The ambulance was found, but it was burned beyond recognition. The people inside seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
Even Huo Qingfeng's grandfather, Huo Zhenbang, was helping, but things didn't make any progress.
However, some progress has been made regarding the car accident. But as all the clues slowly converge on Gu Zhenzhen, things become complicated once again.
When Huo Qingfeng had gathered enough evidence, he presented it to everyone.
Gu Zhenzhen gave a desolate smile, no longer denying it. "Yes, I hit her. It's a pity I can't be sure if she's dead or not. If she really is, then it'll all be worth it, haha..."
Huo Qingfeng grabbed her neck, veins bulging on his forehead, and roared, "Gu Zhenzhen, you heartless woman! Why? She's such a kind person, what has she ever done to you that you would treat her so cruelly?"
Gu Zhenzhen, though choked and struggling to breathe, still managed a smile as she said, each word uttered with difficulty, "She shouldn't have let you fall in love with her! You're mine, you can only be mine! You won't belong to Gu Miaomiao, and you certainly won't belong to Ling Ruoke! I—"
Her face had turned purplish-red, and she was about to run out of breath.
"Qingfeng! Let her go first! No matter what, let's get to the bottom of this first!" Huo Zhenbang grabbed his grandson's hand, afraid that he might accidentally kill her.
Huo Qingfeng almost gritted his teeth, and his iron-like hand slowly, little by little, loosened its grip.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Gu Zhenzhen collapsed to the ground, clutching her neck and coughing violently. Tears welled in her eyes. She had lost, lost utterly! She was unwilling to accept it, she was absolutely unwilling!
"If I can't have her, no one else can! What's so great about Ling Ruoke? I'm just as good-looking as her, and I'm gentle and considerate too. What about her? She's just a discarded shoe that no one else wants!"
Huo Qingfeng was held back by his grandfather, the veins on his forehead bulging. His fists were clenched tightly, as if he was about to punch them at any moment.
"But you'd rather have a worn-out shoe than marry me. Why? Why?" Gu Zhenzhen's emotions had spiraled out of control, her eyes unfocused. "Because she's a vixen, because she can please you in bed? Now that she's dead, no one will compete with me anymore, no one will compete with me anymore. Haha..."
Old Gu staggered slightly as he slowly knelt down in front of Gu Zhenzhen. "Zhenzhen, why are you doing this?"
Gu Zhenzhen's expression suddenly turned fierce. She stood up and pointed randomly at everyone. "Why? Why? Haha... Because every single one of you has wronged me!"
Finally, she pointed her finger directly at Old Master Gu. Her face was filled with resentment. Detestable, yet pitiful. Every word she uttered was laced with bitter hatred.
"We're both your granddaughters, so why is it that I'll never get as much as Gu Miaomiao? I lost my parents when I was little. My uncle and aunt initially thought they wouldn't have children, so they doted on me. But then they had Gu Miaomiao, and all their love went to her. What about me? Nobody even glances at me anymore. Everything is for Gu Miaomiao. Nobody cares what Gu Zhenzhen wants anymore. Gu Miaomiao was premature; she was born weak, but she has everyone's love. What about me? I have nothing. I have no parents, not even my grandfather cares about me. Is this fair? Is this fair? I'm more pitiful than her. Why do you only see her? I like Aunt Ziyun; she's very gentle, like a mother. I also like Brother Huo. I think if I marry Brother Huo, I'll have a mother."
But you all want him to marry Gu Miaomiao. I'm clearly the one more suitable for him, yet you insist on pairing him with Gu Miaomiao. Why? Because I have no parents, no one to stand up for me, so you take it for granted that you can bully this orphan! Gu Miaomiao is just a little kid; she doesn't understand anything, so Brother Huo won't choose her. I'm confident in myself. But why does Ling Ruoke have to come along and compete with me? I hate her, I wish she were dead! I hate, I hate everyone!”
Gu Zhenzhen was already insane; she had been driven mad by her own inner demons.
Huo Qingfeng finally lost his temper and gave her a cold look. "Then go ahead and hate in prison! You can hate there for the rest of your life, until you feel you've had enough!"
"Young Huo!" Old Gu watched his retreating figure, then looked at Zhenzhen laughing wildly on the ground, and staggered backward, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
"Sister!" Gu Miaomiao knelt down in front of Gu Zhenzhen, her face streaked with tears. "Why didn't you tell me you liked Brother Huo? If you had told me, I definitely wouldn't have fought with you for him! Sister, we all love you!"
Gu Zhenzhen laughed again as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. "Love me? You love me? What do you use to love me? I can't see it! Hahaha..."
"Sister, no, we really love you!" Gu Miaomiao cried as she looked at her grandfather, parents, and children. "Grandpa, Mom and Dad, please tell my sister that we really love her! Sister, Miaomiao will never fight with you again, never fight with you for anything!"
"Are you pitying me? Do I need your pity?" Gu Zhenzhen said as if she had gone mad, scratching Gu Miaomiao's face hard.
Everyone quickly pulled her away, but five red marks were still left on Gu Miaomiao's face, burning with pain.
...
Huo Qingfeng desperately wanted to refuse to see anyone; he didn't want to hear anyone begging him to let Gu Zhenzhen go. But Old Master Gu was already kneeling outside, and he couldn't refuse to see him. No matter how cold-hearted he was, he couldn't ignore the old man's actions.
"Old Gu, please don't force me." Huo Qingfeng looked out the window, leaving Old Gu with only his back. "Gu Zhenzhen is only going to jail, but what about my Ruoke? I don't even know if she's alive or dead. How can I forgive her?"
His eyes were tightly closed, but finally, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. This tough, unyielding man shed his first tear.
Old Master Gu's hair turned almost white overnight from worry. Zhenzhen was also his granddaughter, and he loved her dearly. However, Zhenzhen had been mature since childhood, while Miaomiao remained like a child, so everyone's attention was focused on the naive Miaomiao, and Zhenzhen was unconsciously neglected. Little did they expect that it would lead to such a disaster.
“Young Huo, I know this request is excessive. But even if you kill Zhenzhen, what has already happened cannot be changed. Why don’t you hand her over to me? I will discipline her properly, and if necessary, I will lock her up. In short, I will not let her out to hurt anyone again.”
Zhenzhen lost her parents at a young age, and now he wants to arrest her and put her in jail. How can he face his deceased son and daughter-in-law?
Huo Qingfeng slowly turned around, looking at the old man who seemed to have aged considerably overnight. He sympathized with the old man's plight, but could not forgive Gu Zhenzhen's cruelty.
"Old Gu, do you remember the video from last time? I only gave it to you hoping that Gu Zhenzhen would finally realize her mistakes. That day, she could have saved her but didn't. Gu Miaomiao is fine now, but what if she never woke up? Old Gu, could you forgive Zhenzhen? I believe that, given your character, you would definitely punish Gu Zhenzhen when you got back. But look! She hasn't repented at all; instead, she's become even more dangerous and endangers lives! Even if she hadn't hurt Ruoke today, I still couldn't forgive her! Besides, Old Gu, do you really think keeping her locked up for life is good for her? Instead of keeping her locked up for life, why not let her reform herself in prison and start anew?"
With the Gu family's capabilities, once Gu Zhenzhen has recovered and emerged, no one else will know a thing.
Gu Weiguo was speechless. Although he couldn't accept it emotionally, he rationally understood that what he said made perfect sense.
“Mr. Gu, although I never intended to let it go, I didn’t make a fuss about it. This was out of respect for you, out of consideration for the relationship between the Huo and Gu families, and also because I hoped that Gu Zhenzhen could truly repent and start anew. As for asking me to completely let it go, that’s something I absolutely cannot do.”
Old Gu thought for a while and nodded. As he turned to leave, the old man's straight spine seemed less straight.
Huo Qingfeng turned around and threw himself onto the bed. Ruoke's scent still lingered among the bedding, a faint, delicate fragrance. He dared not, and would not allow, anyone to change the bedding; he feared that if he couldn't smell her scent after washing it, he would go mad.
Slowly closing my eyes, I could still see her gentle smile and hear her joyful laughter. I still remember her shyly saying, "Let's consummate our marriage"; I still remember her promising to marry me on New Year's Day; I still remember her nestled against my chest, her face peaceful in sleep…
If possible, where are you?
He raised his arm and slammed his fist hard on the bed. He was so useless! It's been two weeks and he still hasn't found her! Ruoke, are you blaming me, so you're hiding?
“Qingfeng…” Yang Ziyun looked at her son, who had buried his face in the pillow, and felt a pang of sadness.
Huo Qingfeng took a few deep breaths and sat up. "Mom, if you want me to let Gu Zhenzhen go, then don't say anything."
"Couldn't you consider the relationship between the Huo and Gu families—"
Before she could finish speaking, Huo Qingfeng interrupted her. "If it weren't for the relationship between the Huo and Gu families, I would have killed her!"
Yang Ziyun was speechless, her eyes wide with astonishment. How could she have caused so much trouble for a woman? It was truly a sin!
"Zhenzhen was just confused for a moment. You know she's always been a good girl. In the end, she just liked you too much and lost her mind for a moment. No matter what, this relationship is precious. Can't you forgive her this time for that reason?"
Huo Qingfeng turned to look at her, his eyes bloodshot. Yang Ziyun was also startled.
"What about Ruoke? Ruoke's love is deeper and purer than Gu Zhenzhen's. Have you forgiven her? What did she do wrong? Her only mistake was that God was too cruel to her, letting her be deceived and hurt once. But you all magnified this as her fault. Where can she go to beg for mercy? If you hadn't ignored my refusal and always tried to match me with the Gu family, none of this would have happened today!"
Yang Ziyun was hurt by his tone and staggered back. "Qingfeng, you...you resent us?"
"I can't," he replied forcefully.
Yang Ziyun almost cried. It was "I can't," not "I didn't." In other words, he resented them. Oh, what a mess this is!
The Lunar New Year is almost here. Judging by the current situation, it looks like we won't be able to celebrate it at all. Sigh!
"Qingfeng, the New Year is just a few days away. Since you don't need to go back to the army now, come back to B City with us. For so many years, our family hasn't been able to spend a proper New Year together."
Huo Qingfeng clenched his fists, trying to control his emotions. "Mom, take Fu'an back. Don't send him to Z City after the New Year. If Ruoke isn't here, there will be no one to take care of him."
"And what about you? Things haven't progressed yet, and staying here won't help. Why don't you come back with us?"
"Mom, you can go out now. I want to rest for a while." Huo Qingfeng pulled the blanket over his head, clearly refusing to talk any further.
"You—" Yang Ziyun sighed and had no choice but to leave the room. She wiped her eyes painfully; she had never had such a terrible day!
...
Gu Zhenzhen repeatedly asked to see Huo Qingfeng, but he refused. He was afraid that if he saw her, he wouldn't be able to resist strangling her. This concerned Ruoke, and he no longer had confidence in his self-control!
Yang Ziyun eventually took Fu'an back with her. Before boarding the plane, she looked at her son, who had become much thinner, and cried again.
Huo Qingfeng merely looked at her indifferently, offering no words of comfort. His mother was cherished by a general, while his Ruoke was nowhere to be found, her fate unknown!
After the plane took off, Huo Qingfeng lingered at the airport for quite some time before returning home.
Lying alone in bed at night, he felt a dull ache in his left chest. He couldn't tell if it was because the wound hadn't healed or because Ruoke's departure had hollowed it out.
Reaching for the framed photo on the table, it was a family portrait of the three of them. Slowly, my hand traced the familiar faces. The pain in my chest felt intensely hot again.
If possible, I only wish you well.
The night is so long. Because the heart in my chest is so lonely.
...
As the calendar pages turned, Lunar New Year's Eve quietly arrived.
The lovely girl who had prepared so many New Year's gifts and was waiting for him to come home was still nowhere to be seen. He didn't even know if she was alive and well!
Huo Qingfeng spent the New Year alone. He started drinking on New Year's Eve and got completely drunk. He slept on the floor all night, calling out for his wife. Tears streamed down his face, soaking the blanket.
Fu Peigang and Tan Peishi had been asking him to spend the New Year with them for a while, but he refused. On New Year's Day, the couple, worried about him, came over early in the morning. Tan Peishi had a key, so she opened the door and went inside.
Hearing the sound, the person on the ground called out "Wife" and half-scrambled to their feet. When they saw it was them, they went back to sleep.
The couple exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly. Luckily, there was a blanket on the floor; otherwise, he would have definitely developed a high fever and fallen ill. His wound hadn't healed properly, and his health wasn't what it used to be.
Bottles of various brands of alcohol, including spirits and beer, lay scattered haphazardly on the table and floor. It was a miracle that no one had alcohol poisoning.
The couple carried him back to bed, cooked hangover soup on the first day of the Lunar New Year, took care of the drunkard, and cleaned the house.
Tan Peishi packed up, tears welling up in her eyes again. If she had taken better care of Ruoke, the captain wouldn't be in this state!
This year was a complete mess.
...
Y City is a small, underdeveloped city on the outskirts of the city.
Hospital, VIP ward.
Ling Ruoke felt as if she had been in a very long dream, floating and sinking, struggling and exhausted, but unable to wake up. Her mind was both clear and completely confused, wavering between dreaming and waking.
As consciousness slowly returned to my body, I felt only two things—pain and exhaustion!
Her eyelids felt like a mountain, pressing down tightly. It took a long time before she finally managed to open them little by little. Light streamed in, but the pain made her instinctively close them again. Then, slowly, little by little, she opened them. All she could see was white; her vision was still somewhat blurry.
The pain made her frown and let out a soft groan.
"You're awake?" Someone stood up beside the bed, leaned over to look at her, and smiled broadly. The person reached out and frantically pressed the call button on the bedside table.
Ling Ruoke wanted to speak, but found that her face was covered by something, probably an oxygen mask.
"Don't rush to speak, we're not in a hurry. The doctor will be here soon!" But she looked even more anxious than Ling Ruoke.
This person has been unconscious for far too long. If she doesn't wake up soon, their hospital will have to close down. And that man might really make all of them, the doctors and nurses, pay with their lives!
Ling Ruoke stared at her blankly for a while, then felt her eyelids getting heavy again, and before she knew it, she closed them.
"Hey, don't faint!" The nurse was frantic, pacing around in circles, and then frantically pressed the call button again.
Soon, doctors and nurses filed in and took their places. The examinations began, and everyone's heart was pounding. When the results came back, they walked to the door, removed their masks, and each person wore a relieved smile.
The next day, Ling Ruoke was transferred to a regular ward.
Outside the window, the sunlight was warm and gentle, though slightly dazzling.
Ling Ruoke's bed was raised so she could look out the window. "Where is this?" she asked the nurse beside her softly.
"This is Y City, Sacred Heart Hospital."
Ling Ruoke stared at her in astonishment, taking a while to process the information. Y City? It's a small third- or fourth-tier city in the southwestern border region of the country. However, because it lacks industry, its forests are well-preserved, and the people are simple and honest. She had seen it online; it seemed like a nice place, if one didn't excessively pursue material things.
She frowned slightly. She remembered the car accident, but not how she got here. "Have I been asleep for a long time?"
"A whole month. The people who brought you here were so anxious they gave us a death sentence: if we couldn't save you, they'd all kill us. We were all on tenterhooks for a month. Thankfully, you woke up," the nurse said with a smile. These past two days, the entire hospital has been filled with joy, even more festive than during the Lunar New Year. Because this person was saved, it was a tremendous joy for the hospital.
Ling Ruoke frowned slightly. It couldn't be Qingfeng; he was still injured in the hospital when he was in the car accident. Besides, he wouldn't have brought her here. So, it could only be Cang Weiwo.
After many twists and turns, she finally returned to his side. She was like a caged bird, thinking she had escaped her confinement, only to find the cage waiting right in front of her. She couldn't help but think of Sun Wukong, who, no matter how powerful his somersault cloud was, was still imprisoned under a mountain for five hundred years in the Buddha's palm.
"When will the person who brought me here appear? Did he come while I was unconscious?" Bringing her here from so far away was probably to avoid Qingfeng's influence. The fact that Qingfeng still poses a threat to him means Qingfeng must be doing quite well. With the combined power of the Huo and Gu families protecting him, his career shouldn't be affected.
Qingfeng should have recovered by now. She smiled slightly, "That's good!"
“He came once. We called him yesterday to let him know, but we don’t know when he will show up. Should I have someone call and ask?”
Ling Ruoke forced a smile and shook her head. "No need. I was just asking casually. By the way, when can I go out and get some sun? If I lie down any longer, I'll get moldy."
"We should wait until you're feeling better. But I'll ask your doctor if it's possible, and I'll help you walk around a bit; that will be good for your recovery."
"Thank you," Ling Ruoke smiled faintly. Perhaps because she had been lying in bed for over a month, the pain of separation wasn't as intense as she had imagined. Once she was sure he was alright, the pain would subside.
My hand is pressed against my left chest; my heart is pounding strongly, one beat at a time. I slowly close my eyes, a faint smile playing on my lips.
Although the New Year has passed, I still want to wish you a Happy New Year. I also hope that you will be safe and happy from now on; that is all I pray for!
When I open my eyes again and look out the window, spring is almost here. Soon, spring will return to the earth, and everything will be renewed.
She smiled faintly, her eyes glistening with tears, but they didn't fall. In her heart, she softly murmured his name.
Qingfeng...
That evening, Ling Ruoke was leaning against the bed watching the military channel. She knew perfectly well that she couldn't possibly find any news about Qingfeng there, but she couldn't help watching anyway. Even if it was just something that had something to do with him, she would be happy.
The door suddenly opened, and a tall figure walked in, looking somewhat travel-worn.
Ling Ruoke stared at him, speechless for a long time.
"you……"
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