After Awakening, She Tore Apart Her Enemies and Joined the Army on an Island - Chapter 52

But this unfamiliar face bore no resemblance to her father.

Who in her Su family could he possibly be?

Su Meng felt as though she were lost in a fog, vaguely discerning a faint outline but unable to see the full picture. The frustration clawed at her heart, making her want to tear everything apart.

Unbeknownst to her, her inner turmoil had been completely observed by the man beside her.

After reading her thoughts, Huo Zhenhua was taken aback, but a faint thrill of excitement stirred within him.

With this, perhaps she would be willing to go to the military district?

But…

“Xie Mian is a local near our military district. I’ve never heard of any connection to Shanghai.”

This had been verified during the political screening when he enlisted.

Huo Zhenhua couldn’t bear to let the young woman’s hopes rise only to be dashed, so he told her the truth.

Hearing this, Su Meng calmed down.

She firmly believed that Xie Mian was a member of her Su family.

The characteristics of his bloodline couldn’t lie.

“Oh! With such severe injuries, he probably can’t take on missions anymore, right?”

Her intention was to ask whether Xie Mian would return to the military district to report or go home to recuperate.

But Huo Zhenhua thought she was prying. He turned his head to scrutinize her, his facial lines tightening as he coldly warned, “This is none of your concern, Dr. Lin.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “Dr. Lin,” his gaze dark and imposing, his presence suddenly intensifying.

Once again, Su Meng felt the sharpness of his stare and his commanding tone. It made her entire being uneasy.

Struggling to control her emotions, she turned and walked away.

So, infuriating!

This wretched man must have been a hedgehog spirit in a past life, covered in thorns.

He was always on guard against her, as if afraid she would dig up his ancestors’ graves.

She shouldn’t have spoken to him at all.

Hmph!

From now on, even if she had to talk to a dog, she wouldn’t pay him any attention.

Dr. Cheng glanced back and forth between them, confused, and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

He couldn’t understand how this soldier could change his expression in an instant.

From gentle to stern, it was as dramatic as a Sichuan opera face-changing performance.

Strange!

Fortunately, the tense atmosphere was soon broken.

“Regiment Commander Huo, you’re back!”

Wu Yanru had just opened her eyes when she spotted Huo Zhenhua’s figure and joyfully ran over. “Are you thirsty? Let me get you some water.”

Huo Zhenhua, as usual, feigned deafness.

He glanced at Su Meng, who had turned and walked away, his brow furrowing tightly.

This was the third time she had coldly turned her back on him without a word.

Huo Zhenhua felt deeply irritated. Ignoring the chattering Wu Yanru beside him, he strode away.

Wu Yanru grew anxious and tried to grab his wrist but only managed to clutch the belt exposed at his waist. “Regiment Commander Huo, you haven’t had any water yet?”

Huo Zhenhua stared expressionlessly at her hand and said coldly, “Let go!”

His voice was as sharp and frigid as icicles hanging from eaves in the dead of winter.

Wu Yanru shuddered in fear and immediately released her grip, tears welling up in her eyes from the hurt. “I was just worried about you. How could you…” be so cold.

Before she could finish her sentence, she looked up and met the man’s icy gaze. The words stuck in her throat, choking her like a fishbone.

Before she could even swallow, his stern and serious voice rang above her head. “Comrade, my focus is on defending our country. I have no time for romantic entanglements. Please maintain your dignity!”

As he said “please maintain your dignity,” he glanced deliberately or unintentionally at the woman who had squatted back down and was whispering with someone else. His expression visibly darkened.

But Su Meng remained oblivious. Taking the book Dr. Cheng handed her, she flipped through it and her eyes immediately lit up. She blurted out, “How dare you carry this with you?”

It was a foreign-language medical textbook, likely smuggled in from abroad.

Unaware of Dr. Cheng’s background, Su Meng nervously handed it back. “If someone sees this, life will become miserable for you.”

Dr. Cheng smiled wryly. “Don’t be so jumpy. No one saw it. I heard you praising his theories earlier, so I trusted you enough to show it to you.”

Touched, Su Meng hesitated for a moment before accepting it. “Thank you! I’ll return it as soon as possible.”

Outside, the rain grew heavier, pouring down as if a dam had burst in the Milky Way. Though it should have been the bright, warm hour of early morning, the gloom felt no different from twilight.

Dr. Cheng also took out a book and sat upright beside her. “Take your time reading. Who knows how long it’ll be before we can move again?”

Su Meng’s fingers brushed over the name “Cheng Wangshu” written on the corner of a page, and she glanced at him. Cheng Wangshu? The name suited him, elegant and scholarly, a careful and amiable person.

Pressing her lips together, she opened the book and began to read.

Just then, Wu Yanru came running over, looking aggrieved. “Dr. Lin, how can he be like this? Stubborn and foul-tempered, worse than a rock in a latrine!”

Su Meng stared at her in surprise, wondering why she was venting to her, especially since she was currently disguised as a man.

Wu Yanru continued chattering, “Do you think I should keep trying?”

Su Meng quickly closed her book, her eyes glinting mischievously as a playful smile touched her lips. “Of course! As the saying goes, ‘Sincerity can move metal and stone.’ If he still doesn’t respond, at least you’ll have tried and have no regrets, right?”

Whenever she felt a little more at ease, that man would douse her spirits. Since he claimed not to like women, she might as well encourage Wu Yanru to pursue and pester him. Heh! She was just that kind-hearted.

Wu Yanru propped her chin in her hands, nodding slowly as her eyes brightened again. “You’re right! The Long March has only just begun, I can’t give up now.” Then she leaned in closer. “You’re a male comrade, could you give me some advice on how to win him over?”

Su Meng replied, “…I don’t know.” She couldn’t afford to create more complications.

“If you really can’t warm his heart, then look elsewhere. There’s always someone suitable for you.”

Cheng Wangshu gave her a curious look and waited until Wu Yanru walked away, lost in thought, before asking quietly, “Are you close with them?”

Su Meng shook her head. “We’ve only just met.”

Cheng Wangshu smiled. He wasn’t one to pry and soon turned his attention back to his book.

Time flew, and another day passed. The landslide was finally cleared and secured. With a blast of the train whistle, the train emerged from the tunnel and plunged into the relentless rain.

Worried about Xie Mian, Su Meng stayed in the third carriage to care for the patients.

After Huo Zhenhua returned to his sleeper carriage and saw Wu Yanru sitting primly nearby, he paused, then turned and headed to the dining car. Xie Mian had saved him, so he ought to help look after the little girl.

However, when he reached the dining car, he learned that the girl had been taken away by Wang Qinglin.

Silently, he walked back to his carriage and found Wang Qinglin waiting for him.

Before he could speak, Wang Qinglin said, “Regiment Commander, here’s a steamed bun for you.”

Only when he caught the scent of food did Huo Zhenhua realize how empty his stomach was.

“You brought back the little girl that Xie Mian was taking care of?”

Wang Qinglin: “She wanted to find Xie Mian, so I sent her there.”

Huo Zhenhua paused mid-chew, “That’s fine too!”

It’s normal for children to cling to adults.

But when he saw the little girl clutching Su Meng’s clothes even in her sleep, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, his gaze shifting between them several times.

He remarked with a sigh: She really has a way with people.

He didn’t believe Su Meng was the type to be overly kind, could Xie Mian actually have some connection with her?

Huo Zhenhua made a mental note of it, deciding to investigate carefully.

The sound of rain was the best lullaby. Leaning back in his chair, he finally closed his eyes, exhausted.

Su Meng had coaxed the little girl to sleep. Listening to her magical snoring, the words in the book gradually blurred and drifted away, her eyelids drooping uncontrollably.

After an unknown amount of time, a powerful jolt from behind and the screech of brakes startled everyone awake.

Su Meng quickly wrapped her arms around the little girl, who had nearly fallen, and whispered soothingly, “It’s alright, Xiao Qi, everything’s fine.”

Fortunately, both sides of the sickbed had been carefully reinforced with wooden rods, serving as makeshift handrails to reduce the risk of the injured falling due to inertia.