Honey Stewed Squid

Chapter 10 - Great Demon Overlord!

“……”

Even the most dim-witted person would be able to hear that, despite the fact that his tone was maintaining a sense of politeness, he was obviously not very pleased. He undoubtedly disliked people sneaking looks at his identity card and disliked it when a girl pursued him all the way to where he was, especially… all the way into his hotel.

The person whom, over these last few days, she had fallen so hard for it was as if she was bewitched was now standing before her, personally and impatiently questioning her over “What is there about me to like?” The subtext of that question was obviously “Don’t like me. I’m not interested in you,” right?

She gnawed on her lip and after a while, finally spoke. “I’m sorry. I… I didn’t intentionally follow you. It’s just, when I saw you at the airport, you and these people were all wearing team jackets. It was such an especially nice surprise… I asked my friend and she said there was an eSports tournament going on here, so I ran over just to see whether you really were competing here…”

I… just wanted to know your age, occupation, lifestyle, and what you like to do.

I wanted to let you, in the most casual of circumstances, meet me, know me, and remember me…

I wanted you to see the best side of me, to like me and fall for me…

And not…

… the way things are now.

“Your name was in the net café’s records… I shouldn’t have purposely peeked at it. And as for that stomach-bleeding incident, I suddenly heard some staff members talking about it. I thought grunt was you and I was especially worried, so I just wanted to have one look… just one look to see if something really was the matter with you. I never intended to bother you.”

But later, she was bafflingly brought into the conference room by that boy.

And later again…

With bowed head, she silently told herself with all her might, “Tong Nian, absolutely do not embarrass yourself anymore.

“Finish saying what you’re going to say and then leave.

“Do not waver at all…”

Gun could hear that there was something not quite right with the little girl’s mood. Dropping his eyes, he looked down at her.

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Had he been too direct? It seemed he had scared the little girl again?

The ringing of a mobile phone shattered the quiet of this moment.

And then, it continued to ring. No one moved.

She was still caught up in her feelings of dejection, and with her mind rather dazed, she raised her head and prompted him, “Your phone…”

Gun’s eyes flicked to the side, motioning in the direction of her backpack. It was her mobile phone.

0.0? What was going on?

Wait. Something wasn’t right…

Oh no, the interview…

Tong Nian suddenly started back to reality. In panic, she looked at him, then in panic some more, she looked at the surroundings.

Do it here? Or out in the hallway?

Here… would be really awkward.

But the hallway… would that be even more awkward?

In the end, she could only put on a brave face and ask in a small voice, “May I use your bathroom? It’s a very urgent call.”

Gun did not really care and pointed at a spot. “Over there.”

The layout of this executive suite was rather strange. The location of the bathroom door was beside the queen-size bed and was very hidden.

Tong Nian breathed out in relief. Following the direction his finger was pointing, she ran several steps until she was inside, closed the door behind her, and cleared her throat. Then, fishing her mobile phone out from her backpack, she brought it up to her ear.

A very clear, very enthusiastic voice immediately rang into her ear. “Hi? Hello? Is this Her Royal Squidie Highness?”

“Mm-hmm, it’s me.” She tried as best as she could to make her voice regain its steadiness.

“Yay! This is awesome! Your Squidie Highness! I’m your diehard fan, aaaah. Hohohoho. Oh, covering my face. Please allow me, the host here, to first be smitten for a little bit. Your Highness, when I was in my senior year of high school, I relied on the songs that you covered to keep my HP up, and that’s how I managed to crush all those exam papers!”

“Uh, oh really?” The instant she encountered a zealous fan, she would not know what to say.

And so… over time, this had created the mistaken rumour of her cold aloofness…

“Ahem, ahem. Alright, as the host for today’s program, I must resume my role. Hello to all the listeners and friends. Tonight, our animes and mangas channel has called a singer of anime songs who is extremely popular online, has more than one hundred thousand followers on Weibo, and has exceeded more than one million page views on Bilibili[1]—Fish Playing in Sealed Chambers. Of course, we fans like to address her as ‘Her Royal Highness.’ Please give a shout-out to everyone, Your Squidie Highness.”

“Hi everyone, this is Little Squidie Fish. Please be kind to me tonight. And please don’t call me ‘Your Highness.’ Just Little Squidie will be good.”

“Oh, Our Royal Highness is laying on the cuteness. Your Highness, our netizen friends who are currently online are professing their love and asking if you can do a cute little something.”

Do a cute something?? …

Her back was against the door, and her eyes were looking toward the shower stall in front of her. There distinctly was still condensation in it. It was apparent it had just been used for a shower.

Behind her, separated by only the door, was him.

How… how was she supposed to act cute in this circumstance? …

The host did not hear any sound and immediately understood. “Ha ha ha ha, Your Highness is still just as cold and aloof as ever. Well, then, we will start today’s interview.”

……

……

This twenty-minute interview was something that had been pre-arranged a week ago. She had just never thought that…

… it would be in such an awkward place.

Worried that the person on the outside of the door might hear too many of what would seem like weird, absurd-sounding things, she tried as much as possible to shorten the number of words in each answer. The most common answers she used were “Ah, yes,” “Oh, not bad,” and “Really?” …

By the time she hung up the call, her entire body had already broken out in a sweat.

Putting her phone in her coat, she touched her own face. Still burning hot. She had been too anxious.

Behind her was the door.

Beside the door was a ten-metre long marble counter, and on the countertop were an already-used bath towel and wash towel…

And separated from her by only a single door was him.

As she recalled the situation from earlier on, she somewhat did not have the courage to step back out, and she stood like this inside the bathroom, struggling with herself and not knowing what she should do. Forget it, just keep your head down, open the door, and walk straight out. The worst case is just… saying goodbye…

Resolving herself firmly to this, she put her hand on the doorknob. But right as she was about to open the door, she heard a knock.

Instinctively, she retracted her hand.

“Done?” his voice asked.

“Done…” she answered.

“If you’re done, then open the door.”

“Oh.” She stretched out her hand again and slowly opened the door.

Continuing to keep her head down, she stared at that black pair of skate shoes in front of her…

“Hungry?”

“Huh?” Dazed, she lifted her head.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Ah?” She looked at him.

Gun very simply and clearly explained, “After eight o’clock, it is the team’s time for training. There are still another twenty minutes, and then there will be no food to eat.”

Since this mix-up did have something to do with him and it could be said that he had managed to accidentally bring the little girl here to a strange, unfamiliar hotel, he should take some responsibility for it. “The deal may be off but goodwill and uprightness should still remain.[2]” He should, nevertheless, ensure that the kid was fed and then have a driver take her back.

“Oh…” She picked up her backpack. Then, half a beat slow, she thought, “He’s not… telling me to go away?”

Gun put on his jacket and slipped his mobile phone and room key card into his pocket. Opening the door, he motioned to Tong Nian to step out first. As Tong Nian passed by his side, she, seeming out of sorts, came to a stop.

Wait, something was wrong. Why were they having dinner together?

“Actually…”

“What’s your name?” Gun thought this little girl just naturally was a slow walker. Gently, he nudged her backpack and stepped out after her, reaching behind to close the door.

“Tong Nian…”

He nodded, the meaning being, “Got it.”

Walking in front, he went into the elevator first. Very shortly, he pulled out a fruit-flavoured candy from his pocket and unwrapped it, planning on tossing it into his mouth. Suddenly, his hand paused, and he glanced over at Tong Nian, who was following him closely into the elevator. “Want one?”

Ah? 0.0