"No, it's okay." Li Jun sniffed and forced a smile.
He Jingwen was taken aback, not understanding why she was crying. He hadn't hit her or scolded her, had he?
Li Junqiang looked up at him with a smile, seemingly unconcerned, only to see him frowning. He thought to himself that he was probably trying to figure out what to say without hurting his feelings. "You don't need to bother with comforting words. I'm used to it. Thank you for coming today."
He Jingwen suddenly realized. She had interpreted his words as a rejection! It was his first time going on a blind date, and he had no idea that those three words were a prelude to rejection. Now, upon hearing this, he panicked, snatched the rag from Li Jun's hand, and turned her around to face him, holding her shoulders.
Li Jun was feeling terrible, but meeting his gaze still made her extremely embarrassed. She only glanced at him before lowering her head as if burned. Her hands were tightly clasped together, like wringing out strips of cloth.
“Li Jun, I’m a divorced man. I’m also a soldier, unlike other men who have a lot of time to spend with their wives. I don’t have a lot of money, but of course, I can make ends meet. If you marry me, you must come with me to my military post; I can’t accept living apart from your husband. But if I marry a woman, I will definitely treat her well, and treat her well for the rest of my life. If you can accept that, then let’s get married.”
He Jingwen finished speaking in one breath. Having experienced his ex-wife's betrayal and narrowly escaped death, he no longer cared about love or not. If two people could live a good life together, love could blossom over time and bring them happiness.
Li Jun suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open. She stared at him blankly, speechless for a long time. "You...you mean you want to marry me?"
In the past, when she went on blind dates, some men wanted to marry her, but they were either unattractive, had character or personality issues, or were extremely poor. Although she wasn't picky, she couldn't just marry anyone. So, after going around in circles, she's still here.
Li Jun was definitely very satisfied with He Jingwen. First of all, he was tall and imposing, and being a soldier, he easily made women feel safe. She'd heard he was a major; such a rank at such a young age meant his character was undoubtedly impeccable. She'd also heard that soldiers were the most devoted to their wives… All these factors combined made Li Jun instantly fall for He Jingwen. She assumed He Jingwen also had feelings for her, so when she heard the words "I'm sorry," she felt like she'd fallen into hell. Now, hearing his words, she felt like she'd been thrown into heaven, so she was somewhat incredulous.
He Jingwen smiled slightly. "If you're willing." Anyway, for soldiers, whirlwind marriages are common. They have too little time; they can't slowly date and marry like ordinary people. Perhaps it's because so many whirlwind marriages, and because some films and television dramas portray soldiers in a positive light, that some women imagine military life to be too idyllic, only to find out after marriage that it's not like that at all, thus increasing the chances of marital breakdown.
"I'm willing!" Li Jun shouted hurriedly, as if afraid he would change his mind. It was just accompanying him to the army; she could accept that.
He Jingwen couldn't help but laugh again; he suddenly found this girl quite adorable. "Then I'll go back and get my relationship and marriage certificates ready, and we'll register our marriage as soon as they're issued. Oh, I forgot to mention, would you mind if we didn't have a grand wedding?"
Li Jun hurriedly shook his head. "But... could you come home with me to meet my parents?"
"Of course. I don't mind if you hold a banquet in your hometown; I'll cover the expenses. But is it okay if I don't hold one in my hometown?" He already had one wedding, and he didn't want to do it again. As for Li Jun, he had to be fair to the girl.
"No problem, no problem," Li Jun replied twice, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.
The two looked at each other and smiled; perhaps they would be happy together.
When Ling Ruoke and Huo Qingfeng returned hand in hand, Ling Ruoke's jaw nearly dropped when she heard He Jingwen's decision. She chuckled and reached out to slap the colonel's arm. "Huo Qingfeng, your soldiers are even more efficient than you!"
They met on a blind date, and not only did they fall in love, they even finalized their wedding arrangements. That's efficiency; they could be nominated for a Guinness World Record.
Huo Qingfeng and He Jingwen touched their noses at the same time.
Li Jun's face turned bright red, the redness spreading to her neck and ears. She lowered her head, her left foot shuffling on the floor, not daring to look at them at all.
Ling Ruoke giggled, very proud of her perfect success as a matchmaker on her first try. "Oh my, it seems I have a real talent for matchmaking."
Upon hearing this, Huo Qingfeng smiled indulgently.
Li Jun's face turned even redder, as if it were about to bleed.
The two people who had just become a couple went out on a date, leaving the matchmaker and her husband at home staring at each other.
"No, I have to go see Peishi and my godson." Ling Ruoke hadn't seen Tan Peishi for almost two months and missed her terribly.
Huo Qingfeng obeyed without question, dressed his wife in thick clothes, and drove straight to Tan Peishi's house. Fu Peigang was also on vacation and presumably at home.
Sure enough, when the two people came in carrying their things, Tan Peishi's whole family was there, playing with little Fu Lingyun.
"Wow, godson, let your godmother hold you!" Ling Ruoke pushed aside the couple who were in the way and rushed to the crib.
Huo Qingfeng was terrified by her actions. She was heavily pregnant, yet she dared to charge into battle! "Wife, be careful, you're heavily pregnant yourself."
Ling Ruoke smiled sheepishly. She turned back to playfully tease Xiao Lele. The little guy was six months old and could already sit up. He had a chubby face and looked remarkably like Fu Peigang; he was incredibly cute.
"Eeya..." The little guy grabbed her finger and made babbling sounds. Before long, he pulled her hand and put it in his mouth.
This adorable action made several adults laugh.
Tan Peishi reached out and pinched his little cheek. "Silly boy, he puts everything he can grab into his mouth." She then smiled at Ling Ruoke and said, "That's the mildest thing. He even tries to put his toes in his mouth. Luckily, his bones are soft enough to reach them."
Hearing this, Ling Ruoke couldn't help but laugh. "Oh dear, is our little Lele teething? Come here, let godmother take a look, take a look..."
The little one was quite cooperative, grinning broadly and making crisp, tender sounds. He grabbed Ling Ruoke's hand and bounced her up and down. If his legs weren't still weak, he probably could have stood up.
After playing with the child for a while, I talked to Tan Peishi about company matters. Tan Peishi isn't going to work now, but she's gradually taking over the company's affairs. After all, the child is quite old now, and with Tan's mother helping to look after him, she can still find some time each day.
After leaving Tan Peishi's house, Ling Ruoke went back to the company and greeted everyone. Of course, the first thing she did was hand out red envelopes. Luckily, Ling Ruoke had thought of this in the car, so she bought the red envelopes and prepared them before getting in.
Everyone was very enthusiastic when they saw her, and the girls boldly reached out to touch her belly to feel the presence of the baby.
"Sister Ruo, has he started moving yet? Will it hurt a lot when he kicks you?"
"I heard that when you feel fetal movement, the baby will kick wherever you touch it. Is that true?"
"Little baby, hurry up and say hello to everyone!"
"..."
They were all incredibly excited, chattering away excitedly. Finally, Xia Mo ran out and said, "So we don't have to do any work anymore, huh? Are you taking advantage of us men because we can't touch them?"
Forget about the saying "men and women shouldn't touch each other," the mere fact that Huo Qingfeng was watching them intently from the side was enough to deter the men from acting recklessly. After all, nobody wanted to be caught and beaten half to death! Soldiers are known for their powerful punches and kicks; a beating like that would probably keep them from getting up for half a month.
Seeing that everyone was doing well and full of enthusiasm, Ling Ruoke was also very happy. She was somewhat surprised that Mei Yanting wasn't as enthusiastic as before. Although Mei Yanting didn't show it overtly, Ling Ruoke could tell.
After everyone had left, Ling Ruoke walked over and tapped on her table. "What's wrong? You don't seem to be in a good mood?"
Mei Yanting smiled. "No, not at all." She added, "Sister Ximeng, other people's skin gets worse when they're pregnant, but your skin is getting better and better. It's really enviable."
Ling Ruoke touched her face; she didn't feel anything. "Do you?"
"Really, you can ask others if you don't believe me." Mei Yanting envied Ling Ruoke, feeling that all good things had come her way, and she was truly blessed.
Ling Ruoke smiled and didn't dwell on the matter. "Are you really alright? You can talk to me if there's anything wrong."
"I'm really fine!" Mei Yanting nodded with a smile. Ling Ruoke had already advised her against it; it was her own choice, and there was nothing more to say.
"That's good." Ling Ruoke patted her shoulder. After chatting with the others for a few more minutes, she left with Huo Qingfeng. Last year's year-end bonus was quite substantial, so everyone was very motivated.
"Honey, it seems you're doing a good job as a boss," Huo Qingfeng said with a smile, putting his arm around his wife's waist, which, although fuller, was still slender. The employees all liked this boss.
Ling Ruoke laughed too. "Because I'm very generous with money. There are very few bosses as generous as me these days."
Huo Qingfeng nodded as well.
Because they had to return to their unit that night, the two went back to the villa to check the water, electricity, gas, doors, and windows, then drove straight to another house. This time, Ling Ruo didn't feel sad at all.
By the time they got back to the unit, it was already dark. Luckily, Huo Qingfeng had good eyesight; otherwise, carrying a pregnant woman in the dark would have been difficult even on flat ground, let alone on a mountain path.
With each step he took, his body swayed rhythmically up and down, and Ling Ruoke gradually fell asleep. She slept peacefully all the way to the military base before being woken up by Huo Qingfeng. When her feet touched the ground, she was still unsteady on her feet, rubbing her eyes like a sleepy child.
"Are you awake?" Huo Qingfeng's voice was full of laughter when he saw her adorable appearance. He raised his hand to brush the strands of hair from her face and looked into her sleepy eyes.
Ling Ruoke smiled slightly at him. "We're home."
The most ordinary tone of voice softened Huo Qingfeng's heart considerably. He couldn't help but soften his voice even more, afraid that raising his voice even slightly would frighten her. "Are you sleepy?"
I was considering whether I should actually carry her inside. I hoped I wouldn't be used as a negative example to be criticized tomorrow.
Although Ling Ruoke was still half asleep, she remembered some things clearly. The mountain wind was terribly cold, and a gust of wind woke her up. "It's okay, let's go."
By the time they got home, Ling Ruoke couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed into Huo Qingfeng's arms, her eyes heavy with sleep. Her eyelids were so heavy that they seemed impossible to open even with a matchstick.
Huo Qingfeng chuckled as he caught her, picked her up, and laid her down on the sofa bed. He found her pajamas before carrying her into the bathroom to bathe her. Throughout the entire process, Ling Ruoke slept peacefully, without opening her eyes even once.
Huo Qingfeng watched her quietly by the bedside for a while, smiled slightly, changed into his training clothes, and disappeared into the night sky.
After a blind date, Ling Ruoke returned to the army and resumed her quiet life.
Whether it was due to pregnancy or a severe calcium deficiency, Ling Ruoke experienced leg cramps for several nights in a row. As she slept, the pain in her calves became intense, causing her to whimper and nearly cry.
Huo Qingfeng jumped up, turned on the light, and saw that the veins on his calves were bulging and had shrunk into a ball, and his calves were hard as rocks. Seeing that his wife was in so much pain that tears were welling up in her eyes, he felt extremely sorry for her and quickly massaged and rubbed them for her.
Unfortunately, muscle cramps don't just go away with a pinch; they often hurt for a while before they have any effect. Ling Ruoke cried pitifully, like a child. He had to coax her like a child before she obediently fell asleep again.
Huo Qingfeng didn't sleep well that night, worried that she might have gotten a leg cramp and he wouldn't have noticed it immediately. He searched online and consulted his sister-in-law, finally confirming that it was mainly due to calcium deficiency. So he tried to find ways to supplement her calcium. The best method was to make her bone broth, which would satisfy her appetite and provide calcium at the same time. He also consulted a doctor, and tried to take her for walks after meals and stretch her calves before bed, taking exceptionally good care of her.
Once, Cai Yaqin's sister-in-law saw this and said to Ruoke with envy, "Your husband really treats you like a treasure."
Ling Ruoke smiled sweetly, her heart filled with joy. Although life was somewhat monotonous, the sweetness between the two of them made it all quite pleasant.
That afternoon, Ling Ruoke was sitting in front of her computer writing something. She was writing about the sweet moments between the male and female protagonists when suddenly, she shuddered and her eyes widened. After a long while, she slowly looked down and her eyes landed on her protruding belly.
Just now... was it...? Ling Ruo couldn't be sure if it was just her imagination. She felt like she had been kicked in the stomach.
As if telepathically connected with her, the little one in her belly kicked again, and with considerable force.
"Ah—" Ling Ruoke screamed and stood up abruptly. Her child could move! He could move!
Ling Ruoke clutched her stomach, acting as if she were going crazy. She laughed loudly while spinning around in circles, unsure of how to express her feelings.
After a moment of stunned silence, she suddenly lunged for the phone; she wanted to call Qingfeng. But as soon as she picked up the receiver, she remembered he was on a mission. Somewhat disappointed, she put the phone down, paused for a moment, then picked up the receiver again and dialed a number in City B.
"Ruoke, what's wrong?" Yang Ziyun's voice was lively, clearly in a good mood. She was living a very comfortable life and was happily waiting for her grandson to be born. The child was still in her womb, and she was already very proud when she talked about it with others. She didn't know how proud she would be after the baby was born.
Upon hearing her voice, Ling Ruoke couldn't help but smile even more broadly. "Mom, he moved!" Her tone was as excited as if she had won a big prize.
Yang Ziyun paused for a moment, then let out a scream! "Ah, my precious grandson can move! Oh my, that's amazing!"
Ling Ruoke chuckled. Any normal baby will start moving around four or five months old; it has nothing to do with whether they're advanced or not. This grandmother is really getting a little too excited. It's a good thing her father-in-law and grandfather aren't home, otherwise her mother would probably be even happier, and there would be another battle over the phone.
Then, Yang Ziyun began to tell Ruoke about her pregnancy with Huo Qingfeng, sharing the subtle feelings of feeling the baby move. They talked until their throats were dry before reluctantly hanging up the phone.
After putting down the phone, Ling Ruoke stroked her belly, especially hoping that Huo Qingfeng could come back immediately so he could also experience the baby's playfulness. She was very much looking forward to seeing how he would react when he felt the baby move for the first time.
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