"Brother..." After a long silence, Ling Ruoke finally uttered that one word. In her heart, Wild Wolf had always been like an older brother to her, but she had never called him that before; she dared not take advantage of that.
Wild Wolf paused for a moment, then agreed, and said with a smile, "Speak, what do you need from your brother? Tell the truth quickly. If you tell even one lie, you'll be subjected to the Ten Cruelest Tortures of the Qing Dynasty."
Ling Ruoke was amused by his absurdity, but her laughter was tinged with tears. She closed her eyes slightly, blinking away the tears from her long eyelashes. "If anything happens to me someday, could you please protect my husband and children?"
She didn't know if Huo Qingfeng needed protection, but she just wanted to hear Wild Wolf's reply.
"No." The person on the other end refused decisively, leaving no room for negotiation. Before she could speak, he added, "That's your husband and your child. If anyone needs to take care of them, it's you. So, take good care of yourself. If anything happens to you, even if the father and son are killed right in front of me, I'll pretend I didn't see it."
He spoke coldly, but Ruo Ke understood the meaning behind his words. Her voice choked with sobs, she called out, "Brother..."
“My dear, instead of thinking about how to entrust your children to others, you should think about how to protect yourself. So, if you ask me for any other favor, I won't even flinch, but this is the one thing I won't agree to. That's your responsibility, and you have to bear it yourself. Besides, you can't judge a book by its cover. Even if I agree to it today, how do you know I won't go back on my word tomorrow? If possible, in this world, only yourself is truly reliable. So, you must protect the people and things you value most, and you must do it yourself, not ask others to do it. And don't forget the precious child I once gave you.”
Then, Wild Wolf hung up the phone. This was the first time he had hung up on himself, instead of Ruo Ke doing so.
Ling Ruoke held the phone blankly for a long while before putting it down. She understood Wild Wolf's last words. She reached up and touched her chest, feeling a slight bulge in a certain area. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.
For the next two days, Xia Mo's wife and Li Chen remained silent, receiving no threatening or extortionate phone calls. It was as if they had vanished into thin air, without a trace.
Ling Ruoke gradually calmed down, no longer as panicked as she had been at the beginning. Although she was still worried, and even a little afraid, she was now very calm.
As the cheetah once said, panic and fear are the most meaningless things; they can't save your life, they only make things worse. Therefore, in times of crisis, only those who can discard them can remain calm and find a chance to survive.
Ling Ruoke stopped thinking about how Gu Tianze would deal with Li Chen and Xia Mo's wife, and instead began to ponder what strategy Gu Tianze was using. Did he kidnap these two to force her to keep her appointment with Qingfeng? If so, why didn't he send a threatening signal, but instead remained silent? Was his plan not yet complete? Or did he have a deeper consideration?
She recalled what the cheetah had said: the most formidable enemies are not those who let you know how dangerous or terrifying they are, but those who remain silent. Because such people are difficult to detect, and by the time you discover them, they may have already struck at your vital point.
So, Gu Tianze is undoubtedly such a person. If he were to step forward now and force her or Qingfeng to exchange people, he would expose himself. But if he were to remain silent and wait for his opportunity, it would be difficult for them to find him. No wonder someone like him could become the leader of mercenaries in such a short time.
Ling Ruoke knew absolutely nothing about Gu Tiance, so even though she had calmed down, she still couldn't figure out his possible movements.
That evening, when her husband returned home, Ling Ruoke couldn't help but ask him about Gu Tiance.
Huo Qingfeng said nothing, but focused on looking at her, then reached out and cupped her face. "Ruoke, I know what you're thinking, but leave this to me, okay? Don't worry about it."
Ling Ruoke naturally understood his feelings, staring blankly at him, unsure what to say. "I just want to do something, otherwise I'll feel terrible. I'd rather suffer myself than implicate others like this. The thought of them possibly being in Gu Tianze's hands feels like a knife is constantly sawing through my heart. I've only been away from you and the child for a few days, and I'm already tormented and sleepless at night. How much worry and sorrow must Xia Mo, Li Jun, and their parents be experiencing? I don't dare think about it..."
"I understand, I understand everything." Huo Qingfeng held the kind woman in his arms, wishing he could erase her memory so she wouldn't remember such a thing. "But there's still no news. Maybe their disappearance is just a coincidence, and it's not that Gu Tianze kidnapped them."
Ling Ruoke gently nuzzled against his chest. If he himself didn't believe it, how could she? She simply understood his intentions and said nothing.
"Ruo Ke, do you resent me? If it weren't for me, if I hadn't been involved with the guzheng, you wouldn't have to suffer all this." Huo Qingfeng had wanted to ask this question for a long time. This thought had been in his mind for a long time.
Upon hearing this, Ling Ruoke paused, then slowly raised her head. Looking at his resolute face, she reached out and touched the stubble on his chin. How many nights had she watched him sleep, and how many mornings had she woken to his gentle face? She had long since grown accustomed to his presence, unwilling to be separated from him even for a single day.
Slowly, Ling Ruoke smiled and shook her head. "I don't resent you, I don't resent anyone, I don't even resent God for not letting me meet you first. I only hope that you and the child are safe and healthy, and that our family of three can be happy for the rest of our lives. I only hope that the people around me will no longer be implicated because of this, and that everyone can live their own lives peacefully."
"Thank you, Ruoke, my darling." Huo Qingfeng kissed her lips tenderly. He didn't tell her how much regret he felt. He couldn't regret meeting Guzheng; it was something no one could have predicted. He only hated himself for not handling things well, which led to everything that had happened.
Ling Ruoke's eyes welled up with tears as she looked into his deep, dark eyes. Those eyes were always exceptionally sharp, yet they were incredibly tender when he looked at her. Tan Peishi said, "The captain has given you all his tenderness and love; he hasn't even given much to your son."
She reached out and grasped his large hand, their fingers intertwining. "Huo Qingfeng, let's not be afraid, and let's not let go. I believe we will both be alright, because you can't bear to see me, and I can't bear to see you. We are both good people, and God won't be so cruel."
“Okay. Let’s hold each other tightly, and nothing, neither man nor heaven, can separate us.” Huo Qingfeng smiled slightly, looking into those bright eyes and that gentle face. He had heard countless resounding vows, but none were as shocking and moving as her words, “I can’t bear to see you.”
Ling Ruoke looked back deeply and whispered in her heart: If you weren't in this world, I don't know how I would face the years to come, so please hold my hand tightly!
Late at night, on the grass beside the training field. Two tall voices walked one after the other, then sat down.
"Captain, don't worry. I don't believe that Gu Tianze is a god! Even if he is a god, we'll beat him until he's nothing but a worm!" Fu Peigang roared angrily.
Huo Qingfeng took a deep drag on his cigarette. He hadn't smoked much since Ruoke became pregnant; he'd heard smoking was very harmful to pregnant women and babies, so he'd managed to quit. But these past two days, when Ruoke couldn't see, he couldn't resist smoking again.
Looking at his brother's furrowed brows, Fu Peigang cursed Gu Tianze a hundred times and tormented him a thousand times in his mind. The destruction of the Gu family was their own fault; even if there were to be blamed, it should be the state, not the captain. "Captain, if all else fails, we'll just capture his wife and children. Damn it, as long as we get rid of this bastard, I'll accept being discharged from the military!"
"Nonsense!" Huo Qingfeng finally spoke up to rebuke. "Using hostages to threaten others is something only criminals do, not soldiers. We would rather die than do such a thing! Being discharged from the military is not important, but we cannot dishonor the uniform we wear!"
Fu Peigang fell silent. He had only spoken out of anger; he didn't truly intend to kidnap Gu Tianze's wife and children. In the military, the first thing taught isn't military posture or combat techniques, but the meaning of being a soldier—the significance and mission of this uniform!
"Brother, I'm sorry! I overreacted!" Huo Qingfeng patted Fu Peigang on the shoulder. He knew perfectly well that "brother" was just a casual remark.
Fu Peigang smiled and patted him on the shoulder. They knew each other best; more than ten years of sharing hardships were no joke. These weren't ordinary brothers; they were brothers who would give their lives for each other without hesitation!
The two remained silent for a while, only seeing the fireworks flickering eerily in the darkness.
"Fu Peigang, if anything happens to me, please take care of Ruoke and Ping'an. If possible, make sure Ruoke forgets me and finds a man who can stay with her for the rest of her life!" He spoke very softly, but his tone was solemn.
Ignoring his superior's insubordination, Fu Peigang punched him in the shoulder. "Captain, this duel hasn't even started yet, isn't it a bit premature for you to be entrusting our son to someone already! The outcome is still uncertain, I refuse to believe that we can't defeat Gu Tianze! Damn it, no matter how arrogant he is, I'll beat him until he regrets having been born!"
"Well said!" Huo Qingfeng struck him with a palm, numbing half of his body. "But, in case, don't forget what I just said."
"Captain, we're all grown men, we don't play these sentimental games of entrusting our children to others. If there's anything you need me for, just say the word. It's not just me, there are many more brothers. We'd go through fire and water without batting an eye!"
Huo Qingfeng pursed his lips, smiled slightly, patted his shoulder, and said, "You really are my good brother!"
"That's right. What are brothers for? They're for tormenting, so don't be shy. Take it, spend it however you like!" He waved his hand casually, as if he had given someone millions to spend freely on the street.
Huo Qingfeng laughed heartily. "Good lad, after spending so much time with Tan Peishi, you've learned seven or eight parts of her qualities!" This once dull and taciturn man has been transformed into this by Tan Peishi.
Fu Peigang scratched his head and chuckled foolishly.
Huo Qingfeng smiled slightly at his brother's silly grin, but a different feeling welled up inside him. If he could, he too would like to live a simple and happy life like Fu Peigang and Tan Peishi. Unfortunately, he was blind to their true nature and had provoked the wrong person.
If he came into this world naked and left with no attachments, he wouldn't even care about ten Gu Tian Ce. But his life included Ruo Ke, a woman who could melt steel and soften water, and their child. This was his happiness, but also his fatal weakness.
Meanwhile, in City B.
In the darkness, Cang Weiwo slowly opened his eyes, turned his head, and looked at the sleeping woman beside him in the dim light. After a while, he carefully withdrew his arm, eliciting a soft moan from the woman, who then snuggled closer to him. He dared not move again, and only after she had fallen into a deep sleep did he completely withdraw his arm, get out of bed, and leave the bedroom.
In the living room, Xiao Yan stood quietly, her back to him, by the window.
"Speak," Cang Wei said softly, sitting down on the sofa and leaning back lazily. His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had just woken up.
Xiao Yan sighed inwardly, but still carefully reported all the findings of his investigation.
Cang Weiwo listened without any expression on his face, his sharp eyes looking out the window, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Xiao Yan glanced at the closed bedroom door and couldn't help but say, "Since you have nothing to do with Ling Ruoke anymore, why bother with her affairs? Aren't you afraid your sister-in-law will have something to say about it?"
Cang Wei Wo withdrew her gaze and met Xiao Yan's. After a few seconds of silence, she replied, "Xiao, this is what I owe her."
Xiao Yan could only sigh, no longer wanting to say anything. This was merely an excuse; in his heart, Ling Ruoke's place had never been replaced by anyone. The woman in the room might have gradually taken up an important position, but she could never completely drive Ling Ruoke out of Cang's heart.
"Give the order to find Gu Tianze's son and wife, and bring them back."
Huo Qingfeng couldn't do that, but Cang Weiwo could. If so, this is what I owe you, and now I'll repay you little by little. Thinking of this, Cang Weiwo still felt a dull ache in his chest. Ling Ruoke was that rib in his chest, a wounded rib that would ache from time to time, reminding him of her existence.
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