Volume One, Chapter 49: Shall I Help You Walk or Carry You?

No, even if she was seen, Huo Xiaohan should have thought she was Su Wan. But how could he explain her outfit? Fang Yu had already noticed that the person from yesterday resembled her somewhat. Huo Xiaohan wasn’t a fool; seeing her dressed like this, he would surely guess it was the same person from yesterday.

Su Wan nervously clutched the gauze mask in her hand, fine beads of sweat forming on the delicate wings of her nose, her breath nearly halted. It wasn’t until a man in a beige summer short-sleeved military uniform brushed past her—clearly not Huo Xiaohan—that she finally exhaled deeply in relief.

Her cheeks flushed, chest rising and falling slightly, her fingertips turning red from the tight grip. Thinking about this being a military district hospital where many soldiers came for treatment, she had already seen several men in the uniform—beige short sleeves, crew cuts, and postured rigidly from standing at attention for years.

Apart from their varying heights, at a glance, one could easily mistake them for one another.

To be safe, Su Wan put on her mask again.

She had been so focused on hiding from Su Xiaohui in this outfit that she forgot the person she most needed to avoid was Huo Xiaohan.

Adjusting her straw hat, she began to jog, but just as she was about to exit through the hospital’s side door, she collided full force with a tall, imposing man in the same beige military uniform.

“Ow…” The solid chest heaved against hers, pain shooting through her tender chest. The hard chest muscles, combined with her dress’s large buttons, pressed painfully against her soft skin.

Huo Xiaohan was holding a medical form and wasn’t looking where he was going. Suddenly, a soft body pressed against him before he could react.

The softness, like silken tofu, was pressed against his chest, fragrant with a fresh and pleasant soap scent.

“I’m sorry,” Su Wan murmured, clutching her chest. Seeing the man in uniform, she didn’t think much of it—only noting that his shoulder epaulets bore two more stars than the others.

She then tried to leave.

Huo Xiaohan lowered his head and caught sight of her eyes—the only part of her face visible under the hat and gauze mask. Her brows were smooth and refined, elegant and striking; the natural upward curve of her eyes was tinged with a faint flush, exactly like the moist, spring-like eyes in his dreams.

“Comrade Tingting?” Huo Xiaohan called tentatively, his deep voice laced with a slight huskiness.

Su Wan, already walking away, stiffened as her dark pupils constricted instantly—this was Huo Xiaohan’s voice!

She pretended not to hear and quickened her pace uncontrollably.

Huo Xiaohan followed after her.

At that moment, the strap of her sandal suddenly snapped. Because she was moving so fast, her left foot stepped onto the sun-baked, scorching stone path. Sharp stones cut into her sole, fresh red blood seeping out.

The pain and heat made her lift her foot abruptly, nearly losing balance.

With a long stride, Huo Xiaohan reached out, supporting her arm as he bent down to confirm his suspicion once more.

She wore a straw hat and a gauze mask covering most of her face, but he could never mistake those delicate, striking eyes.

They were moist and pitifully tender.

The mask, by hiding her other features, somehow made her finely detailed brows and those soft, inviting red lips even more memorable.

“Comrade Tingting, let me help you to the general surgery department to treat that wound,” Huo Xiaohan said, steadying her and glancing at the bleeding foot with a slight frown.

“No… it’s not necessary,” Su Wan whispered a refusal, her heart pounding so hard it seemed to choke her. She kept her head lowered, avoiding his gaze, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering nervously.

It was a surprise that Huo Xiaohan hadn’t recognized her yet—probably because of her different attire.

It was like office workers in the future: wearing unappealing clothes all week, seeing the same colleagues every day, but changing into proper outfits on weekends for fun. Strangers on the street wouldn’t recognize each other.

In Huo Xiaohan’s mind, she was always that rural girl in patched, shabby clothes—simple and humble.

Seeing her now in a fashionable city-bought dress, he didn’t recognize her immediately.

Her disguise was safe for the moment, but only temporarily.

She shifted her arm slightly, steadied herself, and tried to reach for her sandal, but the moment her foot touched the ground again, the heat forced her to pull back.

Huo Xiaohan stepped forward, bent down, and picked up the white sandal from the ground.

He noticed the sandal was worn out—white plastic straps cracked and broken beyond repair, years old, impossible to fix.

“Comrade Tingting, we met yesterday. My name is Huo Xiaohan,” he said, holding her sandal as he introduced himself.

Her foot was small and delicate, the size that could be held entirely in one hand.

He resisted looking at her smooth, tender foot, his sharp yet steady jaw tightening slightly.

“This sandal is no longer wearable. Let me help you find a doctor to treat your foot.”

“No need to trouble you,” Su Wan said softly, feeling the weight of his gaze fixed heavily upon her. She kept her head bowed, trying to hide her face completely beneath the straw hat.

Her gentle, soft voice came muffled through the gauze mask.

That was why Huo Xiaohan hadn’t recognized her voice at first.

He reached out to take her sandal.

His gaze drifted down to her right foot, where the plastic strap on the sandal was already broken and crudely sewn back together.

She looked truly pitiable.

“Your wound needs prompt care, and it’s not suitable to wear shoes now. I’ll help you find a doctor—or I can carry you,” he said firmly, tightening his grip on the sandal. He noticed blood still oozing from the sole of her right foot.

He wasn’t offering a choice; it was a command.

Strong and domineering.

Su Wan felt despair creeping over her. She dared not imagine what would happen if he discovered her true identity by staying near him any longer.

If only she hadn’t agreed to dance with Huo Xiaohan again yesterday just to spite Fang Yu.

If only she hadn’t gone up to sing for the prize—none of this would have happened.

Biting her lip beneath the gauze mask, she pondered what to do.

At that moment, Secretary Jiang, who was about to make a call, came out of the administrative building and saw Huo Xiaohan standing in the hospital corridor with a female comrade, holding her sandal in his hand.