Half-baked

23
There were many performers and staff backstage.
There are people coming and going around.

Although Huai Nian had admitted that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and had promised that if the news of their relationship got out, she would not refute it but would admit it. But at this moment, Huai Nian had no intention of going forward and doing anything intimate with Duan Huai'an.
What's more, before Duan Huaian sent her a message just now, the topic she and the male host were chatting about was Duan Huaian.

The host was the director of the Student Union's hosting department, and he was also from the medical school, so Huai Nian naturally knew him.
The host's name is He Yang. As his name suggests, he is as tall as a poplar tree, with deep and three-dimensional facial features, and a mixed-race look. His voice has a low, bubbling sound: "How can someone be so handsome?"

Nostalgia looked at him in confusion: "Who is it?"
He Yang said: "Duan Huai'an, you haven't seen him in a suit. He's so handsome that I feel inferior to him. Those long legs, that waist, what's the word for that?"
"What word?"
"I remember! Dog waist!" He Yang woke up suddenly.

“……”It’s the first time I hear the word “nostalgia” and it’s hard to put it into words.

"Hey, why is God so unfair? It's ok that he gave him rich parents, and such a perfect height and figure, but he also gave him such a handsome face that can anger both humans and gods." He Yang was indignant.
Nostalgic smile: "Everyone has flaws."
He Yang: "May I ask what are Duan Huai'an's shortcomings?"

Huai Nian thought for a moment: "Bad temper?"

"It's hard to say. After all, I haven't talked to him much." He Yang asked casually, "How do you know he has a bad temper? Have you had an in-depth conversation with him?"
"..."
I miss the moment of silence.

"But I didn't expect that Duan Huai'an doesn't have a girlfriend." He Yang was immersed in his own world and didn't notice Huaian's abnormality. He muttered, "Don't they say that nine out of ten handsome guys are playboys?"
"Maybe he is the one left out of the ten."
"The remaining one is a playboy disguised as a good man." He Yang said, "This kind of man is the most terrible. He calls you baby all the time, but he actually wants to trick you into having sex. Miss your classmates, you should stay away from this kind of man."

Huai Nian's throat was dry, and she forced herself to change the subject with a straight face: "You are also a handsome guy, so what kind of handsome guy are you?"

"I'm a handsome guy who needs insoles to increase his height." He Yang is very good at joking.

Huai Nian was stunned for a moment and couldn't help laughing.
Judging from his face, He Yang is handsome, but he is not tall, only 1.7 meters, so every time he goes on stage to host, he puts thick insoles in his leather shoes to increase his height.

It was at this time that the message from Duan Huaian was sent to Huainian’s mobile phone.

Nostalgic sigh, she really can't talk to other men.
I had just said a few words when he saw it.
She suspected that he had installed surveillance cameras on her.

But she didn't feel unhappy with Duan Huaian, the main reason was her.
Just now, from a distance, she saw him sitting next to a group of leaders, suppressing his impatience.

I miss the time when I was typing on the keyboard: [I am chatting with you].
Before I could type the remaining few words, a few more messages appeared on the chat interface.
【come out. 】
【Just five minutes.】
[I still have to accompany the old men to watch the welcome party. ]

In sight, Duan Huaian turned around and walked away.
He Yang beside him sighed: "Is this guy so handsome even from behind?"
"..."

Seeing that the other three hosts were coming here, Huai Nian found a reason to leave.
The steps he took were still very conscious of following the direction Duan Huai'an left. Two figures, one in front and one behind, walked into the sea of ​​people, and no one would have thought that the two would have any intersection.

Duan Huaian is tall, and he can be seen in the crowd just by looking up.

She followed him out the side door.
Without asking any questions, she saw Duan Huaian's car parked on the side of the road at the side door.

As soon as Huai Nian got in the car, Duan Huaian held her in his lap.

She was terrified: "Put me down, there are people outside!"
Duan Huai'an held her hand and said, "There's a privacy film in the car."
Miss: "I don't want to be here."

Duan Huai'an raised his eyebrows and smiled slowly. He didn't look unhappy at all, but rather seemed to be in a good mood: "What are you doing here? I don't plan to do anything. Or do you want to do something to me?"

"..."
Missing his drooping eyelashes, my eyes just fell on his neck which was bound by his tie.
"Why are you wearing a suit?" she changed the subject.

"Is he handsome?" Duan Huai'an asked instead of answering, "Is your man handsome?"

"He Yang and I were just talking about you," Huai Nian raised her eyelids slightly, trying to blur the point, "He Yang said you were handsome."

"And you smiled happily?"
"..."
"Are you feeling particularly proud and want to chime in: My man must be handsome."
"..."

This sounds familiar, as if I've heard it somewhere before.
Memories found their way into her mind.

——In that video, Duan Huai'an faced the camera with an especially arrogant attitude, saying word by word: "My girlfriend, of course she is beautiful."
It has the same meaning as what he said, "My man must be handsome."

Huai Nian didn't know what to say, so she simply kept silent, lowered her head, and looked at his neck. The light was dim, and Duan Huai'an's white neck, with a protruding Adam's apple, slid up and down. The tie bound his neck, and between breaths, there was an inexplicable sense of abstinence and indulgence.

"Did you come alone?" Duan Huaian asked her.

Miss: “Yeah.”
Duan Huai'an: "Where are your roommates?"
Miss: "Everyone went to celebrate the New Year."
Duan Huai'an: "Then spend New Year's Eve with me later?"

Huai Nian blurted out a refusal: "No."

"Didn't you say you wanted to coax me?" Because she missed sitting on his lap, his palms wrapped around her round buttocks, kneading them slowly, and said slowly, "You have to coax me."

Hearing this, Huai Nian suddenly felt absurd: "I never said I wanted to coax you."
Duan Huai'an: "You came out with me."
Nostalgia felt powerless, so she looked up at him, "I don't think you look unhappy now."

Duan Huaian raised his eyebrows slightly, and in the dark carriage, his dark eyes stared at her without missing a beat. There was a repressed emotion in his eyes, which brought a cramped and suffocating feeling.
"Because you are in my arms, I can bear it."
"..."
"But I can't always help it, just like you can't always be with me."
"..."

He lowered his eyes, his warm breath fanning her face.
Missing the itchiness of the hot air, she stepped back, and he noticed it. Then, he held her neck, firmly but tenderly. He couldn't accept her being away from him, so he would use his own way to get her close to him.
Even though this method is extremely coercive.

Duan Huai'an: "My car will be parked here. I will leave when you get in."

I miss the fluttering eyelashes.
The next second, a gentle kiss fell on the right eyelid.

In the silent carriage, Duan Huai'an's voice was heard, so gentle: "Five minutes are up, baby, I have to go now, see you later."

He seems to be a very patient boyfriend.
He seemed to respect her opinion very much.

Duan Huaian got off the bus first, and not long after, Huai Nian got off as well.
When she arrived, the welcome party had just begun and the host came on stage to host it.

She was standing in the open space at the side door, surrounded by many student union students with their work badges.

The performances by the school students were mostly identical, with singing and dancing interspersed with crosstalk sketches.
She missed the welcome party that she had watched for two years. Now it was the third year and it was no longer fresh. She did not follow the spotlights on the stage, but looked at the front row of the audience like many others.

Someone next to me was talking: "Who is that guy sitting in the first row? The one in the suit, so young and handsome."
"Duan Huaian, you don't even know? That's a killer move from the Southern University."
"I knew it, but I never thought he could be so handsome."
"I heard that many companies want to invest in his robotic arm project. A well-known prosthetics company in China has also extended an olive branch to him. He is only a junior in college, but he can get an offer with an annual salary of one million."
"So what if he earns a million a year? Is he so rare? He's a young master, and the watch he owns is worth two million."
“I’m not afraid of rich people, I’m afraid of people who are rich and work hard.”
"Hey, why is there such a big gap between people?"

She stood at the side door with her head down, missing him. Occasionally, someone would come in and out. When the door was opened, a biting cold wind blew in from outside.

Another gust of cold wind blew over.
She buried her face in the scarf and realized that it was Duan Huai'an's scarf. Then she raised her head again. When she raised her head, she felt her eyelids a little itchy. She reached out and scratched her right eyelid, and her hand stopped when it touched the eyelid.

——It’s so annoying. Duan Huai’an just kissed this eye.

Why is he everywhere?
She couldn't help complaining: He's so haunting.
-
The welcome party starts at seven o'clock and ends around nine o'clock.
After the event, the student union members cleaned up the auditorium. I missed having nothing to do, so I joined them.
About half an hour later, everyone finished work. It happened to be New Year's Eve, so everyone decided to find a place to have a midnight snack during the New Year, which could be considered a festive ritual.

Missing the venue where I left with them, I declined their invitation: "My friends and I have plans for New Year's Eve." "Why don't you ask your friends to come along? It will be more lively with more people."
"No," Huai Nian smiled, "You guys go celebrate the New Year."
"Okay, then be careful on the road."
"You too."

I miss the time when I walked out of the main entrance of the auditorium with them. Turning right from the main entrance, there are a series of places for students to eat, drink and have fun. Turning left, there is the side entrance of the auditorium.
The surroundings were empty, the ground was covered with snow, and it was so quiet that I could almost hear her heartbeat.
There was only one car parked on the side of the road.

Nostalgia walked over slowly, and whether it was the passenger seat or the back seat, it left a shadow on her.
After hesitating for a while, she opened the passenger door and got in.

Duan Huai'an was holding his phone in one hand, talking to someone, with a rare stern look on his face. Huai Nian had never seen him in this state before, and she unconsciously became nervous.
"Well, I'm coming over now."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Miss: "Are you busy?"
"Something happened in the lab." Duan Huai'an said, "Should I take you home or back to the dormitory?"
"..."

Miss you didn't say anything.

Duan Huaian glanced at the rearview mirror to see if there were any cars coming from behind.
I caught a glimpse of Nostalgia in the passenger seat. Half of her face was buried in her scarf, revealing only a pair of clear deer eyes. She was soaked in the snow when she came here, so her eyes were wet, her eyes were unfocused, and she looked absent-minded.

Duan Huaian thought she didn't hear it, so he repeated it again.

"...What about you?" Huai Nian asked him, "Where are you going?"
"School laboratory."
"Oh." She responded softly, but didn't say where she was going.

The snow outside the car window was falling heavier and heavier, the street lights were glowing dimly, and snowflakes were dancing lightly in the air.
Huai Nian seemed to say something, but Duan Huai'an didn't hear clearly: "What?"
"I said--"
"you say--"
Huai Nian pursed her lips and spoke something quickly.

This time, Duan Huaian heard it clearly.

She said, "Didn't you ask me to spend New Year's Eve with you? What's the point of letting me go back alone?"

The person in front of him froze visibly.
About two or three seconds passed, or maybe two or three minutes. Duan Huai'an himself couldn't tell. He rarely felt so caught off guard. Time became long, and also became particularly short. When time existed in nostalgia, the speed of its flow was determined by her.

Duan Huaian reached out and loosened the tie that had been tied around his neck all night.
His protruding Adam's apple rolled up and down, and he let out a low, hoarse laugh: "Baby, you really are coaxing me."

Missing his lowered eyes, her eyes twinkled slightly, she licked her lips and said dryly: "I just keep my word."
He paused and emphasized, "Don't think too much."

"Well, I can testify that you are indeed a person who values ​​your word." Duan Huaian raised his eyebrows slightly, smiled, and said in a lazy tone with a long tail sound, "Then I would like to thank my girlfriend for spending the New Year's Eve with me in the lab."

……

This is still a memory of returning to Duan Huai'an's laboratory.
Duan Huai'an founded the robotic arm R&D team when he was a freshman. The school funding was secondary. Duan Huai'an himself didn't know how much money he invested. Huai Nian followed him, and even if she didn't intend to spy, she couldn't avoid hearing some news.

The laboratory is about the size of three classrooms, with instruments and messy hardware tools all over the floor.
There are six large tables in the laboratory, each with a robotic arm. The robotic arm is made of high-strength carbon fiber and titanium alloy, and has a very cyberpunk style.

I missed it so much that I could hardly take my eyes off it. “It felt like I was watching a science fiction movie. It reminded me of Iron Man.”
Duan Huai'an: "It can't have as many functions as Iron Man. This hand can only complete daily work."
Nostalgia blinked: "Is it more advanced than Xiaomei?"

Duan Huai'an glanced at her, and that look was only filled with friendly explanation when he was looking at her. If someone else stood in front of him now, he would definitely look at that person as if he were an idiot, full of contempt, and would not bother to pay attention to him.
"Xiao Mei is not comparable to this."
"Can this hand replace our own hand?"
"It can perform simple actions, such as picking up objects, without any problems. Its grip strength reaches 40 kilograms, so it can pick up heavy objects without any problems."
"40 kilograms?"

Surprised, Nostalgia was eager to move, and tugged at the corner of Duan Huai'an's clothes: "Can I touch it?"

"Sure." Duan Huai'an said, "You can shake hands with it."
"really?"
"Ah."
"It won't break my hand, will it?"
"Don't worry, it won't happen."

In order to let the memories communicate with it, Duan Huaian took out his mobile phone and turned it on.
When the switch is turned on, the robot arm makes a "sizzling" sound of electricity.
Duan Huaian controlled remotely and issued a handshake command.

The robotic arm placed on the storage bracket rotates, and then its five fingers slowly stretch out.
I reached out my hand towards it half doubtfully and put my fingers between its fingers.
then.
Clasp your fingers.

Hua Nian's eyes widened instantly, and he was extremely surprised: "We can really shake hands."
Duan Huai'an's eyes were filled with laughter: "Are you so excited?"
Miss: “It’s amazing.”
Duan Huai'an: "The one who made this - your boyfriend, is even more amazing, isn't he?"

"..."
I can't respond to this.

In silence, someone came over.
The man looked haggard, wearing a pair of black-framed glasses, his eyes were sunken and had dark circles under them. Because he had no time to rest, let alone to tidy up his appearance, his face was untidy.
"You're finally here. I want to tell you--" He paused, then noticed the girl next to Duan Huai'an. He was stunned for several seconds before finally reacting, "Is this your girlfriend?"

Duan Huai'an hummed, but did not introduce them to each other. Instead, he pointed in a certain direction and said to Huai Nian, "That's my office. Go stay there. I might be a little busy tonight and don't have time to take care of you."
"I'm not a child who needs your care." Huai Nian muttered softly, almost talking to herself. She nodded to the person in front of her as a greeting, "Just do your thing, don't worry about me."

After saying that, Huai Nian walked towards Duan Huaian’s office.

Duan Huaian's office is separated by a glass wall. People inside can see outside, but people outside cannot see inside.
Compared with the messy environment outside, his private office is very clean and tidy, with a strong Duan Huaian style.

There was a display cabinet in the office. Nostalgia stopped and glanced at it.
...They are all trophies won by Duan Huaian during his college years.

While she was looking at the trophy, the office door was suddenly pushed open.

I thought it was Duan Huai'an, so I looked in the direction of the voice and unexpectedly met a pair of unfamiliar eyes.
It was the student who just spoke to Duan Huaian.

It is inevitable that two people who meet for the first time will feel awkward when they are in the same situation.

They looked at each other and smiled, but their smiles were dull and indifferent.

The man said, "I left my phone here. I took it and went back to the dormitory."
Nostalgia said calmly: "Yeah."

When the man took the phone, Huai Nian seemed to think of something and suddenly asked him: "Classmate, can I ask you something?"
"What?" The man scratched his head and looked at Huai Nian in confusion.

Huai Nian remembered what he had just said, "Is this your girlfriend?" There was not much surprise in his words, as if instead of being surprised that Duan Huaian had a girlfriend, they were more suddenly enlightened that Duan Huaian's girlfriend looked like this.
She hesitated for a while and asked, "You seem to have known for a long time that Duan Huai'an has a girlfriend."

"Everyone in our R&D team knows about this." The man pushed up his glasses and smiled, "Sometimes when Duan Huai'an sends voice messages to his girlfriend, his tone is extremely cheesy. He is completely different from his usual cold demeanor.

"..." Huai Nian was stunned, "Do you know?"
"correct."
Huai Nian asked seriously, "When did you know?"

"Just a few days after the establishment of the robotic arm R&D team?"
"Isn't it just a short time after freshman year started?"
"Seems to be."

"..."

So, when he entered freshman year, did everyone around Duan Huaian know that he was in a relationship?

Except for nostalgia.
Except for the memory of being his girlfriend.

I miss taking a deep breath.

So Duan Huaian has been in love with her from the very beginning?
(End of this chapter)