Gu Tianze whistled. "If we weren't enemies, I'd really like to be your brother." Such a tough guy is indeed admirable.
Huo Qingfeng smiled coldly and said, "You're not worthy to be my brother."
With a loud bang, another gunshot pierced Huo Qingfeng's body. This time, he couldn't maintain his balance and swayed backward.
"Qingfeng! Huo Qingfeng!" Ling Ruoke shouted with all her might, tears blurring her vision. "Gu Tianze, you bastard, you'll die a horrible death! You should pray that I die today, because if I don't, I'll tear you to pieces!"
After yelling, she coughed violently, her vision blurring with grief and despair. Tears streamed down her face, obscuring her vision.
Gu Tianze's smile widened. Ling Ruoke's despair and Huo Qingfeng's fall acted like a stimulant injected into his blood, filling him with a bloodthirsty excitement. He aimed his gun at Huo Qingfeng, who lay on the ground, and slowly tightened his index finger inward.
"Gu Tianze, before you pull the trigger, you might want to take a look at who's in front of you." A sudden male voice, equally cold and equally intimidating.
"Dad!" The child cried out, his voice filled with terror.
Gu Tianze shuddered, looking up in astonishment to see Cang Weiwo slowly approaching. Behind him, the dark muzzle of a gun was pressed against the heads of his wife and son. "Cang—Wei—Wo!" Each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with unfathomable hatred!
"Long time no see." Cang Weiwo smiled slightly, glancing at Ling Ruoke, who was hanging from the tree. That glance was so quick that no one could see the expression in his eyes.
"Cang Weiwo, you actually used innocent women and children as hostages! You are unworthy of being a soldier!" Gu Tianze was so anxious when he saw his wife and son being kidnapped that he spoke without thinking.
Cang Wei chuckled softly. “Gu Tian Ce, I’ll return those words to you. You’ve only been out of the army for two or three years, and you already don’t remember what the army taught you. Besides, I haven’t been a soldier for so long. Do you think military regulations still have any meaning for me? Perhaps you can try it. I’ll allow you to choose between your wife and your son.”
Gu Tianze's face twisted in disgust. "Cang Weiwo, you spared no expense for a woman back then. Today, you're still going to any lengths for her! Tsk tsk tsk, how devoted you are. Too bad, she doesn't even glance at you. You've wasted all your efforts!"
Cang Wei wo maintained his slight smile, raising an eyebrow. "So what? What law in this world says that I, Cang Wei, can't act like a masochist?"
Gu Tianze was speechless.
Cang Wei pulled the woman beside him forward, pressing the gun against her temple. "How about we have a shooting contest, see if your marksmanship is faster or mine is better?"
The click of a bullet being chambered sends chills down your spine.
"Daddy, don't kill Mommy, Daddy..." The child, who had never seen death before, cried out in terror, tears streaming down his face.
"Shut up! A real man doesn't cry!" Gu Tianze scolded coldly, his heart in turmoil because of his son's cries. Even the most cold-hearted person has people they care about, and Gu Tianze was no exception.
Cang Wei lowered his gun, pulled the trigger, and fired a shot into the woman's shoulder, in the exact same spot as Ling Ruoke's. When Gu Tianze looked over, he innocently shrugged and blew the smoke from the muzzle of his gun. The scene was exactly the same, only the roles had reversed.
"Haven't practiced in a while, my marksmanship is a bit rusty." He said casually, as if he were saying, "The weather isn't very good today."
"Cang—Only—I!"
Cang Wei looked at him and asked, "Should I release it or not?" As he spoke, the gun was already pointed at the target again.
Gu Tianze remained silent, and just as he was about to reply, another gunshot rang out. His wife was about to collapse limply, but Cang Weiwo grabbed her like a rag doll, tossed her behind him, grabbed his son, and aimed the gun at him.
Gu Tianze's eyes were bloodshot, bulging out of their sockets. Suddenly, a distorted smile appeared on his face. "Son, in the next life, Dad will never let anyone bully you again!"
Before he finished speaking, he raised the remote control, about to press it.
At the critical moment, something suddenly whistled through the air and struck Gu Tianze's wrist. His hand loosened, and a white shadow suddenly appeared before him. Before he could understand what was happening, several muffled groans sounded beside him. The white shadow swept past, heading straight for the person hanging from the tree.
At the same time, Huo Qingfeng, who was lying on the ground, suddenly rolled over, picked up his gun, quickly aimed it at Gu Tianze, and pulled the trigger. Seeing Yin Hong's blood spurting from Gu Tianze's chest, and then seeing his wife being embraced, the corners of his mouth slightly curved upwards, and he fell backwards.
Gunshots rang out, and smoke billowed. Amidst the smoke, Ling Ruoke was carried away in someone's arms.
As soon as Ling Ruoke landed, she strained to open her eyes, calling out loudly, "Qingfeng, Qingfeng..." She struggled to sit up, but cried out in pain and fell backward. Tears streamed down her face like a burst dam, unstoppable. Even with her eyes closed, she continued to call out Huo Qingfeng's name.
"Long—" A large hand swiftly struck her from behind the neck, knocking her unconscious.
In the moment she lost consciousness, Ling Ruoke's ears were filled with gunshots. Amidst the gunshots, she saw her colonel fall again.
...
When Ling Ruoke woke up again, she was already in the hospital. The smell of soda water, which she disliked the most, filled her nostrils, making it impossible to escape.
"Qingfeng!" Ling Ruoke shouted, suddenly opening her eyes. The movement aggravated her wounds, and she couldn't help but groan.
Mo Ran, who was keeping watch by the bedside, saw her wake up, leaned over to look at her, and asked, "You're awake. Be careful, or your wound will reopen."
"Qingfeng, where is Qingfeng? Where is Qingfeng?" Ignoring the fact that her wound had just been stitched up, Ling Ruoke struggled to get up, even though she was so weak that she could barely stand.
Mo Ran sighed silently and pressed her down. "He's still in the operating room undergoing emergency treatment." Although she felt it wasn't the right time, she told the truth anyway.
She thought Ling Ruoke would cry out loud, but to her surprise, she just stared blankly for a moment, then reached out and grabbed Mo Ran's hand. "Mo Ran, please take me there, I want to stay with him!"
Mo Ran saw a woman's strength and courage in her face. She couldn't refuse; she nodded and agreed. Because she was so similar to her, and if it were her, she would have made the same choice.
The wolf leaned against the bedside, watching the two women without saying a word. He squinted slightly, lost in thought; no one knew what he was thinking.
With Mo Ran's help, Ling Ruoke slowly walked out of the ward and headed towards the operating room. She was seriously injured, so her steps were unsteady, and all her weight fell on Mo Ran's shoulders.
Along the way, Ling Ruoke unconsciously softened her breathing. She didn't cry, not even a tear fell. She walked calmly, supported by Mo Ran.
The hospital corridor seemed endless, or perhaps because she was walking very slowly due to her injury, she hadn't reached the operating room door for a long time. In a daze, she seemed to be transported back to that year, when the white sheet was pulled up, and her parents left this world. From then on, she was left all alone.
Slowly, tears began to well up in Ling Ruoke's eyes again. She seemed oblivious, staring blankly ahead, unblinking. "Mo Ran, how long has he been inside?"
Six hours.
Ling Ruoke didn't speak, she just listened. Finally, the operating room was in sight. Many people were waiting outside. They were wearing camouflage uniforms, their faces filthy and unrecognizable. There were also a few people in black clothes; they were Wild Wolf and Cang Weiwo's men.
"Sister-in-law!" Ling Ruoke heard someone call her, her voice trembling with tears. She didn't answer, only nodded. Her eyes were fixed on the three large characters for "Operating Room," and she didn't blink for a long time. "He'll be alright," she whispered, unsure whether she was speaking to herself or to those around her.
Cang Wei slowly walked over and stood in front of her, looking into her unfocused eyes. Tears were still streaming down her face, yet they seemed unfocused. He reached out and placed his large hand on her face, his thumb wiping away the tear tracks.
After a long while, Ling Ruoke slowly shifted her gaze to his face. She stared at him blankly, as if looking at him, yet also as if looking through him into the operating room. "He'll be alright, won't he?"
Cang Wei scooped her up from Mo Ran's grasp and pulled her into his arms. If she had cried out, he might have known what to do. But she remained so quiet, and he couldn't think of anything to say. The faint fragrance of her perfume was gone, replaced by the pungent smell of blood and medicine, making him feel uneasy.
Ling Ruoke didn't push him away; she was somewhat dazed. She felt disoriented, as if her soul had left her body. She tried to concentrate, but couldn't.
Time passed slowly, and everyone's heart grew heavier. Even some of Huo Qingfeng's soldiers began to shed tears, tears that these men rarely shed.
Ling Ruoke just stared wide-eyed at the operating room, motionless and silent, as if petrified. Only the occasional blink of her eyes proved that she was alive.
When the tenth hour arrived, when the operating room door opened, finally, the doctor floated unsteadily out of the operating room. Everyone rushed over to ask for an answer. Only Ling Ruoke did not move.
"He's currently on life support, but..." The doctor shook his head helplessly. "It's still up to fate."
"At least, he's still alive, isn't he?" Ling Ruoke gave a hopeful smile before collapsing to the ground.
"If possible!"
"sister in law!"
Ling Ruoke lay quietly on the bed, like a lifeless doll. Although she wasn't the lively and active type, she had always been full of spirit. Seeing her lying there so lifeless was unsettling and heartbreaking.
Cang Weiwo sat on the edge of the bed, his hand resting on Ling Ruoke's face, gently stroking her thin features. His deep gaze held heartache and pain.
"She is not your refuge." The sudden voice spoke a cruel truth.
Cang Wei turned around and saw Wild Wolf leaning against the door. He curled the corner of his mouth and said, "She's not your habitat either."
Wild Wolf raised an eyebrow. "I know." After a while, Wild Wolf chuckled and shook his head.
Cang Wei frowned slightly, looking at him with confusion. "What are you laughing at?"
Wild Wolf shook his head and walked in. "I'm not laughing at you. I just suddenly thought, she's just pretty, at best. As for a better personality, there are plenty of people better than her. Actually, she's quite an ordinary person. Yet she's managed to make several men fall head over heels for her; I don't know how she did it."
"Perhaps it is precisely because of her ordinariness that she is so endearing. The most ordinary and simple things are sometimes the most touching." For example, a home. It doesn't need to be big or luxurious, just have gentle smiles and hot meals.
The wolf chuckled and offered no further comment.
When Ling Ruoke woke up again, even the Huo family had arrived. Upon seeing her mother-in-law, Ling Ruoke called out "Mom!" and finally threw herself into Yang Ziyun's arms, bursting into tears.
Words of comfort, as always, are pale and powerless; even though I know it, I can't help but say them.
After crying in Yang Ziyun's arms, Ling Ruoke stopped crying and acted as if nothing had happened. Every day, she silently watched the people inside the intensive care unit from outside, even though her own injuries had not yet healed.
Ling Ruoke looked at Huo Qingfeng's lifeless body with heartache. It seemed as if thousands of needles and tubes were inserted into his frail frame from the surrounding medical equipment. "Does it hurt? Husband, does it hurt?"
He was simply covered with a cloth, his large body wrapped in thick bandages. Ling Ruoke tightly covered her mouth, sobbing softly.
She longed to touch him, kiss him, and tell him how much she loved him; but the doctor repeatedly warned her not to touch him, so she could only greedily scan his face, his body, his hands and feet, and everything about him with her eyes.
She took several deep breaths, swallowing her fear and self-reproach.
At least he's still alive.
Someone seemed to have mentioned Gu Tianze and his group's fate to Ling Ruoke, but she hadn't listened. For her, the most important thing now was for the person in the bed to wake up; nothing else mattered. If this person woke up, even if Gu Tianze went free, as long as he didn't return to disturb their lives, she wouldn't care. If this person didn't wake up, then even if Gu Tianze were torn to pieces, it would still be futile.
"Ruoke, if you want to cry, just cry. Don't hold it in, it'll make you sick." Tan Peishi looked at her friend, watching her carefully wipe the captain's face and body, her expression normal. But she knew Ruoke; she seemed fine on the surface, but she didn't know how much pain she was in inside.
Ling Ruoke stopped what she was doing and smiled slightly at her. "I'm really fine. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
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