"Sorry, I was just taking a shower."
Shen Siyuan sent a reply to Jiang Tingyu on WeChat.
But Jiang Tingyu didn't reply immediately; it was unclear whether she hadn't seen it or if it was a deliberate, calculated move.
For a potential couple, if there's mutual interest, waiting for a reply that doesn't come promptly during a chat can be agonizing and really mess with one's head.
If one person has already fallen, they'll be trapped in a passive state of anxiety and insecurity, falling right into the other's trap.
But since Shen Siyuan wanted to get the upper hand, he naturally calmed his mind, opened up a game, and started a match.
About two or three minutes later, he finally received another message from Jiang Tingyu.
However, Shen Siyuan didn't switch over to reply.
Instead, he finished his match before unhurriedly switching out of the game.
"Do you want to come to my Aquarium to watch my Performance tomorrow?"
"Sorry, I was just playing a game. I'm afraid I can't make it tomorrow. I came back to my Hometown today, so I probably won't be back until tomorrow evening."
Shen Siyuan bluntly told her he was playing a game and hadn't replied to her message, wanting to give her the impression that she wasn't actually that important.
Saying he had returned to his Hometown was to inform her of a result, and also a test.
If Jiang Tingyu heard this and merely expressed regret, saying he could just come see her Performance another time, it would mean that while the girl had some interest in him, it wasn't much.
But if, after hearing this, Jiang Tingyu curiously asked where his Hometown was and if it was fun…
In that situation, Jiang Tingyu was either a player, trying to string Shen Siyuan along.
Or she had genuinely caught feelings but didn't want a relationship right now, yet didn't want to miss out on Shen Siyuan.
She was in a state of wavering, so she wanted to "tie him down" first, and then she would slowly consider whether they should get together.
"Oh right, I heard you mention during dinner yesterday that your Hometown is in Clearwater Town.
Is it far from here? How long does it take by car?"
Seeing this, the corners of Shen Siyuan's mouth curled up. This was getting interesting…
So Shen Siyuan went along with her and started chatting.
He even mentioned that he would invite her over to visit when he had time.
Just as the two were chatting animatedly, Shen Siyuan suddenly dropped another message: "A relative introduced someone to me.
I came back for a Blind Date."
Jiang Tingyu was clearly rendered speechless by his WeChat message.
It was quite a while before she replied.
"You just had a Blind Date with me yesterday, and tomorrow you're seeing another girl? Are you that desperate to find a Girlfriend?"
This sentence was actually a bit inappropriate, but it perfectly showed that Shen Siyuan's actions had made her feel a little uncomfortable.
And she ended with "ah" instead of "ma," making her tone a bit more tactful. Clearly, she didn't want to just cut things off with Shen Siyuan like this.
"Can't be helped. You didn't seem interested in me, so of course I have to keep looking.
Besides, it's not me who's in a hurry, it's my Parents," Shen Siyuan said.
He directly put the pressure on her.
If Jiang Tingyu really wanted to keep Shen Siyuan on the hook, she would have to seriously consider if she could, if just chatting was enough, or if she needed to take things a step further. A sense of urgency would build in her mind as she weighed the gains and losses…
Shen Siyuan was actually very good at reading people.
If Jiang Tingyu wasn't a player, his actions weren't necessarily scummy.
Most people who have been hurt in love become exceptionally cautious and constantly test the waters when entering a new relationship.
This was human nature, and Shen Siyuan wasn't surprised.
The two chatted for a little while longer before Shen Siyuan took the initiative to end the conversation.
This also showed that Shen Siyuan wasn't too concerned about their relationship.
If Jiang Tingyu stopped here, the two of them would likely have no further interactions.
But if Jiang Tingyu contacted him again on her own initiative, she would only sink deeper and deeper, eventually becoming unwilling to give up due to the emotional investment and the sunk cost being too great, which in turn would cause her to pay an even bigger price.
Thinking about it this way, Shen Siyuan was actually quite the scumbag.
However, Shen Siyuan actually had a pretty good impression of Jiang Tingyu. After all, she was so beautiful, how could he not have some thoughts?
If Jiang Tingyu genuinely wanted to treat their mutual feelings seriously, Shen Siyuan would also treat her well.
*
"Is this the place?"
Under the moonlight, the Old Daoist and Yu Youcai stood outside the courtyard of Shen Siyuan's house, carefully observing the building before them.
Yu Youcai nodded.
"Your grandnephew is quite well-off," the Old Daoist said.
"He only made some money these past few years. He lost a lot in the years before that; I even pitched in my retirement savings."
"You two are very close."
The Old Daoist turned his head.
It was rare to see someone willing to give their retirement money to a grandnephew.
"I've been childless my whole life, so he's like half a son to me.
Jianjun's kid is filial, too. When I died, he and his father wore mourning clothes for me," Yu Youcai said with a hint of pride.
The Old Daoist nodded slightly, then continued, "You go in. I'll wait for you outside."
Hearing this, Yu Youcai passed straight through the Courtyard Gate and walked in.
As for the Old Daoist, why didn't he go in? Was it because he didn't want to?
Of course not. It was because he couldn't.
A house is equivalent to a Private Territory. If someone lives inside, their Qi Mechanism will merge with it.
Unless you were a Direct Blood Relative in life, you cannot enter the house without the owner's permission. Otherwise, all ghosts will be blocked outside.
This was also why, on that day, Lu Guanchang had only lingered outside Jiang Wenxin's door without entering; it was because he simply couldn't get in.
As for why Yin Xingyue was able to follow behind Doudou and enter Shen Siyuan's house, it was because that house didn't belong to Shen Siyuan at all—he was renting it.
This is also why some people, when checking into a Hotel, will first knock three times, then open the door while standing to the side. It's to inform any "people" Inside the House that this room is now occupied and they should make way.
These customs actually have a certain degree of truth to them.
Yu Youcai went Inside the House and, familiar with the layout, went upstairs and directly into Shen Siyuan's room.
Clearly, this wasn't his first time here.
But upon entering the room, he got a fright, because Shen Siyuan was sitting on the bed looking at him.
"Maternal Granduncle." Shen Siyuan found it a bit strange.
Why had he come looking for him in the middle of the night?
"You knew I was coming?" his Maternal Granduncle asked with some surprise.
Shen Siyuan nodded.
Not only had he sensed Yu Youcai coming in, but he also knew another Ghost was waiting outside the Courtyard Gate.
As the Master of Ten Thousand Souls Banner, even though the banner was severely damaged, he still possessed this much ability.
This was also why he had been able to spot Yin Xingyue following Doudou that day.
"Your situation is a bit strange.
In case something's wrong, I found an Old Daoist Priest to take a look at you. He knows a lot.
Do you want to meet him?" the Maternal Granduncle asked.
When Shen Siyuan heard it was a Daoist Priest, his interest was piqued.
Since there were ghosts in this world, then people like Daoist Priests and Buddhist Monks would have the most authority on the matter. Perhaps he could clear up some of the doubts in Shen Siyuan's mind.
So he immediately stood up and said, "Then I'll go meet him."
But he quickly sat back down and said, "It's better to have him come in to chat.
It's late, and it wouldn't be good to wake my Parents."
Seeing that Shen Siyuan agreed, Yu Youcai turned and went back downstairs to call the Old Daoist in.