The next day, a group of people arrived at Huo Qingfeng's house and broke down the door.
When the door was pushed open and the noise disturbed his sleep, Huo Qingfeng, who had his eyes closed, frowned deeply. "What's all the noise about?" He threw off the blanket covering his head, shouted, and opened his eyes.
What came into view was several people crammed into his "bedroom." His mother, Rong Xiumei, and her husband were among them.
"Ah—" Gu Miaomiao screamed beside him, hurriedly pulling the blanket tightly to wrap herself up, so ashamed that she covered her head and dared not see anyone.
Huo Qingfeng turned his head and coldly stared at the raised side of the blanket. They were still lying on the carpet. He slowly sat up, his muscular upper body bare.
As he sat up, Gu Miaomiao's blanket was lifted a little, which startled her so much that she screamed again and clutched the edge of the blanket tightly.
"Was this show entertaining? Have you had enough?" Huo Qingfeng coldly swept his gaze across the faces before him, especially his mother's. "If you've had enough, then get out of my house. And you, Gu Miaomiao, you can get out now."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, followed by an uproar.
Hiding under the covers, Gu Miaomiao shuddered, biting her lip and her eyes welling up with tears.
"Qingfeng, how can you say such a thing? Miaomiao is a virgin, and you...you did that to her..."
"Huo Qingfeng, you have to give us an explanation today! You've ruined our precious daughter, you must take responsibility! Miaomiao, don't be afraid, Mom and Dad will stand up for you. Sister, even if we bring up the relationship between our two families, this matter can't be left unresolved. Your son must take responsibility for our Miaomiao, otherwise..."
Rong Xiumei glared angrily at Huo Qingfeng.
"Don't worry, little sister, I will definitely handle this matter fairly!" Yang Ziyun naturally agreed, as this was exactly the result she wanted.
Huo Qingfeng threw off the covers and stood up, walking into the bathroom shirtless. It was as if what they said had absolutely nothing to do with him. Their drama was quite lively, but he was merely a cold, indifferent observer.
The three parents stared in astonishment as he swaggered naked into the bathroom. The two women looked away, embarrassed, each lost in their own thoughts.
Then, a sob escaped from under the covers.
"Honey, go outside and wait a moment. Let Miaomiao put her clothes on first." Rong Xiumei pushed her husband out the door.
Gu Miaomiao quickly dressed, sat on the carpet, buried her head between her legs, and cried softly.
Yang Ziyun quickly patted her and comforted her, "Miaomiao, don't worry, Auntie will teach Qingfeng a lesson. You two have already had that kind of relationship, he has to marry you, otherwise Auntie won't let him off the hook!"
"Yes, my dear daughter, don't be afraid, Mommy is here."
Gu Miaomiao burst into tears, hugging Rong Xiumei's neck, tears streaming down her face.
Huo Qingfeng finished washing up and changed his clothes. Returning to the living room, he looked at them coldly and said, "Have you finished your act? If you have, get out of my house. You're not welcome here."
"Qingfeng, don't go too far!" Yang Ziyun was also anxious, glaring at her son and scolding him. "You ruined Miaomiao's innocence, you have to take responsibility for her no matter what. You're a soldier, don't you understand this principle?"
Huo Qingfeng snorted coldly, his smile as icy as a thousand-year-old block of ice. "Are you hoping to force things into a fait accompli, and ideally even have a child? Dream on!"
All three women felt a chill run down their spines.
Gu Chengfeng was furious. He took a step forward and threw a punch. "I'll beat you to death, you heartless bastard!"
Huo Qingfeng didn't foolishly take the beating; he subdued Gu Chengfeng in two moves. He pushed him away, then coldly surveyed everyone in the room, finally fixing his gaze on Gu Miaomiao, who was cowering next to Rong Xiumei.
"Don't even think about me marrying her. I have nothing to take responsibility for a shameless woman who broke into my house and took advantage of my drunkenness to climb into my bed."
"You—" Upon hearing this, Rong Xiumei rushed forward in one stride. "You bastard, I'll beat you to death! I'll beat you to death! You ruined my child and then refused to take responsibility, I'll beat you to death!"
Huo Qingfeng grabbed both of her hands and held them in his palms. "I respect you as an elder, but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate your repeated tantrums and tricks in front of me. So, watch your hands and feet, I can't guarantee I won't hit women."
After saying that, he turned to Yang Ziyun. "Ms. Yang, take them away from my house. I will not take responsibility for her, not in this lifetime. If you want to take this to the military, then go ahead and do so. I would rather be punished and go to jail than marry her. So, you can give up on this idea, and you don't need to put on this low-level and disgusting act anymore."
"Qingfeng..." Yang Ziyun panicked too, because her son called her "Ms. Yang"! "Qingfeng, you can't do this. Mom is..."
Huo Qingfeng ignored him, picked up his keys, locked the door, grabbed his phone, and walked out the door. He kicked the door shut, blocking Gu Chengfeng who was about to pounce on him. What they said or did behind him was none of his concern.
He jumped into the Hummer and sped off. A moment later, the car stopped in front of Fu Peigang's building. He dialed the number, but Fu Peigang was still in bed with his mistress. "I'll give you one minute. Get down here right now."
Before the other person could even say anything, he hung up. Then he started checking the time, counting down sixty seconds.
The sun shone brightly, and he squinted slightly. Winter was almost over, and spring was quietly approaching. He watched the gentle spring breeze and the sprouting green seedlings, but his Ruoke remained nowhere to be found.
Countless times in the dead of night, he wished he could kill himself. He confidently believed he could protect Ruoke and give her happiness. In the end, he discovered that he was completely incapable of doing anything right.
Although he had caused Cang Weiwo's Fengyun Gang a great deal of trouble, he couldn't eliminate him at all because of his powerful background; even his grandfather had to be wary of him. He was confident that one day he could gradually lure him into his trap, but that process was so long—could Ruo wait?
"Ah—" Huo Qingfeng roared through gritted teeth and punched the hull horse.
The footsteps tapped rhythmically and stopped behind him. "Captain!"
Huo Qingfeng took a breath and composed himself. "Get in the car." He said, opening the driver's side door and getting in.
Fu Peigang didn't ask any questions and got into the passenger seat. Since Ruoke disappeared, no one was happy. Peishi blamed herself every day, the captain blamed himself every day, and their lives were a mess.
The Hummer sped through the streets before coming to a stop.
Fu Peigang got out of the car and saw that this was the largest martial arts school in the city. He knew he was going to get a beating from the captain today. But he just smiled wryly and followed him inside.
Two hours later, Huo Qingfeng and Fu Peigang lay on the ground, panting.
Fu Peigang was covered in bruises, which was frightening to look at. His face was also badly swollen, like a pig's head.
Looking at Huo Qingfeng, although he was somewhat better, he was still injured. Fu Peigang, however, showed no mercy and fought with all his might. The two of them were like two wild beasts, and the onlookers, who had initially cheered, gradually became hesitant to watch, fearing that someone might die. But they couldn't help watching until the fight stopped, and only then did they slowly disperse.
"Captain, are you feeling any better?" Fu Peigang asked, panting. The injuries on his face made it painful for him to speak.
Huo Qingfeng kept his eyes closed and remained silent.
After a long time, Fu Peigang thought he had fallen asleep, when he suddenly spoke again.
"Gangzi, am I really useless?" His tone was indifferent, as if he had no emotional fluctuations.
But Fu Peigang knew that he felt very guilty and remorseful. "No. It's just a matter of luck, it has nothing to do with ability." The captain was lucky to meet a good girl like Ruoke, but it was a pity that they didn't meet before she was married. He could only blame fate for playing tricks on him.
Huo Qingfeng curled his lips into a wry smile. "I always thought I was very lucky."
Fu Peigang sighed inwardly. Luck is like waiting for a bus. When you don't want it, that bus keeps appearing in front of you, but when you need to do something urgent and wait for it, it takes forever to come. In the end, it comes when you don't need it, but it doesn't come when it's supposed to.
Life often plays cruel jokes on us; it all depends on whether we are strong enough to persevere until the clouds part and the moon shines through.
...
In the afternoon, Huo Qingfeng returned home to find only Yang Ziyun there; everyone else had already left.
Huo Qingfeng changed his shoes and entered the house without saying hello. He couldn't resent his mother, but he didn't even want to say a word to her. He was speechless at a mother who disregarded her child's wishes and insisted on her own way.
"You're back? What happened? Why are you all injured? Did you get into a fight?" Yang Ziyun rushed over with a smile, but her heart ached when she saw the injuries on his face. "Sit down quickly, Mom will put some medicine on your face. What happened?"
"I'm fine." Huo Qingfeng brushed her hand away, opened the bedroom door, and threw himself onto the bed. He buried his face in the pillows and blankets, breathing in that familiar scent. Unfortunately, as time passed, the scent had dissipated, and that delicate fragrance that belonged to her was gone.
He closed his eyes, drifting in and out of sleep, unsure if he had fallen asleep. In both his dreams and waking moments, he saw that slender figure turning back to smile, a smile like a spring breeze caressing his heart. Ultimately, it transformed into steel needles, piercing his chest.
Huo Qingfeng was awakened by this piercing pain. He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. He punched the bed, burying his face in the pillow, his body like a fully drawn bow, roaring like a wounded leopard.
After a long while, he slowly lay down, his hair disheveled.
He opened the bedroom door and heard the clattering of pots and pans from the kitchen. A thought struck him, and he quickly walked to the kitchen doorway. But when he saw it was his mother inside, he immediately deflated. Slowly, he moved to the living room and sat down on the sofa.
"Qingfeng, are you awake? Wash your hands and eat. Mom made all your favorite dishes." Yang Ziyun smiled gently, hoping her son would stop giving her the cold shoulder.
Huo Qingfeng remained silent as usual, simply going into the bathroom to wash his hands. Then he started to get a bowl of rice, sat down, and began to eat.
"Is it delicious?" Yang Ziyun was not discouraged. Her own child, how could he possibly upset his mother for the rest of his life?
Huo Qingfeng hummed in response, not even looking up, radiating an aura of unapproachability. His mother's cooking was actually quite good, but unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood right now. He was used to Ruoke's cooking and looked down on everyone else's.
"Still blaming your mother?" Yang Ziyun sighed, feeling bad herself. "Your mother is only doing this for your own good. Ling Ruoke has already left, and you've been looking for her all this time, but haven't you heard a thing? I think she's not coming back. You can't wait forever, can you? Your father, mother, and grandfather are all looking forward to you getting married and having children. Don't you think about us old folks for once..."
Yang Ziyun rambled on and on for a long time, but didn't receive a single syllable in response. She was starting to doubt whether he was even listening. "Qingfeng, say something!" Wasn't she just talking to a brick wall?
Huo Qingfeng finally slowly raised his eyelids and said calmly, "I will not marry Gu Miaomiao. I will not marry anyone but Ruo Ke. You decide what to do."
Yang Ziyun was completely surrounded. All she had said was hoping he would let go of Ling Ruoke and marry Gu Miaomiao. But one sentence from him shattered all her hopes.
"You, you child, why are you so stubborn? What's so great about Ling Ruo that you're so infatuated with her? Do you not want anyone else but her? Don't you even want your own mother anymore, huh?"
Huo Qingfeng looked at her coldly. "There are very few mothers in the world who would conspire with outsiders to scheme against their own son."
Yang Ziyun was so angry she couldn't speak. Feeling guilty, she no longer dared to be so self-righteous. "Isn't Mom doing this for your own good? If you could figure it out yourself, would I need to go through all this trouble?"
“My brain has never been blocked, you don’t need to worry about it.” With that, he put down his bowl. “I’m full.”
"You—" Yang Ziyun suddenly stood up. "Sit down!"
Huo Qingfeng looked at her for a while, then sat for a while longer before going back to his seat.
"Qingfeng, no matter what, you're a man, and a soldier at that. You've ruined Gu Miaomiao's innocence. Whether you were sober or drunk, that's a fait accompli! If you're a man, you have to take responsibility for this!"
"That's none of my business. Whoever ruined her reputation should take responsibility." He sneered and stood up again.
He walked to the door, then turned back and said, "I'm going back to the army tomorrow, you should go back to B City too. Spend your time and energy on the old man and Fu'an, don't do things that are self-righteous but thankless. Mom, don't make me hate you."
The door slammed shut.
Yang Ziyun gripped her chopsticks and bowl, unable to eat another bite. She barely touched the lavish meal spread across the table. After a while, she burst into tears, feeling utterly wronged.
In the room, Huo Qingfeng picked up the photo frame on the table and carefully traced the face in the mirror. A gentle smile, as warm as a spring breeze. Dark, deep eyes, like two clear springs, capable of washing away the troubles of your heart…
If possible, no matter how difficult or how long it takes, I will make sure you come back to my side! I will never let go of you for the rest of my life.
Baby, wait for me!
...
I slept fitfully again, but at least I got some sleep, so I feel pretty good. Today we have a big cleaning day; after that, I'll head back to the unit.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Gu Miaomiao sitting on the sofa, and his mood immediately soured. He desperately wanted to avoid seeing anyone from the Gu family, especially Gu Miaomiao!
"Brother Huo..." Gu Miaomiao called softly, her eyes filled with tears.
Huo Qingfeng felt annoyed and ignored her, walking into the bathroom. He actually understood very well that Gu Miaomiao was just too naive and innocent, completely ignorant of love. Her family and his mother had been relentlessly pushing the idea that they were a couple, making Gu Miaomiao foolishly follow their instructions.
Forget it, I'll talk to her about it later. She's still an eighteen-year-old girl; if this drags on any longer, her life will be ruined. Who knows what other crazy things those adults with waterlogged brains might come up with?
Yang Ziyun quickly served breakfast.
The three of them ate breakfast in silence, with Yang Ziyun busy serving food to everyone. Seeing that her son hadn't stormed out and his expression was relatively good, she felt a surge of joy. Perhaps there was still hope for them. So she quickly finished her breakfast and made an excuse to leave.
"Brother Huo..." As soon as Yang Ziyun left, Gu Miaomiao tensed up, swallowing hard like a frightened child.
Huo Qingfeng left the dining table and went to the sofa, gesturing to the seat opposite him. "Gu Miaomiao, sit there."
"Huh? Oh." Gu Miaomiao glanced at him in a panic, then looked away, lowered her head and sat down on the sofa, her eyes darting left and right.
"Gu Miaomiao, look at me, look into my eyes." Huo Qingfeng sighed inwardly. She really was just a little girl. At eighteen, even if she had love, it was only a hazy feeling. And this little girl in front of him clearly didn't understand what love was at all. Since she was little, she had heard her elders say that she was going to marry Brother Huo, and she remembered it, vaguely telling herself that she should like this person.
Gu Miaomiao swallowed hard, slowly raised her head, and looked at him, but not directly into his eyes. "Brother Huo..."
“Gu Miaomiao, you’re eighteen now. You’re still young, but you’re not a child anymore. You need to grow up. You can’t always listen to adults. You need to have your own ideas. Adults all think we should be a couple, that we should get married and have children. But I have my own thoughts. I don’t love you, so I can’t marry you. No matter what they say, I will refuse. But what about you? You don’t actually love me, but you foolishly do whatever they ask you to do. That won’t do!”
Gu Miaomiao took a deep breath and asked, "Why does Brother Huo always say that Miaomiao doesn't love you? Miaomiao loves Brother Huo!"
Huo Qingfeng wanted to laugh, at the child's naivety and persistence. "Just because you keep calling me 'Brother Huo,' you still see me as just an older brother. If you loved me, you wouldn't want to call me 'brother,' you would ask me to call you by my name, but you didn't. And Gu Miaomiao, what do you think it means to love someone?"
"I...I..." Gu Miaomiao opened her mouth and then closed it again, not knowing how to express her thoughts.
"It's okay, just say what you think." He was certain that what she said would make people both laugh and cry.
Gu Miaomiao clenched her fingers for a while before finally mustering up her courage. "I just want to marry him and be his wife."
"Then why do you want to marry me?"
"Because, because..." she stammered for a long time, then called out somewhat defiantly, "Because I want to marry you, because everyone says I want to marry you!"
Huo Qingfeng struggled to suppress a laugh. She really was just a little girl, not even experiencing the first stirrings of affection. "Look," he said, "you always remember everyone saying you should marry me, and you want to marry me. That's wrong. Grandpa, Mom and Dad, they'll all grow old and leave this world someday. Who will tell you what to do then? So you have to learn to think for yourself and judge right from wrong yourself."
"I...I..." Gu Miaomiao was really anxious this time because the sentence "They will grow old and leave this world one day" frightened her.
Huo Qingfeng sighed, walked over, and ruffled her hair. "Gu Miaomiao, you don't need to rush to find an answer right now. You can think about it slowly. But you can't go along with their nonsense anymore, understand?"
Gu Miaomiao looked up at him, opening her mouth several times, but ultimately said nothing. She nodded and hummed in agreement. She liked it when Brother Huo ruffled her hair like that, no longer with a dark expression.
"Good boy!"
Gu Miaomiao finally smiled. After a while, she asked again, "Then, what if after I think about it, I find out that I really love Brother Huo?"
"Let's talk when you've thought it through." Huo Qingfeng was really bad at communicating with little girls; their brains were just too strange.
"Oh," Gu Miaomiao responded, feeling her mind was a mess. The more she listened to what Brother Huo said, the more confused she became; it was all so confusing.
"If... if I really don't know in the end, could you teach me, Brother Huo? If you teach me, we can be together."
Huo Qingfeng's patience had run out. "Gu Miaomiao, I don't love you. Whether you understand or not, we can never be together. I love Ruoke, and I will only marry her. Do you understand?"
Gu Miaomiao pouted and said in a somewhat spoiled manner, "I don't understand, I just don't understand. Why do you love Ling Ruoke, and why can't you love me? What do I lack compared to Ling Ruoke? Tell me what's wrong with me, and I'll definitely change!"
Huo Qingfeng knew he would never be able to successfully communicate with this little girl. He grabbed her hand, dragged her to the door, opened it, pushed her out, and closed it.
Gu Miaomiao wanted to say something, but the only response she received was the tightly closed door. She pouted and stood outside the door for a while before slowly walking downstairs.
Downstairs, she ran into Yang Ziyun.
"Miaomiao, how are you?" Yang Ziyun hurriedly came over.
Gu Miaomiao shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears again, looking very aggrieved.
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