Chapter 9: Entering the forbidden area, his other side

Huo Tingxiao disappeared again.

That morning, he left with the urgency of a mission, leaving behind no words or follow-up information. Assistant Chen continued to call daily, but the calls were limited to routine inquiries. He made no mention of Huo Tingxiao's whereabouts or mission, as if it were a top-secret secret that needed to be kept absolutely confidential.

Su Wanqing tactfully avoided further questions. She silently dumped the slightly burnt pot of millet porridge and continued with her regular, quiet life. The iceberg's presence, however, had only become more pronounced with that brief, yet impactful, appearance and departure. The house seemed pervasive with the lingering presence of his cold aura and his sense of absolute authority that took precedence over everything else.

It was a sunny afternoon that day. Su Wanqing had been reading in the study for a long time and felt a little stuffy, so she wanted to go downstairs and take a walk in the yard.

The small building had a fairly large yard, surrounded by a low fence and planted with common shrubs and flowers. It was neatly maintained, but not particularly distinctive. She strolled slowly along the cobblestone path, enjoying the rare warm sunshine and breeze.

Suddenly, a slight rustling sound and an extremely faint sound similar to the whimpering of a baby animal came from the corner of the yard.

Su Wanqing paused and listened carefully.

The sound died away again, leaving only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

She thought it was an illusion and was about to move on when the sobbing sound started again, a little clearer than before, with an obvious weakness and pity.

She followed the sound and found a small shed in the corner, made of wooden boards and tarpaulin. It was very inconspicuous and looked like a place to store gardening supplies. The sound came from behind the shed.

She went around to the back of the shed and was slightly stunned by the scene before her.

She saw a small local dog that looked only a few months old curled up in the corner, one of its hind legs bent at an unnatural angle, obviously injured. The wound was covered with mud and blood scabs. It was skinny and dirty, looking at her timidly and pleadingly with a pair of wet black eyes, making a slight whimper.

How did it end up here? And so badly injured? The compound has a special department responsible for managing stray animals, and they usually don't let them wander into the residential area.

Seeing the pitiful and helpless look in the puppy's eyes, Su Wanqing's heart softened. Without hesitation, she immediately turned back to the house, found a clean cardboard box and an old towel, and brought a small bowl of water and some broken bread crumbs.

She carefully carried the puppy into a cardboard box lined with towels. It seemed to know that she was there to help it. It didn't struggle, but just licked her fingers gently, feeling itchy and with complete dependence.

It was very thirsty and licked the water greedily and ate a few mouthfuls of bread crumbs.

Su Wanqing frowned slightly as she looked at the wound on its leg. This injury needed treatment, and there were no medicines at home. She remembered Assistant Chen mentioning a military service center within the compound, where they might have basic medical supplies.

She checked the time and saw she still had time to get there before the service center closed, but carrying the cardboard box was clearly inappropriate.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes scanning the first floor. Huo Tingxiao's study was on the first floor, and she usually never went near it. But at this moment, she needed a place to temporarily house the puppy.

She gently pushed open the study door. The furnishings inside were as cold and simple as ever, spotless. There was a set of cabinets against the wall. She opened the bottom door, one that looked rarely used. It was empty, perfect for placing the cardboard box inside. She closed the door ajar, allowing air to flow in without letting anything get out.

After settling the puppy, Su Wanqing immediately went out and walked quickly towards the service center.

The service center did indeed have a simple medical counter. She described her condition, and the salesperson gave her iodine, cotton swabs, gauze, and a bandage, and kindly reminded her that if the injury was serious, it would be best to see a veterinarian.

After buying things, Su Wanqing hurried back.

When she was still some distance away from her home, her heart suddenly skipped a beat - she saw the familiar black military-licensed Red Flag car parked downstairs.

He is back?

Her pace quickened involuntarily, almost jogging to the door. She inserted the key into the lock and turned it.

The moment the door opened, an extremely cold air pressure hit me in the face.

Huo Tingxiao stood at the entrance, seemingly about to leave, or perhaps just returning from outside. He was still dressed in his neatly tailored uniform, his posture erect as a pine tree, but his expression was colder and more terrifying than ever. His deep eyes, like icy blades, locked precisely on her face and the plastic bag she held with the service agency logo.

Su Wanqing's heart sank instantly. He had discovered it.

Before she could speak, Huo Tingxiao's icy voice came crashing down on her, each word sounding like it had been pulled from an ice cellar: "Have you been to my study?"

His tone was not one of questioning, but rather one of coldness and certainty that bordered on interrogation.

Su Wanqing pursed her lips and tried to explain: "I..."

"You touched my things?" He interrupted her, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, as if he wanted to see through her completely. The oppressive feeling emanating from him made it almost impossible for her to breathe. It was the extreme displeasure and vigilance of someone trespassing on their territory without permission.

"I didn't move anything," Su Wanqing forced herself to calm down, met his cold gaze, and spoke faster, "I just found a wounded puppy in the yard and temporarily placed it in the empty cabinet in the study. I'm going to the service center to buy some medicine..."

"Dog?" Huo Tingxiao's brows suddenly furrowed, his eyes becoming even colder, with a rare, unbelievable sternness flashing across them. "You brought it into my study?"

His reaction far exceeded Su Wanqing's expectations. It wasn't just anger, it was more like a rage that felt like someone had touched an absolute forbidden zone.

He stopped looking at her, turned around abruptly, and strode towards the study.

Su Wanqing felt something was wrong and followed him immediately.

Huo Tingxiao pushed open the study door, walked straight to the locker, and yanked it open.

The puppy in the cardboard box seemed to be frightened by the huge noise, whimpering in fear and trembling.

Huo Tingxiao's gaze fell on the puppy, especially its injured leg and filthy body. His face was so gloomy that it looked like water could drip out of it. The air pressure around him was so low that the temperature in the entire study seemed to drop several degrees.

He turned around abruptly and looked at Su Wanqing who had followed him in. His eyes were icy cold, filled with undisguised rebuke and extreme displeasure: "Who allowed you to bring something like this in without permission? And into my study!"

"It's injured and pitiful. I just want to help it..." Su Wanqing tried to defend herself, but under his gaze, her voice unconsciously weakened.

"Get out." He didn't want to hear her explanation at all. His voice was as cold as iron, carrying an unquestionable command, "Take it away immediately. Get rid of it."

He said the word "get rid of" without any emotion, as if it was not a life, but just a piece of garbage that needed to be cleared away.

Su Wanqing's heart suddenly sank, and she looked at him in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to be so cold and indifferent.

"It's just a puppy, it's injured, I won't let it mess up your place, I will take care of it..." She tried to argue.

"I said, get out! Get her out!" Huo Tingxiao's voice suddenly rose. Although the volume remained within the specified range, the majesty and anger within it were as strong as a substance, enough to scare people. He stared at her, his eyes without a trace of compromise. "This is not an asylum. My study is definitely not one!"

His eyes finally fell on the bag of medicine in her hand. He sneered, his tone full of sarcasm: "You act on your own."

Su Wanqing's face turned pale, and the fingers that held the bag were so tight that the knuckles turned white.

She looked at his cold and ruthless profile, and his almost cruel attitude towards a weak life, and the last trace of thought of trying to communicate in her heart was completely extinguished.

She stopped talking, bent down silently, and carefully picked up the cardboard box.

The puppy trembled slightly in her arms, its whimpering sounding even more pitiful.

She lowered her head, walked around Huo Tingxiao, who stood there like an iceberg, and walked out of the study and out of the door step by step.

The afterglow of the setting sun stretched her shadow very long, making her look particularly lonely.

She stood in the yard, holding the cardboard box, and for a moment she didn't know where to go.

Behind him, the study door was slammed shut, the loud noise expressing the owner's extreme dissatisfaction and absolute rejection.

Su Wanqing stood in the cool evening breeze, looking at the fragile little life in her arms, then looked back at the cold, solid building that rejected all softness.

For the first time, she caught such a clear glimpse of another side of Huo Tingxiao—not just indifference, but also an almost paranoid adherence to order and boundaries, and an absolute rejection, even cruelty, of anything that might break this order and bring "trouble."

Her heart sank to the bottom little by little.

This iceberg was harder and colder than she had imagined.