Chapter 15: The Meng Family

Chapter 15: The Meng Family

Just as the car pulled through the gates of the camp, Huo Qingshan was called away, told there was an emergency that required his attention.

Considering that this wasn't Zhou Shiyan's first time visiting the 624 Border Defense Force, Huo Qingshan took him directly to the reception room on the floor where his office was located. He told him to find some newspapers to pass the time and told him to come find him once he was finished with his business.

An hour passed, and the bottom of Zhou Shiyan's teacup was visible.

Wanting another cup of water, he realized the thermos was empty. Since he was idle anyway, Zhou Shiyan decided to take the thermos to the canteen to refill it.

In the corridor, he saw a graceful figure approaching from a distance.

Because of the distance, the person's appearance wasn't clear; he could only vaguely discern a blurred facial contour and the lines of her features.

But inexplicably, a sense of... old acquaintance surged in Zhou Shiyan's heart.

As the woman drew closer, that strange feeling of familiarity deepened. Zhou Shiyan unconsciously quickened his pace, stepping forward to see her face sooner.

One step... two steps... until Zhou Shiyan saw the newcomer clearly, his heart skipped a beat!

How could it be?

Zhou Shiyan froze in place for a few seconds. By the time he reacted, the woman had already brushed past him, leaving only a graceful silhouette behind.

He turned back to the reception room, still clutching the empty thermos.

Sitting on the sofa, Zhou Shiyan stared through the half-open door of the reception room, gazing for a long time at the closed door diagonally opposite him.

If he hadn't misseen just now, did that woman walk into Huo Qingshan's office?

What a shock! They looked far too much alike!

"Is it just a coincidence? Or..."

Within a few short minutes, a torrent of various speculations flooded Zhou Shiyan's mind.

Just as his thoughts were racing, the door was pushed open from the inside, and Meng Youyou walked out, humming a little tune.

She gradually disappeared from Zhou Shiyan's sight.

Just now, Zhou Shiyan had caught a crucial piece of information with his sharp eyes: when she came out, she was holding a foreign language textbook.

Extremely similar looks, and she was also a foreign language major—with these two facts linked together, it was difficult for Zhou Shiyan to convince himself at this moment that it was merely a coincidence.

By the time Huo Qingshan returned, dusk was approaching.

The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the slightly dusty window glass, spilling across the floor. As Huo Qingshan reached the reception room door and was about to knock to signal his presence, he saw Zhou Shiyan sitting on the sofa in a daze, his eyes vacant, lost in thought.

He curled his fingers and knocked twice on the heavy wooden door, where much of the lacquer had peeled off: *Thud—thud—*

The knocking sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet reception room. Zhou Shiyan snapped back to reality instantly. He jerked his head up, and the moment he saw Huo Qingshan standing at the door, the confusion in his eyes vanished.

"I'm back," Huo Qingshan said curtly, turning toward his office on his own.

Zhou Shiyan followed closely behind. The first thing he saw upon entering the office was Huo Qingshan pulling a tube of scar removal gel from his pocket and placing it on the opposite desk.

He asked seemingly casually, "What's this? Is someone else using this office?"

Huo Qingshan gave a low grunt. "A new translator arrived. The unit doesn't have any extra offices, so the leadership arranged for her to share mine."

Zhou Shiyan continued to probe, "Oh? What's the translator's name?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Qingshan's expression darkened. He met Zhou Shiyan's gaze directly, his eyes sharp and scrutinizing. "What exactly do you want to know?"

Zhou Shiyan dropped his casual, relaxed attitude, his expression turning serious. "Is she from the Meng family?"

Huo Qingshan averted his gaze toward the window and answered nonchalantly, "Likely."

Zhou Shiyan grew anxious immediately. "What do you mean, 'likely'?"

Huo Qingshan did not answer the question, merely stating, "Her name is Meng Youyou. She's from the capital."

Realizing the situation, Zhou Shiyan fell silent.

After a moment, Zhou Shiyan asked hesitantly, "What are your thoughts on this?"

Regarding this question... Huo Qingshan laughed. "She was transferred here through official channels to assist the troops. She's a fine, upright young woman. Why would it matter what I think?"

"Qingshan!" Zhou Shiyan called his name, his tone serious.

Huo Qingshan let out an almost imperceptible sigh. "I know what I'm doing."

Zhou Shiyan stepped forward and patted Huo Qingshan's shoulder firmly. "If the Meng family intends to repeat their old tricks, you have to be on your guard, Qingshan."

Hearing this, a mocking curve pulled at the corner of Huo Qingshan's mouth. His eyes seemed laced with ice, and he let out a cold snort. "Hmph. Does the Meng family think that because Huo Zhenbang and Huo Tingdong both fell one after another at their hands, every man in the Huo family will lose his ability to walk the moment he encounters a woman from the Meng family?"

"Unfortunately for them, they will likely miscalculate this time. I am not a member of the Huo family to begin with. Therefore, the flaws inherent to the Huo family have nothing to do with me," Huo Qingshan said, his voice devoid of warmth as he stared at the empty desk two meters away.

Zhou Shiyan was momentarily speechless. "..."

This was the first time Zhou Shiyan had heard such harsh words from him. If Uncle Huo had been present today, the father and son would likely have clashed again. While it was one thing to hope he remained wary of the Meng family, seeing the unintentional hostility leaking from him made Zhou Shiyan startle—after all these years, his psychological knot had not weakened at all; if anything, it had grown heavier.

Huo Qingshan walked back to his desk, pulling out a chair while casually uttering one last sentence: "They are overestimating their own abilities."

The sentence had no subject; it was unclear who he was referring to.

***

When Meng Youyou saw a white tube lying on her desk with a small square piece of paper pressed beneath it, she was slightly surprised for a few seconds.

After carefully studying the dense black English text on the tube, she realized what it was.

*Who left scar removal gel on my desk?*

She then focused on the handwriting on the note: [Usage: 1–2 times daily. After application, gently massage the area for 1–2 minutes to promote absorption and better results. If an allergic reaction occurs, discontinue use immediately.]

There was no signature.

Meng Youyou looked at the handwriting on the paper; it was powerful, upright, and sharp. It was a highly distinctive style that left a deep impression at a single glance, much like the man himself.

Dou Dou, seeing this, was overjoyed and began a round of brainwashing persuasion: [This handwriting looks just like the apology letter Battalion Commander Huo wrote yesterday! He must have specifically bought the scar medicine for you. I told you he wasn't the petty type; there must be some misunderstanding here.]

Meng Youyou naturally remembered yesterday afternoon, when she was checking the submitted homework and saw a certain person's "self-reflection letter" tucked between the pages.

The handwriting on the note in her hand was identical to the one on yesterday's self-reflection.

However, she still argued instinctively, "That was clearly a self-reflection letter, not an apology letter!"

At this point, the identity of the person who sent her the scar removal gel was beyond doubt.

The haze that had been accumulating in Meng Youyou's heart instantly cleared a bit, as a few soft yet dazzling rays of sunlight slowly shone in.

To be honest, Meng Youyou had never thought Huo Qingshan was the type of person to admit mistakes and apologize. Moreover, he had written two whole pages of self-reflection specifically regarding his personal views on her "buying sanitary pads"—stating that he shouldn't have made such a rash, negative evaluation of her personally, even though he maintained his stance on certain points.

Dou Dou knew all about this and finally found an opportunity to vindicate its chosen ward: [Host, it's clear that you were judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty man. I told you before, our Munda System's selected wards are guaranteed in terms of personality and charm. You can't let preconceived notions cloud your judgment of him in the future.]

Meng Youyou said stubbornly, "Fine, I'll consider him teachable."

But in reality, her psychological defenses had already begun to waver. This man's mind didn't seem as narrow as she thought; he wasn't so chauvinistic, nor so stubborn; he was actually quite reasonable and capable of discussing matters objectively. Overall, he seemed like a sensible fellow.

After all, given the social background of this era, the long-term infiltration of old-fashioned concepts, and the skewed social status, it was rare for a successful and respected adult male to consciously reflect on whether his long-held views were limited, simply because of a few words from someone else—especially words spoken with anger and aggression. Although he hadn't fully accepted it, he possessed the broad-mindedness to learn respect and tolerance, and the ability to admit the impropriety of his own words and actions.

To this, Meng Youyou had to admit, it was truly rare.

Not to mention that after his serious reflection, he still chose to come and apologize with a sincere attitude, accompanied by an apology gift, even after she had "unceremoniously" retaliated against him.

Following this series of actions, Meng Youyou's perception of him changed significantly. She suddenly remembered a "perfect apology template" she had seen online: Sincere admission of error + a carefully prepared apology gift + a firm promise not to repeat the mistake.

This... the process matched more than half of it with surprising accuracy.

This guy looks like a potential talent; he's highly perceptive and has a bright future. Meng Youyou suddenly felt she understood Chu Yao's taste a little bit.

Just a little bit, though. Not much.