Mei Yanting tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. The more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt, as if she couldn't breathe.
Finally, she couldn't resist getting up, wanting to go to the rooftop for some fresh air. Afraid of waking people, she carefully and slowly made her way up, step by step.
Pushing open the rooftop door, the neighborhood wasn't dark, as dim streetlights were visible everywhere. Under the streetlights, the various shapes of the trimmed bushes, the artificial hills, the fountains... all the features that reflected the neighborhood's quality were clearly visible.
Take a deep breath; the air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, occasionally mingled with the fragrance of flowers... everything exudes a sense of happiness.
She was in this environment, experiencing all of this, but it had nothing to do with her, and would never belong to her! Never!
Mei Yanting slowly approached the railing. Looking down, she saw the villa's yard, with lush green grass and flowers dotting the landscape. The lake water was crystal clear, reflecting the twinkling stars in the night sky.
The night was deep, and a cool breeze blew, ruffling her long hair.
She slowly opened her arms, facing the wind, feeling an urge to "ride the wind and return home." But if she were to jump like that…
"You have the right to choose to die, but please don't jump here. My yard is clean, and I have no interest in taking in a wandering ghost."
A cold voice came from behind.
Mei Yanting screamed in fright and whirled around, her eyes wide. Luckily, the railing was high enough, or she would have fallen. In the shadows, a tall, dark figure stood at the doorway; her expression was obscured, but a pair of exceptionally bright eyes were visible.
Mei Yanting wanted to refute, but lacked the confidence, and could only stammer, "I...I..."
“You don’t need to explain to me. Your life or death is your own choice. I just feel sorry for my wife. She was trying so hard to help you, and you actually wanted to die. I feel even more sorry for my comrades who died young in the line of duty. They gave their young lives to protect the motherland and the people, and you, as one of the people they were protecting, were so reckless!”
"I--"
"Don't tell me about your misery. You're still alive, with a young life and a healthy body. You have no right to complain. If you think you're miserable, then you don't deserve happiness."
Then he turned away coldly, leaving behind the words before disappearing: Remember not to dirty my garden!
Mei Yanting stared blankly at the empty doorway for a long, long time before she remembered to breathe. His voice was cold, and his words were sharp and piercing, yet they broke through all barriers and stabbed directly into her heart.
He said: You are still alive, with a young life and a healthy body, you have no right to complain. If you feel miserable, then you don't deserve happiness.
Yes, compared to those struggling on the brink of death or battling the relentless ravages of illness, she is already very fortunate. At least she can still strive for what she wants with her own hands, and that in itself is a kind of happiness, isn't it?
Mei Yanting took a deep breath, turned around, went downstairs, and returned to her room.
After her door closed, a tall and imposing figure emerged from the darkness, like a god in the night.
...
the next day.
After breakfast, the colonel pulled Ling Ruoke to go out, saying he was going to take her to see someone.
Ling Ruoke hurriedly called Mei Yanting over. "Yanting, can you keep an eye on the little guy? If he wants to go out, there's money in the box in the entryway."
"Don't worry, Sister Ximeng, I'll keep a close eye on him." Mei Yanting waved her hand with a smile and sat down next to Xiao Fu'an.
Before Ling Ruoke could say anything, the colonel picked her up and carried her out the door.
Even from a distance, you can still hear them arguing, but it's full of joy.
Mei Yanting peered out the door, but could no longer see anyone. Her heart was filled with envy. They were truly so happy!
"Where are we going?" Ling Ruoke leaned halfway in her seat, blinking as she looked at the colonel. Why was this guy being so mysterious? He just wouldn't tell her.
"Trying to be cute won't work. You'll see when we get there. Be good, we'll be there soon!" The colonel reached out and patted her head.
Ling Ruoke pouted. "Alright then." The colonel was the most tight-lipped; no matter how she asked, he wouldn't say anything.
The car drove for a short while before entering an old residential area. The environment was quite nice, with plenty of greenery and a quiet atmosphere. Then, the car stopped in front of a building.
Ling Ruoke slowly sat up straight; she had already guessed what was going on. But she said nothing, followed the colonel up to the second floor, and watched him knock on a door.
"Wait a moment!" came a woman's voice from behind the door.
The colonel seemed afraid she would misunderstand, so he gave her a special look.
Ling Ruoke smiled at him, indicating that he could rest assured.
The door opened, revealing a woman's face. She greeted the colonel with a smile. "You've arrived." Then she noticed Ling Ruoke and was slightly surprised.
"Hello, we meet again." Ling Ruoke waved her hand, not surprised that she was the same person outside the kindergarten that day; her intuition was right.
This time, it was the colonel who was surprised. "You've met before?"
Ling Ruoke smiled. "We've met once before. Colonel, could you please go in first? You're blocking the way."
Yuan Meng smiled immediately when she heard her address the colonel. "It's my fault, please come in."
Ling Ruoke entered the house and looked around. It was a simple one-bedroom apartment; although old, it was very clean and well-furnished. At a glance, you could tell that the owner knew how to manage a household.
The colonel kept watching his wife's expression, as if trying to make sure she wasn't acting strangely.
While Yuan Meng went to pour tea, Ling Ruoke leaned close to his ear and said, "I know she is Fu'an's mother, not the person you're having an affair with."
The colonel was furious and pinched her waist, almost making her scream.
"Come on, have a cup of tea and some fruit."
"Thank you. Mmm, this tea smells wonderful!" Ling Ruoke took a sip of the tea.
The colonel looked at her and said, "Looking at you like this, people will think I'm abusing you!"
"Hehe, good to know. Don't forget to make it up to me later."
Yuan Meng smiled faintly, watching the two bicker. She felt incredibly grateful to the couple. They took such good care of her child and were always trying to help her. She didn't know if she would ever have the chance to repay this kindness in her lifetime.
Ling Ruoke didn't dare to cause trouble with the colonel for too long. First, they were on his territory, and second, she didn't know where Fu'an's father was, so she was afraid of touching on his sore spot.
Huo Qingfeng first introduced them, and after they greeted him, he asked about Yuan Meng's health.
"I'm all better now, don't worry." Her complexion had indeed improved a lot, and she finally had some color in her skin, but she was still a bit pale.
"I came here today not only to let you meet my wife, but also to take you to my home to see Xiao Fu'an," Huo Qingfeng explained his purpose.
Yuan Meng's expression immediately changed. "No need, I know he's doing well, that's enough!"
Huo Qingfeng clearly didn't know how to persuade her; in fact, he had already tried several times, but Yuan Meng was very stubborn. So, the colonel looked at his wife, silently sending a distress signal.
Ling Ruoke nodded to the colonel. "Why? Why are you depriving Fu'an of the right to see his biological mother? I want a convincing reason!"
Yuan Meng immediately lost control of her emotions, covered her mouth with her hand, and looked out the window.
Huo Qingfeng was a little worried and opened his mouth to comfort her.
Ling Ruoke grabbed his hand, signaling him to leave it alone. Yuan Meng's thinking was wrong and needed to be corrected. If she couldn't be with Fu'an, she would never be happy. "Yuan Meng, I need a reason!"
Yuan Mengyi let out a sob, tears streaming down her face. "He shouldn't have a mother like me, a mother who's been to prison! I don't want anyone to look down on him in the future, and I especially don't want him to know that his mother was once a criminal!"
She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, heartbroken.
This time, Ling Ruoke was stunned. She hadn't expected that Yuan Meng had actually been to prison.
Huo Qingfeng grabbed her hand and wrote on her palm with his fingertips: She did nothing wrong!
Ling Ruoke nodded, took a breath, and waited for Yuan Meng's emotions to calm down. "Yuan Meng, have you seen 'Forrest Gump'?"
"Mmm." Yuan Meng bit her lip and nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground.
"I think many people have seen the scene between Forrest Gump's mother and the principal, but has anyone commented that Forrest Gump's mother was a bad woman, not a good mother? As the saying goes, a child doesn't despise their mother for being ugly. Although I don't know what happened back then, I can assure you that she was a good woman and a good mother. If a woman has no character flaws and loves her child, then she is a good mother, and no one has the right to deny her!"
"But what if someone exposes it one day? How will he face this cruel reality? If he stayed by your side, this wouldn't be possible, and he would be happy forever! I know I'm selfish, but I really don't want to..."
Looking at the woman weeping bitterly, Ling Ruoke knew that she had reached a dead end in this matter. Perhaps only by pushing her to the brink would she be able to see the light.
“You’re not Fu’an, how do you know he can’t face it? He’s a boy, destined to grow up to be a strong and upright man. If he can’t even handle this little thing, how will he face the storms of life? Even if he comes from a well-off family, what does that guarantee? Does it guarantee his life will be smooth sailing?”
“I—” Her tone was so stern that Yuan Meng was somewhat taken aback.
Ling Ruoke didn't give her a chance to explain at all, and then asked sharply, "You selfishly want to keep him with us for the rest of your life, but have you ever asked me if I'm willing to raise your child for the rest of my life?"
"If possible!" This time, even Huo Qingfeng was anxious.
Ling Ruoke ignored him and continued speaking. "Qingfeng and I don't have children yet, but what if we do in the future? Will I have the energy to take care of two children? Can you guarantee that I won't be biased? What if I only care about my own child and don't care about him? What if I let my own child bully him? Then he will ask me why I'm so biased towards him, and maybe I will tell him that it's because he's not my child! And his biological mother doesn't want him!"
"Stop talking! Please stop talking! I beg you, please stop!" Yuan Meng covered her ears and shouted loudly before rushing into the room.
Ling Ruoke watched the door slam shut, exhaled, and turned to silently look at the colonel. "Was I too much?"
Huo Qingfeng shook his head and put his arm around her shoulder. He knew his wife would never treat Fu'an badly; she just wanted to help Yuan Meng resolve her inner conflicts.
“When I was still in college, I met a woman while doing volunteer work. She told me something: ‘For a woman, the cruelest thing is being separated from her child.’” Yuan Meng still stubbornly believes that it’s best for her child to be with them. But Yuan Meng herself cannot be happy because her child is not by her side. He may never call her “Mom” in his entire life, or even know she exists. That’s too cruel for a woman!
"Wife, I understand!" Huo Qingfeng tightened his arms and rubbed her hair.
In the room, Yuan Meng buried her face in the blankets, weeping silently. Ling Ruoke's words were too harsh for her to bear. That question, "Did you ask me if I was willing to raise your child for the rest of my life?" felt like a bolt from the blue!
After a long while, Yuan Meng finally got up, wiping away her tears in a huff. "Fine, I'll raise my own child!"
But in reality, this was a voice from the bottom of her heart, only she was unwilling to face it. She loved her child too much and was terrified that her experience of going to prison would become a stain on her child's life!
Ling Ruoke looked straight at her and nodded vigorously. "Very good! Starting tomorrow, you'll live at my house. Although Fu'an isn't my biological son, I've still raised him for so long, and I need to make sure he's happy with you, so that all the time he's called me 'Mommy' won't have been in vain!"
Fu'an is only five years old. If Yuan Meng spends time with him every day, he will soon grow to like the gentle Yuan Meng. Once they have developed a bond, he can be entrusted to Yuan Meng.
She needed to have a serious talk with the colonel about Fu'an's father and the truth about Yuan Meng's imprisonment. She desperately wanted to know what had really happened back then!
"this……"
...
City B, Airport.
A flight had just landed, so there were about a hundred hurried passengers at the airport exit. Soon, they were all gone. Airports and train stations are always like this: people come and go in a hurry, there's sadness at parting, but also joy at reunion.
Finally, a tall woman emerged, wearing sunglasses, her wavy hair bouncing with each leisurely step. She wore a fiery red trench coat over a black fitted dress that just past her thighs, and tall boots with heels that appeared to be 10 centimeters high.
Although the sunglasses concealed half of her face, judging from her fair and delicate skin, thin, diamond-shaped lips, pointed chin, and overall demeanor, she was undoubtedly a beauty.
The woman's waist swayed gracefully, like a willow branch swaying in the breeze, yet possessing a natural resilience that easily attracted the attention of many men. She pulled her suitcase with her left hand and slowly removed her sunglasses with her right. Instantly, a stunningly beautiful face appeared in everyone's sight, eliciting gasps of amazement from all around.
The woman seemed used to such gazes and astonishment, and didn't react much, but it was clear that she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention.
Parked in the parking space opposite the exit was a dazzling vehicle—an armored car. Leaning against it was a very imposing man, strikingly handsome and exuding an air of authority. Seeing the woman appear, he slowly stood up, a smile spreading across his usually expressionless face. "Xiao Zheng, welcome home."
"Big brother." The woman smiled radiantly and embraced him.
"Get in the car, everyone's waiting for you at home." The man opened the passenger door and let her in.
Guzheng got in, and the car drove off.
Gu Zheng gazed out the window at the scenery she hadn't seen in years, a look of nostalgia on her face. After all these years, she had finally returned. Looking up, she saw a black dot appear in the sky, slowly growing larger until it became a majestic bird with outstretched wings.
The guzheng watched it glide through the wind, like that man Huo. Her brother and father said he'd become a true male Huo! Actually, he was a male Huo back then. It's just that after all these years, he's surely become even more outstanding!
It turns out that so many years have passed without me even realizing it.
...
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