Chapter 51 The Danger Behind the Mission
Huo Tingxiao's sudden, unprovoked coldness and aloofness were like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the faint flame of excitement that had just ignited in Su Wanqing's heart, leaving only cold ashes and the pervasive smell of gunpowder. Alone in the empty, cold house, she felt the pervasive, suffocating low pressure, her heart filled with grievance, confusion, and a deep sense of powerlessness.
She tried to explain that he might have been dealing with some difficult official business, was in a bad mood, or perhaps his shoulder injury had recurred, causing him to be irritable and angry. But no matter how she tried to explain it, she couldn't ignore the sharp, piercing indifference and rejection. It wasn't just silence; it was a clear, disgusted signal of expulsion.
All her attempts to get closer, all her careful care, were bounced back mercilessly, leaving her covered in bruises.
Just when she was about to give up completely and prepare to return to the initial state of coldness, an extremely accidental opportunity allowed her to glimpse the heart-wrenching truth beneath the iceberg.
That afternoon, Assistant Chen arrived as usual to deliver the documents. Huo Tingxiao was not at home, and after Su Wanqing signed for them, Assistant Chen did not leave immediately as usual. Instead, he hesitated for a moment, and with an unprecedented solemnity, he whispered to Su Wanqing, "Madam, the commander may be emotionally unstable recently. If there is anything... offensive, please bear with me."
Su Wanqing's heart sank slightly, and she looked up at Assistant Chen. Assistant Chen's eyes held a complex mix of emotions: concern, helplessness, and even a hint of... barely perceptible worry?
"Did he... get into some trouble?" Su Wanqing couldn't help but ask, her voice filled with an urgency that she herself didn't even notice.
Assistant Chen was silent for a few seconds, as if weighing something. Finally, he sighed and lowered his voice. "I can't go into details; it's confidential. But... the commander has been under a lot of pressure lately. A very difficult and... very dangerous mission is about to be concluded. It involves a lot of people, and the consequences are unpredictable. He's barely slept these past few days, and has been at the headquarters..."
Dangerous mission?!
Closing the net? !
Huge pressure?!
These words hit Su Wanqing's heart like a heavy hammer! She instantly remembered his rage that night when he lost control and smashed the cabinet, the bottomless fatigue and irritability in his eyes, and his increasingly gloomy and cold expression...
It turns out... it wasn't because he hated her, it wasn't because her proximity annoyed him, but because... he was under tremendous pressure and danger?!
"How dangerous is it?" Su Wanqing's voice trembled uncontrollably and her face turned pale.
Assistant Chen's eyes flickered, avoiding her gaze. His tone grew graver, "Madam, please don't ask. I can only say... the commander... is protecting you." He paused, then added meaningfully, "Perhaps maintaining some distance is the safest option."
Some distance is the safest choice...
This sentence was like a flash of lightning, instantly splitting through all the fog and grievances in Su Wanqing's heart!
She suddenly understood!
His sudden indifference, his aloofness, his hurtful words and attitude… weren't rejecting her at all. Instead, he was using his most clumsy, hurtful way to push her away from the center of the storm! He was deliberately ignoring her, alienating her, causing her to misunderstand, to make her angry, to make her… stay away from him!
Because he was about to face a huge danger, he didn't want her to be involved, and maybe even... he didn't want her to be implicated or hurt in any way because of him!
That's why he spoke harshly to her, that's why he kept her at a distance! That wasn't disgust, that was... a twisted, almost self-destructive protection!
A huge shock and heartache instantly swept over Su Wanqing, making her almost unable to stand steadily! She held on to the wall, her heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and the pain was so severe that she couldn't breathe!
This fool! This idiot! How could he do that?! Did he think he could protect her like that? Did he know that his cold words hurt her more than any danger?!
"When...will he leave?" Su Wanqing's voice was choked with sobs and tears.
Assistant Chen looked at her instantly pale face and red eyes, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes, but he still shook his head: "I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't say this. You... take care of yourself. The chief... may be the one he can't let go of the most."
After saying this, Assistant Chen bowed slightly, turned around and left in a hurry, as if saying one more word would reveal more secrets that should not be revealed.
Su Wanqing stood there alone, her body cold, her mind in a mess, yet clearer than ever before.
All the clues connected—his unusual busyness and fatigue in recent days, the lights in the headquarters that stayed on all night, the anxiety and violence hidden in his eyes, and the sudden, unreasonable coldness...
Everything has an answer.
It’s not because of boredom, not because of misunderstanding, but because of the impending, unpredictable and dangerous storm!
He was walking towards the eye of the storm alone, but he tried to use the most clumsy way to keep her outside the safe zone.
Tears burst out without warning, not out of grievance, but out of heartache, fear, and an indescribable pain and throbbing.
She remembered his weighty promise: "It is my responsibility to protect you."
He actually did it in this way!
This realization broke her heart.
She walked upstairs in a daze. As she passed the study, her eyes were drawn to the scene glimpsed through the half-open door. On the desk, several enlarged satellite maps and architectural diagrams were spread out, with scattered papers covered in complex codes and data. But what made her heart stop was that next to the maps lay a well-maintained pistol, with a cool metallic sheen, and several loaded magazines.
The cold murderous aura came towards me through the crack in the door!
Su Wanqing's legs instantly went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground! She covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from screaming!
That was a real gun! It was the weapon he would soon take to the battlefield!
This mission was far more dangerous than he'd casually described! He even needed to carry a weapon with him!
A huge fear instantly gripped her, making her whole body cold and her blood seemed to freeze!
She finally understood the meaning of Assistant Chen's "danger"! She also understood the heavy determination and... perhaps even the determination to die hidden behind Huo Tingxiao's almost hopeless indifference.
Did he... not intend to come back intact? That's why he treated her the worst, wanting her to hate him and forget him?
This thought pierced into her heart like a poisonous snake, making her so painful that she could hardly breathe!
She couldn't bear it anymore, so she pushed open the door of the study and rushed in!
She rushed to the desk, her eyes fixed on the cold pistol and magazine. Tears rolled down her cheeks like beads from a broken string, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Huo Tingxiao! What...what on earth are you going to do?! What exactly is this mission?! Tell me!"
She raised her head and looked for him with tearful eyes, but found that he was not in the study.
Her eyes fell on the spread-out maps. One of the areas was prominently circled in red, with a code name next to it that seemed vaguely familiar to her - "Vulture".
Her heart sank! She remembered Xia Xiaoran once mentioning that "Vulture" was the leader of an extremely brutal armed gang abroad, colluding with the remnants of Operation Thunder. He was cruel and had a long history of bloodshed!
Huo Tingxiao's mission this time...is against "Vulture"?!
Su Wanqing felt dizzy and the huge fear and worry were like a cold tide that completely submerged her in an instant!
The danger behind the mission was far beyond her imagination.
And he was bearing all of this alone, silently, and pushing her away.
She slowly slid down to the ground, hugged her knees, buried her face in them, and cried silently.
This time, I am no longer feeling sorry for myself.
But I feel sorry for him and afraid for him.
For this silent iceberg that tries to bury tenderness with coldness.
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