Yuan Meng stood outside the intensive care unit, silently watching through the glass for a long time. Her expression was complex, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Ling Ruoke took the breakfast and went to check on Zhuang Yuqi. The child was awake and leaning against the bed. A middle-aged woman was taking care of him; she was probably a servant of the Zhuang family.
"Mom!" Zhuang Yuqi cried out when he saw her appear, his eyes brimming with tears.
Ling Ruoke nodded to the person and quickly went over; the person made way for her. She sat down on the edge of the bed, reached out and touched the child's face, letting him rub against her hand. "Have you had breakfast? I bought crab roe dumplings and soy milk, would you like some?"
"Yes!" Even though I've already eaten, this is something my mom bought, it's different. "Mom, feed me."
Seeing that he was still injured, Ling Ruoke felt sorry for him, so she actually fed him dumplings and gave him half a cup of soy milk.
After eating and drinking his fill, Zhuang Yuqi's earlier excitement faded. He pouted and said, "Mom, the commander won't die, right?"
Ling Ruoke didn't know how to discuss such a heavy topic with a child, so she could only sigh and gently stroke his head. "No, he won't. You are his precious son, he can't bear to part with you. You have to be a good boy and get well soon, then go and spend time with him, tell him that you miss him, and he will wake up."
"Mmm!" Zhuang Yuqi nodded vigorously, tears welling in his eyes. He reached out and hugged Ruoke's waist, pressing his face against her chest, looking dazed and pitiful.
Ling Ruoke was a little breathless. He had lost his mother at a young age, and if even his father were gone... she didn't know if this child could hold on. Although Zhuang Yicheng rarely had time to spend with him, Zhuang Yicheng loved him, and Zhuang Yuqi knew this, so although the father and son didn't see each other often, they had a very deep bond.
Although he still had his grandparents, how could they be the same as his father? She rarely heard Zhuang Yuqi mention his grandparents, which showed that they weren't that important to him, at least not as important as his father! Although she didn't know much about the Zhuang family, based on just one meeting last night, she knew it was a repressive family. Zhuang Yuqi was young, but intelligent; perhaps he understood all of this, understood his father's helplessness and exhaustion…
"Zhuang Yuqi, don't be afraid, Daddy won't abandon you. There are many people out there, everyone will be with you." She couldn't find any better words than these pale and powerless phrases.
Zhuang Yuqi gave a muffled "hmm" and lay motionless against her chest. He was listening to his mother's heartbeat; the rhythmic thumping made him less afraid.
Ling Ruoke didn't say anything more, just quietly stroked his head and back. For a seven-year-old child, these heavy topics or life lessons were too much for him to understand.
The two were quietly embracing, each lost in their own thoughts, when someone suddenly appeared and interrupted the moment.
She was a young woman, dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, with beautiful long hair and a pretty face. Her high heels clicked loudly as she walked hurriedly, seemingly in a rush.
"Xiaoqi, are you alright?" The woman rushed to the bedside and shoved Ling Ruoke aside. "Who are you?"
The first question was asked in a sweet and gentle voice; the second question was asked in a fierce and frightening voice.
Suddenly deprived of her mother's warm embrace, Zhuang Yuqi glared fiercely at the woman. "Why did you push my mother? You wicked woman!"
If Zhuang Yuqi disliked Yuan Meng, then his utter disgust for this woman, whom his grandparents had arranged for his father, could be described as extreme. Children may not yet understand how to judge people, but they possess a sensitive heart and can discern sincerity from pretense more clearly than adults. Therefore, he didn't understand what this woman wanted from his father or the Zhuang family, but he knew that she didn't genuinely like him, even though she always smiled radiantly and spoke gently whenever they met.
The woman was taken aback for a moment, then turned and glared at Ling Ruoke. She turned back to Zhuang Yuqi. "Xiaoqi, don't be fooled. She's not your mother. I'll be your mother after I marry your father. Don't worry, I'll love you dearly."
Ling Ruoke met her gaze calmly. She didn't know this woman's identity or how powerful her backing was. But she thought, her colonel certainly didn't need her to curry favor, so what was there to fear?
"You're not my mother! You're not my mother! I don't want you to be my mother!" Zhuang Yuqi shouted with her eyes closed, using almost all her strength, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
Ling Ruoke had no choice but to speak up. "Miss, the child has just woken up from his injuries, and they haven't healed yet. He needs to rest properly. Do you think it's appropriate to talk to him about these things at this time?"
"It's none of your business to teach me how to do things!" The woman's expression was contemptuous and fierce.
Ling Ruoke understood; she was another woman accustomed to being high and mighty. She smiled faintly and said, "Of course, it's not my place to teach you, and I wouldn't stoop to teaching you. But this child called me 'Mom,' so naturally I have to think of him. I feel that nothing else matters right now, and arguing is pointless. What's important is that this child gets better, and that Zhuang Yicheng wakes up!"
The woman wanted to retaliate, but she held back, only giving him a fierce glare. She didn't want to give anyone cause for criticism, so she decided to leave this arrogant woman alone for the time being! After all, the gates of the Zhuang family weren't places anyone could just walk into.
The woman took a deep breath, calmed her expression, and regained her gentle motherly smile. But how much of it was genuine and how much was acting, only she herself knew. She reached out to touch Zhuang Yuqi's head, but he dodged her, and she awkwardly withdrew her hand, saying, "Xiaoqi, you rest well. I'll come back to keep you company later!"
"I don't want you to come with me! Don't come anymore, I hate seeing you!" Zhuang Yuqi was a child, he didn't know what it meant to show mercy, so he just yelled it out.
The woman's expression shifted dramatically, and she left with a dark look on her face. Her high heels clattered loudly, almost wearing a hole in the floor.
Ling Ruoke watched her figure disappear, then sat back down on the edge of the bed and put her arm around Zhuang Yuqi. "It's alright. Let's get some rest and not get upset over people who aren't involved, okay?"
"But Grandpa and Grandma said he's going to marry Dad, that she'll be my new mom. I don't want to, I don't want to!" Zhuang Yuqi felt a thousand grievances welling up inside, her lips trembling as she was about to cry.
Ling Ruoke sighed. It would be better to grow up happily in an ordinary family than to live under such a halo of power and prestige. "Your father hasn't agreed for so long, and I believe he won't agree in the future either, so don't worry."
Ling Ruoke got to know Zhuang Yicheng again. He had been single for so many years, enduring countless pressures; no wonder he looked so exhausted. For the first time, she regretted what she had said to him. He had so many things beyond his control; she shouldn't have made those judgments so hastily.
Thinking about it, Ling Ruoke wanted to go to the intensive care unit again. She wondered if that woman would be verbally abusive or even physically abusive towards Yuan Meng if she came. "Zhuang Yuqi, you rest here. I'm going to the restroom and will come back to keep you company later, okay?"
Zhuang Yuqi nodded obediently, but holding her hand, she looked at her with her large, clear eyes. "Mom, you have to come back. You can't sneak away!"
"I won't, you have to believe me, it will never happen again!" She bent down and kissed his forehead. Leaving the ward, she headed straight for the intensive care unit.
Just as Ling Ruoke had predicted, that woman was aggressively talking to Yuan Meng. A fire ignited within her; did this woman truly only care about her status as the young mistress of the Zhuang family, and not about Zhuang Yicheng's life or death?
"Yuan Meng!" Ling Ruoke called out.
The woman looked over, and when she saw it was her, she frowned in disgust.
"Yuan Meng, are you alright?" Ling Ruoke walked up to her and carefully examined Yuan Meng to see if she had been hit. There were no marks, but her eyes were terribly red, and it was hard to tell whether she was crying for Zhuang Yicheng or because this woman had bullied her.
Yuan Meng shook her head, her eyes red.
Ling Ruoke turned around and looked at the woman whose name she didn't recognize. "You're not Zhuang Yicheng's wife yet, so what gives you the right to be so aggressive? If you truly care about Zhuang Yicheng and genuinely want to be his wife, you shouldn't be shouting like this. Where are you standing? This is a hospital intensive care unit; Zhuang Yicheng is still inside fighting for his life. Do you think it's meaningful to keep proclaiming your status as the young mistress of the Zhuang family? If that person inside suffers an unfortunate fate… I'm sorry, I can't curse Zhuang Yicheng for the sake of a cold-hearted woman!"
She almost burst into tears, feeling sorry for Zhuang Yicheng.
The woman's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Who do you think you are? What right do you have to talk to me like that? This isn't a place for you. I can have you all thrown out!"
Ling Ruoke laughed coldly, a laugh tinged with sorrow, a sorrow for Zhuang Yicheng. "Why don't you give it a try? Let the Zhuang family see for themselves how eager they are to marry into the family for Zhuang Yicheng, yet how indifferent they are to his life or death. I'd also like to know how the Zhuang family will feel seeing this!"
Is Zhuang Yicheng's life more important, or are the family's interests more important? She didn't say the last part aloud.
Not far away, Zhuang Yicheng's parents had arrived. Their faces were expressionless; it was hard to tell if they had facial nerve disorders or were simply heartless!
Ling Ruoke pulled Yuan Meng along and turned to leave. It wasn't until they reached Zhuang Yuqi's hospital room and saw the child's joyful smile that she felt a little better.
They stayed with Zhuang Yuqi at the hospital for a while, but later they both became worried. If Ruoke wanted to return to Z City, Yuan Meng had to work, and no one could stay with the child all the time. Besides, even if they had the time, his grandparents might not agree.
Around noon, the farmers arrived with food.
Ling Ruoke and Yuan Meng then left the hospital, both with mixed feelings.
"If I could, even if I did have feelings for Zhuang Yicheng now, I wouldn't dare to think about it anymore. I can't accept a family like that, and they can't accept me either. I have Fu'an; I really don't dare to do something like throwing an egg against a rock. So, let's leave it at that." Yuan Meng squinted at the sky and said these words.
Ling Ruoke didn't try to persuade her anymore. The Zhuang family was heartless; how could she possibly reason with them? Even if Zhuang Yicheng woke up, even if he loved Yuan Meng, how could they overcome the pressure from their families?
Taking a long breath, Ling Ruoke was about to speak when her phone rang. Seeing the number, the gloom on her face instantly vanished. "Husband."
"Baby, did you miss me?" Huo Qingfeng's voice was as gentle as ever, showing a different side of himself in front of others.
Ling Ruoke smiled. "Yes, I really want to." Yuan Meng was standing right next to her, but she felt no shame. This was her man; he was safe and sound in this world, and nothing else seemed to matter!
"I haven't called you for a few days, are you still angry with me?"
"No way, do you think I'm that petty?" Ling Ruoke pouted, her expression unconsciously coquettish.
Huo Qingfeng chuckled softly on the other end of the line, a laugh filled with affection. "Of course not, my wife is the best. It's noon, have you eaten yet? Shall we eat out, or go home?"
Ling Ruoke thought for a moment, then decided to tell him. "I'm in T City. Zhuang Yicheng was in a car accident and is still in the intensive care unit. I don't know if he'll wake up."
"Don't worry. He's a wolf, he won't die so easily, you have to believe me." Others might not know, but Huo Qingfeng knew that a lone wolf wasn't so easily killed. Perhaps he was just tired and needed some rest.
Ling Ruoke let out a breath, still not very happy. "I hope so."
He didn't offer any comfort, but changed the subject. "Don't think so much, just go eat. If you don't eat, the baby will protest later. Has he been behaving well lately? Has he been fussy?"
Ling Ruoke smiled helplessly. "He won't bother me yet. Don't worry, he's very well-behaved. Yuan Meng and I are going to eat now, you should go too. Be careful, I'll wait for you to come home!"
"Okay, let my husband give me a kiss first."
Ling Ruoke hung up the phone with satisfaction. Turning her head, she met Yuan Meng's smiling gaze. "Yuan Meng, Huo Qingfeng said Zhuang Yicheng is a wolf, he will wake up, let's believe him too."
Yuan Meng nodded. "Let's go, it's time to eat."
The two of them found a place to have lunch.
Yuan Meng had no appetite and ate very little.
For the sake of the child, Ling Ruoke obediently ate her fill. She kept putting food on Yuan Meng's plate, managing to get her to eat a little more.
After lunch, Yuan Meng went to work. She had taken a day off, but now it seemed that it wasn't appropriate for her to go to the hospital anymore, so she decided to go to work instead.
Ling Ruoke went to the hospital to stay with the poor child. She would be returning to Z City soon, so she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him while she still had it.
Outside the ward, she encountered the old man who was just as imposing as her father-in-law. However, while her father-in-law was intimidatingly stern, he was gentle with his mother and supported Qingfeng in doing what he wanted. But in Ruoke's mind, this man was a heartless person who only cared about power and profit.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is the young mistress of the Huo family, isn't she?" He slightly tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing what could be called a smile.
Ling Ruoke smiled brightly and nodded. "Hello, Uncle Zhuang, I am Ling Ruoke."
Zhuang Yicheng's face was very similar to his, but the difference was that Zhuang Yicheng had a human touch, while this person did not. At least, she couldn't sense it!
The man nodded. "Young Madam, you're very kind. Also, please thank your friend for me; thank you both for your concern for my son."
Ling Ruoke felt disgusted by him, but she still smiled. "You're welcome. We're friends, and it would be heartless to remain indifferent now that something like this has happened to him. After all, we value him as a person, not his status. It's a pity that Yuqi's mother isn't with him; otherwise, we would feel more at ease knowing she has someone who cares about us."
“What the young mistress says is true.” He remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious to the unspoken meaning in her words.
Ling Ruoke wasn't surprised at all. People who value power like that are old foxes; they wouldn't be so easily provoked to reveal their true emotions, and that wasn't her goal anyway. "When I first heard about his accident, I was very sad. But when I saw him lying quietly outside the intensive care unit, I couldn't help but think that maybe this was a good thing for him."
These words successfully elicited an expression on his face.
Ling Ruoke acted as if she hadn't seen him and continued speaking. "He's usually too tired, too exhausted. Rather than pushing himself so hard, it would be a blessing for him to collapse and rest. Oh dear, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have talked nonsense in front of my uncle."
He nodded without saying anything.
Ling Ruoke felt despair for this man once again. If it were her child, she wouldn't know how heartbroken she would be, yet he remained expressionless. Zhuang Yicheng was the youngest provincial party secretary, yet also the most pitiful!
"Uncle, I'm going to check on Zhuang Yuqi." Nodding, Ling Ruoke entered the ward. She found Zhuang Yuqi already asleep, one hand draped outside the blanket. She picked it up and carefully placed it back under the blanket.
Ling Ruoke stayed in T City for two more days. Although she was reluctant to leave Zhuang Yuqi, she still had to go home.
Fortunately, Zhuang Yuqi's injuries weren't serious, and she's already back to her energetic self. However, Zhuang Yicheng is still battling for his life in the intensive care unit, and no one knows what the outcome will be; they can only hope for the best.
When Ling Ruoke was about to leave, Zhuang Yuqi cried so hard it was earth-shattering, even in the hospital. The nurses were about to yell at her, but when they saw it was someone from this ward, they only expressed their meaning tactfully and didn't dare to yell.
"Zhuang Yuqi, don't cry." Ling Ruoke didn't know what to do with the child clinging to her, refusing to leave. She had promised him she wouldn't sneak away. But once she told him, things had turned out like this.
Ethically speaking, she should stay by his side during this most difficult time. But she has her own life to live, and she can't truly be with him every day like a mother. She also wanted to take him to Z City for a while, but his grandparents would definitely not allow it. Besides, he also needs to stay with Zhuang Yicheng.
"Mommy, don't go! I'm scared!" Little Zhuang Yuqi, who had never been afraid of anything before, now loudly admitted his fear. He no longer had a mother, and he was afraid his father would be gone too! If his mother hadn't been with him these past few days, he would have been terrified! Now that his mother was saying she was leaving, how could he not be scared!
Ling Ruoke's heart clenched, the pain making it hard for her to breathe. Watching the person slowly approaching, she was even more at a loss for words.
Besides holding this poor child tighter and giving him some strength!
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