Downstairs, Huo Zhenbang and Huo Zhixun were still playing chess, their battle raging fiercely.
Little Huo Fu'an is holding the TV and watching cartoons, looking completely absorbed.
Tan Peishi, holding Xiao Lele, watched Ling Ruoke come downstairs with a smile. The ambiguity in her eyes was obvious to anyone, successfully making Ruoke's face blush even more.
Yang Ziyun, Yuan Meng, and Tan's mother were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, and their conversation could be heard. Upon closer listening, it was mainly Yang Ziyun and Tan's mother sharing their parenting experiences.
Ling Ruoke didn't dare look Tan Peishi in the eye. She sat down next to her and clapped her hands to amuse Xiao Lele. "Godson, let your godmother hold you?" Xiao Lele wouldn't come running to her on his own, so she had to take the initiative to pick him up.
Huo Qingfeng sat down next to his grandfather, and the three of them watched the chess game together. One wonders, though, whether the three of them will start fighting later.
Tan Peishi sneakily leaned close to Ling Ruoke's ear and whispered, "Look at how radiant you are, the captain must have taken advantage of you completely, right?"
Ling Ruoke glanced at her, her face flushed. "Godson, your godmother is taking you to play. Ignore your mother, she's so mean!"
Tan Peishi stuck out her tongue, feeling wronged. "How am I bad? I didn't say anything wrong!" She then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Tell the truth, have you ever been made to pass out?"
She thought to herself, "There's no reason why I've been made dizzy, but Ruoke, with her small frame, hasn't!" The captain looked even more muscular than Fu Peigang!
Ling Ruoke placed Xiao Lele in her arms. "I'll go check on the kitchen."
Tan Peishi rolled her eyes. She's married now, how can she still be so shameless? But that's also part of Ruoke's charm; men love it when their wives, even though it's not their first time, are still as shy and alluring as if it were! "Son, your godmother is a vixen, isn't she? Isn't she?"
Xiao Le laughed heartily, dancing with joy. What his mother said was irrelevant to him.
Ling Ruoke went into the kitchen and saw three women busily working. This was also the first time she had seen Yang Ziyun wearing an apron, and she was quite surprised.
"Why did you come in? The kitchen is smoky. Go outside and play chess with your grandfather. He's been asking for this for ages." As soon as Yang Ziyun saw her, she pushed her to go outside.
Ling Ruoke was both amused and exasperated. "Mom, Dad's playing chess with Grandpa and Qingfeng. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"No, no, you just go outside and wait."
Yuan Meng also joined in the persuasion. "If you're okay, then go outside and stay there. You've only just recovered and need to rest. Aunt Huo is waiting to hold her grandson, so just listen to me."
Ling Ruoke had no choice but to leave. After looking around, she finally chose to sit next to Xiao Fu'an and watch TV with him.
Tan Peishi walked over carrying Lele. "If it's alright, let's go for a walk in the garden."
"Okay." Ling Ruoke stood up and took little Lele from her arms. Instantly, the air was filled with the scent of milk. She nudged the little guy's belly with her head, making him giggle. His little hands grabbed her hair and played with it, pulling so hard it hurt her a little.
The two of them, along with their child, came to the garden and couldn't help but smile when they saw the flower path.
“Your mother-in-law is really kind. I didn’t like her before, but now I think she’s a really good person. Once she accepts you, she’ll treat you with all her heart, right?” Fu Peigang was an orphan, so she had never had any experience interacting with her mother-in-law.
In the past, whenever she heard others talk about how difficult it was to get along with their mothers-in-law, she couldn't help but feel secretly glad that she didn't have that problem. But now, she thinks that perhaps she has lost a kind of love.
Ling Ruoke chuckled softly, her heart filled with emotion. "Yes, I also think she's really wonderful. Peishi, when my parents passed away, I felt like my whole world collapsed. Now, I have a new world, filled with the care and love of so many people."
Tan Peishi smiled and rested her chin on her shoulder, gazing at the distant, misty mountains. "I told you, you would be happy. See, I was right!"
"Mm." Ling Ruoke wanted to say "thank you" to her, but ultimately didn't. There was no need for sentimentality between them.
The two stood quietly together, as if transported back to their youthful college days. Back then, the two of them, one still and one lively, were a beautiful sight on campus. This friendship, undiminished by the passage of time, has only grown stronger.
Ling Ruoke blinked, looking at the bushes in the garden. "I ran into Gu Miaomiao again today. Didn't I tell you last time that she seemed to be pregnant? Do you remember?"
"Hmm, it seems like that happened." Tan Peishi usually doesn't remember people who aren't relevant to her.
“We were eating at the same restaurant when I overheard her conversation with her husband. She was asking him for a divorce, and what she said made me feel very sad. Later, she was pushed down on the street and lost her child…” Her voice was full of emotion, and she couldn’t continue, because in her view, losing a child is a fatal blow to a woman.
Tan Peishi leaned on her shoulder, seemingly unconcerned. "These kinds of things happen every day in the world, we can't possibly keep up with them all. So, don't think about it."
Ling Ruoke knew she was right; the colonel had said the same thing. But she felt like something was stuck in her chest, making her very uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because she had once faced her husband's betrayal, so she could better understand Gu Miaomiao's sorrow and couldn't help but sympathize with her.
"Tan Peishi, you woman, how dare you take advantage of my wife!" Huo Qingfeng strode over and snatched Ling Ruoke into his arms. He picked up Xiao Lele and placed her in Tan Peishi's arms.
Tan Peishi hugged her son and pouted. "When Ruoke and I were all lovey-dovey, Captain, you were probably somewhere out there! I'm already being lenient by not scolding you, the third party, and you turn around and blame me!"
"Tan Peishi, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll make sure Fu Peigang won't be able to come home for a year!"
"What else can you do besides this trick? You shameless bully, you scoundrel!"
Ling Ruoke couldn't help but chuckle. She crossed her arms, waiting to watch the show. "Why don't you two fight? Whoever wins is right."
"Pshaw! With her tiny frame, I could knock her down with just one finger!"
"Pshaw! You think you can take me down with one finger? If you're so capable, try taking down my Fu Peigang with one finger!"
Ling Ruoke snatched the child from Tan Peishi's arms and turned to walk into the house. "You two play slowly, it's fine if you fight or argue, I'm taking the baby to play."
"Wife!" Huo Qingfeng followed pitifully.
Tan Peishi snorted coldly and went to swing on a swing in a corner of the garden.
Ling Ruoke, carrying Xiao Lele, returned to the living room and sat down. The colonel followed her like a big dog, his face full of ingratiation. She glanced at him and couldn't help but laugh. She really didn't know how this man could act so loyal.
Speaking of which, Ling Ruoke only learned the term "loyal dog" from reader comments. Everyone was calling the colonel she created in her novel a "loyal dog," and that's how she learned the term. Speaking of the novel, she hadn't written anything for several days; she wondered if the readers would be furious. No, she had to type some more tonight.
"What are you thinking about?" Huo Qingfeng picked up the little guy and placed him on his lap, supporting him under his armpits so that he sat facing him. The little guy didn't recognize people very well yet, and he grinned at him, waving his arms and legs excitedly.
Ling Ruoke raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't thinking about anything. Little Lele, come here, come to your godmother..."
She clapped her hands, and the little one looked around, finally finding the source of the sound. Seeing her, he smiled, drooling profusely. "Oh dear, drooling! Drooling will get you a beating..."
The little guy thought he was playing with him, and twisted around even more energetically. If he weren't so soft-boned and weak, he probably would have stood up. His joyful twisting around was a real hardship for Huo Qingfeng. The child was so small, smaller than his palm, and it felt like he could slip away from his grasp like an eel at any moment, keeping Huo Qingfeng on edge.
Seeing his tense expression, Ling Ruoke finally couldn't help but laugh and reached out to take the child in her arms. "Don't be so nervous. Just hold him firmly, supporting his back. Here, try again."
"I don't want to!" Huo Qingfeng felt that it was a bomb.
Ling Ruoke giggled. The colonel, who was always fearless, was actually afraid of a baby!
"What are you two talking about, so happy?" Yang Ziyun came out with the dishes and saw them chatting and laughing, so she came over and asked.
Ling Ruoke smiled at her. "We were talking about Xiao Lele." She placed the child in Huo Qingfeng's arms. "You hold him, I'll go help."
"No need, it's all ready. We're just waiting to serve it. You two, give each other a good hug and share in the joy," Yang Ziyun said with a smile, then turned and went back into the kitchen.
Ling Ruoke blushed. Looking up, she saw the colonel staring at her with a half-smile. "What?"
Huo Qingfeng leaned close to her ear, glanced at her belly, and said slyly, "Maybe we've already caught some of this good fortune."
Ling Ruoke raised her hand and tapped him.
Huo Qingfeng let out a miserable cry, glaring at her and asking, "Don't you want to?"
Ling Ruoke was speechless. She thought about it, but having it constantly on people's minds didn't feel good. But then she thought again, his desire for his own child was understandable. Finally, blushing, she lowered her head and softly murmured, "Mmm."
Huo Qingfeng leaned down and kissed her. Then the two snuggled together, affectionately playing with the child.
Soon, a sumptuous meal was laid out. The men drank alcohol, and the women drank juice. Everyone except Little Lele had a glass in their hand.
"Come on, let's have a toast to celebrate Ruok's discharge from the hospital! May we all be safe and healthy from now on! And then, give the Huo family a healthy baby!" Yang Ziyun was the first to stand up.
What followed was a lively dinner filled with your blessings and banter.
"Ruo Ke, eat more, you're still too thin!" Yang Ziyun kept piling food onto Ling Ruo Ke's plate, as if she wanted to fatten Ruo Ke up with just one meal.
Huo Qingfeng looked at the mountain of food piled up in his wife's bowl, picked up a piece, and said to Yang Ziyun, "Mom, this is Ruoke's home. If you keep putting food in her bowl, she'll start thinking she's a guest."
"You're talking nonsense! I just want to fatten Ruoke up; she's so thin it's heartbreaking!"
"..."
Dinner lasted for almost two hours before finally ending in a lively atmosphere.
Ling Ruoke rushed into the kitchen to start chores, but Yang Ziyun pushed her out, making her play chess with her grandfather. Huo Qingfeng also came over to watch her and her grandfather's battle on the chessboard. Her chess skills weren't particularly good, but her grandfather loved playing with her. He was always happy playing with her, but when he played with the general, they always ended up arguing.
After playing two rounds, it was already quite late. Everyone, being considerate of Ling Ruoke's recent discharge from the hospital, urged her to go to sleep.
Huo Qingfeng then drove Tan Peishi's family back home. Fortunately, the journey was not far, and they returned shortly afterward.
After Ling Ruoke was sent back to her room, she turned on her computer and, sure enough, saw a dense barrage of comments, all urging her to update, with some even resorting to insults. She quickly gathered her thoughts and began typing furiously. Because the prototype was Gu Miaomiao, whom she had witnessed and heard firsthand today, the writing went smoothly, with only a few words and phrases needing refinement.
Many readers, upon reaching tragic scenes, curse the author as a cruel stepmother. But in reality, the author is often the first to weep uncontrollably. At this moment, Ling Ruoke is typing on the keyboard, tears streaming down her face.
Huo Qingfeng quietly pushed open the door to the room without making a sound. As soon as he entered, he heard his wife sobbing and immediately rushed in. He pulled her up and held her in his arms. "Wife, what's wrong?"
Seeing the tear-streaked face, he gently wiped away her tears, his heart aching terribly. "Why are you crying? Who bullied you? Tell your husband, and I'll beat him up for you!"
Ling Ruoke shook her head with tears streaming down her face. After a long while, she mumbled, "I...I'm writing a novel..." He didn't know that she often cried while writing, but of course, there were also times when she was overjoyed while writing.
Huo Qingfeng sighed helplessly. "What an idiot! How can you cry while reading a novel, and then cry while writing one?" Are women really made of water? How can they have so many tears to shed?
Ling Ruoke buried her face in his chest, nuzzled against him, and said in a muffled voice, "I just couldn't help it." The reason her novels were so popular was because she poured her most sincere emotions into them.
Huo Qingfeng held her close, his chin gently brushing against her hair. He glanced at the computer screen and immediately understood why she was crying. She was writing Gu Miaomiao's story.
"Are you thinking about Gu Miaomiao again?" He could understand why she cared so much about Gu Miaomiao—because Cang Weiye had used the same methods on her before. Gu Miaomiao's sorrow resonated with her deepest emotions.
Ling Ruoke responded with a muffled sound from his chest.
Huo Qingfeng pulled her face away, wiping away the undried tears. "Didn't I tell you not to think about it anymore? Why are you thinking about it again?"
Ling Ruoke pouted and sniffled. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to write her story into my novel. While writing, I couldn't help but cry. She's really pitiful!"
"You!" Huo Qingfeng really didn't know what to say to her. "Are you finished writing? If you're done, get some sleep. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet."
"You're almost done. Go brush your teeth and wash your face. I'll finish writing by the time you're done." Ling Ruoke pushed him toward the bathroom.
Huo Qingfeng stopped, turned around, and kissed her. He raised his hand and touched the corner of her eye; her eyes were swollen like a rabbit's. "Don't cry anymore, your eyes are all swollen."
"I won't cry." Ling Ruoke forced a smile, but because her eyes were red from crying, she looked pitiful and heartbreaking.
Ling Ruoke wasn't lying; she really was almost finished writing.
However, Huo Qingfeng was incredibly fast; he finished before she had even finished typing. "Are you done yet?"
"Five minutes, just five more minutes." She turned around, took his hand, and rubbed it against his palm, her voice full of coquettishness.
Looking into her wet eyes, Huo Qingfeng couldn't bring himself to refuse. "Five minutes, not a second less." With that, he went to bed to wait.
Ling Ruoke typed the last few lines, checked for typos, uploaded the file, shut down the computer, and obediently climbed into bed. She snuggled into the corner of the blanket the colonel had lifted, nestling in his arms.
Huo Qingfeng hugged her, stroked her hair, and kissed her forehead. "Wouldn't it be great to write some happy stories in the future, and laugh as you write?"
"Okay." Ling Ruoke obediently agreed, not daring to disobey him. She hugged his lean waist and let out a comfortable sigh. "Honey, do you know Gu Miaomiao's husband?"
"Well, we could say we know each other. His name is Xuanyuan Jinan, and he's Xuanyuan Qi's older brother." The two of them don't really have any connection.
Ling Ruoke's eyes widened in surprise, and she exclaimed, "So Xuanyuan Qi's brother is this bad! Thank goodness, Xuanyuan Qi is different from his brother!"
How did you know?
Ling Ruoke pouted. "It's just a gut feeling. Gu Miaomiao is really pitiful, stuck with such a man, it's so pitiful!" If what happened back then hadn't happened, would everything have turned out differently? She couldn't help but think that way.
"Don't think about these useless things, just go to sleep." He shifted his body to make her more comfortable.
Ling Ruoke remained silent, but many images flashed through her mind. She recalled everything that had happened, Gu Miaomiao, and Gu Zhenzhen. "Honey, is Gu Zhenzhen about to come out?"
"Mmm." Not wanting her to overthink, he lowered his head and kissed her lips. As he released her, he warned, "If you're not sleepy, let's do some exercise."
Ling Ruoke quickly closed her eyes and remained motionless, like a corpse.
Huo Qingfeng was both amused and exasperated. He hugged her tightly and patted her back intermittently.
Gu Zhenzhen will be released soon; hopefully, she has already reformed.
I hope so!
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