Chapter 127 You've Got the Guts! 1

Having settled things with Yuan Meng, the couple went home hand in hand.

Huo Fu'an and Mei Yanting sat on the sofa, eating snacks and watching TV.

"Daddy, Mommy!" Upon seeing them, the little guy jumped off the sofa and ran over.

Ling Ruoke caught him, picked him up, and kissed him repeatedly. The thought of handing him over to Yuan Meng made her quite reluctant to part with him.

She was quite aggressive when she spoke about Yuan Meng, but she knows better than anyone that even with her own child, she won't lessen her love for Xiao Fu'an. It's just that without Xiao Fu'an, Yuan Meng is too pitiful; that fragile woman needs Fu'an to support her.

Little Huo Fu'an received a kiss from his mother and immediately returned it with several kisses, the smacking sounds echoing throughout the room.

Ling Ruoke pinched his little face, both amused and exasperated, and he immediately turned into a quacking little duck again.

"Wife, let's go back to our room." The colonel lifted the little one out of her arms and led her upstairs.

Ling Ruoke glanced at him. Wasn't his words and actions enough to make people misunderstand? She turned around and, sure enough, saw Mei Yanting smiling ambiguously.

As soon as they got back to the room, the colonel turned around and hugged her tightly, just quietly, unlike before when he would kiss and nibble on her.

Ling Ruoke paused for a moment, then hugged him back. She keenly realized that the matter was related to Fu'an's background, which was probably a very sad story.

After a while, the colonel released her and slowly walked to the window. With his back to her, he spoke slowly, his voice incredibly low and hoarse.

Ling Ruoke could sense the turmoil in his heart just by looking at his retreating figure. Her colonel, who rarely showed any emotion, was now experiencing a surge of feelings. It was someone else's story, but it must have stirred up a storm in his heart and been etched thereafter.

That was a story from six years ago. Six years, more than 20,000 days and nights…

His name is Lei Kaiyi. He was Huo Qingfeng's comrade-in-arms in the same special forces training class, and the two were best friends. His father passed away from illness when he was very young, and his mother raised him alone. Perhaps due to overwork, his mother's health was never very good.

Six years ago, while he was on a mission, his mother suddenly fell ill. The county hospital couldn't treat her, so she was brought to the city. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough money they had scraped together; they were short 2,000 yuan, and the hospital refused to treat her. Yuan Meng knelt down before the doctors, nurses, and even the department heads, repeatedly emphasizing that her husband was a soldier, but they remained unmoved.

The doctor said that if surgery wasn't started within an hour, even a miracle wouldn't save her. Even if she survived, she wouldn't live long. But Yuan wanted to see his mother one last time, so he was willing to go bankrupt to save her. The village was more than an hour away from the town, and they couldn't wait for the villagers to help raise money and send it over.

Yuan Meng panicked and lost her composure. She rushed out of the hospital, bought a fruit knife, and ran into the street to rob pedestrians. Tragedy struck. Lei Kaiyi didn't get to see his mother one last time, as he died in the line of duty. His wife, who was pregnant at the time, was arrested by the police…

"We could have found a way to save her, but unfortunately, she stole from the wrong person. Even with everyone's combined efforts, we couldn't save her from prison; we could only reduce her sentence to five years. It shows how terrifying the darkness of this world is—something we can't even imagine!"

He closed his eyes, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his voice choked with sobs that he could barely speak. "Ruo Ke, he gave his life at the young age of 26 for his country and people, yet his country wants to send his pregnant wife to prison! Only soldiers can understand that feeling! Ruo Ke, I once doubted the meaning of being a soldier!"

Tears welled in his tightly closed eyes. His mountain-like body trembled like a yellow leaf in the wind.

They punished the unscrupulous doctor back then, but they couldn't punish the beast who sent Yuan Meng to prison! They were all going crazy with frustration!

Ling Ruoke hugged him tightly from behind, unable to utter a single word of comfort. She could only hold him, weeping with him. This was the first time she had ever seen him cry; he was a man who would rather bleed to death than shed a tear!

Huo Qingfeng turned around, hugged his wife tightly, and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

That day, Ling Ruoke's slender shoulders were soaked with the man's burning tears. That scorching heat traveled straight to her heart, allowing her to get to know this man better and strengthening her resolve to spend her life with him.

He was a tough soldier, but he also had a soft spot in his heart. He entrusted that spot to her, so she had to protect it well, cherish it, and not let it get hurt.

With tears in her eyes, Ling Ruoke gently nuzzled his hair, silently saying in her heart:

I love you, my love!

That day, the colonel pulled her onto the bed, placed his head on her lap, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her stomach for a long, long time.

Ling Ruoke leaned against the headboard, looking down at him quietly. Her hand gently stroked his hair.

The colonel didn't say much until he returned to his unit that evening. Only before leaving did he put his hand on her shoulder, look at her deeply, and say, "Wife, I'm entrusting Yuan Meng to you."

"Okay." She smiled and accepted the important task.

...

That evening, Ling Ruoke called Mei Yanting to her side.

"Yanting, starting tomorrow, you'll be working at my company. I've finally found you a place to live. It's a one-bedroom apartment. Although the building is a bit old, it's well-lit and the neighborhood is nice. You can move there tomorrow; it's very close to the company, just a short walk away."

"Oh," Mei Yanting responded, looking at her in surprise.

She'd been living here for a while now and had gotten used to it. She'd almost forgotten that this wasn't her home, and that she couldn't just stay here indefinitely. Even though there were plenty of empty rooms…

Mei Yanting felt something rising in her throat, and her nose felt a little sore. She quickly jumped up and exclaimed, "Sister Ximeng, I need to go to the restroom, my stomach hurts!"

Ling Ruoke watched as Mei Yanting clutched her stomach and ran inside, letting out a long sigh of relief. She had naturally witnessed Mei Yanting's reaction. She understood; the young girl was probably having a hard time accepting it, but there was nothing she could do.

She did this not just because Yuan Meng was coming. Even without Yuan Meng's involvement, it wouldn't be possible for Mei Yanting to stay at home indefinitely. Many people find it inconvenient to live with their parents, let alone outsiders.

This home doesn't just belong to her and Fu'an; it also belongs to her colonel. Although he's often away from home, that's precisely why he needs home to be a place where he can do whatever he wants. The colonel is already annoyed enough by the little one's wide-eyed stares at them. If every time he comes home there's a stranger there, he'd have to hide in his room even to flirt with his wife—he'd be furious!

So, although she felt quite sorry for the little girl, she had no choice but to make the decision. The little girl might not understand yet, but hopefully she will gradually come to her senses.

Mei Yanting sat on the toilet for a long time, covering her mouth and nose, silently shedding tears. So many grievances welled up from the bottom of her heart, and she couldn't stop the tears.

The next morning, Ling Ruoke drove Mei Yanting to Yuan Meng's place and let her stay there. She then brought Yuan Meng home to bond with the little one.

Since it was Sunday, she didn't have to work. Mei Yanting could tidy up and familiarize herself with the surroundings.

When Ling Ruoke drove Yuan Meng back, the little one had already gotten up. She was washing her face and brushing her teeth, then strolling down the stairs.

"Mommy!" The little guy rubbed his eyes, cried out loudly, and took off running.

"Be careful, don't run!" came the anxious Yuan Meng's shout.

Huo Fu'an actually stopped, not because he was obedient, but because he noticed the presence of another person. His big, bright eyes looked at Yuan Meng, and he asked, "Mommy, who is she?" His little head was tilted, looking quite puzzled.

Ling Ruoke smiled and waved to him. "Come down slowly first, and Mommy will tell you."

"Okay!" The little guy smiled and obediently walked down the stairs to stand in front of her.

Ling Ruoke squatted down, holding his arm with one hand and touching his face with the other. "Little Fu'an is so smart, can you guess who she is?"

"I know, she's my aunt." Grandma's big eyes blinked, and her voice was especially cute.

The little guy is very clever; he sees every woman as an auntie.

This little rascal! Ling Ruoke was amused by him. "She's not your aunt. Guess again?"

"Is she grandma? But she's not old at all." She frowned cutely, her little finger touching the corner of her mouth, and tilted her head slightly to look at Yuan Meng.

Those eyes were round and big, like black grapes, and they seemed to see right into Yuan Meng's heart. Her heart softened, tears welled in her eyes, and she almost couldn't help but hug him and say, "I'm your mother."

Ling Ruoke burst out laughing at his words and cleared her throat. "Little Fu'an, listen to Mommy, she's not an aunt, nor a grandma, nor a great-aunt. She's Little Fu'an's mother."

"If possible!"

"Yuan Meng, leave it to me!" Ling Ruoke nodded, indicating that she could rest assured.

But Yuan Meng couldn't rest easy; her heart was in her throat.

Little Fu'an, unaware of all this, stared wide-eyed at Yuan Meng in astonishment. His little brows furrowed genuinely this time. "You're my mommy."

"Yes, I am Xiao Fu'an's mommy, and she is Xiao Fu'an's mother." Luckily, I didn't call her "mom" back then, which gave me room to introduce her today.

Xiao Fu'an was completely confused. "Aren't they the same?"

Ling Ruo didn't want to explain to him whether they were biological children or not; he was too young to understand such things. "Mommy and Mommy both love Xiao Fu'an the most. Do you remember the song your teacher taught you, 'Only Mommy is good in the world,' what's the next line?"

Ling Ruoke clapped her hands to remind him.

The little one immediately clapped his hands and sang, "A child with a mother is like a treasure..."

"Little Fu'an is so amazing!" Ling Ruoke clapped for him, hugged him, and kissed him. "Look, a child with a mother is a treasure. Little Fu'an has two mothers, isn't he even more precious than other children?"

"yes!"

"Wouldn't Xiao Fu'an be happier now?"

"yes!"

"So what should Xiao Fu'an do now?" Ling Ruo could gesture with her eyes for him to call for help.

The little one blinked his big eyes at Yuan Meng, snuggled into her arms, and asked with a furrowed brow, "But why do I have two mothers? They all only have one mother!"

Yuan Meng's heart suddenly jumped into her throat again.

"Because Xiao Fu'an is a well-behaved and smart child, the sun loves children like him the most, so it gave Xiao Fu'an another mother." The important thing is to get the little guy to accept Yuan Meng first; he'll understand the rest as he grows up.

The little guy's eyes widened suddenly. "Really?"

"Really. But you can't tell the other kids, okay? If they find out, they'll try to take it from you."

"No! I won't tell them!" Two little hands tightly covered her mouth, revealing her big black eyes.

Ling Ruoke smiled and kissed him. "Good boy. Now Mommy will go cook, and let Mommy play with Xiao Fu'an, okay?"

Xiao Fu'an tugged at her trouser leg, but didn't respond. Clearly, although he had been coaxed, he hadn't yet gotten used to Yuan Meng's presence.

“Yuan Meng, give him some time.”

Yuan Meng smiled, her gaze never leaving Xiao Fu'an. "I know. He didn't run away when he saw me, and he didn't say he disliked me. I'm already very satisfied. How about this, I'll make breakfast."

"Alright." Let's gradually help the little one adapt through the details of daily life.

Yuan Meng went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Ling Ruoke stayed with the little guy, answering all sorts of questions he had, all about his two mothers. There were some questions she couldn't answer, and not wanting to fob him off, she simply changed the subject.

Yuan Meng is a capable and good mother; she quickly served breakfast. She made steamed buns, but not ordinary steamed buns; they were shaped into various small animal forms. The buns weren't big, somewhat like xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

"Wow!" Little Fu'an exclaimed in amazement as soon as he sat down at the table. "I want this, this, this..."

Ling Ruoke chuckled, recalling their first meeting when he ordered similar things at Nuanting Pavilion. She unfolded the bun and asked him, "Who made these?"

Little Fu'an watched Baozi run away, and anxiously started making "uh-uh" noises. "Yes—" Looking at Yuan Meng, he wasn't used to calling her "Mom," so his voice stopped abruptly. His mouth was still open, making him look a little funny.

"Hmm?" Ling Ruoke uttered a single syllable, prompting him to speak. Xiao Fu'an already understood the meaning of this single syllable.

He rolled his big eyes around, opened his mouth several times to say "yes," but then fell silent. In the child's heart, the word "Mom" carried too much weight, and even at five years old, he couldn't easily utter it.

Ling Ruoke picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and exclaimed, "Mmm, so delicious!"

She placed another piece in Yuan Meng's bowl. "Yuan Meng, you eat too."

"Mommy, Mommy..." the little guy called out to her affectionately, starting to whine.

Ling Ruoke held out her chopsticks and waved them in front of him. "No way. You can't eat them unless you answer the question. Who made these buns?"

As she spoke, she took another bite of the bun, making the little guy anxious and pacing around in circles.

"Yes, yes..." After a long pause, there was no further response. In his mind, that name was exclusively for Ruoke. However, the child was also very persistent about food. After a while, she finally closed her eyes and shouted, "Mommy made it!"

Ling Ruoke smiled and reached out to pat his head. "Then what should Xiao Fu'an say?"

After calling out the first time, perhaps the second wouldn't be so difficult. Or perhaps he just really loved these little animal-shaped buns. So he turned to Yuan Meng and quickly shouted, "Thank you, Mom!"

Ling Ruoke put the steamed buns into his bowl, and he immediately bent down to scoop them out.

Yuan Meng's eyes welled up with tears. Regardless of how she received that "Mom," it was an incredibly precious gift to her. She clenched her fist against her lips and smiled through her tears.

After breakfast, Ling Ruoke left Yuan Meng and the little one at home so that she could have more time alone with them, and went to Tan Peishi's house.

After leaving Tan Peishi's house, I went to Mei Yanting's place. Mei Yanting's eyes were still red, and it was obvious that she had just been crying.

"What's wrong?" Ling Ruoke frowned slightly. She was increasingly at her wits' end with Mei Yanting's personality.

Mei Yanting quickly smiled. "It's nothing. I was cleaning just now and accidentally got some dust in my eyes. Sister Ximeng, what brings you here?"

"Let me see if you need anything else." She wouldn't admit it, and Ling Ruoke wouldn't deliberately poke her.

"It has everything you need here, it's great. It's quiet, well-ventilated, and sunny. Compared to where I live in Y City, it's so much better here. You don't know, I used to dream of living in a place like this!"

Ling Ruoke watched her exaggerated body language; she certainly didn't realize she was trying to cover something up. "That's good. Do you know the way to the company? If not, I'll pick you up tomorrow?"

"No need! I can walk by myself, it's so close." Mei Yanting had been secretly looking for work these past few days and had already traveled all over the city of Y.

Ling Ruoke knew that she had been secretly looking for a job, so she didn't press the issue. After all, she couldn't just stop by every day to pick her up. "Alright, go for a run. It'll help you stay healthy. Sitting in the office all the time will easily make you sick. You need to take advantage of opportunities to exercise."

"Sister Ximeng, I understand, I will work hard!"

Ling Ruoke only sat for a short while. Before leaving, she patted the girl's head and said, "You can still come to my place for meals and chats if you're free. Don't feel like I don't welcome you. But you also need to have your own life. After all, we're sisters, not husband and wife, right?"

"Sister Ximeng, I know you too well. Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have been thinking of going there to freeload meals whenever I had free time. I could eat delicious food and save money!" Mei Yanting hugged her arm, looking up at her with a hint of coquetry.

Ling Ruoke smiled. "That's good."