Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 880 - 705: Missed Chance

The scene was incredibly awkward at one point.

Huai Shi stood there, dumbfounded, unable to react. He couldn’t understand why Shenjin Qing, a proper Chef Demon, would come to a Tanbo Inner Circle izakaya.

Moreover, it seemed like he had painstakingly inquired for quite some time...

Shenjin Qing was no longer concerned with anything else, moving step by step in front of the bar, completely unaware of anyone else’s presence, his eyes fixated solely on the stunned woman.

"Miss A Tao, it really is you, really is you..." He grasped the lady boss’s hand, nearly crying from excitement: "I finally, finally found you."

A Tao’s hand stiffened for a moment, subconsciously pulled away, and dryly said, "Shen-kun, please calm down, it’s still business hours now."

"Sorry, sorry."

Shenjin Qing finally noticed his loss of composure and quickly stepped back, raising his sleeve to wipe his reddened eyes, revealing a serious and sincere expression.

Again, he stepped back, bowed, and kneeled on the ground, deeply lowering his head.

"I know showing up suddenly will trouble you, but I beg you to accept my apology." He bowed his head, earnestly pleading: "Please forgive my sudden disappearance last time, and please... please give me another chance."

"This is my lifelong request, Miss A Tao!"

He raised his head, gazing into her eyes, loudly saying, "Let us start anew, A Tao, this time I absolutely won’t let you leave my side!"

Gathering courage, he spoke the words he should’ve said long ago: "For a very, very long time, I’ve admired you, please, please marry me!"

Huai Shi felt like he could barely hold his cup anymore.

This mouthful was just way too big, leaving him a little dumbfounded: What is this guy thinking? Suddenly shows up, without any setup, just out of the blue, proposes?

You’ve been single for so many years for a reason, buddy!

Even childhood friends don’t have stories like this! How could you want to marry someone you’ve not seen for years right after showing up?

If you just ate one less puffer fish, surely you wouldn’t be this reckless?

The first to react wasn’t the lady boss, but the furious fisherman Takahashi beside her.

"You scoundrel, what nonsense are you spouting!"

This burly man couldn’t contain his anger, reaching over to violently drag Shenjin Qing up from the ground, glaring into his face, so furious his hair bristled, growling: "I’ve already heard about it, you’re the stalker asking around about Lady Kinai, daring to confront her!"

Before Shenjin could answer, Takahashi swung a fist, aiming to kill this harasser right here.

Huai Shi quickly reacted, reaching out to grab Takahashi’s arm.

But faster than him was the lady boss.

Uncertain whether to call her Lady Kinai or Miss A Tao, she blocked Shenjin from the impending fight.

"Please don’t do this, it’s my private matter, let me handle it."

"I, I... I’m not..."

Takahashi froze, his face darkening and slowly solidifying, aware of the sincerity in her expression, understanding, resulting in a defeated expression.

He let go.

Returning to his seat, drinking sulkily, looking like a defeated fighting dog.

"Miss A Tao, I knew it... I knew it!" Shenjin gazed at her joyfully: "You have me in your heart, don’t you?"

"I’m very sorry, Shen-kun."

In front of Shenjin, the lady boss repeatedly tried to speak, but ultimately lowered her eyes, politely rejecting: "Thank you for going through so much trouble to find me, it’s wonderful to reunite with an old friend.

But unfortunately, I won’t agree to your request, please go back."

"Why, why? Don’t you understand my feelings for you? It’s because of the child, isn’t it? I don’t mind, it’s fine! I’ll treat her as my own daughter! We can raise her together..."

"You aren’t fit to raise his child!"

This line was filled in by Huai Shi himself — he couldn’t take it anymore, this behavior wasn’t even ridiculous, it was like planting rice in his mouth...

Slapping his forehead, he was on the verge of bursting.

A Tao said nothing, just silently looked at him, slightly shook her head.

Shenjin’s face gradually turned pale.

"Even if the child doesn’t change her name it doesn’t matter, really, I, I..." He pleaded humbly, almost crying: "Don’t you understand my sincerity?"

Unable to hold his tears or sobs any longer.

"I just want to spend my life with Miss A Tao!"

"I’m sorry, Shen-kun, I cannot agree with you."

A Tao bent down, no longer giving any gentle refusals: "But I am already married, have a new family, have new relatives... so please don’t come looking for me anymore."

Speaking, she turned to glance behind her at Takahashi, who was drinking.

Takahashi held a glass, still not comprehending, looking over blankly, failing to grasp her meaning.

In the brief silence, A Tao’s gaze gradually pleaded.

Huai Shi sighed heavily, viciously kicking this idiot’s leg under the table, finally jolting him to his senses, glaring wide-eyed at Shenjin.

"Scoundrel, didn’t you hear her meaning!"

Slamming his hand on the table, Takahashi raised his voice: "Don’t ever let me see you here again!"

In the deathly silence, Shenjin Qing’s figure slowly slumped down.

The light and hope in his eyes gradually faded away.

His face was ashen.

"I-I’m sorry, I, I disturbed you..."

He turned away in embarrassment, staggered off without looking back into the dark night, and disappeared out of sight.

Only the sound of lament came from afar.

A Tao quietly gazed in the direction he left, said nothing more, and after a long, long time, she wiped the corner of her eye, turned around, and forced a smile toward her guests.

"I’m sorry, I made you both laugh... and caused trouble for Mr. Takahashi as well."

"No, no, it’s completely fine with me! I, I..."

Takahashi patted his chest, eyes widened, his face flushed as if wanting to say something, but seeing her calm demeanor, couldn’t utter a word.

He slowly lowered his head in defeat.

"Please bring me another glass of beer."

Huai Shi sighed, passed the beer glass in his hand over, glanced back at the door, and lamented with a hint of helplessness, "I’d say that guy must be a good person."

A Tao shook her head, saying nothing.

Takahashi glared over, motioning him to say less, if it wasn’t for Huai Shi reminding him just now, he might have cursed someone out.

"Just drinking beer isn’t good, there’s some octopus and tofu left, treat it as an apology for the trouble caused to you both."

Behind the cooking counter, the proprietress deftly prepared, quickly serving two plates of snacks.

While she was busy, Huai Shi looked up toward the wall behind the cooking counter, at the photo beside the business license—Kyoto Middle School Painting Contest Silver Award, Kinai Rina.

The little girl in the photo held the trophy, smiling brilliantly.

But her face was slightly pale, and the deliberately lowered sleeve still didn’t cover the bruise on the back of her hand, a mark left from too many intravenous drips, causing the veins to swell.

"Did something happen to that child?"

Huai Shi curiously asked, immediately seeing Takahashi next to him glaring over, hinting not to mention the pot that doesn’t boil.

The proprietress paused for a moment, sighed, shaking her head, "There’s nothing really, that child, like you, is a guest."

Huai Shi instinctively touched the horn on his forehead, having forgotten to cover it while drinking in the private room just now, only now realizing.

"Actually, there’s no need to mind, it’s just something from the past."

The proprietress had already calmed down, taking a cigarette box out of her pocket, asking the two if they minded, then nodded and apologized for the rudeness before lighting up, leaning her head.

"When I was younger and under a lot of pressure, I picked up bad habits. Once you age, it’s hard to quit," she smiled wryly, "anyway, it’s all in the past, isn’t it?"

Huai Shi hesitated for a long time and asked curiously, "Single mothers aren’t that rare, wouldn’t it be good to start again?"

In the silence, he noticed the way both of them looked at him, as if looking at a child clueless about anything.

As if asking—are you really a Yingzhou Person?

Huai Shi was speechless, lifting his hand, slapping his forehead.

He had forgotten about the customs of this damned place...

It was difficult for single mothers to live anywhere, not to mention with a hybrid child.

Lady Kinai, or Miss A Tao, didn’t shy away from past events.

After the age of a little girl, everything became clear.

In her words, it was just something foolish done in youth.

Being deceived by sweet words during her ignorant youth, only to find herself pregnant, and by then, the other person had disappeared overnight with everything they had together.

"When the hospital found out the child was a hybrid, my father was furious, as it was disgraceful and insisted I have an abortion, but it was foolish of me, what guilt does the child bear?"

She smoked, sighing softly, "In truth, everyone knew Shen-kun liked me, he wouldn’t care. My father was his Master, and if ordered, he wouldn’t refuse, but that wouldn’t be fair to Shen-kun, would it? As a result, because of wrongful stubbornness, I was thrown out of the house."

After cutting ties with her family, she worked everywhere, embarrassingly disheveled, but Shen-kun frequently helped, never looking down on her... it really made her feel ashamed.

Here she paused, silent for a long time, and then shrugged with self-mockery, "At a certain age, once things pass, they pass. He is now the head chef of San Tu, with a bright future, someone like me would only weigh him down."

Shenjin, who had long been successful, marrying a woman with a hybrid child would only make them a laughingstock in the eyes of others.

Huai Shi shook his head, trying to console, "As long as you’re willing, he wouldn’t care."

"I care."

Through the candlelight, her eyes were serene and silent, like a Stone.

The last bit of dignity quietly whispered.

I care.

Huai Shi said nothing more, putting away his presumptuous kindness, fulfilling the role of a guest, he finished his drink and turned to go upstairs.

Takahashi was already thoroughly drunk, crying and rambling nonsense, stumbling away alone, by the time Huai Shi and the others came back down, he was nowhere to be seen.

Only the calm proprietress politely saw everyone to the door.

After walking quite far, Huai Shi turned back, seeing the proprietress standing behind the door, taking up a bamboo pole, taking down the lantern at the entrance, and lowered her head to blow it out, turning back inside the shop, and closing the door.

The lights inside gradually went out.

The shop was closed for the day.