Chapter 121: The Ditz

Zhao Yan was completely bewildered by Huang Guolun. The tone of his speech made him sound like a man in his sixties or seventies, not at all like a man in the prime of his thirties.

"Teacher Huang," Zhao Yan asked gently, "if my family's information is correct, you should only be three years older than me, turning thirty this year, right?"

Huang Guolun nodded, took a sip of tea with a bitter smile, and sighed inwardly. Perhaps it was the intensity of his experiences, or perhaps that little rascal Huang Tao was simply too draining on his brain cells, but the past few years had truly made him feel as if he had aged ten or twenty years. Especially over the last year, Huang Tao's rapid growth made Huang Guolun feel as though he were aging just as quickly. Huang Tao had grown from three to four, but it felt as if twenty years had passed rather than one. The things that boy did were beyond the reach of many twenty-four-year-old men.

Accompanying Huang Tao through his growth and battles, Huang Guolun felt as if he aged twenty years for every year that passed. Most of his time was spent wrestling with the boy. Forget about arguing with others; he no longer had the energy to pursue his hobbies. Things like traveling to collect musical instruments or watching movies in his spare time—all those personal moments had been squeezed out of his life. He was living entirely for his child. He didn't know if that was a blessing or a tragedy.

Sipping his bitter tea, Huang Guolun said to Zhao Yan, "I am thirty, that's correct. But between the trouble my son puts me through, I feel like I've already entered my twilight years, haha."

Zhao Yan looked surprised. "Is it really that exaggerated? I heard from Zhao Jing that your son is quite interesting."

"Outsiders think he's interesting, but once you're his parent, you start to worry about his development. A lot of the things he does aren't quite so amusing." Huang Guolun sighed, then added with a calm composure, "When we get the chance, I'll bring him to your shop so you can see for yourself. Once you meet him, you'll know exactly how much of a handful he is."

Zhao Yan was amused by Huang Guolun. "You're exaggerating about your son. I'm actually really looking forward to meeting little Huang Tao."

"Well, you definitely need to meet him. After you do, you should seriously consider whether you still want to continue this journey with me." Huang Guolun offered a preemptive warning: "That kid is not easy to handle."

Zhao Yan’s girlish heart was stirred by Huang Guolun’s words. Her round cheeks flushed slightly, and looking into his eyes, she asked softly, "Do you mean... you're willing to keep seeing where this goes with me?"

Huang Guolun replied candidly, "That is my intention, though I don't know what you think. After getting to know you during this time, I feel our values are quite aligned. We see many things the same way, don't you think?"

"I think we're quite similar, too," Zhao Yan nodded, her heart racing, her face full of delight.

"We've talked about me for a long time, let's talk about you," Huang Guolun asked in return. "What is your ideal type?"

Zhao Yan looked a bit confused. "I don't really know what my ideal type is. As long as the feeling is right, I suppose. But one thing is certain: I want my partner to be a man with substance and a sense of responsibility."

She took a small spoonful of mango pomelo sago, the sweetness lingering on her tongue and in her heart. She glanced up at Huang Guolun and whispered, "I've listened to many of your songs lately, Teacher Huang. I think you have plenty of substance, and you're very responsible."

This was practically a confession. Huang Guolun smiled warmly and said softly, "Thank you."

The atmosphere was pleasant, and Zhao Yan grew bolder, taking the initiative: "I hope we can continue to see where this goes."

Huang Guolun reaffirmed his stance: "That is my intention as well."

As they reached this point, the air should have grown more intimate, but suddenly, both of them seemed to turn sluggish, unsure of what to say next. Perhaps both had little experience in romance or hadn't dated in so long that when they reached the crucial moment, they didn't know how to proceed. A sudden silence fell over the dining table. They both took a few bites of food to fill the awkward void. When they inadvertently made eye contact, they both ended up laughing.

Huang Guolun spoke first: "I've been on blind dates before, but I've never had the experience of actually continuing to see someone afterward."

"Me neither. I never thought the blind date format was very reliable, until... I met you." Zhao Yan’s voice grew quieter as she spoke; had Huang Guolun not had exceptionally good hearing, he likely wouldn't have caught the last part.

It was this subtle atmosphere that ignited a long-dormant passion in Huang Guolun’s heart. This wasn't the kind of headstrong, impulsive passion he had felt when he first met Chen Jia—a feeling that made him want to conquer the world for her. But it was a genuine romantic spark, one that made him willing to grow closer to Zhao Yan and eager to introduce her to Huang Tao sooner, to see if she could pass that ultimate test.

Regardless of who she was, if someone were to date him with marriage in mind, they had to overcome the hurdle of Huang Tao. Otherwise, no matter how much Huang Guolun liked them, they would struggle to build a life together. Even if they did, the future would not be peaceful, and it wouldn't be fair to either party. Especially for the woman; if she couldn't win Huang Tao’s approval, life would be too miserable. Huang Guolun was convinced that the little rascal had the ability to drive away any potential new mother he didn't like. For the woman's sake, he had to ensure she passed the test first.

Zhao Yan understood Huang Guolun’s situation and was empathetic toward his devotion as a father. She was actually quite eager to meet Huang Tao. She understood the reality that to be with Huang Guolun, she had to clear the "Huang Tao" hurdle.

From then on, they chatted about many happy topics in a harmonious, kindred spirit. Huang Guolun shared Huang Tao’s legendary history of mischief, making Zhao Yan laugh uncontrollably. Zhao Yan also shared her hobbies and the things she loved. To Huang Guolun’s slight surprise, he had expected her to be an intensely "petit-bourgeois" literary girl, given that she had studied in the UK and traveled across almost all of Europe in her spare time, taking photos of countless libraries and cathedrals.

But the real Zhao Yan wasn't particularly keen on opera or symphonies, and she certainly didn't like those dull, stream-of-consciousness art films. She appreciated them, but she preferred romantic films, even the literary ones. Not only was she not averse to popcorn movies, she loved going to the cinema to kill time with them. She didn't mind idol dramas or reality talent shows, either. Shows like *The Voice of China* or *Super Boy* were must-watches for her; she would cheer for her favorite contestants to advance and feel heartbroken when they were eliminated. She was a sentimental girl, as well as a simple and optimistic one.

While studying in the UK, she spent most of her free time queuing for Hollywood blockbusters with popcorn in hand, bargain-hunting in shopping malls, and traveling with a superficial enthusiasm—seeing any oil painting, sculpture, or building would make her eyes shine as she exclaimed with genuine emotion, "How amazing!" She insisted on her own taste and artistic appreciation, though deep down she knew she didn't have much of either; she just loved the simple, dreamy feeling of being "refined." You could call her a literary girl, and she certainly was one when the mood struck her, but most of the time, she was more of a "silly husky" masquerading as a literary soul.

Perhaps the timing of their meeting had been poor, with Zhao Yan facing the closure of her failing café and a crumbling personal life, which made her seem perpetually worried. But after opening up to Huang Guolun that afternoon, the hidden "husky" side of her personality began to show, which only made her feel more endearing to him. Huang Guolun had initially been a bit wary of the "literary girl" disease, but discovering that she preferred a life filled with laughter made him feel that they were even more compatible than he had imagined.

Throughout the meal, Zhao Yan laughed at Huang Tao’s antics, and Huang Guolun laughed at Zhao Yan’s "husky" experiences. By the end, their cheeks were aching from the laughter. The meal had rapidly bridged the gap between them.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Zhao Yan was still talking to him: "If the shop can stay open until next May, when the locust flowers bloom again, I’ll definitely invite you and Taozi to eat my homemade 'May Locust Flower Fragrance' pizza. It’s delicious."

During the meal, she had told him about how the row of old locust trees in front of her shop had blossomed in full glory that May, and when the wind blew, the petals fell like snowflakes. At the time, she was struggling to come up with new menu items, and seeing the abundance of flowers, she had a flash of inspiration and created the locust flower pizza, which became quite popular. Her enthusiasm had been ignited; she led her staff to pluck every flower from the trees on the street, even inventing a bamboo pole with a hook to reach them, impulsively wanting to harvest every locust flower in the entire Houhai area.

The result was predictable: before she had finished a few trees, the city management officers invited her for a "chat" at their office, eventually fining her. It was quite embarrassing. She promised that next May, she wouldn't pluck the street trees; she would buy fresh flowers instead to make the pizza for them.

Huang Guolun replied happily, "I'll be looking forward to that pizza. Taozi loves it the most. If you can win over his taste buds, that little guy will absolutely adore you."

Zhao Yan beamed. "That's easy! I might not be good at other things, but researching desserts and developing recipes is my specialty!"