Honey Stewed Squid

“……”

He was being… naughty and suggestive again…

A cry of “ah!” suddenly came from her, and she covered her forehead with her hand, tears springing from her eyes.

Why did he flick my forehead again? T.T …

“You really do want to watch?” While he was at it, he tweaked her nose as well. “Going now.”

That hurt…

As a result, when the two went back downstairs, Tong Nian’s reddened eyes and reddened tip of her nose, in her parent’s eyes, became…

She was so touched that they’re… not breaking up?

She walked him to the door.

She wanted to change her shoes and walk out with him, but he stopped her.

Earlier, before they stepped into the home, he had noticed that this community compound was overly quiet, and there was also a good portion of green space, which was ideal for hiding evildoers. Not safe. Very obediently, she stood at the door and gazed lingeringly after him as his backside disappeared from sight at the building entrance. Just like that, he’s… left? When will we see each other again? Alright, alright, Tong Nian, don’t be so clingy. He needs to work.

Letting her mind fill in the responses for her and consoling herself, Tong Nian walked sluggishly upstairs as if with a drooping tail.

* * * * *

On Sunday, the two only exchanged a few, brief WeChat messages.

Packing up her bags, she returned to her dormitory, where she discovered that Yaya had not come back. So, she idled around the dorm, all alone. On Monday, she had a common, compulsory English class. Riding her little bicycle, she drank the hot soy milk she had bought from the university dining hall while, at the same time, texting Yaya with her head down.

Hey, hey, don’t you go skipping class. Today is English class. Attendance counts towards your grade!

Yaya did not reply.

Seriously, so ridiculously lazy.

Glumly, she drank her soy milk in a few gulps and then tossed the cup into a garbage can. She wanted to stuff her own bicycle into a row of parked ones, but unfortunately, there was no more room. She had no choice but to set her bicycle off to the side first. While she was one by one shifting the other bikes, she heard someone say behind her, “Why the heck is this bike here? People are already in a hurry to get to class, and here you still are blocking the road.”

Tong Nian turned around. The persons happened to be her former dormmates from undergraduate studies. Immediately, she lowered her head and said apologetically, “I’m just making some room. I’ll move it right away…” Those two girls did not bother responding to her and simply left.

Blowing out a lengthy breath, she stuck out her tongue, then continued to move the bicycles with buried head. f𝘳ℯℯ𝙬𝒆𝚋𝐧oν𝑒Ɩ.c𝑜𝙢

Unexpectedly, from behind her, a boy riding a bicycle hurtled over and accidentally bumped into her waist, causing her to stumble forward.

Crash…

An entire row of bicycles… all… toppled… over…

Oh no T.T…

Standing there blankly, she stared at this row of bicycles. The boy behind her was also frozen in shock. “So, uh… sorry. This class I have right now calls attendance. If I don’t go, it’s a guaranteed fail—” Before his words were finished, a man had already extended a hand from behind Tong Nian and picked up a bicycle by its rear frame.

She hastily turned around. “Thank you.”

The instant she saw the person’s face, her mouth fell open slightly. She even thought that she still had not woken up yet—

Han Shangyan?!!

The person behind her lacked any expression on his face, simply too lazy to even bother reproaching her.

Just now, watching her from a spot not far away, he had originally wanted to enjoy that scene of her scrambling and jumping about to move the bicycles. He had not expected that it would be all sorts of unpleasantness. He had to say, even if that young punk had not exacerbated the situation, this row of bikes would, without a doubt, still have fallen over.

“Thanks, bro.” The boy arbitrarily stuffed his bicycle into the aisle and then ran off.

……

“Why… are you here?”

“I’m not welcome?” With two at a time in each hand, in just several dozen seconds, he had lifted all the bicycles in the entire row back upright, neatly lined them up, and, in passing, also tossed her white one into the line-up, too.

“No, that’s not it…” She gazed unblinkingly at him.

Her face was hot.

Her head was light…

She was super touched, super surprised, super… flustered that she did not even know where to put her hands and feet.

And so, she dazedly followed him all the way into the teaching building and up the stairs. Eventually, because she was walking too slowly, he took her by the wrist and pulled her straight to the fourth floor, hurrying to make it into the classroom before the bell rang.

To begin with, he was just sitting in on the class, so it would truly be inappropriate if he stepped in when the teacher was already there.

Prior to entering the classroom, he loosened his hold on her wrist.

In bewilderment, Tong Nian glanced into the room. He actually… knew that this was where she attended her class?

Quiet suddenly fell over the classroom. The various girls, ones who had been eating breakfast while chatting as well as other ones who had been exchanging gossip, all fixed their eyes on the man who had followed Tong Nian into the room, utterly stunned. Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! Which faculty was that guy from? Why was he over here in Electronic and Electrical Engg’s English class? Sitting in on the class? Or was he a teaching assistant? Wait, no, definitely not a TA! He was too hot! If he really was a TA, the news would have spread through the entire faculty by now, you know!

Eh, eh?

He was with the girl from the gifted juvenile class—

All the boys broke into uproar.

Last night, two boys from some dorm room had still been howling her name…

This, this, this bro, where’d he pop out from?

Only Yaya, who was sitting in the very last row and had poked her head out from behind her book that had been stood upright on the desk, grinningly looked in from the faraway sidelines on this delighting scene. While she was at it, she tucked away the K&K brochure that Gun had autographed.

Gee, honestly, just all sorts of jealousy, envy, and hate. To have God Gun go with you to English class or whatever… Such a dang girly dream come true.

“Only… the first row is still free,” she reported quietly.

Gun did not really care.

During his university days, he had often sat in the front row anyway. It was a convenient spot for arriving late and also handy for leaving straightaway once class was done.

Taking a seat with her, he watched as she took out her textbook and notebook as well as a small pencil pouch.

He had originally wanted to grab his mobile phone and read work emails on it… Thinking briefly, however, he pulled out a notebook from her schoolbag, spread it open, and set his phone in the middle of it. This could be considered his way of at least putting on the proper show.

Uh…

The old professor for this particular course… had the worst temper. Would he throw Han Shangyan out? …

Nervously, she clutched at her skirt.

All of a sudden, there was a warmth on the back of her hand. He caught her hand in his and set it down on his thigh. Then, maintaining this position of getting his tofu eaten[1] [being taken advantage of, in a physical, intimate manner] by her (?), he fell into his email-reading mode.

Tong Nian’s hand rested softly on his thigh…

Not anxious, not anxious…

It was underneath the table. No one could see, no one could see, no one could see, no one could see…

Eh? He was wearing jeans?

This was probably the only pair of pants in his wardrobe that wasn’t black?

The last time she saw it was during the video call?

It seemed the waist was a little loose. If he didn’t do up his belt…

Stop, stop! Attend class now, attend class!

It seemed he was sitting rather uncomfortably, and he adjusted his position. 𝒇r𝙚𝙚𝓌𝙚𝑏𝗻𝑜𝘷𝗲𝘭.c૦𝑚

Crimson stained her cheeks as she went along with his movements, accommodating herself to his seating position…and not daring to move that petite hand of hers that lay on his thigh…

Still, she could not hold up under this, and her face alternated between first red, then white.

With one hand, she opened her book, but she did not know which page she should even flip to.