Chapter 32: Hero Saves Beauty, Different Versions
Huo Tingxiao's heavy, bloody past weighed heavily on Su Wanqing's heart like a thick, colorful shadow. After learning about the "Thunder" mission and Chen Feng's sacrifice, she looked at Huo Tingxiao again with an indescribable mixture of emotions—shock, sympathy, understanding, and even a subtle hint of heartache that she herself hadn't noticed.
His erratic indifference, his aloofness, and the occasional expressions of contradiction and pain all seemed to have vague outlines and traceable roots. He was not born cold, but was frozen by layers of great trauma and loss.
This realization gave her an unusual degree of patience and tolerance in the face of his continued silence and low mood. She no longer felt purely aggrieved and embarrassed as before, but instead tried to understand the undercurrents beneath his icy surface.
However, her understanding did not make life any warmer. The rumors in the compound, fermented by the charity dinner, not only did not subside, but instead evolved into even more bizarre and hurtful versions.
That day, Su Wanqing went to the service center to pick up the magazines she had ordered. As she approached the shelves of daily necessities, she heard several young military families gathered together, whispering excitedly.
"Have you heard? The night before yesterday at the charity gala, Chief Huo had a falling out with Miss Lin on the spot because of Mrs. Huo!"
"Is this true? Didn't Chief Huo always say that Lin Weiwei..."
"It's absolutely true! My cousin was there! She said Lin Weiwei wanted to bid for a badge, but Chief Huo directly paid double the price and snatched it away, not giving Miss Lin any face at all!"
"Wow! Chief Huo is so brave? He's a hero saving a damsel in distress!"
"Why save Mei? Do you know what happened next?" A voice, deliberately lowered, carried a sense of mystery. "I heard that Commander Huo took a picture of it and immediately threw it to Mrs. Huo. His face was so grim! It wasn't for her at all. He was just angry with Lin Weiwei!"
"Ah? How could this happen?"
"Of course not! I heard that Mrs. Huo turned pale at the time. She handled the badge like a hot potato!"
"Tsk tsk, I told you... Anyone with a discerning eye can see who Chief Huo has in mind. Marrying this person is just a loss of face for the family."
"That's right. What status can a substitute bride have? She's just there for show..."
"How pitiful! In such a situation, her own husband used her as a pawn to hit another woman in the face..."
Those words were like poisoned needles, piercing Su Wanqing's ears. She stood there, the edge of the magazine in her hand deformed by the pinch.
A hero saves the beauty?
What a ridiculous and ironic version.
So, in the eyes of others, his sudden behavior that night was interpreted as jealousy against Lin Weiwei for her? Some even saw his "true" feelings and thought he was using her to provoke Lin Weiwei?
This twisted "truth" made her feel nauseous and powerless. People only wanted to believe what they wanted to believe, only to see the dramatic conflicts and love-hate relationships, but completely oblivious to the weight and pain hidden behind them, related to lost comrades and a tragic past.
She walked past the military families who were chatting happily with an expressionless face. When they saw her, they immediately fell silent, with embarrassed and somewhat voyeuristic expressions on their faces.
Su Wanqing didn't look at them and walked straight to the cashier.
However, the rumors did not stop at the service center.
A few days later, she went to the retirement home to return the knitting needles she had borrowed for a knitting activity. At the door of the activity room, she happened to hear several elderly ladies chatting inside.
"Tingxiao, you know, is a very loyal kid," one aunt said. "That evening at the party, when he took a picture of the badge, it looked like he didn't want Weiwei to touch it. It looked familiar to me, like it was from the past... well, let's not talk about it. He was probably afraid that the memory would bring back memories for Weiwei, or that he would be reminded of something unpleasant."
"Sister Zhang, you're right," another aunt agreed. "Tingxiao has a deep bond with his mother, and a life-or-death friendship with that kid, Chen Feng... That incident was a huge blow to him. It wasn't directed at Weiwei, nor at his wife, but at the barrier in his heart! His methods were simply too harsh, embarrassing both girls."
This version was clearly closer to the truth, at least pointing out that the badge might be linked to an unhappy past. However, no one knew the exact connection between the badge and Chen Feng, and it was only vaguely attributed to Huo Tingxiao's "emotional knot" and "clumsy approach."
Su Wanqing listened silently, feeling a mixture of emotions. Even these caring elders couldn't truly touch the deepest pain in his heart, and could only describe it with vague words like "heart knot."
She was about to turn around and leave when a gentle voice came from behind her: "Sister Su? Are you here to return something too?"
Su Wanqing turned around and saw Lin Weiwei standing behind her with a perfect, slightly apologetic smile on her face.
"I just heard a few aunts talking about the party," Lin Weiwei walked forward, her voice soft, a hint of grievance and helplessness. "Sister Su, don't take those gossips to heart. Brother Tingxiao...is just like that. He never shares his feelings, and his actions are direct, which can easily lead to misunderstandings. He and I grew up together, so I'm used to it. I just didn't expect you to be implicated in the gossip this time. I'm really sorry."
Her words seemed like an apology and explanation, but in reality, every word highlighted the special relationship between her and Huo Tingxiao—"grew up together" and "we've long been accustomed to his temper." She defined Huo Tingxiao's behavior as "easily misunderstood" and positioned Su Wanqing as someone who was "implicated," innocent but also outside the situation.
Su Wanqing looked at her flawless smile, her heart chilled. She suddenly found it a little ridiculous. Whether it was the malicious speculations in the service center, the kindhearted understanding of the elders in the activity room, or Lin Weiwei's seemingly considerate "apology" that actually distanced herself from the relationship and hinted at a distant past, no one had truly attempted to understand the immense pain hidden behind Huo Tingxiao's seemingly abrupt behavior.
They only care about the superficial dramatic conflicts, who gets the face, who loses the substance, and who is the "real person in his heart."
"Miss Lin, you're worrying too much." Su Wanqing said calmly, looking at her with clear eyes. "The leader has his reasons for doing things. What outsiders think is unimportant. As his wife, I will not misunderstand him because of some meaningless discussions."
She deliberately emphasized the words "wife" and "outsider" to draw a clear line between them.
Lin Weiwei's smile froze for a moment, and a barely perceptible sternness flashed across her eyes, but she quickly returned to normal. "I'm glad you think so, Sister Su. I was just worrying too much."
Su Wanqing nodded slightly, said no more, turned and left.
On the way back, the autumn wind blew, bringing a cool feeling.
Su Wanqing's heart was unusually calm.
The hero-saving-the-beauty version? The jealous misunderstanding? She no longer cared.
She only knew that the man harbored a pain that ordinary people could hardly imagine. He might be cold, unkind, or handle things terribly, but the reason he took the photo of the badge was definitely not some quibble between a man and a woman.
It is more likely an unspeakable memorial, an instinctive resistance to touching the wound, a clumsy and painful response to the blood and sacrifices of the past.
And she, by accident, became the recipient of this response.
The versions are different though.
But she seemed closer to the cold, cruel core of the truth than any bystander.
Is this also a kind of alternative "progress"?
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