Honey Stewed Squid

All that was to be said had been said.
He stood, his manner sincere and earnest and his expression solemn and respectful as he looked at Tong Nian’s parents.
He seemed as if he was waiting for the final verdict to be passed on him.
Tong Nian’s mom could not refrain from glancing at the still utterly dumbstruck Tong Nian.
“This child of the Han family truly is someone who is devoted to his love,” she sighed silently.
Tong Nian’s dad gave a cough. “Even though I don’t really understand how video games can be made into a career… I have heard that you’re doing quite well in it? It’s still an emerging industry. The time and energy you need to invest into it will need to be a little more.” As a man himself, Tong Nian’s father felt that, while he had been moved that this person was willing to give up a career for his daughter, without a career, how could a man even talk about being able to provide security or having self-confidence?
This boy did in fact have a charisma about him.
Of course, this was from a man’s viewpoint. Tong Nian’s dad coughed again. “But, I would like to ask, where primarily are your future plans to develop your business? I heard your company’s head office is in the United States?”
“China.” Gun’s answer came quickly and without hesitation. “Please be assured of that. I will always be based here in the country.”
That was good, then.
A look passed between Tong Nian’s parents.
Tong Nian’s mother heaved a slow sigh. “Nian Nian’s still young. The two of you just date first. And don’t talk about stuff like ‘together for a lifetime.’ When kids are in a relationship, they shouldn’t have so much pressure on them. In regards to the future… do as you two see fit. Freedom to love as you choose, right?”
Tong Nian (⊙o⊙)… What just happened? …
The atmosphere in the living room lightened up.
She still sat there stupidly, remembering only that Gun had told her not to speak and only allowed her to nod. Hence, while her dearest father was learning about the gaming industry from him and her dearest mother had risen to pour some tea, she could only sit on the sofa, her big eyes blinking and blinking…
Ten minutes later, the meaning of her parent’s suggestion was that the two of them could go upstairs and have a discussion alone.
The rest, they would not interfere with.
Tong Nian nodded, still not saying anything. Woodenly, she led him upstairs.
Gun followed behind her, walking one step at a time up the stairs, and after waiting for her to push open that white door, he stepped inside the room with her. The first thing he did once he had closed the door behind him was to unbutton the collar of his shirt.
His blazer came off. Then, his eyes circled the room.
He could not help arching his brow.
Just like those boxes that held the goodies he had bought this morning, the furniture items and decorations in the room were all in those colours that young girls tended to prefer. If you stayed for long in this sort of place… wouldn’t your eyes hurt?
“Your parents… do they especially dote on you?” he asked offhandedly.
“Mm-hmm.” She felt a little embarrassed… and moved the huge dolls that were on the sofa all onto the bed. “My mom was thirty-six before she got pregnant with me, and apparently, the birth was particularly difficult…”
This was the first time they had ever talked about this kind of topic?
Gun was silent.
He was now nothing at all like the person who, earlier on downstairs, had spoken with confidence and conviction.
She was a little hesitant. “May I ask questions now?”
“Say them.” He tossed his blazer onto the sofa and sat down.
“You really saw me two years ago?”
“No, that was made up.”
“Then… in Guangzhou…”
“That was made up.”
“Then…”—Tong Nian pressed her lips together briefly—“during the Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner, you said it was because of Little Bai that you wanted me to go along with everything and act as your girlfriend…”
“Also made up.” To her, he was completely honest. “The situation that night was special.”
If he had not admitted that they were together, based on Little Bai’s words, it could very well have evolved into a piece of gossip where a grown man had toyed with a young girl’s feelings and moreover, had left her after he had finished dallying with her but was not even willing to admit to it…
Tong Nian was mystified. What kind of situation had it been?
Shrugging, Gun gave up trying to explain.
“Then…” She seemed to have no questions left to ask.
Her eyes drifted and drifted around, and her mind was in an utter mess.
Why did it feel like… everything was fake? …
Seeing that the kid’s eyes were beginning to float away evasively, he assessed that she was already starting to read too much into things. Wordlessly, he beckoned to her with a wave. Tong Nian dragged her feet over… In fact, she only had one key thing, one sentence she wanted to ask: just now, out of all those words he had spoken, was the very last sentence—the one about shouldering responsibility—true? All the other stuff, she didn’t care about at all…
Grasping ahold of her, he tugged. Forcefully.
He wrapped the person who had fallen against his chest into his embrace, his hands folded together behind her back, holding her tight.
It doesn’t matter how much of a celebrity halo there seems to be about me—that’s not what’s real.
Besides you, this man named Han Shangyan has nothing. He’s empty-handed and alone.
That is the truth.
She could feel his breath at her collarbone.
A little tickly.
Based on her gut feeling, Tong Nian kept having a sense that today, from the anime expo to the club gaming house to now, there was something about his mood that was… not quite right. Her ability to discern things in this regard had never been strong or sensitive. Consequently, during high school and university, she had always been the target of alienation by her classmates…
As she thought of this, she crouched down and docilely laid her head on his lap. Turning her head so that she looked up into his eyes, she told him, “Han Shangyan… I’m not very good with words. I used to always somehow offend my friends and classmates…”
He gazed directly at her, indicating that she should carry on with what she was saying.
“It wouldn’t be because of me that you’re unhappy, would it?”
What kind of crazy nonsense was she thinking?
He chuckled.
Phew. That was good. If he could laugh, then things were okay.
“If you really aren’t happy about it, I won’t hold autograph signing events anymore.”
Autograph signing? He had completely forgotten about that whole thing.
“I know that some of the comments on Weibo… Those homebody-type guys really cross the line with some of the things they say…” Things like “hawt, loooooong legs,” “ride the squidie,” and so on… Every time she saw one, she would blacklist that person, but it was still quite possible he had seen some.
Oh?
He had actually never looked at any of the comments on her Weibo. Were they really over the line?
With the thing that Weibo was, he had only used it once, then logged off straightaway and never logged on since.
Now that they had mentioned it, he did find it rather weird. With that sort of thing, the people on there were all people that you didn’t know. What was even the point of browsing around and refreshing away on it every day? You would post something, but those other people didn’t know you and you didn’t know those people who left comments. What was there to talk about?
And plus, there were quite a few who would post ads in the comments?
And there were a lot of comments along the lines of “Lonely young woman, sleepless late into the night. Click here and let’s chat” …
Such a foul atmosphere on there.
However, although he had a bit (?) of a machismo attitude, fortunately, he was someone who respected each person’s little uncommon hobbies. Since she was a songstress (?), she had to use Weibo to release her songs and other stuff (?). Well, then, he was fine with it.
“With comments, you can’t decline them?” He thought of this point so offhandedly posed the question.
“You can disable them.” Finally hearing his feedback, she immediately began to wag her tail. “I’ll disable them.”
Disabling them was a pretty good idea.
He could be considered to have accepted this proposal.
Gun cast a glance at the Winnie the Pooh clock on the wall and felt that it was about time. It was his first time here, and it would be inappropriate if he stayed too long in her bedroom. He still needed to consider proper etiquette.
“You need to go now?” She murmured the question.
He turned his gaze back.
Those small lips were red and pouted slightly, looking somewhat… disappointed.
Seeing into her little thoughts, he asked in a low voice, “Can’t bear to see me go?”
She gave a practically inaudible “mm.”
“What should we do then?” He pinched her chin between his fingers, lifted it, leaned in close… and gently took those little lips between his teeth. “Let’s do this. When I get back, I’ll give you a video call.”
Her entire body had heated up from his biting as she continued to “mm” in answer.
“But I need to shower first. What should we do?” He caressed his tongue over her lips. “Would you like to watch me shower?”
“……”
“I could wear some necessary items if… you really want to watch.”