Chapter 77: First Meeting Duoduo |
Shen Siyuan didn't answer Lin Manzhi's question, instead asking, "Did she say something to you?"
Lin Manzhi nodded and said, "She said you haven't contacted her these past few days."
Just as he thought, Jiang Tingyu had been waiting for him to contact her.
Shen Siyuan wasn't surprised by this. With Jiang Tingyu's looks, it was impossible for her to be the one to actively pursue a man.
She just had to express a little goodwill and affection, and men would naturally come chasing after her.
She believed she had already shown Shen Siyuan plenty of goodwill and affection, so he should have been the one to give her more feedback.
But unexpectedly, Shen Siyuan had simply gone silent.
This made her feel very uncomfortable, so she was even less likely to contact him.
However, since Lin Manzhi had asked, Shen Siyuan felt it was better to be direct about some things.
We think we're a good match, so we've decided to try dating."
Lin Manzhi was stunned for a moment, seemingly unable to process it.
She asked, "Then what about Tingyu?"
"Isn't she not looking for a boyfriend right now?" Shen Siyuan asked in return.
Lin Manzhi knew about Jiang Tingyu's situation.
She sighed and said with some disappointment, "Tingyu is a really nice girl."
Shen Siyuan understood what she meant.
"I'm not saying she isn't nice, but—no one is obligated to wait for anyone."
Shen Siyuan chose to be blunt.
If she didn't want a relationship, then there was no point in wasting each other's time.
"I'm sure with her qualifications, she can find someone better," Shen Siyuan added comfortingly.
But Lin Manzhi laughed at his words. Jiang Tingyu was just her friend, not her Daughter.
She was just a little disappointed that things didn't work out between them.
She asked curiously, "What does your new girlfriend look like? To make you give up a great beauty like Tingyu."
"If things work out between us, I'm sure you'll have a chance to meet her," Shen Siyuan said with a smile, not explaining any further.
Once she met Ruan Hongzhuang, she would understand why Shen Siyuan chose her instead of Jiang Tingyu.
Ruan Hongzhuang had said she would call him at noon, and right on the dot at 12 PM, his phone rang.
It was probably their first phone call. Ruan Hongzhuang, who had no experience in romance, suddenly found herself at a loss for words after the call connected.
She held it in for a long moment before finally blurting out, "I'm sorry."
Shen Siyuan was taken aback for a second, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He thought this side of Ruan Hongzhuang was just too adorable, a stark contrast to her usual cool, queenly demeanor.
"Should I not have said that?"
Hearing Shen Siyuan's laughter, Ruan Hongzhuang didn't get angry; instead, it seemed to give her something to talk about.
"Right? Who greets someone like that?"
"Actually, I know. I just didn't know what to say for a moment," Ruan Hongzhuang said.
Of course, she knew what to say—she wasn't an idiot. She was just a bit flustered and forgot what to say, and because the pause was too long, she apologized.
Shen Siyuan chuckled a few more times before stopping. It would be rude to keep laughing.
He then comforted her, "It's fine, really. At least now, I'll never forget our first phone call."
"That's true."
Ruan Hongzhuang actually believed his comforting words, her tone even carrying a hint of pride.
Once the conversation started flowing, Ruan Hongzhuang was no longer nervous or flustered, and her speech became smooth.
She told Shen Siyuan that if they went mountain climbing tomorrow, she'd need to wear a pair of Flat Sole Sports Shoes, but she only had high heels at Home…
She told Shen Siyuan that she checked this morning and there was a good movie coming out tomorrow…
She told Shen Siyuan that Jiang Taozhi had told her about a Sichuan Cuisine restaurant with great food, and they could go there tomorrow…
She told Shen Siyuan, while they were out tomorrow, if he could accompany her to the Folk Culture Street, a place she'd wanted to visit for a long time but never had the chance…
…
When Ruan Hongzhuang spoke to Shen Siyuan, her tone was unhurried, carrying that uniquely soft and gentle lilt of a Jiangnan woman, completely different from her usual crisp and clear Mandarin.
This wasn't intentional. She was from Siming and naturally spoke with a Wu Dialect; she only made a conscious effort to use Mandarin at work.
Listening to her speak, even without seeing her, the image of a graceful and gentle woman would form in one's mind.
Shen Siyuan was a great listener.
He didn't just listen; he would also offer a response from time to time.
He had experience with this.
Back when he was pursuing his first Girlfriend, he would talk for ages while she remained silent, which was very frustrating.
Without feedback, you wouldn't know the other person's attitude, or even if they were listening at all.
From then on, Shen Siyuan understood how to be a good listener.
There were countless examples like this.
His first relationship, though not perfect, had actually taught Shen Siyuan a lot.
When the call first started, neither of them knew what to talk about.
But once they started, it was as if they had endless things to say, just like any couple in their first love, talking on and on.
When they finally came to their senses, they realized it was already time for the afternoon Work shift.
Fortunately, management at Glorious Animation wasn't too strict. Shen Siyuan ordered himself some takeout.
When Zhou Chuan saw him, he only commented, "Why are you eating so late?" and didn't say anything more.
This was one of the reasons Shen Siyuan liked his Work.
As long as you met your monthly KPI and weren't late for Work, no Leader would lecture you excessively.
Today was Friday, and Ding Youguang had arranged the dinner gathering for everyone to meet up, so after getting off Work, Shen Siyuan didn't ride his Electric Scooter.
Instead, he took a taxi to the restaurant by himself. The reason he didn't go with Ding Youguang or Zhou Zhengdao…
…was because everyone at the Company knew Zhou Zhengdao had a thing for Li Qunfang, so he was giving them a chance to be alone together.
He didn't go with Ding Youguang because he still had to print out the contracts.
Since Ding Youguang was from the north, he had booked a Northeastern Cuisine Restaurant for tonight's dinner.
According to him, the food there was very authentic, and he ate there often.
Shen Siyuan was the first to arrive, followed by Zhou Zhengdao and Li Qunfang, and finally Ding Youguang.
"We finally managed to get you to come out. Looks like our Zhou Zhengdao has some pull."
Seeing Li Qunfang, Shen Siyuan joked with her.
The girl was introverted and didn't talk much. She was wearing a European Style puffy Dress and looked much younger than her actual age.
She just smiled faintly at his words and didn't respond.
However, during dinner, when they started talking about Games and art styles, she finally became more talkative.
She suggested using a cute Chibi Style, because the people watching TV at home are mostly the elderly and children, and those who play games on TV are definitely mostly children, so a Chibi art style would be more appealing to them…
Her suggestion was very good and was ultimately adopted, finalizing the art style.
They talked a lot that evening and also signed the contracts.
Ding Youguang handled this part exceptionally well. Before starting, he made sure the profit distribution was settled, giving everyone something to look forward to and avoiding future disputes over uneven shares.
By the time Shen Siyuan left the Restaurant, it was almost ten at night.
Ding Youguang lived the farthest and left first in a taxi, followed by Zhou Zhengdao and Li Qunfang, who shared a ride.
Finally, only Shen Siyuan was left. He had intended to take a taxi too, but after having a few drinks, he wanted to walk in the evening breeze, so he headed toward the Bus Stop alone.
As he walked, he was chatting with Ruan Hongzhuang on WeChat.
"Should I drive over and pick you up?"
"No need, you should get some rest. The Public Bus is here, I'm getting on."
Seeing Bus Route 6 slowly pulling up in front of him, Shen Siyuan quickly exited the chat, opened his Transportation App, and scanned the code to board.
Although there weren't many passengers on the bus at this hour, Shen Siyuan still habitually made his way to the back.
And there, in the very last row of the Public Bus, sat a Little Girl of about four or five, all by herself.
Shen Siyuan saw her.
And she, naturally, saw Shen Siyuan too.
The Little Girl's eyes were exceptionally large and bright. She had two Ponytails and was wearing a blue and white striped Dress, looking very neat and clean.
But on her neck, there was a deep wound—a dark, bottomless gash with curled edges that looked both gruesome and terrifying.
It looked like she had been killed by having her throat slit.
He couldn't imagine what kind of person could be so vicious as to lay a hand on such an adorable Little Girl.
The Little Girl noticed Shen Siyuan's gaze on her, her expression a mix of pleasant surprise and astonishment.
She seemed to want to speak to him but was a little timid.
So she just stared at Shen Siyuan with her big, watery eyes.
It wasn't until Shen Siyuan sat down beside her and spoke that she was finally sure he could really see her.
"What's your name?" Shen Siyuan asked her.
"Lin Yunduo," the Little Girl said in a small voice.
"My name is Shen Siyuan.
How old are you?" he asked gently.
"Five years old," Lin Yunduo said shyly.
"What are you doing on the bus so late?" Shen Siyuan continued to ask.
Fortunately, there was hardly anyone on the bus at this time, and since he was in the last row, he didn't attract any attention.
"I want to go Home," Lin Yunduo said, lowering her head, her voice tinged with a sob.
The wound on her neck was so deep and wide that when she lowered her head, Shen Siyuan was genuinely worried her head might fall off.
And then—
Her head really did fall off.
PS: Duoduo has made her appearance.
Those who know, know.