As dusk approached, the crimson clouds on the horizon were dazzling and magnificent.
Because of the side effects of the medication, Ling Ruoke drifted off to sleep again, her mind still hazy. She fell asleep leaning against the headboard.
Cang Wei only put her down after I returned from the woods. Then I quietly looked at her by the bedside, my eyes filled with complex emotions, clearly showing the pain of struggle. No wonder the ancients said it's rare to be confused; at this moment, he also wished he were a fool, rather than a pitiful creature pretending to be ignorant when he knew the truth.
If only there were a way to help her forget the past without any danger! Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned.
Ling Ruoke slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Cang Weiwo's face, filled with pain. She stared blankly, somewhat dazed. When she came to her senses, she felt a pain in her chest.
"You're awake. How are you feeling?" Cang Weiwo composed himself, sat down by the bed, and reached out to touch her face.
Ling Ruoke forced a smile. "It's still sore and uncomfortable." If she hadn't suffered under the cheetah's attacks, she might have already cried. The cheetah taught her two words—patience!
"How about I massage it for you? Lieyan said it would make you feel better."
Ling Ruoke paused for a moment before realizing which doctor Lieyan was referring to. She shook her head, declining his offer. "No need, I can handle it. Cang Weiwo?"
"Hmm?" Cang Wei looked at her intently, already knowing what she wanted to say. He wanted to turn around and leave, but he didn't move.
Ling Ruoke looked at the man before her, recalling his handsome and dashing appearance when they first met. The contrast with his current, deeply troubled expression was stark. "Cang Weiwo, let me go, and let yourself go, okay?"
Cang Wei simply looked at her without saying a word. But it felt like several knives were stabbing her in the heart, causing excruciating pain.
"We can't change the past, so we can't go back. I hated you for how you treated me back then. But now I've let go, and I think more about how good you were to me. We didn't play a game; we loved each other deeply. Unfortunately, fate played a cruel trick on us, and we were destined not to be together forever. Now I've found my happiness, and I always hope you can find the warmth you crave most. You once said I was the most beautiful warmth in your life. But now I want to say, don't waste your time on me anymore. Ling Ruo can no longer give you warmth. Because everything I can give has already been given to someone else."
She sighed softly. "I know that no amount of comforting words will help. I only hope to see you happy in my lifetime; that is my wish."
Cang Wei stared at her blankly for a long time before pulling her into a tight embrace. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, closed his eyes tightly, and breathed deeply.
Just as Ling Ruoke was falling asleep, he finally released her slowly. His eyes were deep, but they could not hide the pain in his heart.
Slowly, his forehead touched hers. "If I could, I couldn't do it yet. But I promise you, I'll try." However, he couldn't help but ask himself: Besides you, could I find another woman who could bring warmth to this cold world?
There seemed to be a vague image in his mind, but he quickly banished it.
Ling Ruoke had originally intended for him to try accepting Ru Mingyue, but she changed her mind before speaking. "Cang Weiwo, I believe you will be happy. Because you are actually a very good person. Those hatreds are all in the past, forget them, and you won't have to suffer so much if you forget them."
"Okay." He spoke with difficulty, his closed eyes burning, but he didn't let any tears come out.
Receiving his answer only complicated Ling Ruoke's feelings. She herself couldn't quite figure out what emotions were swirling within her.
Just then, there was a commotion downstairs. Then someone rushed up and reported to Cang Weiwo, "Huo Qingfeng has broken in."
Ling Ruoke's face immediately lit up with joy.
All of this felt like a knife stabbing into Cang Wei's heart. Blood flowed freely, and the pain was excruciating. Sometimes he truly envied Huo Qingfeng; it seemed he had taken all the good things!
Soon, Huo Qingfeng rushed up. Seeing Cang Weiwo standing at the door, he shouted, "Cang Weiwo, where's my wife!"
Before Cang Weiwo could answer, he saw the person inside the room. He shoved Cang Weiwo aside and rushed in.
Cang Wei stumbled as he pushed her, but didn't turn back to look at the person in the room. Instead, she walked down the stairs step by step, her back view lonely and desolate. The reason he broke away from the Gu family and their faction was that he hoped to protect his woman according to his own wishes. But now, all of that had lost its original meaning.
Everything he did was in vain.
"Call everyone, we're going back to City A," he suddenly ordered, then got into the car and drove off alone.
The people behind looked at each other and then hurriedly followed.
Lieyan was the last to leave. She watched the departing convoy from the doorway, her narrowed eyes revealing unspoken emotions.
Upstairs, Huo Qingfeng held Ling Ruoke tightly in his arms. He was covered in dirt and sweat, and smelled terrible. But neither of them cared about that; they just embraced each other with joy and silently thanked God for his kindness.
"Ruo Ke, are you alright?" Huo Qingfeng released her and lifted her clothes to examine her body. She had suffered some external injuries, with bruises and bloodstains all over, but it wasn't too serious. He reached out and touched her with pity, asking, "Does it hurt?"
Ling Ruoke smiled and shook her head slightly. "It doesn't hurt anymore. It's just that I was injected with some kind of medicine, and my body feels very weak. The doctor said it will take another two or three days to recover, and I have no strength at all right now."
"Thank goodness you're alright!" Huo Qingfeng hugged her again; she was his precious treasure whom he had lost and then found again. "Come on, let's go home."
"Mmm." She smiled softly, feeling very happy.
Huo Qingfeng picked her up and carefully placed her in the back seat of the car, letting her lie down. He drove very slowly, a speed he rarely used, just in case the ride was too bumpy and she would feel uncomfortable.
Back in the city, Huo Qingfeng first took her to the hospital for a series of examinations. Fortunately, apart from the side effects of the medication, the other injuries were not serious.
The doctor gave her an injection, and Ling Ruoke fell asleep peacefully.
Huo Qingfeng took her back to Z City, and had Xuan Yuanqi bring men to guard her. He then found a place to take a shower and change his clothes. At the same time, he called the relevant people to tell them that Ruoke had returned safely.
Less than twenty minutes later, he returned to the hospital, carrying a delicious meal. "You can get out now. Leave a few people outside to keep watch."
Xuanyuan Qi didn't seem to mind his betrayal; he merely raised an eyebrow and leisurely left. He was exhausted and needed to get back to shower and sleep.
Ling Ruoke is staying in a single hospital room.
Huo Qingfeng closed the door, carefully got into bed, and held his wife, intending to get a good night's sleep.
That night, both of them felt at ease and slept soundly.
When Huo Qingfeng woke up, he felt refreshed and full of energy. He propped himself up on his side, reaching out to stroke his still slightly swollen face, thinking to himself that he could never let anything happen to her again. If something like this happened again, he would go crazy.
Ling Ruoke frowned, let out a soft moan, and opened her eyes. Still somewhat dazed, she stared blankly at the ceiling.
Huo Qingfeng leaned over and kissed her. "Good morning, wife."
Ling Ruoke blinked, then smiled. "Qingfeng." The next second, she frowned in distress.
"What's wrong?" Huo Qingfeng suddenly sat up and lifted the blanket to look at her body.
"My body is sore and numb, it's so uncomfortable." It felt like standing up after squatting for a long time and your legs were numb and weak, it was extremely uncomfortable. But her feeling was far more uncomfortable than that. She had been enduring it before, but now that her colonel was in front of her, Ling Ruoke started to sob in grievance.
Huo Qingfeng had also heard from the doctor that the closer she got to recovery, the more uncomfortable she would feel, and that he should try to massage her legs. So he quickly sat down by the bed and used both hands to massage her legs, controlling the pressure. "Does it feel any better?"
"Mmm." Ling Ruoke sniffed, her eyes blurry with tears, looking pitiful. She was truly in great pain!
Huo Qingfeng diligently massaged her legs for a long time, only stopping when she felt much better. "Are you hungry? Eat something first." The food was what he had asked Scarface to buy while he was massaging her legs.
Ling Ruoke leaned comfortably against the headboard, two pillows supporting her back. She obediently opened her mouth and took the food he offered. "You eat too."
"Okay." The two of them shared their breakfast, taking bites from each other. Of course, most of it ended up in the colonel's stomach. Ling Ruoke wasn't feeling well and didn't eat much.
After they finished eating, the two of them hugged and talked, which helped to distract Ruoke.
Huo Qingfeng didn't want to bring up the guzheng again, so they chatted about everyday things, and the atmosphere was relaxed. However, because she was feeling weak, she couldn't hit him even though he had acted inappropriately; she could only glare at him and curse at him.
However, the two hadn't been talking for long when the visitors arrived one after another. First came Tan Peishi and her mother, along with little Lele.
“Come on, son, look at your godmother?” Tan Peishi lifted the little guy’s bottom and let him sit on her arm, facing Ling Ruoke.
"Yu..." the little one made an adorable sound, his little hands flailing excitedly, his little mouth pursed in a smile. He looked as if he was genuinely happy to see his godmother and wanted to rush into her arms.
Ling Ruoke was immediately amused and wanted to pick it up and touch its little hands, feet, and face, but she was too weak to do so.
Huo Qingfeng took the little guy from Tan Peishi's hands.
The sight of him holding the child startled the three women, who screamed in fright.
"Qingfeng! The child's bones are still very soft, be careful, you can't do that." Ling Ruoke was also frightened by him. Fortunately, he caught Xiao Lele's little bottom in time, otherwise it would have been like carrying a little monkey.
Huo Qingfeng almost scratched his head. "I'm sorry." This child was the precious treasure of Fu Peigang and his wife; he had almost broken their precious child.
Everyone knew he was a grown man who couldn't hold a child, so they didn't blame him. However, three pairs of eyes were fixed on him, afraid he might do something so dangerous again.
Under their guidance, Huo Qingfeng supported the little one's bottom with one hand and the back of his neck with the other, presenting him to Ling Ruoke. The two faces, one big and one small, were almost touching. "Come on, little one, give your godmother a kiss."
He extended his hand slightly forward, and the little guy left a drool mark on Ling Ruoke's face. The little guy seemed to have done something amazing, kicking his legs and arms in Huo Qingfeng's hand and making excited noises, which made everyone laugh.
“You’ll get used to it. This little guy can smear saliva all over anyone he sees, or grab their face or hair. Don’t underestimate him just because he’s small; it really hurts when he grabs you. He’ll definitely be a mischievous monkey in the future, won’t he? Won’t he?” Tan Peishi brought her face close to his and made an exaggerated expression.
The little guy got even more excited and kicked his arms and legs even more enthusiastically.
Huo Qingfeng simply placed the small dining table in front of Ling Ruoke, then cushioned it with something soft for the little guy to sit on. He put one arm around his shoulder to prevent him from breaking his neck or spine.
Little Lele's eyes darted around, and soon he leaned forward, reaching out to grab Ling Ruoke's clothes and hair. It seemed he wanted to stand up, but his legs weren't strong enough. He grabbed a handful of hair and pulled hard, making happy "ooh ooh" sounds.
All four adults burst out laughing; he was indeed very mischievous.
Tan Peishi and the others didn't stay long before leaving, because Ruo Ke wasn't feeling too well and would get tired if they stayed too long.
As soon as they left, Huo Qingfeng helped her lie down. She fell asleep quickly. Huo Qingfeng then massaged her legs to make her more comfortable.
Not long after, another group of people arrived outside the ward; they were three elders from the Huo family.
The old man was the first to enter, his hands behind his back as usual, but his expression was still somewhat anxious. He immediately asked, "How is my granddaughter-in-law?" Being a veteran of war, he always spoke with a shout. At this shout, Ling Ruoke frowned and let out a soft moan, as if she were about to wake up.
But he's the grandfather, who dares to say anything? Besides, he didn't do it on purpose.
Huo Qingfeng quickly patted her through the blanket like he would a child. She murmured something and fell asleep again. She felt unwell, and sleeping would make her feel better.
The three elderly people were all stunned by what they saw. The old man, on the other hand, seemed a little embarrassed.
"Grandpa, Father, Mom, please sit down. She was injected with JRSR, and her limbs are sore, numb, and uncomfortable. She'll feel better if she falls asleep, so let her sleep a little longer." Huo Qingfeng arranged the chairs for them to sit down.
Yang Ziyun put down what she was holding, came to the bedside, and reached out to touch Ruoke's face. "It looks like she's suffered a lot. She's such a poor child."
“Mom, then you should treat her better from now on,” Huo Qingfeng immediately replied.
Yang Ziyun glared at him and said, "You won't admit it even though you've forgotten your mother now that you have a wife. I'll naturally cherish my daughter-in-law; do you need to remind me every day?"
Huo Qingfeng touched his nose and remained silent. Since last time, he had become much smarter and stopped always protecting his wife in front of his mother, lest she become jealous.
"By the way, she was injected with that drug, will there be any side effects? Will it affect her ability to have children?" Although she loved Ling Ruoke dearly, Yang Ziyun hadn't forgotten her wish to have a grandson.
"The doctor said she'll be fine in a few days and there won't be any aftereffects because she only had one injection. As for whether it will affect her ability to have children, I didn't ask." As long as she's alright, he doesn't care if she doesn't have children.
Yang Ziyun didn't think so, and quickly stood up. "I'll go ask the doctor."
Huo Qingfeng initially wanted to stop her, but then decided against it. He knew his mother well; she wouldn't give up until she asked her personally.
The old man's gaze shifted from Ling Ruoke on the bed to Huo Qingfeng's face, and he asked, "Has the matter with that girl from the Gu family been resolved?"
Huo Qingfeng understood perfectly well that his grandfather had probably already known the news, but he didn't know the purpose of his question. He only said, "She will no longer have the opportunity to hurt Ruoke."
"Well, that's good." The old man nodded. After a while, he added, "In this respect, you're not as good as your father."
The general was innocently implicated, but he quickly became quite pleased with himself. Because, in effect, this was praise, even if it wasn't related to his work.
Huo Qingfeng understood that his father had always protected his mother very well. In this respect, he had indeed failed to do as well as his father.
The old man said slowly, "However, it's hard to say. Maybe it's because your mother has no ties, while Ruoke has too many entanglements. That girl is too kind; she takes on everything herself, which ends up hurting herself."
"I will have a proper talk with her."
Huo Zhenbang nodded in satisfaction. He stood up and said, "Since she's not feeling well, let her rest. We'll go back first and come see her later. I heard that little guy Fu'an is also in Z City, right?"
"Yes, they are in the army now. Grandpa, you, Mom, and Father, come home and stay here first. I'll have someone bring the little one over right away."
"Okay. I haven't seen him for quite a while, I miss him terribly." With that, she turned and left.
The general and Huo Qingfeng rarely spoke; he was the kind of father who was strict to the extreme, and never smiled. Even as he left the ward, he didn't speak, only nodding.
Huo Qingfeng was already used to it.
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