Chapter 22: Colleagues teased him, but he didn't deny it
After Su Wanqing properly placed the two heavy and special "souvenirs", life seemed to return to its previous track, but something was quietly different.
After that day, Huo Tingxiao continued to leave early and return late, remaining silent. But he no longer completely ignored Su Wanqing like before. He would place his military uniforms for laundry in the designated area, rather than just tossing them in a corner. Occasionally, when he came home early and saw Su Wanqing busy in the kitchen, he would pause for a moment. While he still said nothing, he no longer immediately frowned and left like before. Once, he even saw the potted plant from a foreign country, which Su Wanqing had carefully transplanted, on the windowsill, and his gaze lingered for several seconds, his expression complex and difficult to decipher.
Su Wanqing could feel the impenetrable wall of ice between them cracking a tiny crack thanks to that unexpected "secret sharing." She continued to cautiously maintain her distance, but the despair and alienation she'd felt at his coldness subsided slightly, replaced by a more complex emotion tinged with inquiry and a faint glimmer of hope.
That afternoon, Assistant Chen called ahead, his tone slightly more formal than usual: "Madam, the commander is hosting an informal working dinner at the military district reception tonight. Several familiar colleagues and their families will also be in attendance. The commander has requested that you come along."
Su Wanqing's fingers tightened slightly around the phone. This was the first time he'd proactively asked her to accompany him to an informal gathering with colleagues. Was it because his "protection" at Minister Li's house had worked, or was it because... after those two souvenirs, his attitude towards her had undergone some subtle change, one she hadn't even noticed?
"Okay, I understand." She responded calmly.
That evening, she chose a neatly cut, soothing dress and applied a subtle, yet appropriate, makeup. When she walked down the stairs, Huo Tingxiao was already waiting in the living room. He was dressed in a neatly ironed suit, standing tall and straight. He was looking down at his watch when he heard footsteps and glanced up.
His gaze lingered on her for a moment, a second or two longer than usual, but there was still no obvious emotion. He just nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, approving of her outfit, and then turned around and said, "Let's go."
"Yes." Su Wanqing followed him.
Seven or eight people were already seated in a medium-sized private room at the guesthouse. They were all officers of similar or slightly lower rank than Huo Tingxiao, and their wives. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than at a formal banquet, as everyone sipped tea and chatted.
Seeing Huo Tingxiao and Su Wanqing come in, everyone stopped and looked at them.
"Old Huo! You're finally here!"
"Oh, you finally brought your sister-in-law out to meet us today?"
Several officers who seemed to be quite familiar with Huo Tingxiao greeted him with a smile, their tone casual and teasing.
Huo Tingxiao had no expression on his face. He just nodded slightly, then naturally pulled out a chair and sat down first, then glanced at the empty seat next to him.
Su Wanqing understood and sat down next to him. She could feel the scrutiny of the ladies present, curious and inquisitive, but also less critical and scrutinizing than the gazes of the ladies in the compound before, and more relaxed.
"This must be my sister-in-law, right? I've always heard Old Huo hiding her secrets, but today I finally see her in person! I'm Zhang Hong, Old Huo's old partner!" A cheerful, burly colonel said to Su Wanqing with a smile, then winked at Huo Tingxiao, "Old Huo, sure! A beautiful lady in a golden house!"
Huo Tingxiao picked up the teacup, not even raising his eyelids. He only uttered a faint "hmm" in response, neither confirming nor denying the phrase "a beautiful woman hidden in a golden house."
Another lieutenant colonel, wearing glasses and with a more refined demeanor, chimed in with a smile, "Yes, Commander Huo has done a fantastic job of keeping secrets. Hello, sister-in-law. I'm Zhao Hongyuan. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time. Anyone who can pluck this high-ranking flower, Commander Huo, must be truly extraordinary!"
The teasing in these words was even stronger, almost making fun of their relationship openly.
Su Wanqing's cheeks flushed slightly. Just as she was about to respond politely, she heard Huo Tingxiao beside her suddenly speak. His voice remained calm, but he took over the conversation: "You have so much to say, even food can't stop you from talking?"
His words sounded like a rebuke, but there was no real anger in his tone. Instead, there was a kind of impatient casualness that only existed between very familiar colleagues.
Zhang Hong, Zhao Hongyuan and others were not afraid when they heard this. Instead, they looked at each other and smiled even more meaningfully.
"Look! They're already protecting me!" Zhang Hong slapped the table and laughed, "Old Huo, this is really not nice of you! Can't you even praise your sister-in-law?"
Zhao Hongyuan also pushed his glasses and said to Su Wanqing with a smile, "You see, sister-in-law, Old Huo is a tough guy with a soft heart. In the past, when someone got hurt during a mission, he was the one who scolded them the most fiercely, but he was also the one who secretly put the best medicine in their pockets."
Huo Tingxiao frowned and glanced over coldly: "Zhao Hongyuan, you talk too much."
Zhao Hongyuan immediately raised his hands in surrender, but the smile on his face became even more intense.
Several other officers joined in the teasing, and the topic more or less revolved around Huo Tingxiao and Su Wanqing. Huo Tingxiao mostly just drank his tea and ate his food with a blank expression, occasionally responding with a cold retort when pressed, but he never truly stopped the jokes, nor did he draw a clear line or express any impatience or disgust as he had in the past.
What surprised Su Wanqing even more was when a lady asked her with a smile, "Xiao Su, who listens to whom between you and Chief Huo at home? His temper must have annoyed you a lot, right?"
This kind of question is actually quite private and even a bit beyond the line.
Su Wanqing was considering how to respond appropriately when she heard the man beside her put down his chopsticks and said in a moderate voice, "She has a good temper."
As soon as these words were spoken, the table fell silent for a moment.
Everyone looked at Huo Tingxiao in surprise. Even Su Wanqing turned her head to look at him in astonishment.
He...was he praising her? Even if it was in an extremely awkward way that sounded like a statement of fact.
Zhang Hong was the first to react. He burst into laughter and clapped Huo Tingxiao on the shoulder. "Great job, Old Huo! You've finally gotten the idea! You finally know how to praise your wife!"
Huo Tingxiao shook his hand away expressionlessly and picked up a piece of food with chopsticks, as if the words just now did not come from his mouth.
But the atmosphere became more lively and relaxed because of his rare, almost protective words. The ladies looked at Su Wanqing with more affection and took the initiative to chat with her about some trivial matters of life in the compound.
Su Wanqing gradually relaxed and responded appropriately. Her words were neither out of measure nor in a gentle and amiable manner.
During the meal, although Huo Tingxiao still didn't say much, he would occasionally turn the dishes on the turntable that she had taken a closer look at in front of her, and when the tea in her cup was almost empty, he would very naturally push the teapot a little closer to her.
These subtle, almost imperceptible movements were all seen by the officers and their wives who were always observant.
At the end of the party, Zhang Hong had drunk a bit too much. He put his arm around Huo Tingxiao's shoulders and said with a thick tongue, "Old Huo! Be good to your sister-in-law! Such a good wife is hard to find even with a lantern! Don't have such a stern face all day! Be careful not to scare her away!"
Huo Tingxiao frowned and pulled his arm down in disgust, but he didn't refute. He just said to Zhao Hongyuan, "Take him back."
Zhao Hongyuan agreed with a smile, and together with the others, he supported Zhang Hong and left.
On the way back in the car, there was still silence.
But this silence was different from the cold, suffocating feeling of the past. A subtle, unspoken sense of relaxation hung in the air.
Su Wanqing looked at the night scene rapidly receding outside the window, her heartbeat still a little disordered.
She thought back to everything that had happened tonight: his acquiescence to his colleagues' teasing, his awkward remark, "She has a good temper," and those subtle, caring gestures...
All of this pointed to a direction she had never dared to think of before.
He seemed to be acknowledging her existence to his circle in an extremely clumsy and obscure way, even... vaguely, recognizing her?
This realization caused a strange, sour and slightly sweet ripple in her heart.
She secretly glanced sideways at the man who was resting with his eyes closed beside her.
His cold and hard profile appeared dim in the light and shadow flowing outside the window, and the corners of his lips were still tightly pursed, showing no emotion at all.
But Su Wanqing felt that this iceberg seemed to be really...melting quietly?
Even if it's just a little bit.
It was enough to bring a glimmer of hope to her originally silent heart.
This time, it's no longer an illusion.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
