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

Chapter 79 Ex-boyfriend?
The moment my fingertips touched the rim of the jar, it was snatched away.

Meng Youyou looked up at the "culprit" who had snatched her wine jar, her eyes feigning indignation.

Huo Qingshan remained unmoved, picked up the pottery jar and placed it further away on the table, making sure Meng Youyou couldn't reach it.

After Huo Qingshan sat down, he squeezed Meng Youyou's right hand reassuringly and said in a low voice, "In a situation like this, with your alcohol tolerance, you shouldn't drink. There are so many people in the restaurant, I'm afraid you'll regret it when you wake up tomorrow."

Meng Youyou glared angrily: "I never act crazy when I drink, okay? Besides, didn't you hear the commander just say that this rose rice wine has a very low alcohol content?"

Huo Qingshan briefly recalled for a few seconds, then said seriously, "I've noticed that you seem to be able to sober up in the latter half of your drunkenness, and your memory of that part is still intact, but the first half... that's hard to say."

The phrase "You said you were the school beauty" suddenly popped into Meng Youyou's mind, giving her a jolt.

Meng Youyou wisely chose to give up.

Um... I'll give up for now.

While Huo Qingshan was at the main table making toasts and exchanging pleasantries, Meng Youyou couldn't resist the allure of the fragrant rose wine, and her wicked little hand reached for the earthenware jar once again.

When I brought it over, the wine jar was very light. I shook it in my hand and found that there wasn't much left.

She glanced quickly at the back of the man standing not far away with his back to her, and her hands moved faster without her noticing. She poured rice wine into the cup, intending to just have a taste. The wine poured out of the spout, filling the air with fragrance. Meng Youyou's hand trembled and she poured a full cup.

Feeling a little guilty, she reached out and put the pottery jar back in its original place.

While keeping an eye on Huo Qingshan's progress, she brought her head closer to the rim of the cup.

I took a small sip.

Instantly, a unique and rich rose fragrance spread in the mouth, mixed with the sweetness and mellowness of rice wine.

It tasted so good that I unconsciously squinted my eyes, and my long eyelashes trembled slightly.

His eyes kept glancing toward the main table, extremely vigilant, while he took large gulps of wine, his cheeks puffing out and then deflating repeatedly. Fortunately, he managed to finish the last sip of rice wine before the man turned around after finishing his pleasantries.

Meng Youyou casually moved the cup to the left, creating the illusion that it was a cup someone else had drunk from.

Meng Youyou grinned, flashing a bright smile at Huo Qingshan as he returned, "You're back?"

Huo Qingshan narrowed his eyes slightly. "You secretly drank while I was away?"

Meng Youyou was astonished, her mouth agape in an "O" shape, and she retorted instinctively, "How is that possible!"

She had been staring at the back of the man's head the whole time she was drinking, and he didn't turn his head or even turn to the side the entire time. It was impossible for him to have seen her "committee," unless he really had eyes in the back of his head.

The more she thought about it, the more confident she became. Meng Youyou turned the tables and defended herself, saying, "You are judging me by my own petty standards and have wronged me for no reason."

It has a very impressive presence.

Unexpectedly... Huo Qingshan suddenly leaned closer, sniffed lightly, and said leisurely, "You've drunk quite a bit, at least one cup?"

Meng Youyou covered her mouth in astonishment and pushed the person back a few inches.

Meng Youyou glanced around nervously and found that the people nearby were either engrossed in drinking and chatting or focused on eating, and no one noticed their interaction. She breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But she still scolded him, "What are you doing? There are so many people here!"

Am I really that unpresentable?

He asked with a slight smile. Meng Youyou retorted, "It's good that you know."

Meng Youyou vaguely sensed a gaze focused on her from afar. She turned her head and met a pair of solemn eyes—it was the man who had spoken on behalf of the Capital Military Region that afternoon.

When Zhou Shiyan saw Meng Youyou looking over, he reacted indifferently and naturally shifted his gaze elsewhere, neither hastily nor deliberately.

Meng Youyou was a little confused. Could it really be an old acquaintance of "Meng Youyou"?

Childhood friend? Junior high classmate? Admirer? ...

A variety of possibilities flashed through Meng Youyou's mind, but none of them seemed quite right.

Could it be... her ex-boyfriend?
After all, that look in his eyes just now seemed to indicate something from the past.

Sigh, she couldn't figure it out for the time being, so she didn't bother to think about it anymore.

Meng Youyou withdrew her hand from Huo Qingshan's chest and warned, "We are just colleagues now. Please, Battalion Commander Huo, have some self-respect and do not overstep any boundaries. Otherwise, I may sue you for hooliganism."

Huo Qingshan ladled a bowl of vegetable and tofu soup and placed it in front of Meng Youyou. It was still steaming hot. He said gently, "Have some more soup."

Meng Youyou decisively refused: "I'm full and can't drink anymore."

She was telling the truth; that large glass of rice wine she had just drunk was quite substantial.

"Have a little to relieve the alcohol's irritation, otherwise your stomach will feel uncomfortable again."

Meng Youyou retorted confidently, "What? I never throw up when I drink." But as soon as she finished speaking, she realized something was wrong, and her voice trailed off: "Could it be... I threw up last time?"

Huo Qingshan raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her with a smile, but said nothing.

Meng Youyou: "..."

Finally, it behaved itself and obediently started drinking the soup with its head down.

……

As dusk settled and the night deepened outside the window, the steaming, abundant feast on the table gradually turned into leftovers, and this rather informal welcoming banquet came to an end.

As time went on, Meng Youyou felt a little dizzy, but she didn't dare to say it out loud, afraid that someone would laugh at her for "overestimating herself."

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Huo Qingshan walked to the door and engaged in the usual pre-farewell chat with the military region leaders.

The leader praised him as a promising young man with an impressive resume and a limitless future.

Huo Qingshan's polite remark could not compare to the leader's former charisma.

After hearing this, the leader couldn't stop smiling.

Meng Youyou found the scene rather amusing, and suddenly realized—when a naturally aloof person starts flattering someone, it's much more effective than someone as always enthusiastic as her!
The more aloof you are, the more credible your rare words of praise will be, and the more easily you will appreciate them.

Before leaving, Huo Qingshan specifically instructed her to wait for him to return so they could go back to the hotel together.

But Meng Youyou felt that the conversation wouldn't end anytime soon, and her head was getting heavier and heavier. So she didn't wait for Huo Qingshan to finish and walked out of the cafeteria alone through the side door.

The hotel arranged by the organizers is very close to the People's Government Building. Just cross the road, walk along the street for five minutes, and then turn the corner.

(End of this chapter)