Huo Qingfeng drove Ling Ruoke to the hospital. He was worried about Rong Xiumei, that crazy woman, so he insisted on going up with her.
Ling Ruoke didn't say anything; she genuinely didn't want to clash with Rong Xiumei. If Qingfeng were there, Rong Xiumei wouldn't dare to be so arrogant. That guy was a typical bully who preyed on the weak.
Ling Ruoke could roughly guess that Gu Miaomiao probably wanted to confide in someone. As for why she chose her, she couldn't figure it out. Perhaps it was because she was married and had been entangled with her before, while her own friends were still students and didn't understand the pain of marriage.
As they walked up the stairs, Huo Qingfeng took her hand and squeezed it. She looked over. "Just listen to what she says. You're not a bodhisattva; you can't save everyone, understand?"
Ling Ruoke nodded, smiled at him, and squeezed his hand back slightly.
Upon arriving at the ward, she saw three people talking to Gu Miaomiao. They did all the talking, while Gu Miaomiao remained silent. If her eyes hadn't been open, one would have thought she was asleep.
Gu Weiguo and Gu Chengfeng, being soldiers, noticed Ling Ruoke and Huo Qingfeng the moment they appeared. Being men, and given that it was a matter of personal feelings, they didn't show any displeasure towards Ruoke.
Only Rong Xiumei's face darkened the moment she saw Ling Ruoke. Like a demon, she stormed out. "Who sent you? Do you want to see us make a fool of ourselves?"
"Rong Xiumei, shut up!" Gu Weiguo roared, silencing Rong Xiumei. "Let's all go out and let Ruoke talk to Miaomiao."
"Dad, what's there for Miaomiao to talk about with her? Hasn't she harmed Miaomiao enough?" Rong Xiumei's face was contorted with rage, as if she really wanted to bring Gu Miaomiao to this state.
Gu Weiguo glared fiercely at Rong Xiumei, his eyes practically spitting fire. "Get out! Say another word, and don't ever set foot in the Wei family again!"
Fearing that his father would force him to divorce, Gu Chengfeng hurriedly pulled Rong Xiumei out.
"If possible, Miaomiao is in a bad mood, so don't take it to heart." Old Gu smiled and went out.
Ling Ruoke turned back and smiled at Huo Qingfeng before going inside and closing the door. Looking at Gu Miaomiao, who had turned to look at her from the bed, her face was haggard and lifeless. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Much better, thank you." Gu Miaomiao smiled at her and pointed to the stool next to her. "Sit down."
Ling Ruoke put down the fruit in her hand and sat down on the stool.
The two looked at each other, neither seemingly knowing how to speak. For a moment, the ward was quiet, the atmosphere somewhat oppressive. The strong smell of soda water lingered in the air, making them feel uncomfortable.
Ling Ruoke didn't know what Gu Miaomiao wanted to say, so she didn't dare to speak. Since Gu Miaomiao remained silent, she could only wait quietly. She was troubled, unsure where to look; looking at the other's face, she feared Gu Miaomiao might misunderstand and think she was laughing at her. Helplessly, she lowered her eyes slightly, looking at Gu Miaomiao's thin hands resting on the surface of the blanket. The veins on her hands were bulging, no longer the fair and slender hands she remembered.
Gu Miaomiao sighed deeply, looking into Ling Ruoke's eyes. She wanted to smile, but couldn't. Her eyes were filled with unfathomable sorrow. "Thank you for coming. I didn't expect you to be willing to come. Actually, I don't know what I wanted to ask you to come. To be honest, we're not even close. If I hadn't caused trouble a few times, you probably wouldn't even remember my name."
“Gu Miaomiao, no matter what happened in the past, in my opinion, we have never been enemies. So, I’m here. I think there are some things you should tell me, and I’m willing to listen. In life, there are always some heavy feelings that we need to confide in someone suitable. I’m the same, and so are you.” Ling Ruoke and Gu Miaomiao are actually not far apart in age, but perhaps because Gu Miaomiao was too naive and childish when they first met, Ling Ruoke always felt that she was just a little child.
Gu Miaomiao finally smiled, tears streaming down her face. "I've never felt like I lacked friends, but after so many terrible things happened, I'm heartbroken. I really wanted to talk to someone, but I couldn't find anyone. I thought and thought, and then I thought of you. Suddenly, I realize how pathetic I am, haha..."
She suddenly burst into laughter, but the more she laughed, the more tears streamed down her face, as if a valve had broken and could no longer be turned off. Her eyes were filled with sorrow, so intense it was chilling.
Ling Ruoke didn't try to comfort her, letting her laugh and cry as she pleased. She thought that Gu Miaomiao must have been pretending to be strong in front of her family for a long time. The feeling of wanting to cry but having to smile on the outside is the most painful; she deserves to have a good cry. A young girl in her early twenties, yet she has already suffered the pain of a broken marriage and a broken love; she deserves to have a good cry.
Gu Miaomiao leaned against the headboard like a child. She didn't wail loudly, but instead kept her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, accompanied by soft sobs. Her hands, lying on the bed, were clenched into tight fists, the veins on the back of her hands standing out prominently, a sight that was alarming.
Ling Ruoke wanted to hug her, but ultimately didn't move. She just sat there quietly, waiting for her to vent. Perhaps Gu Miaomiao had cried too hard, because she couldn't help but feel her eyes welling up, almost recalling the despair and desolation of being imprisoned in the Cang family mansion. Fortunately, she came to her senses in time, remembering that there was someone waiting for her outside the door; she was no longer that desperate girl locked in a cage.
The Gu Miaomiao before me is also a prisoner, trapped in her own world of sorrow, needing someone to rescue her. It's just that no one knows when or where that person will appear; all I can do is wish her well.
Gu Miaomiao was stronger than Ling Ruoke thought, because she didn't cry uncontrollably. She gradually calmed down, though her face was still streaked with tears, making her look particularly pitiful.
Ling Ruoke took the tissue and handed it to her.
"Thank you." Her voice was terribly hoarse from crying. Her eyes were red and swollen; if it weren't for her once fair and round face, she would have looked like an adorable rabbit. Unfortunately, this rabbit had become so thin and emaciated that she looked pitiful.
Ling Ruoke handed her three or four tissues before she could finally dry her wet face. As for the tears in her eyes, they probably wouldn't dry anytime soon.
"Do you remember?" Gu Miaomiao asked with a bitter smile, her gaze drifting further and further away, stirring up memories. "You once said that I didn't understand love at all, that I was just a naive little kid. Back then, I thought you just disliked me and scolded me, but now I realize that what you said was true."
Ling Ruoke listened quietly without replying. She thought that Gu Miaomiao needed a listener, not a major emotional issue.
“You’re right. What I felt for Brother Huo wasn’t love. It was just that the elders kept telling me that I loved him and wanted to marry him. So I wasn’t sad that he was with you, just resentful, as if something that was originally mine had been taken away from me. When I met Xuan Yuan Jinan, who is my husband, I realized that love can be both sweet and torturous. Actually, I’ve always wanted to apologize to you, but I’ve never been able to muster the courage. I always felt it was too sentimental.”
She chuckled, as if mocking herself. With that laugh, tears welled up again, and she quickly reached out to wipe them away.
"I remember you called me a homewrecker back then. I was so angry. I knew Brother Huo before you, so why was I the homewrecker? But when I actually saw my husband with another woman, I realized you were absolutely right. Those women knew Xuan Yuan Jinan before I did, and they were already very close before I even came into the picture. I cried, I made a scene, I even fought like a madwoman. That's when I understood how you felt back then. Ling Ruoke, although I can't say I like you that much now, I feel I really should say sorry to you!"
"I accept your apology." Ling Ruoke accepted it generously. The Gu sisters already owed her an apology, so there was no need for her to be coy. Just one apology was enough to show that Gu Miaomiao had truly grown up and was no longer that unruly little girl.
Gu Miaomiao seemed taken aback by her reaction, and paused for a moment before forcing a smile. "If we didn't have this complicated history, maybe we would have become good friends. I think you're not actually that bad."
"Thank you." Ling Ruoke smiled. In her heart, she also felt that compared to the scheming Gu Zhenzhen, Gu Miaomiao was actually not bad.
Gu Miaomiao looked at her for a long time, then suddenly let out a long breath. "Ling Ruoke, I used to make fun of your past, but my current situation is far more miserable than yours was before. Perhaps this is karma. Or perhaps this is why I asked Grandpa to find you. I know you are very happy now. I also hope in my heart that I can be like you, let go of everything from the past, and start a new life."
Ling Ruoke finally reached out and patted Gu Miaomiao's hand. "Gu Miaomiao, you can do it. You're still so young, and the person who truly belongs to you is waiting for you on the road ahead. As long as you keep moving forward with strength, you will meet him."
When someone is in a desperate situation, they need someone to lend a hand. Just like her back then, if it weren't for Qingfeng and Peishi, she doesn't know when she would have been able to get out of this predicament and start over. Although she doesn't have a deep relationship with Gu Miaomiao, if she can help her just by talking to her, why be stingy?
"That's what I think too." Gu Miaomiao smiled, tears streaming down her face once more. Deep down, what she longed for was simply for someone to say those words to her, giving her the courage to keep going and the belief that happiness lay ahead.
Gu Miaomiao bit her lip tightly, forcing a smile until her lips bled. "I kept thinking, what would happen to my children if I divorced him? I've already been a murderer once; I can't kill my children again. You see, the children must have heard me, knew I was a vicious woman, so they left on their own. I killed my own children, two of them. Someone like me probably doesn't deserve to be a mother in this lifetime! I'm an executioner, a complete and utter executioner!"
With her last words, Gu Miaomiao screamed with heart-wrenching pain, collapsing onto the blankets and sobbing uncontrollably. If her previous crying was a release of pent-up emotions, this time she was truly devastated and heartbroken. Killing one's own child is extremely cruel for a kind woman!
Ling Ruoke felt Gu Miaomiao's pain even more deeply, and her eyes reddened as well. For a woman to kill herself with her own hands—this was the cruelest punishment Heaven could impose on her. Perhaps she would never forget that she had once been an executioner!
Ling Ruoke wanted to say something, but found she couldn't find a single suitable word. She took a deep breath, exhaling the pent-up air in her chest. But even after Gu Miaomiao calmed down, she still couldn't utter a single word.
"Ling Ruoke, thank you for taking the time to listen to me, really." Gu Miaomiao forced a smile through her tears. "I feel much better now, thank you."
Life is a strange thing; you never know who might help you in the future, and that person might be the very person you hated most back then. Time changes many people and things, so nothing in this world is absolute. Always leave yourself a way out.
Ling Ruoke slowly stood up and nodded. "Can you stand up? If you can, get out of bed."
Although Gu Miaomiao didn't understand what she wanted to do, she still lifted the blanket and got out of bed. Her thin body under the hospital gown made the gown feel empty and uncomfortable.
Ling Ruoke took Gu Miaomiao's hand and led her to the window, pulling up the retractable curtains. "Gu Miaomiao, what did you see?"
Gu Miaomiao watched for a while, then looked at Ling Ruoke with a puzzled expression.
Ling Ruoke smiled and pointed. "Look, there's a vast sky above, a vast land beneath your feet, and endless mountains in the distance. Gu Miaomiao, this world is so vast, far beyond your imagination. What you're experiencing now is just a tiny, tiny part. As long as you're willing to grit your teeth and keep moving forward, a much wider world awaits you! The past is the past, let's not look at it, let's look at the future. I believe that no matter if the past was right or wrong, as long as she does her best in the present and the future, heaven will surely bring her happiness."
Taking a breath, Ling Ruoke turned around and slowly hugged Gu Miaomiao. Gu Miaomiao was shorter and thinner than her, like a little sister. After a long while, she let go, put her hands on Gu Miaomiao's shoulders, and looked into her eyes with a smile.
"Look, we used to dislike each other, but now we can confide in each other and even hug like friends. Nothing is impossible in this world, you have to believe it!"
Gu Miaomiao looked at her, smiled with her lips pursed, and nodded repeatedly. "I will try my best, thank you."
Ling Ruoke extended her hand and gave her a high five. "Good luck." After saying that, she turned and walked towards the door, opened it, and went out.
As soon as Ling Ruoke came out, Rong Xiumei rushed over and squeezed her inside. Old Master Gu and Gu Chengfeng also came closer, their faces showing some anxiety. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, she's not the naive child she used to be. She's growing up and will become stronger and stronger. We all have to believe that she will pull through and find her own place in the world."
"Ruo Ke, thank you." Old Master Gu was also moved, but didn't say much more.
Gu Chengfeng also thanked her. Although they hadn't gone inside yet, they could tell from a distance that Gu Miaomiao was in better condition than before.
Ling Ruoke nodded to them, placed her hand in Huo Qingfeng's outstretched palm, and the two left the hospital hand in hand.
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