953 Not Letting Go
Gu Nianzhi drove to the main gates of the headquarters of the Special Forces and reported her intention of entering. The guard knew her, as Gu Nianzhi had been going to the headquarters regularly in the past. After Huo Shaoheng had married her, he made her a special entry pa.s.s as well. However, Gu Nianzhi did not recognize this marriage, and therefore, did not use that entry pa.s.s. Although the guards knew her, due to regulations, she still could not enter, as she could not produce an entry pa.s.s. Gu Nianzhi had no other choice but to call Huo Shaoheng.
Huo Shaoheng was doing an annual check on the main control room’s security system with two of his most trusted comrades at bas.e.m.e.nt six. A humongous computer almost as big as a hill and all the emergency equipment everywhere—along with a backup power generating device—had to be checked by only the three of them.
Just a minute ago, Huo Shaoheng had lost focus for a moment and was electrocuted by a high-voltage shock. Half of his body was still numb. A huge piece of skin was burned off of his right arm, and it was so painful that he almost could not lift his arm anymore.
The two subordinates attended to the injury for him quickly and tied his arm to a splint.
Huo Shaoheng watched them carry on with their work while he rested. Just then, his Bluetooth earpiece indicated that there was a call from Gu Nianzhi. Huo Shaoheng was taken aback and answered the call quickly. “What happened, Nianzhi?” Calling him on the eve of the Lunar New Year, Huo Shaoheng instinctively guessed what might have happened. Gu Nianzhi was so eager to explain that she was not related to him in any way, he did not feel that she would be here to spend the New Year with him…
Pouting, Gu Nianzhi said softly, “Um, Auntie Song made you some fried rice and asked me to take some over to you for dinner.” After a while, she used an even softer voice and said, “There are two steaks as well. I cooked them.”
Huo Shaoheng raised his eyebrows. How did Gu Nianzhi end up with Madam Song? He walked towards the elevator and asked, “Madam Song went to your place?”
Gu Nianzhi shook her head as she held onto the lunch box and paced to and fro in front of the gates of the Special Forces. “Auntie Song came to find me and told me that there was no one to spend the New Year with her. So, she pulled me to her place.”
Huo Shaoheng breathed a sigh of relief. It was okay as long as nothing had happened.
Immediately after, he felt amused. His mother, Madam Song, was a true blue nerd. Although she looked amazing, she did not know how to plot against people. The thing that had interested her the most was her laboratory. He really did not expect that Madam Song would think about that sort of thing. Since it was like that, Madam Song really wanted Gu Nianzhi to be her daughter-in-law.
Huo Shaoheng smiled. He could not control himself. Madam Song was really extremely biased towards a high IQ. Other qualities aside, most likely Madam Song loved Gu Nianzhi so much because she had an amazingly high IQ…
Huo Shaoheng exited the building, got into a car, and turned the steering wheel towards the main gate with his left hand. The main gate of the Special Forces was still a distance from his living area and office. If he were to walk, he would have to walk for about ten to 20 minutes. However, if he were to drive, it would take less than five minutes.
Huo Shaoheng got out of the car and waved towards the guard at the entrance. Taking out his entry pa.s.s, he said, “She can enter with me.” The entrance pa.s.s that Huo Shaoheng held was of the highest level. He was able to bring four people in with him at a time.
Gu Nianzhi looked at Huo Shaoheng’s splinted arm, and her already round eyes became even rounder. “Huo Shao, your arm…?”
“Nothing much, just a minor injury.” Huo Shaoheng patted his right arm casually. The guard at the door saluted him and watched Huo Shaoheng pull Gu Nianzhi into his car.
Gu Nianzhi actually did not have any intention of getting into the car. She had only wanted to give Huo Shaoheng the lunch box before leaving. However, seeing Huo Shaoheng reach his left arm towards her, Gu Nianzhi realized that she could not bring herself to reject him. Her gaze was fixed on Huo Shaoheng’s injured right arm.
“Is Brother Chen around? Did he take an x-ray already?” Gu Nianzhi looked at Huo Shaoheng as he turned the steering wheel with his left hand. It looked extremely inconvenient. She was worried.
“Chen Lie has gone back to spend the New Year with his family.” Huo Shaoheng finally managed to stick the key into the ignition. It looked clumsy.
“My car is still at the entrance.” Gu Nianzhi looked back then turned around to look at Huo Shaoheng’s injured arm.
“There are guards at the main entrance. You’re still worried that there are people who would dare to steal your car?” Huo Shaoheng looked at Gu Nianzhi from the corners of his eyes. “Idiots who dare to steal things from the main entrance of the Special Forces have not been born yet, so don’t worry for nothing.”
Gu Nianzhi turned around to look at her bright red sports car and turned to Huo Shaoheng. “Let me drive.”
Huo Shaoheng was waiting for her to say that. He got out of the driver’s seat and allowed Gu Nianzhi to take it while he went over to the pa.s.senger’s seat. Gu Nianzhi had been driving to school every day, so her driving skills were already rather good.
Under Huo Shaoheng’s guidance, they arrived at his living quarters shortly. Gu Nianzhi opened the door and let Huo Shaoheng get out of the car. “You’re not coming in?” Seeing that Gu Nianzhi did not have any intention of coming in, he did not force her. Reaching out to her with his uninjured left arm, he said, “Give me the lunch box, then you may go.”
Gu Nianzhi looked around. “Where are your guards and soldiers? Let them take you in.”
Huo Shaoheng had injured himself, and it was his right arm. He was going to have problems going about his daily activities. However, Huo Shaoheng had many soldiers around him. Therefore, Gu Nianzhi was not exactly worried.
However, Huo Shaoheng shook his head and answered calmly, “I have asked them all to take a break. I will be alone this Lunar New Year.”
Gu Nianzhi was speechless. She had initially intended to leave after bringing him his food, but seeing him injured and not even having a soldier around him, she could not even imagine how he was going to endure the next few days. Then, with a softened heart, she asked glumly, “Are you not going to invite me in?”
“More than happy to; just worried that you wouldn’t want to come in.” Then, Huo Shaoheng lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “You’ve rejected me so many times…”
Gu Nianzhi was speechless again. She instinctively felt like she was the Monkey Sun that could never get out of Buddha’s hands. With her head bowed, she followed him into the house.
Huo Shaoheng used to have guards at the entrance of his living quarters. There would be guards and soldiers inside the house as well, and there were many people around.
However, the moment she entered the house, Gu Nianzhi realized that there was no one around.
Looking around in surprise, Gu Nianzhi asked, “Huo Shao, you didn’t let the chef go on a break as well, did you?” She had thought that there would at least be someone there to make him some dinner.
Huo Shaoheng placed the lunch box that Gu Nianzhi had brought on the dining table and smiled lightly. “The chef is also a soldier. I already asked all of them to go on a break and spend the New Year with their families. I’ll be on duty anyway, so I’ll be able to eat at the canteen. There would be no point in keeping them from spending time with their families and loved ones during the New Year.” To a soldier, they could only hope that they would be able to have a break during the New Year.
“Then actually you could’ve asked Auntie Song here to spend the New Year with you.” Gu Nianzhi hinted, “Auntie Song is quite lonely on her own.”
Huo Shaoheng shook his head, suppressing the urge to laugh. “Nianzhi, you really think that Madam Song is lonely? These people who are into research, the last thing they would be afraid of is loneliness. They are able to do research when they are all alone. That is more than they can ask for.”
Of course, Gu Nianzhi begged to differ. “Even if Auntie Song likes doing research, this is the New Year. It’s not just another festival. Huo Shao, you are really going to leave Auntie Song like that?!” She didn’t care how Song Jinning thought, but she knew that spending the New Year alone was different.
“It’s not that I don’t care. However, Madam Song has her own ideas; I’m unable to change that…” Huo Shaoheng opened the lunch box and took out the fried rice from inside. There was also a box containing two T-bone steaks and a container of blueberries. He put them on his plate and sat down, picking up his knife and fork with his left hand clumsily in an attempt to cut his steak. As expected, cutting a steak with only one hand was just about impossible.
Gu Nianzhi couldn’t stand looking at him anymore and took the cutlery from Huo Shaoheng’s hands. She cut the two T-bone steaks into small pieces and handed the plate back to Huo Shaoheng.
However, Huo Shaoheng did not pick up the fork and eat on his own. Instead, he turned to Gu Nianzhi and smiled widely, showing two rows of perfectly white teeth. Gu Nianzhi understood. Picking up the fork, she picked up a piece of cut meat and fed it to Huo Shaoheng.
With the first piece of steak in his tummy, Huo Shaoheng felt so good. He had never tasted any steak that delicious. Smiling, he looked at Gu Nianzhi and asked, “You cooked this?”
Gu Nianzhi nodded. “Is it edible?” Although Huo Shaoheng was not a picky eater, he was fussy about the taste of food. He knew the good from the bad, but he did not give his opinions lightly.
“Edible? This is amazing. It’s even better than the top grade stone grilled wagyu beef I had in j.a.pan.” Huo Shaoheng opened his mouth again. “…More.”
Gu Nianzhi picked up another piece of cut meat and even smeared some sauce onto it before feeding it to Huo Shaoheng. After swallowing, Huo Shaoheng moved closer to Gu Nianzhi. Focusing all her attention on feeding Huo Shaoheng, Gu Nianzhi continued feeding him fried rice with a spoon after he had finished the steaks. After he was done with the two steaks and a box of fried rice, Gu Nianzhi realized that she was almost sitting in Huo Shaoheng’s embrace.
Huo Shaoheng hugged her waist with his uninjured left hand and pulled her as close to him as he could. If Huo Shaoheng were not injured, Gu Nianzhi would be cautious against him and not allow him to get so close to her. However, knowing that Huo Shaoheng could not move his right arm, which meant that he would not be able to do whatever he wanted to do, Gu Nianzhi did not mind the distance that much. She touched the splint on Huo Shaoheng’s right arm lightly. “How did you injure yourself? Tell me so I can let Auntie Song hear about it.”
Huo Shaoheng used his forehead and jutted at Gu Nianzhi unhappily. “Why would you tell such a thing to Madam Song? It’s the New Year. Can’t you let her have a peaceful one?”
“That makes sense. However, if Auntie Song asks for the reason I took so long to return, how will I explain myself?” Gu Nianzhi stuck a finger out and poked Huo Shaoheng on his firm chest, pus.h.i.+ng him away.
Huo Shaoheng moved back a little and said casually, “Just tell her that I felt lonely and asked you to accompany me a while longer.”
“Do you think Auntie Song will believe that?” Huo Shaoheng feeling lonely?! Couldn’t he look for a more convincing excuse?!
“Yes. As long as it’s from you, she will believe.” Huo Shaoheng looked at Gu Nianzhi. “Madam Song likes you a lot.”
“Are you jealous?” Gu Nianzhi liked Song Jinning a lot as well. She smiled slyly, like a fox that had just stolen some food. “However, I can’t abuse someone’s trust just because Auntie Song likes me. Therefore, I’ll definitely tell Madam Song.” She nudged Huo Shaoheng on his right arm.
Before Huo Shaoheng furrowed his eyebrows, Gu Nianzhi said, “However, if you allow me to go back right now, I won’t tell on you—about anything.”
Huo Shaoheng smiled. Taking the opportunity when she was feeling proud of herself, he bent down and planted a kiss on her face. He was really quick. After being in front of Gu Nianzhi for a while, he moved away. His kiss was more like a breeze in spring blowing over the waters, causing ripples. You couldn’t tell if the breeze had caused the ripples, or if the water already had ripples on its own.
Gu Nianzhi did not realize she was being kissed at all. She only felt that her vision was blurry for a moment, then Huo Shaoheng had sat up straight. He said flatly, “Alright. Go back. Don’t tell Madam Song that I injured myself.”
Of course Gu Nianzhi wouldn’t tell on him; she was merely making use of the opportunity. She didn’t want to spend too much time there and give Madam Song the wrong idea.
Huo Shaoheng watched Gu Nianzhi until she had gotten in the car and driven off. Then, he whipped his phone out and ordered a full menu of dinner dishes for Gu Nianzhi and Song Jinning. By the time Gu Nianzhi had arrived at Song Jinning’s condominium, she opened the door, and the smell of food drifted into her nostrils.
“Eh? Auntie, you made dinner already?” Gu Nianzhi changed into a pair of house slippers and ran into the condo happily.
Song Jinning was bringing the cutlery out from the kitchen. Smiling, she said, “I didn’t make these. Shaoheng had them delivered to us. It’s a full menu of dinner dishes.” Then she asked, “Why were you gone for so long? Is there anything the matter? Did Shaoheng not want you to return?”
Gu Nianzhi shook her head frantically. “Of course not. Huo Shao and I are merely platonic friends. Why would he not want me to come back?”
Song Jinning raised her head and was stunned for a moment. Then, she looked at Gu Nianzhi’s face suspiciously. “Platonic friends?”
Gu Nianzhi nodded and was about to take a seat by the dining table. Song Jinning pointed towards the washroom and smiled. “Go and wash your face and hands before we eat.”
Gu Nianzhi acknowledged and ran to the washroom. Then, she saw her reflection in the mirror in the washroom. There was an oily lip print on her face! Gu Nianzhi covered her face and was speechless for quite a while. She felt embarra.s.sed each time she was in front of Song Jinning!
Looking at the oily lip print that Huo Shaoheng had left her with, Gu Nianzhi decided to be fierce. “Hmph! I shall tell on you!”
After was.h.i.+ng her face, Gu Nianzhi came out from the washroom and looked at Song Jinning calmly. “Auntie Song, actually, I didn’t tell you the truth just now.”
“Oh, really?” Song Jinning sat across from Gu Nianzhi. “What happened, then?”
Gu Nianzhi pointed at her face. Although she was blus.h.i.+ng, Gu Nianzhi tried her best to be calm and said, “Actually, it’s like that. Huo Shao injured his right arm. He was unable to use his left arm to eat. Therefore, I helped him with his dinner.”
“Oh… He injured his right arm and could not eat with his left arm? I see… Yes, indeed. You had to help, then.” Song Jinning smiled meaningfully at Gu Nianzhi. She knew that her son would not be letting go of Gu Nianzhi!
What nonsense about injuring his right arm and not being able to eat with his left arm!
He could only use that on a young lady like Gu Nianzhi… Other than Song Jinning and his grandmother, Xie Ziyan, almost no one else knew that Huo Shaoheng was actually a left-hander by birth. He had learned how to use his right hand just because he did not want to be different compared to others…