Ling Ruoke arrived a little early today. Standing by the playground, she watched the young male teacher leading a group of children in playing "Old Huo Catches Chickens".
Fu'an was at the very back of the line, almost pulling the clothes of the children in front of him out of shape, laughing loudly.
It seems the teacher transferred all the scolding originally intended for Fu'an to his mother via phone in the afternoon, which is why the child is laughing so arrogantly now.
"Mommy, Mommy!" Fu'an saw the figure in the distance and decisively let go and left the group.
The teacher reached out with outstretched arms, only to find nothing, and roared, "Fu'an! School's not over yet!"
Fu An pretended not to hear and rushed straight for Ling Ruoke's leg, jumping up with practiced ease just before they collided.
Ling Ruoke bent down and caught him without hesitation.
"Mrs. Huo is here to pick up Fu'an?" A passing teacher greeted them gently.
"Hello, teacher." Ling Ruoke nodded.
"There's less than half an hour until school ends." The teacher patted Fu'an's fluffy hair. "Since your mother rarely comes to pick you up, you can go home now."
Fu'an cheered.
Ling Ruoke frowned and looked at the poor teacher in the distance who was still sweating profusely while catching chicks.
“It’s alright,” the teacher smiled. “We’re only making an exception for today.”
Fu'an swayed back and forth, holding his mother's hand, and made a face at the teacher who was looking over there.
Ling Ruoke turned his face towards her. "You've caused trouble today."
Affirmative sentence.
Fu'an looked around and asked, "Where's the car?"
Fu'an has never been willing to lie, so he usually tries to change the subject rather clumsily in such situations.
"I received a call from my teacher while I was at work today," Ling Ruoke slowly explained to Fu'an. She and her son were very frank with each other and didn't beat around the bush.
Fu An walked in the shadows beside Ling Ruoke with his head down.
"Have you apologized to the principal?" This was what Ling Ruoke was most concerned about.
"Yes, the headmaster said it's alright." Fu'an reached out and tugged at Ling Ruoke's sleeve.
"Really?" Ling Ruo didn't disbelieve Fu An, but she didn't believe the dean would let it go so easily.
"Uh-huh,"
Ling Ruoke paused for a moment, "...Don't do that again next time, it's wrong."
Fu'an nodded quickly.
Ling Ruoke opened the car door, and Fu'an climbed into the car.
"You still haven't told me why you went to pick the gardener's flowers," Ling Ruoke said as she drove.
Fu'an was playing with the window opening button next to the car door. "Looking for the little man."
Ling Ruoke didn't take her usual route home. "Ginseng doesn't grow just anywhere... I'll tell you that tonight. But after you pulled up one flower, you should have known that little people don't grow under it. Why did you pull up the whole flowerbed?"
Fu'an pressed the button, and the car window opened wide.
"Fu'an." Ling Ruoke stopped the car by the roadside and waited patiently for Fu'an to speak.
Fu'an's eyes, however, drifted toward several shops along the roadside.
This section of road is where several residential communities are located, and Ling Ruoke's parking spot faces two bakeries. The last batch of bread came out of the oven that afternoon, and the aroma filled the entire street.
Fu'an was internally scratching his head in frustration. But if he didn't answer his mother, she wouldn't take him to buy snacks.
“Yes, because those flowers were planted by the teacher. The day before yesterday, I saw the teacher and the principal digging mud in the flower bed together… If the flowers are pulled up, the teacher will definitely be angry. When the teacher is angry, she will call you, and then you will come to pick me up,” Fu’an said. “You will scold me, and then we will go home together for dinner.”
"I won't scold you." Ling Ruoke felt a pang of sadness and reached out to touch Fu'an's head. She realized that she had neglected the child, and the child was deliberately doing something to get her attention.
"I'll try to come home earlier from now on. I probably won't be able to come as early as today every day, but I'll try my best to pick you up every day, okay?"
Ling Ruoke smiled and opened the car door. "Get out, let's go buy a chocolate cake. We'll put it in the fridge when we get back, and eat it while watching cartoons tonight."
She was wrong; she couldn't neglect her family because of work.
When she got home that evening, Ling Ruoke gave a self-criticism to the colonel over the phone. Her attitude was exceptionally sincere, and every word came from the bottom of her heart.
After listening to the phone call, the colonel's first question was, "Honey, are you tired?" He's been so busy that he hasn't had time to come home to cook or eat. He must be exhausted.
Ling Ruoke was taken aback at first, not understanding the sudden shift in her expression. Then, when she did, her eyes welled up with tears. There was no blame, no expectation, only concern. "I'm not tired. Qingfeng, I don't want to earn a lot of money, nor do I want to prove how capable I am. I just want to do something. However, I will try my best to manage my work well in the future and not let it affect my life."
"Yes, my wife can definitely do it well. As long as you don't feel tired, then keep going. But I don't want you to be too busy, it will break my heart." His deep voice wasn't particularly sentimental.
Ling Ruoke was so moved that tears streamed down her face. No matter what she did, he always supported her unconditionally. He had no other requests than that she be well.
"Qingfeng?"
"What's wrong, honey?" The colonel noticed the change in his wife's mood.
Ling Ruoke smiled through her tears. "Did I tell you today that I love you to death?!"
These words successfully stirred the colonel's blood. Although he already knew it, saying it was different from not saying it at all. He knew that his wife, like him, didn't like to talk about these things.
Then, the colonel asked her to hand the phone to the little boy. On the phone, he used a combination of firmness and leniency to give the little boy a lecture.
...
The time had finally come for the daily necessities company to submit its proposal. For this, Ling Ruoke and Xia Mo flew from Z City to A City, where the company's headquarters were located.
Ling Ruo had specifically informed the colonel beforehand. Since she had nothing to hide, there was no need for her to conceal anything.
In the colonel's mind, there was always a super dangerous element in City A, and that was Cang Weiwo. So he was very unhappy, but it was something his wife wanted to do, and he didn't want to stop her, so he could only sulk in his heart.
Fu Peigang could tell that the captain had been suppressing his desires again these past few days. Those days with the "pumpkins" (a nickname for the captain) were going to be tough again.
Ling Ruoke and Xia Mo arrived a day early.
After checking into the hotel and having a meal, Xia Mo went sightseeing in City A by herself. Ling Ruoke, on the other hand, had made an appointment with her former boss, Gu Jie, and after buying some things, took a taxi to Gu Jie's house.
Gu Jie was still the same as ever—capable and efficient yet still feminine, a woman radiating charm. "So that's why you were in such a hurry to leave back then; you were going to start your own business."
She resigned hastily to escape Cang Weiwo. At the time, Gu Jie even said that she could come back anytime she wanted.
Gu Jie has very high standards at work, and it's difficult for most people to meet her standards, which is why Ling Ruoke was so jealous back then.
"No, it's just that I'm not very talented, and others don't think much of me, so I have to find a way to make a living on my own." Ling Ruoke took her arm and walked in.
Gu Jie is just like that. At work, she's a complete female devil, but in life, she's a friend you can joke around with and confide in.
The two women chatted happily, exchanging jokes and playful teasing.
The second day's proposals were indeed very competitive. There were many competing companies, and all of them were very capable.
However, Ling Ruoke has a unique characteristic: she is usually very confident in her areas of expertise. Therefore, this fierce competition did not deter her in the slightest. Xia Mo, on the other hand, is a sharp and charismatic individual who remains remarkably calm, making their teamwork seamless.
The results of the proposal will be available a week later, so we still need to wait.
Their return flight is for the evening of the third day, meaning they still have one day to stay in City A.
City A is Ling Ruoke's hometown. Putting aside her marriage to Cang Weiwo, this city holds her most beautiful memories. She was born here, grew up here, fell in love here, and lost everything here. Now, she has found happiness again.
The Xing family mansion had already been sold, so even if she wanted to go see it, she couldn't get in. Besides, the person was no longer there, and seeing the place suddenly made her feel sad. So, she decided to just wander around and kill some time.
Ling Ruoke stared in astonishment at the woman opposite her. She had never known that there was anyone in the world who could share her thoughts. She was certain that she was an only child. And her father, who was completely infatuated with her mother, could not possibly have an illegitimate daughter.
But what about this person in front of her? At first glance, they really did look alike. Only upon closer inspection could she discern the differences.
The other person was also looking at her, quietly observing her.
Indeed, if you found someone in this world who is not related to you by blood but looks exactly like you, you would also be unable to resist stopping and taking a few more glances.
They eventually couldn't resist and gradually shortened the distance between them.
Ling Ruoke felt more puzzled than anything else, because the other person's gaze was not just surprised, but different from hers.
"Ling Ruoke?" she asked softly, somewhat uncertainly.
Ling Ruoke's eyes widened suddenly, and she pointed at herself. "You know me?" she said, acknowledging the other person's question.
She smiled softly, a bitter smile. "Of course I know." Perhaps she was a lucky substitute, at least she knew who she was standing in for!
Before Ling Ruoke could say anything more, she heard her say something else.
"Because I'm your substitute. There's a coffee shop up ahead, let's chat." Ru Mingyue thought that she hadn't deliberately sought her out; it was just a chance encounter, so it shouldn't be within his bounds of propriety.
Ling Ruoke nodded; she liked it too. On her way to the coffee shop, she overheard someone whispering, "Are they twins?"
The two sat down and ordered the same coffee in unison. In the end, neither of them knew what to say.
Finally, it was Ru Mingyue who spoke first. "Don't be surprised, I don't actually like coffee at all, but you like this one, so I have to like it too. Because I'm your substitute."
Ling Ruoke was stunned again. She stared at her, speechless, for a long time before slowly regaining her composure. "You..."
“Only I am in the vast sky,” Ru Mingyue replied.
Ling Ruoke couldn't utter a single word. To a woman who existed as a substitute for her, beside a man who loved her, she truly didn't know what to say. Thank you, or I'm sorry?
Perhaps Ling Ruoke's expression was too obvious, because Mingyue smiled and said, "You don't need to overthink it. Some things are my own choices, and have nothing to do with you."
"Oh," Ling Ruoke replied awkwardly with a single syllable. Just then, the coffee was served, and she quickly took it, lowering her head to drink it to hide her expression.
As the moon shone brightly, her gaze fell upon the hands holding the coffee. "I've always wanted to meet you, to know what kind of woman this is—the one who is exactly as I imagined, yet who so firmly occupies my heart!"
Now that she has seen her, her appearance and temperament are indeed very similar, but she can't see where she is better than her.
Ling Ruoke understood everything perfectly well; this woman loved Cang Weiwo. If she didn't love him, she wouldn't be willing to exist as a substitute. "I'm not better than you; I just knew him earlier than you."
"Should I say thank you?" Ru Mingyue raised an eyebrow. But she had to admit, she felt much better. At least, this was a nice woman.
Ling Ruoke let out a sigh of relief, feeling quite depressed. "I didn't mean anything by it. I... I just wanted to say that Cang Wei and I are over. Only—"
She wanted to say that as long as you put your heart into it, you'll have a good outcome someday. But the words caught in her throat. She was afraid she'd reply, "Am I supposed to just pick up what you don't want?" Besides, it felt pretentious for her to say that.
"I know, I didn't mean anything by it." Ru Mingyue felt sorry for herself. Other stand-ins, upon seeing the real person, at least had the courage to rush over and loudly proclaim how happy they were to have taken her place. But what about her? She seemed to only feel resigned to her fate. Was she really just tired?
As Mingyue absentmindedly turned to the window, she saw a tall figure stepping out of a car that had just stopped across the street from the coffee shop, and gave a bitter smile. Was he worried that she might hurt her? "He's here."
"What?" Ling Ruoke was stunned for a moment, then followed her gaze and saw Cang Weiwo crossing the road. A chill ran down her spine; she wondered if she should leave immediately? It seemed too late. Oh well, let nature take its course.
Ru Mingyue smiled bitterly. "He was worried I would hurt you, so he rushed over as soon as he heard the news. You see, I can never replace you."
Ling Ruoke was speechless once again.
A short while later, Cang Wei appeared.
"How did you end up here?" His voice was somewhat cold, and he looked at Ru Mingyue.
Like the bright moon rising.
“We bumped into each other by chance, and it was quite unexpected that we were so similar, so we decided to have a coffee together. Why don’t you sit down and have a cup too?” Ling Ruoke stood up to help her out of the awkward situation.
Cang Wei's expression softened slightly, and he sat down.
The atmosphere among the three was awkward; it seemed that nothing could be said that was appropriate. Finally, Cang Weiwu spoke up. "What brings you to City A?"
"Work-related matters, business trips."
"oh."
The atmosphere turned stiff and cold again.
Ru Mingyue stood up with a smile. "I'm leaving now. You can take your time. Goodbye."
Ling Ruoke was about to speak when she strode away. From the window, she could see her lonely figure disappear into the crowd. "You shouldn't have treated her like that."
Cang Wei snorted but didn't say anything. He just held his coffee and looked at her.
"It's over between us. Since you've come to that conclusion, why try to change things? Since you were able to keep her by your side, I believe you at least like her." Cang Weiwo wasn't actually a womanizer, much less promiscuous. He kept bringing women back before just to provoke her.
Many people come and go in everyone's life, regardless of time. Only those with a true connection will stay. If there is no connection, forcing them to stay will ultimately be in vain.
"What, you want to be a matchmaker? Ruoke, don't you think that's a bit cruel?"
Ling Ruoke was speechless. After a moment of silence, she quickly stood up. "I have to go now. I need to go back to the hotel to pack my things and catch my flight. Goodbye!"
She hurriedly left, and Cang Wei grabbed her wrist. "I'll see you off."
Ling Ruoke quickly pulled his hand away. "No need. I can do it myself."
In the end, Cang Weiwo pulled her across the road and shoved her into the car.
Ling Ruoke had thought she could break free, but found she couldn't. Of course, Cang Weiwo was a former special forces soldier; how could she possibly defeat him with her limited abilities? After giving him the hotel address, she looked out the window, not speaking to him.
Cang Wei didn't speak either, seemingly having nothing more to say.
No one noticed that, as the car drove away, a slender figure emerged from behind a tree. Watching the departing shadow recede into the distance, her eyes were filled with sorrow.
Knowing full well it's like moths to a flame, they still stubbornly persist. But who should be so devoted to whom for a lifetime? It's simply that their time hasn't come yet.
But that's how people are sometimes. When someone is clinging to you, you desperately want to get rid of them, even at the cost of hurting them. But when you finally want to cherish them, they've already left without a trace.
Therefore, we must cherish what we have. Regret after losing something may be too late.
...
Ling Ruoke got off the plane in City A at past midnight. As soon as she stepped out of the airport, she saw the colonel's Hummer and was overjoyed.
Ignoring Xia Mo's presence and the other passengers, she rushed over and hugged the colonel's neck, smiling sweetly. "Why are you here?"
The colonel raised an eyebrow. "My wife comes home in the middle of the night. Aren't I worried about her running into a pervert? Or what if she encounters some reckless terrorist? Where am I supposed to find another wife as good as her?"
Ling Ruoke giggled; she was pleased with the colonel's words. Whether they were true or false was no longer important; what mattered was that she was happy now.
"Brother Huo." Xia Mo waited for the two to finish their greetings before coming over to say hello. "Sister Ruo, Brother Huo was actually afraid that I would run away with you, so he rushed over to catch me."
The colonel kicked him out. "Then get out if you're still too scared to go in!" The colonel was a jealous man, and a very sensitive one at that. He didn't trust any man who appeared near his wife.
"Ouch!" Xia Mo dodged away, not caring about the colonel's rudeness, and said to Ling Ruoke, "Sister Ruoke, I'll be going now."
Ling Ruoke smiled and nodded, not asking him to come back with her. The colonel hadn't been home for some time, and she wanted to make the most of this precious time alone with him.
After chasing away the onlookers, the colonel stuffed his wife's meager luggage into the back seat and then held the car door open for her to get in.
Ling Ruoke adjusted the height of her seat and nestled comfortably inside. "When did you get back?"
"Tonight, you didn't even go home, you came straight here. Hmm?" The colonel said ingratiatingly, leaning his face closer to hers.
Ling Ruoke leaned over and kissed him a few times.
"You didn't see anyone you shouldn't have in City A, did you?" The colonel was still thinking about that dangerous person in City A.
“Yes, I saw him.” Ling Ruoke knew the colonel’s temper well, so she quickly added, “I ran into him on the street. Don’t worry, he didn’t do anything.”
"He dares? He's smart!" The colonel almost stopped his car. "Wife, from now on, avoid him whenever you see him."
"No need for that. I won't go to City A unless there's a reason. You can rest assured."
"Why would I put it in my stomach? My heart is always with my wife." The colonel's surprised expression was hilarious. He added at the end, "Wife, stay away from any male animals."
This is the safest way.
Ling Ruoke chuckled. "You'd better mind your own messy romantic entanglements."
"Where did I get peach blossoms? My peach blossoms have all turned into peaches, so where did the flowers come from?" It has to be said that the colonel's eloquence is getting better and better.
Ling Ruoke pouted and glanced at him sideways. "Who knows, maybe those old bastards from before are causing trouble again."
It was meant as a joke, but it turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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