She suddenly raised her head, and before she could even see the person clearly, she instinctively began to fight back.
The other party paused slightly, seemingly out of surprise, before reacting and responding.
They were positioned under a large, lush tree, its dense foliage completely blocking out the light, with only a tiny sliver of light filtering through the leaves. The road led into the suburbs, so there were few pedestrians and vehicles.
So the two of them fought back and forth in the shade of the big tree, punches and kicks flying, and no one knew. Otherwise, police sirens would probably be blaring by now.
Because the fight started immediately, Ling Ruoke couldn't see her opponent's face clearly, but she got a general idea. Her attacker was a man, a tall, strong, and incredibly skilled man! The man's punches and kicks were clearly professionally trained, and not the kind of fancy moves only suitable for competitions, but fighting techniques aimed at striking vital points and taking lives.
However, after fighting for a while, Ling Ruoke began to realize that her opponent didn't intend to kill her. His skill was clearly superior to hers, yet he hadn't harmed her. It didn't seem like he wanted to kill her, but rather that he was testing her abilities!
Ling Ruoke didn't stop, nor did she ask any questions. Since the other party wasn't trying to kill her, she might as well treat it as a test. The other party wasn't going all out, yet she was pressing him with every move, forcing him to take her response more seriously.
The fight lasted for about ten more minutes until the opponent's hand, shaped like a knife, was pressed against Ling Ruoke's throat. Only then did the fight end.
If this were in a competition, it would surely be met with thunderous applause! After all, compared to those childish, half-hearted tactics, this kind of close-quarters combat and evenly matched fighting is far more exciting!
Ling Ruoke was already panting heavily; they had been fighting for quite a while. But her opponent's breathing was only slightly strained, which alone gave her a significant advantage. She hadn't been able to see the person clearly while they were moving around, but now that they had stopped, even in the dim light, she could recognize them.
"Cang Weiwo, what are you doing here?" Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Cang Weiwo released his grip. In the dim light, a slight smile played on his lips. He hadn't expected that after a year, Ruoke would possess such skill! Even more unexpected was that Huo Qingfeng had managed to train a frail woman like her, who couldn't even kill a chicken, to be so formidable. Indeed, Huo Qingfeng was a force to be reckoned with!
Thinking this way, a bitter feeling welled up inside me. All of this seemed to indicate that Ruoke was drifting further and further away from him.
It had been quite a while since they last met. Cang Wei looked at her face with a greedy gaze and tried to take her hand, but Ling Ruoke dodged him. "Ruoke, let's find a place to sit down and talk."
"Just say what you have to say, or is there something you're trying to say that you don't want anyone to know?" Although Cang Weiwo's later actions proved that he had truly let go, a man and a woman alone together could easily lead to misunderstandings. The colonel was also easily jealous, and she didn't want him to misunderstand. Who knew what he might do in the end? That would be troublesome.
Cang Wei sighed inwardly. Even after so much time, Ruoke's impression of him remained unchanged. "If I really wanted to take you away, I would have done it already. I wouldn't have needed to trick you into going somewhere else. Let's go. There's a coffee shop not far from here. Let's sit down and talk."
Ling Ruoke thought for a moment, then turned back and left without saying a word.
Cang Wei quickly caught up and walked beside her. But he saw that she had her hands in her pockets, deliberately creating distance between them. He couldn't help but smile bitterly; one wrong step, and he didn't know how far he would have to go to make amends.
Cang Weiwo put in a lot of effort to pursue Ling Ruoke. At that time, Ruoke was from a wealthy family, yet she looked down on rich people. She fundamentally rejected wealthy men, especially those with scandalous affairs. Ironically, he fell for this woman. He went to great lengths to win her heart.
She hated philandering men, and he hated women who only liked his looks and money. At first, he suspected their repeated encounters were orchestrated by her, and he even looked down on her. But he gradually realized it was truly fate and coincidence; she not only didn't want to get close to him, but even wanted to avoid him. Knowing this, he couldn't help but be moved.
His past was too heavy and too dark. For him, Ruoke was a ray of light, or perhaps a warm orange lamp, illuminating his world. Gossip magazines always sensationalized things, as if he were a master of romance. But in reality, he longed for the warmth of a family, for a gentle woman waiting for his return with a soft, comforting light. However, in this materialistic society, women who can provide that warmth are far too few. He had searched for many years before finally meeting Ling Ruoke.
Everything was going smoothly, and they were about to form a happy family. But just before the wedding, he saw the birthmark on Hua Yurong's chest, slightly above the navel. His memory of that woman's face from back then was vague, but that distinctive birthmark was etched in his mind, a nightmare he couldn't shake off.
The birthmark was peculiar, resembling a blood-red centipede. Years ago, when his mother was struggling with that woman, he fell to the ground and, looking up, happened to see that centipede. As a result, he would repeatedly dream of a large centipede lunging at him, its claws outstretched, and he would wake up from the nightmare in terror.
The centipede left such a deep impression on Cang Wei that when he saw the birthmark on Hua Yurong's body, he didn't even bother to verify it. But no one expected that Hua Yurong and that woman not only looked alike, but even their birthmarks were exactly the same!
After the truth was revealed, regret gnawed at Cang Weiwo's heart like a venomous snake. But what he lost wasn't just an object that could be found or replaced with an identical one. What he lost was the woman he loved, and she wouldn't wait for him to find her; instead, she had fallen into the arms of another man!
Cang Weiwo was lost in regret and memories of the past, his mind drifting away.
Ling Ruoke didn't want to speak at all, because she couldn't talk to Cang Weiwo like a friend. She had loved him before. Because she had loved him, she couldn't face this man calmly. If Cang Weiwo were the kind of domineering rich kid, she could completely ignore him. But she knew that this man had suffered a lot and had a pitiful situation.
The two remained silent the entire way. To onlookers, they looked like lovers or a married couple having a cold war after an argument.
Fortunately, the café wasn't far, and the two arrived in no time. The café wasn't particularly busy, so they found a table closest to the corner and sat down.
Ling Ruoke doesn't like coffee, so she ordered herself a lemonade. Instinctively, she ordered Cang Weiwo a solid coffee, emphasizing no sugar. After the waiter left, she turned and saw Cang Weiwo's gaze, then snapped back to reality and awkwardly looked away. "I'm sorry, you can order again."
They used to be a couple. Every time they went to the coffee shop, she would order her coffee and then get him a bitter one. She once asked him why he liked bitter coffee. He said it was because life is like bitter coffee—the main flavor is bitter, but you have to savor it to appreciate its rich sweetness. She laughed at him for being too pessimistic and said she wouldn't order it for him next time. But every time they went to the coffee shop, she would still order it for him; it had become a habit.
Cang Weiwo watched the innocent young woman awkwardly turn her head away, a smile playing on his lips. Regardless, Cang Weiwo was still in Ling Ruoke's heart. Perhaps, he still had a chance.
After mentally slapping herself a few times, Ling Ruoke slowly composed herself. Finally, she looked at his face. "Didn't you have something to say?"
"I heard that Huo Qingfeng's first love has returned." Cang Weiwo looked at her quietly. Knowing Ruoke as he did, he knew this statement would surely elicit a strong reaction.
Sure enough, Ling Ruoke suddenly stood up and was about to leave. She stormed out, bumping right into the waiter who was bringing over coffee.
The waiter screamed in surprise, and the scalding hot coffee on the tray was about to spill out.
Knowing she could easily dodge in her current state, he couldn't help but reach out and pull her to his side, shielding her in his arms. The scalding coffee spilled all over him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." the waiter cried out in a panic.
Coffee soaked Cang Weiwo's white shirt, but he didn't even frown. He looked down at the woman in his arms and asked, "Ruo Ke, are you alright?"
Ling Ruoke paused for a moment, then pushed him away. "I'm fine." A similar scene stirred up memories again.
Back then, they were still deeply in love. One time, she insisted on dragging Cang Weiwo along to eat hot pot. A family of three sat next to them; the child was very young, only three or four years old. Kids, you know, can't sit still; they like to move around. When the father went to the restroom, the child became even more mischievous, ignoring everything the mother said.
When the waiter brought the hot pot to Ling Ruoke and her family, the child bumped into it. Without thinking, Ling Ruoke rushed over to pull the child away. In the end, Cang Weiwo managed to hold both her and the child in his arms, but he himself was scalded by the boiling hot pot broth…
Later at the hospital, she cried uncontrollably when she saw his burns. He gently hugged her and said, "Luckily, my darling wasn't burned."
After he finished speaking, she buried her face in his chest and cried even harder. That's how Cang Wei, little by little, dispelled her doubts and slowly made her fall in love with him. She believed that he loved her too; eyes and actions don't lie. But no one knows what happened later that led to a deep-seated hatred, destroying this hard-won relationship, her family, and her happiness!
"You, you hurry up and go to the bathroom to wash with cold water." Ling Ruoke came to her senses and hurriedly pushed him towards the bathroom.
Cang Wei looked at her, both amused and exasperated, and said, "It's too late. It's already cold." Only after the waiters had cleaned up the scene did she come to her senses.
Actually, there wasn't much coffee, and not much spilled. But the temperature was indeed quite high, and it still hurt a bit. But for him, this pain was nothing. The hardships and injuries he had suffered since childhood were countless and indescribable. The deepest wounds often come from within, and these physical wounds are nothing.
Ling Ruoke endured it, refusing to look at the spot where he was burned, and instead sat back down angrily. "Whatever, I hope you burn to death!"
Even though she said that, she still felt bad. She knew Cang Weiwo quite well. He wasn't saying that to make fun of her, nor was he trying to drive a wedge between them; he genuinely cared about her. Of course, there was some self-interest involved; he certainly hoped she would leave Qingfeng and return to his side.
Cang Wei simply watched her smile, seemingly in a good mood. Regardless, she still cared about her. And the feeling of being cared for by her was wonderful!
Ling Ruoke felt increasingly embarrassed under his gaze. So she glared at him fiercely and snapped, "Are you going to tell me or not? If you don't, I'm leaving!"
"I just got burned, and you won't even let me catch my breath?" Cang Wei looked at her angry face, which was fair and rosy, delicate and charming.
He had touched that unadorned face many times, loving its silky smooth texture. Now, he could only admire it from afar, unable to touch it. Truly, he had brought this upon himself!
Ling Ruoke remembered that the other person had just shielded her from the hot coffee, so she didn't say anything more.
Cang Wei didn't want to upset her either; he hadn't come here today to see her angry. "Ruo Ke, Gu Zheng isn't a simple woman. She's been pampered since childhood, getting whatever she wants. Now she wants Huo Qingfeng, and no matter what the truth behind their separation was, if she wants it, she must have it! With her personality, if she can't make Huo Qingfeng fall in love with her again, then she'll target you. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Ling Ruoke knew he wasn't lying; she had already witnessed Guzheng's stubbornness. "Thank you for reminding me. I'll be more careful. Is there anything else?"
Clearly, she didn't truly understand her words. "Ruoke, you still don't understand, the guzheng is very dangerous for you! I hope you can leave temporarily and avoid the limelight."
"Where to? Back to Cloud Sky Villa with you?" Ling Ruoke sneered. "I wasn't afraid of the Blazing Flame Gang back then, and I won't be afraid of Guzheng today either. Thank you for your kindness, goodbye!"
Hide? How can he hide? If she leaves, this beautiful snake, Gu Zheng, will immediately cling to Huo Qingfeng relentlessly. With her stubbornness, when will it ever end? If she's going to haunt him for a lifetime, is he going to spend his entire life hiding?
The word "guzheng" felt like a fishbone stuck in Ruoke's throat, causing her great discomfort! Sometimes she couldn't help but think that if she were any more vicious, she might have secretly killed her. However, these were just angry thoughts; she wasn't someone who could easily bring herself to kill.
"Ruo Ke!" Cang Weiwo watched her retreating figure but ultimately didn't chase after her. He should have known that Ruo Ke wouldn't agree. She was a woman who knew how to cherish things and valued her life, but she wasn't someone who wanted to live a timid and cowardly life.
He lost her, does that mean he can never find her again?
Their love was deep, but their fate was shallow!
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