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

Chapter 350 "It's a pleasure working with you~"

Meng Youyou, wearing a hair drying cap, walked out of the bathroom. The man was standing on the balcony with his back to the living room, making a phone call. He watched her quietly for a while, then Meng Youyou stopped looking at him, plopped down on the carpet, plugged in the hairdryer, and started drying her hair.

A few minutes later, Huo Qingshan finished his call, turned around, and opened the glass sliding door. The roar of the hairdryer suddenly amplified and assaulted his eardrums. He saw someone sitting cross-legged on the floor—her eyes were practically glued to the phone screen. The girl had her head down and was staring intently at him. The hand holding the hairdryer handle was motionless, and the hairdryer nozzle was continuously blowing hot air towards the ceiling, but it didn't actually touch a single strand of her hair.

Huo Qingshan realized that this person liked to sit on the ground no matter what she was doing. She would sit on the ground to eat, watch TV, and even blow-dry her hair. The ground was her base camp.

Huo Qingshan walked over in a few steps and gently took the hair dryer from her hand. At the current rate, it wouldn't be dry for two hours. Suddenly, the girl's right hand felt empty. She turned her head to look at the source of the sound: "Hmm? You're going to help me dry it?"

Before he could answer, Meng Youyou moved her bottom forward a few inches, then excitedly patted the edge of the sofa and invited him with a smile, "Sit here."

Huo Qingshan sat down as she arranged, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He hadn't initially envisioned this position; it was much more intimate, with her elbow brushing against his inner thigh if she moved even slightly. But then he thought about their current relationship and realized there was nothing to be embarrassed about; they would have to get used to it sooner or later.

He picked up a strand of hair and placed it in his palm. With his other hand, he used a hairdryer to blow-dry the hair evenly from the top of the head to the ends, then gently put it down. He then picked up another strand and repeated the process. After he took over, the hair was dry in every part. Meng Youyou thought of a phrase: "equal distribution of rain and dew".

He was always very serious, methodical, and organized in his work, as Meng Youyou knew. However, at this moment, his adherence to rules was almost rigid—Meng Youyou could feel the frequency of the hairdryer in the man's hand swaying left and right and the speed of its up and down movement, so stable that it seemed to be controlled by a program. The time taken to blow from the far left to the far right and from the far right back to the far left was almost the same.

After noticing this, Meng Youyou began to mentally count the time it took for the hairdryer in his hand to circle his head once, in order to verify her judgment. After counting several times, she found that the time for each circle was highly consistent, which she found quite funny.

"Commander Huo." Meng Youyou suddenly turned around, looking up at him. With the movement, a strand of long hair slipped from the man's palm. The girl in front of him looked at him with a questioning expression and asked, "Can you maintain a consistent frequency in everything you do?"

"Huh?" Huo Qingshan didn't understand: "What?"

Meng Youyou glanced meaningfully at his lower abdomen, then raised an eyebrow incredulously and asked, "Never lose control?"

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes darkened instantly. He turned off the hairdryer, the roaring sound disappeared, and the room fell silent. Huo Qingshan's brows furrowed slightly as he stared into her eyes and asked, "Oh, you really aren't afraid at all?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" she laughed casually.

"Always saying things like this, provoking me, tempting me, aren't you afraid that one time you'll lose your temper and really get yourself into trouble?" The man's dark eyes were deep, his voice low and carrying a subtle sense of pressure: "Do you really think I'm a gentleman who would never do anything to you?"

"Of course she's not afraid," Meng Youyou thought to herself. Once upon a time, they were like that, their passion escalating to a point of infatuation. He could even stop himself from going too far; that was remarkable.

“We’re in a relationship where we can do that kind of thing now, aren’t we? Why should I be afraid?” she said, adjusting her posture.

Her hair was almost dry. Perhaps because there was no backrest, her back ached from sitting for so long. Meng Youyou naturally leaned forward, clasped her hands together on his knees, and rested her chin on them. Strands of hair fell down, brushing against his exposed calf muscles. The girl rested her head comfortably and obediently on his lap, tilting her head back and gently blinking at him, as if demonstrating with her actions that she was not afraid at all.

Huo Qingshan fell silent, staring at her with turbulent emotions in his eyes, clearly not at peace.

Meng Youyou thought for a moment, trying to understand his inner world, and then said, "Anyway, I don't feel guilty. You don't need to feel that girls are at a disadvantage in this kind of thing. What era are we living in now? It's perfectly normal for young couples to live together before marriage."

Having been through so much together, Meng Youyou knew he was a man of many thoughts and burdens, always hesitant and overly cautious when it came to relationships, never quite carefree. In this respect, he and she were like two extremes.

The last time Meng Youyou saw Grandma Huo, she vaguely learned from her that the conflict between Huo Qingshan and his father was deeper than she had imagined! So, what was his life like after he went to the capital at such a young age? Was his adolescence happy? Did growing up in a single-parent family harm him? How did his father treat him? How did that large family treat him, the "eldest grandson" who returned halfway? Did he have anyone he could be close to and trust? ...These were all questions she had never thought about before, but yesterday, while drinking alone, Meng Youyou pondered the reasons for his repeated rejections, and these thoughts led her to this point.

Knowing full well that his father had likely betrayed his mother, knowing that his father had a former lover living nearby, and knowing that gossip was inevitable, how could he, so young at the time, possibly interact with his father and those around him? He must have been incredibly conflicted, unhappy, lonely, and helpless, afraid to love and afraid to hate. Meng Youyou belatedly touched upon this aspect, and felt a belated pang of heartache.

Since she met him, he had always been strong and upright in her eyes, seemingly invincible. He habitually stood in front of her to bear all the pressure, and after he had settled and dealt with all the problems and cleaned things up beforehand, he would invite her into his seemingly safe and secure world, where she could simply sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

But such strength is not innate, and it is inevitably one-sided. What paths did he walk alone? How many thorns did he tread through? He forced himself to grow into someone who seems "fearless of heaven and earth".

In truth, he was afraid; he was afraid. Meng Youyou vividly remembered one of the few times his psychological defenses crumbled, and he admitted to her that he was a "coward." She felt he must have broken down more than once; it just so happened that she was there with him that time. He was ashamed to reveal his vulnerable side to her, or to anyone else.

Deep within him lived a stubborn and aged child, prone to feelings of inferiority, timidity, self-doubt, and confusion, yet he would never ask for help from the outside world. Perhaps it was because no one had taught him this skill, or perhaps it was because, during a long period of his life, his cries for help were often ignored, and he gradually lost this skill, or perhaps... confidence.

Back when they were dating, Meng Youyou liked to make him guess what she was thinking. If she guessed correctly, she'd give him a smile; if she couldn't, she'd give him a long face and make him keep guessing. Sometimes she'd say the opposite of what she meant, pretending to be indifferent even when she cared deeply, or saying hurtful things when she wanted him to hug her. It was as if saying certain things herself would diminish their value, making them less precious than what he realized on his own.

Later, the two broke up. During her time back in the capital, Shen Xi tried to mention him to her several times during his phone calls, but each time he would be forcefully stopped by Meng Youyou as soon as he started to talk about it. Especially the last time, she gritted her teeth and said coldly, "I've already broken up with him. Don't mention him to me again. I don't want to know anything about him. Even if he dies someday, don't bother telling me!"

Looking back, it's really ruthless of her to say something like that.

However, at that time, Meng Youyou was too afraid that if she listened to a few more words, she would be unable to resist buying a ticket back to Fanzhou City to find him and say, "Huo Qingshan, can we not break up? I don't want to break up with you. I can wait for you to resolve your family matters." If she did that, it would seem as if she would become a pitiful woman.

Back then, it seemed that nothing mattered more than a breath, more than love. He wouldn't speak, and she refused to back down; the only outcome for them was to miss each other.

But later, after his sacrifice, countless nights lying on the bed in the sanatorium, on the damp, moldy mattress at the front lines, Meng Youyou regretted it all. If she hadn't stopped Shen Xi from continuing, what might he have told her? Would she have immediately run back to him after hearing it? Would everything have been different? Would their ending have been different?
Whether in the past or present, Meng Youyou hopes to receive a lot of love from him, hoping that he can easily accept all her emotions and little thoughts, and that everything, big or small, should revolve around her and center on her feelings. At the same time, she repeatedly ignores the fact that he may not have received that much love from childhood to adulthood, and that he is not a person with a rich inner world and abundant emotions.

He was barren and clumsy. The ability to love is not innate. Meng Youyou used to think that his kindness to her was a given, that he should know how to love her, to give her tenderness and consideration, to make her feel deeply loved and sweet. But perhaps... he needed to try very hard to figure it out, or perhaps he studied and tried his best, but still couldn't do it well.

She seemed not to have thought about these things. She was a little careless and a little selfish, but she didn't mean it.

Huo Qingshan kept his head slightly lowered. The crystal chandelier on the living room ceiling hung with delicate, faceted edges, and warm white light filtered through them, falling on the man's neat short hair, then sliding down his high, straight brow bone, casting a small, light shadow in his eye sockets. Meng Youyou's gaze gradually moved down to his lips. His lips were slightly pursed, and his usual serious expression looked cold and hard, but she knew best that these lips were actually soft to kiss.

As she watched, Meng Youyou suddenly realized something—since she loved him too, and since she had chosen him and made up her mind about him, she shouldn't worry too much about who took more steps, who took fewer steps, who took the first step, and who took the second.

It wasn't a sudden realization, but rather a sudden feeling that she could do it. Meng Youyou gently hooked her fingers, which were hanging by her side, and put away her previous frivolous expression. She looked at him with gentle yet firm eyes and said, "In my opinion, when men and women are in love, hugging, kissing, and making love are all natural things. As long as the feelings between two people develop to a certain point, and they feel it many times, it will happen naturally. I don't think there's anything to be afraid of."

"It's not that if you do this with me, it means you're taking advantage of me. Nor is it that you have to do something for me, guarantee me something, or meet certain prerequisites before we can take this step."

"Love is mutual, and giving and receiving should also be mutual." Meng Youyou hooked her little finger around his little finger and shook it gently: "Huo Qingshan, let's exchange our true feelings for each other."

Upon hearing this, the man's expression shifted slightly, and his eyelashes trembled. It was the first time he had heard her call his name so gently.

“As long as two people love each other, and I’m willing, and you’re willing, we can do it,” Meng Youyou said earnestly, word by word.

The man had been sitting quietly on the sofa listening, and finally reacted more noticeably, repeating her words aloud: "As long as two people love each other, they can do it?"

Meng Youyou carefully observed the man's expression and tentatively asked, "You're not ready yet? You have a secret, and you need time?"

“Yes, oh oh.” He took her fingers and then completely enveloped her hand, holding it tightly: “I need… some time.”

Meng Youyou nodded upon hearing this. "Okay, then let's not talk about distant things today, but about something closer to us, something right in front of us." She continued, "In short, dating is a matter between two people, and the same principle applies to everything else."

"For example?" Huo Qingshan pressed.

“For example, you want to sleep on the sofa tonight, but I want you to hold me while I sleep. Now that we have different opinions, how do we resolve this?” Although Meng Youyou still couldn’t see through him in some ways, it wasn’t difficult for her to figure out that he planned to sleep on the sofa.

“Huo Qingshan, you just promised me an hour ago that after we get together, you would discuss everything with me and respect my thoughts, instead of just thinking about what you think, even if you think you're doing it for my own good.” She reminded him, “You haven't forgotten, have you?”

"I just feel it's a bit fast, we've only just started dating..."

“I know,” Meng Youyou interrupted. “You told me that you are old-fashioned, which I can understand. Since I am willing to be with you, it means that I can accept the whole you, including this part of you. But from my point of view, I want to sleep with my boyfriend when I am in a relationship, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

After a pause, Meng Youyou suddenly suggested, "How about we play rock-paper-scissors? Whoever wins gets to decide, it's fair and just!"

"That's great!" She was very satisfied with the idea that had come up with in a flash of inspiration. "Since your idea is not wrong, and my idea is not wrong either, and it doesn't involve right or wrong, we each have our own positions, so let's accept the outcome and do what we should do. That way, you don't have to make things difficult for yourself, and I don't have to wrong myself. It's not a matter of who has to compromise for whom."

Before Huo Qingshan could even agree, the girl had already put her right hand behind her back and was chanting a countdown in a rather provocative manner: "Rock, paper, scissors!"

The two attacked simultaneously; Huo Qingshan threw a punch, while Meng Youyou threw a cloth, and the outcome was immediately clear.

Upon seeing this, Meng Youyou immediately clenched the cloth in her hand into a fist and bumped fists with his outstretched fist: "Commander Huo, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you~" The girl was overjoyed.

Huo Qingshan: "..." It seems that he has not said or done anything yet, and an important decision has been made in such a hasty and frivolous manner, and he has no way to refute it.

"Time to sleep." Meng Youyou yawned. She hadn't slept well last night, and she felt sleepy especially early today. She stretched on the carpet, yawned again, and said in a muffled voice, "We have to get up early tomorrow. It takes almost an hour to get to work even without traffic. If we take traffic into account, we'll have to get up at 6:30!"

As she spoke, Meng Youyou brushed her dry, long hair aside, stood up from the ground, and walked towards the bedroom. After taking two steps, she stopped just before reaching the door, turned around, and asked him, "Aren't you going to sleep?"

Huo Qingshan remained seated on the sofa, showing no intention of moving.

"Commander Huo, who's afraid? The difference in skill is obvious, isn't it?" Meng Youyou's nature is hard to change, and she couldn't resist causing trouble again, starting a new round of provocations.

As night deepens, the neon lights of the bustling commercial districts are all extinguished, and the lights of thousands of homes gradually dim, with only streetlights remaining lit throughout the night, spreading a long, warm glow in the darkness. The people of the city, accompanied by tranquility, gradually fall asleep.

The progress was faster than Huo Qingshan could have imagined. From learning her name to confirming their relationship, it took less than a month. A month ago, he genuinely believed there was no possibility between them. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to her, but at that time, he actually thought he could reject her.

At this moment, Huo Qingshan lay on the soft bed, holding the person in his arms. Her soft, even breathing filled his ears, and her sweet fragrance permeated his nostrils. Huo Qingshan felt an utterly unreal, dreamlike sensation. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so completely filled with such overwhelming, intoxicating happiness. When was that? It must have been many, many years ago, before Lin Caiyun left—a truly long time.

He gently bent his neck and kissed her forehead. Once he confirmed it was real, Huo Qingshan felt relieved and slowly fell asleep.

(End of this chapter)