Half-baked

34
Duan Huaian was driving when he received the message from Huai Nian.
It happened that the traffic light at the intersection ahead was on for a long time.

When the red light turned green, Huai Nian was still sending him messages. Duan Huai'an turned the steering wheel and slowly drove the car out of the main road and parked it in the parking area with white lines on the roadside downstairs of a nearby building.
After I replied “It’s a secret crush”, there was silence on the other end of the phone, and finally, the call was disconnected.

Duan Huaian didn't call her again. He felt that he needed to give her some time to digest the matter.

Instead of starting the car, he rolled down the window and turned off the car.
There were cigarettes and a lighter in the center console. He took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then lit the lighter.

The green smoke floats lightly, gathering in front of the eyes to form a white fog.

His thoughts seemed to be shrouded in fog. He pushed away the mist and saw the opposite of the present - the past in his memory.

The day of the senior year farewell party.
Duan Huai'an had no intention of attending, as he was not a big fan of group activities. However, Chi Jingting was a person who particularly enjoyed the fun, and he could not join in the fun by himself, so he had to drag Duan Huai'an along.

Chi Jingting deliberately ran to Duan Huaian's house, looking left and right with a sneaky look.
Duan Huai'an frowned: "What are you looking for?"
Chi Jingting said, "Where's your secret crush?"

"..."
Secret crush.
Hearing this name, Duan Huaian raised his eyebrows slightly, and a sharp cold light flashed in his black pupils.

Chi Jingting coughed and immediately changed his words: "Miss you."
"Miss someone?"

"I don't know." Duan Huaian said.

"What do you know?" Chi Jingting complained to him, "I really can't figure it out, are you secretly in love with her, or am I secretly in love with her? But it doesn't matter, buddy will be a good person to the end, and I will definitely reach the end of success in helping you chase your wife."

Duan Huaian was indifferent to his words and looked down at the computer.

Chi Jingting held the mobile phone and typed on the keyboard. After a while, the sound of a mobile phone message alert rang in the bedroom.
"Do you miss taking the bus to the hotel for the teacher appreciation banquet?" Chi Jingting frowned, "Is there a bus stop near your home?"
"Yeah." Duan Huai'an said, "It's about 500 meters outside the community."

"No, didn't she think about going with you in your car?" Chi Jingting asked. After asking, he seemed to remember something, "Didn't you invite her to the teacher appreciation banquet?"
Duan Huai'an: "I'm not participating."

Seeing that he was still calm and indifferent, Chi Jingting threw down his phone, folded his hands over his chest, and said thoughtfully: "I'm afraid you don't know, but I'm telling you this because you've been my good friend for many years."
Duan Huai'an said mercilessly: "You don't have to say it."

Chi Jingting also ruthlessly ignored his opinion and said quickly: "Our class sports committee is preparing to confess to Huai Nian."

"..."

The room fell silent.
The continuous sound of the keyboard suddenly stopped.

In the past, Chi Jingting didn’t know how to govern Duan Huai’an.
Ever since he knew that Duan Huaian fell in love with Huai Nian, Chi Jingting knew very well how to control Duan Huaian.

"In front of the whole class, remember this." Chi Jingting fanned the flames, "Assuming Huai Nian doesn't like the sports committee member, with Huai Nian's temper, she will definitely give that person some face and won't reject him on the spot. Even if she rejects him privately, what if the sports committee member says something ambiguous and makes everyone think that they are in love? Are you really that generous and willing to hear that she is in love with someone else?"

"And this is still a hypothesis. What if the actual situation is that Huai Nian has a crush on the sports committee member? The two of them successfully hold hands in front of the whole class and create a beautiful love story."

As it turned out, Duan Huaian was not so generous.
Even though there were rumors, he hated missing being tied to another boy.
What's more, Chi Jingting said "what if".

just in case.
Miss liking someone else?

Duan Huai'an paused for a few seconds, then stood up and said, "Let's go."

Chi Jingting looked at his aggrieved and forbearing back, couldn't help laughing, and sneered: "You are useless!"

The hotel where the teacher farewell banquet was held was not far from Duan Huaian’s home. It was three bus stops away and less than ten minutes’ drive.
They arrived at the hotel quickly. Chi Jingting and Duan Huaian showed up not too late, so there were still some empty seats.
Chi Jingting looked around and quickly found the table where Huai Nian was sitting. There were people around her, but there were still two empty seats at her table.

Chi Jingting pulled Duan Huaian to sit in the remaining two empty seats.

As luck would have it, Duan Huaian was sitting on the other side of the sports committee member who was about to confess his love to Huai Nian.
Duan Huaian didn't remember the name of the Sports Commissioner at all. He glanced at the Sports Commissioner, who was dark and strong, and subconsciously felt that he would not like this model.

Chi Jingting suddenly leaned close to his ear and said, "His personality is totally inconsistent with his appearance. He is very gentle and patient. Anyway, he has everything that you don't have."

"..."
Duan Huaian thought back to the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, and missed the type of person who answered him.
He pursed his lips and his expression gradually became serious.

His facial features were too sharp, and even when he had no expression on his face, he looked a bit aggressive. Now that he had a gloomy face, he made people feel daunted.

Therefore, at the farewell dinner that night, the classmates clinked glasses with each other, but no one dared to touch Duan Huaian's glass.
Duan Huai'an looked at his deskmate Huai Nian, who was popular and had a good temper, drinking with everyone. His peripheral vision was always on the sports committee member next to him, who was talking to a friend.

"When do you think I should confess my feelings to her?"
"Wait until we finish toasting to the teachers?"
"I think so too. Are you going to confess your feelings here?"
"...That's not the case. It's too high-profile. What if she rejects you?"

"Just refuse if you want. It doesn't matter to me."
"Don't. From now on, when people talk about their high school classmates, they will mention you as the guy who confessed his love to you at the teacher's farewell banquet and was rejected. You have no shame, but as your brother, I have some dignity too."
"I'm really impressed. Okay, then I'll ask her out?"
"If it doesn't work, just break up and then call her back and confess your feelings to her."

"also."

Keep waiting.
Wait until the teacher appreciation banquet is over.

Chi Jingting was half drunk and was helped into the car by his driver.
The driver asked Duan Huai'an: "Master Duan, do I need to take you back first?"
Duan Huai'an kept his eyes on Huai Nian, "No need, I drove here by myself."

in view.
Drunk Huai Nian stood with his good friend, and he was a little unsteady and swaying.
And the sports committee member walked straight towards her.

"Well... nostalgia," the sports committee member scratched his head, "I have a few words to say to you."

I miss the drunken look with red cheeks, tilted head, confused and dazed.
The words that came out of her mouth were not a response to the sports committee member, but a slow call of the name of the person standing in front of her: "Duan Huai'an?"

Duan Huai'an stood between the Sports Committee and Huai Nian. He faced Huai Nian, lowered his eyes, and said in an emotionless voice: "I'm home, Huai Nian."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present fell silent.
The summer heat was dry and the only sound in the air was the chirping of cicadas.

Huai Nian's friend asked in confusion: "Huai Nian, do you live in the same neighborhood as Duan Huai'an?"

Alcohol dissolved her nostalgic rationality into dregs, and she would just answer whatever others said obediently.
Her state after being drunk was actually very normal. She was the same as usual, very obedient and serious.
"Ah."

However, this answer obviously did not satisfy Duan Huai'an. With his black hair hanging down in front of his forehead, he said casually, "We live together."

"..."
Everyone showed a look of astonishment.

Behind him, the sports teacher who was about to confess his love to Huai Nian went blank after hearing these words.

Duan Huai'an stared at Huai Nian and asked, "Can you walk by yourself?"
Huai Nian thought hard and said, "Okay."
Duan Huai'an: "Let's go."

Huai Nian then let go of her friend's hand that was holding her arm and said hello to everyone: "I'm leaving first, be careful on your way back."

She walked slowly and unsteadily.
step.
Two steps.
third step.
He looked like he was about to fall down at any moment.

Duan Huaian couldn't bear to watch it any longer, so he walked up to her and grabbed her arm.
He didn't hold back his strength, and it hurt Hua Nian a little: "Be gentle, it hurts me."
"..." Duan Huai'an paused, and his palm relaxed a little, "Is this okay?"
"Yeah," she said.

Duan Huaian's car was parked in the parking area near the hotel gate.
When I was almost to the car, I was suddenly blocked by a figure.
It was the sports committee member. He panted slightly and said, "Sorry, I want to talk to Huai Nian alone."

Nostalgia remembered: "Yes, you just said that you wanted to talk to me. What did you want to say?"

The sports committee member looked at Duan Huai'an and asked, "Can you please go away for a moment?"
"No." Duan Huaian was very disrespectful.
"..."

"Duan Huai'an." Huai Nian tried to pull her arm back from his hand several times, but to no avail. Perhaps because she drank too much, the alcohol made her forget the difference in status between her and Duan Huai'an. At this moment, she treated Duan Huai'an as an ordinary classmate. She said, "This classmate wants to talk to me. Can you go over there first?"

"I said no." Duan Huaian showed no mercy to Huai Nian.
"Why?" "Because I don't want to see you alone with other boys." Duan Huaian's tone was extremely cold.

I missed the sound of his lips moving, but my brain felt like it was rusty and I couldn't figure out the reason for his words.
In the end, she could only utter: "Why are you so stingy?"

In her drunken nostalgic cognition, Duan Huai'an's words sounded like something a friend would say when they were jealous of her going out to hang out with another friend. That's why she blurted out "stingy".
However, to the Sports Committee member, these words sounded like a complaint between lovers, especially since there was a hint of coquettishness in her tone.
Combined with what Duan Huaian said, they live together.

The sports committee member was incredulous: "When did you two get together? Didn't you have no relationship at school? I saw that you two had never said anything to each other?"

Duan Huaian has always been too lazy to talk to others, let alone explain things to others.
He simply ignored the other person, dragged Hua Nian past the man, and walked to the car.
The passenger door opened, and he asked Huai Nian: "Can I get in?"
Nostalgia said, “Okay.”

The car body was very high, and Huaiang slowly climbed into the passenger seat and sat down.

Duan Huaian closed the car door.
He didn't have time to deal with irrelevant people, not to mention that he was annoyed by the sports committee member who wanted to confess to Huai Nian, so it would be a good thing if he didn't punch him a few times on the spot.

As he got into the driver's seat and was about to start the car, he noticed that Huai Nian beside him was not wearing a seat belt.
He let go of the steering wheel and looked towards Nostalgia.
She sat very upright, the standard elementary school student posture, with her back straight, her hands on her knees, looking very serious as if she was in class.

"..." Duan Huai'an's tense nerves all night long relaxed at this moment, and a smile slipped out of the corners of his lips, "Don't you want to wear a seat belt?"

"Ah?" Huai Nian looked at him hesitantly, and then, very annoyed, "Why did I forget to fasten my seat belt?"
As she spoke, she pulled the seat belt hanging in the air with her right hand, pulled it to the left side of her body, and looked for the buckle of the seat belt.
The light inside the car was dim, and Huai Nian tried several times to fasten the seat belt but failed.

With a mist in her eyes, she asked Duan Huai'an for help: "Can you help me put it on?"
After a two-second pause, he added, "Don't be so stingy."

"..." Duan Huai'an glanced at her with a look of aggrieved expression. He took the seat belt buckle from her hand with his right hand, pointed it at the snap, and easily inserted it to buckle the seat belt.
After finishing it, Duan Huai'an stared at the buckle of the seat belt and was silent for a while. He lowered his voice and said, "So, the gentle boy you like is him?"

It was very quiet in the car.
It was so quiet that you could hear the faint sound of breathing.

Duan Huaian waited for a long time, but did not get any reply from Huainian.
When he raised his eyes, he found that she had already fallen asleep heartlessly.

It might be a good thing for him to fall asleep and not get an answer.

Duan Huaian raised the corner of his mouth in a self-deprecating arc, and after a while, he started the car and went home.

It's past nine o'clock at night.
There are only three people in the villa where Duan Huai'an lives, in addition to the two of them, there is also his mother Huai Yanjun who he misses. Huai Yanjun has a regular schedule and goes to bed at nine o'clock every night.

The villa was quiet, with only the corridor lights emitting a dim and ambiguous light.

Duan Huaian called Huai Nian several times, but she didn't wake up.
So he got out of the car, walked around to the passenger seat, opened the door, and when he was about to carry her out of the car, he found the seat belt tied in front of her, so he bent down again, covered her upper body, and reached out to press the seat belt buckle.

When the "click" sound was heard, the face she missed brushed past her ear, and he could feel her warm breath.
"what are you doing?"
Suddenly, nostalgia spoke.

Duan Huaian subconsciously turned his head to look at her.
He hadn't realized until this moment how close they were.
They could see each other's distinct, curled and thick eyelashes, and every time the eyelashes trembled up and down, it seemed to lightly sweep across each other's eyes. They could also feel each other's warm breath, which fell on each other's faces, and then they were wrapped in each other's breath, and their bodies and minds were immersed in it, unable to extricate themselves.

Duan Huai'an's eyes gradually darkened as he hid in the shadows. He could hardly suppress the lust in his body. His Adam's apple rolled and his voice was hoarse: "I miss you."

Nostalgia shrank his neck.

Duan Huai'an asked her: "Do you remember the time I kissed you?"
Nostalgia said: "Remember."
Duan Huai'an asked again: "Who took the initiative that time?"

Huai Nian frowned and thought, perhaps the alcohol made her forget what happened that day, or perhaps it was too difficult for her to speak. After all, after the kiss that night, Huai Nian had been avoiding Duan Huai'an.
She said, “…I forgot.”

"It's okay," he said with a smile full of tenderness, a tenderness that he had never seen before, like an illusion that only existed in a dream, "I forgot that time, it's okay."
"This time, remember this."
"I took the initiative to kiss you."

After he finished speaking, Duan Huaian didn't give Huai Nian any chance to think, he leaned over and kissed her.

The air was filled with the fragrance of unknown flowers, and the hot kiss was like a summer heat wave, coming in droves and difficult to retreat.

From the car, to the living room, and finally to his bedroom.

……

A cigarette burns to the end.
Duan Huaian felt the burning sensation on his fingertips holding the cigarette, and he suddenly came back to his senses.

In late spring, the night breeze is mixed with a bit of early summer heat.
Passersby kept coming and going, and Duan Huai'an's facial features were immersed in the neon shadows, making up an extremely cold face. He rarely recalled the past, after all, to him, the past was not worth mentioning, and the present and the future were the most important.

This is the first time.
he asked himself.

When he woke up the next day and faced the nostalgia, he was full of lies.
Feeling guilty?
Regret?
Duan Huaian lowered his head and lit another cigarette. His eyebrows slightly raised, he glanced around casually, and suddenly locked his eyes on the person across the street.

He didn't expect to meet Huai Nian here.

Huai Nian did not see Duan Huaian.
It was Jing Yue again. She said, "That G-Class looks similar to the G-Class your Duan Huai'an drives."
Huai Nian then looked in the direction Jing Yue pointed, and found Duan Huaian in the driver's seat.

The other three also saw Duan Huai'an and attacked him: "You knew that the three of us were single, but you secretly asked your boyfriend to pick us up? You showed off your affection and nostalgia in front of us. I finally understand what the most vicious woman's heart is."
"..." Huai Nian shook his head, "I didn't ask him to pick me up."

"Then why is he here? People who are destined to meet are destined to meet, right?" Xu Fu returned home disappointed after flirting with someone tonight. She didn't like everyone, and she disliked men and young couples even more.
Just then the car she called arrived. Jing Yue and Zhu Yutong got in first. Xu Fu glared at Huai Nian and said, "Go make out with your precious boyfriend. Damn this love."

"..."

The car door was ruthlessly closed in the face of nostalgia.

I missed the laughter.
After the online-hailing car in front of him left, Huai Nian looked towards Duan Huaian.
There is no zebra crossing here, and the cars passing by are driving very slowly. While there are no cars passing by, Huai Nian runs towards Duan Huai'an.

He looked at her figure getting closer and closer to him, and a clear and definite answer came to his mind.
He has no regrets.
Even less guilty.
He fell in love with her and he was greedy for her, so he couldn't be a gentleman.
-
Sitting in the car, Huai Nian panted slightly, and asked him while fastening his seat belt: "Why did you come back? Aren't you staying over there overnight?"
"There's nothing good about staying there." Duan Huaian started the car and returned to the community where they lived.
"Didn't Aunt Cheng say anything about you?"
Duan Huai'an said: "She fell asleep as soon as she got home."

In other words, Cheng Songyue didn't know that Duan Huaian had returned.
Nostalgia: "When she wakes up, she will definitely call you and scold you."
Duan Huai'an: "I'm too lazy to answer."

The two of them tacitly avoided the content of the phone call just now.

They arrived home quickly. Both of them had classes the next morning, so Duan Huaian was extra well-behaved tonight. Even when Huai Nian was taking a shower, he didn't even squeeze into the shower room to take a shower with her.
After taking a shower, it was already eleven o'clock, just in time for bed.
She crawled into bed and fell asleep soon after. She had no recollection of when Duan Huaian finished his shower and went to bed.

the next day.
She was woken by the ringing of her cell phone.
The cell phone kept ringing. Huai Nian was too sleepy to open his eyes, and his hands were groping for the phone aimlessly.
Finally, I found the cell phone on the bedside table.

She squinted her eyes and saw only a phone number on the phone screen. There was no note. She pressed the answer button and said politely, "Hello."

"..."
"Hello."
"..."
Still no one answered.

Huai Nian thought he had dialed the wrong number and wanted to hang up the call.
But the next second, a voice came from the receiver, "Excuse me, is this Duan Huai'an's phone?"

It's a female voice.
The voice is familiar.
I seem to have heard it somewhere.

"Well, don't misunderstand me," the visitor explained, "I am Duan Huai'an's mother, not the mistress who interferes with your relationship."

"..."

Of course she was familiar with this voice.
It’s Duan Huaian’s mother, Cheng Songyue.

(End of this chapter)