Ling Ruoke's eyes gradually cleared, and she met Gu Tianze's eyes. Even though she was so weak that she could hardly breathe, her gaze remained firm.
Looking into those eyes, Gu Tianze couldn't help but admire them; they were truly beautiful. Deep, inky black, and captivatingly watery, they seemed to see right into a person's soul. "These eyes are truly remarkable. No wonder Huo Qingfeng is so infatuated with you. I'm suddenly very curious how alluring they would be if they were tinged with desire. I'm quite looking forward to it..."
His voice wasn't loud, and his tone wasn't wrong, yet it gave people a feeling of a cold wind blowing.
Ling Ruoke struggled to control herself, managing not to scream in panic, but fear still lingered in her bright eyes. Gu Tianze seemed to enjoy her like this; his hand suddenly landed on her brow, then slowly moved down to her lips. Due to her injury and fever, her once rosy lips had turned pale, but the blood from her bitten lips gave them an indescribable allure.
Suddenly, Gu Tianze felt a burning desire rise within him, a desire that had always been rather mild. This desire was concentrated in one spot, making his eyes even more terrifying. The thought of "ruining Huo Qingfeng's woman and causing him unbearable pain" was exceptionally strong in his mind, like a stimulant igniting his desires and blood.
"You—" Before Ling Ruoke could say anything, he grabbed her chin. He lowered his head, about to kiss her lips.
"Mmm..." Ling Ruok struggled with all her might, but her strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree to Gu Tianze—utterly insignificant. He didn't pounce all at once, but approached little by little, tormenting her fearful heart. He liked watching those beautiful eyes gradually fill with fear; it was a kind of allure.
Gu Tianze's gaze remained fixed on her deep eyes, the fear and pleading within them making his blood boil. The smile on his face also changed, exuding a bloodthirsty aura.
In Ling Ruoke's terror, his face loomed large before her eyes, and those horrifying lips descended. She tilted her head, and they landed on her neck. Then, she felt as if a terrifying beast had bitten into her throat. Her terror instantly expanded to boundless proportions; she wasn't afraid of having her throat bitten off, but she was terrified of her innocence being violated by this beast.
The cool, damp feeling of her lips on her skin brought tears to Ling Ruoke's eyes, a terrifying sense of despair washing over her. She wasn't afraid of death, but she was terrified that her husband's body would be defiled…
Just as Ling Ruoke was in despair and contemplating committing suicide by biting her tongue, as was done by the ancients, someone spoke up again. The word "Captain" reached Ling Ruoke's ears like heavenly music, filling her with overwhelming joy.
After a while, the pressure on her body eased. Ling Ruoke let out a big breath, feeling extremely dizzy. She didn't hear clearly what Gu Tianze and that person said, only that Gu Tianze was very angry and then left. Before leaving, he said to her fiercely, "You can't escape! I'll play with you slowly until Huo Qingfeng arrives."
Once the room was quiet again, with only the sound of her own breathing, Ling Ruoke felt a sense of relief, as if she had escaped a disaster. She slowly turned her head, looking at the light streaming in through the window. Gritting her teeth, she used all her strength to finally sit up, leaning softly against the wall.
Just doing this little thing left her breathless. She couldn't help but close her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing to ease the discomfort. Her head felt incredibly heavy, as if she were about to lose consciousness, yet she could clearly feel the pain in her body and the fatigue after her illness.
She just wanted to rest for a while, but clearly the other party wasn't giving her that chance.
A short while later, I heard the sound of someone pushing open the door and entering again.
Ling Ruoke trembled with fright and immediately turned her head away. The light was blinding, and although she couldn't see the person's face clearly, she could still tell that this person was not Gu Tianze. She held her breath and tried hard to see the person clearly.
No, this isn't a man. Ling Ruoke was slightly surprised. Because she had to look up to see someone, her head was already heavy, so she felt a little dizzy. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. The person in front of her made her eyes widen suddenly. It was a familiar face. Although she hadn't seen him for a while, he wasn't exactly a stranger, but the expression on his face was unfamiliar to her.
"Mei Yanting?" Ling Ruoke was stunned, her mind reeling. She never imagined that Mei Yanting would be involved with Gu Tianze.
Facing her, Mei Yanting no longer showed the familiarity she once had; it was as if they were strangers. No, perhaps "enemy" would be a more apt description. Because Mei Yanting's eyes were cold, filled with hatred. And hatred can easily transform a person beyond recognition.
"You didn't expect this, did you?" Mei Yanting smirked coldly. She had long dreamed of the day when she and Ling Ruoke would switch roles—how exhilarating that would be! Now, the opportunity had finally arrived! Seeing Ling Ruoke lying limp and battered before her, a pitiful sight, she felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction!
Ling Ruoke stared at her in astonishment, unable to react for a long time. When she finally understood, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Her good intentions had ultimately been wasted; her good deed had backfired. "When did you get involved with Gu Tianze?"
"What business is it of yours?" Mei Yanting sneered. Ling Ruoke had always been high and mighty in her eyes, constantly reminding her of the vast difference between them. Ling Ruoke was like a vibrant, colorful cloud in the sky, while Mei Yanting was like mud in a gutter!
Ling Ruoke took a deep breath. "Mei Yanting, Gu Tianze is not someone you can mess with. If you get involved with him, you'll regret it one day!" Even though she had given up on her, she couldn't help but say one more word, simply because she didn't want to see her destroy herself.
Mei Yanting squatted down in front of her, a nasty smile playing on her lips, her eyes filled with undisguised disgust. "Ling Ruoke, do you know what I hate most about you? You always act like you're so great, like some kind of saint. Do you think you're doing this for my own good? You say and do all this just to show off your superiority!"
Ling Ruoke gave a wry smile. "I never imagined your thinking could be so twisted. If I had seen through this from the beginning, I would never have given you a second glance; it would have only tainted my eyes!"
Her only consolation was that Chen Shan hadn't been ruined by Mei Yanting; otherwise, she would probably have felt guilty for the rest of her life.
A sharp slap landed hard on Ling Ruoke's face, her tender skin immediately turning red and then beginning to swell.
Mei Yanting watched her face flush rapidly, and a surge of pleasure welled up inside her. She had wanted to do this for so long! This pleasure made her blood boil, and she couldn't resist the urge to want more!
Ling Ruoke only mocked herself in her heart: She really brought this upon herself! Her mother-in-law was right, and Peishi was right too. Sometimes it might be better to be a bad person than a good one! At least she should be a kind-hearted person with bad intentions, just like her grandfather said!
"You think you're so great?" Mei Yanting's voice suddenly rose two octaves, becoming shrill and unpleasant. Her eyes were also wide open, bulging so much that they looked like they were about to fall out. Looking up from below, they were already distorted beyond recognition.
Ling Ruoke looked at her calmly, telling herself: There's no need to get angry over such a heartless person, it's not worth it! But her heart still ached sharply, and then the pain quickly spread.
Mei Yanting, however, had no intention of letting her go. She blamed all the misfortunes she had suffered in her life on Ling Ruoke. Therefore, she hated Ling Ruoke to the core. After making a deal with Gu Tianze, the first thing she received was a merciless, repeated abuse. Those lustful men, their eyes green with desire, treated her like a prostitute, tormenting her to the point of near death each time! The more she begged for mercy, the more excited those bastards became, and the more violently they abused her! If it weren't for Ling Ruoke, how could she have suffered like this?
Back in Y City, she was also ravaged to the point of near death by those loan sharks. If Ling Ruoke hadn't killed Xu An, how could she have suffered like this?
She and Chen Shan could have been happy. If Ling Ruoke hadn't stirred things up in front of Chen Shan, why would he have risked everything to divorce her? If it weren't for Ling Ruoke, why would she have been ostracized at the company, and why would she have been raped in a bar?
Everything, all of this, is thanks to Ling Ruoke! She hates her, how could she not hate her!
"Do you really think you're some kind of saint? What right do you have to put on that savior act every time? You're just lucky to have a rich husband! Even this husband, you shamelessly stole from someone else. What right do you have to brag about it? And what gives you the right to give alms to others when you're happy, and be indifferent when you're not? You're like a prostitute trying to maintain a virtuous image! Ling Ruoke, you disgust me!"
Ling Ruoke had never imagined that she was such an obnoxious presence in Mei Yanting's eyes and heart. Her sincere concern had been met with disdain as a display of superiority. Could there really be such ungrateful people in this world?! Her heart felt icy cold!
"Heh..." Ling Ruoke laughed coldly. "Mei Yanting, there's really one in the world like you who gets the better deal and then acts innocent! If you really had so much backbone, why did you travel all the way to Z City to seek refuge with me? Why didn't you just stand your ground in Y City, or just end it all with a knife!"
"Slap!" Another slap landed on Ling Ruoke's face, stinging with pain.
Ling Ruoke, however, felt a sense of satisfaction. She felt that these slaps were the price she paid for meddling! They were also a warning to her never to be such a pushover again, as it would only harm herself and those around her!
Mei Yanting's face was almost contorted, just like her heart, which was already twisted beyond recognition. "What right do you have to talk to me? If you hadn't killed Xu An, how could I have ended up in Y City? In the end, it's all your fault, all your fault! Look, you've done too many evils, even God can't stand it anymore, now it's punishing you! It's punishing you, hahahaha..."
Ling Ruoke still smiled, a faint, gentle smile. Only in this way could she conceal the excruciating heartache.
"What I hate most is your smile! It's like you have everything under control, you're always high and mighty, and you're nonchalant about everything!" Mei Yanting shouted loudly, like a madwoman.
Ling Ruoke slowly turned her head away, no longer wanting to look at that disgusting face.
Mei Yanting, however, refused to let her go, or rather, she refused to let herself go, because her mind had become twisted. She tried to provoke Ling Ruoke with words, but received no response. Suddenly, she stood up and rushed out. After a while, she returned with a thorn, raised it, and struck Ling Ruoke hard. She used as much force as the hatred in her heart, torturing her to the point of near death.
Ling Ruoke was powerless to dodge and could only protect her head, letting the thorns fall on her already wounded body. The wounds, which had only recently stopped bleeding, began to bleed again, leaving them dripping wet.
Just as Ling Ruoke thought she was about to be beaten to death by Mei Yanting, the man appeared out of nowhere again. He kicked Mei Yanting to the ground and then kicked her again. He glanced at Ling Ruoke, then bent down, grabbed Mei Yanting by the hair, and dragged her away like a dog.
Mei Yanting cried out loudly, her screams terrifying. Her voice was no longer arrogant as before, but filled with fearful pleas for mercy.
This time, Ling Ruoke was not affected by her ordeal at all. She simply raised her head slowly, looked calmly at the doorway, and listened as Mei Yanting's cries gradually faded into the distance, accompanied by the rustling sound of things being dragged on the ground.
Once things calmed down, Ling Ruoke slowly exhaled, feeling as if all the strength she had was drained away. The recent blows had struck her most vulnerable spot, almost shattering her faith. If it weren't for Huo Qingfeng's love, she might have truly doubted whether the world needed kindness anymore, or even had kindness at all.
Memories flashed by like a movie. Most were joyful, yet some moments transformed into sharp blades, piercing the tender tip of my heart, drawing blood and causing excruciating pain.
The door opened again, and Ling Ruoke, lost in her own world, trembled with fright once more. She looked up abruptly and realized it wasn't Gu Tianze. It was the person who had brought her food yesterday!
This time, he still placed a bowl of food in front of her. "Eat it, it won't poison you." His voice was cold and devoid of warmth, but unlike Gu Tianze, it didn't inspire fear.
This time, Ling Ruoke didn't suspect the food was poisoned. Her intuition was right; this person wouldn't harm her. Sure enough, the man casually tossed down a small bottle. She knew it contained medicine. She couldn't help but ask softly, "Why?"
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