Chapter 66: Accidental Encounter

Ruan Hongzhuang’s beauty? Of course she was beautiful—like a pearl, wherever she sat, she radiated dazzling light, drawing every eye to her.

But compared to her aura, her appearance seemed almost insignificant; she was like a queen atop a throne, sitting casually yet with spine straight, shoulders aligned, gazing at others with clear, piercing eyes full of aggression.

Her powerful aura imposed overwhelming pressure, making ordinary people struggle to meet her gaze, instinctively looking away.

But Shen Siyuan was no ordinary man—he met her gaze directly and sat down across from her, calm and composed.

Was Shen Siyuan handsome? Of course he was—but not in that devastatingly gorgeous way; among the circles Ruan Hongzhuang moved in, far more handsome men were countless.

Yet Shen Siyuan possessed a mist-like aura, like a gentle breeze or a drifting cloud—fluid, able to dissolve and reform with the wind, uniquely soothing, naturally inviting closeness.

When he smiled, it was like a spring breeze brushing against the face; especially his eyes, deep as a still pool, irresistibly drawing in every glance.

And now Ruan Hongzhuang’s gaze was just like that—fixed on Shen Siyuan, unwilling to look away.

Shen Siyuan felt slightly uneasy under her stare, but he understood why.

After consuming the Nine You Demon Lord, his spiritual sense had awakened—a form of mental power. Since he possessed no cultivation base, he could not properly contain it, leaving it unrestrained and unrefined.

Thus, his unique spiritual energy constantly radiated outward—what could also be called aura, magnetic field, or vital energy.

Those with similarly strong auras—or magnetic fields—were drawn to him all the more.

Yet in real life, such people were rare; since awakening his spiritual sense, Shen Siyuan had barely encountered one.

Others might merely sense he’d changed slightly, or that his eyes had become unusually beautiful, but couldn’t articulate why.

But Ruan Hongzhuang was born with an exceptionally strong aura, further honed by her environment, radiating power constantly, influencing everyone around her—she was, it seemed, born to lead.

So the moment she saw Shen Siyuan, she was drawn to him; in her eyes, he was a pearl—and in his eyes, wasn’t she the same?

Yet the moment Shen Siyuan saw her, he mentally crossed her off immediately.

Not because she wasn’t good enough, or he looked down on her—but because she was too good, too perfect. How could such a woman ever settle down as a housewife, sharing mundane days of rice, salt, and quiet years?

Still, proper manners demanded a response, so he smiled and asked: “You’re Jiang Wenxin’s cousin, right?”

Ruan Hongzhuang nodded instinctively, then realized and quickly shook her head.

Shen Siyuan didn’t understand what she meant, but didn’t press it.

Instead, he smiled and introduced himself: “Hello, I’m Shen Siyuan, twenty-six, currently working at a game company…”

Ruan Hongzhuang stared fixedly at Shen Siyuan, listening quietly to his introduction.

She knew this was impolite, so she picked up her coffee, took a sip, and deliberately looked away—only to unconsciously let her gaze drift back.

“I’m Ruan Hongzhuang, twenty-eight, currently running my own small company…”

Her company was far from small—it was her pride—but before Shen Siyuan, she instinctively grew humble, trying to dull her sharp edges…

Shen Siyuan’s gaze shifted slightly left, toward the white-haired elder who had been standing behind Ruan Hongzhuang and now sat beside her.

The elder had silver hair, wore a qipao, and a string of pearl beads around her neck; when she smiled, she radiated gentleness—a woman clearly raised in comfort, deeply learned.

While Ruan Hongzhuang introduced herself, the elder was introducing her too.

In her words, Ruan Hongzhuang’s company wasn’t small at all—it was astonishingly outstanding.

“Miss Ruan is from Siming, then?” Shen Siyuan asked with a smile.

“Yes.”

Ruan Hongzhuang nodded, then immediately asked: “Do I speak with a Siming accent?”

She was puzzled—she believed her Mandarin was flawless; in school, she’d been on the campus radio station and hosted every welcome gala.

Shen Siyuan smiled but didn’t answer; instead he continued: “After graduation, why didn’t you stay in Siming? Why choose Binhai to start your business?”

To most people, speaking like this to Ruan Hongzhuang would have earned them cold silence.

Yet for some reason, when Shen Siyuan spoke, she found herself willing to patiently explain.

“My family has always been in shipping, and Binhai, as a port city…”

She came to Binhai to build her own career, to prove herself, to fulfill her ambitions.

Though she’d leveraged family resources along the way, she never mentioned them publicly.

Just like many successful tycoons who speak only of their own grit and struggle, never of their family background.

“Young man, you’re unusual—you’re the first person I’ve ever truly seen.” The elder spoke to Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan didn’t reply, only smiled faintly; Ruan Hongzhuang assumed the smile was meant for her.

The elder continued: “I’m her grandmother, surnamed Su, Su Xiu—you can call me Su Aba…”

“Our Hongzhuang is a wonderful girl. Though she’s forceful in daily life, it’s just her strong will—she can wash clothes, cook meals, everything. She grew up by my side—I know her best…”

Clearly, Su Aba had noticed her granddaughter’s odd behavior, and since she was of marriageable age, she was now pushing hard to promote her to Shen Siyuan.

Ruan Hongzhuang was still speaking about herself, unaware that Su Aba had already laid bare every detail of her life.

“Hongzhuang’s parents were busy with business, so she grew up by my side…”

“As a child, she was like a tomboy—cut her hair short, fought with kids at school every day…”

“Only when she entered middle school did she suddenly grow her hair long and change her demeanor, becoming more girlish. At first I thought she’d fallen for some boy—later I learned a close friend had died of cancer. She became like that girl, as if carrying her alive…”

“She’s from Siming, yet since childhood she loved spicy food—strange, isn’t it?”

…

As she spoke, a voice suddenly came from behind.

“Uh, someone’s here. Sorry I’m late.”

Shen Siyuan turned his head—and at a glance, knew he’d mistaken the person; this woman before him was his actual blind date.

Because the girl with cake crumbs on her lips was simply a larger version of Dou Dou.

Seeing her, one could easily imagine what Dou Dou would look like as an adult.

He’d just been silently wondering: how could Jiang Wenxin’s cousin have the surname Ruan?