It wasn't until dawn that Huo Qingfeng saw she was sleeping soundly, so he went to bed and held her for a while.
Ling Ruoke had slept well and woke up early. Although she was asleep, she vaguely knew that he had been massaging her hands and feet all night and was exhausted. So she didn't dare to make a sound when she woke up and just lay there quietly. Her limbs started to hurt badly again, so she bit her lip tightly.
When Huo Qingfeng woke up, her lips were already bleeding from biting them. He touched them tenderly. "If you're in pain, just wake me up and massage them. How could you bite your own lips!"
"I want you to sleep a little longer. I know you didn't sleep much last night," Ling Ruoke said, pouting and whining with tears in her eyes.
Huo Qingfeng sighed, held her in his arms, and kissed her forehead. "Silly girl, once you're better, I can sleep as long as I want. Besides, we've managed to get through missions for days and nights without sleep, so what's one night?"
"That's because your leaders don't care about you, but I do care about my man."
Huo Qingfeng grinned broadly, delighted by the words "my man," and was in a wonderful mood. "Now that you're not feeling well, let me take care of you first. Once you're better, you can take care of me, okay?"
"Mmm," Ling Ruoke responded, snuggling closer to him. She was thankful that she could still move her head after the injection; otherwise, she really wouldn't know what to do.
Huo Qingfeng carefully placed her on the bed. "Lie down, I'll give you another massage. Don't worry, your husband is very capable, this little thing won't tire him out."
Ling Ruoke smiled, her lips pursed. Although her whole body was in pain, she still felt very happy. Suddenly, she remembered what Gu Zheng had once said. "Qingfeng, I have a question for you, and you must answer me honestly."
"Ask away." Seeing her serious tone, Huo Qingfeng smiled helplessly.
"Um, I heard from Guzheng that you were conducting military exercises when I was arrested, is that right?" she asked cautiously, though she couldn't quite explain why.
Huo Qingfeng nodded. In fact, the military exercise wasn't over yet. However, he had already withdrawn and didn't know the situation.
Ling Ruoke bit her lip, touching the spot where she had been bitten before, and gasped for breath.
Huo Qingfeng pounced on her, removed her hand, and checked it as he said, "Why did you bite me again? You're such a careless little fool. Does it hurt?"
"Just a little bit, it doesn't hurt much." Ling Ruoke smiled at him.
Huo Qingfeng patted her head and told her not to bite anymore. He then took her arm and began to massage it.
Ling Ruoke looked at him quietly for a while before asking, "Is the military exercise over now?"
"Not yet. This exercise is quite large, it won't end so quickly," Huo Qingfeng said calmly. Although withdrawing from the military exercise wasn't something he could easily accept, that's life—you always have to give up something in some situations.
Ling Ruoke's eyes widened suddenly. "Then, so you withdrew from the military exercise?" She held her breath, waiting for his answer.
Hearing her surprised tone, Huo Qingfeng stopped and chuckled, touching her face. "Is there any need to be so surprised? It's just withdrawing from a military exercise, not murder or arson."
“But Guzheng said that military exercises are also battlefields, and once you’re on the battlefield, you can’t just back down! You…” Ling Ruoke didn’t know what to say, her mind was a bit confused.
Huo Qingfeng looked at his wife with amusement, kissing her lips repeatedly. "There are always exceptions to everything. I am a soldier, but I am also a husband."
Ling Ruoke began to cry. He spoke calmly, but he was undoubtedly in pain. He was a soldier, and an exceptionally outstanding one at that! Without being in that environment, he wouldn't understand what withdrawing from the military exercise meant to him! "Huo Qingfeng, I'm sorry..."
"Don't say sorry. Don't forget you're my wife, the most important person in my life." He stopped what he was doing and hugged her tightly. "I'd give my life for you!"
Ling Ruoke buried her face in his chest, tears streaming down her face. She was moved, and her heart ached. Others might think he meant he would give his life for her, let alone withdraw from the military exercise. But she knew that withdrawing from the military exercise might be harder for him than giving his life!
"Alright, silly girl, what's there to cry about?"
Ling Ruoke cried for a while before pitifully stopping, letting him wipe away her tears. "Huo Qingfeng, I will definitely be a good military wife from now on, and I will never be a burden to you again!"
Huo Qingfeng smiled faintly, his eyes filled with unfathomable affection. "You have never been a burden to me. Besides, what's the point of living if there are no attachments?"
The meaning of life is discovered and found in the act of caring for and being cared for.
Ling Ruoke smiled through her tears, determined to do better and never become a burden to him again.
As Yang Ziyun sneaked up ahead, she happened to witness this scene. "Oh, it seems I've come at the wrong time."
“Mom.” Ling Ruoke looked up, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Yang Ziyun had initially thought the couple were being intimate, but now that she saw the tear tracks on her face, she quickly walked over. "Why are you crying? Did Qingfeng bully you? Don't cry, Mom will beat him up for you!"
"Mom, no, he didn't bully me. I... I just..." She didn't know how to explain.
Yang Ziyun spoke up herself. "Are you feeling unwell?" Her own son doted on this person like a precious gem; how could he bear to bully someone?
"Mm." Ling Ruoke nodded. "Mom, I'm sorry, you had to see this."
“难受就哭那没错。咱们又不是机器人，你说是不是？”放下手里的早餐，她又说，“你这算好的了，我难受的时候还揍人呢。你问问你爸，他以前没少挨揍。我拿着扫帚把他从楼上赶到楼下，又从楼下赶到楼上，你慧姨都吓坏了。嫁老公干什么的？不就是找个人来疼，再找个人来欺负么？男人皮肉厚，打一顿没什么大不了的。以后你不高兴了，就揍擎风。他要是敢跑，你就告诉妈，妈来收拾他！”
Ling Ruoke couldn't help but smile, feeling extremely grateful. "Thank you, Mom."
"Hey, just smile. Come on, are you hungry? This is porridge that Yuan Meng specially cooked, have a taste." Yang Ziyun opened the insulated lunchbox, and a fragrant aroma immediately wafted out.
Huo Qingfeng looked at his mother and asked, "Mom, what about my food rations?" There was only a little porridge; they certainly hadn't prepared a portion for him.
"There's none for you, go hungry!" Yang Ziyun waved her hand and scooped a spoonful of porridge to Ling Ruoke's lips. "Here, have a taste."
Ling Ruoke put the porridge in her mouth and nodded hurriedly. "It's delicious. Mom, please thank Yuan Meng for me."
"Mom, I'm your biological son, right?" Huo Qingfeng was exasperated. His mother's betrayal was too blatant!
Yang Ziyun glared at him and said, "What about my biological son? My daughter-in-law is going to give me a big, healthy boy. Can you even have one?" After saying that, Yang Ziyun froze, remembering that they had agreed not to mention this. So she carefully watched Ruoke's reaction.
Ling Ruoke didn't think much of it. It wasn't like she couldn't have children, so she didn't consider it that serious. It was just that she occasionally felt a little guilty about making the older generation look forward to it every day.
"Mom, Ruoke couldn't have given birth without me." How did childbirth suddenly become a woman's responsibility? The colonel was helpless; he was also hungry.
Ling Ruoke blushed and glared at him.
Yang Ziyun scoffed, feeding Ruoke another spoonful of porridge as she replied, "All you provided was a tadpole, what's so special about that?"
"Cough cough cough..." Ling Ruoke was completely choked; she hadn't expected Yang Ziyun to say something so shocking. Because she couldn't cover her mouth with her hand, she even spilled rice grains onto the bed.
Fortunately, Huo Qingfeng reacted quickly and blocked her way; most of the choking was in his hand, with only a small amount on the blanket. "Mom, look how much you've choked my wife."
"It's my own fault, it has nothing to do with Mom, cough cough cough..." Ling Ruoke hurriedly emphasized, how could she dare to blame Yang Ziyun!
Yang Ziyun reached out and patted her back. "It's my fault. How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"
Ling Ruoke shook her head and smiled. "Mom, I'm fine. I didn't get it on you, did I?"
"No. It's alright. Come on, keep eating, don't go hungry." She winked at her son. See? There's nothing your mom can't handle.
Huo Qingfeng raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Just then, Huo Fu'an's childish voice came from outside the door again. "Daddy, Mommy..."
A moment later, a little figure appeared at the door, carrying a bag of things. He grinned and ran in, handing the bag to Huo Qingfeng. "Daddy, here!"
"What's this?" Huo Qingfeng took the item and opened the bag.
"Steamed buns and flatbreads, and soy milk!" The little guy raised his chin, looking quite proud of himself, as if he had done something amazing.
Huo Qingfeng pinched his chubby little chin. "Fu'an is such a good boy, he knows to bring breakfast for Daddy." He bent down and kissed him, then let him kiss him on the cheek.
The steamed buns and flatbreads were wrapped in paper, but their delicious aroma couldn't be hidden. The soy milk was in a cup, and even with the lid tightly screwed on, it didn't spill.
Soon, Yuan Meng caught up as well. "Ruo Ke, are you feeling any better today?"
"I feel much better. Thank you for making breakfast, it was delicious. Please have a seat." Ling Ruoke smiled sweetly, feeling so good to be cared for by so many people.
Huo Qingfeng washed his hands, then, with a steamed bun and a pancake in one hand and soy milk in the other, began to eat heartily. "Mmm, so delicious!"
The little guy had eaten his fill at home, but he became interested again when he saw others eating, watching with his big eyes.
Huo Qingfeng held the pancake to his lips. "Want some?"
The little guy took a bite and giggled. He also imitated Huo Qingfeng, nodding seriously and saying, "It's delicious."
Huo Qingfeng laughed heartily and rubbed his face against his. The little guy turned his head and planted a big, oily kiss on his cheek. "Ouch, you kissed Daddy all over his face, so Daddy has to kiss you back!"
"No, hehehe..." he shouted, laughing as he ran to the other side and hid beside Yuan Meng. He peeked out to see if his father had chased after them. Seeing that his father hadn't, he chuckled smugly again.
Huo Qingfeng watched him with a smile, eating his breakfast heartily. He thought to himself, having a child is really good. When Fu'an was little, his mother and Aunt Hui raised him; he could say he wasn't involved in his upbringing. When he has his own child in the future, he'll definitely spend more time with him. If it's a well-behaved little princess, that would be best.
Huo Fu'an hid with his mother for a while, then strolled back to Huo Qingfeng's side. "Daddy, I want some soy milk."
Huo Qingfeng brought the cup to his lips, and he took a sip, holding the cup with both hands. Some liquid still clung to his lips, and he grinned foolishly. Huo Qingfeng leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Ouch, I got a kiss!"
"Daddy's bad!" Huo Fu'an complained loudly, then giggled and ran to his mother. He even took a tissue and wiped himself. "Mommy, is it clean?"
Yuan Meng had no choice but to take a tissue and carefully wipe him clean. "Okay, it's clean now."
Huo Qingfeng stared at him and said, "It's no use wiping it clean, I still want to kiss you later."
"No kisses allowed!" the little guy exclaimed, pouting deeply. "Daddy's bad, bad Daddy!"
"Fu'an is ruined, Fu'an is ruined!"
"Fu'an isn't bad!" the little guy retorted loudly, then ran over and tugged at Ling Ruoke's arm. "Mommy, Fu'an isn't bad, is he?"
Ling Ruoke glanced at the childish colonel. "Yes, Fu'an isn't bad, Daddy is."
Little Huo Fu'an felt completely satisfied. He happily climbed onto the bed and snuggled up next to Ling Ruoke, looking at his dad with a smug expression. His big, bright eyes were especially adorable.
Huo Qingfeng felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at him. He quickly finished his breakfast, washed his hands, and came over to hug him. "Come on, let Daddy give you a hug."
Huo Fu'an obediently hugged his neck, having long forgotten the argument from earlier. "Daddy, toss me around, toss me around!" Once they went to T City, no one would toss him around anymore.
Huo Qingfeng glanced at the ceiling and tossed it around a couple of times without much effort. The little guy's laughter immediately echoed in the ward, adding a lot of joy.
"Daddy, throw it again, throw it again, okay?" The little guy hadn't had enough fun yet and didn't want to stop just like that.
Huo Qingfeng had to toss him a few more times before putting him down. He squatted down in front of him and reached out to stroke his chubby head. "Let's toss him again when we get home, toss him high, okay?"
"Okay." The little guy jumped up, hugged his neck, and gave him a big kiss. "Daddy's the best!"
"Oh, now you're saying Daddy's good? Who was saying Daddy's bad just now?" Huo Qingfeng was both amused and exasperated by this clever little guy.
Huo Fu'an tilted his head and said very seriously, "It's fine now."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh; this guy turned over a new leaf really fast!
Yang Ziyun and Yuan Meng lingered for a while longer before leaving with Fu'an. They knew Ruoke was in pain and they couldn't help her there, so they figured it would be better to leave some space for Huo Qingfeng to massage her.
As soon as they left, Huo Qingfeng pulled up a stool and sat down by the bed to massage her legs.
Ling Ruoke looked at him, feeling very upset, but still smiling. "Fu'an is getting cuter and cuter. Honey, do you want a boy or a girl?"
"A girl, I want a little princess, just like you."
Ling Ruoke smiled, her eyes crinkling. "But I want to have a boy." Ideally, he'd look just like him and grow up to be a strong and upright man.
"Then let nature take its course. I will love any child that is ours." They were in love with each other, and a child is the fruit of their love; how could they not love them?
"But Grandpa, Dad, and Mom, wouldn't they prefer a boy?" Although Yang Ziyun had said she didn't care about the gender, she wasn't sure if they were completely indifferent. She had also heard that some elderly people say they don't care, but if a girl is born, they start to have opinions.
Huo Qingfeng reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "Don't overthink it, they won't mind. Our family isn't the kind that relies on family tradition and needs a son to inherit the family business no matter what. Don't be fooled by the fact that three generations of my family are soldiers; I wasn't forced to join the army. It's just that I've been influenced by what I've seen since I was little, so I want to be a soldier."
Ling Ruoke felt relieved. "That's good. I was quite scared, because whether I have a son or a daughter isn't entirely up to me."
"Don't worry, I promise, whether it's a boy or a girl, everyone will love him very much, okay?" This child was born amidst the expectations of everyone in the Huo family, so you can imagine how much he will be pampered.
"Okay." From now on, Guzheng will truly not bother them anymore. She needs to take good care of her health and get pregnant as soon as possible.
Their eyes met, both filled with smiles and happiness.
Even if there are more violent storms in their lives, I believe they can hold hands and persevere together until they see the sun and the beautiful rainbow.
On the long journey of life, with you by my side, I am not afraid of any obstacles ahead.
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