Chapter 60, Final Chapter: "I think today is an auspicious day..."

Qiao Yunzheng tried to check his injury several times, but Wen Hong brushed her off lightly: "It's just a superficial wound, what's there to see?" As if afraid of upsetting her, he added jokingly at the end, "Why don't you take a better look at my face?"

His expression was normal, and he seemed to be fine. If it weren't for the conspicuous black, white and blue striped hospital gown he was wearing, you wouldn't be able to tell that he was injured at all.

Qiao Yunzheng had no choice but to give up.

It wasn't until the nurse came to change the dressing the next day that Wen Hong's expression became somewhat tense.

"Bed 32, lie down, it's time for your dressing change."

The nurse, holding a tray, gestured for him to take off his shirt.

Wen Hong didn't move immediately, but looked up at Qiao Yunzheng: "Ah Zheng, do you want to go out for some fresh air? This medicine doesn't smell very good."

Qiao Yunzheng stared at the thick bandage wrapped around his abdomen without looking up: "No."

Wen Hong scratched his head: "How about you go downstairs and buy me some roasted chestnuts from the snack street next door? I suddenly have a craving..."

Qiao Yunzheng then looked up at him: "Wen Hong, do I look like someone who's easy to fool?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Hong opened his mouth and gave a dry laugh.

The nurse waiting on the side couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Wen Hong had no choice but to slowly take off her shirt and lie down, her eyes still nervously fixed on Qiao Yunzheng.

She stared intently at the layers of gauze being peeled away by the nurse until a large patch of dark red bloodstains was revealed underneath. Her heart felt as if it had been squeezed by a giant hand, making it hard to breathe.

The gauze was completely peeled off, revealing a slit about ten centimeters long across his waist, covered with dense stitches, like a terrifying giant centipede crawling on his body.

"You call this a superficial injury?" Qiao Yunzheng bit her lip and questioned in a low voice.

The nurse, who was disinfecting, interrupted, "What superficial wound? The doctor said that if it were any deeper, it would have damaged the internal organs..." Before she could finish speaking, Wen Hong gave her a cold glance, and she realized that she had said the wrong thing and quickly shut her mouth.

Wen Hong took her hand and gently squeezed her palm: "It just looks a bit scary, but it's not serious."

Qiao Yunzheng remained standing there, stunned, until the nurse finished changing the dressing, packed up the tray, and left the ward.

She ignored him and wouldn't budge no matter how he tried to coax her.

Wen Hong sighed softly to himself, took her hand, and said with a hint of grievance, "Wife, it's immoral to mistreat a patient." As he spoke, he even frowned seriously.

Qiao Yunzheng did indeed make a move. He pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, and after a long while, she finally looked away from his abdomen, her voice muffled: "Does it still hurt?"

Wen Hong's brows relaxed a little, and he took the opportunity to put his arm around her waist: "I'm a grown man, why do you keep asking me these kinds of questions? It makes me lose face. Besides," he rubbed his chin against the top of her head, "there are painkillers here, aren't there?"

Qiao Yunzheng looked up at him, somewhat puzzled: "Where?" She had looked at all the medicines the doctor prescribed and fed them to him at fixed times, but she didn't remember that any of them contained painkillers.

He suddenly lowered his head and pecked her lips: "Is there anything more effective than this?"

The bitterness that had been building up in her heart was easily dispelled by him. Qiao Yunzheng blushed, stretched her neck, and kissed him in the same way, her voice still a little muffled: "Then... there's enough."

Wen Hong stayed in the hospital for a few days. The police came several times to take her statement and brought news: Qiao Zhenhuai fell from the abandoned factory and landed on a corrugated steel shed on the first floor, which cushioned the impact. He didn't die and woke up this morning.

As a result, Qiao Zhende's accident three years ago was brought up again and the case was reopened for investigation.

The heavy weight that had been pressing on Qiao Yunzheng's heart finally lifted.

Despite Wen Hong's repeated assurances that she was fine, Qiao Yunzheng insisted on staying at the hospital, even instructing her assistant to deliver all company documents to the hospital daily. Fortunately, Wen Hong was in a private room, which offered relatively more space.

Confined to the hospital room all day, Wen Hong was really bored. Seeing Qiao Yunzheng engrossed in her laptop every day, she suggested, "How about I do it for you?"

Qiao Yunzheng glanced at him briefly, her expression icy.

Wen Hong wisely shrank his neck and shut his mouth.

But less than half an hour later, the restlessness in his heart began to stir again: "Ah Zheng, I think you have to help me..."

In the past few days, Wen Hong's wound has healed well, and he can take care of himself in a basic way. Qiao Yunzheng is here to keep an eye on him, but there is really nothing else she can do.

Qiao Yunzheng was suspicious, but she still put down her work and sat down by the bedside: "What's wrong?"

Wen Hong lowered her eyes: "I feel a little uncomfortable and would like to change my clothes."

Qiao Yunzheng was surprised. These past few days, he had never let her interfere with his dressing or eating. What was wrong with him today?

Although she was puzzled, she obediently agreed and got up to take out a change of shirt from the wardrobe next to her: "Is this one okay?"

“Hmm,” he nodded, but leaned casually against the headboard. “Help me.”

She paused, pursed her lips, then sat down on the edge of the bed, placed her change of clothes aside, and reached out to his collar.

Her fingertips unbuttoned his shirt one button at a time, revealing his broad, firm chest.

Qiao Yunzheng originally planned to finish serving this ancestor quickly and then continue looking at her work documents, but when she unbuttoned the fourth button, her fingertips couldn't help but tremble.

A long-dormant sense of familiarity surged forth uncontrollably, stirring up a wave of emotion within her.

"Ah Zheng..." Wen Hong had already sat up straight without her noticing, and his warm breath brushed against her ear, making half of her body go numb.

"Hmm," she said, lowering her eyes and not daring to look up at him.

He reached out and hooked her chin with his finger, forcing her to look up and look directly into his eyes: "I thought you weren't interested in me anymore..." He glanced at the unsightly laptop and the tall stack of documents beside him, "Are those boring things as good-looking as me?"

He was very close to her, and after the last syllable, his lips were already close to hers, the warm touch brushing against hers like a dragonfly skimming the water, a fleeting touch.

But just that light touch was like dropping a spark into her heart, instantly triggering an instinctive physiological response.

Qiao Yunzheng's chest heaved violently a few times as she suppressed the turmoil in her heart: "Stop messing around, you're not done yet."

Ms. Yao Jing heard about the whole incident from the police a week later.

Early in the morning, she stood at the door of the ward, carrying a soup that had been simmering all night.

When Qiao Yunzheng went out to find the doctor, she was surprised to see her: "Mom, what brings you here?"

She stood there for an unknown amount of time, looking at her daughter with reddened eyes and her hands clenching tightly around the thermos.

"I've come to see you..." She could no longer call out Wen Hong's name as openly as before. Her heart was filled with inexplicable guilt and bitterness. This heavy emotion made it almost impossible for her to face the man on the hospital bed whom she had once held prejudice against.

Qiao Yunzheng had already pulled her inside: "Let's go inside!"

Wen Hong, who had been lazily leaning against the headboard reading a book, stood up when she heard the noise, squinted her eyes, and called out familiarly, "Mom."

This sound almost brought tears to Yao Jing's eyes. She quickly went over and pressed the person back onto the bed: "You've suffered such a serious injury, it hasn't healed yet! What are you doing moving around?"

Qiao Yunzheng followed behind, watching Yao Jing standing in front of Wen Hong's bed, her face full of worry, muttering words of reproach. Suddenly, she found the scene somewhat novel.

Wen Hong, who usually hates being lectured, obediently lay down and let Yao Jing scold him, barely able to suppress the smile on his lips.

Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she opened the food box Yao Jing had brought, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Qiao Yunzheng teased, "Mom, did you make this soup?"

Yao Jing nodded: "I made sure to use less oil and salt. I figured you guys were tired of the hospital food, so I wanted to give you a change."

Qiao Yunzheng didn't stand on ceremony. She ladled out a bowl, blew on it to cool it down, took a couple of sips, and squinted her eyes contentedly. She looked at Wen Hong beside her and said, "I'm only able to eat my mother's homemade soup because of you. I wonder who's really the biological mother."

Yao Jing felt a little embarrassed by what she said, but in this relaxed and cheerful atmosphere, all the negative emotions she had just felt vanished.

Wen Hong sat up and naturally picked up where Qiao Yunzheng left off: "Let me try the soup my mom made for me."

Qiao Yunzheng gave him a playful glare and then served him some water from an empty bowl.

But Wen Hong said, "There's no need for that."

He reached out and snatched the bowl that Qiao Yunzheng had just drunk from. After finishing it in a few gulps, he licked his lips, the implication clear: "So sweet."

Unfortunately, for several days in a row, Wen Hong's explicit and implicit suggestions did not receive an effective response. Qiao Yunzheng refused to cross the line, citing that his body had not yet recovered.

Finally, the day of discharge arrived, but a somewhat familiar person came to the ward.

She has long, straight, black hair that falls over her shoulders, wears loose-fitting sportswear, and has a delicate, small face.

"You are..." Qiao Yunzheng stared at the person for a long time before recognizing her, her mouth agape in surprise, "Miaomiao?"

Even though it had only been a few days, Wen Miao's entire aura was completely different.

That once fiery little sun has now lost its bright and dazzling colors, becoming calm and serene.

Wen Hong looked at her with a complicated expression, his lips moved a few times, but he still couldn't say a word.

Wen Miao was the first to open her arms and hug him: "Brother, how are you?"

Wen Hong's tense expression eased a bit, and she reached out to rub the top of her head: "It's nothing serious, just a minor injury."

"Don't try to fool me, I do read the news," Wen Miao muttered softly. "I've wanted to come see you for a long time, but my family... you know... so I've been putting it off until now."

In the quiet room, the half-siblings met again, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.

"I thought you didn't recognize me anymore!" Wen Hong said half-jokingly, but Qiao Yunzheng keenly caught the struggle that flashed in his eyes.

If the Wen family was a bottomless quagmire for Wen Hong, then Wen Miao was the only ray of light that warmed him in that quagmire, preventing him from being all alone.

However, dealing with Wen Jinliang would inevitably lead to harming Wen Miao, which is an unsolvable problem.

Looking at the innocent and carefree little girl who had transformed into the adult she was now, Wen Hong felt a mix of emotions: "Miao Miao, you..."

Wen Miao smiled, seemingly unconcerned: "Brother, what are you saying? I said when we were very young that no matter if you acknowledge me or not, you will always be my brother. No matter when or what happens, that will always stand by me."

She straightened her back like an adult: "Although I don't know much about your and Dad's situation, I know that my brother is the most upright, kind and excellent lawyer." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I understand that Dad should bear the consequences of his mistakes."

Wen Hong choked on his words, and after a long while, he patted her head and said, "Our Miaomiao has grown up."

After leaving the hospital, Qiao Yunzheng went to get her car, and Wen Miao volunteered to go with her.

When they arrived at the parking lot, Wen Miao suddenly called out to her, "Sister-in-law, I came here to see my brother and also to find you."

"Looking for me?" Qiao Yunzheng was stunned.

Wen Miao nodded and took out a small square box made of red velvet from her backpack: "This is what my mother asked me to give to you. She's not feeling well and was worried that my brother wouldn't like her, so she asked me to bring it over for her."

Qiao Yunzheng paused for a moment before reaching out to take it and carefully opening it. It was a translucent jade bracelet.

“Mom said this is a gift she gave to her daughter-in-law,” she said, then leaned closer and winked playfully. “Sister-in-law, please don’t tell my brother this. He’ll probably be angry if he hears my mom say that.”

She sighed and continued, "Mom actually likes my brother quite a bit and has always wanted to mend his relationship with Dad, but some things are just beyond the control of outsiders. Oh, and by the way..."

"Mom also said that when you and my brother were dating, Dad secretly went to see Uncle Qiao behind my brother's back. My brother didn't know about it until he came home this summer and heard it from Mom. Mom regrets not telling him sooner, causing you two to misunderstand for so long... If he had known about this back then, he probably would have crawled to your house to explain, so..." Wen Miao hugged Qiao Yunzheng's arm and swayed it back and forth, "Sister-in-law, don't blame my brother, be nicer to him..."

Wen Miao drove them back to the Qiao residence, then said goodbye and drove back to the Wen family home.

After taking a shower, Qiao Yunzheng slowly walked into the room with her wet hair hanging down her back.

She pursed her lips tightly, Wen Miao's words echoing in her mind over and over again, so much so that when Wen Hong hugged her, she was still a little confused about the situation.

"Why did you come out without drying your hair?" Wen Hong pressed her down into a chair, then took a hairdryer and stood in front of her to dry her hair.

Qiao Yunzheng sat obediently, her gaze easily falling on his bare abdomen, meeting the hideous scar.

His fingers ran through her hair, gently and carefully caressing it.

Just like countless days and nights she didn't know, this seemingly arrogant and unrestrained man loved her again and again in his own cruel way, even if that love was silent, even if no one knew.

Like that unopened birthday cake in the refrigerator;

Just like the bedding and home furnishings that were already prepared in the room to suit her preferences;

Like that plane ticket that was about to take off but suddenly had to turn back;

It's like ignoring a seemingly unintentional moment, but always finding yourself catching up with him when you turn around...

It turns out that her mark had already been etched into his life, even if she was absent.

Qiao Yunzheng suddenly stood up and hugged the man in front of her.

"What's wrong?" Wen Hong had no idea what was wrong with her mood, but she still turned off the hairdryer, smoothed her hair, and then pulled her onto her lap. "Why are you unhappy?"

Qiao Yunzheng pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, her eyes welling up with tears: "It seems like I've never celebrated your birthday before."

"Well, it's never too late. It just so happens that we can celebrate this year."

"I was stingy and petty, indulging in my self-righteous betrayal, and foolishly lost you."

"This is my fault. If I had persisted, how would you have had a chance?"

He pinched her cheek: "What's wrong? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Qiao Yunzheng looked up at him, her expression solemn: "Wen Hong, let's get married again! This time, let me propose to you, okay?"

Wen Hong paused, then chuckled softly: "It's good, but..."

He put her down, stood up, and took an exquisite box from a drawer to the side, handing it to Qiao Yunzheng: "Open it and take a look?"

She hastily wiped her face and obediently opened it.

A pair of diamond rings lay quietly inside, the halo above them transforming into dazzling starlight on the diamond's surface.

Wen Hong held out his hand to her: "I think today is an auspicious day, so please help me put on this ring, my dear wife!"

-

When the late autumn winds cooled the sweltering heat of late summer, Qiao Zhenhuai's case finally came to a close.

Qiao Yunzheng chose a sunny and warm day, dressed in a plain color, and said to Wen Hong, "I want to take you to meet my father."

They drove eastward for about half an hour and arrived at a scenic cemetery at the top of the mountain.

Qiao Yunzheng placed a bouquet of flowers and a paper kite in front of the tombstone, stared at the familiar smiling face, and curved her lips into a smile: "Dad, I've come to see you."

The wind on the mountaintop brushed against her cheeks, and the long tail of the paper kite fluttered in the wind.

She squatted in front of the grave and gently wiped away the dust on the tombstone: "When I was little, I always pestered you to take me to fly kites. You always said that I had to hold the kite string tightly, otherwise, if the wind was too strong, the string would break and the kite would be lost. It would get caught in a tree, fall into the forest, or fall into the water and never be found again."

She sniffed, but her eyes were smiling: "Do you still treat me like a child? So, even after you left, you didn't dare tell me the truth about being murdered... I know you were worried, but your little Azheng is already twenty-seven years old, an adult, and besides..." She glanced at Wen Hong beside her, "I've also found someone I want to spend my life with."

Wen Hong squatted down next to her, his expression solemn, and held her hand tightly: "Dad, I am Wen Hong. Although we have never met, you should know me."

"Don't be angry," Qiao Yunzheng said, as if she could already picture her father's angry face, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness. "Daddy really wronged him before. You probably saw it over there, right? He's very capable; he even punished those who bullied you himself..."

“And,” she paused, tightening her grip on his hand, “I really, really, really like him.”

Wen Hong smiled and squeezed her hand tightly. All the words he wanted to say seemed pale at this moment, leaving only a solemn "Don't worry."

Qiao Yunzheng pulled Wen Hong to her feet, touched the corner of her eye, and smiled, "Dad, I will take good care of Mom and manage the Qiao family business. You can relax over there! I'll come to see you again next time."

They walked hand in hand, turning and leaving the cemetery.

Behind her, withered leaves were swept up by the autumn wind, brushing against the ends of her hair before gently falling in front of the tombstone.

Suddenly a gust of wind arose, and the paper kite placed in front of the tombstone gradually shifted from its original position, gliding over the steps, brushing against the grass, and then, on a secluded mountaintop unknown to anyone, riding the mountain wind, drifting and flying into the sky.

Author's note: Thank you to "Sunshine" for the nutrient solution!

Thank you all for your encouragement and support! That concludes the main text!

This was originally a rehabilitation project two years in the making, during which I encountered various problems and doubted myself countless times. It was the encouragement from my little angels that gave me immense strength. Thank you so much! *sobs*

There will be a side story, but it will be a few days later. I need to adjust my chaotic daily routine first.

Now that I've found my rhythm again, my next book shouldn't be far off. I'm already thinking about which one to start~ You guys can also check out my pre-orders! Mwah~