Chapter 67: Something Is Very Off

Shen Siyuan sized up the young woman before him and smiled, saying, "It's nothing; I just arrived too."

Perhaps because of Watching Dou Dou, he felt a bit more familiar.

"My name is Jiang Taozhi; you can call me Peach..."

As Jiang Taozhi spoke, she plopped down right beside him; Su Apo hurriedly stood up and moved to the other side, otherwise she would have been sitting on her.

After Shen Siyuan introduced himself, Jiang Taozhi said, "To apologize to you, I'll treat you to cake."

"Great," Shen Siyuan said with a smile.

Shen Siyuan's reply left Jiang Taozhi stunned; she had merely been being polite, yet she never expected Shen Siyuan to actually want to eat it.

However, this only increased her good impression of him; she found him straightforward and unpretentious, unlike other boys who maintained decorum in front of her, saying one thing but meaning another, appearing hypocritical.

Don't let Jiang Taozhi's usual doltish appearance fool you; how could someone who got into Qiantang University, ranked among the top three nationwide, be stupid? She was simply protected too well; many things didn't require her to think, as others arranged everything for her.

Yet this also cultivated her lukewarm personality; she disliked competing. Such a personality would put one at a disadvantage in society, which is why she became friends with Ruan Hongzhuang.

Ruan Hongzhuang's personality was exactly the opposite; strong-willed and capable, under her wing, anyone wanting to harm her would first have to get past Ruan Hongzhuang.

"Here is your crème brûlée cake."

Jiang Taozhi opened the bag and first handed the cake she had bought for Ruan Hongzhuang to her.

Ruan Hongzhuang reached out to take it; at that moment, Jiang Taozhi seemed to remember, and voluntarily introduced, "I haven't introduced you yet; this is my old..."

"Old friend; we've known each other since university."

Ruan Hongzhuang cut off Jiang Taozhi's words.

Jiang Taozhi looked at her with some surprise, but a single glance from Ruan Hongzhuang scared her into not asking further; she immediately went along with her words, saying, "Right, old friend Ruan Hongzhuang; we've known each other since university; we've always been best friends."

"I see; it shows," Shen Siyuan said.

Both knew Shen Siyuan was referring to the fact that a blind date still involved bringing the other person along.

However, neither explained; instead, Jiang Taozhi had already opened the tiramisu in her hand by then.

Then she revealed a slightly embarrassed expression; originally, that piece of tiramisu was missing a corner, obviously having been tampered with.

"Sorry; I just took a small bite."

Jiang Taozhi made a small gesture.

Ruan Hongzhuang beside her chuckled softly, handed her a tissue, and said, "Wipe the corner of your mouth."

Only then did Jiang Taozhi realize it; her cheeks flushed as she said discontentedly, "You're reminding me only now?"

"Who told you to steal a bite?"

"Because it was simply too delicious, and I only took one bite," Jiang Taozhi said with full childish charm.

"If you say that, then today I really must eat this cake; it would be a pity to miss out."

Hearing this, Jiang Taozhi nodded repeatedly, "Let me tell you, it's really delicious; your workplace isn't far from here; you should be able to get delivery."

Shen Siyuan's words eased Jiang Taozhi's embarrassment.

Jiang Taozhi stood up, first asked the coffee shop waiter for a clean spoon, then used the spoon to divide the cake in half.

Next, she placed her half on the box lid and pushed the other half toward Shen Siyuan.

"Taste it; it's really delicious."

Her subtle movements greatly increased Shen Siyuan's good impression of her; she was a young woman who knew how to care for others' feelings.

Shen Siyuan didn't stand on ceremony; he took the spoon and tasted a small bite; the flavor was indeed good.

"Delicious, right?"

Jiang Taozhi, who had been staring intently at him, showed a hint of pride, seeming to feel a sense of shared honor.

"It is indeed delicious; this actually reminds me of another cake shop in Binhai."

"You're not talking about Lujiancao, are you?" Jiang Taozhi asked.

"You know it?" Shen Siyuan asked in surprise.

"Of course; Lujiancao is the earliest cake shop in Binhai; I ate it often when I was young; unfortunately, its scale was too small; over so many years, there aren't even a few branches across all of Binhai..."

As the two chatted, Ruan Hongzhuang sat nearby drinking coffee, listening quietly, and didn't eat her crème brûlée cake.

Only after they finished this topic did she speak up, "Is it really that delicious?"

"Of course; it's really delicious."

Hearing this, Jiang Taozhi immediately excitedly recommended it to her.

"Then can I have a taste?"

"Of course," Jiang Taozhi said without hesitation.

Then, in Jiang Taozhi's shocked gaze, Ruan Hongzhuang calmly took the spoon from Shen Siyuan's hand, scooped a spoonful from the half tiramisu in front of him, and put it in her mouth.

"Thanks; the flavor is indeed good."

Ruan Hongzhuang lightly pressed her lips and handed the spoon back to Shen Siyuan.

Although Ruan Hongzhuang ate the cake using Shen Siyuan's spoon, her lips actually did not touch the spoon's rim.

"Right," Shen Siyuan replied with a smile.

He didn't think Ruan Hongzhuang's action was abrupt; instead, he felt the other party was very generous and open-minded.

Well, mainly because she was beautiful; if she were ugly, it would be impolite, frivolous; people are just so double-standard.

But Jiang Taozhi was so shocked she couldn't speak; she looked at the cake before her, then at the one before Shen Siyuan, feeling as if she were dreaming.

She knew Ruan Hongzhuang was an extremely picky person; normally, she would look disdainful at anything she ate; now she was actually voluntarily eating something from a stranger.

Although her lips didn't touch the spoon's rim, that spoon had just been directly shoved into Shen Siyuan's mouth.

Jiang Taozhi had words stuck in her throat like a fish bone, but now wasn't the time to ask; her heart was scratched by a cat.

She didn't know there was another mouthpiece nearby.

Su Apo said with a smile on her face, "Ruan Ruan must really like you; this has never happened before."

If Ruan Hongzhuang and Jiang Taozhi hadn't been present, he would have insisted on being polite.

However, Shen Siyuan still gave the other person a look.

Su Apo continued, "Don't be fooled; although our Ruan Ruan is already twenty-eight this year, she has never been in a relationship. She is very innocent..."

Su Apo tried hard to promote her own granddaughter. Previously she had called her "my Hongzhuang," but now she used the nickname "Ruan Ruan," striving to draw closer to Shen Siyuan.

What is most abundant in Binhai?

Anyone who has been to Binhai knows clearly that Binhai has the most seafood food stalls.

Especially along the coastal highway, aside from hotels, there are only seafood food stalls; once night falls, it becomes particularly lively, with many tourists.

However, locals generally do not eat there; the prices are high, and the quality of the seafood is not very good.

So the three did not choose to eat at a seafood food stall, but instead chose to eat hot pot.

"You are acting very strangely today. Do you like him?"

Jiang Taozhi, who had deliberately fallen behind, tugged on Ruan Hongzhuang's sleeve and jerked her chin forward.

Hearing this, Ruan Hongzhuang shook her head and said calmly, "That's not the case."

Jiang Taozhi: →_→

Yet Jiang Taozhi wore a face full of suspicion.

Just as Ruan Hongzhuang understood her, she equally understood Ruan Hongzhuang.

Don't let Ruan Hongzhuang's calm appearance fool you; in her view, it was merely a stubborn duck refusing to admit defeat.

"Did you two know each other before?" Jiang Taozhi asked again.

"No."

"You're lying. If you didn't know each other, he wouldn't have chosen Ting Hai Chao, your favorite."

Actually, Ruan Hongzhuang herself found it strange; just now, when discussing what to eat for dinner, Shen Siyuan immediately said "Ting Hai Chao."

Could this be telepathy?