That day happened to be Tan Peishi's prenatal checkup. Tan's mother had a cold and was feeling weak, so Ling Ruoke accompanied her to the hospital for the checkup.
Pei Shi's belly was already quite large, and when she first felt fetal movement, Tan's mother said it was incredibly loud. Fu Peigang would often touch her belly and talk to the baby. Tan Pei Shi said that he even had to touch her belly while sleeping, otherwise he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.
Tan Peishi immediately called her and told her to bring the little one over. When Ling Ruoke first touched the baby stretching out its arms and legs in her palm, she felt that the feeling was too subtle to be expressed in words.
At that moment, she wished she could be pregnant too. However, they weren't officially married yet, so the colonel had been using contraception. She just remembered that the marriage application had been submitted a long time ago and should have been approved by now. She had even specifically asked Tan Peishi, and it shouldn't have taken this long.
Therefore, she was acutely aware that something she was unaware of must have happened. However, since the colonel wouldn't say anything, she wouldn't ask. There were some things he preferred to handle himself, so she let him handle them.
At this moment, Tan Peishi was holding her belly. Ling Ruoke supported her arm, and the two slowly walked into the hospital, talking as they went. It was mostly Ruoke listening to Peishi talk about how the baby was moving around in her belly and what it felt like. In short, it was the expectant mother's bragging time.
The two chatted and laughed as they walked up the elevator. The obstetrics and gynecology department was on the third floor of the hospital.
The two women were stunned when they saw a man accompanying a woman slowly towards the hospital's testing room. Because the man was Colonel Huo.
The woman wore a floral headscarf, a black mid-length coat, and wedge heels. She walked slowly, head down, seemingly uncomfortable. The colonel supported her arm.
The colonel seemed to be asking her how she was feeling with concern; they said something, but it was impossible to hear. The distance between them was considerable.
Ling Ruoke paused for a moment, then slowly came to her senses. "Let's go." She pulled Tan Peishi along and headed towards the obstetrics and gynecology clinic.
"The captain is really too much! If possible, let's go and settle the score with him!" Tan Peishi, who was heavily pregnant, grabbed her and was about to rush over.
Ling Ruoke quickly grabbed her. "No, Peishi, it's alright." She was quite surprised and felt sad because of the scene, but she trusted him.
"If possible!"
“Peishi, I believe him.” She shouldn’t doubt a man who wouldn’t give up on her even with a gun to his head. “Let’s go. I believe he will tell me himself; it’s just a matter of time.”
During the examination with Tan Peishi, Ling Ruoke remained calm, seemingly unaware of what had just happened.
On the contrary, Tan Peishi kept looking at her face and asked her repeatedly if she was really okay, as if it was a huge blow and she was a fragile porcelain doll.
Ling Ruoke could only smile and say, "I'm really fine. Don't worry, I know my man very well." If they couldn't even have the most basic trust, then all they had been through together would have been for nothing!
When they came out after the check, the two people were gone.
Colonel Huo did not go home that evening.
All of Ling Ruoke's preparations were useless. Although she trusted him, she still hoped to know the truth, a sentiment shared by everyone.
...
Huo Qingfeng helped Yuan Meng lie down on the hospital bed. In recent years, her body had been severely damaged, and she had long suffered from a host of ailments.
Yuan Meng lay down, let out a sigh of relief, and smiled weakly, saying, "You can go back now, I'm fine. It's just an old ailment, nothing serious."
Looking at her gaunt face, Huo Qingfeng felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if being stabbed with a knife. Although he had tried his best to make arrangements, it was, after all, a prison with a poor environment. She was already weak, and after these years of hardship, she was even more broken and frail.
Huo Qingfeng clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles protruding high. The feeling of wanting to kill back then was still so vivid at this moment.
Then, he slowly relaxed his expression. "Don't talk, just take a nap, you'll feel much better when you wake up. I've found someone to take care of you, don't worry."
"Okay." She smiled and closed her eyes. Her face was pale and haggard, with dark circles under her eyes.
Huo Qingfeng stood by her window for a long time before giving some instructions to the person looking after her and then strode away.
After leaving the hospital, he drove straight to a grove of trees on the outskirts of the city before stopping. He jumped out of the car, found a large tree, and began punching it repeatedly.
He used so much force that his hand was quickly covered in blood and gore. But he seemed oblivious, continuing to punch relentlessly. The only sound in the silent forest was the rhythmic thud.
After an unknown amount of time, he threw his final punch and roared to the sky. That roar, like the howl of a wounded beast, was filled with resentment, despair, and pain.
Huo Qingfeng turned around, slowly bent his legs, and sat down on the ground. His eyes were fixed on the ground, blood dripping from his hands, one drop at a time, almost audible.
After a while, he raised his head, looked at the blue sky, and slowly closed his eyes. His teeth were clenched, and his brows were furrowed in a tight knot, as if he were enduring immense pain.
After a long, long time, he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes had returned to calm. He straightened his clothes and jumped into the car.
They reversed and sped away.
...
Since the day he was spotted at the hospital with a woman, Huo Qingfeng hadn't been home for some time. Fu Peigang had returned once in between, but Huo Qingfeng hadn't come back.
Ling Ruoke kept telling herself not to overthink it and to trust him. But the knot in her heart grew bigger with time. She even began to wonder if it was part of his mission? Perhaps that woman was someone he was protecting!
However, this idea has been shattered today.
She stood in the shade of a tree, watching the man opposite her walk alongside a woman carrying vegetables and meat. They occasionally spoke, but she couldn't hear what they were saying.
But it felt to her like a husband accompanying his wife grocery shopping. If it was a mission, if it was just to protect her, would it really require accompanying her grocery shopping and cooking?
Ling Ruoke couldn't convince herself, but she didn't rush over. She didn't follow either, because the colonel was a scout, and he would easily discover someone was following them. And she didn't want to argue in front of others. Even if she had to ask, it would be something to discuss after they got home.
They disappeared from sight, and she remained lost in thought for a long time. Her heart was heavy.
She suddenly remembered what Lone Wolf had said. "When you fall in love, you have to think that maybe one day he will be with someone else and abandon you; when you get married, you have to think that maybe one day this marriage will not last... You have to think about these things. You can't be negative and always think about the bad outcome, but you have to have the courage to bear the bad outcome when things are unfortunate."
No! She still chose to believe him! He hadn't given up during those difficult times, there was no reason for him to cheat on her during their sweetest time together! This was absolutely impossible!
Ling Ruoke convinced herself and slowly turned to leave. But since it involved the person she loved most, she couldn't go back to how she felt before.
Ling Ruoke returned to the company and threw herself into her work. At first, she kept thinking about that scene, but gradually she focused on her work.
...
Huo Qingfeng carried the things and followed behind Yuan Meng. He carefully watched her steps, afraid she would fall. Although she had been discharged from the hospital, she was still a little weak and couldn't afford to have any accidents.
They entered an old neighborhood, a bit far from the main street, but with a quiet and peaceful environment, suitable for relaxation. However, the buildings were all constructed in the 1990s and were somewhat dilapidated.
Huo Qingfeng rented this apartment. Yuan Meng wasn't in good health, so he didn't rent a high-floor apartment. The first floor would be damp, so he rented a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a certain building. The apartment was furnished and kept very clean.
Once outside, Yuan Meng opened the door and stepped aside to let him in.
Huo Qingfeng put the vegetables in the kitchen, and put the ones that needed to be put in the refrigerator in the refrigerator.
Yuan Meng washed her hands and poured him a glass of water. The two sat down on the sofa. "You don't need to come see me often. I'm almost fully recovered and taking care of myself isn't a problem."
A few days after she was discharged from the hospital, she fired that person. She was perfectly capable of working and wasn't so weak that she needed someone to take care of her like a patient.
"The doctor said you need to rest more and shouldn't overexert yourself. I'll find that person again later and have her continue taking care of you. Don't worry, we'll hire her for another month. By then, you'll be almost fully recovered." Huo Qingfeng was worried that if she fainted at home alone, no one would know.
Yuan Meng smiled. "How could I be that weak? To avoid making you worry, let's use it for another month."
Huo Qingfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Yuan Meng looked at him again and said, "Actually, you don't owe me anything, and it wasn't your fault. You don't need to keep blaming yourself. Promise me you'll forgive yourself, okay?"
Huo Qingfeng opened his mouth several times as if to say something, but in the end only replied with a single word: "Okay." The two sat in silence for a while, then he stood up. "Go and rest in bed for a bit, I'll go make dinner."
"Let me do it. I'm really fine!" Yuan Meng felt that he treated her like a porcelain doll.
Huo Qingfeng refused, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Helpless, Yuan Meng had no choice but to go back to bed. She stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time before slowly closing her eyes. A tear slid down her cheek.
Huo Qingfeng put the soup on the pot to simmer, then started cooking the rice, and soaked the vegetables in a basin. He went out of the living room, took out several boxes of fruit he had bought, and filled two large bags with them.
This building has three apartments per floor. Besides the one-bedroom apartment they rented, there are two other two-bedroom apartments.
Huo Qingfeng, carrying fruit, knocked on their doors. "Hello, I'm a friend of the resident in 203... It's like this, my friend isn't in good health and is always home alone. I'm worried that sometimes she doesn't call me when she's not feeling well. So, if possible, could you please keep an eye on her? I don't need you to be constantly watching over her, just keeping an eye out for anything unusual, okay?"
The man at home was an old man who chuckled and agreed, then added, "Young man, don't be trying to keep a mistress like some people do, will you?"
"Sir, that's absolutely not true." The colonel was sweating bullets, never expecting the man to think that way.
Once everything was done and I returned to the house, the hot pot was already emitting a delicious aroma.
...
Ling Ruoke was busy that day, so she didn't go out for lunch and had them bring it back for her.
When they returned, they were chattering about something. They said there was a young woman in the square holding a sign looking for someone named Hua Ximeng, and she even had a photo on it.
"Sister Ruo, you know what, that photo really looks like you," Lin Beibei said, putting down her lunchbox.
Ling Ruoke stopped writing, stood up, and ran outside. She could already guess who it was. It must be from Y City, and a young woman at that—it must be Mei Yanting.
She jogged to the square and, sure enough, saw a large crowd gathered in a circle, watching the spectacle. There were layers upon layers of people, quite a few in total. That's how people are; they love to join in the fun, no matter what it is. Sometimes, it's precisely because there are too many people watching that tragedy occurs.
Ling Ruoke squeezed through a less crowded area. Sure enough, the person kneeling on the ground holding the sign was Mei Yanting. She walked over and patted the girl, whose eyes were lifeless. "Yanting."
Mei Yanting was startled. She turned around and burst into tears of joy. "Sister Ximeng!" She hurriedly stood up, but because she had been kneeling for so long, her legs went weak and she almost fell.
Ling Ruoke quickly grabbed her and took the sign from her hand. "Let's go, let's find a place to sit down first."
The crowd parted to make way for them. Soon, everyone dispersed.
Ling Ruoke took Mei Yanting to a nearby steamed rice restaurant and ordered two steamed rice dishes. Since Mei Yanting hadn't had lunch either, they decided to eat together. "Yanting, what are you doing here?"
When she asked, Mei Yanting lowered her head and remained silent. After a while, tears began to fall, one by one.
"Alright, alright, I won't ask. Let's eat first, let's eat first, okay?" Ling Ruoke knew that something big must have happened, otherwise she wouldn't have come all this way to find her.
Mei Yanting wiped away her tears and ate the long-awaited, fragrant meal. The tears stopped falling, but they welled up in her eyes, and her nose stung with a soreness.
Neither of them spoke, and they silently finished their meal.
After leaving the steamed rice restaurant, Ling Ruoke took her back to the company parking lot. She then told Xia Mo and the others what to do and took her home.
Mei Yanting sat in the car and began to silently shed tears again.
Ling Ruoke didn't try to comfort her, but simply placed the tissue box in front of her. If she was really upset, it would be better to let her have a good cry. She wondered what had happened to make her look so disheveled. Because it was springtime, she didn't smell much, but her shoes were filthy.
Soon, the car drove into the gate of the residential area.
Mei Yanting stared wide-eyed at the garden-like residential complex before her, her tears ceasing. When she realized that each building was a villa, she was speechless with astonishment.
The car pulled into the garage, and Ling Ruoke led her to the villa gate. "Come in."
Mei Yanting stood frozen, staring blankly at the villa before her. "Sister Ximeng, is this...is this your home?"
"Yes, come in." Ling Ruoke pulled her in. She knew she was used to living in places like urban villages, which was why she was so surprised.
Once inside, Ling Ruoke took out the cute slippers she had bought and handed them to her. "Wear these, they're new."
Mei Yanting took off her clothes, and a foul odor immediately hit her nose. She quickly stuffed her feet back in, too embarrassed to lift her head.
Ling Ruoke handed her a trash bag. "It's okay, just go to the restroom to wash them. Change them, and then put the dirty shoes in this bag to throw them away." The shoes were broken and couldn't be worn anymore.
Mei Yanting changed her shoes and washed them three times with shower gel in the bathroom before she felt clean.
Ling Ruoke went back to her room and found her a set of clothes that she didn't wear often. "Here, take a shower."
Mei Yanting almost burst into tears again. At this moment, all she wanted was to take a nice hot bath; she hadn't bathed in quite some time.
Mei Yanting didn't dare use the bathtub, but took a shower instead. As the hot water flowed over her body, she cried freely in the water, letting out all her grievances and fears.
Ling Ruoke waited patiently outside the door, having washed a plate of fruit and placed it on the table. It was probably her fault; she had promised to contact her as soon as she returned to Z City. But because of a series of events that followed, she had forgotten.
After waiting for about half an hour, Mei Yanting finally came out of the bathroom. Because she had been soaking for so long, her whole body was flushed. Her face was also rosy, and her complexion looked much better than before.
"Come sit here." Ling Ruoke patted the seat next to her, poured her a cup of hot tea, and placed a fruit plate in front of her. "Have some tea and fruit."
Mei Yanting held the warm teacup, her body still trembling slightly. The coldness was in her heart, not in her body. Her eyes stared blankly at the ground, her expression confused and aggrieved.
Ling Ruoke didn't urge her, waiting for her to speak for herself. Perhaps she didn't want to say it.
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