Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Oh…?” Huo Shaoheng returned the question calmly. “What did he oppose?”
Huo Shaoheng’s father, Huo Guanchen, was the Director of the Military Political Department. Like General Ji, he also held the rank of general. Even though he did not have as much authority as General Ji, he was one of the top five generals with the highest authority in the Military Supreme Council.
“I don’t know the exact reason, but he was the first person to oppose it when they were in a discussion about that.” General Ji scratched the back of his balding head exasperatedly. “If it was anyone else, the council could’ve shut them up, but your father was different… No matter what, he’s your father. Even though the management has to approve your marriage, the management will consider it on a case by case basis if you have actual feelings towards the partner and if your family likes her.” He was trying to imply that Huo Guanchen’s opposition had a certain extent of power in this case.
Holding onto his phone, Huo Shaoheng did not reveal any emotion no matter what he was thinking about. Nodding, he replied, “Okay, sorry to disturb you. Why is General Ji still awake, though?”
General Ji could almost see that Huo Shaoheng didn’t care about this and was extremely pleased with his reaction. Not showing any emotion easily, no matter the situation, was exactly how a general should behave. “You brat. Why didn’t you consider whether I would be in bed when you decided to call? And you have the cheek to ask me this now?” General Ji couldn’t decide if it was more funny or annoying, and grumbled over the phone.
Smiling, Huo Shaoheng replied, his tone sounding pleasant, “I know that General Ji must be working overtime again, so I called. I asked you just now because I wanted to nag you to turn in earlier. Is that wrong?”
“Hahaha! You brat! You’ve said all the good and bad. I knew you’re as good with words as those people from the legal department!” General Ji laughed and talked a little more before hanging up. Looking at the clock on the wall, it was already half past two in the morning. Yawning, General Ji put his documents into the safe in his study and retreated to his bedroom, turning in for the day.
Huo Shaoheng could not sleep. He was still holding onto his phone with one hand, and the other hand was placed on the handle below the window in the car. He was looking at the night scenery with dark eyes.
The road to the headquarters of the Special Forces was secluded. The number of vehicles was clearly decreasing as they moved. The light from the street lamps looked like a straight line from the speed, like an arrow that goes straight to one’s heart. Huo Shaoheng closed his eyes, covered them with his hand, and stopped looking at the scenery outside. He was already thinking about when to take a trip home. He had not been home since New Year’s.
His grandfather, Huo Xuenong, had brought his granddaughter, Huo Jialan, to Europe to relax after the incident with senior nurse Zhang and hadn’t returned since. His mother, Song Jinning, was the Director of the Institute of High Energy Physics. She had been immersing herself in research like she couldn’t wait to just live in the laboratory, just like in her younger years. His father… How long had it been since he had thought about that father of his?
Huo Shaoheng thought and toyed with his phone. He dialed his mother’s number. As expected, his mother wasn’t asleep, either. Song Jinning was still reading theses in the laboratory. She wanted to make up for the 17 years she had missed out on. On top of having endless meetings and endless theses she had to read, she even did up a simple small room in the laboratory, containing some daily necessities, clothes and shoes. She was really living in the lab.
Her phone rang. She glanced at the caller display and was surprised that it was her son. Picking up the call, she answered, “Shaoheng?”
“You’re still awake?” Huo Shaoheng asked in courtesy. “Still doing experiments?”
“Nah, I’m reading some theses.” Song Jinning smiled as she rubbed her temples. “What about you? Not asleep, either?”
Huo Shaoheng smiled. “Of course I’m not asleep if I’m able to call you.” After a pause, he continued, “Let me visit you. Is it convenient?”
“Yes.” Song Jinning was stunned for a moment before realizing that her son had something to tell her. “Just come. I’ll be at the office in the experiment building. You know which one.”
After acknowledging, Huo Shaoheng hung up and informed his chauffeur, Fan Jian, “Head to the Institute of High Energy Physics. Get some dinner along the way.”
Yin Shixiong and Zhao Liangze had no response to the information. Then, Fan Jian changed directions and headed towards the Institute of High Energy Physics. An hour later, Huo Shaoheng’s vehicle was driving through the gates of the institute. Even though it was already three o’clock in the morning, the security still ensured that they had a special access pass before allowing them to enter.
…
Looking at her watch, it had already been an hour. Huo Shaoheng should have arrived already. Standing up, she left her desk and walked to the door and opened it. The corridor was dark, because the building used motion sensor lights. They were off when there wasn’t anyone around. However, in the blink of an eye, the sounds of steady footsteps filled the corridor and the lights gradually came on.
A tall figure appeared before Song Jinning’s eyes. He strode in from the end of the corridor, and the lights shined downwards from the top of his head, emphasizing his already deep features. He looked out of this world.
Song Jinning smiled uncontrollably. She was still wearing her lab coat, and she put both her hands in her coat pockets. Just like that, she looked at Huo Shaoheng walking towards her, a small paper bag in his hand.
“You shouldn’t be staying up late, Mom.” Huo Shaoheng walked to Song Jinning and closely observed how she looked. “I brought some freshly boiled soup with cordyceps, lingzhi, ginseng, and pepper. Have some for supper.”
Taking the paper bag from Huo Shaoheng, a memory from more than ten years ago, before the incident happened, flashed through Song Jinning’s mind. Huo Shaoheng, who was still a teenager then, also took a small paper bag of cakes that day to her laboratory to enjoy with her. She felt guilty towards this son of hers. When he was young, she was engrossed in her research, returning to work the moment she was done with her maternity leave. He was one month old.
After that, when he was a teenager, she was too shaken by that incident and became mentally unstable. She couldn’t even continue with her daily activities, much less talk about fulfilling the duties of a mother. The corners of Song Jinning’s eyes became wet. She turned around before letting him realize and hid her face in the shadows. “Come in. You have some, too.”
Huo Shaoheng nodded and followed Song Jinning into her office and closed the door behind him. Yin Shixiong and Zhao Liangze stood guard at the stairs and the entrance of the elevator. They wore their Bluetooth earpieces so that they could be contacted anytime.
Upon entering Song Jinning’s office, Huo Shaoheng looked around. In just a few months, Song Jinning had already brought a lot more books and experimental apparatus here. She had even added a few large computers.
Song Jinning took two bowls and two spoons from her room and served a bowl of soup to Huo Shaoheng before taking one for herself. As she was taking the soup, she said, “Actually, the usage of cordyceps had been magnified. The thing that’s useful in cordyceps, the cordycepic acid, is actually mannitol, which is an extremely cheap source of ingredient.”
Huo Shaoheng couldn’t help but smile at this comment. “Mannitol can also be used in food, so it’s okay to have some occasionally.”
“Yes, but I was just saying. This soup tastes great! The fire was strong enough when they boiled it.” Although she was nagging a bit, Song Jinning still drank her soup happily.
Huo Shaoheng did not touch his bowl of soup. He stirred a couple of times before offering it to Song Jinning. Song Jinning accepted it without hesitation and finished the bowl as well. Then, she sighed contentedly and said, “So comforting. This soup is really great!”
“You skipped dinner again, didn’t you?” Huo Shaoheng looked at Song Jinning quietly. “I’ll order meals for you in the future. Someone will bring you meals three times a day henceforth. You’ll just have to eat them.”
“Oh? Such amazing things exist? Actually, we do have a cafeteria here. I’ve been there a couple of times. The food is surprisingly rather decent…” Song Jinning avoided Huo Shaoheng’s eyes guiltily. She really had no time. The determination to restart the experiment kept bugging her. She almost wanted to invest all her time in it. Twenty-four hours a day simply wasn’t enough. She had lost count of the days she had fallen asleep in front of the computer. When she woke up in the morning, she quickly washed up before continuing with her work.
However, even if it was so tedious, she still looked radiant. It seemed like she managed to utilize all the energy she had stored in the past 17 years while she was mentally unstable. Huo Shaoheng smiled and sent a text to Yin Shixiong, asking him to place an order for three meals a day for a year to be delivered to Song Jinning’s office during meal times. Otherwise, she’d still eat only when she remembered her hunger. It’d affect her health in the long run.
Song Jinning did not continue talking and finished the rest of the soup. She also ate two wholemeal bread rolls that Huo Shaoheng had brought along. Sitting across from Song Jinning, he ensured that she had finished eating before clearing the bowls and bringing them to her washroom to clean.
Song Jinning followed him in and looked at Huo Shaoheng’s tall and masculine figure while leaning against the washroom door. “Shaoheng, you’ve something on your mind. Do you need help?” Nothing could escape a mother’s eyes, indeed.
Even though Song Jinning had been mostly absent in Huo Shaoheng’s growing years, a connection in blood was still undeniably strong. She sensed that Huo Shaoheng’s emotions weren’t normal. Other than Gu Nianzhi, Song Jinning could be considered the second person who could sense what Huo Shaoheng was hiding emotionally.
After he was done washing up, Huo Shaoheng placed the bowls in the cupboard and washed his hands before turning around. “Yes, I do have something on my mind. Let’s talk outside.”
Song Jinning was over the moon. She stepped forward and held him by the arm and said seriously, “Shaoheng, looking for me when something’s bothering you, I’m really happy.” Being depended on by her own son and being able to do something for him was the joy of being a mother.
However, Huo Shaoheng was rather speechless at this remark. He wasn’t a little boy anymore, but in Song Jinning’s eyes, most likely he was still the little boy from 17 years ago who skipped school just to bring a birthday cake to celebrate her birthday with her.
