Chapter 88

Shen Siyuan took Ru Hongzhuang to a small shop with only three tables for their meal.

But this breakfast spot had been open here for over a decade and had many loyal customers.

Some regulars who had moved away still came back specially from time to time.

The interior was old-fashioned, with plaster peeling off the walls like scorched rice crust, but the tabletops were clean.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Shen Siyuan smiled as he asked Ru Hongzhuang.

“What’s there to mind? When I was in school, I often ate at places like this with Jiang Tao.” Ru Hongzhuang said calmly.

Though she came from a wealthy family, she was no delicate girl—she could enjoy good times and endure hard ones alike.

“Then sit down.”

Shen Siyuan pulled out a chair for her.

Ru Hongzhuang didn’t refuse; she sat down with ease and grace.

Only then did Shen Siyuan notice her hips were wider than her shoulders—full and firm. The last time he saw her, she’d worn a dress; today, though in jeans, she’d walked beside him all along, so he hadn’t noticed before.

But Shen Siyuan glanced once and looked away—staring at someone’s backside was plainly rude.

Still, Ru Hongzhuang’s arrival had drawn many glances from inside the shop.

In fact, the breakfast items sold here were all greasy—buns, fried dough sticks, spring rolls—all loaded with oil and meat.

But since Ru Hongzhuang liked spicy food, she’d surely accept this.

After all, no one likes mild spice—what’s the difference between that and “colorful black”?

Indeed, the dishes Shen Siyuan ordered suited her taste perfectly, especially that bowl of soup—she loved it.

“What’s this soup called?”

“It’s just kelp soup, but made with chicken broth, then added chicken shreds, shrimp, cloud ear fungus, and starch to thicken it…”

“As for the chili, I added it specially for you—I figured you’d like it spicy.”

Ru Hongzhuang nodded, pulled out a tissue, and wiped her lips. The chili had turned her lips a vivid red, more alluring than any lipstick.

“I don’t know why, but I’m from Siming, yet I’ve loved spicy food since childhood. My grandmother says I must’ve been a Sichuan girl in my past life…”

Ru Hongzhuang was still quite talkative, speaking with ease and confidence—overall, a very poised and self-assured girl.

But her grandmother hadn’t come with her today—probably to avoid disturbing their date.

Still, if she had come, Shen Siyuan wouldn’t have minded.

The old lady was refined and elegant, speaking slowly and calmly—conversing with her was very pleasant.

He also enjoyed learning about Ru Hongzhuang’s past from her.

After breakfast, they stepped out of the shop—it was still before eight, and the weather was pleasantly cool.

“Where to now?” Ru Hongzhuang asked, clearly leaving all decisions to him.

“We agreed to hike—can’t break that promise. Let’s go. There’s a bus up ahead that goes straight to Yeluling.”

Binhai had no subway—only buses and trams—mainly due to geography and its small permanent population, so a subway was never built.

But riding the bus had its own advantages.

Binhai’s natural scenery was beautiful; from the bus, you could see blue sky, ocean, coconut trees, and flowers everywhere.

If you rode the subway, hurtling through dark tunnels, how could you enjoy these views?

“The reason I came to Binhai to start my business was partly because of Jiang Tao’s urging, and partly because of Binhai’s beauty. Of course, my family’s in shipping, so it was a natural fit—combined with all these factors, I chose to stay in Binhai…”

The bus wasn’t empty; most passengers were tourists, and since it was summer vacation, many parents had brought their children to Binhai.

They found seats in the last row, chatting while admiring the scenery outside.

Ru Hongzhuang told him much about herself; Shen Siyuan did the same—dating was a process of mutual understanding.

Life truly was strange: one born in Siming, the other in Qionghai—their paths should never have crossed, yet fate brought them together.

Of course, strictly speaking, Shen Siyuan wasn’t even from Qionghai—he was from Luzhou.

When they got off the bus, it was already past eight, and the sun had grown fierce.

“The sun’s too strong—you didn’t even bring anything to shield yourself.”

Shen Siyuan noticed she carried nothing—not even a bag—and couldn’t help smiling. Most girls, no matter what, always carried a bag when they went out.

“Travel light—too much baggage is just a burden. Before I left, I put on sunscreen,” Ru Hongzhuang said, extending her fair, delicate arm.

“Wait a moment.”

Shen Siyuan spotted a vendor selling sun hats nearby and walked over.

“How much for the hat?”

“Eighty.”

Shen Siyuan whistled—a simple sun hat, two layers of cloth, dared to charge eighty.

But he remembered this was a tourist spot, so it wasn’t surprising—Binhai’s prices had always been high.

Still, he haggled and finally bought it for sixty.

Ru Hongzhuang hadn’t followed—he’d watched her standing under a tree nearby.

Shen Siyuan walked over with the beige sun hat and placed it on her head.

“Try it—does it fit?”

Ru Hongzhuang pulled out her phone, took a look, then happily snapped two photos—she seemed very pleased.

“Don’t you need one?”

“No, my skin’s thick—I don’t mind the sun.”

He spoke the truth: having trained the Second Phase of the Great Arhat Eighteen Forms, how could he fear a little sunlight?

Ru Hongzhuang laughed softly: “You can’t talk about yourself like that—I’ll buy you one.”

She turned to go, but Shen Siyuan grabbed her hand.

“I won’t buy one—not because I’m stingy, but because I truly don’t need it. Do I look like someone who needs a sun hat?”

Ru Hongzhuang glanced at Shen Siyuan, her eyes sweeping over his chest and arms, her cheeks faintly flushing.

Today he wore a white sleeveless crew-neck tank top and loose wide-leg pants.

The outfit showcased his perfect physique—broad back, narrow waist, wide shoulders, long arms, defined muscles like a lion, radiating unmistakable male charm.

With her hand held by Shen Siyuan and their bodies close, she could almost feel the male pheromones radiating from him, making her cheeks burn.

Shen Siyuan held her hand and didn’t let go; Ru Hongzhuang didn’t pull away—she silently accepted it.

So, hand in hand, they climbed the mountain.

Laughing and chatting along the way, their affection quickly deepened; by the time they reached the summit, it was no longer Shen Siyuan holding her hand.

Instead, she had affectionately linked her arm through his, smiling like a blooming flower.

Shen Siyuan chose to hike for good reason: though hot, Yeluling wasn’t tall, and with its coastal trees, the mountain was cooler than the base.

“Is this okay?”

Ru Hongzhuang turned her back to the sea, posing for Shen Siyuan to photograph.

At the peak, the entire ocean stretched before them—the sky was clear, the air crisp, the view breathtaking; standing here felt like being inside a painting, unreal in its beauty.

But just then, a message arrived, interrupting Shen Siyuan’s photo-taking.