Chapter 20 Returns, He Brings Back "Souvenirs"

Qin Meilin's sudden visit and Lin Weiwei's "friendly guest appearance" were like a sudden cold snap. Although Su Wanqing deftly mitigated it, its chilling aftermath lingered for several days. Su Wanqing didn't dare let her guard down. She temporarily put away the small decorations criticized as "tacky," replacing the vases with green plants that wouldn't spread pollen. Life returned to a semblance of calm, but the tension in her heart tightened even more.

She focused even more on her plan. Good news arrived from Xia Xiaoran. Through the help of her classmate at the neighborhood office, she'd contacted a reputable private animal rescue organization, which was willing to send someone to secretly collect the injured puppy from the outskirts of the compound. The time was set for the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. Su Wanqing quietly prepared, feeling both relieved that the puppy had found a home and a touch of frustration at the covert nature of the operation.

She also signed up for an online design course and began studying in the evenings. Her desk was no longer filled with idle prose and novels, but with design software tutorials and sketchbooks. She needed to find a foothold for herself, a sense of worth that belonged to her, independent of the title "Mrs. Huo."

That evening, the sky was gloomy and looked like it was going to rain. Su Wanqing had just finished a video course, rubbed her sore eyes, and was about to go to the kitchen to make something simple.

Suddenly, a familiar, deep and powerful sound of helicopter rotors came from afar, getting closer and closer, and finally disappeared in the direction of the helipad deep in the military area.

She paused, her heart racing uncontrollably.

He is back?

This time it seems to be earlier than expected.

She wasn't as panicked or excited as she had been the first time. She just stood there quietly, listening to the noises outside the window. His return didn't seem to cause any particular ripples in the compound; everything remained in perfect order.

About half an hour later, the sound of a car engine and the sound of a car door opening and closing were heard downstairs.

Su Wanqing took a deep breath, put down the things in her hands, tidied her clothes, and walked down the stairs.

At the entrance, Huo Tingxiao stood with his back to her, bending over to remove his muddy combat boots. He was still dressed in his dark green combat uniform, dusty and tired, his back straight, yet a hint of fatigue barely concealed. The black backpack lay at his feet, bulging and seemingly heavier than when he left.

He heard footsteps but didn't turn around immediately. He only stood up and turned around after changing into slippers.

Their eyes met.

His face was a pale, tired look, and a hint of blue stubble had appeared on his chin, but his eyes remained sharp and deep, like a hawk in the dark night, instantly locking onto her. His gaze darted across her face, as if confirming something, then quickly scanned the living room, noticing the removed decorations and replaced plants. His eyes shifted slightly, almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing.

The air was filled with a familiar, cold scent that belonged to him, mixed with a very faint, indescribable smell of...dust and disinfectant.

"Chief." Su Wanqing spoke first, her tone calm and with her usual aloofness.

"Yeah," Huo Tingxiao replied, his voice a little hoarse. He bent down and picked up the heavy backpack. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and instead of carrying it upstairs as usual, he placed it on the ground next to the cabinet in the hallway.

"Is the mission going well?" Su Wanqing asked, as usual, a formal question of concern. She didn't expect a detailed answer; it was just a necessary procedure to maintain superficial politeness.

Huo Tingxiao paused for a moment. He glanced sideways at her with a complicated expression, as if he hadn't expected her to ask this. He was silent for a few seconds before answering briefly, "Not bad."

Then, he pointed at the backpack on the ground. His tone remained calm, but there seemed to be a subtle... sluggishness in his voice. "There's something in there. You... take care of it."

Deal with it?

Su Wanqing was slightly startled. His backpack usually contained absolutely personal belongings that she was never allowed to touch, not even near. Why would he let her "deal with" them this time?

Huo Tingxiao didn't explain. He walked straight towards the stairs, seemingly preparing to wash up and rest. But when he stepped on the first step, he stopped again. Without looking back, he added in a low voice, "Be careful, don't touch it directly with your hands."

Be careful? Don't touch it with your bare hands?

These words made Su Wanqing's heart tighten suddenly, and a bad premonition quietly rose. What was in that backpack?

She looked at the backpack standing quietly in the corner, covered in dust, then looked at Huo Tingxiao's back as he disappeared around the corner of the stairs. She hesitated for a moment, then finally walked over.

She remembered his words and instead of using her hands, she went to find a pair of housework gloves and put them on.

The buckle of the backpack was unfastened, and a stronger smell of dust and disinfectant mixed with a faint smell of blood hit her face, making Su Wanqing's stomach contract uncomfortably.

She took a deep breath and carefully opened the backpack.

In addition to his spare combat uniform, compressed dry food, water bottle and other regular items, on the top, there was a square hard object tightly wrapped in multiple layers of sealed bags, the outside of which was stained with suspicious stains that had turned dark brown.

Next to the sealed bag, there was actually a small, also sealed transparent box, which seemed to contain... a few green plants that were a little shriveled and covered in mud?

Su Wanqing was completely stunned.

What's this?

She carefully picked up the hard object wrapped in layers of material. Through the sealed bag and gloves, she could feel what looked like a picture frame inside. And those stains...

Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and a shocking guess came to her mind - could that be... dried blood? !

He asked her to deal with this? A bloody... souvenir?

She looked at the box of plants again. A few small, unremarkable green plants, their leaves a bit burnt yellow at the edges, their roots still stained with foreign soil. They were carefully placed in a sealed box, incongruous with the bloodstained package next to them, yet strangely placed together.

A huge doubt and an indescribable chill instantly gripped Su Wanqing.

What had he experienced during this mission? What did these two completely different "souvenirs" represent? Why did he bring them back? And why... did he leave them to her?

She stood there, looking at the two items in her backpack that were full of contradictions and ominous auras, and felt the gloves in her hands become extremely heavy.

Huo Tingxiao's world was far more complicated, more dangerous, and more... difficult to reach than she had imagined.

And his unexpected "sharing" this time was more like a heavy and obscure puzzle that was suddenly placed in front of her.

When he returned, he brought back "souvenirs".

And what kind of thrilling and unspoken words are hidden behind this "souvenir"?

Su Wanqing looked at the stained sealed bag and the box of weak plants, and for the first time she felt so clearly that what separated her from her icy husband was not only indifference and distance, but also an unknown territory filled with smoke and gunpowder that she could not imagine at all.