Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Huo Shaoheng was speechless. He stared intently at Gu Nianzhi. She looked a bit jealous, but her faint smirk diluted the jealousy much more than he wanted it to.
Gu Nianzhi originally didn’t want to mention this to Huo Shaoheng to avoid making him think she was feeling jealous, but she changed her mind because she knew it would be too obvious if she avoided mentioning it the entire time. It clearly bothered her a lot, and it clearly pushed her emotions over the edge. This was the final straw that made her decide to break up, so why pretend it didn’t exist? Why did she have to suffer it alone? No one cared even if she felt hurt internally from the suffering, so she blurted it out honestly. The situation at the time was vivid in her mind, and every time she recalled it, a new scar would appear on her heart. So let him assume she was being jealous. It didn’t matter to her anymore, and she also didn’t want to explain it.
Huo Shaoheng looked up and stared at her quietly. He wasn’t a stranger to what Gu Nianzhi felt and could also completely understand her psyche at the time. To see that kind of situation when she was at her most desperate… Just like when the strong willed men from Special Operations Forces underwent specialized training to see that kind of thing during high intensity, anti-stress training would directly cause breakdowns and require a long period of psychotherapy to recover from. Also, Gu Nianzhi was only a young girl five days away from turning 19. She had never really gone through major setbacks in life, and the psychological impact she experienced was surely even more powerful than what field agents went through. After some time, Huo Shaoheng reached out to take Gu Nianzhi’s arm and replied steadily, “I wouldn’t let you have the chance to sprain your ankle if you were by my side.”
Gu Nianzhi had been laughing, but tears fell as soon as she heard his words. She quickly wiggled out of his grasp and turned away to wipe the tears with the back of her hand. She choked. “Yeah, I believe you. But you’re not by my side most of the time, so I need to make sure I don’t have a chance of spraining my ankle. Even if it happens, I need to learn how to help myself. If I had waited for someone else to rescue me, I might have become crippled and gotten killed from the fall already.”
Huo Shaoheng exhaled deeply. He knew Gu Nianzhi was too hurt this time and wouldn’t recover in a short period of time. He didn’t say anything more but carried one of Gu Nianzhi’s suitcases in each hand.
Gu Nianzhi stopped him. “Mr. Huo, can you lend me a phone? I can call someone else to pick me up.”
Huo Shaoheng didn’t stop walking or lend his phone to Gu Nianzhi. He carried the suitcases and walked out, so Gu Nianzhi had no choice but to stomp her feet before following him out of his official residence. A silver Bentley Bentayga SUV was parked in front of the entrance. It was very smooth and streamlined as it quietly sat at the door like a piece of moonlight—strong, reliable, gentle, and considerate. Gu Nianzhi snickered before following him inside the car.
Huo Shaoheng drove to the base exit and draped one arm on the steering wheel and and rested the other against the window frame as he glanced at Gu Nainzhi in the front passenger seat. “You don’t like this car?”
Gu Nianzhi turned to look out the window and crossed her arms as she replied calmly, “No, this car is pretty decent.” It is better than most men, anyway, Gu Nianzhi thought to herself. It worked hard without complaint and endured all sorts of abuse but still remained strong, reliable, gentle, and considerate. Just the last two points themselves had much difficulty coexisting.
Huo Shaoheng glanced at her again and turned onto the highway. It was Tuesday and past working hours, so the roads weren’t busy despite the many cars. They remained silent the entire trip and soon arrived at B University and then Gu Nianzhi’s graduate student dormitory.
Gu Nianzhi’s eyes almost filled with tears at the familiar sight of her dorm. She pressed herself against the window to stare at the building and sighed. “Back then, I thought I wouldn’t be able to come back, and when I was sleeping in the Alps, I even dreamed of my dorm at night.” This was her real home and the real place that made her feel like she belonged. Seeing her school, dorm, and even the classmates she had arguments in the past with all made her feel extremely at home. From this last life and death struggle, she left behind her reliance but earned confidence in her own abilities. She could only live honestly and stably by relying on herself. Gu Nianzhi balled her hands into fists and turned to Huo Shaoheng earnestly. “Thank you, Mr. Huo.”
Huo Shaoheng looked at her quietly and leaned over to undo her seatbelt. Body heat radiated and cloaked her when his strapping figure moved close to her. Gu Nianzhi shifted away uncomfortably. Huo Shaoheng stopped and said next to her ear, “Don’t call me ‘Mr. Huo.’ That’s too formal. You can call my name.” Of course, he’d rather that than have Gu Nainzhi continue calling him “Uncle Huo.”
Gu Nianzhi considered it. She had already achieved her goal, so she shouldn’t need to call him “Mr. Huo” anymore to indicate their distance. She nodded. “Ok, Huo Shaoheng. Then I won’t pretend to be polite.” As soon as the seat belt unfastened, she opened the door and leapt out of the car.
Huo Shaoheng followed her out and carried her suitcases as they went up together. When Gu Nianzhi arrived at her door, she was so excited and frantically fished out her keys from her bag to clumsily unlock it. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Ma Qiqi poking her head out of her room.
“Nianzhi!”
“Qiqi!”
The two girls screamed in unison and excitedly ran up to each other in an embrace as they shouted and laughed. They both laughed so hard, their tears fell from laughter. Ma Qiqi grabbed Gu Nianzhi and asked worriedly, “Are you ok, Nianzhi?! I saw them electrocute you. I was so shocked, I started crying!”
Gu Nianzhi quickly shook her head and winked at Ma Qiqi. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I shocked you. Actually, it didn’t hurt that much. I was just screaming purposely to make them satisfied. What would I do if I appeared too ‘unyielding’ and they decided to continue torturing me? I had to satisfy their perverse psyche, isn’t that right?”
Ma Qiqi knew Gu Nianzhi was consoling her and wiped her tears. “I’m glad you’re fine. Looking at you, there’s nothing wrong at all. See, your tiny face is even rosier than mine! Silly girl, you worried me so badly!” She then hugged Gu Nianzhi tightly and rubbed her back hard.
Huo Shaoheng smiled slightly at the sight of the roommates being so “intimate.” It was better to have Gu Nianzhi’s mood brightened. Ma Qiqi finally calmed down and noticed there was someone else in the room. She focused her eyes and froze. Wasn’t this the incredible Major General Huo!? She had yelled at him at the airport that day! Ma Qiqi’s face instantly flushed, and she stood there awkwardly, unsure what to say.
Gu Nianzhi didn’t know what happened with Ma Qiqi at the airport and only assumed she was feeling shy seeing Huo Shaoheng. She turned to him and said, “Thank you for driving me back, Huo Shaoheng. Hope I didn’t use too much of your time.” In other words, he was dismissed.
Of course, Huo Shaoheng wouldn’t leave just like that. Picking up Gu Nianzhi’s suitcases, he replied, “You guys chat. I’ll go unpack for you.” He then walked to Gu Nianzhi’s room.
Gu Nianzhi thought it was wrong and was about to call him back when Ma Qiqi grabbed her from behind to drag her into her own room. “Get over here, Nianzhi. I have so many things to ask you, I’m gonna explode if I don’t ask them now!”
Ma Qiqi was now more important to Gu Nianzhi than Huo Shaoheng, so she followed inside her room. Ma Qiqi slammed the door shut and scanned her up and down to ensure she was really fine before sighing. “Nianzhi, I have to tell you something.”
Gu Nianzhi nodded as she patted Ma Qiqi’s shoulder. “Qiqi, do you think there are still things you can’t say to me at this point? You saved my life. I’m endlessly grateful to you.”
Flushing scarlet from Gu Nainzhi’s words, Ma Qiqi said shyly, “Actually, I didn’t do anything. I only made a few calls and sent two videos.” She then asked, “Professor He was the one to save you, or was it that…” Ma Qiqi gestured at the direction of Gu Nianzhi’s room.
Gu Nianzhi laughed at her reaction and muffled her mouth. “It was Professor He. That Mr. Huo was too far away and didn’t make it in time.”
“Yeah… I know.” Ma Qiqi punched the bed vehemently and said with some worry, “Nianzhi, I’m telling you—I even yelled at him at the airport that day! You think he will… retaliate against me?”
Gu Nianzhi stiffened. “Yelled at him? You saw him?” She assumed Ma Qiqi found Huo Shaoheng through Yin Shixiong or Zhao Lianze.
Ma Qiqi also stiffened. “Your boyfriend didn’t tell you?”
Gu Nianzhi pinched Ma Qiqi’s lips with a smile. “Don’t talk nonsense. What boyfriend… He’s not anymore.”
Ma Qiqi grew serious and squeezed Gu Nianzhi’s hand. “What happened?! Did someone actually steal him away?!”
Gu Nianzhi was totally confused and couldn’t help shoving Ma Qiqi. “Wake, up Qiqi. Why are you sleep talking in the middle of the day!?”
“You still don’t know?” Ma Qiqi bit her lip in contemplation and crept closer to Gu Nianzhi to whisper, “The thing is, Nianzhi… I was in a panic trying to get someone to rescue you, but when I found Brother Xiong, he said your boyfriend wasn’t in the Hua Xia Empire and that the military had banned anyone from notifying him. Later on, I saw he was visiting abroad and then escorted that Prime Minister’s daughter back here. I went to the airport to stop him…”
“Stop right there!” Gu Nianzhi’s eyes widened. “Say that again. You said someone banned Huo Shaoheng from being notified? And then you went to the airport to stop Huo Shaoheng? But… But… How did you get in?” Gu Nianzhi knew that the entire airport would be cleared for an event like that. There was no way a normal person like Ma Qiqi could go stop someone.
Ma Qiqi suddenly got embarrassed and fidgeted before whispering, “I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell your boyfriend.”
“Tell me. I promise I won’t mention anything.” Gu Nianzhi then thought it was still wrong and added, “How many times did I tell you, stop calling him my boyfriend. He’s not anymore. We already broke up.”
