Chapter 13: Add fuel to the fire and make them leave quickly

Every tear Xu Jingya shed was like fire, burning his heart. 

His mind was filled with Song Zesheng’s imposing figure, desperately protecting him, Song Zesheng’s chest soaked in blood, the blood seeping through the clothes he frantically used to bind his wounds, unable to stop the flow.

“Jingya, I’m sorry, I didn’t bring Zesheng back.”

Gu Jingyao’s voice was hoarse, filled with guilt.

Xu Jingya looked up, her eyes fixed on him, gently shaking her head, “Jingyao, it’s not your fault.  It’s no one’s fault. You’re both heroes, our pride.”

“Don’t feel guilty! In my heart, you’re both great heroes.”

“I’m not actually that sad, I’m proud. But I just can’t help but cry. Jingyao, do you know? When I saw you get off the army truck that day, how excited I was!”

“You and Zesheng grew up together, joined the army together, went on missions together, earned honors together. Seeing you is like seeing him.”

Gu Jingyao’s lips tightened, the guilt and sadness he had suppressed almost overwhelmed him.

“Jingyao, can you hug me?”

Xu Jingya sat beside Gu Jingyao, her head resting lightly on his shoulder, “Like Zesheng, hug me, okay?”

Gu Jingyao didn’t move.

Xu Jingya took the opportunity to hug his shoulder, then her arms went around his neck.

Gu Jingyao still didn’t move, his back stiff.

Xu Jingya buried her head in Gu Jingyao’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tears fell on Gu Jingyao’s shirt, wetting his shoulder.

Gu Jingyao didn’t push her away, remaining motionless. Xu Jingya hugged him tighter.

After a stream of tears, her eyes hardened, her resolve strengthened.

In her previous life, after Song Zesheng’s death, Zhao Feiping, the son of the food factory director, learned that she had been Song Zesheng’s fiancée and had the Song family’s support. He constantly courted her. Seeing his good family background, she quickly married him.

After giving birth to a daughter, Zhao Feiping’s true colors emerged; he beat and scolded her, forcing her to give away her daughter or deregister her, so they could have another child.

She refused and demanded a divorce.

Zhao Feiping refused and had affairs.

Only after his mistress gave birth to a son did he agree to the divorce.

Coincidentally, there were layoffs, and she was one of the first to be laid off.

When she married Zhao Feiping, her parents were proud and treated her well.

After her divorce, her family avoided her like the plague.

She had a very difficult time raising her daughter.

Everyone around her lived better and better lives, but hers was miserable.

She was angry and regretful.

After Song Zesheng’s death, many men pursued her, but she chose to marry that disgusting man from the food factory.

This time, after her rebirth, the first thing she did was to stay away from Zhao Feiping and patiently wait for Gu Jingyao’s return.

After Song Zesheng’s death, Old Master Song pitied her and promised that if she fell in love with another Song family member, he would help her marry into the Song family again.

But among the eligible Song family men, some were mediocre, some were dissolute, or there were playboys like Shen Haoyang, who were good for nothing. There weren’t many good choices.

The only man who could protect her, help her rise, and whom she knew well was Gu Jingyao.

Gu Jingyao, who had just been discharged from the army, was only a policeman in a small town. Others might not know his future career prospects, but she did.

Gu Jingyao was calm and efficient, and within a year, he would be promoted, then rise to a high position at an incredible speed.  His career advancement was meteoric.

Unfortunately, Lin Moran didn’t appreciate him, quarreling with him until they separated.

Since Lin Moran didn’t want to be an officer’s wife, she would be the one.

“Jingya, it’s late, you should rest. Be careful these days, if you can’t work, take leave.”

Gu Jingyao pushed Xu Jingya away and stood up.

“Jingyao, can you stay a little longer?”

Xu Jingya’s sadness resurfaced.

“It’s very late.”

“Are you going back to the hospital to find Lin Moran?” Xu Jingya hesitated, “Don’t go.  Before you came back, Lin Moran and Shen Haoyang were often together. People thought they were a family.”

“Some people even gossiped that they heard Gu Quanzhe call Shen Haoyang ‘Dad’.”

“You saw it just now, they were more united against me than brothers.”

Gu Jingyao looked up, his eyes dark and cold, exuding an intimidating aura that made Xu Jingya’s heart tremble.

“Jingyao, I know this will hurt you. But if I don’t tell you, you won’t be prepared, and you’ll be even more heartbroken when you find out the truth.”

“I don’t want you to be sad.”

Xu Jingya tried to remain calm.

“Jingya, besides you, I haven’t heard anyone say that about Moran.  If you spread rumors, I’ll assume you’re the one spreading them.”

The concern and guilt in Gu Jingyao’s eyes disappeared, replaced by coldness and distance.

Xu Jingya was startled, aggrieved, “Jingyao, is that how you see me?”

“Get some rest. I’m leaving.”

Gu Jingyao opened the door and strode out.

“Jingyao, my foot is inconvenient. Can you help me take leave?”

Xu Jingya called out from the doorway.

Gu Jingyao didn’t look back, his steady steps never faltering.

Watching Gu Jingyao disappear, Xu Jingya narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t afraid of him getting angry.

The faster he left, the more it proved her words were effective.

If he really returned to the hospital, he would find that Lin Moran didn’t need him because she had Shen Haoyang.

The ambiguous relationship between Lin Moran and Shen Haoyang wasn’t the main reason for their separation.

The rift between them was Gu Quanzhe.

Gu Jingyao, like everyone else, thought Gu Quanzhe wasn’t his son, but Lin Moran’s illegitimate child.

This was what happened in her previous life after Gu Jingyao and Lin Moran divorced. She met a drunk Gu Jingyao, who told her the untold story.

Gu Quanzhe was conceived during their first encounter in the Lixian mountain forest, after Lin Moran saved him.  But he had forgotten their first encounter, believing that he met Lin Moran only after being saved by her grandfather.

He even thought Lin Moran married him just to give her child a father.

He had misunderstood Lin Moran until Gu Quanzhe died of illness, almost ten years later, when he accidentally remembered that past.

Gu Jingyao felt guilty and self-reproachful, crying uncontrollably beside her. At that moment, they saw their unhappy marriages reflected in each other’s eyes. She leaned on his shoulder, and he held her hand.

Just as they were about to be together, she was reborn.

The moment she was reborn, she was frantic.

She was about to become Gu Jingyao’s wife, enjoying the life of an officer’s wife, but everything was reset.

But it didn’t matter; she had the patience to wait for Gu Jingyao.

Gu Quanzhe was their deadlock. She knew the truth, but she wouldn’t say it.

Gu Quanzhe wouldn’t live for more than a year or two. Once he died, they would separate immediately.

Their ending was predetermined, so she might as well add fuel to the fire and make them separate sooner.

“Don’t guess correctly again, or you’ll win all my candy.”

In the hospital’s injection room, Shen Haoyang hid his hands behind his back, then clenched his fists in front of Gu Quanzhe.

Gu Quanzhe narrowed his eyes, focusing on Shen Haoyang’s right hand, confidently saying, “The candy is in your left hand.”

Shen Haoyang opened his hands; his right hand was empty, the candy lying neatly in his left palm.

Gu Quanzhe’s eyes were full of cunning, his face beaming with joy, “Yes! I guessed right again.”

Shen Haoyang stopped smiling, pretending to be angry, “I don’t believe you’re that good. One last time! If you guess correctly again, I’ll buy you ten candies.”

He hid his hands again, then put his clenched fists in front of Gu Quanzhe.

“I guess, Uncle’s hands are empty, no candy in either hand.”

Shen Haoyang’s face changed, his hands in his pockets, “No more!  You’re too good, winning every time, who wants to play with you!”

Gu Quanzhe laughed loudly, tattling to Lin Moran, “Mom, Uncle Haoyang is a sore loser, a big man who can’t take a loss.”

Lin Moran, who was peeling an apple, looked up at Shen Haoyang, her eyes full of gratitude.

A child’s happiness is simple.

Playing a game of “guess which hand has the candy” made him happy again.

“Zhezhe is amazing. Uncle Haoyang is also amazing, letting you guess correctly every time.”

Lin Moran said with a smile.

“Mom, I didn’t need Uncle Haoyang’s help. I guessed it myself. The hand with the candy will have a slightly larger palm than the hand without candy, that’s why I won before.

Later, Uncle realized I had discovered this pattern, so he deliberately squeezed the hand with the candy, and I saw him squeezing it, so I knew the candy was in that hand.

“Finally, I noticed he was squeezing both hands tightly, so I thought he would want me to lose even more in the last round, so he deliberately didn’t squeeze either hand.  No matter which hand I chose, I would lose.

But he never expected that I would guess that neither hand had candy, so I won again.”

Shen Haoyang was shocked. He thought Gu Quanzhe relied on luck, but the boy was truly clever, not only guessing but also guessing correctly what he was thinking.

“My goodness! Lin Moran, your son is incredible.”

Lin Moran couldn’t help but laugh, “Are you praising us or teasing us?”

She was also shocked.

Her son was only four years old, but his thinking and insight were so strong!

But remembering the doctor’s words, “The child must have surgery as soon as possible, otherwise he won’t live past a year and a half,” her heart ached again.

Her son was so smart, she wouldn’t let him leave her.

Cutting the apple into four pieces, she gave one to Shen Haoyang and one to Gu Quanzhe, “Zhezhe, let’s just say Uncle is praising us.  Uncle’s apple is sweet, eat more.”

Gu Quanzhe nodded, taking the apple and looking at Shen Haoyang triumphantly.

Gu Jingyao returned to the hospital and saw the three of them smiling at each other.

Lin Moran gently handed Shen Haoyang an apple, and Gu Quanzhe, with an IV drip in his hand, ate the apple while looking at Shen Haoyang, his eyes full of warmth and happiness.

Just as Xu Jingya said, anyone would think they were a family.

Gu Jingyao stopped, frowning, staring.