After leaving the amusement park, it's time for lunch. The place we need to go is obvious: KFC!
Right now, he's happily munching on a chicken leg in his left hand and fries in his right. Looking at his blissful expression, it's as if this is the most delicious thing in the world.
None of the three adults liked fried junk food, so they opted for a set meal. However, the food here was indeed not very good; the two women could manage to eat it, but the colonel was in a sorry state.
Ling Ruoke ran to the fast food restaurant next door and got him a takeout meal. They sat in a corner and ordered a lot of KFC food, so they weren't scolded for bringing in takeout. The colonel then ate his fill.
After leaving KFC, the three of us took a taxi straight to the movie theater. We had checked last night and found that the animated film "Ice Age 3" was showing at this time, which was perfect for the little one, and it even had 3D effects.
The little guy really gets into movies; once he sits down, he watches with complete focus. Whether it's an adult film or a cartoon, he watches with great interest. And when it's a cartoon, you can hear his duck-like laughter.
This time was no different. Wearing 3D glasses, he looked like a little gangster, making both mothers laugh until they were sore. From the very beginning of the movie, he sat there upright, completely absorbed in watching the big screen. A little while later, he was laughing like a little duck.
In the darkness, the three adults each had different feelings, but they all smiled from time to time because they could feel the child's happiness.
It was already past four o'clock when we came out of the movie theater. We had no idea where to go next.
"How about we go to the arcade?"
"An indoor amusement park?"
"Want to see another movie?"
"..."
Finally, Ling Ruoke offered her suggestion. "Let's go to the buffet again. There's food and performances, and after we've eaten and drunk our fill, it'll be evening by the time we come back, then we can shower and go to bed!"
So, the four of them went to the Amazon cafeteria. They hadn't eaten well at lunch, so dinner was a nice treat.
Yuan Meng knew that parting was imminent, and that Ling Ruoke couldn't bear to part with the little one, so she had always let Yuan Meng take care of Xiao Fu'an without interfering herself. At this moment, she was very grateful for the harsh words Ruoke had said to persuade her to acknowledge Xiao Fu'an. If it weren't for the child, she sometimes didn't know how she would go on living. The pain of losing Kaiyi was too great; even after so many years, it still felt like she was dying.
The colonel, camera in hand, snapped photos of the mother and child, wanting her to see them more often even after the little one left. In the photos, the mother and child's heads were close together, smiling foolishly at the camera and even making victory signs. The two faces, one big and one small, didn't look alike, but they radiated a deep mother-son bond.
Click! A photo: The mother and son are pouting, seemingly about to kiss, their eyes glancing sideways at the camera...
A snapshot: The mother and child, mouths agape, are vying for a bite of the middle piece of roasted meat; their expressions are absolutely hilarious…
A snapshot: The son's greasy lips smacked his mother's cheek, and the mother's expression, though seemingly disgusted, couldn't hide her smile...
...
The colonel pressed the shutter button, thankful that cameras weren't those point-and-shoots anymore, otherwise he'd be done for after only a few shots. In the end, his camera was filled with tender moments between mother and child. Just looking at the photos, you could almost hear their laughter; it was truly heartwarming.
Emerging from the buffet, everyone's bellies were round and full. So, hand in hand, they strolled slowly home.
Yuan Meng and Huo Qingfeng both knew that Ruo Kehuan couldn't possibly have 48 hours in a day, so even though Yuan Meng was already tired, she agreed to her suggestion to walk back. The two of them walked behind, while the mother and child walked in front, holding hands, touching each other's bellies and talking.
Night had fallen, and the lights illuminated this not-so-bustling city. Lacking the dazzling lights of a metropolis at night, it was a very livable place.
The streetlights cast long shadows of them, etching their happy memories onto the summer night.
The little guy had been playing all day, and his little legs were tired. He couldn't walk any further after a short while.
Ling Ruoke bent down and carried him on her back. The little guy instinctively hugged her neck and babbled on her back. His chubby little hands moved around, trying hard to make the adult understand what he was saying. As he talked, he fell asleep on her back.
Ling Ruoke slowed her pace and didn't say anything. She just carried him slowly on her back on the way home.
Huo Qingfeng and Yuan Meng followed behind, remaining silent and simply watching the backs of the mother and son.
Occasionally, passersby would walk by and find the scene a little strange. But as they watched, they would also feel an unusual warmth. Finally, they would shake their heads, puzzled, and walk away.
I got home after nine o'clock.
Ling Ruoke asked Huo Qingfeng to help her lift the little guy off her back. She carried him into the bathroom and carefully gave him a fragrant bath without waking him.
Yuan Meng didn't have much stuff; she only sent the little one's clothes first, picking and choosing what to send. The toys and such, since things weren't settled yet, were kept here for now.
Huo Qingfeng found a small suitcase and packed the mother and child's changes of clothes inside. The money and documents were placed in a small bag that Yuan Meng carried with her. Finally, Huo Qingfeng gave Yuan Meng a card.
"I can't accept this!" Yuan Meng hurriedly refused. "I still have those pension payments from Kaiyi back then, so I really don't need them, I really don't need them!"
“Take it. This isn’t from me to you; it’s the pocket money and New Year’s money that Grandpa, Grandma, and other relatives have given to Xiao Fu’an over the years. We originally intended to save it for Xiao Fu’an’s education. It belongs to Xiao Fu’an, not to you. Take it. This isn’t about the money; it’s about everyone’s love for the little guy, understand?”
Yuan Meng took a while to accept it, her eyes welling up with tears. "Thank you all, I don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything. He's our child, and it's our duty to do anything for him. As long as you're doing well over there, that's enough for us."
"Yes, it will, it definitely will!" Yuan Meng choked up and couldn't speak.
"The password is xxxxxx".
Huo Qingfeng walked away, leaving her alone, knowing she needed quiet. He entered the bathroom and saw Ruoke carefully bathing the little one. He squatted down beside her, watching quietly without saying a word. Her expression was focused, as if she were doing something very important, even sacred.
Huo Qingfeng thought she was crying, but when she finished washing up and looked up, he realized she wasn't. He paused for a moment, then heard her say, "Actually, it's nothing. As long as he's alright, what's a little distance in this age of advanced transportation, right?"
Huo Qingfeng reached out and stroked her hair, only responding with a sound, without saying anything else.
The little guy still slept with them at night.
Yuan Meng's flight was the next morning, so she would arrive in T City in the afternoon, avoiding the inconvenience of moving around in the dark.
So the next day, Ling Ruoke got up early to make breakfast for them. She made dumplings, but not the usual shape; they were small and cute, imitating the style of dumplings from Shaxian snack shops.
The child doesn't understand separation, and the adults don't want him to, so we can still hear his duck-like quacking at the breakfast table. The sadness of parting is diluted.
"You have to be a good boy and listen to Mommy. If Mommy finds out that Xiao Fu'an is being naughty, I'll spank him!" Ling Ruoke reached out and touched his little bottom. The little guy covered his bottom and hid behind Yuan Meng, giggling.
"Take care on your journey, we'll wait for your call." Ling Ruoke reached out and hugged Yuan Meng. Her eyes welled up with tears.
"I will, don't worry." Yuan Meng's eyes welled up with tears. No matter when, no matter how far apart, parting is always sad.
Ling Ruoke didn't cry until they went through security. It wasn't until the plane took off and she watched it streak across the sky that she finally threw herself into Huo Qingfeng's arms and let out a good cry.
Huo Qingfeng held her quietly, letting her cry her heart out.
When I get home, I always feel empty and listless, and I can't muster any interest in doing anything. The house is quiet and still, without a sound, and my heart feels quiet and empty as well.
Ling Ruoke nestled listlessly in Huo Qingfeng's arms, watching TV absentmindedly. She'd been watching for over an hour, but had no idea what was on. Her mind was completely elsewhere.
"Tan Peishi has been discharged from the hospital, right? Shall we go see the baby?" Huo Qingfeng put his arm around her and offered a feasible suggestion.
Ling Ruoke jumped out of his arms and clapped her hands. "Oh right, I almost forgot. Come on, let's go see the little baby." She hurriedly pulled him to go out.
The two of them went to the street first and bought clothes, diapers, formula, and other things for the baby, carrying big bags and small packages. Luckily they took a taxi, otherwise they would have been exhausted from carrying all that stuff.
"Ling Ruoke, are you going to fill my house to the brim?" Tan Peishi was dumbfounded when she opened the door and saw so much stuff.
Ling Ruoke chuckled foolishly. "I didn't know either, I bought so much without even realizing it. Where's my godson? Godson, your godmother's here to see you!"
As she spoke, she rushed towards the nursery.
Tan Peishi told Fu Peigang to pack up his things, and then looked at Huo Qingfeng and said, "Captain, you should hurry up and let Ruoke have a baby. She's lonely." Tan Peishi, as a good friend, knew that Yuan Meng had left with the baby.
"I know." Huo Qingfeng nodded, listening to the sounds of people talking to the baby in the nursery. Then he tugged at Fu Peigang and went downstairs to discuss the matter of accompanying the child to the army.
Two men sat on the ground under a large tree in the residential area.
Huo Qingfeng took out a cigarette and offered one to Fu Peigang, but Fu Peigang waved it away.
"I've stopped smoking. I didn't dare to smoke much when Pei-shi was pregnant, but I quit later." The most effective way to get a man to quit smoking is to have a child, forcing him to quit.
Huo Qingfeng elbowed him. "Showing off, trying to impress me!" However, if Ke really gets pregnant, he will quit smoking.
Fu Peigang grinned foolishly. "Captain, like my wife said, you and Ruoke should have a baby soon. With a child, she won't be lonely. It's good that she has a child to keep her company when we're not home. Before, when Fu'an was around, she had someone to support her when she cooked, and a child would babble in response when she spoke. Now that little Fu'an isn't home, and she lives in such a big villa, Ruoke must be very lonely."
"I know." Huo Qingfeng's brow furrowed deeply. He wanted to as well, but the guzheng had caused so much trouble. He needed to resolve these problems before he could feel at ease letting Ruoke get pregnant. "Hey, have you thought about having your wife accompany you to the army?"
"I thought about it, I thought about it a long time ago," Fu Peigang confessed honestly. "But Peishi has a job she likes, and if she went to the army, she wouldn't be able to do it, so she put it aside later."
If you go with the army, you'll truly live a life of wife, children, and a warm bed. Who wouldn't want that?
Huo Qingfeng exhaled a puff of smoke and squinted. "I'd like to too. Like you said, it'll be too lonely for her to be home alone. And I'm always worried about something happening to her, so it's much more reassuring to have her by my side. After I get married, let's persuade the two sisters to join me in the military."
“Okay. As long as one of them agrees, the other will definitely agree.” Neither of the sisters wanted to drift apart from the other.
"That's right." So, he had to hurry up and get the marriage certificate done with her. First, he needed to resolve the issue with Guzheng; he couldn't let this woman become a ticking time bomb in their lives.
After a moment of silence, Huo Qingfeng kicked Fu Peigang, glanced at him, and asked, "How does it feel to be a father?"
Fu Peigang's mouth immediately stretched into a wide grin. "One word: awesome! Two words: really awesome! Three words: so awesome! Four words: truly awesome! Five words—"
Huo Qingfeng kicked him hard, and he jumped up and ran away. Seeing him still grinning from ear to ear, Huo Qingfeng was a little annoyed. He was the eldest brother, after all, and Fu Peigang had beaten him to it!
Damn it! We're too late in terms of timing, we have to beat him in terms of quantity! He and Ruoke are going to have twins!
The colonel took a deep drag on his cigarette, and angrily made up his mind: They absolutely had to have twins!
It seems he has completely forgotten common sense. Is this something he can decide?
...
Ling Ruoke lay beside the cradle, looking at the little one lying inside. Tiny head, tiny face, tiny body, tiny hands, tiny feet… everything was tiny, making him incredibly adorable. If you stretched out a finger, he would grab it; his little mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to speak.
Tan Peishi got out of bed, sat down on a stool, and looked at them. "So? You want to have one too, don't you?"
"Mmm," Ling Ruoke responded, her eyes still fixed on the baby, a hint of sadness in them. If it weren't for Gu Zheng's interference, they would already be married, and she'd probably be pregnant by now. But fate had other plans; at this crucial moment, that annoying woman returned, and once again, she interfered in their lives!
“Peishi, sometimes I really want to get angry and give my colonel a good scolding. Or grab that woman and beat her up. But I can’t do anything. I know it’s not the colonel’s fault. If anyone’s at fault, it’s my complicated relationship with Cang Wei, and he never said anything about it. I know Guzheng is in the wrong, but I can’t beat her up, and I can’t make her let go. Sometimes I comfort myself by saying it’s nothing, but sometimes it’s really hard to hold it in…”
As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion. She was still grieving over Fu'an and Yuan Meng's departure. Now, bringing up this most troubling matter again, she couldn't hold back. "I can't help but wonder, what did I do wrong? Why is it that just when things are calming down on one side, another wave of trouble arises?"
Tan Peishi embraced her head, letting her rest her head on her knees, and stroked her hair. Her heart ached too; Ruoke had already suffered so much, yet fate always seemed to be torturing her!
"Ruo Ke, don't be like this. It's all small stuff, nothing serious. You've forgotten how simple our thoughts were back then, when we thought they had died in the line of duty. As long as they came back alive, nothing else mattered, nothing at all! Guzheng's situation is a bit troublesome, but how much trouble can she cause? The captain's heart is with you, he'll find a way to resolve it himself, don't overthink it. Xiao Fu'an and the others have left, if you don't want to be alone, come stay with us. We'll take care of the baby together and watch him grow up little by little, okay?"
Ling Ruoke remained silent, biting her lip and nodding, trying her best to control her emotions.
"I believe things will be resolved soon. Then you'll be married, pregnant, and time will fly by. Even if you're home alone, you won't feel lonely, because your child is inside you, keeping you company. At that time, you won't want to think about anything else; you'll just feel the child's presence every day, waiting for him to come into this world..."
“I know, I know. Maybe it’s because Fu’an and Yuan Meng just left, and I’m feeling sad about losing them, so I’m making a big deal out of it. Life always has its ups and downs, but it will pass eventually!” Ling Ruoke whispered in response, resting her head on her knees.
She knew in her heart that this wasn't a big deal; it was just that she was in a bad mood. Compared to the death of her parents, Cang Wei's imprisonment, and the pain of mistakenly believing Qing Feng was gone, this was nothing. No matter how skilled Gu Zheng was, her colonel wasn't someone who would just give in; he would always find a way to resolve it.
Ling Ruoke calmed down and remained lying on her lap without getting up. "Peishi, why don't you take Aunt Tan and the little one to stay at our house? Our house is big enough."
Living alone in such a big place, just thinking about it makes her feel lonely. If it were any earlier, she probably would have been too scared to stay in the house alone. The memory of trembling under the covers in the Cang family mansion is still vivid in her mind.
“I’m fine,” Tan Peishi said, leaning close to her ear with a suggestive laugh. “I’m just worried that when the captain finally comes back, it won’t be convenient for you two. You could have pounced on each other and started kissing as soon as you walked in, but now you have to hide back in your room and make up excuses. You could have done it on the sofa if you wanted, or in the kitchen if you wanted, but now…”
Before she could finish speaking, Ling Ruoke pinched her hard. "Tan Peishi, pay attention to your discipline, your son is listening!"
Tan Peishi laughed heartily. "Don't worry, he doesn't understand yet."
Ling Ruoke glared at her, then turned to the baby. "Little darling, look how mean your mother is! From now on, listen to your godmother and don't pay any attention to this disrespectful mother!"
"How have I acted disrespectfully towards my elders?"
"All over."
"Tch, you're just trying to ruin my reputation because you're angry and embarrassed!"
"..."
As Ling Ruoke continued arguing, a question came to mind. "Peishi, have you decided on a name for the baby yet?" They were already discussing the baby's name before the baby was even born, but they still hadn't decided on one.
"It's settled. Fu Peigang named her. Her nickname is Lele, and her formal name is Fu Lingyun, which means 'soaring ambition'."
"That's good. Little Lele, did you hear that?" Ling Ruoke reached out and carefully touched the child's delicate skin.
The two women were playing with their child, unaware that the man who had gone out had returned. He was standing in the doorway, silently watching them, his eyes filled with deep affection.
Ling Ruoke and the others stayed until evening, helping to prepare dinner before leaving. Midway through the meal, they received a call from Yuan Meng to let them know she was safe.
After walking for a while, the colonel suddenly squatted down. "Wife, I'll carry you on my back."
Just as Ling Ruoke was about to happily climb onto him, she remembered his injury. "No, you're injured. Next time, next time I'll make you carry me home the whole time."
"It's nothing. This little injury is no problem carrying my wife." His injury had healed a lot, and he wasn't that fragile. Ruoke was also thin and didn't weigh much.
Ling Ruoke pulled him up, wrapped her arms around his, and looked up at him with a smile. "There's plenty of time. In the future, not only will you carry me, but we'll also carry our child together. If you can't carry him, hmph..."
“I can carry them. Let’s have twins, I can carry them.” The colonel still remembered that he wanted to have two to beat Fu Peigang.
Ling Ruoke pinched him. "Colonel, I'm telling you, you definitely didn't study biology well. Do you think you can just decide whether to have a boy or a girl, or even twins, on a whim?"
"Let's just dream about it; maybe our dream will come true. I've always been very lucky." Huo Qingfeng was very confident in his luck; from childhood to adulthood, his dreams had all come true.
"Are you really that lucky?"
"Would I have been so unlucky to meet you?" This was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him.
"You've stolen some honey again. You have such a sweet tongue."
"..."
"What's wrong?" Ling Ruoke noticed the colonel suddenly stop, his expression serious. The question had barely left her lips when she realized something was amiss.
Danger!
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