The person who called Ling Ruoke was Zhuang Yuqi; they had been in a car accident!
Ling Ruoke and Yuan Meng didn't have time to think much. They grabbed their wallets and keys, took Fu'an out, and hailed a taxi straight to the Central Hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, Zhuang Yicheng was still in the emergency room. Zhuang Yuqi was also slightly injured, but not seriously, because he was in the passenger seat at the time. Realizing the danger, Zhuang Yicheng took all the risk upon himself to protect him.
Ling Ruoke and Yuan Meng went to see Zhuang Yuqi first. The child was lying in bed, and his wound had been treated and bandaged.
Upon seeing Ling Ruoke, Zhuang Yuqi threw himself into her arms, calling for his mother and bursting into tears. A seven-year-old child experiencing such a terrifying moment would have been terrified. He had only held it in because there was no one else he could rely on. Now that his mother was here, he cried out loud.
Fortunately, he's not the kind of spoiled child. After crying for a while, he stops on his own and is able to listen to what adults say. He doesn't just use things to whine, act cute, or play the victim.
“You’re alright now, don’t cry. Your dad is still in the operating room, but we believe he’ll be fine, and you have to believe that too, okay?” Ling Ruoke cupped his face and gently kissed his forehead, giving him the strength to calm down.
"Yes." Zhuang Yuqi nodded emphatically. "Mom, I want to see Dad, is that okay?"
“You’re injured too, so you can’t run around for now. You should go to sleep quietly, and when you wake up and feel better, you’ll see your dad.” Ling Ruoke helped him lie down on the bed and covered him with the blanket.
Zhuang Yuqi took her hand and placed it near her face, obediently closing her eyes. Her face was still wet with tears, making her look pitiful.
Ling Ruoke didn't pull her hand away; instead, she gently patted him through the blanket with her other hand. This repetitive rhythm easily induces sleepiness, and it's especially effective for children.
After a while, Zhuang Yuqi fell asleep.
After confirming, Ling Ruoke secretly withdrew her hand. But every time she moved, he seemed to wake up. Ling Ruoke tried three times. On the third try, seeing that he didn't wake up, she breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Yuan Meng watched them silently the whole time, even Xiao Fu'an was well-behaved and didn't say a word. She didn't dare to wait on the bench outside the operating room; the feeling was too terrifying, she didn't dare to experience it again.
Ling Ruoke stood up and saw Yuan Meng's pale, stiff face. Remembering how Yuan Meng had once robbed someone at knifepoint to save her mother-in-law, she instantly understood Yuan Meng's feelings. So she suggested, "Why don't you stay here with Zhuang Yuqi, and I'll go check on things over at the operating room?"
Yuan Meng paused for a moment, then shook her head. Although she didn't want to face this, since it had happened, she had to confront it no matter what. Life doesn't accept escapism; she had thought about it a thousand times while in prison.
Two women and a child were about to leave the ward when several people rushed in from outside and almost bumped into them. Ling Ruoke reacted quickly, pulling the two women against the wall to make way for them.
Once the situation calmed down and everyone could see clearly, they discovered that the first people to rush in were an elderly couple. Judging from their shouts, they were Zhuang Yuqi's grandparents.
Ling Ruoke didn't answer them, and pulled Yuan Meng and Fu An away. They went straight to the operating room. The lights were still on, eerily bright.
Sitting down on the bench, Ling Ruoke pulled her coat tighter, feeling a bit cold. Every time she came to the hospital, especially outside the operating room, she felt cold. Even in the height of summer, she would feel cold. This coldness came from the depths of her heart; clothes couldn't help. Perhaps only the warmth of her beloved's body could soothe her.
Yuan Meng then picked up Fu'an and held him in her arms. It wasn't so much that Fu'an wanted his mother to hold him, but rather that Yuan Meng wanted to draw strength from the child. The child's presence brought peace of mind.
Ling Ruoke glanced at the mother and son, then moved closer to them, their arms touching, leaning on each other.
The waiting time ticked by, each second feeling incredibly long. It was like being a thinly dressed person in freezing weather, where even a single second seemed endless.
After some time, the couple returned. They looked the two women and the child over carefully, seemingly trying to figure out why they were there.
The man's gaze was unusually sharp, startling Yuan Meng. She couldn't imagine interacting with someone like that. The woman, too, wasn't the kind, gentle old lady; she exuded an imposing aura. Marrying into such a family would be terrifying!
Ling Ruoke boldly met their scrutinizing gazes, then quietly observed them in return. She was curious about what kind of parents could bear to let their child suffer so much. She was certain that the mountain Zhuang Yicheng carried came more from his family than from his position.
Because of Ling Ruoke's gaze, their eyes became even sharper, like the cold glint of a sword. Let alone piercing their bodies, even just watching them from afar filled them with terror.
Ling Ruoke slowly withdrew her gaze. She disliked this couple, very much so. She saw little humanity in them. Being born into such a family was Zhuang Yicheng's misfortune.
The people on both sides sat quietly, without saying a word. This was the emergency room, not a regular ward.
Ling Ruoke felt a slight sense of relief; at least they hadn't aggressively questioned who they were! At least they still cared about their son's life or death! She had watched television before, seeing those people arguing and shouting outside the operating room, and she couldn't understand it at all. If a loved one was in critical condition inside, who would be in the mood for arguing? No matter how complicated the situation might be, at least they should wait until the person inside was safely out of danger!
I don't know how much time passed, but the operating room lights finally went out and the door opened.
Ling Ruoke and Yuan Meng stood up, not rushing to the doctor. Instead, they listened intently, holding their breath as they heard the doctor's words. She couldn't understand a string of words! The only sentence she understood that truly chilled her: "You might become a vegetable!"
Ling Ruoke and Yuan Meng simultaneously felt their legs go weak, and they slumped back into their chairs. Their minds were blank, as if a part had been stolen from them. A chill ran through their bodies, icy cold. They had even forgotten how to breathe; had they not nearly suffocated, they would have been gasping for air.
Ling Ruoke heard the crying, but it felt like it was coming from another world, so unreal. Actually, this news was much better than when she heard the news of her parents' deaths years ago, yet it was just as chilling and frightening!
The man who had looked at her with tender, pained eyes just hours before might never wake up again! The news was too terrifying, so terrifying that Ling Ruoke finally couldn't hold back and shed hot tears.
Yuan Meng was already in tears. Fu An was so frightened that he cried loudly, constantly reaching out to wipe her tears while shouting.
Zhuang Yicheng's family rushed to the intensive care unit to see him. But they didn't move; they just sat on the bench for a very long time, as if they were petrified.
Both Ling Ruoke and Yuan Meng had faced such cruelty, and both of them confused their memories with reality, unable to come to their senses for a while.
The two of them stood there dumbfounded for a long time before linking arms and heading out of the intensive care unit. Through the glass, they could see the man wrapped up like a dumpling, his original form completely unrecognizable. The only thing that hadn't changed was his tall, slender frame.
The sight of those tubes being inserted into his body sent chills down the spine of anyone who saw them, making it feel as if their trachea was being squeezed, making it hard to breathe. It was as if someone was crushing onions under their eyes, and tears welled up in their eyes.
Although the people inside cared about the people in the game, they couldn't very well stay and guard the place.
Ling Ruoke went to see Zhuang Yuqi, who was asleep. She then took Yuan Meng home with her. Little Fu'an was already asleep, nestled on Yuan Meng's shoulder, his drool soaking her skin.
"Want me to hold him for a while?" Ling Ruoke sniffed, wanting to help her hold Xiao Fu'an. The child was no longer a little toddler; he was heavy to hold, and her arms would get sore after a while.
Yuan Meng shook her head. "He's always causing trouble, don't let him kick your stomach." Yuan Meng's voice was terribly hoarse.
I took a taxi back to the gate of the residential area.
Ling Ruoke didn't want to stay in a hotel anymore.
The two took a quick shower, climbed into bed, and snuggled together to sleep. But they lay there silently for a long time, unable to fall asleep. All sorts of thoughts and images raced through their minds, making them very unsettled.
"Yuan Meng, are you asleep?" Ling Ruoke finally couldn't help but ask. Of course, she knew that Yuan Meng was not asleep at all, but she wasn't sure if Yuan Meng wanted to talk.
"No," Yuan Meng replied, her voice still low and hoarse, tinged with tears. It was clear she was silently weeping.
Ling Ruoke knew that she wasn't just saddened by Zhuang Yicheng's fate; she was also reminded of her own sorrowful past. Compared to her own, Yuan Meng's past was far more burdensome and suffocating. If she hadn't been strong enough, if it weren't for Xiao Fu'an, she might have already given up on life.
"Yuan Meng, do you like Zhuang Yicheng?" Ling Ruoke suddenly asked. She herself didn't understand why she asked such a question.
Yuan Meng was silent for a moment before replying softly with four words: "I don't know."
Their feelings for each other aren't that deep yet, but if we're just talking about the person, Yuan Meng likes him; Zhuang Yicheng is a good person. However, when it comes to love, there are too many obstacles between them, making it difficult to draw a conclusion easily.
Ling Ruoke took a deep breath and said, "Yuan Meng, I think you like him. Otherwise, given your personality, if you didn't like him, you wouldn't let him interfere in your life at all."
“He’s still fighting for his life. What’s the point of saying all this? Even if I really like him? Even if I said I was willing to marry him right now, would he wake up and get better immediately? If so, saying all this is meaningless.” Yuan Meng was a little agitated.
Ling Ruoke understood her feelings and was afraid that she would become even more agitated, so she didn't dare to continue the topic. "Yuan Meng, let me tell you something."
"Um."
Ling Ruoke stared wide-eyed at the faint light from the window, slowly rewinding her memories.
"That was a year ago, one very sudden day, they told me that Qingfeng... he had... that. I couldn't accept it at all. I desperately wanted to go home. I felt that if I stayed home, cleaned the house, and waited, he would come back. I fainted before I even got home and spent several days in the hospital. Those days were a blur, my mind felt completely detached from my body, like I was dreaming. I felt like all my strength had been drained from my body, and I couldn't even muster the strength to breathe."
I went to the military base myself, and among so many martyrs' tombstones, I saw his tombstone and his photo. You know what? They couldn't take photos of his face directly; I don't even have a single photo where I can clearly see his entire face! Besides my memory, I can't find anything to reconstruct his true appearance. Later, I had a dream where he told me he was still alive and asked me to wait for him to return. I was overjoyed; I felt the dream must be real, I only believed it was real! But no one believed me. They thought I was unwilling to face reality and was living in my own world. I certainly didn't want to accept this, but what could I do? Could a weak woman like me go to a war-torn country to find him?
I tried hard to convince myself that I couldn't live in my dream anymore. But one day, I still went. I risked everything, just to go to that country, just to confirm one of my dreams. After going through a lot, I arrived there. In the prisoner-of-war camp, I searched for him again and again, but was disappointed time and time again. Sometimes, I felt like I couldn't go on. Later, I saw him, in a dark hotel room. There was no light, but I knew it was him, my Qingfeng!
Yuan Meng, I've always dreamed of a wonderful wedding night. I think every girl has had that fantasy. But that day, in that dark room, I didn't think about anything else, I just wanted to give myself to him! There were no festive sheets or blankets, no candles or flowers, no wine… nothing at all, yet I felt it was the most beautiful wedding night in the world. Because the person I love is alive, alive and well. Nothing could be more important than that!
Later I realized that there are many things in life that we can't fully understand. There are many choices we can't rationally analyze. But I think that once we've made a choice, we must persevere to the end, and life will reward us with a miracle!
Yuan Meng, many people envy my happiness. But when I lost both my parents, and was locked alone and helpless in a large, empty house, waiting in despair, no one knew. I also felt like I couldn't go on living, but I didn't even have the right to die; I could only live on in such despair.
Ling Ruoke smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "Perhaps fate also felt that I was so strong and shouldn't be cruel to me anymore, so it sent Qingfeng to me."
Yuan Meng didn't speak. In the silence, a faint sound could be heard. It was her crying silently.
“Yuan Meng, I don’t know what I’m trying to tell you all this. Actually, I’m not good with words at all. Maybe I’m just making conversation; maybe…”
Ling Ruoke didn't continue. She felt she just wanted to say something to ease the oppressive atmosphere. It was truly suffocating, so oppressive it was terrifying!
Yuan Meng remained silent, it was unclear whether she was asleep or lost in her own world.
Ling Ruoke was pregnant after all, and her strength was low. Although she was filled with worries, she still drifted off to sleep. The bed was small, so the three of them squeezed together, but it was still warm. The blanket was 2 meters wide, which was big enough to wrap the three of them up tightly.
Yuan Meng silently shed tears and pondered in the darkness. Later, she became extremely tired and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Yuan Meng woke up from a nightmare, while the two people beside her, one big and one small, were still fast asleep. Looking out the window, it was barely dawn; it was still early. She closed her eyes, trying to sleep a little longer, but she couldn't fall asleep. In the end, she could only close her eyes and think.
Later, seeing that it was almost time, I quietly got up and went to prepare breakfast.
The one-bedroom apartment was too small, and the soundproofing wasn't good enough; even with the door closed, you could still hear noises. Therefore, Yuan Meng moved very gently, afraid that any sudden movement would wake them.
Normally, Ling Ruoke would definitely wake up, but since she was pregnant, she slept soundly with half her face hidden under the covers, so she was still sleeping sweetly.
Yuan Meng called her boss to ask for leave. When she felt it was almost time, she finally got the two people in bed—one big and one small—to eat breakfast. Neither a child nor a pregnant woman could go hungry.
Ling Ruoke woke up from a nap, her head still a little dizzy. If it weren't for seeing Yuan Meng's swollen eyes, she would have almost forgotten yesterday's tragedy. She had initially been quite hungry for the delicious-smelling breakfast, but now, thinking of Zhuang Yicheng, she lost all appetite. However, the little one in her belly couldn't go hungry, so she forced herself to eat her fill.
After having breakfast and dropping Fu'an off at kindergarten, the two of them took a taxi to the hospital.
Ling Ruoke bought breakfast and went to see Zhuang Yicheng outside the intensive care unit. She could only see him lying motionless through the glass. The machine by the bedside, beeping softly, was a chilling presence; she feared it might suddenly change its rhythm. Life is so fragile, so fragile that it's just a series of rhythmic notes; once the rhythm is disrupted, life might vanish.
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