Volume One, Chapter 35: Like a Seductive Fox (Revised)

She then lowered her head and left.

Huo Xiaohan’s cold, sharp black eyes, reminiscent of distant mountains shrouded in heavy mist, lowered slightly. The corners of his lips were drawn into a straight, unyielding line.

"Have Section Chief Li and Teacher Xiao Fang both gone home?"

"Yes, your aunt just sent them back." Huo Jianguo nodded and asked the nurse to check if Su Xiaohui had any serious injuries.

"Brother Huo..." Su Xiaohui sat on the bed, calling out in a very small voice, not daring to lift her head.

Having Su Wan expose her feelings for him in front of Brother Huo and the entire family left her unsure of how to face him. If the Huo family intended to send her back to their hometown, she would make sure Su Wan would not be able to remain in Beijing either. She would bind herself tightly to her; if she were miserable, she would ensure Su Wan was, too.

Huo Xiaohan merely glanced at her coldly, offered a faint grunt of acknowledgment, and said to Huo Jianguo, "Dad, Aunt, since there’s nothing wrong, I’ll head back to my unit."

Huo Hong, however, pulled Huo Xiaohan into the corner of the hospital corridor to ask about the day's matchmaking attempt: "Xiaohan, what was your impression of Teacher Xiao Fang?"

"No impression." Huo Xiaohan spoke truthfully. He had merely caught a glimpse of her when he entered and hadn't paid any attention to her otherwise.

Huo Hong grew anxious. It was one thing that he hadn't been interested in such things when he was a student, but now that he was twenty-six and a regiment commander, why was he still so clueless? Since graduating from military academy, he had gone straight to the Northwest. After all these years in the military, most men would find even a sow looking beautiful, yet he—with the woman sitting right across from him—claimed he had no impression.

"Xiaohan, I think Teacher Xiao Fang is quite good, and she seems fond of you. You aren't young anymore; you can't keep dragging this out. When you have free time, why not take her to the mall or a movie? You two need to spend more time together."

"I don't have the time, and it wouldn't be appropriate. Aunt, I'm heading back to the unit." Huo Xiaohan’s rejection was cold and direct. Without giving Huo Hong a chance to react, he turned and left, descending the stairs in long, swift strides.

Huo Hong could only stare at his tall, straight back, frustrated. This eldest nephew of hers was truly going to be the death of her.

As Huo Xiaohan descended to the first floor, he couldn't help but wonder about the look Su Wan had given him before she left. Her eyes had been shimmering and vivid, filled with a girl's shy bashfulness, her eyelashes fluttering like those of an alluring fox. That hesitant, unspoken look suggested she had something she wanted to say to him.

With long, steady strides, he exited the hospital and instinctively scanned the surroundings, quickly spotting a familiar figure walking toward the hospital gate. He hesitated for a moment before following. His pace was long—one of his steps worth two of hers—and he quickly caught up to her.

"Comrade Su Wan." A low, cold voice came abruptly from behind.

Su Wan turned around, surprised to see Huo Xiaohan. She hadn't found it convenient to speak in the hospital, so she had given him a look, never expecting him to understand and actually follow her.

"Regiment Commander Huo!" The four o’clock afternoon sun shone on Su Wan’s clear, flawless face, flushing her delicate skin with a rosy hue like the petals of a peach blossom. Her clear, sweet voice was pleasant to the ear, like a murmuring spring in a mountain stream, flowing into the heart and nourishing it during this hot, sultry afternoon.

"What did that look you gave me before you left mean?" Huo Xiaohan stopped, keeping a distance from her, his expression still icy.

"Secretary Yang knows I’m returning to the military compound today, so he asked me to tell you that he wants to ask when you might be free to come over for a simple meal." She didn't mention that Secretary Yang had intended to introduce him to a potential partner; what if he had poor taste and actually liked Fang Yu? Telling him about this was meant to let him know about Fang Yu’s true character through Secretary Yang’s own words.

Huo Xiaohan looked into her soft, clear eyes, was silent for a moment, and said, "Tomorrow at noon."

Su Wan had expected at least a week or two, or perhaps even next month, but she hadn't expected him to be available as early as tomorrow. Did a regiment commander have that much authority to come and go as he pleased? He seemed to have been out quite a few times this month!

"Alright, I’ll tell Secretary Yang when I get back." Su Wan curled her lips, dimples appearing on her cheeks, and turned to run toward the bus stop.

"I’ll take you back." Huo Xiaohan said expressionlessly. After all, it was due to the Huo family's affairs that she had been delayed in returning to cook for Principal Song.

Su Wan was in a tight spot financially, and she certainly had no reason to refuse a ride that would save her money. She thanked him softly and sweetly, "Alright, thank you, Regiment Commander Huo."

In the hospital room, after Huo Hong went downstairs to handle the discharge procedures, Su Xiaohui launched into another frantic round of apologies and admissions to Huo Jianguo. She cried while promising that she had no other intentions toward Brother Huo and only regarded him as an elder brother, and that she would consciously stay away whenever Teacher Xiao Fang and the others visited. She also promised that once the swelling on her face subsided, she would find a job just like her sister and would never again cause trouble for Grandma Huo or him.

Huo Jianguo sighed silently, understanding that Su Xiaohui’s behavior stemmed from the insecurity and sensitivity of being unloved at home. He comforted her, assuring her that she would not be sent back to their hometown. Su Xiaohui felt a surge of relief, wiping away her tears. As she accidentally glanced out the window, she saw Su Wan following behind Brother Huo, both of them climbing into an olive-green military jeep. The door handle was scorching from the sun, yet Brother Huo had opened the door for her.

Brother Huo, who had always hated and loathed Su Wan, was now giving her a ride back to Principal Song’s house. Her hands clenched tightly around the blue-and-white striped sheets. It must have been the events of this time that changed Brother Huo’s impression of Su Wan. She would absolutely not allow Su Wan to live better than her or be more popular in the Huo family. A madness burned in the depths of Su Xiaohui’s eyes, mixed with intense jealousy.

The very next day, Su Xiaohui, wrapped in a towel, knocked on Principal Song’s door. Principal Song, who was watching television on the sofa, assumed it was Huo Xiaohan and stood up to open the door.

"Uncle, hello. I’m here to find my sister, Su Wan." Su Xiaohui stood outside, timid and cowardly, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz. Her eyes and both cheeks were highly swollen, with faint, unhealed finger marks still visible. Just a glance made her look pitiful and heartbreaking.

Principal Song assumed Su Xiaohui had been abused and bullied, so he hurriedly let her inside and shouted toward the kitchen, "Xiao Wan, your sister is here to see you."

Hearing the commotion, Su Wan walked out while wiping sweat from her forehead with a towel. Seeing Su Xiaohui in the living room, her curled lips quickly straightened into a cold line.

"Sister..." As soon as Su Xiaohui saw Su Wan, she ran toward her with a pitiful, tearful expression, looking as if she had suffered a great grievance.

"What are you doing here?" Su Wan pulled her into the kitchen and asked coldly.

"Sister, I’m here to apologize to you. I’m truly sorry, won't you forgive me?" Su Xiaohui lowered her eyes, sobbing softly. Yesterday, when she returned to the Huo home with Uncle Huo, although Grandma Huo and Uncle Huo didn't say anything to her, she knew clearly that their attitude toward her had changed. Therefore, she had to act quickly to prove herself. Before, she had felt confident because she thought she was Brother Huo’s potential match, but now that she was nothing, if the Huo family began to dislike her, how could she stay and cling to them? She would rather die than return to the poor, miserable hometown.

Early that morning, she had taken the two candies Grandma Huo had given her and gone to find Maid Wu, hoping she would help her find a job that would allow her to go out during the day and return at night. Maid Wu hadn't even looked at the candies, saying that with millions of educated youth returning to the countryside, jobs were impossible to find, let alone for someone like her looking for a summer job. If Maid Wu could introduce a nanny position for her sister but not for her, even a servant of the Huo family dared to treat her this way.

She decided to go all out and go straight to Su Wan. If she couldn't stay in the Huo house, she would make it so Su Wan couldn't stay in the Song house either. Once she lost her job, she would be forced to live a life of dependency just like her. She believed that with Su Wan as a foil, the Huo family would surely find her more sensible and well-behaved.

Su Wan looked at Su Xiaohui’s crocodile tears. Both of them knew exactly who had tampered with the salt; they had essentially torn off the masks, but neither would be the one to break the silence. She wasn't here to apologize; she was clearly here to stir up trouble.

"Which matter are you talking about? Are you talking about how your leg injury was actually a stunt you orchestrated to frame me?"

Su Xiaohui hadn't specified which incident she was apologizing for. Although both knew who had done it, knowing it and admitting it were two different things. Su Wan decided to provoke her to see if she was thinking what she suspected.

Hearing this, Su Xiaohui’s eyes clearly revealed a flash of panic, but she kept her head lowered, weeping and looking confused and pitiful. "Sister, when I was being chased by the cow, I was so scared. I didn't notice the surroundings at all. It was the villagers who said they saw you on the ridge. I really don't know anything about it."

She maintained a stance of neither admitting nor denying, just in case Su Wan recalled the events of that day later on—she would have a fallback. However, she suspected Su Wan hadn't remembered, otherwise, she wouldn't be speaking to her so calmly.

Yet, that flash of panic and her subtle movements were captured by Su Wan. So, the original owner really had been framed. As for why so many people claimed it was the original owner, that was a bit strange.

Su Xiaohui continued to beg pitifully, "Sister, I really know I was wrong. I really didn't know that sodium nitrite was poisonous; I thought it was just salt that someone had thrown away because it had gone bad." As she spoke, she took advantage of Su Wan turning her back to prepare chicken wings and knocked an empty plate off the counter.

With a "clatter," the sound of shattering echoed from the kitchen. Principal Song, sitting on the sofa, looked toward the kitchen. Su Xiaohui frantically apologized in a loud voice, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Sister! I didn't mean it! I’ll clean it up right away, please don't be angry and chase me away."

She crouched down to pick up the broken shards, and predictably, she cut her finger. Crimson blood immediately flowed from her fingertip, dripping onto the floor. Su Wan knew that the Huo family didn't favor her anymore, and she wanted the Song family to dislike her as well.

Su Wan curled her lips coldly and whispered in her ear, "Go ahead and break a few more if you like. Later tonight, I’ll go back to the Huo house and tell them you broke the Song family’s dishes. I’ll just use your favorite fountain pen and suitcase to pay them back. I don't think Uncle Huo and the others will say anything."

In this era, bowls and dishes were quite valuable, and there were even specialized craftsmen for mending broken pottery. Su Xiaohui was visibly frightened but still whimpered, "Sister, I really didn't mean to."

Principal Song heard the commotion in the kitchen and stood up, walking over concernedly. Seeing Su Xiaohui’s bleeding finger, he quickly opened the medical kit Wen Bo kept at home and pulled out a bandage for Su Wan. He vaguely guessed that the two sisters had come to Beijing to rely on relatives; the older sister had found a job, but the younger one was still staying with the relatives. Over time, the host family had become annoyed, or perhaps Su Wan’s sister was too small and easy to bully, so for some reason, the children of the host family had beaten her, leaving her no choice but to come here to find her sister.

"Uncle, I’m sorry I broke your plate. I’ll stay and do chores to compensate you." Seeing Principal Song enter, Su Xiaohui’s tears flowed like a broken dam, her eyes red as she begged fearfully. She was terrified that Su Wan would actually go to the Huo house tonight and tell them she had broken the dishes.

"It’s alright, it doesn't matter. It’s just a vegetable plate." Principal Song quickly and gently comforted Su Xiaohui. Seeing how timid and frightened she was, she must have been walking on eggshells at her relatives' house, afraid of being scolded for the slightest mistake. He wondered who the brute was that had been so heartless as to beat a young girl’s face like that. Once Huo Xiaohan arrived, he would have him ask which family in the military compound was so cruel as to bully a young girl from the countryside. "It’s almost lunch time, why don't you stay and have a meal with us before you go?"

"No, no, thank you, Uncle, I won't trouble you." Su Xiaohui shook her head repeatedly, looking timidly and fearfully at Su Wan, who was standing nearby, then touched her own swollen face. She was intentionally implying that she was terrified of Su Wan and that her injuries were caused by her.

Principal Song knew Su Wan’s character best and naturally wouldn't think in that direction. He lifted his head and made a decision, "Su Wan, let your sister stay for lunch. Cook a bit more rice."

"Alright. I’m truly sorry, Uncle Song, for the trouble." Su Wan held the spatula, looking at Su Xiaohui, who was determined not to leave, and curled her lips slightly, offering an apologetic smile. Even if Su Xiaohui left today, she would certainly be back tomorrow. Even if she didn't do anything, over time, no matter how warm-hearted and kind Principal Song and Secretary Yang were, they would feel their lives were being intruded upon. Su Xiaohui was set on destroying the job she had worked so hard to get.

Originally, she had been quite worried that if Huo Xiaohan came and saw Su Xiaohui, it would let Principal Song know about her connection to the Huo family.