CHAPTER 842: CHAPTER 839: RETURN TO BIN HAI

Huang Yuntao was drinking with his friends when he suddenly jumped up holding his phone.

"What’s up with you? Got a new girl you’re chatting with?"

"I don’t think so. What kind of girl could make him this happy?"

"Not necessarily. I saw you watching Zhang Dali’s live stream just now. Did you hook up with her? You have a unique taste."

...

Several friends joked and teased; they were quite close, having known each other since childhood.

"Stop talking nonsense, it’s not a woman, it’s a guy..."

"Whoa... Did you finally take that step?" A friend looked shocked.

"I knew it." A friend next to him subtly shifted over.

"No more babbling with you guys, I’m heading out." Huang Yuntao picked up his things and turned to leave.

"Let’s get together next time."

As they watched Huang Yuntao leave without looking back, his friends were a bit dumbfounded.

Those earlier were just jokes, but seeing Huang Yuntao so excited and hurried, it seemed they might have nailed it.

"No way..."

"Could be possible. Think about how many girlfriends Huang Yuntao’s had over the years. He’s tried them all. Maybe he wants a change after a while."

"This isn’t just changing tastes, it’s changing the entire menu, isn’t it?"

"Damn, no wonder last time we went for a foot massage, he kept staring at my butt."

"Ha... you’re done for..."

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

Huang Yuntao had no idea these good buddies were talking about him behind his back. Even if he did know, he probably wouldn’t care.

After all, what’s true friendship without some ribbing behind each other’s backs?

He just wanted to head to Bin Hai right away to meet Shen Siyuan.

Last time, something happened at his home, and he didn’t go to Bin Hai. He regretted it a lot afterward but didn’t want to disturb Shen Siyuan again, so this time he wouldn’t miss the chance.

But when he arrived in Bin Hai full of anticipation and stayed for two days, he didn’t receive the call he was waiting for, which left him quite disappointed.

However, he didn’t give up and contacted Zhang Shengnan, only to find out that Shen Siyuan hadn’t yet returned to Bin Hai from his hometown, which put his mind at ease.

Shen Siyuan had stayed at home for four days before returning to Bin Hai.

But he hadn’t forgotten his appointment with Huang Yuntao and immediately arranged to meet up upon his return to Bin Hai.

"Huang Yuntao? He’s in Bin Hai?"

Last time in Coconut City, Huang Yuntao treated Shen Siyuan to "Roast Meat King." At the time, Taozi was also in Coconut City for a wedding, and her friend Xu Shaomei from Coconut City was also at Roast Meat King. So, they combined tables and had a meal together.

At that time, Taozi had asked Shen Siyuan to pretend to be her boyfriend and accompany her to the wedding. It was from then on that Shen Siyuan’s relationship with Taozi began to progress rapidly.

"Yeah, he hosted me last time in Coconut City, so this time he’s in Bin Hai, and I’m going to treat him to a meal."

"Then I’ll go with you." Taozi said eagerly with an expectant face.

Having been quite bored at home over the holidays.

As for Ruan Hongzhuang, she not only had to handle the company’s affairs but also keep an eye on the stock market every day. She was always very busy and couldn’t relax like Taozi.

"Sure."

Shen Siyuan thought it was not impolite to bring Taozi since she also knew the person, given it was just a meal and not anything else.

Taozi cheered and immediately went to change her clothes and shoes.

At that moment, Tang Tang rushed over, hugging Shen Siyuan’s leg like a little kangaroo, clinging to him and not letting go.

Shen Siyuan smiled and patted her little head.

"What? You want to come along too?"

"Oh~ Oh..." Tang Tang nodded vigorously with her little head up.

During the New Year, she was really bored at home, with her mother having no friends or relatives; they could only stay at home every day.

It was only a bit better during the last few days when Dou Dou and the others returned; otherwise, she could only watch TV at home for days.

"Sure, I’ll take you along too." Shen Siyuan lifted her up into his arms.

"Where’s your aunt?"

Seeing Ruan Hongzhuang sitting at the bar, focused on her laptop screen, Shen Siyuan walked over to take a look but saw nothing but red.

Not understanding stocks, he glanced and then looked away.

Ruan Hongzhuang responded, lifting her gaze from the screen: "It’s not convenient for her at home, so I had her stay at a hotel."

"Isn’t that a bit much?" Shen Siyuan frowned.

"It’s fine. She’s more comfortable in a hotel than here, especially with Dou Dou and the others at home every day. If something happens, it’ll be hard for me to explain..." Ruan Hongzhuang said.

Thinking about it, Shen Siyuan agreed and didn’t say more. After all, this was Ruan Hongzhuang’s home, and she ought to decide the arrangements.

Ruan Hongzhuang lifted Tang Tang’s drool bib and wiped her saliva.

"Do you still have something on your mind?"

Shen Siyuan noticed her hesitance, as if she had something to say.

"The reason my aunt followed me to Bin Hai, you should know her intentions, right?"

Shen Siyuan nodded; he understood Ruan Manman’s intentions.

As Ruan Hongzhuang’s aunt, she naturally wanted a "Leg Stretching Eye Bulging Pill," but it couldn’t be given away lightly.

If given to Ruan Hongzhuang’s aunt, then should other relatives also receive one?

If given to Ruan Hongzhuang’s side, then what about Taozi’s side?

Ruan Hongzhuang’s relatives weren’t that many, but on Taozi’s side, who knows how many there were, with numerous siblings.

So giving was fine but not without restrictions; doing so would seem too cheap and could harm relationships later.

That’s human nature — it’s not about scarcity but about uneven distribution.

But this still required consulting Ruan Hongzhuang, as a basic sign of respect.

"What do you think?"

He returned the question to Ruan Hongzhuang.

"I told her clearly that this elixir is extremely precious, invaluable. If she wants one, she has to meet the same conditions as Tao Guangsha and Lin Libo."

Ruan Hongzhuang looked at Shen Siyuan, somewhat worried he might disagree.

In truth, she never really understood why Shen Siyuan acted like this but guessed he was accruing merit. Most others shared this guess, not entirely off base.

If so, she naturally wished to support Shen Siyuan in earning more merit.

Shen Siyuan thought for a moment, "That’s rather complicated. How about introducing your aunt to Dou Dou’s parents to fund this and utilize their existing channel..."

Already, two charitable funds bore Shen Siyuan’s name and, with a project backed by the Special Affairs Bureau, there were three; no need for more.

What he wanted was the impact of charitable work, genuinely helping more people, rather than sheer numbers of organizations.

Ruan Hongzhuang was delighted at this, as the terms seemed quite flexible — just money. But was Ruan Manman short of that? Hardly. With shares in Eastern Shipping and other ventures, she was wealthy.

"Alright, I’ll tell her then." Ruan Hongzhuang said cheerfully.

"Tell her it isn’t just about spending some money; it’s an ongoing commitment. But it’s up to her; I won’t insist..." Shen Siyuan added.

Ruan Hongzhuang caught the underlying message; elixirs, though miraculous, wouldn’t grant eternal youth with just one. Thus, ongoing charity aligns with longer needs if further elixirs are desired.

As they spoke, Taozi had changed clothes and came out.

In a rare good mood, Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at the computer screen and generously offered, "Enjoy yourselves; today’s expenses are on me."