What does it mean to shoot yourself in the foot?

This is it!

What does it mean to suffer in silence?

This is it!!!

Meng Youyou felt utterly stifled. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became—and the more frustrated she became, the more she thought…

Suddenly, something felt off.

“Wait… something’s not right!”

“No, no, no…”

“If he understands so much about traditional Chinese medicine, how could he not tell that my hypoglycemia was fake?”

“And if he already saw through it, why did he just watch me drink that ‘laxative soup’?”

“What kind of intentions is that?”

“Sinister intentions!”

“People are terrifying!”

“Heartless bastard!”

“Dog of a man!!!”

Though she was full of anger, Meng Youyou wasn’t foolish enough to run up to him and ask something like:

“You clearly knew I was faking it—why didn’t you stop me?”

Based on her understanding of that cunning, scheming man, he definitely wouldn’t answer directly.

Instead, he would calmly look down at her and reply in that indifferent tone of his:

“Then why did you pretend to have hypoglycemia just to drink that soup?”

Just imagining that expression alone made her want to grind her teeth.

A complete big bad wolf.

Sometimes, she really wanted to tear him apart with her bare hands.

Over the next few days, Meng Youyou felt like some kind of obsessive stalker, secretly monitoring Huo Qingshan’s every move at all times.

She was terrified that if she let her guard down for even a moment, Huo Qingshan and Chu Yao might spark romance in some secluded corner.

A bad start?

Absolutely not!

But after days of careful observation, she made a major discovery—

Chu Yao was deliberately getting close to Huo Qingshan.

Several times, Meng Youyou noticed Chu Yao intentionally creating opportunities to be alone with him.

And judging from the current situation, Huo Qingshan didn’t seem interested in Chu Yao—at least not yet.

Meng Youyou curled her lips.

“Tsk tsk… I didn’t expect the beauty to be the one chasing him? With that annoying iceberg face, how could anyone even like him?”

She shook her head in disbelief.

“Nope. Nope. I seriously don’t get it.”

At noon, the army cafeteria was bustling with noise and filled with delicious aromas.

While Meng Youyou was focused on the food at the serving window, Chu Yao had already picked up her tray and gracefully walked toward Huo Qingshan.

Meng Youyou snapped back to attention.

“Damn it—this is impossible to guard against!”

Without thinking, she took several big strides forward and beat Chu Yao to it, sitting directly across from Huo Qingshan.

Her movements… were a bit awkward.

Or maybe… a bit messy.

But definitely not creepy!

Huo Qingshan: “……”

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Meng Youyou’s tray—

One portion of rice, a lonely serving of vegetables in the corner… and two completely empty slots.

He couldn’t help but look at her a bit more.

Someone whose behavior had been quite strange these past few days.

Meanwhile, Zhong Heng and Zhang Yong exchanged knowing glances, communicating entirely through their eyes.

Zhong Heng looked smug:

“See? I told you! Translator Meng definitely likes our battalion commander. Why else would she keep hovering around him?”

Zhang Yong looked impressed:

“You’re amazing. Your instincts are sharp—I’m convinced now.”

Chu Yao watched helplessly as her chosen seat was taken right before her eyes.

Her emotions were complicated.

With no empty seats left at the table, she could only walk away reluctantly and sit elsewhere.

After sitting down, she cast a faintly resentful glance toward Meng Youyou.

This “coincidence” completely confirmed her suspicion—

That all those interruptions over the past few days weren’t accidents.

And behind them all… was Meng Youyou.

“What exactly is she trying to do?” Chu Yao fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the table was… awkward.

Strange and tense.

Under the table, Zhang Yong kicked Zhong Heng’s leg for the third time, signaling him to say something to lighten the mood.

But suddenly—

“Stop that.”

Huo Qingshan’s cold voice sounded without even lifting his head.

Meng Youyou burst out laughing.

Zhang Yong looked down in shock and realized his foot was pressed right against their commander’s pant leg.

There were even several messy overlapping footprints on it.

He quickly withdrew his leg and sat properly, not daring to move again.

At that moment, the naturally sociable Zhong Heng stepped in.

“Translator Meng, why are you eating so little? Not even any meat—are you not used to the food here?”

Zhang Yong added, “I heard you had hypoglycemia a few days ago. You should eat more each meal, or you won’t have enough energy.”

Meng Youyou’s lips twitched.

Honestly, when she sat down and saw her tray with nothing but bland cabbage, her vision had gone dark.

She kept glancing toward the serving window, watching a big tray of braised pork slowly decrease…

Until it was completely gone.

Her heart died along with it.

Several times, she wanted to get up and go back for more food—but forced herself to hold back.

Endure the small things, or ruin the bigger plan.

She forced a smile. “Uh… I ate something weird a few days ago, so my stomach hasn’t been great. If I eat meat, I feel nauseous. I’ll recover in a few days—thanks for your concern.”

But someone who had clearly been holding a grudge calmly exposed her on the spot:

“The potato chicken from the cafeteria two days ago—I saw Translator Meng eating quite happily. And yesterday’s steamed pork and sweet-and-sour pork—you finished all of it.”

Meng Youyou: “……”

Inside, she rolled her eyes so hard they could reach the sky.

With great patience, she salvaged the situation.

“It’s… intermittent. Sometimes I feel nauseous, sometimes I don’t. It’s a bit unpredictable.”

After finally patching things up, she decided:

The best defense is offense.

Instead of letting him keep picking at her, she counterattacked.

“Battalion Commander Huo, I didn’t expect you to pay so much attention to my appetite and health. Even though we weren’t sitting together yesterday, you still noticed what I ate from several tables away. I’m truly flattered.”

She even put on a shy, girlish expression.

As expected, Zhong Heng and Zhang Yong immediately changed expressions, both looking at Huo Qingshan with meaningful eyes.

Her words had subtly painted his attention as… something more.

Huo Qingshan calmly finished his soup and set the bowl down.

“You remembered wrong,” he said evenly. “You were sitting at the table right in front of me yesterday. Not several tables away.”

Meng Youyou immediately refuted, “That’s impossible.”

She continued confidently, “You were sitting at the second table from the left near the entrance, and I was by the window. There were clearly several tables between us.”

The moment she finished—

She realized something was wrong.

The situation had reversed instantly.

“Damn it! I got tricked again!”

Huo Qingshan’s lips curved slightly.

“Oh, then I must have remembered wrong.”

His tone was calm… but there seemed to be a hint of amusement.

Then he stood up and left with his tray, carefree as ever.

What a carefree man.

Leaving chaos behind for her.

So annoying!

Meng Youyou ignored the burning gazes beside and across from her, staring intensely at his retreating figure—

As if she could bore a hole into his back.

Zhong Heng nudged Zhang Yong with his eyes:

“Look at that longing gaze—so devoted!”

Meng Youyou’s emotions were complicated.

The last time she watched him leave, she felt like a victorious peacock.

But now—

Same place. Same noon. Same scene.

Yet her mood was completely different.

A thoroughly defeated “drenched chicken,” she took a few bites of rice before leaving.

After she left, the two remaining men finally burst into discussion like a dam breaking.

Battalion Commander Huo’s silent verdict:

“Trying to fight me? Too inexperienced. Go train some more.”

Turning force against force—effortless control.

Handled perfectly.

Meng Youyou:

“So I’m the clown here?”

“Was I really that ridiculous???”

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