Ling Ruoke could hardly believe her eyes.
She stood there, stunned, watching that tall, imposing figure slowly approach. His eyes were gentle yet firm, a faint smile played on his lips, and his handsome gait was captivating... all of this was familiar to her.
Finally, he stood before her, looking down at her. The tenderness in his eyes deepened. "Ruoke," he whispered, his voice magnetic.
Ling Ruoke stared at him blankly, forgetting to respond. In disbelief, she reached out and touched his face, feeling its warmth. A smile finally appeared on her face, and tears of joy streamed down her face. "Qingfeng, you're alive! You're really alive!"
He took her hand and smiled gently. "Ruoke, I promised you I would protect myself."
Ling Ruoke could hear every word clearly.
"Qingfeng!" she cried out in surprise, throwing herself into his arms, only to find nothing. "Qingfeng?"
"Yes!" Tan Peishi cried out, feeling her tense nerves finally relax. She had been unconscious for a day. "You're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
Ling Ruoke grabbed her hand and said anxiously, "Peishi, Qingfeng is not dead!" Her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse.
Tan Peishi hurriedly brought over a glass of water, urging her to drink some to soothe her throat. Before she could even put the glass down, Ruoke grabbed her hand.
"Peishi, Qingfeng isn't dead, he's not dead!"
Tan Peishi patted the back of her hand, looking at the smile on her face. She couldn't bear to say anything cruel, but she also couldn't let her live in the self-constructed world of deception.
"Ruoke, I know you're heartbroken, and I'm heartbroken too. We're all so heartbroken we want to die. But we can't, because if we die, we'll be letting down Captain Fu and Fu Peigang. What did they serve in the army for? It was to ensure that ordinary people could live in peace. So, no matter what, we have to stay strong and live on. If you're sad, just cry it out. Don't lock yourself in a world of fantasy, okay?"
Later on, she couldn't help but cry again.
"Why don't you believe me?" Ling Ruoke asked anxiously. "I'm not deceiving myself, Qingfeng really isn't dead!"
"Okay, you're not lying to yourself. Then how do you know the captain is still alive?" The military has already confirmed that the two of them were in that spot when the bomb exploded. After the bomb, the building collapsed, burying them completely underground.
“Qingfeng told me this himself. He said he wasn’t dead yet, he was still alive!” She clearly remembered that his expression was gentle and that he touched her face.
Tan Peishi understood; she was living in a dream. "Where did the captain tell you he was still alive?"
“In my dreams,” Ling Ruoke answered without hesitation.
Tan Peishi cupped her face in her hands. "Ruoke, look at me. You're dreaming, it's not real. The captain... he's really gone. You have to... you have to be strong!" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.
"Peishi, why don't you believe me!" Ling Ruoke was very anxious and suddenly threw off the covers and got out of bed. "I'm not going to tell you. I'm going to find Qingfeng, and then you'll know I wasn't lying."
Tan Peishi quickly pressed her down. "Okay, okay, I believe you. Even if you need to find someone, you should get better first. You're still on an IV drip, lie back down."
"You still don't believe me." Ling Ruoke looked at her, her gaze piercing. She believed that everything in her dream was real, that Qingfeng was still alive!
Tan Peishi's eyes were filled with tears. "I believe you. You go to sleep first, and once you've recovered, I won't interfere with whatever you want to do. I'll even do it with you, okay?"
Ling Ruoke had no choice but to lie back down. She kept repeating the same few phrases. But soon she fell asleep.
Tan Peishi wiped away her tears, finally letting out a sigh of relief. Ruoke's collapse had spurred her to become stronger. Now, she was able to accept this cruel reality. However, whenever she was alone, the pain in her chest was particularly intense, as if a gaping hole had been dug in, leaving her feeling empty.
Lying in bed, she thought about it all night long. What had she done wrong that God was so cruel? Although she was carefree and sometimes her words could be infuriating, she had never harmed anyone or done anything shameful. Why was she being punished like this?
Slowly closing her eyes, Tan Peishi let her tears flow freely. She had accepted reality, but the pain was just too much; she couldn't bear it anymore!
Tan's mother stood at the door of the ward, silently watching this scene, wiping away her tears.
Ling Ruoke took another nap and slowly recovered. However, she was already very thin, and now she was almost unrecognizable.
After dinner, Ling Ruoke pulled Tan Peishi aside and began discussing how to find someone to rescue them. Her expression was calm, not like she was caught in self-deception.
Tan Peishi was also confused, but more than that, she was worried. "Is it alright?"
"Huh?" Ruoke, who was doodling in her notebook and trying to explain her thoughts, looked up in confusion and saw her friend's worried face. "What's wrong? Do you think I've been shocked and am talking nonsense? Peishi, I'm perfectly clear-headed, really."
"But--"
Ling Ruoke cut her off. "You're going to say again, 'But they've already verified it,' right? But they didn't see the body."
Ling Ruoke took her hand and looked into her eyes. "You see, they're only speculating, they haven't seen it with their own eyes. Neither Qingfeng nor Fu Peigang are ordinary soldiers. So why can't we use unconventional reasoning to deduce that maybe they're still alive? Peishi, you can accept this judgment, but I can't. In any case, we need to see them alive or dead."
Hearing this, Tan Peishi felt a glimmer of hope. "Okay, let's go find them together! But how? Should the two of us go to X country? But we don't know anyone there, and it's too dangerous because of the war. We also don't know their exact location."
Ling Ruoke thought for a while and then used her last resort. "I want to go see Qingfeng's parents and ask them to come up with a solution." Qingfeng's father is also a soldier with extensive connections; he's sure to have a way.
"But will they help?" Tan Peishi thought of the troublesome general and Yang Ziyun and felt that the hope was very slim.
Ling Ruoke shook her head. "I don't know either. But Qingfeng is their son, they should be able to help. In any case, let's give it a try. If they really refuse to help, we'll think of another way."
"good!"
So they booked flights to City B for the next day.
Tan Peishi called her mother and told her what they were thinking. The old lady didn't ask any questions, only telling them to be careful.
The two women lay in bed, whispering to each other until midnight, before finally falling asleep from exhaustion. The next morning, they both woke up almost simultaneously, neither lingering in bed for a moment longer.
Ling Ruoke went downstairs and saw the person who had been following her. "To the airport, I'm flying to B City."
They opened the car door and got in.
As usual, that person called Cang Wei. I don't know what I said, but the person handed the phone to her.
Before Cang Weiwo could speak, Ling Ruoke stated her position directly: "I'm going to B City. Either have him take me to B City, or take my corpse back with you."
"You really want to die that badly?" Cang Weiwo's voice was colder than ever before.
Ling Ruoke held her phone, looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle. She didn't cry, but Tan Peishi, who was watching her, felt a strong urge to burst into tears.
"Cang Weiwo, my parents are gone, and if Qingfeng is gone too, then there's no point in me living." Her words weren't forceful, but rather conveyed a sense of despair.
After hanging up the phone, Cang Wei was still lost in thought for a long time.
Her desperate voice still seemed to echo in my ears—"Then there's no point in me living."
...
Sitting in the car, Ling Ruoke was also very uneasy. Qingfeng's parents didn't like her, and she didn't even know if they wanted to see her. What if they really didn't want to see her?
Tan Peishi reached out and took Ling Ruoke's icy hand in hers, rubbing it between her palms. But after rubbing for a long time, it still showed no sign of warming up.
“Peishi, it’s no use. Leng Yuan is in my heart.” She turned her head and murmured, then turned back.
Tan Peishi held her hand, opened her mouth, but said nothing. She sighed, only hoping that they were truly still alive by some stroke of luck. She knew in her heart that no matter how strong they were, they were still made of flesh and blood. If the situation at the time was true, then the chance of survival was basically zero. It was just that she desperately wanted Fu Peigang to be alive, which was why she was willing to believe Ruoke's dream along with her.
The two of them arrived at the airport with icy hearts and boarded the plane. Outside the window, the sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the sun was shining brightly, but they both felt cold.
Upon exiting the airport and seeing the car waiting to pick her up, Ling Ruoke felt a surge of gratitude towards Cang Weiwo for the first time. She got in, and without needing to give any instructions, the car sped off. Clearly, it knew where its target was.
The car left the airport and headed straight for Ziyun Capital.
The Ziyun Capital is located within a military compound, not a place that can be entered casually. So, unsurprisingly, their car was stopped at the gate. After asking for their identities and the identity of the person they were looking for, the guards began making phone calls.
Ling Ruoke watched quietly through the door, unsure whether Yang Ziyun would let her in. Before she could even make a decision, the guards had already relayed her message: she didn't know her! Clearly, Yang Ziyun didn't want to see her.
"If it's possible, what should we do?" Tan Peishi frowned. It was already summer, and the scorching sun was really unbearable.
Ling Ruoke didn't answer, but instead turned to the guard. "Brother soldier, could you please call again so I can say a few words to my master? I really have something very important to discuss with them, please!"
"Fine, we'll fight it one more time. If they still won't let you in, then leave. This isn't a place to cause trouble."
"Thank you, thank you so much."
He dialed again, and this time before he could finish speaking, a roar came from the other end. It was the general's voice. He put down the pager and looked at her.
Ling Ruoke nodded to him and got into the car. No! She couldn't go back like this! Before coming, she had specifically copied down the relevant numbers from the landline. She started dialing Yang Ziyun's mobile phone, but it was switched off. She had no choice but to dial the landline, and this time it went through.
Before anyone could speak, Ling Ruoke quickly explained her purpose. "Qingfeng isn't dead! I've come to discuss how to save him. Please, please let me in!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then the phone was hung up abruptly.
Just as Ling Ruoke was about to dial again, the guard opened the door and let them in. However, the car had to remain outside, and only Ling Ruoke could go inside.
"Ruo Ke!" Tan Peishi called out to Ling Ruo Ke worriedly, wanting to beg them to let her in as well.
Ling Ruoke turned back and smiled at her. "Don't worry, they won't do anything to me. Wait for me in the car, don't get heatstroke."
"No way!" Tan Peishi thought to herself in shock. The captain was such a nice person, but his parents were so annoying! Given Ruoke's personality and their status, Ruoke would definitely be bullied by them!
Ling Ruoke didn't know the exact location of their house, so she was led there. She didn't pay much attention to the surrounding scenery because she was too nervous.
When the door opened, she saw the general and his wife sitting on the sofa in the huge hall, and she felt a chill run down her spine.
The general's gaze was as sharp as ever, making it impossible for anyone to look directly at him.
Yang Ziyun's gaze, as always, carried her disgust, leaving her at a loss for what to do.
Ling Ruoke walked in step by step and stood in front of them. "Uncle, Aunt."
"You are not worthy to call me that." Yang Ziyun said coldly, her face showing how haggard she looked, also due to Qingfeng's situation.
"You say Qingfeng is still alive? What's going on? If you dare to play tricks, I'll shoot you dead!" The general was still as fierce as ever, but he didn't actually draw his gun.
Ling Ruoke took a breath and boldly met their gaze. "Qingfeng told me this himself, in my dream."
"You—I'll shoot you dead!" The general swiftly drew his gun and pressed it against her head.
Yang Ziyun suddenly rushed over and slapped Ruoke hard across the face. "You disgust me! You've already killed Qingfeng, isn't that enough? You still have to mess with us old folks? Have you lost your conscience?"
"No, I—"
"Shut up!" Yang Ziyun snapped at her fiercely, her voice hoarse. "I feel disgusted just looking at you. If it weren't for you, my Qingfeng wouldn't be dead! I really regret it, I really regret not driving you away back then, otherwise... otherwise Qingfeng wouldn't have gotten into this mess..."
Yang Ziyun staggered a few steps, but was caught by the general. "It's all because of you, you disreputable woman, that my perfectly healthy son is gone. Men, throw her out! I never want to see her again, not in this lifetime!"
"Auntie, please listen to me. I believe Qingfeng is really still alive, really." Ling Ruoke was pushed towards the door, hoping they would listen to her.
"Shut up! If you say another word, I'll kill you! You killed my Qingfeng, you deserve to die a hundred times over!"
"Shut up!" Another authoritative voice rang out from behind Ling Ruoke. "Let her go!"
Ling Ruoke quickly turned her head and saw an elderly man about the same age as Old Master Gu. She knew that this was Huo Qingfeng's grandfather, but she didn't dare to call out to him.
The old man sized her up, then looked at the general and his wife. "Qingfeng died for his country. What does that have to do with that young girl? It's not her fault. Why are you yelling at her!"
“Qingfeng has gone on so many missions and always returned safely. It’s because of her that Qingfeng is so unsettled, that he… that he…” Yang Ziyun couldn’t continue; she was about to cry.
"Nonsense!" The old man, ignoring her tears, yelled. "Instead of blaming her, you should blame yourself. If Qingfeng's impaired reaction time was truly due to his mental state, then you should bear the responsibility. If you hadn't stopped them from being together, none of this would have happened! Now that something's gone wrong, you're pushing everything onto others—what kind of behavior is that? If anyone really killed Qingfeng, it was definitely you, not this little girl!"
Yang Ziyun was so stung by these words that she could barely stand, her eyes filled with tears.
"Father." The general felt sorry for his wife and quickly looked at his father, trying to stop him from saying anything more.
"I haven't even mentioned you yet! You've spoiled your wife rotten! It's not wrong to spoil your wife, but you still need to have principles about what you should and shouldn't do!"
"Dad—" Yang Ziyun cried out, heartbroken, "Have you disliked me, your daughter-in-law, for a long time? Is that why you're now willing to protect an outsider?"
"Yes, I never liked you from the beginning. But Huo Zhixun did, so I never gave you a hard time, because it was Huo Zhixun who married you, not me. In truth, it was my fault; I should have stopped all of this earlier." The old man suddenly raised his hand and punched himself hard.
The general and his wife were also stunned, staring at him in astonishment.
"Grandpa..." Ling Ruoke finally couldn't help but call out, the old man's protection warmed her heart.
The old man looked at her, his eyes slightly moist. "I'm not worthy of being called 'Grandpa' by you. I'm getting senile; people are different after all, so why bother testing them?"
He was muttering something to himself, which Ling Ruoke didn't quite understand. But she knew that although Qingfeng seemed cold, he actually cared a lot about his family. "No, no..." She didn't know what to say; in this situation, she wasn't in the mood to try and cheer the old man up.
"Come, sit down. Tell Grandpa what you just said."
Ling Ruoke glanced at the general and his wife, but they didn't say anything, so she followed them.
"Sit down and talk," Huo Zhixun gestured to a servant to pour tea.
Ling Ruoke looked at him, still a little nervous, because it was indeed absurd to talk about something based on a dream. "Grandpa, I know what I'm saying is a bit absurd. But that dream was so vivid. Qingfeng was standing right in front of me, clearly telling me that he was still alive. So, so I think he must really be alive. Could, could you send someone to look for him again?"
“I understand your feelings.” Huo Zhenbang nodded, his face also showing sadness. “Such a blow is indeed hard to accept.”
"Grandpa! Please believe me, I really didn't make up this dream because I couldn't accept reality. I... I truly believe that Qingfeng is still alive. Sometimes, a woman's intuition is very accurate, isn't it?" As Ling Ruoke spoke, tears began to well up in her eyes.
“I understand. But they have indeed confirmed that there is no possibility of survival. You know, they will not abandon any soldier. They will do anything to bring back even a corpse.”
"I know, I just..." She just felt that the military's search and evidence collection methods had too many rational considerations and limitations, and that Qingfeng might be doing things in ways others wouldn't expect. But she gradually realized that she couldn't convince them. In fact, she herself was almost unable to believe it anymore.
"Young lady, live your life well, look to the future, don't always look back, understand?" Huo Zhenbang sighed. Such a good girl, yet she has no chance to become his Huo family's granddaughter-in-law.
Ling Ruoke didn't know how else to persuade him; her mind was in complete turmoil. She stood up dazedly and slowly walked towards the door. She stumbled and staggered down the stairs.
If her grandfather hadn't instructed someone to lead her to the door, she wouldn't have known where to go.
"If so, what's the situation? Are they unwilling to help us?"
Ling Ruoke shook her head. "They don't believe me." She grabbed Tan Peishi's arm again, looking intently at her. "Peishi, don't you believe me either?"
Tan Peishi didn't know how to put it; rationally she didn't believe it, but emotionally she was willing to believe it.
Ling Ruoke smiled bitterly. It seemed no one believed her anymore. Even she herself couldn't believe anymore?
"Let's drive." She slowly closed her eyes, feeling utterly exhausted. Everyone around her made her feel that the dream never existed; it was just her imagination, a fantasy born of longing.
"If it's alright..." Tan Peishi noticed that something was wrong with her and became worried.
Ling Ruoke waved her hand. "Peishi, don't say anything, okay?" Her voice was full of pleading as she said the last two words.
Tan Peishi had no choice but to reach out and put her arm around her, pressing her head against her shoulder.
When the car arrived at the airport, they had just gotten out when they saw Cang Weiwo standing in front of them.
Ling Ruoke stared at him blankly, without reacting.
Tan Peishi hurriedly stepped in front of Ling Ruoke, looking at him and questioning, "Cang Weiwo, what do you want?"
Cang Wei gently lifted her aside and looked down at Ruo Ke. After not seeing her for a few days, she looked even more haggard and unrecognizable.
Ling Ruoke blinked and looked at her, saying, "Cang Weiwo, are you here to take me back to City A? I won't run away or struggle. I just want to tell you that Qingfeng is dead, and I have nothing to hold on to. I don't know how much longer this body can last. If you want to torture me, hurry up, otherwise you might not have the chance soon."
My heart clenched painfully. But I still held her close and led her away.
Before leaving, Ling Ruoke looked at her friend. "Peishi, just live a good life with Aunt Tan. Things will get better slowly."
Cang Weiwo's men sent Tan Peishi back.
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