Honey Stewed Squid

Chapter 2

Tong Nian returns behind the front desk, gnashing her teeth, and burying herself within her work at the same time. She registers the food she just brought over a moment ago, and then begins to subtract and reduce the bill. She will absolutely not let her best friend earn even a penny.

Best friend, Dou Nai extends his hand toward her swaying the fifty dollar bill. He gives her an intimidating glance, and then retracts his hand: “I was afraid you were going to be swindled by one of those men that are in very bad and serious circumstances. My family operates an internet café. I understand these types of men, who comes for a night pass to play games very well. The overwhelming majority of their lives are unhappy. At most, that man’s wallet is good.” he said still looking at a distant a quick glimpse of that person’s back. Still somewhat going against his character and said, “Only a little bit good I guess…”

Tong Nian continues to calculate the bill.

“Don’t ignore me, Superior squid? Giant squid? Great chamber? Big fish? Small cuttlefish? Small squid?” Her best friend said every 2D way of addressing her, but cannot exchange for her to take a glance at him. Finally at her mercy, “I’ll help you, help yourself.” (1)

“Really?” Tong Nian immediately looked up. Even both her eyebrows are smiling.

“Give him a whole week of night pass? Let’s say he won the lottery? Ah, a night pass won’t do, how about a one week pass, then he can come anytime he wants,” Dou Nai says while cupping his bleeding heart. (2)

Suddenly Tong Nian brightens up: “Good idea!” Then, she secretly winks at that place, “Go.”

“Why is it me again?” Best friend is flabbergasted.

“Also…” Tong Nian thinks, lowers her voice, and tells him, “You need to persuade him to draw the lottery on the spot. So long as you use the internet café’s Wei Xin and sweep the QR code, then he can draw a prize. Bring out your brainwashing skill from the time you were in the multilevel marketing organization for two months as a multilevel marketing member. (3)

“…Our internet café does not have a public Wei Xin.”

Tong Nian looks at her own cellphone, and after struggling for 2.5 seconds, she heartlessly changes her Weixin’s name. She hands over her cell phone: “Use my Weixin.” On the cell phone, her Weixin name was changed: Tonight there is fate.

This is the Internet café’s shop sign that is hanging outside—“Tonight There is Fate Internet Café”

Dou Nai knows intuitively (idiom). Restlessly, he holds the cellphone and goes to deceive him.

……

In the end … later that night, on her Weixin, two major events happen. First, she added a man called “GN”. Second, her Weixin’s fans were completely enraged. Her fans do not believe their own high, cold, proud and lovable “fish playing behind closed doors” had surprisingly suddenly been changed to “Tonight there is fate”… Superior must have definitely been hacked! (4)

……

Her heart is silently dripping blood. She might as well have thought of it as she was hacked, and not reply to any messages. Just staring at the username she had just added, she foolishly laughs.

To get it so easily, it seemed too good to be true…

She looked at the dark indistinct profile picture, not knowing what it is for half a minute. Then very carefully she opened his page.

Huh?

Other than the recent gaming news, there is nothing else? She is someone who only plays picture matching games, and suffers in defeat every time. As a Japanese dub singer, this is practically heaven’s edict. (5)

Even more depressed… “Dou Nai, you are a game loser right?”

“Yea!” Dou Nai happily smiles, not even showing any sign of feeling ashamed, “very bad, very bad, number one loser in history!”

……

Forget it, tomorrow I’ll find some else who knows the ropes… T_T

At 2 am in the morning, Dou Nai sleepily dozes off.

Inside the Internet cafe, everyone is wearing headphones. It is so awfully quiet, only a middle-aged uncle is in an open video chat, cyber dating happily laughing out loud… And she, also supporting her chin was getting sleepy. She absentmindedly draws on the paper with the pencil in her hands. As a singer, her drawing skills is shallow. Still, she cannot draw the view of that handsome back.

If there is an opportunity, I need to practice.

She silently thinks to herself.

Suddenly, a man stands up.

She immediately straightens her back, and stealthily hides the paper under her arm.

The man picks up his jacket, and comes over. Her heart starts to jump rapidly. She can only look down, and see his casual khaki pants and a pair of black shoes. One step, two steps, three steps, toward her…

No, no, quick, breathe. Tong Nian, you need to be strong! You must have a normal expression, and your eyes can’t tremble!

Huh? How come he is leaving?

“You…you…didn’t you buy a night pass?” She sees him walking toward the door, urgently opening her mouth, “It just barely pass 2 am.” She hastily looks at the clock. That’s right, 2 am. What is he doing leaving this early…

Gun stopped his footsteps, and turns around.

The hair on his forehead is somewhat in disorder. He must have been sleepy a moment ago. Randomly moving his hand to and fro to look sober; so much that he is the type to have the power to penetrate the will of the people. At this moment, I don’t know if he was tired, or if he was too lazy to deal with it, but his facial expression is somewhat indifferent, making it hard for people to see his mood.

“2 am?” As if he suddenly happens to notice the time. He raised his eyebrows. Talking to himself: “2 am is not that late?”

“It’s still okay.” Huh? What am I saying…. At once she retrieve her awareness, and said the countless rehearsed words out, “I was about to find you to give you back your change. Congratulations, you won a prize. Welcome, please come again next time.”

Twelve dollars fifty cents was placed in front of him, once again giving him a discount.

“Next time? Will you be here every night?”

Ah?

He is…

Tong Nian’s heart ignited a small flame of hope, stirring, stirring, immediately making her blush. Glancing at the pitch dark corner, he sees the girl’s boyfriend.

His eyes fell on the girl’s expression. He has no choice, but to self-examine himself whether or not he is causing trouble for others.

His next sentence was originally, “Miss, looking after the internet cafe at night is unsafe,” but looking at the girl’s expression now, he ought to be the one regard as an“unsafe” person.

Therefore, Gun clears his throat, trying to make himself appear genuinely very harmless: “Don’t be afraid, I am only casually asking.”

Finish speaking, not taking the money, he pushes open the door to go.

Wait… wait…

I…. don’t mind… you asking…

She looks at the door that is still swaying, the door that is still not firmly shut tight as her entire person was submerged by a depressing tide.

****************

Early morning, outside of Gun’s door was some noisy chatter. Awoken up by footsteps, he sat up from the sofa.

It seems like … this morning there is some kind of rock climbing activity? From his fuzzy consciousness he came to realization, and then still somewhat with a fuzzy awareness he stood up. He felt the door handle, press down, open the door and walked out.

At the same time, from his pants pocket he took out a piece of candy. He peels open the wrapper, bites down, slowly walking, slowly eating.

At present, is a teenage boy running around, wearing a club’s outdoor sportswear, red and white style. To be honest, it is somewhat ugly. But, there is nothing that can be done; it is the color the sponsor assigned.

He is still somewhat half asleep. Quite awfully written on his radiant beautiful face: Idler do not disturb. (6)

Unfortunately, there is still someone who is not tactful.

“Hey? Boss? Where did you go last night?

“Is something the matter?” His eyes were barely open, sweeping a glance at where the voice came from.

Notes:

1. Dou Nai is calling Tong Nian in her 2D nicknames (online nicknames/screen names)

2. One week pass – usually consist of day and night pass for one week

3. Wei Xin or WeChat, is a mobile text and voice messaging service developed by Tencent

4. ‘fish playing behind closed doors’ is her screen name

5. Tong Nian doesn’t understand what she is reading.  She doesn’t understand the gaming news.

6. In case, you’re confused… he had on an expression that says do not disturb. Unfortunately, someone doesn’t understand and still talks to him.