Chapter 16: Bustle (Please Vote)

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Lin Manzhi’s best friend’s WeChat profile picture showed a woman wearing a long trench coat, sunglasses, holding a bouquet of flowers. The image looked highly artistic, exuding an aura that was both striking and elegant, full of charm.

“She’s Jiang Tingyu, the same age as you, currently working at the aquarium. She had a boyfriend in college but they broke up long ago. She’s currently single...” Lin Manzhi sent over detailed information, not even hiding the part about the past relationship.

Shen Siyuan didn’t mind that she had dated before. After all, a 26-year-old beautiful woman would naturally have admirers; having a romantic history was nothing surprising.

Besides, Shen Siyuan was only meeting her for now. Whether it would work out or not was another matter, so there was no need to overthink it.

“Thanks, Sister Manzhi,” Shen Siyuan politely replied.

“I won’t get involved from here on. You two chat by yourselves. Be proactive,” Lin Manzhi reminded him once more.

Shen Siyuan sent her an “OK” emoji.

Then, he put down his phone and leaned on the desk, ready to take a short nap.

He usually took a midday rest. Without that, he’d become completely drained by the afternoon.

As for contacting Jiang Tingyu, that would have to wait until working hours—personal matters must be handled during work, after all.

But lying on the desk, Shen Siyuan found himself wide awake, unusually alert.

He had noticed this since last night. Ever since absorbing the soul of the Nine Nether Devil Lord and gaining divine awareness, his spirit had become extraordinarily vigorous, and his eyes shone with a captivating brilliance.

So last night, instead of sleeping, he had entered a meditative state. It seemed he would have to do the same at noon.

Thinking this, Shen Siyuan felt himself slowly descending from the void, his entire body weightless, as if floating.

Eventually, he landed in the middle of a lake like a fallen leaf, causing gentle ripples on the water’s surface. His mind stirred with the waves, but as the ripples faded, the lake returned to calm, and his consciousness reached a state of complete emptiness.

Ordinary people’s minds were too cluttered to achieve such tranquility, but for Shen Siyuan, who carried the memories of the Nine Nether Devil Lord, entering this state was as simple as eating or drinking.

In this condition, both spirit and body reached the utmost relaxation. Even his bodily functions slowed, as if in hibernation.

But soon, a phone ringing shattered the silence.

Shen Siyuan quickly opened his eyes. It seemed he had just closed them when work hours began.

In truth, once entering the meditative state, one loses track of time.

Though no one minded if he slacked off during work, openly sleeping at his desk was unacceptable. He had to maintain appearances.

At this moment, those who had been resting began to stir—stretching, getting water, or heading to the restroom to freshen up. The whole office instantly came alive.

Shen Siyuan also stood to pour himself a glass of water. Seeing the cola on his desk, several colleagues offered to transfer money to him.

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“Send it in the red envelope group,” he said.

The red envelope group was an internal WeChat chat for the operations department; everyone was in it. It was called that because it was solely for receiving red packets, with no real conversation.

Shen Siyuan accepted the red packet without hesitation. Though a bottle of cola was only three yuan, a deal was a deal.

Besides that, Li Wenjuan’s payment for the cold noodles was also accounted for.

If he were some desperate suitor chasing after her, he would have refused her money, but clearly Shen Siyuan was not, so he accepted it without guilt.

The office noise quickly subsided, and everyone returned to their idle tasks, working individually.

Only then did Shen Siyuan pick up his phone and add Jiang Tingyu. She accepted quickly.

He sent a classic opening message.

“Hello, are you there?”

“?”

Her reply was equally classic.

“I’m Shen Siyuan, Lin Manzhi’s colleague. Has she mentioned me to you?”

“Oh, I know. The fresh young man she talks about.”

“Uh... is that how Sister Manzhi describes me?”

Shen Siyuan glanced back at Lin Manzhi, who was focused on her work, unaware of his gaze.

But her description wasn’t inaccurate. Though Shen Siyuan was already twenty-six, he looked far younger. His skin was fair, his features clear and fresh, giving an impression of youthful innocence—a typical “boyish charm.”

Perhaps for this reason, he was especially popular among older women.

“Yes, she praises you endlessly in front of me. Are you really that good? But why have you hidden your Moments?”

“I haven’t hidden my Moments; I just rarely post.”

Her words reminded Shen Siyuan to check her Moments.

Her posts were clean and simple—mostly food or various animals at the aquarium. The few selfies she had were in diving suits and mermaid costumes, making her look stunningly radiant.

Such a beautiful girl surely had no shortage of admirers. Shen Siyuan couldn’t understand why she had resorted to blind dating.

But since they had just met, he didn’t press her on it.

Seeing many of her food posts featured Sichuan cuisine, he naturally steered the conversation towards that topic.

Only then did he learn she was from Sichuan.

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“You’re from the Mountain City—how did you end up here by the sea?” Shen Siyuan asked, surprised.

“Because I love the ocean. Are you a local here?”

“Sort of?”

“What do you mean, sort of?”

“I was born here in Binhai, but my parents weren’t, so I’m half a local...”

And so they chatted on. She seemed talkative and down-to-earth. After more than half an hour, they arranged to meet Friday evening, deciding on the time and place before ending the conversation.

From their chat, they had gained a preliminary understanding of each other, forming vague impressions. Whether they suited each other would have to wait until the meeting.

Soon after, Lin Manzhi looked up, slightly excited.

“Shen Siyuan, Tingyu has a good impression of you. Good luck.”

Obviously, Jiang Tingyu had immediately “reported” to Lin Manzhi, indicating a very close relationship between them.

Her words were like a stone dropped into still water, stirring up the office atmosphere instantly.

First, Chen Hao, sitting opposite Lin Manzhi, craned his neck.

“What’s going on? Lin, you set him up with someone? That’s discrimination! Why not me? Doesn’t matter if she’s pretty; is she rich? If she’s rich, I’d be really mad.”

“The pretty ones stick with the pretty ones. Sister Manzhi’s friends must be good-looking too.”

That flattery was skillfully done.

“Damn it, Sister Manzhi, I’m mad! Why not me? You’re like a sister to me.”

“Hey, you’ve got a girlfriend. Why are you meddling?”

“I’m thinking of changing recently.”

“Alright, I’m recording this. If you don’t treat me to dinner for a week, I’ll send this to your girlfriend.”

“Bah, you sneaky dog...”

“Shen, got pictures? Let me see...”

“Don’t show him, or he’ll start chasing her before you even meet...”

...

The office was filled with a lively and cheerful atmosphere.