Read Novel Full Chapter 641: Extra – Doudou
Chapter 641: Extra – Doudou
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the faint crow of a rooster echoed from the distance.
“Ah!”
Doudou suddenly sat up in bed, the thin silk blanket sliding off her shoulders, revealing her pale skin covered in red marks.
She was panting heavily, her face damp, though it was unclear whether it was sweat or tears.
Beside her, Qin Mu was startled awake and gently pulled her into his arms. “Doudou, did you have a nightmare again?”
Last night, they had just gotten married and received many well-wishes. He had loved Doudou for over ten years, and now she was finally his wife.
He had been as gentle as he could, but she still had a nightmare.
Qin Mu couldn’t help but feel like he hadn’t done enough.
“I’m fine.” Doudou rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the discomfort in her chest.
She had dreamt of her uncle’s family again. Their faces were blurry, but she could feel the malicious intent as they waved sharp knives at her.
They kept attacking, and it hurt so much.
No matter how much she cried or begged, her uncle and his family didn’t stop.
Ever since a hailstone had hit her head, she’d often had this nightmare.
These things had never happened in real life. Her brother and sister-in-law had always taken good care of her, showering her with endless warmth and understanding.
But the dreams felt too real. It was as if they were memories of something that had actually happened, while the peaceful days under her brother and sister-in-law’s care felt like the dream instead.
Every time she woke up from the nightmare, her body and mind felt drained, the pain so vivid that it took her breath away.
She often wondered if something was wrong with her mind.
She had read several psychology books, but none of them helped her solve the problem.
Qin Mu wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Doudou, did I make you uncomfortable?”
His words made her blush deeply.
Since childhood, she had seen too much of the darker side of human nature. The love between her brother and sister-in-law was the exception. In a world full of natural disasters and chaos, she didn’t want to believe in love.
Even though she sometimes felt lonely and envious when seeing her brother and sister-in-law being affectionate, she still chose to trust what she saw.
She wasn’t as capable as her brother, nor as strong as her sister-in-law, but she just tried to live a clear and straightforward life.
So even when Qin Mu moved from Huacheng to Fengcheng for her, she was touched, but she still turned him down.
For these years, she had been incredibly busy, working on improving herself, becoming more confident.
Her brother was now the second-in-command at the military department, and her sister-in-law was the director of Fengcheng Hospital. They spent their days working and their nights raising children.
Uncle Gu was still dedicated to his work but had grown fonder of spending time with his grandchildren. Many responsibilities had been passed to her brother.
Years had passed since the natural disasters, but the climate remained unpredictable. Just recently, there had been a heatwave reaching 50°C. No one knew how long it would last. Fortunately, thanks to a special salvage team, the Fire Seed Containers had been recovered, preserving much of industrial civilization.
In recent years, industrial development had progressed quickly.
More mines had been discovered, and even oil was found.
The Fire Seed Containers had preserved many industrial blueprints and videos, providing a strong foundation for rapid development. Additionally, Fengcheng and Huacheng had a talent exchange and integration.
Her sister-in-law had given many people opportunities, and they had given back just as much.
The two families had not only been elevated to prominence but, after years of hard work, had become an unshakable force in society.
In business alone, from agricultural products, mining, food, clothing, industry, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and more, Doudou managed it all. She was in charge of the entire business sector, and without the help of Rong Tingting and others, it wouldn’t have been easy to handle.
Actually, Doudou and Qin Mu hadn’t seen each other much over the years.
After she rejected him, Qin Mu didn’t push her further but took on more tasks and kept improving his skills.
At first, Doudou felt a bit guilty, worried that he might encounter danger during his missions.
He returned once every few months, sometimes even after half a year.
Every time he came back, Qin Mu would look for her. They would spend time together like friends, chatting, eating, and even going to the movies.
He never disrespected her in any way, not even holding hands anymore.
Her nephews and nieces kept growing, and Fengcheng was getting better and better. Basic needs weren’t a problem anymore, and the darkness from the natural disaster was slowly fading away.
More and more smiles were appearing.
Fengcheng had new babies being born, but even more people were getting older. Over the years, it had attracted people from outside, including foreigners, especially older women, who had relaxed requirements for citizenship.
Retirement homes and care facilities were built.
Those who had made significant contributions to the city were placed in care homes by the government, while ordinary people could form groups or join retirement homes.
Spring silkworms die and their silk ends, the candle burns out and only tears remain.
Grandpa He had trained many talented people, but his health was failing. Even though he moved into a care home a couple of years ago, his mental state was only getting worse.
Her sister-in-law often went to visit him, making sure he received the best care and medical treatment.
Uncle Ling was still fine a few years ago, but this year his health had also deteriorated.
He had taught many students, and older ones like her brother and Zhang Chao would visit him every now and then.
After many years of ups and downs, even though they didn’t have children, everyone had become family.
The darkness had faded, and light was always present.
The kids of her older brother were always around, gradually melting away her emotional barriers.
Her brother had a heart-to-heart with her, “Doudou, you’re 28 now. Don’t just focus on work all the time. If you like someone and they’re a good person, maybe think about it.”
She wasn’t indecisive, but since her brother and sister-in-law raised her, their advice had always been right.
Even though she didn’t think her current life was bad, her siblings seemed to have a pretty great life too.
She started asking herself if she was ready to end her routine life.
People’s choices change as they get older.
Tingting, the new head of her family, had also gotten married. She completely changed her once-ambitious attitude, saying, “Doudou, having a man in your life isn’t bad. If you’re happy, stay together. If not, just break up.”
Tingting had dated a lot of men, broke up when she got bored, but eventually, she still married.
“If I want to get married, I’ll do it. If I want to get divorced, I’ll do that too.”
Tingting smoked a cigarette, “Anyway, I’m a big shot now, no need to worry about divorce. As long as I’m happy, that’s what matters.”
She leaned in and whispered to Doudou that sometimes men really can bring joy.
Doudou’s ears turned red as she listened.
She’d never tried it herself, but had seen it on TV, and remembered her brother and sister-in-law…
Sometimes, she really envied Tingting. She was bold and did what she wanted, acting fast when she was determined and reckless when she wanted to be.
“Out of all the people who like you, isn’t there one you like?”
Tingting’s lips were painted a fiery red, full of seductive charm. “How about giving your Brother Xiao Mu a shot?”
Compared to Doudou, Qin Mu was a bit older, but to have earned the rank of Senior Colonel purely on his own merit by the age of 30 was a remarkable achievement.
Doudou didn’t know, but Qin Mu hadn’t mentioned it again. Still, he was always kind to her when they met.
There were plenty of women who actively pursued him, but he always turned them down without hesitation.
Maybe he was still waiting for her.
At Qin Chuan’s birthday party, Doudou had come by to celebrate, drank a bit too much, and—half-drunk—took Qin Mu’s hand.
From that moment on, things took off uncontrollably.
Not that Doudou took the initiative—but Qin Mu’s passion was reignited.
They started their relationship, and it moved quickly, but it also felt like they’d been together forever, like it was meant to be.
If there were no answers, time would eventually provide them.
After all these years, Jiang Ning and Huo Yishen had seen it all. Qin Mu had indeed become a mature and steady man.
Doudou took a deep breath, opened the window to breathe in the fresh air, and slowly came to her senses.
“Brother Mu, I’m fine. It was just a dream.”