Volume 1, Chapter 64: Give Me a Chance

"Aunt Xie, actually I..." Su Wan stopped and turned around, about to tell the truth.

A young male comrade wearing a white shirt and black trousers ran over, panting heavily. "Professor Xie, there's a problem with a set of data in the laboratory. Could you please come back with me right now?"

"What?" This paper was scheduled to be published tomorrow; how could a problem arise at this very moment?

Xie Bailing glanced at Su Wan and had no choice to say, "Classmate Su Wan, I have to go back to the school now. When I have time later, I'll invite you to eat at the state-run restaurant, or you can come to my home for a meal."

With that, Xie Bailing trotted away from the hospital following the male comrade.

Watching Professor Xie's retreating figure, Su Wan gently covered her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

She truly hadn't expected to meet Huo Xiaohan's mother in such a manner.

It had been a close call. If they had reached the entrance of the cadre ward and Huo Xiaohan had seen her, at least fifty percent of her disguise would have been ruined.

The remaining fifty percent would soon be uncovered by him as well.

Lowering her head, Su Wan walked quickly toward the hospital exit.

The wound on Huo Xiaohan's shoulder was healing rapidly, and coupled with his naturally excellent physical fitness, there had been no signs of infection three days post-surgery.

He no longer needed to rest in bed.

Huo Xiaohan walked to the administrative building by himself. Just as he descended to the first-floor lobby of the hospital, he spotted a soft, slender, and graceful figure among the crowd.

Her posture was fluid and delicate, resembling the mist weaving through weeping willows on a spring day, as beautiful as a dream.

The way she walked on her left foot was slightly awkward.

Tingting?

Huo Xiaohan's dark eyes narrowed deeply as he lengthened his stride and walked toward that figure.

"Commander Huo," Han Wei had come to the hospital to check on Commander Huo, and after searching every corner of the ward without finding him, he called out urgently before trotting forward to catch up.

Hearing those two words, Su Wan, who was walking ahead, instantly tensed her nerves.

Her pace did not dare slow for even a second. Spotting a round pillar ahead, she quickly hid behind it, praying she hadn't been seen by Huo Xiaohan.

"Commander Huo, why are you walking so fast? Who are you looking for? Be careful of the wound on your shoulder," Han Wei's voice rang out again, drawing closer and closer to her.

Su Wan's heart leapt into her throat. Finding another shelter in a rush, she quickly bolted into the stairwell.

As she ran, she rummaged through her green canvas bag to see if she had a face mask or anything similar inside.

"Shut up." The moment Huo Xiaohan saw the figure ahead break into a run, he knew instantly that the person was Tingting.

No, she was the person who had taken Tingting's place at the social mixer.

Noticing that the basement stairwell was somewhat dark, which would make it easier for her to hide, and knowing she certainly couldn't outrun a well-trained soldier in a footrace,

Su Wan took the steps one by one, while his long legs could take three steps at a single bound.

Without a moment's hesitation, she fled down to the basement level.

When Huo Xiaohan gave chase, he found no sign of Su Wan on the stairs heading upward, so he immediately descended to the basement floor.

"Ah..." A frightened cry echoed from one of the rooms.

Huo Xiaohan and Han Wei immediately pushed open the cold steel door handle and stepped inside.

Su Wan had wanted to find a room to hide in, but after pushing open the door and relying on the light leaking through a small window, she saw bed frames covered with white sheets.

The chilling atmosphere made her instantly realize she might have stumbled into a morgue.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she crashed into a warm, broad chest, and her slender arm was promptly grasped by a large hand.

Without looking up, Su Wan knew who she had collided with, and she dared not raise her head, keeping her face buried firmly against his chest.

Her mind raced at lightning speed, desperately trying to figure out what to do next.

Being abruptly struck by a soft, delicate body filled his breathing with the fresh, pleasant scent of soap mixed with the unique sweet fragrance of a young girl. Even the sutured wound on his shoulder was tugged, yet he felt not a single pang of pain.

His rough, calloused palm gripped her jade-like, delicate arm, and his breathing grew slightly erratic.

Intriguingly, after the collision, she kept her head buried against his chest, and her small hands seemed to tightly clutch the blue-and-white striped hospital gown he wore, causing a quick flush of crimson to spread across the lobes of his ears, making them burn slightly as if he had been drinking.

Han Wei, who had followed closely behind, was utterly stunned by the scene. Commander Huo, who was always cold, unyielding, and disdainful of women, actually hadn't pushed away the female comrade who had crashed into him.

If this had happened previously, Huo Xiaohan would have long since worn a cold expression, stepped back swiftly, and sternly warned male and female comrades to maintain a proper distance and exercise a sense of propriety.

Back when Commander Huo had just been transferred to the Beiping Military Region, the chief of staff's daughter had deliberately faked a sprained ankle and thrown herself into Commander Huo's arms. When that failed, she even wanted Commander Huo to carry her to the clinic.

Yet she had been rejected mercilessly and directly by Commander Huo.

Why wasn't Commander Huo saying anything now, and why was he still holding the female comrade's hand without letting go?

Having returned from leave, why had Commander Huo changed so much?

Could this possibly be Commander Huo's romantic interest?

Han Wei couldn't help but peek toward Commander Huo's embrace.

Dark, smooth, and lustrous hair fell softly across her shoulders, obscuring the greater part of her cheek. Although her facial features weren't entirely clear, one could faintly discern the graceful and shallow contours of her face, with curled, lively eyelashes and clear, dewy, translucent eyes. Every single blink stirred the blossoming of a pure, innocent little white flower deep within one's heart.

Who could possibly withstand such a tender and pure female comrade?

Thinking that Commander Huo was pursuing his romantic interest, Han Wei wondered why on earth he had tagged along trailing behind them like an eager puppy.

He turned around, intending to push the door open and leave.

Only to discover that the door was jammed shut from the outside.

They couldn't get out!

"Commander Huo, the door is jammed, I can't push it open." Han Wei tugged hard a few times, but the door didn't budge an inch.

Seeing that the door wouldn't budge, Su Wan fell into a deep sense of despair, her small hands involuntarily tightening their grip on the hem of Huo Xiaohan's clothes.

This was a morgue, after all; she refused to stay stuck here with so many corpses.

Huo Xiaohan lowered his gaze to look at the timid little creature who was too afraid to raise her head as she hid in his arms. All he could see was a head of beautiful, dark hair and her white, rosy earlobes.

With this downward glance, the faint wisps of soap fragrance and the sweet scent of youth drifted richly into his breath.

He knew this was just the scent of ordinary soap.

He had smelled it on Su Wan before as well, but only when smelling it on her did he find it exceptionally delightful and sweet.

"This must be a classroom used for teaching; the cabinets are all filled with human anatomical models," Huo Xiaohan's dark eyes swept across the spacious room, quickly arriving at a conclusion.

"Han Wei, go and check if there is another exit."

This door opened inward; unless they battered the door until it broke, they wouldn't be able to get out.

This was just a teaching classroom and not a morgue? Then what was covered beneath that white cloth?

It looked very much like the outline of a human form—could it be a processed cadaver used for medical teaching?

Su Wan turned her head slightly to look. At that moment, Han Wei had also walked up to the cold bed frame and curiously lifted the white cloth.

The moment he lifted it, he saw a round skull.

Frightened, Su Wan immediately shrank her head back and, taking advantage of the fact that Huo Xiaohan's attention wasn't on her, hurried to hide behind his back.

His tall, straight figure was practically able to shield her entirely.

She figured that this time she definitely wouldn't be able to keep up the charade; when they went out later, Huo Xiaohan would undoubtedly see her face.

She could only reveal her identity as Su Wan as quickly as possible.

As for what Huo Xiaohan would think or how suspicious he would become upon seeing her fashionable attire, she truly had no idea.

"It's a complete human anatomical model." After checking, Han Wei covered the white cloth back up and continued walking deeper into the classroom.

"Huo..." Hearing that it was an anatomical model, Su Wan finally felt completely at ease.

Just as she was about to speak,

Huo Xiaohan had already turned his head toward her and parted his lips. "I know you are not Comrade Tingting."

Su Wan paused. Did Huo Xiaohan already know about the substitution for Tingting?

Because Su Wan was standing behind Huo Xiaohan, all the light was blocked, leaving only her eyes visible, which were as crystal-clear and bright as morning dewdrops.

"I'm sorry, Commander Huo, I... didn't mean to deceive you... I..." Meeting that dark, heavy gaze, Su Wan lowered her head, bit her lip, and spoke in a low, gentle voice.

"But I hope you can give me a chance." Huo Xiaohan's earlobes were burning red, his sharp, well-defined jawline was pulled taut, and the muscles and tendons throughout his body were strained and prominent as he stood with his spine held rigidly straight.

He looked like a statue.

He was always calm and restrained, yet facing her made him utterly unable to control himself.

Su Wan's curled, slender eyelashes blinked rapidly.

She was suddenly caught in a dilemma by those words. If she told Huo Xiaohan right now that she was Su Wan,

would he beat her to death on the spot?

Confessing to someone he had once detested and repulsed—anyone would find that impossible to accept.

"I know you have your concerns. We can set a time limit. If during that period I still fail to change your mind, I... will not disturb you any longer." Seeing that Su Wan remained silent, Huo Xiaohan parted his thin lips once more.

Su Wan took a deep breath, pressing her hand against the cold wall as she lowered her eyes to evade Huo Xiaohan's gaze.

"If you still have concerns, you can wear a face mask when we meet."

Ideology during this era was still relatively conservative. Although free love existed, once a couple established a romantic relationship, they would inevitably marry.

Otherwise, people would point fingers and gossip about loose relations between men and women, which was particularly damaging to a woman's reputation.

Even if they weren't in a romantic relationship yet, a man and a woman spending time alone together would lead acquaintances to jump to that conclusion if seen.

Therefore, Huo Xiaohan's suggestion was genuinely thoughtful of Su Wan.

However, the problem now was that she only wanted to keep her disguise safe.

Su Wan bit her lip gently, truly at a loss for what to do, her fingers scratching at the peeling paint of the wall where her hand rested against it.

Suddenly, due to years of dampness, the layer of plaster above cracked and peeled off, dropping a chunk that landed squarely on Su Wan.

Although Huo Xiaohan reacted quickly, immediately turning to shield Su Wan in his arms, the large piece of falling plaster and dust still showered Su Wan from head to toe.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Su Wan coughed, seeing that her arms and clothes were coated with a layer of white dust.

Remembering something instantly, she touched her face—it was covered in dust as well.

Looking up, she saw that Huo Xiaohan was in an even worse state than her; his neat short hair had been dyed white, and his handsome face was no longer recognizable, revealing only his dark, deep eyes and a nose as high and straight as a mountain ridge.

Does that mean Huo Xiaohan couldn't see what she looked like right now either?

"Commander Huo, are you two alright?" Having circled the classroom without finding any other exit, Han Wei heard the commotion and hurried over.

Seeing the two of them looking as though they had emerged from a pile of wall plaster, with white dust piled thick on their hair and bodies, and some having fallen inside their clothes,

he stepped forward to help brush the plaster dust off Huo Xiaohan.

After shielding Su Wan from the brunt of the falling plaster, Huo Xiaohan quickly put some distance between them.

A faint stream of light immediately filtered through the space between them, landing on Su Wan's face.

At that moment, Huo Xiaohan clearly saw her entire visage: the contours of her face formed a delicate oval shape, her nose was small and upturned, and her eyes remained as tender and clear as a pool of water, captivatingly moist.

The rest of her features—her eyebrows and mouth—were covered in white plaster dust, obscuring her original appearance.

Yet she remained exceptionally striking, her long, dense eyelashes fluttering as white dust fell from them.

She looked like a delicate, tender flower bud, extraordinarily pitiful.

Huo Xiaohan's breathing stalled briefly, his dark gaze fixed heavily upon her as he awaited her answer.

Knowing that Huo Xiaohan was looking at her and awaiting his reaction, and seeing that he truly seemed not to recognize her,

the heart hanging in her chest finally settled back down.

She bit her lip and glanced at Han Wei.

Han Wei was perceptive enough; seeing that the two of them had things to discuss, he hurried off to search for an exit once again.

"Commander Huo, I..." Su Wan gave a light cough.

She had originally wanted to use the excuse that she already had a partner to reject him, but doing so would implicate Secretary Jiang.

After all, the primary prerequisite for participating in the mixer was being single.

"During this time, I won't ask for your identity either, until you are willing to tell me yourself," Huo Xiaohan stated coolly once more.

He had practically considered every single factor on Su Wan's behalf.

"I... I have someone I like," Su Wan could only use this weak excuse as an explanation.

"I know," Huo Xiaohan said decisively, his tall, upright posture standing before her giving off an unshakeable presence.

"I just hope you can give me a chance."

The overwhelming intensity and tenacity radiating from him

made Su Wan deeply conflicted and torn.

She feared that if she refused, Huo Xiaohan would investigate her identity.

"I..." Su Wan bit her lip.

"Just one month," Huo Xiaohan continued.

"Female comrade, you might as well just agree to our Commander Huo. Our Commander Huo has never been this way toward any girl before."

Han Wei, who had been eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help walking over. "Just because you like someone doesn't mean you're in a relationship. Besides, you must have feelings for our Commander Huo too, otherwise why would you keep hiding in our Commander Huo's arms?"

She had done that purely out of fear that Huo Xiaohan would see her face—it was a measure of last resort.

Otherwise, wouldn't covering her face with her hands or shielding it with her bag have looked even more suspicious?

"If you have any other concerns, you can tell me," Huo Xiaohan continued in a deep voice.

His dark eyes were like a sharp dagger in the dead of night, startling to behold.

Right at that moment, someone arrived outside the door—it was the staff member in charge of managing the classroom. Opening the door and finding people inside, the staff member looked extremely astonished.