Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 1113 - 1109: Misunderstanding

The hotpot restaurant Taozi chose wasn’t far from their home.

Firstly, traveling too far with five little ones wasn’t convenient for the return journey at night, and kids tend to get sleepy and fussy.

Secondly, she had anticipated that Ruan Hongzhuang would likely want to join them for fun after returning home from work and not finding anyone at home, so choosing a nearby place would save her the trouble of traveling far.

Sure enough, just as Shen Siyuan began chatting with someone, Ruan Hongzhuang’s figure appeared at the entrance of the hotpot restaurant.

"Here, over here!"

Taozi was discreetly observing Shen Siyuan’s conversation while also keeping an eye on the entrance. Seeing Ruan Hongzhuang come in, she immediately smiled and raised her hand to greet her.

Ruan Hongzhuang spotted Taozi instantly and walked briskly towards the table.

She glanced at the table full of children.

Tang Tang was running around with a small toy gun, Xiao Yue was quietly narrating picture books to Xiao Ya, Dou Dou and Duoduo were arguing over a cookie, but Shen Siyuan was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where’s Siyuan?"

She asked casually, seating herself in the spot Shen Siyuan had just vacated and took a big gulp from the water cup on the table.

Taozi pointed her lips towards a nearby table, her tone tinged with jealousy, "Look, he’s chatting with his ex-girlfriend."

"Ex-girlfriend?"

Ruan Hongzhuang almost spat out the water, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"His ex-girlfriend? Didn’t she go back home ages ago? They split after graduating from university and hadn’t been in contact for years, why is she suddenly in Bin Hai?"

The "ex-girlfriend" she referred to had been Shen Siyuan’s girlfriend during university for three years. They broke up after graduation due to long-distance issues and differing future goals—a story Shen Siyuan had once mentioned to her.

But the person now... Ruan Hongzhuang turned her head in the direction Taozi pointed, and upon seeing the face, froze in shock.

This is not some university ex-girlfriend; it’s obvious that it’s Shen Siyuan’s previous blind date, Jiang Tingyu.

Lin Manzhi, because she was facing away from Ruan Hongzhuang, hadn’t noticed. Otherwise, she’d know Shen Siyuan was talking to his colleague, because Lin Manzhi had attended their wedding, and they had toasted together, so she recognized him.

"Moreover, Dou Dou even said they used to live together." Taozi added at this point.

"What? Lived together?"

This time, Ruan Hongzhuang was genuinely shocked, her voice rose unwittingly, drawing the attention of several nearby kids.

She quickly lowered her voice, her face showing deep confusion and a hint of indescribable frustration, "He clearly told me back then they just had a bit of mutual liking, nothing more."

After hearing about it, she had specially taken Shen Siyuan to the aquarium where Jiang Tingyu worked, to see her mermaid performance.

At that time, Jiang Tingyu also saw them, but she didn’t show any signs of "official girlfriend" displeasure – it seemed like they were just ordinary friends.

But Taozi’s words didn’t seem like a lie, and Dou Dou, having known Shen Siyuan longer than them, was always honest and never lied, making his words highly credible.

The more Ruan Hongzhuang thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, like something was blocking her.

Shen Siyuan wouldn’t have deceived her, would he? Was there more to his and Jiang Tingyu’s relationship, even living together?

Even if they had met now, there was no need to talk to her in such a way.

But then again, she felt she shouldn’t doubt Shen Siyuan; he should be trustworthy and not deceitful.

Taozi looked at Ruan Hongzhuang’s changing expressions and quickly asked softly, "Wait, did you not know about this either?"

Ruan Hongzhuang opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for how to explain.

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

Lin Manzhi didn’t want to mention his marriage in front of Jiang Tingyu, but Shen Siyuan didn’t have many scruples.

He straightforwardly said to Lin Manzhi, "Thank you for spending at my wedding the last time, let me treat you all to a meal when you’re free."

The "you all" he referred to, of course, meant his colleagues from the operations department.

It’s not appropriate to invite Lin Manzhi alone, as it might lead to misunderstandings.

"Forget it, you owe me no meal, besides, the airfare and return gifts, the wedding money was already recouped long ago. But your wife really was generous, you definitely got lucky." Lin Manzhi glanced at Jiang Tingyu, and then joked.

Since Shen Siyuan had brought it up, she didn’t hide anything further.

Jiang Tingyu showed surprise at the mention, "You’ve gotten married?"

"Yes, we married because it felt right." Shen Siyuan replied.

"Oh, is it that beauty who saw my performance?" Jiang Tingyu inquired, showing no unusual expression.

Shen Siyuan nodded, "Yes, that’s her."

After hearing this, Jiang Tingyu said nothing more.

Lin Manzhi continued, "Now that you’ve just tied the knot, make sure you don’t misbehave outside; she seems great, gorgeous and wealthy, make sure to appreciate it..."

Since there were no reservations left due to Jiang Tingyu’s presence, she gave her advice freely.

Shen Siyuan knew she meant well, and wasn’t offended – he nodded with a smile to show his understanding.

Being merely friends, Lin Manzhi stopped at that, without pressing further.

She then reassured Jiang Tingyu, "Lucky you didn’t end up with him, otherwise you’d be feeling quite aggrieved."

Jiang Tingyu smiled lightly and took a deep look at Shen Siyuan, her emotions slightly mixed.

Initially, she did have some liking for Shen Siyuan, and their chats went well, but before they could even try dating, it abruptly halted.

So towards Shen Siyuan, Jiang Tingyu harbored no strong feelings, but just felt slightly disappointed.

"Sister Manzhi, I won’t disturb your meal; I’ll be on my way." Shen Siyuan said, rise to leave.

"Alright, we’ll get in touch later." Lin Manzhi replied politely.

But mostly, future contact wouldn’t be much since such relationships often fade and dissipate over time.

Shen Siyuan walked back to his seat and seeing Ruan Hongzhuang, he smiled and said, "You got here fast! The dishes we ordered haven’t been put in the pot yet; arrived right on time!"

Ruan Hongzhuang looked up at him with a hint of scrutiny and resentment in her eyes, simply looking at him without speaking.

"What’s up? Are you jealous I didn’t invite you along when Taozi and I went out to eat?" Shen Siyuan joked as he sat beside her.

Then, turning to Taozi across the table, he said, "Put all the dishes in, no need to wait for me." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Seeing Shen Siyuan’s nonchalant attitude, Ruan Hongzhuang remarked unhappily, "Don’t you have anything you want to explain to me?"

"Explain what?" Shen Siyuan asked, taken aback just as he picked up the chopsticks.

Realizing what she implied, he glanced back at Lin Manzhi and their table.

"Surely you’re not jealous, right? You know Jiang Tingyu too? I’m not involved with her, don’t overthink." Shen Siyuan explained amusedly.

"Dou Dou said you lived together," Xiao Yue suddenly chimed in.

She meant well, wanting to remind Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan was taken aback, turning to look at Dou Dou.

ヽ(｀⌒´メ)ノ

Dou Dou, seeing his look, quietly shifted closer to Taozi and whispered, "Auntie, he’s scaring me with his eyes."

Shen Siyuan: ...