Chapter 73: Formal Confession, Chief-Style Romance

That fleeting, tentative kiss, like a pebble dropped into a tranquil lake, stirred ripples in Su Wanqing's heart that wouldn't subside for a long time. She fled back to her room, her back against the cold door, her heart still pounding, her cheeks burning as if they were on fire. The brief, yet searing touch of his lips, like a brand, was a recurring reminder of what had just happened.

He didn't reject her approach... he even... kissed her?

Though it was only a light touch, it was enough to overturn all her perceptions. That cold, overbearing man, who had even hurt her so deeply with his words, could actually reveal such a... clumsy and nervous side?

A huge sense of shame and an indescribable, secret joy intertwined, leaving her feeling utterly confused. She tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep. It was always quiet outside the door; he didn't knock, and there was no movement. This made her feel relieved, but also a faint sense of inexplicable... loss?

The next day, Su Wanqing walked out of the room with dark circles under her eyes. She felt a little uneasy, unsure how to face Huo Tingxiao. After that kiss last night, their relationship seemed to have entered a new, more subtle, and heart-pounding phase.

However, Huo Tingxiao's reaction was beyond her expectations.

He looked... normal.

During breakfast, he still sat opposite her in silence, eating with quick movements. Only when she occasionally raised her eyes to peek, she would catch a quick, deep look in his eyes. But when she wanted to confirm, he had already looked away, and there seemed to be a barely perceptible blush at the base of his ears.

He didn't mention what happened last night, there were no further intimate actions, not even any extra words. It was as if the kiss was just an accident, an insignificant episode.

This "normality" only made Su Wanqing even more confused and... uneasy. Could it be... that he really regretted it? Or was it really just a momentary impulse?

Huo Tingxiao spent the entire day in his study, handling official business. The atmosphere was strangely quiet. Su Wanqing tried hard to focus on her book, but her thoughts kept drifting to the closed door.

In the evening, Huo Tingxiao finally emerged from his study. He had changed into a neatly ironed suit and looked like he was about to go out.

"I have an emergency meeting tonight, so I won't be home for dinner." He walked to the entrance, changed his shoes, and told her in a flat tone without looking at her.

"...Oh, okay." Su Wanqing replied softly, the faint hope in her heart quietly extinguished, and a slight bitterness emerged. As expected... Was she overthinking it?

Huo Tingxiao changed his shoes and stood up. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but eventually turned his head and quickly scanned her face. His voice remained flat, "You...eat by yourself and get some rest."

After saying that, he turned around, opened the door, and strode away.

Listening to the car engine revving away downstairs, Su Wanqing stood alone in the empty living room, feeling empty inside. An indescribable sense of disappointment and grievance crept in. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the emotion and telling herself not to let her thoughts wander.

She ate a simple meal, washed up, and returned to her bedroom early. She lay on the bed, but she couldn't fall asleep at all. She stared at the ceiling with her eyes open, her mind in a mess.

She didn't know how long it had been, but just when she was about to fall asleep, her cell phone suddenly vibrated.

She picked it up and saw that it was a text message from Huo Tingxiao, with only three short words:

【Go downstairs.】

Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, and she snapped out of it. Coming downstairs? Now? He was back? But...why was he texting? Why didn't he just come up?

She hesitated for a moment, then lifted the quilt, put on a coat, and walked down the stairs gently with trepidation and a hint of inexplicable expectation.

The living room was pitch black, with only the hazy moonlight coming in from the window, outlining the vague outlines of the furniture.

He's not in now?

Su Wanqing was wondering when suddenly, the glass door leading to the courtyard balcony was gently pushed open from the outside.

Huo Tingxiao's tall figure appeared at the door, his back to the moonlight, and his expression could not be seen clearly.

"Come here." He whispered, his voice was particularly clear in the silent night, with a hint of unquestionable meaning.

Su Wanqing's heartbeat involuntarily quickened, and she walked over as she was told.

When she walked to the balcony door, she was stunned for a moment, her eyes wide open in surprise——

The previously empty balcony now held a small folding table and two chairs. On the tabletop sat an open jewelry box. Inside wasn't the dazzling diamonds or jewels she'd imagined, but a simple, metallic military badge.

Next to the badge was a thick, aged-looking brown paper document bag.

What shocked her most was that on the balcony floor, countless tiny bullet shells, gleaming faintly silver in the moonlight, were paved with two simple yet incredibly clear characters:

【Feel sorry】

And an arrow pointing to the table with the badge and the briefcase.

Su Wanqing was completely stunned. Her heart felt like something was gripping her tightly, and her breathing stopped for a moment! What…what was this?! An apology made of bullet shells? And that badge and that document bag…

Huo Tingxiao stood aside, the moonlight outlining his cold, yet slightly tense profile. His eyes, deep as the night, stared at her intently, as if observing her reaction. His jawline was tense, clearly indicating that this "arrangement" was by no means easy for him.

He took a deep breath, walked to the table, picked up the jewelry box, and handed it to Su Wanqing. His voice was low and solemn, with the directness and... clumsiness that are unique to soldiers:

"This badge is the highest honor bestowed upon me after Operation Thunderbolt. It represents all my past responsibilities, sacrifices, and... the indelible pain." His eyes were calm and serious. "Now, I hand it over to you."

Su Wanqing's heart trembled. She looked at him in disbelief, then at the badge, which shone with a heavy luster in the moonlight. Of course she knew what it meant to him! It was practically a symbol of half his life and all his glory! And he actually... wanted to give it to her?!

Before she could digest this information, Huo Tingxiao picked up the thick brown paper document bag and handed it to her. His voice became even deeper, even with a barely perceptible hoarseness:

"Inside this document bag are all the asset certificates, share certificates, and...a copy of my will."

Su Wanqing's hands trembled violently, and she almost didn't dare to take it! A will?! He...

Huo Tingxiao's eyes locked onto her, his expression frank and sincere, almost with a resolute determination. "From today on, all my property will be handed over to you for safekeeping. If anything happens to me, everything I have will be yours to inherit and control."

He paused, his eyes scanning the cold bullet casings on the ground that spelled out the word "Sorry." His voice was filled with heavy and sincere regret. "I know that past misdeeds and hurtful words can't be erased with a simple 'I'm sorry.' These... are the most practical apologies and... assurances I can think of."

Finally, he took a step forward and stood before her, his tall figure almost completely overshadowing her. His gaze was no longer cold, but filled with unprecedented seriousness and... a solemnity that bordered on piety. He looked at her and spoke slowly and clearly, word by word:

"Su Wanqing, I'm not good at sweet talk, and I don't understand those romantic things."

"All I can give you is this—my past (badge), my present (property), my future (will), and... my life (shell apology)."

"Maybe this is stupid and ridiculous, but... this is all I can think of."

His voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the silent night sky. Every word struck Su Wanqing's heart like a heavy hammer:

"I was the bastard before, I was blind, I was the one who let you down."

"From now on, I won't let you suffer any injustice again."

"You are my wife now, forever, and for the rest of my life."

"so……"

He took a deep breath, as if he had exhausted all his strength, stared at her with burning eyes, and asked the simplest, yet most weighty question:

"Do you...still want...me?"

The moonlight, like water, quietly sprinkled on the balcony, illuminating the cold bullet-shell oath, the heavy badge of honor, the document representing his entire wealth and life, and... the man in front of her, who offered everything to her in the most clumsy and "Huo Tingxiao" way and was waiting for trial.

No flowers, no candlelight, no sweet words.

There were only cold bullet shells, heavy badges, and a property document that was almost a life-or-death trust.

This confession was so hardcore that it was suffocating, so overbearing that it could not be refused, yet... so sincere and clumsy that it made one's heart tremble and eyes burn.

This was Huo Tingxiao's kind of romance. A soldier's most direct, thorough, and also the most burdensome...love and commitment.

Su Wanqing stared blankly at everything in front of her, looking at the man who had pulled her back from hell to earth, cleared all obstacles for her, and now stood in front of her like a soldier waiting for the final judgment. The huge shock and surging emotion instantly overwhelmed her like a tsunami!

Tears welled up in my eyes without warning and rolled down my cheeks.

She finally understood that his silence last night and his "normality" today were not regret or retreat, but a silent preparation for all this! He was using the most extreme way he could think of to apologize to her, confess his love to her, and make a lifelong commitment to her!

She looked at his nervous and serious eyes, his slightly tense jaw, and the extremely heavy "gift" in his hand... All the grievances, uneasiness and hesitation in her heart completely dissipated at this moment, turning into surging love and heartache.

She nodded vigorously, tears falling even harder, her voice choked but incredibly clear:

"want!"

"I want!"

Hearing her answer, Huo Tingxiao's tense body relaxed almost imperceptibly. The barely perceptible tension and uneasiness deep in his eyes finally dissipated completely, transforming into a bottomless, surging tenderness and relief.

He reached out his hand, not to take those things back, but to gently hold her in his arms.

This hug was no longer filled with temptation and hesitation, but was instead filled with the joy of regaining what was lost and the peace of mind that everything was settled.

Under the moonlight, the bullet casings flicker with a cold light, the badges carry glory and pain, and the documents carry the present and the future.

The two people hugging each other finally overcame all barriers and pains and truly and completely belonged to each other.

A chief-style romance, clumsy but sincere.

At this point, their hearts are completely connected and there is no more haze.