Chapter 53: A safe call, a brief good news
After Huo Tingxiao left, Su Wanqing was once again alone in the house. But this time, the cold and suffocating feeling in the air seemed to have dissipated considerably, replaced by a tense, unresolved wait. She knew the storm was coming, that he was heading towards the center of a dangerous vortex, but at least she was no longer the one kept in the dark, forced to passively endure it.
She carefully kept his brief "go home" and the extremely slight movement of curling his fingers in her heart like a precious fire, supporting herself through every minute and every second that followed.
Time slowed to an agonizing slowness. She couldn't concentrate on anything. The handwriting on her books grew blurry, the lines in her design software distorted. Her ears perked up constantly, catching any unusual movement outside the window. Her heart would suddenly tighten and then drop in disappointment with the sound of the phone ringing or the roar of a car engine.
Assistant Chen didn't reappear, and no news arrived. Everything in the compound remained normal, the sun shining brightly, the shadows of the trees swaying, as if nothing had happened. But Su Wanqing knew that beneath this calm surface, undercurrents were surging.
She forced herself to eat and rest, to maintain her strength. She even began to clean the room more carefully, carefully sorting out the scattered maps and materials in his study, as if this would clear any obstacles for his return. Every wipe, every tidying, was like a silent prayer.
The next day, the next day... Time passed in an anxious wait. The dark circles under Su Wanqing's eyes grew darker, and her appetite declined. Fear and worry, like two invisible hands, tore at her nerves day and night.
She didn't dare to imagine the worst outcome, and could only repeat in her mind over and over again the words "go home" he said when he left, using that weak but firm promise to fight the boundless fear.
On the evening of the fourth day, the setting sun dyed the sky a sad, radiant orange. Su Wanqing was standing in the kitchen, absentmindedly preparing a simple dinner, having no appetite at all.
Just then—
The landline phone in the living room suddenly rang sharply!
"Ring-ring-ring-"
The sudden ringing of the bell was particularly piercing in the quiet evening, like a thunderbolt striking Su Wanqing! The spoon in her hand fell to the sink with a clang, and her heart instantly beat wildly to the point where it almost jumped out of her throat!
She turned around suddenly, her face pale, and almost staggered out of the kitchen and rushed to the phone!
Who could it be?!
Is that Assistant Chen?!
Is it good news... or... bad news? !
The great fear made her hand that reached for the receiver tremble violently, her fingertips were cold, and she could hardly hold the small receiver.
She took a deep breath and grabbed the phone with all her strength, her voice trembling: "Hello...Hello?!"
On the other end of the phone, there was a noisy crackling sound of electricity, and it seemed that the signal was very unstable. I could also vaguely hear the whistling wind and the vague voices in the distance.
Su Wanqing's heart was in her throat. She held her breath and gripped the receiver tightly.
A few seconds later, an extremely familiar, yet obviously tired and hoarse voice pierced through the noisy electricity and came clearly:
“…It’s me.”
It’s Huo Tingxiao!
It's his voice!
Su Wanqing instantly covered her mouth, tears welling up without warning! It was him! It was him! He was still alive! He could even make a phone call!
The immense ecstasy and relief instantly overwhelmed her like a tsunami, leaving her completely exhausted and nearly collapsing. She leaned against the wall, barely able to support herself, choking with sobs and unable to utter a single word.
Huo Tingxiao on the other end of the phone seemed to be silent for a moment. Only his slightly heavy breathing could be heard, and the sound of the wind in the background seemed to be louder.
After a few seconds, he spoke again. His voice was still hoarse and low, but it carried the calmness of a mission accomplished and a sense of relief. His words were concise and to the point:
"…The mission is over."
"……all the best."
“…I’m fine.”
Each short sentence was like a reassurance pill, hitting Su Wanqing's heart hard, dispelling all the fear and gloom she had been feeling for days.
it's over.
smoothly.
He's fine.
That’s great… It’s really great…
Su Wanqing could no longer control herself and responded into the receiver with a suppressed, tearful tone: "...Yeah! Yeah!...Good...That's great..."
She spoke incoherently and could only repeat these few simple words, but her tears flowed even harder. They were tears of joy, tears of letting go of the huge stone in her heart.
Huo Tingxiao on the other end of the phone seemed to hear her sobs and remained silent for a few seconds. In the background, someone seemed to be calling him loudly, in a hurried tone.
He paused, his voice lowered, and he spoke faster: "The signal is bad. We need to clean up the scene. I'll be back later."
Then, before Su Wanqing could say anything else, a busy tone of "beep-beep-beep" came from the other end of the phone.
He hung up.
The call was short, lasting less than a minute, and was so concise that there were no sweet words, and even had the haste and coldness unique to the battlefield.
But Su Wanqing still held the receiver tightly, as if his warmth and breath were still lingering on it. She listened to the busy tone, crying and laughing like a fool.
Safety.
He reported that he was safe.
Although it was only a few short words, despite the noisy background, and although his tone was tired, he told her in person that the mission was over, everything went well, and he was fine.
That's enough.
To her, this brief piece of good news is better than thousands of sweet words in the world.
She slowly put down the receiver, slid down the wall and sat on the floor, burying her face deeply in her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly due to the violent ups and downs of emotions.
This time, it was a trembling of joy and the exhaustion of peace of mind.
Outside the window, the setting sun completely sank into the horizon and night slowly fell.
But in Su Wanqing's heart, a warm lamp called "peace" lit up.
She knew that the most dangerous storm was over.
He is coming back soon.
And this time, she wouldn't let him push her away.
She raised her head, wiped away her tears, and looked at the darkening night outside the window, with an unprecedented determination flashing in her eyes.
A safe call, a brief good news.
But it is enough to comfort all the long waiting and suffering.
It also indicates that a new chapter is about to begin.
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