An 80s female translator was spoiled rotten by a rough and jealous man.

Chapter 80: Forgiveness...?
Huo Qingshan, clutching bottles and jars in his hand, knocked on the door of Meng Youyou's room.

Chu Yao opened the door. Upon seeing the person who came in, Chu Yao showed no surprise and greeted him lightly, "Battalion Commander Huo."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Is something the matter?"

She saw through it all, but she still had to go through the proper procedures and put on an act.

After all, not all leaders want their subordinates to know everything about their private affairs.

Huo Qingshan stated his purpose directly: "Meng Youyou drank some alcohol tonight. This is a hangover remedy. If she feels unwell, please give her this."

There was no beating around the bush, no roundabout way of speaking, but there was also no indication of who was delivering the medicine.

Chu Yao readily agreed, "Yes, Battalion Commander Huo."

He took the medicine.

Huo Qingshan suddenly spoke up again, "There probably isn't any hot water in the thermos in your room, right? I'll go get some now."

A hint of surprise inevitably flashed in Chu Yao's eyes. She was astonished that this man, who seemed as cold and hard as a mountain, was so meticulous.

They even considered that after Meng Youyou woke up feeling unwell, they could save as much time as possible going to the hot water room to get water, so that she could drink the hangover soup as quickly as possible.

Chu Yao turned around and went back to her room to get the thermos. But when she got to the door, she changed her mind. She smiled and said, "It's a bit stuffy staying in the room all the time. I was thinking of going out for a walk and getting familiar with the layout of the hotel. How about I go get some hot water?"

She could see the worry that Huo Qingshan was trying to hide—he wanted to go in and see her, so why not offer him a way out to "help him achieve his goal"?
Since things have come to this point, it's always better for someone of his status to take the opportunity to curry favor with him than to suffer a loss.

Huo Qingshan paused for a moment, then nodded decisively, "Okay."

Chu Yao carried the kettle out of the room and strode away without ever looking back.

All she had to do was go to the hot water room and fill the thermos with water. That was it.

As for the rest, they are none of her concern.

Turning a corner in the corridor, Chu Yao slowed her pace slightly as she began to recall Huo Qingshan's gaze—a gaze in which she had accurately read the word "worry."

I couldn't help but feel a little smug.

It's the overwhelming joy of finally discovering the weakness of a stronger opponent after constantly being at a disadvantage.

Since her rebirth, Chu Yao has been observing, analyzing, plotting, and racking her brains to get revenge on Huo Qingshan, but to no avail.

She knew clearly that this was not only because of Meng Youyou's presence as a "dark horse," but more so because she had never been able to read any of the deep emotions in this man's eyes.

Not once.

Not at all.

Just now, however, she easily saw worry in his eyes.

Chu Yao found it truly amusing; concern can cloud judgment, and this is a perfect example of how one can lose one's composure.

She said, "How could anyone not have a weakness?"

How could anyone be invincible?

How could anyone's heart really be as hard as iron?

Really? How could that be?

A strange sense of psychological balance filled Chu Yao's incredibly empty heart.

At that moment, she miraculously let go of the "foolishness" that had been nagging at her for so long.

She finally forgave herself for her foolishness.

……

Huo Qingshan looked around; the corridor was empty, with no one else there except him.

After hesitating for a long time, I went into the room and gently closed the door. The room wasn't large, but it was furnished exquisitely and neatly, with two beds placed side by side.

The bed frame is made of dark brown wood with rounded, smooth edges, and the sheets and duvet cover are clean, pure white.

Meng Youyou lay on the bed by the window. Only a dim yellow lamp was on in the room, its warm light gently spreading outwards.

Half of the girl's face was gently enveloped in soft light, while the other half was hidden in darkness.

At this moment, her eyes were tightly closed, her cheeks flushed with a captivating blush, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her eyelids, her hair slightly disheveled and scattered on the pillow, and her breathing even and gentle.

Huo Qingshan tiptoed and slowly approached the bedside.

The light from the desk lamp was blocked by his body, and the girl's sleeping face was completely blended into the darkness.

His face was calm, and he didn't seem to be feeling unwell.

Suddenly, the girl stirred restlessly, and the blanket that had been covering her was lifted off the ground.

Huo Qingshan gently bent down and carefully pulled the quilt up, tucking the corners of the quilt around her.

During the process, the man's gaze shifted and he noticed that the girl's left forearm had been pulled up slightly by her loose cotton-linen long-sleeved top due to the previous movement, revealing a small portion of her forearm.

It was in that casual glance that Huo Qingshan unexpectedly saw the scar.

He had expected it, but when he actually saw it, his heart still felt a sudden, forceful contraction.

He reached out and very gently pulled up the girl's left sleeve a little more.

A wound nearly seven or eight centimeters long appeared completely before Huo Qingshan's eyes.

It irritated his optic nerve, and his brain felt as if it had been electrocuted, making it impossible for him to think.

The cool, pale silver moonlight slanted in through the window, making the girl's originally fair and smooth forearm skin appear even more translucent, while also making the irregularly edged and slightly raised scar more noticeable.

Its color was several shades darker than the surrounding skin, resembling a winding, creeping centipede, quietly resting on the once flawless white arm.

It's blinding. It's heartbreaking.

Huo Qingshan seemed to be possessed, lowering his head to kiss "that centipede," his lips landing on each of its legs with reverence.

There was a knock on the door.

Huo Qingshan straightened up, pinched the cotton and linen sleeve with his fingertips and pulled it down. Every second of this process seemed extremely long, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably, as if he didn't have the strength to pinch a cotton and linen sleeve.

Huo Qingshan walked a few steps to the door and opened it.

It was Chu Yao who returned after fetching the hot water.

When Chu Yao saw the man's reaction when he opened the door, she inwardly cried out in alarm—he had come back at the wrong time, but heaven knows how long she had deliberately delayed her return.

But he still greeted him with a smile: "Battalion Commander Huo, the hot water is ready."

Huo Qingshan nodded slightly, "Okay, then I'll be going now. Please take good care of her tonight."

Chu Yao smiled and agreed, "Of course, we're colleagues in the same team, it's nothing."

The man didn't linger any longer. After receiving Chu Yao's permission, he strode away.

Chu Yao couldn't help but glance back, though she could only see the man's tall back.

Her expression grew increasingly puzzled. She wasn't sure if she was seeing things, but for a fleeting moment she thought she had seen...tears in that man's eyes?
Chu Yao shook her head, convinced that she must have seen wrong.

How could that be? she thought.

Huo Qingshan left the third floor and walked up the stairs to his own floor. As soon as he took a step around the corner of the corridor, he saw a man waiting there in the distance.

He knew he was waiting for him.