Seeing the person rushing in, Ling Ruoke touched her nose, speechless.
Huo Qingfeng's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a blank expression. Even his gaze was cold, keeping everyone at arm's length.
Ling Ruoke's lips curved into a smile in her palm. She felt that the guzheng was like a clown, but she herself was not aware of this.
"Huo, how are you feeling? Does your wound still hurt?" Gu Zheng rushed over, looking every bit the leading lady.
Just as Ling Ruoke was about to cooperate and give her some time to perform, the colonel grabbed her hand and casually played with it.
Huo Qingfeng looked up, glanced at her indifferently, and said, "Miss Gu, my wife is here. Don't steal lines in front of the main character."
"Pfft—" Ling Ruoke almost spat out her drink, but luckily she covered it with her hand in time. She discovered that the colonel was actually quite sarcastic, and not in the way of profanity.
Sure enough, Gu Zheng's face turned ugly, and she was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say for a while. "I came to see how you were doing. After all, you were injured while taking a bullet for me."
Ling Ruoke was certain that these words were meant for her on purpose, but she wouldn't fall for Guzheng's trap. Ultimately, Ruoke was still uncomfortable, but there was nothing she could do; her colonel was an iron-willed soldier.
"That was my task, Miss Gu, you don't need to take it to heart." He stated calmly, his tone completely flat. The colonel always spoke in this tone in public.
Ling Ruoke felt it best to avoid the situation. "I'm going to the restroom." She wasn't trying to give Gu Zheng space out of pity; she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop laughing. She couldn't bring herself to gloat.
Huo Qingfeng tried to stop her, but failed. He then angrily shouted, "Wife!"
Ling Ruoke went to the bathroom to wash her face and spaced out for a while. When she came back, she found Yang Ziyun there, still calling her "Aunt Huo" as always.
Looking at this scene, Ling Ruoke couldn't help but think that Yang Ziyun seemed to only dislike her, while she liked everyone else. Gu Zhenzhen, Gu Miaomiao, and Gu Zheng—she had all shown that she liked them very much.
"Wife, come here." Huo Qingfeng had sharp eyes and called out as soon as he saw her.
The fake mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who were having a good time talking, finally noticed her presence and looked up at the same time.
Ling Ruoke nodded to them, greeted Yang Ziyun, and then sat down on the colonel's bed. "What are you doing?"
"I want an apple," the colonel pleaded like a child.
Gu Zheng immediately volunteered. "Hey, I'll peel the apple for you."
"No need, my wife can peel it herself. This is nothing to trouble outsiders with." The colonel didn't even look at her, decisively refusing. After refusing, he still looked at Ling Ruoke with a "my wife is good, isn't she?" expression.
If there weren't other people around, Ling Ruoke would have laughed out loud. Perhaps she should have patted his head as a reward. Afraid that she wouldn't be able to resist, Ruoke quickly grabbed an apple and started peeling it.
For a moment, the ward was quiet except for the soft sound of peeling an apple.
Ling Ruoke felt all three people's eyes were on her. Luckily, her kung fu was good enough, otherwise they would have definitely cut off her fingers. She finally understood what it meant to be "stared at so intently that your scalp tingles".
The apple was peeled and handed to the colonel. He then turned to Yang Ziyun and asked, "Auntie, would you like some?"
"No need. Take good care of Qingfeng. I'll head back now. I'll have someone bring over some chicken soup later, and make sure he finishes it. Oh, I'll have someone prepare extra, so you can have some too. You haven't been resting well these past few days, so this is a good way to replenish your energy."
Ling Ruoke quickly agreed, somewhat surprised that Yang Ziyun's attitude hadn't changed from before. Didn't Gu Zheng say Yang Ziyun was very angry? Could it be that the beautiful Gu was lying?
"Xiao Zheng, come with me." When Yang Ziyun left, she took the guzheng with her.
Ling Ruoke hurriedly ran over to close the door, saying as she walked back, "Finally, some peace and quiet. Colonel, this love affair is going to be tough for you."
Huo Qingfeng panicked. "Wife, I didn't provoke her! You have to believe me, there's nothing between us. I took the bullet because she was someone I needed to protect, that's all!" He looked as if he wanted to swear to God and have Him prove his innocence.
“But I’m just not happy, what should I do?” Ling Ruoke stood by the bed, arms crossed, looking down at the colonel.
Sometimes I think that having a husband who is a soldier is the worst thing. No matter how much you dislike someone, if you get a mission to protect her, you have to risk your life for her! How can you feel good if your husband risks his life for your love rival?
Huo Qingfeng looked at her, trying hard to discern the truth in her words, and then asked pitifully, "Then what should we do about our wife?"
Ling Ruoke's eyes darted around, then she slowly wiggled her index finger. "Think for yourself. It's okay if you can't figure it out, we have plenty of guest rooms. And the sofa in the living room is very comfortable."
"Wife!" The colonel looked utterly pitiful this time. His sharp eyes now looked wet, like a big dog's.
"uh-huh."
The colonel frowned and thought for a long time before finally saying, "Could it be...could it be that my wife wants to cut it off?" He made a snapping gesture between his legs.
"Pfft—" Ling Ruoke actually spat it out. She was starting to wonder if men always thought about things in that way? She'd discuss it with Tan Peishi another day. "Colonel, why are you always thinking about sex?"
"Did I?" the colonel asked innocently.
Ling Ruoke looked at him, both amused and exasperated, and snuggled back to his side. "Alright, you're tired too, why don't you take a nap?" She hadn't forgotten that he was still injured.
"You stay with me." The colonel grabbed her hand and dragged her to the bed.
Ling Ruoke saw that the bed in the ward was quite spacious, so she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto it.
The colonel immediately pulled her inside, as if afraid someone would snatch her away. He pressed his face against her neck, nuzzling her neck.
Ling Ruoke giggled. "Why are you acting like a big dog!"
"Because a wife is a bone in the stomach," the colonel answered matter-of-factly, without the slightest embarrassment.
Ling Ruoke raised her hand and tapped him. "Go to sleep, you're still weak. Or do you want to stay in the hospital bed a few more days so that the beautiful Gu can fawn over you?"
"I'm going to sleep right away!" The colonel didn't explain, put an arm around her, and closed his eyes.
Ling Ruoke smiled, pursing her lips.
After lying quietly for a while, the colonel's hand began to wander restlessly inside her clothes, moving as nimbly as a snake.
"You're still recovering! Behave yourself and go to sleep!" She gave him a flick on the forehead, her tone sharpening. He'd only just come out of surgery two days ago, and today he was already thinking about this; she didn't want him to leave the hospital!
The colonel pouted, feeling wronged, and rubbed against her chest, saying in a muffled voice, "I call this 'quenching thirst by looking at plums'."
"You call that looking? Looking with your hands?" If Ling Ruoke hadn't been pestered by him, she would have given him a good whack on the head. The colonel was sometimes a genius; he could always say things that sounded absurd at first, but made perfect sense upon closer inspection.
"That's like quenching thirst by touching plums!" the colonel corrected confidently, rubbing his hand against her chest even harder.
"Pfft—cough cough cough..." Ling Ruoke was genuinely choked.
The colonel gently patted her back, or perhaps "touched" would be a more accurate description.
Ling Ruoke stopped coughing and nudged him. "Stop fooling around, go to sleep for a while. You'll recover faster if you get enough rest."
"Okay." The colonel pecked her and then closed his eyes. He was truly exhausted, and soon his breathing became even and deep.
Ling Ruoke carefully propped herself up on one side, looking at his peaceful sleeping face. Finally, she kissed him on the lips. "If you dare get hurt again, I'll teach you a lesson!"
The colonel seemed to hear her words, and his tightly pursed lips curved slightly into a smile. Asleep, she looked just like a child.
Ling Ruoke didn't sleep well that night. With the colonel right beside her, her eyelids slowly drooped shut, and she fell asleep.
Huo Qingfeng woke up not long after falling asleep because someone came. Although he was seriously injured, the colonel was still alert as long as he wasn't in a deep coma.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Grandpa push the door open and come in. He saw they were sleeping and was about to leave, but when he saw that I was awake, he came back in.
"Grandpa." Huo Qingfeng carefully adjusted his body so as not to wake the people next to him or interfere with his conversation with his grandfather.
When Ling Ruoke is alone, she is quite vigilant, but when she is by the colonel's side and relies on him completely, her mind becomes like mush.
Although Huo Qingfeng felt this was not quite right, he felt a sweet warmth in his heart.
"I heard from your mother that your marriage application has been put on hold? What happened?" The old man's face was extremely serious.
"Because Ruoke married Cang Weiwo before, and later, in order to go abroad to rescue me, she got involved with the Tianlang Gang in T City. Originally, these were not problems, but someone interfered and complicated things."
The old man glared at him fiercely. "Why didn't you say anything? Does Grandpa mean nothing to you?"
Huo Qingfeng knew the old man was about to lose his temper, so he quickly explained, "No, Grandpa. I just didn't want to cause you any trouble, so I wanted to handle it myself."
"By the time you resolve this, it'll be too late. You're not afraid your wife will run away, but I'm more afraid my granddaughter-in-law will!" The old man slapped his hand, and since there was no table in front of him, he simply waved it! Meaning, he was determined to handle this matter!
The old man doted on Ruoke, and his daughter-in-law wasn't his type. Now that he finally had a granddaughter-in-law who pleased him, he was naturally anxious. And now, knowing that the girl from the Gu family was coming to join the fun, he was even more anxious. He still preferred Ruoke to the Gu family girl.
This time, Huo Qingfeng dared not provoke the old man again.
The old man stayed a while longer, and seeing that he was in good spirits, he left. Having spent his life in the military, escaping death countless times, he wasn't as concerned about injuries as others. Perhaps it was because he always believed that the capable would surely escape death, and that good fortune would always protect the lucky.
It was quite a while after the old man left before Ling Ruoke groggily woke up. She raised her hand to rub her eyes, subconsciously pouting like a child.
Huo Qingfeng couldn't help but chuckle softly as he watched her adorable movements. "Awake?"
"Hmm, what are you laughing at?" Ling Ruoke had been sleeping very comfortably, and if she hadn't been hungry, she would have continued sleeping. But as soon as she opened her eyes, she heard the colonel laughing, which puzzled her.
Huo Qingfeng lowered his head and kissed her. "My wife is so cute, I'm in a good mood."
"Tch, lying without thinking!" I scoffed, but didn't pursue the matter further. I slowly sat up and stretched. "I'm hungry. Are you hungry?"
"A little." He reached out and smoothed her hair.
Ling Ruoke jumped out of bed and got dressed. "Then I'll go to the cafeteria to buy food. What do you want to eat?"
"It will be all right."
"Then you wait for me." Ling Ruoke first washed her face and tidied her appearance, then ran to the attending physician's office to ask about dietary precautions.
It was dinner time, and the hospital cafeteria was quite crowded; she spent a considerable amount of time queuing.
Back outside the ward, the sound of the guzheng filled the air again. Ling Ruoke rolled her eyes in exasperation and sighed. That beautiful Gu, she really was like a persistent ghost! She was like a fly, so annoying!
"Ta-da! Dinner's here!" Ling Ruoke made a deliberately grand entrance, interrupting the beautiful Gu's performance. She was the hostess; she could simply choose not to watch a performance she didn't like, right?
Huo Qingfeng's cold face immediately showed expression. "Wife, you're finally back! I was starving."
As he said this, the beautiful woman who brought the chicken soup had a particularly interesting expression, changing like a kaleidoscope. Her slender fingers were clenched so tightly that her palms were pierced, but she was completely unaware.
Seeing Gu Zheng's devastated state, Ling Ruoke felt no sympathy whatsoever. If a person cannot love themselves, how can they expect others to pity them? Gu Zheng was now practically a third party; she couldn't possibly sympathize with a woman determined to be a mistress, could she? Even if a couple was no longer in love, they should wait until after a divorce before interfering; otherwise, they were just as shameless and immoral!
Ling Ruoke got a large bucket of food and a box of plain white rice, to accommodate the colonel's large appetite. The food was mixed together and included several dishes. She knew the colonel wouldn't eat the boxed lunch obediently by himself, so she simply got one portion to eat with the rest.
Ling Ruoke put down the white rice, opened the rice bucket—it really was a rice bucket. She tentatively handed the bucket to the colonel. "Here."
"You feed me." The colonel acted cute and shameless, as if it were perfectly natural.
Ling Ruoke playfully poked his nose and said, "I knew you'd do this, so I only got one serving. It's white rice, in case you don't have enough."
"My wife is so good!" Colonel Huo kissed her, his expression one of contentment.
The two were deeply in love, envied by all. The discordant element in the hospital room was completely ignored.
If it weren't for a huffy groan accompanied by the slamming of her high heels, the two of them would have completely forgotten she was there.
Ling Ruoke raised an eyebrow as she watched the woman walk away from the ward door. "Colonel, aren't you heartbroken?"
"What's there to feel sorry for?" The colonel looked completely innocent, his mouth still full of food as he chewed, his chubby cheeks making him look quite comical.
Ling Ruoke snorted coldly, her smile wicked. "The great beauty Gu is furious, don't you feel sorry for her?"
"I only care about my wife." He mumbled, his mouth full of something. But his expression was calm, and he didn't even glance at the door.
Ling Ruoke laughed out loud and nudged him with her head. "That's more like it."
The two of them took turns eating, finishing the box of food. Because of his injury, the colonel didn't eat as much as usual and ate more slowly.
Ling Ruoke felt heartbroken watching him. Grabbing his collar, she scolded him fiercely, "You really can't get hurt next time, you know? I dreamt about it the other day, it scared the crap out of me."
The colonel put his arm around her, his chin resting against her forehead. "Wife, I'm sorry."
Ling Ruoke pushed her away, pouting. "I don't want any of that 'I'm sorry' nonsense, I just want you to be okay! So don't say sorry to me, I won't accept it!"
“Okay!” he answered seriously, looking at her intently, and then smiled.
"It's good to keep your word; just talking is useless." She's gotten used to not being able to be by his side often. As long as he's well, she's willing to wait for him at home for the rest of her life, without any regrets.
"Okay." He also wanted to stay with her for the rest of his life, until she became an old lady with white hair.
May our love flow gently together, and may we grow old together even when all the splendor fades. Our hearts are one.
Just as the two were whispering to each other, Yang Ziyun appeared carrying chicken soup. She had originally intended to have a servant deliver it, but she was worried and decided to come herself.
"Oh, looks like I've come at the wrong time," Yang Ziyun joked with a laugh. Seeing this scene now, she didn't find it offensive anymore. A loving son and daughter-in-law are the foundation of a happy family. Having come to terms with it, it seemed she could see the bright side to everything.
Huo Qingfeng actually knew his mother had come, but he didn't say anything.
Ling Ruoke hadn't noticed and was so startled that she jumped out of bed and stood up abruptly. Seeing Yang Ziyun's teasing expression, she blushed instantly. She stammered, unable to say anything for a long time.
"I...I'm going to wash my hands." Ling Ruoke fled in panic. In this regard, she was always very thin-skinned.
"Mom, you scared my wife." Huo Qingfeng looked at his mother with a grin, a cheeky expression on his face.
Yang Ziyun glanced at him and said, "I'm not a wild beast, how could I scare her? Mom made you some chicken soup, come on, drink it while it's hot."
Huo Qingfeng had originally said he had just eaten, but the words that came out were just a "good". He knew his mother; she must have made the chicken soup herself, and it would be too hurtful for her if he didn't drink it.
Yang Ziyun immediately beamed with joy, opened the thermos, and carefully ladled out a bowl of soup for him, bringing it over with a look that held so much in her eyes.
Huo Qingfeng didn't say a word and obediently drank the bowl of soup. "It's delicious, thank you, Mom. Mom, put the rest aside for now, I'll drink the rest later. I just ate, I can't drink that much."
"Okay, good." Yang Ziyun was overjoyed to have received her son's thanks after drinking the wine. "How's the wound? Does it hurt?"
Huo Qingfeng took his mother's hand and helped her sit down on the edge of the bed. "Mom, do I look like something's wrong? Even if there's a tiger here, I can still beat it down."
Seeing that he was in good spirits, Yang Ziyun felt relieved. "Be careful in the future, and don't scare your mother so much. She's getting old and can't take a fright. And Ruoke, you didn't see her the other day when she rushed over from Z City, her legs were shaking like a leaf, and her face was ashen. As soon as the doctor announced that you were out of danger, her legs almost gave way and she almost collapsed to the ground. When you're injured, it's not just you who suffers, but all those who care about you suffer even more."
"Mom, I will." Huo Qingfeng was genuinely happy to hear his mother's words and realized that she already considered Ruo Ke as one of her own.
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