Ling Ruoke hadn't expected that the colonel would receive orders to return to his unit early the next morning. Although she was worried about his injuries, it was an order from his superiors that he had to obey.
Watching him leave, I suddenly felt an emptiness. The house felt empty, and even my heart felt empty.
Ling Ruoke stood blankly at the door for a long time, then composed herself and decided to go back to change her clothes and go to work.
Neither of them expected that so many things would happen during this separation, nor did they expect that such a hidden bomb would be planted, which would later unleash a massive wave and almost change everything.
Because her car was totaled, Ling Ruoke had to discuss buying a new one with Tan Peishi. Luckily, the car was insured; otherwise, it would have been a huge loss.
Because it's really inconvenient without a car, Ling Ruoke plans to buy one as soon as possible, the exact same one as before. She's already used to it, so it saves her the trouble of slowly choosing one.
Ling Ruoke took a taxi to the company, less than five minutes before her shift started. While still in the elevator, she saw several employees rushing upstairs, some of them eating breakfast in their mouths. The girls were even wearing high heels, which made her heart pound with fear.
Mei Yanting had arrived quite early, but her face was covered in bruises, as if she had been injured.
"Yanting, what happened? Did someone hit you?" Ling Ruoke reached out and touched her, and she immediately gasped in pain, her face contorting in pain.
Mei Yanting covered her face, afraid that she would touch it again. "No. I just got distracted while riding my bicycle last night and fell."
Ling Ruoke could tell that these weren't marks from a fall. However, she was unwilling to say, perhaps because she had some hidden reasons, and it wasn't convenient to ask further. "Be careful in the future; safety is the most important thing."
"Thank you for your concern, Sister Ximeng. I understand." Although she was injured, she had gained something else, so Mei Yanting didn't care about this minor injury.
Ling Ruoke patted her shoulder reassuringly and went into the office.
Xia Mo followed her in and asked if she wanted to attend the Misses' Meeting.
"I won't attend. You take them. You can call me if necessary." She wasn't in a good mood today and wasn't suited to attend the meeting.
Xia Mo chatted with her for a few minutes, then came out, gathered the documents, and led a group of people to a meeting.
Ling Ruoke had originally intended to call Mei Yanting in for a chat, but feeling down, she decided to postpone it. For some reason, she had absolutely no enthusiasm for work while sitting in front of the computer, feeling listless and lethargic. All morning, she only processed some emails and reviewed a few financial documents.
When it was time to eat, she didn't feel like eating. But she couldn't go hungry, so she went downstairs to find something to eat.
Ling Ruoke hadn't seen Gu Miaomiao for a long time since her encounter with her after returning from T City. So when she suddenly bumped into her, she was momentarily stunned. Or rather, she couldn't believe that the woman wrestling with someone in the street was Gu Miaomiao.
She paused for a moment, but quickly realized that Gu Miaomiao was the one at a disadvantage in the fight. She didn't know what was going on, but Gu Miaomiao was someone she knew, and she couldn't ignore it for the sake of Old Master Gu.
Ling Ruoke rushed over and, amidst the chaos, grabbed the woman's wrist, causing her to release Gu Miaomiao in pain. The woman, still defiant, raised her leg to kick her again. Without hesitation, Ling Ruoke slapped the woman across the face and pushed her away with a slight force.
"Who do you think you are? What right do you have to hit me? I'll fight you to the death!" The woman rushed towards Ling Ruoke like a madwoman, her hair disheveled and clothes rumpled, looking utterly wretched. But her frenzied energy was undeniable.
Ling Ruoke easily caught her and pushed her forward forcefully. Seeing Gu Miaomiao cover her face and squeeze out of the crowd, she hurriedly chased after her.
The woman behind her was still cursing and swearing. From those snippets of conversation, Ling Ruoke could roughly guess the cause and effect of the matter. That woman was clearly a shameless mistress. In front of everyone, she dared to so brazenly admit her status as a mistress and even gossip about how bad Gu Miaomiao was, which was why her husband didn't want her anymore.
Ling Ruoke hadn't expected that Gu Miaomiao was already married. Moreover, it was a marriage where a third party had interfered. She chased after her and stopped her. "Gu Miaomiao."
Gu Miaomiao's hair was also pulled into a mess by that woman, and her face was covered with scratches. She looked up at Ling Ruoke with a miserable expression and asked with a bitter smile, "You're here to laugh at me too? Well, you're the one who should laugh at me the most."
It turned out that after Gu Miaomiao became pregnant, Old Master Gu's investigation revealed that the person who had abused his granddaughter was a thug who frequented bars. In a fit of rage, he killed the thug. Gu Miaomiao had no choice but to abort the child.
Whether it was because she couldn't marry Huo Qingfeng or because of the child, Gu Miaomiao became melancholy. The once innocent and adorable little girl seemed to have grown up overnight and knew sorrow.
Rong Xiumei couldn't bear to see her daughter like this, believing that Huo Qingfeng's abandonment was the cause of her unhappiness. Therefore, she kept arranging blind dates for her, hoping to help her get out of her gloom as soon as possible. Rong Xiumei was a military wife, so naturally, everyone she knew was in the military. Finally, someone introduced Gu Miaomiao to the eldest son of Minister Xuanyuan.
The Xuanyuan family held a prestigious position in the military. Rong Xiumei was naturally delighted that her daughter could marry into such a family. Fearing that her daughter's loss of virginity would affect her marital happiness, Rong Xiumei secretly had her undergo hymenoplasty surgery. She even disregarded the fact that her daughter was still in school and arranged their marriage at a young age.
Xuanyuan Jinan, the eldest son of the Xuanyuan family, is 33 years old, more than 10 years older than Gu Miaomiao, making them an older man marrying a younger woman. Xuanyuan Jinan married Gu Miaomiao under pressure from his family. He is naturally a womanizer, preferring young, beautiful, and charming women, the kind of women who usually come from prominent families. Naturally, his family does not approve of him marrying such a woman.
Although Gu Miaomiao was somewhat attractive, she fell far short of Xuan Yuan Jinan's requirements. However, teasing a naive and inexperienced young girl could be quite amusing. Slowly developing her into a sophisticated and alluring woman would be even more intriguing. Therefore, when they first got married, Xuan Yuan Jinan did put in considerable effort with his young wife; perhaps "having his way with her" would be a more apt description.
Gu Miaomiao, a young girl still naive and inexperienced in matters of the heart, was no match for the charms of a seasoned lover, easily falling head over heels for Xuan Yuanjinan. But a playboy is a playboy; his interests always flare up quickly and fade just as fast. Moreover, six months had been a considerable amount of time for him, having already grown tired of his wife. Naturally, he reverted to his old ways, changing women one after another.
The Gu family's power was not to be underestimated, and the Xuanyuan family naturally didn't want to offend them. Therefore, they used their influence to suppress Xuanyuan Jinan's numerous scandals. They even tried to use family discipline on Xuanyuan Jinan, but unfortunately, old habits die hard.
Gu Miaomiao was naive by nature. Although Xuan Yuanjinan had transformed her into a charming and alluring woman in bed, psychologically she remained a simple little girl. Having never witnessed her husband's infidelity, she never considered such possibilities, and thus kept it a secret for a long time.
But nothing can stay hidden forever, and the truth eventually came out. This led to the scene just now where the mistress and the wife were seen fighting in the street.
Ling Ruoke was stunned. She had never imagined that Gu Miaomiao would have such a bitter expression. Although her clinging to Huo Qingfeng was a bit annoying, she had to admit that she was actually just an innocent and lively little girl who didn't understand the hardships of life or love! But at this moment, she seemed to have experienced many setbacks, her innocence and cheerfulness gone, replaced by a face full of sorrow.
"I... I didn't mean that. You're injured, let me take you to the hospital." Compared to Gu Zhenzhen, Ling Ruoke didn't actually dislike Gu Miaomiao that much, after all, she was just being used as a pawn by her sister.
Gu Miaomiao gave a bitter smile, brushed her hand away, and took a step back. "No need. You don't need to pity me, and I don't need your pity either."
Then, she staggered away. She was already thin, but now she was so frail it was heartbreaking.
Ling Ruoke looked at her, feeling a pang of sadness. No matter what, she had never wished for Gu Miaomiao to be unhappy. Seeing her in such a disheveled state now made her feel suffocated.
She stood there blankly for a long time, even after Gu Miaomiao had walked far away and disappeared from sight, she was still unable to come back to her senses. Just then, Huo Qingfeng called.
"What's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood?" With just a "hello", Huo Qingfeng was able to figure out her mood.
Ling Ruoke let out a sigh of relief and walked towards the steamed rice restaurant. "I just saw Gu Miaomiao. She got married, did you know?"
"I've heard a little about it." However, since the last incident, he has had very little contact with the Gu family. Perhaps he still keeps in touch with his parents.
“I saw her fighting with a woman in the street. That woman was her husband’s mistress. She’s changed so much, I almost didn’t recognize her. She used to be an innocent and lively little girl, but now she looks like one of those pitiful women on TV with a bitter face.”
Although she didn't say it aloud, Huo Qingfeng completely understood her feelings; she was a foolish woman. "Wife, it's not your fault. Everyone has their own life and their own experiences. It's impossible for everyone in the world to be a good person and for everyone to be safe and happy. So, don't think too much about it."
"I didn't think about anything, I just felt really sad, and I can't explain why." Perhaps it's because she's a woman herself, and she understands all too well the pain of a husband's infidelity, that she sympathizes with her.
No matter how bad a woman is, no matter how unfavorable a marriage is, marriage is marriage. Besides being a marriage certificate, it also carries inescapable responsibilities. Before a divorce, a man, no matter how compelling his reasons, has no right to be entangled with another woman. And while a man is still married, no matter how deep his love, he has no right to interfere.
Therefore, we often see mistresses confidently claiming that their husbands no longer have feelings for each other, and criticizing the original spouses. But even so, this should not be a reason for a mistress to interfere in their marriage. Everyone has flaws, and problems will inevitably arise over time; this should not be a reason for someone else to hurt them. Not getting entangled in emotional relationships with married men or women is a matter of respect for marriage and a fundamental moral principle.
"I know. Anyway, don't overthink it. Everyone has their own path and needs to go through things to become stronger. Gu Miaomiao has been too well protected. Perhaps after experiencing these things, she will be able to mature and find her own happiness." At least she won't always be manipulated by Rong Xiumei and suffer in the end. Everyone needs to mature and walk their own path.
"I hope so. I still hope she can be happy; she's not a bad person." Perhaps, she hopes that all marriages in the world can last a lifetime. This is not only her hope for Gu Miaomiao, but also her expectation for love itself.
Huo Qingfeng chuckled softly, his voice growing even gentler. "I know, my wife is the best woman in the world!"
"Are you praising me, or indirectly praising yourself?" Ling Ruoke's mood gradually improved; the colonel's voice had a healing effect on her.
"I have both, but the most important thing is to praise my wife." In his heart, his wife is the most important person.
Ling Ruoke finally smiled. Whether it was serious or a joke, praise from a lover always put her in a good mood. "I'm not going to joke with you anymore. I'm going to eat now, have you eaten?"
"You've eaten, so eat your food properly. If you starve yourself and get thin, I'll beat you up when we get home." The colonel thought his wife was too thin; he'd prefer her to gain some weight. Men might admire skinny women, but they preferred their own women to be a bit fuller.
"I'm going to starve myself to be thin. Go ahead and come back and beat me up if you dare. I really need to eat, bye!" If starving himself would make him come back immediately, she really would. But isn't that a bit too willful and reckless?
After hanging up the phone, I felt much better. My appetite returned, and I ate half a bowl of rice and even finished the soup.
There was a problem with a project in the afternoon, and I was busy dealing with it. By the time the problem was resolved, it was already time to leave work.
She wandered around the market again and again, still unsure what to buy. Dinner for one was truly a struggle. On her third lap, she simply bought some greens, a chili pepper, and some meat—two dishes to tide her over.
The most painful moment was when I carried the groceries to the villa. Looking at the dark house and then at the lights in other people's homes, I felt a pang of sadness. A sense of loss welled up inside me.
She entered the house and turned on the lights. The television wasn't on, and there wasn't a little child intently watching cartoons on the sofa, occasionally making duck-like noises. She stood there blankly in the doorway, not moving for a long time.
Finally, Ling Ruoke turned on the TV and tuned it to the animation channel. Then she took her things to the kitchen to prepare dinner for herself. The two dishes were ready quickly, but the rice wasn't quite done yet. She had no choice but to go outside to the living room and sit on the sofa to watch TV. She really wanted to call Yuan Meng and hear the little one's voice. But she had promised Yuan Meng that she couldn't call him for the time being, so the little one could adjust to his new life.
I stared blankly at the TV screen until the rice dinged when it was done, then I went to cook. Two dishes, done in five minutes. When I brought them to the table, the two dishes looked rather lonely on the large table.
She didn't finish dinner, clean the kitchen, and even take a shower until she was surprised to find it was only eight o'clock. Although she had a regular schedule, she still had two hours before her bedtime.
Ling Ruoke finally picked up a book and leaned against the headboard to read. But she found she couldn't calm her mind, so she got up and looked at the computer. When she saw the name of a novel website on the homepage, she suddenly remembered some of her writings. She clicked on it and saw the two books lying there quietly.
Ling Ruoke logged into the backend and checked her total earnings, only to be astonished to find it amounted to hundreds of thousands. Although it had ended quite some time ago, the editors had been consistently recommending it, likely due to its high subscription rate. She noticed that between the latest comment and the one she replied to, there were countless other comments. Most of them were complaining about why she had stopped writing and expressing their anticipation for her new work.
Ling Ruoke smiled broadly, suddenly knowing how to spend her free time. Since she had a story in her heart, she might as well write another book. Seeing Gu Miaomiao today had filled her with many emotions, so she decided to write a story about "a mistress interfering in a relationship, and women needing to be strong."
The scene of Gu Miaomiao fighting with someone in the street was vividly etched in Ling Ruoke's mind. She could recreate it in words, and it became the first chapter of her new work. When she wrote the last period, she felt extremely depressed.
The editor was still online, and the new article was approved quickly.
A moment later, her QQ rang; it was her editor. They chatted casually for a bit, mostly expressing their excitement about her resuming writing. Ling Ruoke didn't like chatting online, so she simply said a few words and then excused herself to writing. The editor, perhaps genuinely looking forward to her new work, readily let her go.
Ling Ruoke finished writing ten minutes before bedtime. Although inspiration was still flowing, it was time to sleep. Before shutting down her computer, she refreshed the page for her new work and was surprised to see over fifty comments. She couldn't help but smile; they were really quick.
In a good mood, Ling Ruoke lay down in bed. As if it had been planned, the colonel's phone rang, his deep, magnetic voice soothing her loneliness.
Only those in love understand that a phone call between two people doesn't really need a specific topic; even a casual remark can be sweet. Just hearing each other's voice seems to be the best conversation in the world. In the quiet of the night, it's a companion that lulls you to sleep.
Ling Ruoke told the colonel about buying a car, and the colonel gave a different opinion.
"Buy one yourself, don't buy it in the company's name. If you buy it yourself, you can choose one you like that's suitable for a girl to drive; a minivan isn't suitable for you."
Ling Ruoke thought about it and agreed. She had enough money in her writing account to buy a car. So the two discussed which car to choose—or perhaps "happily bickering" would be a more accurate description. They didn't hang up until almost 10:30 PM, reluctantly.
The colonel meant that she could buy a Volkswagen Beetle. Around 200,000 yuan, a vibrant green or light yellow would be fresh and cute. The car and the person together would definitely look great.
Although Ling Ruoke argued with him for a while on the phone, men always seem to have more opinions than women when it comes to these mechanical things. Before going to bed, she thought to herself, "I'll find some time tomorrow to pick out a Beetle for myself."
Neither of them expected that buying a car could cause so much trouble. But if someone had already set a trap for them, they might not have been able to escape their fate.
A spear in the open is easy to defend against, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against.
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