Gu Zhenzhen tried her best to suppress her emotions, and smiled gently. "It's almost healed, and it doesn't hurt anymore."
"It's all that Ling Ruoke's fault! Sister, I'll definitely avenge you when I get the chance! We'll whip her too! If Grandpa whips you 20 times, we'll whip her 40 times, double the amount!" Gu Miaomiao waved her hands and feet, speaking with righteous indignation.
Gu Zhenzhen just smiled and didn't answer. "Are you going out to play again this afternoon?"
"Hmm. But I made plans with some classmates to go shopping together, so I'm heading out now. It's all Grandpa's fault, I wanted to go shopping with my sister!" Gu Miaomiao pouted, grabbing Gu Zhenzhen's arm and twisting her body like a child.
Gu Zhenzhen reached out and touched her face. "It's okay, I'll take you shopping properly when I'm better."
"Mmm!" Gu Miaomiao pursed her lips and nodded vigorously. She glanced down at her phone screen, then called out, "Sister, it's almost time, I'll go now. I'll bring you something delicious when I come back tonight!"
"Okay, have fun."
"Okay. Bye-bye!"
The moment she disappeared, Gu Zhenzhen's smile froze, vanishing without a trace. Her fingers slowly curled into a fist. She hated it!
Gu Zhenzhen buried her face in the pillow, concealing her emotions. She didn't know if her grandfather had sent someone to monitor her; she had to be careful.
She remained buried in the pillow for a long, long time before finally lifting her head. Turning to look out the window, she saw the beautiful winter sun and decided to go for a walk. She moved carefully, making sure not to aggravate the injuries on her back and buttocks. It took her a while to get out of bed, and she was sweating from the effort.
She moved to the window, gazing at the orange sunlight, and slowly squinted her eyes. In the garden, Gu Miaomiao's all-white husky was playing with her litter of puppies. Mother and puppies were loving and harmonious, a picture of idyllic bliss.
Gu Zhenzhen watched quietly until tears streamed down her face. She had lost both her parents when she was three years old. Although she had the love of her uncle and aunt, they were not her parents. Especially after Gu Miaomiao was born, all their love was transferred to their own child. Countless times, watching from the sidelines, she felt abandoned by the world.
She liked Yang Ziyun, who gave her a motherly warmth. Coincidentally, she also fell for the outstanding Huo Qingfeng. If she could marry him, she would have a wonderful husband and a loving mother-in-law whom she would treat with the same filial piety as her own mother. But Ling Ruoke's appearance shattered all of this into a mere dream!
She didn't know how much time had passed before Gu Zhenzhen gradually calmed down. She put on her coat and went out of the room. She wanted to go for a walk in the yard and get some fresh air.
As she reached the top of the stairs, she heard voices downstairs talking, and the mention of the Huo family made her stop.
"Regardless of the circumstances, the relationship between the Huo and Gu families is beyond question. Young Master Huo is my preferred choice for my granddaughter's husband, so this marriage is inevitable. As for whether it's Zhenzhen or Miaomiao, we'll consider it carefully..."
Gu Zhenzhen's eyes widened suddenly. The Huo and Gu families were going to form a marriage alliance?
...
Ling Ruoke had nightmares all night, drifting in and out of sleep, silently shedding tears. She was finally awakened at the crack of dawn.
She was panting heavily, and looking around, Pei Shi and Xiao Fu'an were still fast asleep. Perhaps it was because of a night of dreaming, but her head felt heavy and her body felt weak.
She sat there in a daze for a while, then quietly climbed out of bed, washed up as usual, and went out to buy things to make breakfast.
As Ling Ruoke walked along the road in the early morning, she kept telling herself to just pretend Qingfeng had gone on a mission. He would come back once the mission was complete! This was only a short separation; she should live her life well and not overthink it!
As she finished making breakfast and was about to wake the two children, she suddenly heard her phone ring. Seeing the caller ID on the screen, she instinctively rubbed her eyes. It really was Qingfeng!
"Qingfeng!" she called out his name with a smile.
"You're up so early again, why didn't you sleep a little longer?" Huo Qingfeng smiled slightly, pleased by the surprise in her voice. As for why his parents hadn't taken away his phone, he had no idea. But he knew they were definitely planning something bigger.
His deep, magnetic voice was right next to her ear, and Ling Ruoke felt all the gloom dissipate in that instant. Just hearing his voice made her feel at ease. "I'm used to it. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Hmm. Thinking about my wife while I sleep, I naturally sleep well." In fact, he didn't sleep at all last night. It wasn't that he couldn't sleep, but that he was thinking about things.
Ling Ruoke laughed at his antics, tears welling in her eyes again, but she suddenly felt relieved. Even if the sky were to fall, he would still be there to hold it up. "Qingfeng, he—"
She had wanted to ask why they had let him make the call, but then she suddenly felt there was no need to ask.
"What's wrong, honey?"
"It's alright now. Qingfeng, Fu'an and I are waiting for you to come back. No matter how long it takes, we'll be waiting at home. Don't worry, I won't cry anymore." He was fighting a tough battle for their future, so she, who could only stand behind him, just needed to believe in him and support him silently.
Huo Qingfeng's heart softened instantly, and a surge of pride welled up within him. He wanted to give his woman a bright future; he would stand by his choice. "My dear wife, you're so good!"
Ling Ruoke didn't speak, but smiled with her lips pursed. Looking up at the window, she saw the first rays of the winter sun shining down on the horizon, the fiery sun about to rise and spread warmth across the earth.
"Honey, if my phone is switched off or someone else answers it one day, don't panic. They are my parents; they won't harm me. But remember, don't believe anything anyone says; use your own judgment. If I don't tell you this myself, even if you see something, don't believe it, understand?"
"Okay, I understand. Qingfeng, the New Year is almost here, I'll be waiting for you to come home for the New Year!" She remembered that she had promised to marry him on the first day of the New Year. Now, there was only a little over a month left until the New Year.
"..."
When Tan Peishi got up, she saw Ruo Ke humming a song while putting breakfast on the table. She was immediately dumbfounded, her mouth agape. She walked over and placed her hand on Ruo Ke's forehead. "You don't have a fever."
"You're the one with a fever. Go wash your face and brush your teeth, it's time for breakfast." Ling Ruoke smiled, took her hand, and pushed her into the bathroom.
"Ruo Ke, are you on some kind of super stimulant?" Tan Peishi ran out with a toothbrush, her mouth full of bubbles, and asked in a muffled voice.
Ling Ruoke made a face at her and ignored her.
Tan Peishi was itching to tell, and after washing up, she pestered her again. "No, Ruoke, you have to tell me what happened. Huh?" Her eyes widened. "Did the captain sneak back last night?"
She actually ran to each room and checked them all, even the bathroom. "Nobody's here. What are you laughing about all by yourself? Did you wake up from a nap and become an idiot? No, I have to check."
As he spoke, he pounced on Ruoke. He touched and pinched her, and even tried to lift her eyelids, acting like a real doctor.
The little guy was clapping and cheering from the sidelines, treating it like a game.
Ling Ruoke was extremely ticklish, and she couldn't stop laughing as the girl teased her until her stomach cramped. "Ouch, I can't play anymore, or I'll laugh myself to death."
Tan Peishi withdrew her hand, hooked her arm around Ruoke's shoulder, and winked. "Did the captain call back?" Ruoke had just gotten up to go to the bathroom when she was on the phone and had heard everything. She just wanted to tease her since Ruoke was in a rare good mood.
"Mmm." Ling Ruoke finally stopped laughing and nodded. After all that fooling around, she seemed to be in a better mood.
"I knew it! Besides the captain, who else could make you smile like a flower? You're such a heartless womanizer!" Tan Peishi said knowingly. She cursed under her breath, but secretly she was happy for her.
Ling Ruoke poked her. "Where am I inhuman? Xiao Fu'an, Aunt Peishi is bullying Mommy, bite her!"
"Mommy, I'm not a puppy!" Xiao Fu'an protested innocently, pouting, clearly indignant at being treated like a puppy by his mother.
"puff--"
"puff--"
Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi both burst out laughing. They looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. They remembered the last time Fu Peigang had said something similar, sounding aggrieved, "Wife, I'm not a dog."
Little Fu'an didn't understand what the two adults were laughing about, so he chuckled along and danced with joy.
The breakfast table was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.
After changing their clothes and grabbing their things, they went downstairs and saw Scarface waiting for them by the car. He had a cigarette dangling from his lips, looking rather roguish, and passersby gave him wary glances.
Ling Ruoke smiled helplessly. She thought to herself, "Maybe all the neighbors think she's a gangster."
Scarface, completely oblivious, darted over, lifted the little guy up, tossed him into the air, and caught him again. He even made cheering noises, looking rather adorable.
The little guy really enjoyed the game and laughed happily.
"Alright, alright, stop playing around, we'll be late." No matter how many times Ling Ruoke watched, she still felt terrified. But when Qingfeng did this, she didn't feel any danger at all. It was as if whatever he did was perfectly natural, without the slightest possibility of surprise.
This, I suppose, is what trust is.
I got off the bus at the school gate and ran into Zhuang Yuqi and his father.
Ever since that day, Ling Ruoke felt awkward every time she saw this father. She wasn't sure if he was joking, acting on a whim, or serious. After that, she didn't see him again and gradually forgot about it. Now, seeing him again brought it all back to her mind.
"Good morning, Teacher Ling." Zhuang Yicheng still had a calm expression.
"Good morning." Ling Ruoke patted the child's head. "Then we'll go in. Goodbye, Mr. Zhuang."
"I have something I'd like to discuss with Teacher Ling, is that alright?" Zhuang Yicheng found it somewhat amusing that she seemed to want to flee as quickly as possible. This young teacher was indeed very innocent and adorable.
Ling Ruoke suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Turning her back to him, she scrunched up her face. "Um, class is about to start. Can we talk again another time?"
"It's just a few words, it won't take up too much time. Zhuang Yuqi!"
"arrive!"
"Attention! At ease! About face! Forward march!"
Little Zhuang Yuqi obediently followed the instructions and stepped inside, his movements were absolutely perfect!
Ling Ruoke was dumbfounded. So, the last time Zhuang Yuqi used military boxing, it was because of this father's "influence".
Zhuang Yicheng was amused by her expression, his lips twitching slightly. She was truly naive; everything was written on her face, making her completely transparent. "Teacher Ling?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. Mr. Zhuang, is there anything you need to ask? If it's about Zhuang Yuqi's recent performance, then I'm happy to tell you that he's been doing very well lately, even better than before."
The little boy has been very well-behaved lately and is very close to her. Every time he gets a good grade, he brings it to her, seemingly enjoying her praise. In the end, he always says, "Teacher Ling, can you kiss me?" as if her kiss is the best reward.
Ling Ruoke knew that he had lost his mother at a young age and longed for maternal love, so she would generally not refuse him. However, ever since Mr. Zhuang said those things, she had always felt a little awkward.
"It's not about Zhuang Yuqi, it's about Teacher Ling." Afraid that he would repeat the same question as last time, she rattled off a string of words as soon as she opened her mouth, which was really cute.
Ling Ruoke was slightly surprised. "About me?"
Zhuang Yicheng smiled slightly and handed her a piece of paper with a line of text and several strings of numbers written on it. "This is my contact information. Teacher Ling has recently encountered some trouble. If you need my help, you can call the number on this paper or come to this place to find me."
Ling Ruoke paused for a moment before taking the piece of paper, which resembled a business card but wasn't quite one. She looked at him, somewhat bewildered, unsure if he was referring to what she was thinking. "Mr. Zhuang, I don't understand what you mean."
"All you need to know is that this piece of paper will help you find me. Goodbye, Teacher Ling." Zhuang Yicheng smiled, strode away, and got into his car.
Soon, the car disappeared from Ling Ruoke's sight. Ruoke, clutching the piece of paper, stared blankly in the direction the car had vanished.
"Sister Ruoke." Suddenly, someone slapped her on the shoulder, speaking loudly.
Ling Ruoke was startled. Turning her head, she saw Teacher Tong, who was in the same grade. A recent college graduate, she was outgoing and somewhat boyish, but sincere.
He quickly tucked the piece of paper into his palm and put it in his pocket. "Little Tong, it's you."
"Sister Ruoke, who was that man just now? He looked like a really handsome guy!" She made a "we're having an affair" expression.
Ling Ruoke was amused by her expression. "He's a student's parent. His wife has passed away, so maybe you'll have a chance. How about I introduce you two next time he comes to school?"
"Great! Great! Hello, Uncle! I like you, Uncle!" The little boy jumped around happily.
Ling Ruoke watched her skipping and jumping around, shaking her head helplessly. She was only twenty years old, and Zhuang Yuqi's father was indeed considered an older man compared to her. Wouldn't it be a bit ridiculous to pair these two together?
"Stop yelling and hurry inside, we're going to be late."
"That's right, run!"
"..."
The two of them walked in quickly, laughing and joking, completely unaware that the hidden camera had already recorded everything.
A storm is brewing silently.
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