NOVEL NEXT Chapter 654: Gift
Ruan Hongzhuang habitually looked around but found Shen Siyuan and Taozi weren't there, so she groggily got out of bed.
Last night, she and Shen Siyuan came to the hotel where Taozi was staying instead of staying at home.
Although her house is large, it's also an old building with only three rooms. Originally, Ruan Xiangqian and his wife lived in one room, Ruan Hongzhuang in another, and there was a guest room.
However, since her uncle and aunt came over, they couldn't let them stay outside. So Shen Siyuan suggested they stay in a hotel. Ruan Hongzhuang said he'd take her, so she went along with it and didn't go back.
She didn't change her clothes but directly left the room.
The hotel room where Taozi stayed was a family-style suite, not only with a living room but several rooms as well. Of course, the price must be hefty, but neither Taozi nor Ruan Hongzhuang lacked money.
As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw Taozi hitting Dou Dou.
Dou Dou was wailing loudly, crying as if the sky were falling, while Xiao Yue and Duoduo were watching the drama unfold.
The room's soundproofing was quite good; she hadn't heard a thing before.
Seeing Dou Dou crying so miserably, Ruan Hongzhuang stepped forward to stop Taozi.
"That's enough. A few spanks for a mistake are enough; hitting her more won't help."
Upon hearing this, Taozi naturally put Dou Dou down from her lap; she just wanted Dou Dou to remember, not really to hit her.
Ruan Hongzhuang reached out and pinched Dou Dou's chubby little cheek. Despite the loud cries, there wasn't a tear on her face; her expression was just extremely aggrieved, which made people feel sorry for her.
Having spent a lot of time with her, Ruan Hongzhuang quite liked this little one, even if she was a bit mischievous; she was truly adorable.
At that moment, she noticed Dou Dou was holding a beautifully crafted Lotus Lamp, making her curious.
"What's this?"
Wow, that immediately hit Dou Dou's excitement point.
They saw her lift the Lotus Lamp high, placing it atop her head; a red flame rose, instantly lighting the Lotus Lamp, emitting a radiant divine light.
Ruan Hongzhuang widened her eyes in surprise, but there was more. Dou Dou's body suddenly elongated right under her nose, transforming into Jiang Yingxue's likeness.
Then, she saw her say to Ruan Hongzhuang, "Call me Granny Jiang. No, call me Mom."
Ruan Hongzhuang, who was in shock, immediately turned back, glancing at the nearby Taozi, who was stifling a laugh, finally understanding why Dou Dou was being punished.
"She was asking me to call her Dad earlier," Taozi said.
"Hit her again," Ruan Hongzhuang replied.
Then she turned and walked towards the balcony, where Shen Siyuan was exercising.
Upon hearing this, Dou Dou instantly reverted to her original form and made a run for it.
Taozi couldn't catch her and let her escape.
Just then, Ruan Hongzhuang, who had already turned to leave, suddenly turned back, walked up to Taozi, and studied her closely.
Taozi felt a little uncomfortable being stared at and turned her head, avoiding eye contact.
"What are you doing?"
Ruan Hongzhuang didn't answer but leaned in to sniff her neck.
"You smell like men's perfume. Be honest, have you been sneaking around again without telling me?"
"No... no..."
Taozi hadn't finished a sentence before her ears turned red.
Knowing her well, Ruan Hongzhuang could clearly tell she was lying.
With a huff, Ruan Hongzhuang pinched her face.
The touch felt smooth and tender, like stroking silk.
"You still deny it? Look how smooth your skin is."
Everyone has flaws, but now Taozi's skin was so perfect it looked like it had been digitally enhanced.
This kind of perfection is extremely rare in real life. Those beauties online all have skin as tender as a baby's, full of collagen—effects of beautification. In reality, without makeup to cover imperfections, there would be some dullness, spots, pigmentation, or large pores, making them not look so perfect up close.
Yet, even without any makeup, Taozi's skin was as perfect as a baby's.
"You're the same way," said Taozi.
"But not as good as yours," Ruan Hongzhuang said with a bit of envy.
Taozi's skin was originally good, and now it was even better. Even though Ruan Hongzhuang had taken the "Leg Stretching Eye Bulging Pill" and practiced the "Heavenly Maiden's Skill," she still couldn't match Taozi.
"No more sneaking snacks next time, understand?"
Ruan Hongzhuang pinched her cheek once more before turning to continue towards Shen Siyuan.
"Why don't you go find your Siyuan instead of bullying me?" Taozi muttered softly.
"What?" Ruan Hongzhuang turned back to stare at her.
"Nothing," Taozi said in a fluster.
Seeing her like this, Ruan Hongzhuang chuckled.
On reaching the balcony, she saw Shen Siyuan finishing his last set of exercises, wrapping up his practice.
"Up so early?" Ruan Hongzhuang greeted casually.
"Haven't slept all night," Shen Siyuan replied casually.
Ruan Hongzhuang was surprised, her eyes flitting to Taozi, puzzled, "Taozi is that impressive?"
"What?" Shen Siyuan didn't get it at first.
As the words left his mouth, he realized what she meant, smiling wryly, "It has nothing to do with Taozi; I just went out for a while."
"Are you going out again today?"
Shen Siyuan thought about Little Fatty Zhang Yuhui's wish. Since he promised to gift her sister a cat, he had to keep his word.
So, Shen Siyuan nodded and said, "Yes, I have some matters to attend to."
"Oh, are you still coming back home with me then?" Ruan Hongzhuang felt a bit disappointed hearing this.
Her uncle and aunt were still at home, and it would be impolite for Shen Siyuan to disappear after meeting them once.
"Of course, I'll go back with you. It won't take much time," Shen Siyuan said.
Hearing this, Ruan Hongzhuang was immediately glad again.
"Alright, go freshen up. Your mom texted this morning asking us to come back for breakfast," Shen Siyuan said.
"Okay." With that, Ruan Hongzhuang quickly returned to her room.
Shen Siyuan waved Taozi over, who obediently approached.
"I'll be going home with Ruan Hongzhuang for a bit. You wander around here for a while, we'll come find you later."
Taozi nodded her agreement, not upset in the slightest.
After all, when Shen Siyuan previously went home with her, Ruan Hongzhuang was considerate.
Moreover, having agreed to the three's relationship, she was mentally prepared and didn't feel neglected.
So, Shen Siyuan and a freshened-up Ruan Hongzhuang returned home to find Aunt Ruan Manman already there early in the morning.
Upon seeing Shen Siyuan, she enthusiastically said, "Xiao Shen, it's our first meeting, and I didn't bring you a gift. I noticed your wrist is bare, so how about a watch?"
Shen Siyuan hesitated whether to accept the brocade box she offered until a hand reached out, grabbing it immediately.
"Thanks, Aunt." It was, of course, Ruan Hongzhuang.
Turning to Shen Siyuan, she explained, "If Aunt is giving it, we should take it. No need to be polite with her."
Opening the watch box, she was a bit shocked, "Wow, it's actually a Patek Philippe. This one is probably expensive, right?"
Ruan Manman chuckled, "I don't really know, someone gave it to me, but I can't use it. I'll give it to Xiao Shen, as one can't go without a watch."
Ruan Hongzhuang chuckled secretly at this; she didn't believe it for a second. Who would so unwisely gift a men's watch to a woman, let alone a watch worth millions, unless they had a screw loose?
But Ruan Hongzhuang didn't expose it. She directly put the watch on Shen Siyuan's wrist.
"Thank Aunt," Ruan Hongzhuang prompted, lightly patting Shen Siyuan's back and winking at him.
"Thank you, Aunt," Shen Siyuan said with a smile.
He's not into watches and doesn't know much about them; he simply thought the ice-blue face was indeed beautiful, like a piece of art.
But after a quick look, he turned back to chat with his uncle.
Aunt's face briefly showed a hint of disappointment. Giving such an expensive watch without reason—could it really be just out of fondness?
Everyone understood, with Ruan Hongzhuang playing dumb first, making it hard for Aunt to voice her intentions.
Ruan Xiangqian and his wife snickered, knowing full well that offering a watch in hopes of getting a "Stare and Stretch Pill" was unrealistic, like thinking "Stare and Stretch Pills" are as common as cabbages.
The million-dollar watch was just like throwing a meat bun to a dog.