Volume One, Chapter 17: You’d Better Behave Yourself

Su Wan did not give it much thought; she took the money and followed Huo Xiaohan out the door.

No sooner had they left than Principal Song noticed the lychees had been left behind. He hurried to catch up, only to be stopped by Secretary Yang. "Old Song, I have a feeling that young Huo has taken a liking to little Wan, which is why I deliberately found an excuse for her to come along."

Principal Song was skeptical. "I think you’ve just become addicted to playing matchmaker at work. You see a couple in everyone. Little Wan is indeed beautiful, gentle, and a good cook, but look at the Huo family's background. Young Huo is the youngest regimental commander in the military district; in the future..."

"When I was talking to Auntie Pang earlier, I saw little Wan put the fatty pork into young Huo’s bowl, and it was young Huo who took the initiative to push his bowl toward her," Secretary Yang stated, providing solid evidence.

"Really?" Principal Song’s eyes widened. He knew young Huo’s character well—stern, rigid, and forthright. Back in military academy, countless women had written him love letters, from girls in their own military compound to university students elsewhere, yet Huo Xiaohan never even gave them a glance.

"I saw it with my own eyes. Little Wan doesn't seem to like fatty meat and only ate the lean parts, so young Huo pushed his bowl over for her to put the fat in."

As Secretary Yang spoke, Principal Song recalled that when little Wan had brought him water, Huo Xiaohan had immediately looked up at her, and the gaze had lasted for quite a while.

"Now that you mention it, it really is true. When young Huo was in military academy, he never treated any female comrade like that. Before Auntie Pang arrived, he snuck several glances at little Wan, and afterward, he seemed to be deliberately avoiding her."

Secretary Yang led Principal Song to the balcony, where they could see the two of them walking out of the residential building.

"Commander Huo, I’ll be off to buy the watermelon now," Su Wan said, bidding him farewell. She shielded her eyes from the scorching sun with her hand, intending to cut across the shade of the trees.

"Come here for a moment." Huo Xiaohan scanned his surroundings, then took a long stride toward the grove of trees planted behind the residential building.

Su Wan hesitated, but considering he had helped her finish those two pieces of fat, she followed. It was lunchtime and the start of the afternoon nap period; with the heat so intense, few people were out.

Once they reached the dense shade, Huo Xiaohan stopped and turned around, his dark eyes deep and reserved. "When did you learn how to cook?"

He even knew she couldn't cook?

Su Wan quickly realized that Huo Xiaohan hadn't appeared at Principal Song’s home without reason. He must have heard from Su Xiaohui that she couldn't cook and had accidentally poisoned her family. He was likely here to bring her back, afraid she might cause trouble for the Song family.

Her "green tea" stepsister was truly a manipulative schemer who would frame you to your face and trip you up behind your back. Even if the original owner hadn't been skilled in the kitchen, she wasn't so incompetent that she would poison people; at worst, the food would have just tasted mediocre. Su Xiaohui, out of jealousy that the original owner was pampered at home, had intentionally cleaned a bowl that had held pesticide and used it to serve soup, causing the whole family to suffer from severe vomiting and diarrhea. She had wanted the original owner to be punished and lose favor. Yet, ironically, the original owner suffered the worst symptoms, and instead of being blamed, she was given all the eggs in the house to recover, and the cooking chores were permanently reassigned to Su Xiaohui. It was a classic case of backfiring.

"I’ve always known how," Su Wan replied, her clear, gentle eyes shimmering with a limpid light. "I don't know who cleaned that bowl that had held pesticide and put it back in the cupboard, causing the family to fall ill. I nearly lost my life then, and after that, they never let me cook again. Actually, I love cooking. In my first year of high school, I memorized an entire cookbook, and today’s red-braised pork was made according to those instructions."

Su Wan intentionally softened her voice, adding a touch of sweetness as she tilted her delicate face upward. "Commander Huo, did you find it tasty?"

The Song family had praised it endlessly, and even Huo Xiaohan had acknowledged her cooking at the table. She was waiting for Su Xiaohui to get her comeuppance. Since he had come all this way to find her, the situation at the Huo household must have been quite chaotic.

The sudden, soft whisper from the young woman and her expectant, tender gaze made Huo Xiaohan’s throat itch, and his voice turned slightly husky. "Yes."

However, his tone remained stern. "Why did you come here to be a nanny?"

He hadn't expected the truth to be this way, and he realized he had misunderstood her once again.

"I am already grateful that you and Uncle Huo were able to help me transfer to a school in Beijing despite my poor grades. I didn't want to add to your burdens, and since Auntie Wu mentioned that Principal Song’s family needed a nanny, I came. My parents borrowed a lot of money from relatives, and I want to lighten their load and earn my own tuition."

Su Wan’s delicate, red lips curved slightly as she told the truth. This was different from what she had told Mother Su at the entrance of Qiantang Village, where she had sworn to find a partner within three months.

Huo Xiaohan’s brow furrowed, his dark eyes fixed on her face, searching for signs of deception. But her eyes were clear, reflecting the light like snow, and she seemed entirely sincere. Yet, given her academic record and how she had set her sights on Meng Xinhao the moment she arrived, it was hard not to be suspicious of her true motives.

He looked away, his tone deep and severe. "Since I brought you to Beijing for school, I will provide for you until you finish. You should use your summer vacation to focus on your studies and properly review your coursework."

"But Uncle Huo agreed to this," Su Wan retorted. "And working during the day doesn't stop me from studying at night."

Her crisp, clear voice reached Huo Xiaohan’s ears, sounding as if she were pointing out that if Uncle Huo didn't mind, what right or status did he have to restrict her?

Huo Xiaohan felt stifled; his jaw tightened, and his sharp, cold gaze held a warning. "You had better behave yourself. Do not entertain any unrealistic ideas, and keep your thoughts and attitude straight."

Su Wan knew she should have expected this; she was being lectured like one of his soldiers. She would have rather choked down those two pieces of fat with water than let him help her eat them.

"Commander Huo, I still need to buy the watermelon, and the dishes at home are still waiting to be cleaned. If there is nothing else, I will be going." With those words, she turned to leave.

Her slender arm was suddenly grabbed, and she was jerked into a scorching, solid chest. The muscles were firm and powerful, radiating an overwhelming scent of masculine pheromones. She instinctively tried to push away, but her waist was firmly locked in place.