Chapter 72: Heart-to-heart communication, tentative kiss
The days slipped by quietly in an unprecedented, subtle peace and warmth. Huo Tingxiao's clumsy yet persistent compensation and protection, like the warm spring sun, gradually dispelled the last chill and alienation in Su Wanqing's heart. She began to get used to his silent companionship, his meticulous care, and even began to look forward to those seemingly ordinary yet reassuring moments with him every day.
The walls of the Cold War had crumbled, but between them, a thin veil of uncertainty and shyness seemed to remain. They approached cautiously, sensing each other's feelings, yet neither seemed to have the opportunity to break through that final layer of window paper.
It was the weekend, and Huo Tingxiao, for once free from official duties, had been home all day. In the afternoon, Su Wanqing sat by the living room window, bathed in the bright sunshine, revising a design sketch that Huo Tingxiao had previously criticized for its "structural strength." She was absorbed and focused, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Huo Tingxiao sat on a sofa not far away, clutching a copy of a military internal reference. His gaze would occasionally lift from the pages to rest on the slender, focused figure by the window. The sunlight framed her soft profile and the faint trembling of her eyelashes, a scene of tranquility and beauty. His eyes were deep, tinged with a gentleness and focus he himself hadn't yet perceived.
There was a peaceful and warm atmosphere in the air, with only the rustling sound of the pen tip scratching across the paper and the occasional sound of turning pages.
After an unknown amount of time, Su Wanqing seemed to have encountered a difficult problem. She frowned slightly, bit the pen unconsciously, and fell into deep thought.
Huo Tingxiao noticed her distress, put down the internal reference in his hand, stood up and walked over. He didn't say anything immediately, but just stood a step behind her, quietly looking at her sketch.
His approach cast a shadow, a presence undeniable. Su Wanqing was startled from her reverie, and instinctively raised her head, meeting his penetrating gaze. From their close proximity, she could clearly see the faint bluish stubble on his hard jawline and the undisguised, focused scrutiny in his eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, her cheeks felt slightly hot, and she lowered her eyelashes in panic: "...What's wrong?"
"Here," Huo Tingxiao's voice was low and barely audible. He pointed to the spot on the drawing where she was stuck, leaning forward slightly, closer so they could almost feel the warmth of each other's breath. "The force on this turn is too concentrated. You could try... this."
He picked up a nearby pencil and, with unwavering naturalness, quickly sketched a few auxiliary lines and a simple structural diagram in the blank space of the sketch. His fingers were long and strong, and his pen grip was sharp and steady, a soldier's signature. The lines he drew were simple and precise, a solution entirely based on practicality and mechanics.
Su Wanqing stared blankly at his profile so close to her, looking at his focused and serious expression, feeling the mixture of the faint fragrance of soapberry and a hint of coldness that belonged only to him coming from his body. Her heart began to beat uncontrollably faster, and an indescribable warmth quietly surged into her heart.
He was... helping her. In his own way, carefully and clumsily, he was integrating into her world.
"Do you understand?" Huo Tingxiao finished drawing, raised his head, and his eyes fell on her face again.
Their eyes met, so close that they could almost see themselves in each other's pupils.
Su Wanqing's heartbeat quickened, her cheeks flushed, and she nodded subconsciously: "I understand... Thank you..."
Her voice was as thin as a mosquito, with a barely perceptible tremor.
Huo Tingxiao didn't look away immediately, nor did he step back. He just stared at her, at her slightly flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, at her lips pursed nervously... In those deep eyes, emotions seemed to surge and settle violently, eventually transforming into a thick, almost scorching undercurrent.
The air seemed to freeze at this moment, filled with a heart-pounding, ambiguous tension.
Su Wanqing felt uncomfortable being stared at by him, her heart beating like a drum, almost jumping out of her chest. She subconsciously tried to avoid his gaze, leaning back slightly.
However, the moment she moved——
Huo Tingxiao suddenly moved.
He suddenly stretched out his hand, not to pick up a pen, nor to point to the draft, but... extremely suddenly, but with an unquestionable force, he gently grasped her slightly trembling hand on her knees!
Su Wanqing's whole body suddenly stiffened, and she was completely stunned. Her mind went blank and she could only stare at him blankly.
His palms were warm and dry, with thin calluses, tightly wrapped around her slightly cool fingers, the touch was clear and burning.
Huo Tingxiao's Adam's apple rolled violently, and his eyes were as deep as the sea in the dark night, surging with tension, hesitation, and a kind of determination that was almost like burning the boats. He looked into her shocked and confused eyes, his thin lips slightly parted, and his voice was low and hoarse, with an unprecedented tension:
"Wanqing..."
He just called her name and then paused, as if there were thousands of words stuck in his throat but he didn't know how to express them.
Su Wanqing's heart almost stopped beating. She held her breath, waiting, expecting, and afraid.
The next second, Huo Tingxiao seemed to have made up his mind. He tightened his grip on her hand slightly, but slowly raised his other hand and, extremely slowly and with a barely perceptible tremor, stroked her cheek.
His fingertips were warm and rough, and the moment they touched her delicate skin, they both trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Su Wanqing was completely frozen, forgetting to react. She could only feel the scorching temperature from his fingertips and the cautious, almost cherishing touch.
Huo Tingxiao's gaze locked onto her, a complex expression of intense intensity, tentativeness, desire, and a hint of vulnerability, a fear of rejection. He leaned down, slowly, ever so slowly, approaching her...
His breath was getting closer and closer, a mixture of the faint smell of tobacco and his unique coldness, completely enveloping her.
Su Wanqing's heart was beating so wildly that she almost suffocated. She subconsciously closed her eyes, and her long eyelashes trembled violently because of nervousness.
Then--
An extremely gentle, tentative and uncertain kiss landed on her lips as lightly as a feather.
Instantly separate.
It was so fast that it seemed like an illusion.
But it carries a scorching temperature that is enough to ignite everything!
Huo Tingxiao quickly stepped back, his breathing becoming noticeably heavier. He stared at her intently, as if awaiting her judgment, his jawline tense.
Su Wanqing suddenly opened her eyes, covered her lips as if burned by an iron, and looked at his handsome face so close to her in disbelief, which was full of tension and uncertainty. Her mind went blank, and her cheeks turned red in an instant, all the way to her ears!
He... kissed her?
Even though it was just a touch of the water...
But...he kissed her first?!
The huge shock and embarrassment swept over her like a tsunami, making her stiff and at a loss.
Her silence and shock seemed to be misinterpreted by Huo Tingxiao as resistance and disgust.
His eyes dimmed instantly, a clear trace of regret and loss flashing across them. He pursed his lips, quickly loosened his grip on her hand, and took a step back, creating some distance. His expression returned to its usual cold, hard look, though the suspicious blush at the base of his ears betrayed his inner turmoil.
"...Sorry." He uttered the two words harshly, his voice hoarse, and turned around as if wanting to leave this embarrassing situation. He thought he had messed up again and offended her impulsively.
However, the moment he turned around——
Su Wanqing seemed to suddenly wake up from a dream, and suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed the corner of his clothes!
Huo Tingxiao's steps stopped instantly, and he turned back stiffly, looking at her in astonishment.
Su Wanqing's face was so red that it almost bled, and her heartbeat was so fast that it seemed to explode. She didn't dare to look him in the eye. She just lowered her head and stammered in a voice as thin as a mosquito but very clear:
“…N-Never mind…”
After saying these three words, she seemed to have used up all her strength, let go of the corner of his clothes, turned around abruptly, and rushed back to her room almost as if fleeing in panic, closing the door with a "bang"!
Huo Tingxiao stood there alone, staring blankly at the closed door. Her soft, gentle "It's okay" echoed in his ears, and he recalled how she had just tugged at the corner of his clothes...
A huge, indescribable ecstasy and excitement, like a volcanic eruption, instantly broke through all his calmness and self-control!
She didn't refuse!
She even... pulled him back!
So... she was willing too? She was...
This realization made Huo Tingxiao's heart feel like it was suddenly filled with something, swelling and aching. An unprecedented, fiery joy and excitement swept through his body! On his usually cold and hard face, he couldn't help but slowly raised an extremely obvious, even a little silly smile!
Even though it was just a tentative kiss, even though she ran away.
But at that moment, their feelings for each other were clearly conveyed to each other through that light touch and those three words as thin as a mosquito.
All barriers are eliminated and hearts are connected.
That layer of gauze was finally completely pierced by this clumsy and tentative kiss.
What remains is the surging love that is about to burst out.
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