46 Do You Want a Hug?

Nan Ge was slightly stunned. She did not expect him to take the initiative to ask for a photo to be taken with her.

But then again, the two of them were already friends.

What was wrong with watching a concert with friends and taking a photo together as a memento?

Was there a problem?

There was no such thing at all!

The more Nan Ge thought about it, the more justified she felt.

She quickly convinced herself and nodded. “Okay!”

The concert reached its climax. The beautiful lights on the stage slowly swept across the entire venue accompanied by cheers.

Using this as the background, Nan Ge looked at the camera and smiled sweetly. She raised her hand and made a “V” sign. “Yay!”

Looking at the figure in the camera, Shen Yanqing subconsciously turned his head and looked at the baby penguin beside him.

With a soft click, the image froze.

The concert was a success. When it ended, everyone was reluctant to leave. After a long time, they slowly walked out.

In a venue with 80,000 people, everyone rushed out at the same time. There were already hundreds of orders on the taxi app, and the road outside the venue was a little congested.

Nan Ge was glad that she did not drive over.

It was not too late. She could still get the last ride via bus or subway.

After coming out with Shen Yanqing, Nan Ge wrapped her coat tightly around her and asked him, “How are you going back?”

“The car is in front.” Shen Yanqing raised his chin and gestured for her to look at the parking lot opposite.

“I see.” Nan Ge saw the familiar license plate.

Shen Yanqing took another step forward and thought of something. “Are you still thinking about going back by yourself?”

Nan Ge, who had just opened the map. “..”

Her expression said everything. Shen Yanqing felt that he could more or less understand Nan Ge’s thoughts now.

“How could I let you go back alone at this time of the night?” he said with a smile. “Am I such a jerk in your eyes?”

Nan Ge’s pupils constricted and she suddenly shook her head. “No, no, no. I just feel that it’s out of the way for you.”

“It’s not very far.” Shen Yanqing opened the front passenger seat and placed one hand on the door. He turned sideways and pretended to be deep in thought. “I don’t think I’ve seen the night scenery of Huai City in a long time. I can take the opportunity to look around when driving you there this time.”

“I..”

“Okay, time to get in the car, Baby Penguin.”

“!”

——

At the entrance of the restaurant, Nan Ge rummaged through her bag and finally found the key at the bottom. “I was scared to death. I thought I lost the key too.”

As she opened the door, she muttered to herself, “There seem to be only two keys to the restaurant. If I lose them, I’ll really sleep on the streets tonight.”

“You won’t have to resort to sleeping on the streets.” Shen Yanqing turned on the lights for her. “I can still take you in for the time being.”

“No, no.” Nan Ge put down her bag and poured him some water. “I always cause you trouble.”

She put down the cup and looked at the time on the wall. A cry of surprise escaped her lips. “It’s so late.”

“Are you hungry?”

Shen Yanqing understood immediately.

It did not matter if he was hungry. What was important was that the baby penguin seemed to be hungry.

He glanced at the clock from the corner of his eye. It was almost 11:30 pm and they had just finished watching the concert. It was time for Baby Penguin to eat something.

Hence, he played along. “A little.”

“Then, shall I cook something for you?” historical

“You know how to cook?” Shen Yanqing was a little surprised.

This time, Nan Ge did not agree immediately. She scratched her head and did not dare to be blindly confident. She said conservatively, “Just a little.”

In her memory, on her brother’s birthday, she made him a bowl of longevity noodles. Then, the next year, she made some desserts.

It did not look good, but her brother said that the taste was alright.

However, later on, her brother said that she worked too hard every time she cooked. He was also afraid that she would hurt herself and told her not to cook next time.

Hence, it had been four to five years since she entered the kitchen twice.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll go see what’s in the kitchen and make some.”

She looked eager to try.

Shen Yanqing said, “Sure.”

——

While Nan Ge was cooking, Shen Yanqing found an empty seat in the dining hall and sat down.

He opened WeChat and some blessings popped up one after another.

Father: [Why aren’t you back today?]

[Is it so busy at the company? Aren’t you going to rest on New Year’s Eve?]

[Have you eaten dinner tonight? Why don’t I get someone to send some to the company?]

...

[Don’t work so much overtime. Don’t torture your body just because you’re young. You’re almost 30 years old after the New Year. You are no longer as strong as before.]

Shen Yanqing browsed through the notifications from top to bottom and reached out to rub his eyebrows.

Previously, he was not very sensitive to his age, nor did he think that he was very old.

Of course, compared to people new to the workforce, he was naturally not young. However, he did not feel that he was old enough to need to pay attention to everything.

He did not work overtime every day and exercised on time every week.

However, in the past few days, the topic of age had been brought up from time to time, causing him to doubt himself.

Soon, a new message came. It was from his father again.

[I’ve saved food for you in the kitchen. Aren’t you coming back soon? Don’t you know what time it is?]

After a cursory glance, Shen Yanqing typed a reply. [It’s too late today. I won’t be going back first.]

It took a while for the other party to reply. [Alright, remember to eat dinner.]

After a pause, his father sent another message. [Are you still going to your mother’s place for the New Year this year?]

...

Seeing this message, the light in the man’s eyes dimmed for a moment.

Shen Yanqing rarely showed such an expression, and he rarely felt conflicted.

He kept editing the message and changing it. In the end, there was only one word: [No.]

[Alright then. Remember to return to the old residence soon for the holidays when you’re done.]

[Yeah.]

After replying, he heaved a long sigh of relief.

The man lowered his head. The spotlight on the wall hit his back from the side, bending his figure.

He sat there alone, not moving for a long time.

Like a lost and helpless large dog, it seemed to have lost its direction.

Not far away, a familiar voice sounded. “President Shen, come on! I cooked noodles! They look great!”

Shen Yanqing looked up, his eyes filled with confusion.

Nan Ge came over with a tray and placed one of the bowls of noodles in front of him. She handed him the cutlery. “Here, try it!”

He was looking at her without moving, his eyes under the glasses seemed very dark. They were turbid and deep, making it impossible to see clearly.

Nan Ge thought that he did not want to eat, so she explained in embarrassment, “There were other ingredients in the kitchen, but after looking around, I don’t think I can make anything with those.”

“Noodles were easier. Besides, I’ve made these before, so I’m a little confident.”

The man reacted and shook his head gently. “Looks pretty good.”

In the end, he even smiled.

Nan Ge stood opposite him and watched him pick up his chopsticks mechanically.

After observing for a few seconds, she slowly squatted down and leaned on the table. She held her face and kept her eyes level with his. “Are you unhappy? Do you want a hug?”