetime, she must have been an exceptionally cheerful and open-minded person.

"If anything ever comes up in the future, you can come looking for me."

As Shen Siyuan finally reached the residential compound where he lived, he turned and tossed this remark to Granny Su.

Granny Su smiled and nodded, surveyed the surrounding environment of the compound, and then turned away without looking back.

"Could her only remaining wish really be just Ruan Hongzhuang's marriage? If so, there's nothing I can do to help."

Shen Siyuan pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Jiang Taozhi.

"Did you get home safely?"

Presently, he held a favorable impression of this young woman. She was innocent and free of scheming; a girl like that was actually well-suited to be a girlfriend.

She wouldn't play mind games with you, all her emotions were written clearly across her face, and she was a self-proclaimed foodie—meaning even if she got angry, she would be easy to coax.

Thus, Shen Siyuan's initial impression of her was positive, and he was willing to explore a relationship further.

With that in mind, he needed to show a clear attitude, which prompted the text message.

However, ever since he returned from his hometown a couple of days ago, Jiang Tingyu had gone completely silent, seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Even so, Shen Siyuan had no intention of proactively messaging her either.

Since he had decided to pursue Jiang Taozhi, he should avoid dragging things out with Jiang Tingyu and leading anyone on.