Chapter 136 Life Hangs by a Thread 2 tushumi.cc

"Qingfeng!" Ling Ruoke shouted, waking up from her dream. Her clothes were already soaked through.

"Qingfeng!" she called out several times before realizing she was still in their bedroom; it was all a nightmare. Her heart pounded like thunder, as if it were about to leap out of her body.

Regardless of the time of day, she scrambled to her feet, stumbling and falling off the bed. Ignoring the pain, she grabbed her phone and dialed that familiar number.

The dial tone rang for a long, long time, but no one answered, until the cold, emotionless voice of the service center finally spoke. She dialed again and again, but to no avail.

Ling Ruoke's legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. She clasped her hands together, praying in the faint moonlight streaming through the window. "Qingfeng, please don't let anything happen to you! Please don't!"

In the dead of night, Ling Ruoke lay in bed, tossing and turning, dialing his number repeatedly, her eyes wide open. As dawn broke, she finally fell asleep, exhausted.

Startled awake by her phone ringing, she sat bolt upright in bed, only realizing a moment later that it was her phone. Without even checking the number, she pressed the answer button and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Ruo Ke, you're still not up?" It was Tan Peishi.

Ling Ruoke slowly exhaled. "Peishi, it's you."

"What's wrong? What happened?" Tan Peishi immediately became anxious on the other end, her tone changing completely.

"I'm fine, don't get agitated." Pei Shi was about to give birth, and Ling Ruo Ke was afraid that her emotional state would cause her to move around erratically. "It's nothing, I just had a nightmare and I haven't recovered yet."

"It's just a dream, don't overthink it! You always manage to come up with so many complicated ideas, just scaring yourself! Stop thinking about it, get up quickly, my mom wants me to be hospitalized today, come with me."

"good."

After hanging up the phone, Ling Ruoke washed up in a daze.

When she came downstairs, Yuan Meng had already prepared breakfast and was about to wake her up.

A short while later, someone knocked on the door. Ling Ruoke rushed to open it.

The person knocking on the door was Chen Shan, whom Ling Ruojian had met before. He bowed and said, "Sister-in-law, the captain is a little injured. I've come to take you to the hospital."

Instantly, Ling Ruoke felt as if the blood in her body had frozen. Her mind was racing, with only one thought flashing through her mind—Qingfeng was in trouble!

But soon, she shook her head and came to her senses. "Wait for me!" She ran into her room to change into a set of clothes for going out, then packed two sets of clothes into her bag and rushed downstairs. "Let's go."

Ling Ruoke got into the car, trying to calm herself down. Worrying was useless, being afraid was useless; she had to stay calm. "Chen Shan, where is your captain injured?"

"Sister-in-law, I can't really explain it. You'll know when we get to the hospital," Chen Shan said with a forced smile, trying to reassure her. "Sister-in-law, don't worry, the captain will be fine!"

Ling Ruoke nodded, saying nothing more. Her hands, resting on her lap, were clenched into fists, the knuckles protruding high. She kept her lips tightly pressed together the entire way, remaining silent.

She was distracted and didn't notice that the car was heading towards a military airport. It wasn't until Chen Shan urged her to go through security that she learned that Qingfeng had been injured during a mission in B City.

The plane was making a huge noise, a buzzing sound that only added to the irritability. Ling Ruoke kept taking deep breaths, trying her best to remain calm.

Outside the window, the sky was blue and the clouds were white; the weather was exceptionally nice. Despite the scorching summer heat, she felt a little cold.

He came back safely from country X last time, so he'll definitely be fine this time too. She had to trust her colonel; he would protect her!

After she got off the plane, another car was already waiting for her, and she drove directly to the hospital.

When they arrived at the military hospital, Huo Qingfeng had already come out of the operating room. He had been shot twice, but fortunately, his life was not in danger. He was still unconscious for the time being.

Upon hearing the result, Ling Ruoke's tense nerves relaxed, and her legs immediately went weak. Then, she was supported. She turned her head and saw that it was Yang Ziyun. She opened her mouth to call her "Auntie," but quickly changed her words. "Mom..."

After experiencing such emotional highs and lows, my voice was hoarse and sounded unnatural. I also felt like something was stuck in my throat, making it difficult to make a sound.

"Let's sit down first," Yang Ziyun said, seeing her pale face, and helped her sit down beside her.

Ling Ruoke sat down and smiled. "Thank you, Mom."

It was awkward at first, but after calling her that a couple of times, she seemed to get used to it. Perhaps it was because Yang Ziyun, whom she no longer disliked, had a kind and gentle smile, just like her mother's. Everyone feels an instinctive closeness to their mother.

Finally, he grabbed her hand and added, "Qingfeng is alright, that's good."

Yang Ziyun nodded. She had known the news earlier, and Huo Qingfeng had been injured before, so his condition was better than Ling Ruoke's.

Yang Ziyun has been guarding this place for quite a while and is exhausted.

Ling Ruoke persuaded her to go back, and she stayed outside the intensive care unit to watch over him. Looking at him lying quietly on the bed, with all sorts of tubes inserted into his body, it felt as if those needles were piercing her heart.

"You've arrived." A cold, female voice sounded behind her.

Ling Ruoke turned her head, looking at Gu Zheng, who was half a head taller than her, with slight surprise. She nodded but didn't answer. She turned back to look at the man in the ward.

Gu Zheng walked to her side and looked at the man in the hospital room with her. "Do you know how he got injured?"

Ling Ruoke still didn't answer. She was acutely aware that the answer Gu Zheng would give wouldn't make her feel comfortable.

"He was injured because of me, he took a bullet for me, that's why he was injured!" Gu Zheng emphasized, speaking very strongly.

Ling Ruoke laughed sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. "So what?"

Was she trying to tell her that in Qingfeng's heart, her guzheng was the most important thing, so important that he would protect it with his life? Although this answer made her uncomfortable, she hadn't forgotten that her colonel was a soldier!

Gu Zheng was taken aback by her calmness, then her face contorted slightly, and her voice rose considerably. "This shows that in his heart, there's still a very important place for me. He's only with you to get revenge on me. He doesn't love you at all; you're just filling the void left by me. Now that I'm back, he'll soon realize that the person he loves is still me!"

Ling Ruoke finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, finding her words utterly ridiculous. At the same time, she felt sorry for her colonel. He had risked his life to shield Guzheng from bullets, yet Guzheng only remembered to emphasize how important she was!

"What are you laughing at?" Gu Zheng was even more annoyed by her laughter, and her voice was fierce.

Ling Ruoke turned her head and looked at her seriously. "Guzheng, do you know what my colonel's identity is? He's a soldier, a soldier! Putting aside the grudges between you, even if you were his mortal enemy, he would still have blocked those two bullets. As for whether I'm your substitute, or whether you have a place in his heart, you can ask him yourself. There's no need to show off to me."

Love is always a matter between two people; there's no need to emphasize it to a third party! Any attempt to emphasize it would only seem ridiculous!

Gu Zheng didn't understand. If a man has feelings for you, you don't need to, and have no reason to, emphasize it to someone else. What's the point of emphasizing an undeniable fact? Once you try to emphasize it, it means the facts are the opposite; you're not trying to convince others, but rather convincing yourself.

"You—" Gu Zheng hadn't expected her to be so calm, and then flicked her sleeve. "I don't need to ask him. I know the answer in my heart, and you know it in your heart too!"

"Then why did you have to emphasize it to me so loudly?" Ling Ruoke glanced at her indifferently.

Ling Ruoke sometimes wondered, since she had left back then, why bother clinging on after all these years? Was it really because she had gone through so many ups and downs that she realized that the person she had back then was the best? But who should stay in the same place and wait for someone else to turn back and take pity on them?

"I want you to see the truth clearly, and stop deceiving yourself!"

"Should I say thank you?" Ling Ruoke found her boring. If Qingfeng hadn't been here, she wouldn't have stopped to listen to her pointless nonsense. "Also, no matter what his reason was for taking two bullets for you, at this moment you should only be worried about his health, not taking pride in it to prove how important you are. Based on that alone, you'll never get into his heart."

Guzheng stormed off, leaving with the words, "He's mine!"

Ling Ruoke watched her departing figure and felt truly sorry for her. Even after six years of reflection, she still didn't understand what kind of person Huo Qingfeng was. Even if she hadn't left first, that alone wouldn't have given her a chance to win the colonel back.

Huo Qingfeng woke up in the evening.

Ling Ruoke received permission to change into her protective suit and go inside. She grabbed the colonel's hand, smiling, then tears streamed down her face. "You promised I wouldn't get hurt, and you broke your promise. Wait till you're better, and I'll see how I deal with you!"

Huo Qingfeng was still wearing an oxygen mask and couldn't take it off yet. Hearing her words, he blinked and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Ling Ruoke squeezed his hand and said generously, "Alright, don't rush to speak. Get well soon. If you recover quickly, I won't punish you so severely. Otherwise, hmm..."

Huo Qingfeng was injured in the heart, and the injury was very serious. He woke up for a short time and then fell asleep again.

Ling Ruoke came out of the intensive care unit, while Gu Zheng was still arguing with the doctor to go in. "He's already asleep. Besides, this is a hospital. I think someone who studied abroad should at least show some manners."

The guzheng died. "Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? Who do you think you are?"

Ling Ruoke was too lazy to argue with her about whether it was a problem with the food. Her stomach had been empty all day, and she needed to go out to get something to eat. She turned and walked towards the stairs; there should be a restaurant downstairs.

But just as she stepped out of the hospital, she saw the old man's bodyguard, Xiao Zhang. Ling Ruoke was deeply moved at that moment, a feeling she couldn't describe. Without saying anything, she sat down inside.

It was already 8 p.m. when they arrived at Ziyun Capital. But they hadn't had dinner yet; they seemed to be waiting for her.

"Little girl, come here quickly, let grandpa take a look!" Huo Zhenbang waved to her as soon as he saw her enter the room.

Ling Ruoke smiled and called out "Grandpa." Seeing the General and Yang Ziyun, she was somewhat bewildered. Although she had called Yang Ziyun "Mom," she simply couldn't bring herself to call the General "Dad." After a moment of awkward silence, she could only nod with a smile and quickly slipped to the old man's side.

"Did you cry?" Huo Zhenbang asked, then waved his hand before she could answer. "That kid always manages to escape danger, don't worry about him."

Ling Ruoke pouted, speaking in a childish, spoiled tone, "But I don't want to see even a minor injury."

Huo Zhenbang looked at her, then burst into laughter. "Alright! Girl, you must be hungry too, let's eat."

Ling Ruoke usually dined with the Huo family with the colonel present; otherwise, the atmosphere would be awkward. This was the first time the atmosphere had been so harmonious. It proved that the general truly listened to his wife. Yang Ziyun's attitude towards her had changed, and the general no longer gave her the cold shoulder, though he remained serious.

However, Ling Ruoke didn't have much to talk about with them, but she did have a lot to say to the old man. Perhaps it was because the old man had always protected her. Moreover, the old man had clearly become younger, acting like a child most of the time, and was very easy to get along with.

After dinner, we drank tea.

The old man grabbed Ling Ruoke and asked her for a game. Without waiting for her to agree or not, he had already sent someone to fetch his precious chess set and jar.

Ling Ruoke had no choice but to play a game with her. However, because she hadn't slept well last night and had been worried all day, she obviously didn't play well.

"Little girl, go to sleep. You can't see that your mind is on this." The old man waved his hand at her, pardoning her from the punishment of playing chess with him.

Ling Ruoke scratched her head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Grandpa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Next time, next time I'll definitely play with you until you're satisfied, okay?"

"It's alright, it's alright. You can stay in Qingfeng's room, go upstairs."

Ling Ruoke greeted them and then went into the colonel's room. She was exhausted and sleepy, so she took a shower and went to bed.

The bedding had been changed and washed long ago, and any odors had been cleaned away. But knowing that this was the colonel's room, Ling Ruoke felt as if the colonel was right beside her, so she slept soundly.

The next day, as soon as the bugle sounded, I immediately got up. Downstairs, I ran into the old man, so we went for a morning run together.

After breakfast, Ling Ruoke and Yang Ziyun were taken to the hospital together.

Huo Qingfeng had woken up, but was exhausted and fell asleep again after a while. The doctor said he had passed the most difficult stage and would be able to be transferred to a regular ward tomorrow.

Ling Ruoke and Yang Ziyun sat outside, chatting idly. Once they put aside their prejudices, they could still find common ground, because the man lying inside was the one they loved most.

Before long, Guzheng appeared. With a radiant smile, she squeezed next to Yang Ziyun, calling her "Aunt Huo" repeatedly and coaxing her.

Ling Ruoke made an excuse and left the hospital. Qingfeng wouldn't wake up anytime soon, and she didn't want to go back to see Guzheng, so she slowly walked along the road outside the hospital without any destination in mind.

It was very hot in B City in the height of summer. After walking for a short while, she was covered in sweat and had to stand under a tree to cool off.

After a while, a woman wearing a white shirt and skirt came over and rested under the tree.

When Ling Ruoke saw her face clearly, she was greatly surprised. She never expected to see Ru Mingyue here. Just then, Ru Mingyue also saw her.

"What a coincidence," Ru Mingyue said with a smile as she approached.

"Yes, I didn't expect to run into you here." Ling Ruoke actually quite liked Ru Mingyue, perhaps because of their similar appearances; she always felt like the other was her younger sister. But what had happened made her feel very awkward.

Like a bright moon looking up at the lush, leafy tree above, then smiling at her. "You didn't expect that I would leave him, did you?"

"Yes," Ling Ruoke honestly admitted. She could tell that Ru Mingyue loved Cang Weiwo very much.

Ru Mingyue smiled again, but her smile was tinged with bitterness. "No one is supposed to wait in one place forever. We're not robots; we all get tired eventually."

Ling Ruoke looked at her, speechless.

"It's so hot in B City in the summer, shall we find a place to sit down and chat?" As a stand-in, I dislike the real person. But perhaps because I've made up my mind to leave Cang Weiwo, I've come to terms with it.

Ling Ruoke did not refuse. The two walked side by side without saying a word.

After walking for about ten minutes, they came across an ice cream shop and went inside. The air conditioning was very strong, just what they needed.

I found a table in a quiet corner and ordered two cups of grass jelly. The air conditioner was blowing directly on me, which was very comfortable.

"By the way, how come you're in City B?" Ru Mingyue knew she was in City Z.

"My husband was injured while on a mission in B City and is still in the hospital."

Ru Mingyue was slightly surprised. She then asked with concern, "How are you now?"

Ling Ruoke smiled gratefully. "The critical period has passed, but she still needs to rest."

"That's good."

After a moment of silence, Ling Ruoke couldn't help but ask, unsure whether she cared about Cang Weiwo or Ru Mingyue.

"You really don't intend to give him a chance? Actually, Cang Weiwo is a good man. If it weren't for the grudges and misunderstandings of the previous generation, perhaps..." She realized at this point that Cang Weiwo was referring to Ling Ruoke, not Ru Mingyue. She had no idea what Cang Weiwo had done to Ru Mingyue.

Ru Mingyue, unaware of her feelings, simply forced a smile and said, "I didn't say he wasn't a good man. But sometimes, being a good man and being good to you are two different things."

Ling Ruoke was completely speechless. After a moment of silence, she changed the subject. "Do you plan to stay in B City long-term?"

"I don't know, let's just take it one step at a time." Ru Mingyue looked out the window at the bustling traffic, her gaze somewhat lost.

After that, neither of them knew what to say. They sat silently for more than half an hour before Ru Mingyue left.

Ling Ruoke then slowly walked back to the hospital along the same route.

The sun blazed down, baking the earth. The air was thick with the pungent smell of asphalt.

Back outside the ward, Yang Ziyun had already gone home, but the guzheng was still there.

"I've already told Aunt Huo that you two weren't married at all!" Gu Zheng proudly announced her masterpiece as soon as she appeared.

Ling Ruoke looked at her and found her increasingly boring. "Whatever." She hadn't explained back then simply because she didn't know how, not because she intended to deceive her.

"Mother Huo is very angry."

"Is that so? Isn't that exactly what you want? Perhaps you can take this opportunity to flatter me a little more."

"As long as I'm here, you'll never have the chance to marry into the Huo family." Gu Zheng left like a proud peacock.

Ling Ruoke didn't bother to look at her again, instead watching her colonel through the glass of the ward. He was still asleep, probably exhausted.

That evening, she didn't return to Ziyun Capital, but instead found a hotel nearby and booked a room. It wasn't that she was afraid of Yang Ziyun questioning her; she just thought it would be too much trouble.

Unaccustomed to the hotel environment, I tossed and turned in bed for half the night before finally drifting off to sleep. I kept having dreams, feeling groggy and disoriented. When I woke up, I felt as exhausted as if I had fought a major battle.

The next morning, Huo Qingfeng was transferred to a regular ward and was much more energetic.

"Wife, I'm sorry." The colonel's voice was unusually hoarse as he took her hand and kissed it.

Ling Ruoke pulled her hand back, feigning fierceness as she retorted, "I'll let you off the hook for now. Once you've recovered, I'll deal with you properly!"

"As long as I don't have to sleep in the guest room, I'll do whatever you want!" The colonel brought up his biggest fear first. He couldn't sleep at home without his wife by his side!

Ling Ruoke smiled and agreed. "No problem."

Just as the colonel was about to beam with joy, she added, "The sofa in our living room is also very comfortable."

"Wife!" The colonel's face immediately fell.

Ling Ruoke chuckled, about to tease him again, but someone else beat her to it. Judging from the sound, they seemed quite excited.

"Wow, you're awake!"