AFMWDX Chapter 14

TL: Hua

Chapter 14: Reunion

The blizzard lasted for three consecutive days. Medical teams, rescue teams, and reporters rushing from all over the country were all anxiously waiting at the command center.

Everyone waited with eager anticipation, and finally, the snow stopped and the sky cleared in Shigatse.

Led by Zhong Yan and guided by the rescue team, the search for the missing individuals began.

Overcoming numerous difficulties, they found Liang Songsheng in a mountain cave on the second afternoon.

His body temperature was too low, his left arm was injured, and his vital signs had reached a critical level. Fortunately, his excellent physical condition allowed him to pull through.

Zhong Yan secured an oxygen mask on him and draped a coat over his shoulders.

Liang Songsheng grabbed him, his voice weak, “What about Baizhang? How is he?”

“We’re still looking.” Zhong Yan tapped the heart rate monitor. “Don’t worry, he’s nearby.”

Liang Songsheng closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh, right,” Zhong Yan paused. “Once you get to the medical center, first tell your little fiancé that you’re safe.”

“If we hadn’t found you, he would have skinned me alive.”

Zhong Yan said goodbye and left, his forcibly relaxed expression immediately tightening again.

He had no choice but to lie to Liang Songsheng.

Four days ago, Xu Baizhang’s tracking watch had become separated from him. His status was unknown, and his life and death hung in the balance.

When Zhong Yan caught up with another search and rescue team, they had already found Xu Baizhang’s tracking watch. They centered their search on that spot, practically digging through all the surrounding snow, but still couldn’t find any sign of him.

Zhong Yan gripped the tracking watch and stood on the edge of the cliff. “Did you search below as well?”

The rescue team member’s mouth was set in a hard line. “Dr. Zhong, it’s very steep down there. This is a high-risk period for avalanches. It’s too dangerous.”

The anger Zhong Yan was suppressing immediately flared up. “When you asked the medical team to come down for support, why didn’t you mention the danger?”

“That’s different. The sudden snow disaster in the village was an unexpected accident, but here is a high-risk area for avalanches.” The rescue team member looked at the cliff. “Besides, given the terrain and the steepness here, even if someone did fall down, it’s highly likely they have already…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence, but everyone understood clearly.

“What do you mean?” Zhong Yan grabbed his collar. “Just because you think the person who fell can’t be saved, you’re giving up the rescue?”

“It’s not giving up, but the situation is critical right now. We’ll rescue them after the avalanche period passes,” the rescue team leader tried his best to control his emotions.

It sounded easy to say, but everyone knew that the longer they waited, the lower the chances of survival.

Zhong Yan refused to believe Heaven, Earth, or this bastard’s nonsense!

“Do you know who the missing person is?”

“He is Xu Baizhang from the Provincial Hospital!”

“Do you think he’s just a somewhat famous TCM doctor?”

“Bullshit! Do you know how many people’s hearts those hands can save… damn it!”

Zhong Yan suppressed his rage. “What the hell am I talking to you about this for!”

As the leader of the medical team, Zhong Yan understood the importance of considering the big picture, but as a friend, he couldn’t just stand there and wait.

“Shi An!” Zhong Yan shouted.

The blonde young man scrambled out. “Here!”

Zhong Yan: “Bring me the rope.”

Since these people refused to go…

Fine. He wasn’t afraid. He would go!

In less than two minutes, Shi An dashed back with a rope tied around his waist.

Zhong Yan was furious. “What are you doing? Untie it.”

“Director Zhong, I’ll go!” Shi An stood ramrod straight, like he was heading into battle. “I’ve done rock climbing. I’m familiar with this, and I’ll definitely find Director Xu.”

Zhong Yan pulled the rope to yank him back. “This has nothing to do with you. Go wait somewhere safe.”

For something this dangerous, he wouldn’t let Shi An go.

Shi An clutched the rope tightly, stubborn as a mule. “Director Zhong, I can do it. Believe me.”

“Don’t argue. We’ll go!” Four members of the rescue team were already prepared with ropes and equipment. “Doctors are for saving the injured. If you all go, who will save the patients?”

“Each in his place, each to his duty. Dr. Zhong, please rest assured, I guarantee with my own life that we will bring him back to you!”

*

When Xu Baizhang woke up, he wasn’t lying on cold snow. Sunlight filtered through the blue curtains, and his only focus was Yu Qingtang’s face.

He blinked twice, suspecting it was a hallucination caused by snow blindness.

Yu Qingtang’s eyes were like a glass flower by the window, and his voice was like the melting snow in Shigatse. “You’re awake.”

“Am I dreaming?” Xu Baizhang dared not blink, like the little girl worried about her match going out on Christmas Day.

“It’s not a dream; it’s reality.” Yu Qingtang smiled at him, with tenderness in the corners of his eyes and mouth.

He had endured so much hardship, and this was all he had hoped for. Xu Baizhang lingered on his face, yet felt heartache for the marks left by his sleepless night. “It’s my fault; I made you worry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Yu Qingtang clenched his fist and placed his palm against Xu Baizhang’s cheek. “But you certainly made me worry a lot.”

Xu Baizhang: “I’ll change next time.”

“There won’t be a next time.” Yu Qingtang interlocked their fingers, gently touching the gauze-wrapped cheek. There could never be a next time.

“Mhm, I’ll listen to you.”

Xu Baizhang tried to touch the hand on his face, but his palm was wrapped in gauze, unable to feel the warmth. Fortunately, he could feel the outline of the ring. “Qingtang, we…”

The door opened from the outside, and the man at the doorway froze as well.

From Zhong Yan’s angle, he couldn’t see the hand touching the cheek, nor was he aware of the previous affectionate exchange. All he saw was the hurriedly standing, nervously glancing host.

Zhong Yan, who didn’t understand the situation, was slightly annoyed. “Comrade, you need to pick your spots for interviews. He just woke up. Can you please let me perform an examination first?”

Yu Qingtang said, “I still have work to do; you should get some rest,” and left the room.

Zhong Yan sat down and took his blood pressure. “How are you feeling now?”

Xu Baizhang: “I’m fine.”

“You have nine lives.” Looking back, Zhong Yan was still terrified. “Only you could survive that hellhole.”

The rescue team did their best but had to consider their own safety. If Xu Baizhang hadn’t climbed those few hundred meters despite the wind and snow, they might not have found him.

Xu Baizhang was concerned. “What about Songsheng?”

“He’s currently on the phone flirting with his little fiancé,” Zhong Yan twitched his mouth. “The old fossil’s sprung back to life; it’s sickeningly sweet.”

Xu Baizhang: “Why did he come?”

“Who?” Zhong Yan looked in the direction Xu Baizhang had glanced. “Oh, who knows. Anyway, a bunch of reporters showed up four days ago, all eager for news and not afraid to die. Especially this one; if I hadn’t stopped him, he would have joined the rescue effort.”

“You know these reporters; they’ll risk their lives for a story. The one just now was decent; at least he asked for our permission. The four who came from the provincial station earlier were the most ruthless; they silently ran off to another disaster-stricken village. Luckily, they were tough and were all rescued.”

Xu Baizhang: “Thank you for stopping him.”

Zhong Yan had the stethoscope in his ears and didn’t listen carefully, nor did his words pass through his mind. “I didn’t need to stop him; those resident trainees and the young rescue team members were enough to stop him.”

Xu Baizhang: “What do you mean?”

“You know the host who just interviewed you, right? Yu Qingtang, the one on the evening news. The day he arrived, it was like a concert broke out. Those young people were jumping up and down with excitement, their eyes practically falling out of their sockets.”

The entire command center erupted. In temperatures of minus twenty or thirty degrees Celsius, a crowd surrounded him like it was Chinese New Year, lining up for photos and causing a great commotion.

Zhong Yan kept muttering while busy, “I was shocked when he came too. Are the requirements at their TV station that strict? Even a news anchor has to go to the front lines?”

Xu Baizhang ignored him, his eyes glued to the empty doorway outside, his gaze full of reluctance.

Noticing his look, Zhong Yan had a bad premonition. “Old Xu, you aren’t playing that chasing-celebrities game too, are you? You’re a man who’s about to get married, so show some restraint. If your family member finds out, they might not be happy.”

Xu Baizhang withdrew his gaze, a slight, unreadable smile on his face. “He is my family member.”

Zhong Yan stopped what he was doing, looking left and right. “Where is your family member?”

“I mean…” Xu Baizhang said unhurriedly, “The person I’m marrying is him.”

Zhong Yan turned to the empty doorway, then turned back, taking a moment to fully grasp the meaning.

“……” Shit.

Please consider supporting me on Ko-fi if you like what I’m doing. Thank you for reading! (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)