Chapter 54 Return and Embrace Her
That brief yet weighty phone call, signaling her safety, was like a ray of warm, reassuring light, dispelling the gloom and fear that had accumulated in Su Wanqing's heart for days. Although Huo Tingxiao's voice was tired and hoarse, the background was noisy, and his tone was as terse and cold as ever, the words "mission completed," "everything went well," and "I'm fine" were enough to bring her shaky heart back to reality.
She was no longer restless and lost in taste like she had been in the past few days. She began to clean the room diligently, opening the windows to ventilate and let the sunlight fill every corner. She went to the food service center and carefully selected the freshest ingredients, even buying a small bouquet of elegant white daisies for a vase in the living room. She wanted to cook a decent meal to welcome him back.
She knew that even though the mission was over, the subsequent closure, reporting, and summary would certainly take time. She wasn't anxious, but simply waited with a calm and resolute anticipation. This time, she wouldn't let him push her away with indifference.
Two days later, Su Wanqing woke up at dawn. She had an inexplicable feeling that he might return today. It was an intuition, groundless but incredibly strong.
She got up and prepared breakfast as usual, but with even more care than usual. She cooked his favorite soft, glutinous millet porridge, fried a golden egg, and mixed in a few refreshing side dishes.
When the clock struck seven and breakfast was just ready, the familiar, steady sound of a car engine finally came from downstairs.
Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, then quickly began to beat faster. She put down her things, subconsciously adjusted her hair and clothes, took a deep breath, and tried to look calm and natural.
There was the sound of a key being inserted into the lock and the door was pushed open.
Huo Tingxiao's tall figure appeared at the entrance. He was still dressed in his dark green combat uniform, dusty and tired, his face showing the deep fatigue left by days of travel and lack of sleep. The stubble on his jaw was thicker, but his eyes were as sharp as ever, but within that sharpness, there seemed to be something deeper and more complex.
His eyes swept across the living room and immediately fell on Su Wanqing who was standing at the door of the restaurant.
Their eyes met.
The air was stagnant for a moment.
Su Wanqing looked at his visibly thinner face and the tired look in his eyes, and her heart ached slightly. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she didn't know how to start. "Welcome back?" "You've worked so hard?" These words seemed so pale at this moment.
Huo Tingxiao also looked at her silently. His gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds, as if searching for something on her slightly pale face that was trying to remain calm. Then, his gaze quickly swept across the tidy living room, the steaming breakfast on the dining table, and the bouquet of fresh daisies.
His Adam's apple rolled barely perceptibly.
Then, he bent down, silently changing his shoes and placing his heavy backpack in the corner of the entrance. He remained silent the entire time, but the cold, depressing air around him seemed to dissipate considerably.
He stood up and walked towards the restaurant, his steps still steady, but with a subtle hint of fatigue.
Su Wanqing subconsciously moved slightly to the side to make way for the passage and said softly, "Breakfast has just been prepared, please eat something."
Huo Tingxiao walked to the dining table, his eyes fixed on the simple yet steaming food, and paused for a moment. Then, he pulled out a chair and sat down.
Su Wanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, sat down opposite him, and silently pushed the bowl of porridge and side dishes in front of him.
Huo Tingxiao picked up the spoon and began to eat the porridge in silence. He ate quietly, but slower than usual, as if he was really tired.
The only sounds in the restaurant were the subtle clinking of cutlery and the gentle breathing of the two men. The atmosphere wasn't awkward, but rather a sense of post-disaster calm and... subtlety, a sense of peace and resolution.
Su Wanqing sipped her porridge, keeping an eye on him from the corner of her eye. She saw a fresh scratch on the back of his hand, already scabbed over, the deep wrinkles carved between his brows by fatigue, and the fleeting, unreadable emotion that flickered in his deep eyes when he occasionally looked up at her.
He finished a bowl of porridge and put down his spoon. Su Wanqing subconsciously wanted to help him get another bowl, but he shook his head.
"That's enough." He spoke, his voice still a little hoarse, but much clearer than on the phone.
The two fell silent again.
Su Wanqing looked at him, her mind churning. Finally, she mustered up the courage and asked softly, "...Is everything settled? Is everything going well?"
Huo Tingxiao looked up at her with a deep gaze and nodded, "Yeah." He didn't go into details, which was his usual style, but this time his silence no longer carried a cold sense of isolation.
He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly looked at her and asked, "How have you been these past few days?"
Su Wanqing was stunned for a moment, having not expected him to ask about her. She met his gaze, and from those seemingly calm eyes, she seemed to catch a glimpse of a faint, barely perceptible... concern? Or perhaps, confirmation?
Her heart trembled slightly, and she nodded: "I'm fine." She paused and added, "Just... a little worried."
These words were spoken with a hint of grievance and fear.
Huo Tingxiao's eyes flickered, and his jawline tensed slightly. He looked at her, as if he wanted to say something. His lips moved, but in the end, he only uttered a deeper "hmm," as if suppressing all his unspoken words deep in his heart.
Breakfast ended in a tacit silence.
Huo Tingxiao stood up and said, "I'm going upstairs to take a shower."
"Okay." Su Wanqing also stood up and began to clean up the dishes.
Huo Tingxiao glanced at her, then turned and walked towards the stairs. His steps were a little heavy.
Su Wanqing walked into the kitchen carrying the dishes and turned on the faucet, the water rushing loudly. She washed the dishes carefully, but her mind drifted upstairs. He looked tired, and I wondered if his wound had been properly treated...
At this moment, she suddenly heard a muffled "bang" sound coming from upstairs, as if something heavy had fallen to the ground!
Su Wanqing's heart suddenly tightened, and she immediately threw down the bowl in her hand and rushed out of the kitchen!
"Chief?!" she exclaimed and ran upstairs.
The door of the second bedroom was open. She rushed in, and the scene before her made her face turn pale instantly, and her heart almost stopped beating!
Huo Tingxiao was seen collapsed at the bathroom door, with half of his body still in the bathroom. He supported himself on the ground with one hand, as if trying to struggle to stand up, but the other hand hung limply, his brows were tightly knitted, his forehead was covered with cold sweat, and his face was frighteningly pale!
"What's wrong with you?!" Su Wanqing rushed over, her soul trembling, and knelt beside him. Her voice was filled with tears. She frantically wanted to help him, but she didn't dare to move him. "Where are you hurt? Is it a relapse of an old injury?!"
Huo Tingxiao squeezed his eyes shut, trying his best to suppress the pain. He breathed heavily and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "...It's okay...I just slipped...tugged on an old injury..."
His voice was weak and painful, completely devoid of his usual coldness.
Su Wanqing's tears immediately fell. All her calmness and composure were thrown out of the window! She looked at his pale face and painful expression, and her heart ached beyond measure!
"Don't move! Don't move!" She cried, trying to support him with her shoulders. "I'll help you up! Let's go to the hospital!"
"No need..." Huo Tingxiao wanted to refuse, but the severe pain made him unable to move for a moment.
Su Wanqing didn't know where she got the strength from, she gritted her teeth, and used all her strength to half-support and half-hold him, and struggled to move him up from the cold floor, helping him to sit down on the edge of the bed.
Just such a simple action almost exhausted all her strength, and made her feel the heaviness of his body and... a slight tremor.
He's just holding on! He must be seriously injured!
Su Wanqing knelt in front of him, looking up at his pale face with tearful eyes, her voice trembling: "Where are you hurt? Let me see! We must go to the hospital!"
Huo Tingxiao leaned against the headboard, eyes closed, took a few breaths, and then slowly opened them. He looked at Su Wanqing, who was kneeling before him, her face tear-stained and extremely anxious. Her eyes, always clear and calm, were now filled with undisguised worry and fear. It was for him.
He looked at her silently, his deep eyes filled with complex and indistinguishable emotions, including fatigue, pain, a hint of embarrassment, and some kind of... softening after a fierce struggle.
Suddenly, he stretched out his hand—the uninjured hand, covered with calluses and feeling cool—and very slowly and somewhat stiffly, he stroked her cheek.
Su Wanqing's whole body froze, completely stunned, forgetting even to cry. She stared at him blankly, feeling the slightly rough touch of his fingertips and the slightly cool temperature of his body, her mind blank.
He...what is he doing?
Huo Tingxiao's fingertips very gently and clumsily wiped the tear marks on her cheeks. His eyes locked with hers, his voice hoarse and with an unprecedented tone that was almost like a sigh:
“…Don’t cry.”
These two short words seemed to carry a tremendous weight, instantly breaking down all of Su Wanqing's psychological defenses.
The next second, before she could react at all, Huo Tingxiao exerted a little force on his arm and gently pulled her forward.
Then, a warm and solid embrace held her tightly.
Su Wanqing was completely frozen, as if she had been cast under a spell, her brain was buzzing, and she was completely unable to think.
She was... embraced by him?
His embrace was not particularly warm, and even had a faint smell of gunpowder and dust, as if he had just experienced danger. It even seemed a little stiff and tense because of the injury.
But it was this restrained and clumsy hug that brought with it an indescribable, powerful strength and... comfort.
He gently rested his chin on the top of her head, his breath brushing against her hair. His voice rang out above her head, low and hoarse, but no longer cold. Instead, it carried a sense of fatigue after the dust had settled and... a hint of relief:
“…It’s okay.”
"……I'm back."
Su Wanqing pressed her cheek against his slightly cool combat uniform. She could feel the steady, powerful heartbeat beneath his chest and smell his unique scent, a mixture of gunpowder and cold. Listening to his deep, deep voice, feeling this sudden embrace, a hug she had dreamed of countless times but never dared to realize, all her worries, fears, grievances, and lingering fears… in that moment, they all turned into boiling tears, pouring out.
She did not struggle or move, but just sat stiffly in his arms, letting her tears silently soak his clothes.
This hug did not have any romantic colors, but was more like a confirmation of survival, a silent comfort, and a clumsy... approach.
But it means so much to Su Wanqing.
It means the melting of the ice, the breaking of barriers, and that all her waiting and worries have found a home.
He is back.
Came back safely.
And... hugged her.
After a long moment, Huo Tingxiao slowly loosened his arms, his movements still a little stiff. He looked down at the girl crying uncontrollably in his arms, his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes complex, and he seemed a little lost. Finally, he just whispered, "...Don't cry."
Su Wanqing raised her head and looked at his face so close to her with tearful eyes. She saw the soft light in his eyes that she had never seen before, and her heart was filled with a huge, sour happiness.
She nodded vigorously, choking, "...Yeah."
Come back and hold her in your arms.
Although clumsy, he is deeply affectionate.
At this moment, all the wind and snow seemed to have passed.
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