Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
Chapter 138: Ascent to Phoenix Ridge

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Ascent to Phoenix Ridge

"Where are we heading now?"

After leaving Lin Jianming’s home, Ruan Hongzhuang asked.

"Let’s go for a stroll in the West Suburb." Shen Siyuan said.

"Do you want to go to Chaotian Temple?"

Shen Siyuan nodded.

"I’ve been in Xiajing for several years, and I don’t think I’ve heard of any Taoist temples in the West Suburb," Ruan Hongzhuang said.

While speaking, she also took out her cellphone to check.

Though Ruan Hongzhuang attended Qiantang University for college, she pursued her Master’s degree in Xiajing. During her Master’s studies, she visited many places in Xiajing but never heard of Chaotian Temple.

Sure enough, Ruan Hongzhuang couldn’t find Chaotian Temple on the map after searching, nor was there any news of such a Taoist temple in Xiajing on the internet; there was one in Zhangjiajie, but unfortunately, it had been destroyed in the war.

"Lin Jianming wouldn’t deceive us. Let’s ask around the area first; it might just be a small temple that few people know about," Shen Siyuan said.

"Okay, then I’ll call a cab," Ruan Hongzhuang said.

But she was frowning at her phone, her head bowed.

"What’s wrong?" Shen Siyuan asked, somewhat surprised.

"Some friends, knowing that I’ve come to Xiajing, have invited me to get together for lunch," Ruan Hongzhuang said.

This wasn’t strange; Ruan Hongzhuang, after graduating from college, had frequently visited cities like Shanghai, Xiajing, and Yangcheng. Moreover, having done her Master’s in Xiajing, she had even more friends.

"Then you should go back to the hotel to rest. You can go to your lunch meeting and don’t worry about going to the West Suburb with me," Shen Siyuan said.

"No need," Ruan Hongzhuang immediately put away her phone without replying to the messages.

"Are you sure it’s okay?"

"The only person I told about coming to Xiajing was Jiang Taoshi, not anyone else. How did these friends find out?" Ruan Hongzhuang said.

Shen Siyuan instantly realized who it might be: "Yang Hongwen?"

"If it’s not him, then who else? Knowing he couldn’t coax me out, he deliberately spread the news of my arrival in Xiajing," Ruan Hongzhuang said.

Yang Hongwen and Ruan Hongzhuang had attended the same university, so many of Ruan Hongzhuang’s friends were naturally also known to him.

"Alright then. But, isn’t it okay to avoid these friends while you’re in Beijing?"

"You’re much more important to me than they are," Ruan Hongzhuang said with a smile.

"Although I’m happy to hear you say that, if they are indeed good friends, you should still let them know privately," Shen Siyuan said.

His words reminded Ruan Hongzhuang.

Thus, she took out her phone and composed a message.

"I’m visiting Xiajing with my boyfriend, and he’s arranged the itinerary. So, I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time to meet you all. Let’s get together next time I’m in Xiajing."

Then she sent it to all the friends who had contacted her.

"Is that okay?" Shen Siyuan understood her intention.

"There’s nothing wrong with that. If they’re truly friends, they will be happy for me having a boyfriend. If they’re just fair-weather friends, why should I care if they’re happy or not..." Ruan Hongzhuang was quite easygoing.

"A good number of these people are also friends with Yang Hongwen. I might as well be straightforward and completely extinguish his hopes."

Shen Siyuan gave her a thumbs up, appreciating her direct rejection without stringing others along.

Actually, this wasn’t the first time Ruan Hongzhuang had rejected Yang Hongwen, but she had never had a boyfriend before, leading Yang Hongwen to mistakenly think he still had a chance, especially since he was indeed a catch.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend before?" Ruan Hongzhuang suddenly asked.

She had never asked this question before, since they had only recently started dating.

But now it was different. She had given her whole self to Shen Siyuan and naturally wanted to know more about his past.

Shen Siyuan became immediately alert upon hearing her words, but pretended to look at her nonchalantly.

"I just want to understand you more, don’t worry, I won’t be angry, after all, that’s in the past, and I don’t even know you." Ruan Hongzhuang appeared very generous and natural.

Seeing her act this way, Shen Siyuan let go of his concerns and flatly admitted, "I did have a girlfriend in college."

"Was she pretty?"

"Definitely not as pretty as you."

"Then why did you break up?"

"For various reasons, the main one being I had to return to Qionghai, and she had to go back to her hometown. I needed to work, she was preparing for a civil service exam, and we ended up parting ways amicably."

"You must have really loved her, right?" Ruan Hongzhuang asked nonchalantly.

Shen Siyuan became vigilant again, and then said, "When we were together, I definitely loved her. But to say I loved her very much, well, not to that extent. If I had truly loved her that much, we wouldn’t have broken up. I would have overcome all obstacles to be with her."

Ruan Hongzhuang was satisfied with this answer, a slight smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

"Not bad, not speaking ill of her, you’ve got quite the advantage," Ruan Hongzhuang said.

"How have I got quite the advantage?" Shen Siyuan was puzzled.

Ruan Hongzhuang’s cheeks flushed slightly, she looked around, and then whispered, "Your moves last night were so practiced, so varied. Surely you haven’t been practicing on some other woman?"

"That’s not possible, I’m self-taught."

Ruan Hongzhuang spat at him, "Nonsense, you’re just a big playboy."

While saying this, she reached out to pinch Shen Siyuan’s waist, but her hand was caught by his, their fingers interlocked, leaving her unable to move.

The West Suburb of Xiajing is vast, and to comb through the entire area would likely take a very long time.

However, Lin Jianming provided a general location, saying it was near Phoenix Ridge.

Originally, he and Song Qingwei went to Phoenix Ridge, and when they were descending the mountain, since it looked like rain was coming, they happened upon a Taoist Temple and took shelter from the rain.

The Taoist Temple wasn’t large, with only three rooms, and housed only an old Taoist.

Lin Jianming even had a chat with the man. Later, when the rain lessened, they wanted to continue down the mountain, so the old Taoist gave them an umbrella.

Xiajing is very big, Phoenix Ridge is far away. After changing subways four times, spending over two hours, they arrived at the foot of Phoenix Ridge. It was nearly noon, and Ruan Hongzhuang was both tired and hungry.

"You could have stayed and rested at the hotel, but you insisted on coming with me," Shen Siyuan said with a hint of distress.

Indeed, last night was somewhat impulsive on his part, mainly because he had been holding back for too long and couldn’t control himself in the moment.

What a pity that the "Five Elements Primordial Magnetic Sword" only collected the Water and Earth Qi so far, without the Wood Qi, otherwise, it could relieve the physical fatigue and discomfort of Ruan Hongzhuang.

But—

His gaze turned to the front, looking at Phoenix Ridge adorned in green, as an idea formed in his mind.

So he went directly to the ticket counter, intending to ask the ticket seller if there was a Chaotian Temple nearby.

As Shen Siyuan and Ruan Hongzhuang entered Phoenix Ridge, Lin Libo also stepped into the house on the other side.

Duoduo immediately noticed the person entering, and was surprised to find that it was her dad, or to be more accurate, he looked more like the dad in her memory. She couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Lin Jianming.

If she didn’t know that Lin Jianming was her dad, she would definitely think the person in front of her was her dad.

"How could you not recognize your brother?" Song Qingwei asked with a smile, holding her little hand.

"Bo Bo?"

Duoduo widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked at the approaching figure, confused about how Bo Bo had grown so big and resembled her dad.

Meanwhile, Lin Libo, who was on a phone call, heard someone call him Bo Bo. A shiver ran through his heart for no reason, and he looked in the direction of the voice, then stood completely still.

PS: It’s the end of the month, monthly tickets will go to waste, and right now there’s a double monthly ticket event, so if you have tickets, please vote for me, knock on wood~

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