CHAPTER 548: CHAPTER 548 PLAN

Even though Taozi said that, Ruan Hongzhuang didn’t mention it to him after work, which means she probably didn’t tell her.

The reason to say this is because Ruan Hongzhuang asked Shen Siyuan, "Is work boring? I heard from Taozi that you often go to the external machine room next door."

The external machine room housed the cabinet of the central air conditioner. To ensure good ventilation, there were no windows installed, so it was completely rough inside.

The property management should have locked it up, not allowing random access. Who knows who unlocked it? There’s even a ping-pong table inside.

Besides being a bit noisy, it’s a perfect place for smoking and chatting.

"Nothing much, just dealing with a few things."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Hongzhuang glanced through the rearview mirror. Shen Siyuan wasn’t in the passenger seat because Taozi was occupying it.

Whenever Taozi was there, the passenger seat was always hers, and vice versa. This understanding had been established between them over the years, and Shen Siyuan didn’t want to disrupt this harmony. So, he always willingly sat in the back.

"If you really don’t want to come, just forget it. I asked you to work at my company so you could spend more time with me. But it seems you don’t have much time for me now."

Saying this, she glanced sideways at Taozi, because during Shen Siyuan’s time at the company, he spent more time with her. After all, she was the boss, with so many things to handle daily. By the time she came to her senses, it was often midday or quitting time.

Taozi knew Ruan Hongzhuang was looking at her, but she pretended not to see.

Ruan Hongzhuang couldn’t do anything about it; she had to just bear it bitterly.

"Yeah, I might be actually busy recently."

"Hmm? Going on a retreat again?"

Ruan Hongzhuang sounded a bit surprised, and Taozi even turned her head to look at him.

"Should I go with you?" Taozi said.

"I’m going for a retreat, not on a trip," Shen Siyuan rolled his eyes and said.

"Is there a difference? I won’t bother you," Taozi said.

"Sit properly."

Just as they hit a red light, Ruan Hongzhuang stopped the car and reached out to pinch her face in annoyance.

It wasn’t about whether she was sitting properly. It was purely because she was annoyed that Taozi wanted to travel with Shen Siyuan.

"The place I’m going, you can’t go," Shen Siyuan said.

"What place? What’s so unreachable about it?" Taozi was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Netherworld," Shen Siyuan glanced at her and said.

"Uh..."

Taozi was taken aback, and after exchanging a glance with Ruan Hongzhuang, she cautiously asked, "You’re not joking, right?"

"Do I look like I’m joking?"

"But... but you’re alive. Is it okay for you to go to the Netherworld? And does such a place really exist?"

"Well, I’m not an ordinary living person, and besides, you’ve seen ghosts, so why wouldn’t the Netherworld exist?"

"True, makes sense," Taozi said naively.

Ruan Hongzhuang gave her an exasperated look and asked, "Is it dangerous?"

"Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous. Besides, it’s not my first time going."

"You’ve been there before?"

Both women were quite surprised by this.

"Yeah, been a few times."

"What does the Netherworld look like?" They were very curious.

"You’ll know in due time."

"When is that? When we’re dead?" Taozi said.

Ruan Hongzhuang burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"It’s not impossible..."

"Tch, forget it if you don’t want to say."

Ruan Hongzhuang stepped on the gas, and the car moved forward.

Shen Siyuan didn’t say anything more, just looked out the window. Ever since he gained the authority of the Qiong Province Governor, he had the idea of cleansing the evil within the Qiongzhou Netherworld.

Before, their occupation of the Netherworld honestly didn’t concern Shen Siyuan much, and he dealt with it rather passively.

Now, it’s different. That place is his territory; how could it be occupied by evil? It should be restored to order.

While Shen Siyuan was deep in thought, he didn’t notice Ruan Hongzhuang and Taozi frequently glancing at him through the rearview mirror and exchanging knowing looks.

"Let’s get back..."

Ruan Hongzhuang opened the door, letting Shen Siyuan enter first, and then she and Taozi followed.

Although Ruan Hongzhuang had the demeanor of a strong woman, in life, she was quite traditional. In many tiny details, even ones Shen Siyuan didn’t notice, she still adhered to them strictly, probably due to her upbringing when she was young.

Before Shen Siyuan could finish speaking, Tang Tang came running up. She had been waiting at the door for him to come back.

"han~"

Shen Siyuan picked her up, the little one happily kicking her short legs in the air.

Then she reached into her shirt pocket, pulled out a milk candy, and offered it to Shen Siyuan.

"Delicious," she said, grinning.

"Who bought it for you?"

"Mommy, han~"

"Is there one for me?" Ruan Hongzhuang asked with a smile as she came up from behind.

Tang Tang looked at Shen Siyuan in confusion.

"Sister Ruan is asking if there’s one for her."

Upon hearing this, Tang Tang immediately covered her pocket with her small hand.

"Wow, really stingy," Ruan Hongzhuang said, pouting.

"What about me, is there one for me?" Taozi asked with a smile.

This time, Tang Tang understood what Taozi was saying without Shen Siyuan’s translation. After hesitating for a moment, she finally pulled a piece of milk candy from her pocket and handed it to Taozi.

"Haha..."

Taozi took it and laughed triumphantly, even teasingly raising an eyebrow at Ruan Hongzhuang.

Ruan Hongzhuang was so annoyed that she reached out and pinched Tang Tang’s chubby little cheek.

"Why do you give one to Sister Taozi and not me?"

"Why else? Because she eats Taozi’s snacks all the time," Shen Siyuan said with amusement.

"Aww woowoo~"

Tang Tang chirped at Ruan Hongzhuang, seemingly trying to say something.

Shen Siyuan put her down, and she ran off, only to stop and turn around in the center of the living room, chirping at Ruan Hongzhuang again.

"Is she swearing at me?" Ruan Hongzhuang asked Shen Siyuan in confusion.

"Haha..." Shen Siyuan laughed heartily.

"What’s so funny?" Ruan Hongzhuang said, displeased.

Taozi laughed from the side and said, "I think she was swearing at you, and quite rudely too."

Ruan Hongzhuang frowned, threatening to go forward. Seeing this, Tang Tang turned and ran.

Her little legs were quite quick, and she dashed off to the balcony.

There, she hid around the corner, sneaking a peek.

"I’m sure now, she was definitely swearing at me," Ruan Hongzhuang said.

"No, she hasn’t learned to swear yet. She’s just expressing her dissatisfaction," Shen Siyuan laughed.

At that moment, Dou Dou and Duoduo ran out of the game room. They both went to the company with Shen Siyuan in the morning but got bored and returned in the afternoon.

Upon seeing Dou Dou and Duoduo, Tang Tang seemed to forget about Ruan Hongzhuang, and happily ran back inside from the balcony.

As she passed by Ruan Hongzhuang, she was scooped up, and then her sides were tickled.

"hanhanhan~"

The little girl laughed heartily, her mouth wide open, drooling more than usual. She was practically laughing herself silly.