Chapter 75

Xu Ze left the lab a little after twelve. The graduate student dorms were off-campus — a single apartment-style standalone building — about a twenty-minute walk away.

It was raining again. The Capital City had been getting intermittent heavy storms for a while now. His umbrella was at the Military Hospital, so Xu Ze took a public umbrella from the rack in the experimental building's lobby and walked out.

A message popped up in the department group chat. The deputy director said they'd received a notice from the Municipal Government: landslides and mudslides had occurred in some of the mountainous areas around the Capital City, personnel evacuation was underway, and Hospital 195 would likely need to form several more medical teams to support the suburbs. Everyone was asked to keep their phones on and be on standby.

As the most comprehensive Military Hospital among the 26 League Nations, Hospital 195 was originally established as wartime medical rear support, so its system was also the most special — open only to war casualties, government officials, military officers and soldiers, and their families, rarely accepting ordinary patients. With combat reduced over the past few years, work at Hospital 195 had become relatively easier, and beyond supporting the front lines, it had begun to take on other medical needs.

After replying to the message, Xu Ze turned off his mobile phone and quickened his pace. Being on standby meant being ready to depart at any moment. He'd slept less than five hours the entire day yesterday, so getting back to the dorm quickly meant more rest.

After showering, Xu Ze went over his experimental data once more, then put down his phone and turned off the lights.

He was exhausted — he should have fallen asleep quickly — but as his work-filled mind gradually emptied, it was like clearing background apps on a phone one by one, until what remained on the screen was that unchanging screensaver.

Xu Ze's screensaver was Lu Heyang.

He lay in the dark with his eyes open, feeling dazed and lost. Xu Ze still hadn't quite processed it; he suspected he was dreaming — otherwise how could he have such luck, encountering in a single day someone he hadn't been able to encounter in all these years, twice.

For a long time, what he kept recalling was the last time he'd seen Lu Heyang outside the private hospital that year. Xu Ze had been on tenterhooks, worried about Lu Heyang's gland and pheromone. For a long time afterward, he'd shamelessly kept contacting He Wei to ask about Lu Heyang's condition — but not too frequently; he'd force himself to wait about a month between each inquiry.

Until more than eight months had passed, and He Wei told him that Lu Heyang, after seven full physical examinations and four fitness tests, had passed all scores and been admitted to the Union Air Force Aviation University.

Xu Ze couldn't remember the exact feeling at the time, only that after receiving the message he'd accidentally knocked over an empty test tube, and the classmate beside him had asked why he was so happy about a broken test tube.

Afterward, Xu Ze stopped pestering He Wei — because He Wei was busy too, and more importantly, Lu Heyang's life would no longer have anything to do with him — or perhaps it never had.

Xu Ze raised his right hand and sniffed at his palm. There was no pheromone scent anymore, only the clean fragrance of shower gel.

At six in the morning, the phone rang a step ahead of the alarm and woke Xu Ze. It was a nurse from the department.

'Doctor Xu, we just received notice. The situation is a bit urgent. We need to leave now.'

Xu Ze got out of bed immediately. 'Okay.'

After five minutes of washing up and getting dressed, Xu Ze went to the intersection to wait. Ten minutes later the rescue vehicle arrived — a surgeon and two nurses, plus Xu Ze, four people in all.

'All the hospital's helicopters have been deployed.' The nurse said, 'It's been raining in the mountains, several places have had large-scale landslides, and nine rescue teams have already gone out since the early hours.'

Xu Ze put on his white coat, put his mobile phone in a waterproof bag, and asked: 'What's our team's situation?'

'We don't know the number of injured yet. We'll have to wait until we get to the site.'

Nearly an hour later, the vehicle drove into the mountains. The situation was worse than expected — fallen rocks and mud piled everywhere, police and firefighters were clearing the road. The rescue vehicle struggled forward for ten-odd minutes, then Xu Ze said: 'I'll get out and walk.'

'The car can't get through. We'll walk together.' The surgeon said.

The four of them put on transparent raincoats, took the first aid kits and two simple stretchers, and got out of the vehicle, following a police officer toward the village.

'What about the Bureau's helicopters?' The surgeon asked loudly through the rain, trudging through the mud.

'All dispatched. Over there—' the police officer pointed southeast, 'the situation over there is worse, and the villages are all spread far apart, so most of the helicopters have been sent there. Flying helicopters in rain is also very limited, progress will be slower.'

The narrow path was wet and the mud soft; they nearly slipped and fell their way there. At the village entrance stood an old bridge, turbid floodwaters rushing across the bridge surface downstream. Most of the houses had already been washed away by mudslides and flash floods. Rescue workers were moving injured villagers out and settling them on flat ground outside the village.

The medical team split into two. The surgeon and one nurse treated the rescued outside the village; Xu Ze and the other nurse went into the village to assist with rescue operations.

Running across the bridge through the water, Xu Ze even felt the whole bridge shaking. He looked up — heavy dark clouds pressed down, almost touching the Mountain Peak, as if about to fall.

'Colonel, the data for this batch of supplies.' In the Base warehouse, Song Yuke handed a folder to Lu Heyang. 'And this — the Municipal Government just notified us to dispatch three helicopters for support. Need your signature, Colonel.'

Lu Heyang glanced at the helicopter pilots on the support list, took out a pen and signed: 'The weather's bad. Everyone be careful on missions.'

'Understood.' Song Yuke said, 'The Army Command meeting starts in an hour and a half. Part of the highway is blocked by a landslide, can't pass — we'll need to take a helicopter to get there.'

Lu Heyang was scanning the supply data. He nodded: 'We leave in half an hour.'

'Give me your hand!'

The rescue workers lifted the crossbeam. Xu Ze lay on the rubble and called out to the little boy pinned under the wall.

The boy struggled to reach out his hand. Xu Ze grabbed it and dragged him up. His leg was probably broken, there were wounds, covered in blood and mud, and he was still clutching a small brown dog in his arms.

Xu Ze knelt beside the stretcher, cleaned the boy's wounds briefly, bandaged them. The rain hadn't stopped. Xu Ze wasn't sure what time it was now — the sky was terribly overcast, very dark, like night.

'You go first, I'll search once more.' The rescue worker shouted to Xu Ze while running toward another pile of rubble.

'Don't be afraid, we're going to the hospital right away.' Xu Ze placed the dog on the stretcher, beside the boy's hand, and said to him.

The boy obediently nodded. Xu Ze and the nurse lifted the stretcher and began moving toward the bridge. They hadn't gone a few steps when Xu Ze heard a strange sound, like a train passing through a tunnel. He turned around and saw that part of the massive mountain behind them was moving, a dark mass pressing toward them. The rescue workers not far away, after a brief stunned moment, ran quickly, shouting: 'Quickly! Run!'

There was no time. Xu Ze set down the stretcher and put the boy on his back. Rescue workers on the other side of the river prepared to rush over to meet them, but within just a few seconds, the river's water level surged, directly washing away the stone bridge and cutting off their only way out.

'Over there.' Xu Ze looked around and reacted immediately.

Several people gathered on a higher pile of rubble. The rescue worker's walkie-talkie carried the voice of his colleague on the other side: 'We're already contacting the helicopter to come over. Stay safe!'

The nurse held the dog and pressed close to Xu Ze. The raincoat had long since torn — no one knew where it had been thrown — everyone's clothes and hair soaked through by rain, and when the wind blew, the chill was bone-deep.

The rubble was like a lonely island, being surrounded bit by bit by mudslides and floodwaters, growing smaller.

When he returned from the meeting, Lu Heyang had the pilot swing toward the mountains.

'It's been raining nonstop, and there's no suitable landing spot in the mountains. Helicopter rescue is very difficult.' Song Yuke looked down. 'Visibility is very low.'

Lu Heyang wore an earpiece. Inside was a Base pilot reporting on the rescue situation.

'What are the specific coordinates?' Lu Heyang asked.

The pilot reported a string of numbers. Lu Heyang compared them with the current position displayed on the cockpit screen and said: 'Very close. You don't need to move. We'll go.'

'What's wrong?' Song Yuke asked.

'Two doctors, one rescue worker, one little boy, trapped in the village.' Lu Heyang paused. 'And a small dog.'

He entered the coordinate number, switched the destination navigation, and said to Song Yuke at the same time: 'Report the mission content and route to the Base main station.'

'Got it.'

Xu Ze sat on the rubble holding the boy, trying to keep his legs straight. The mudslide seemed to have temporarily stopped after advancing more than ten meters, but the flood in front was still rising — it would probably reach their feet soon. This patch of rubble wouldn't hold long.

'Will someone come save us?' The dirty-faced little boy suddenly asked the equally dirty-faced Xu Ze.

'They will.' Xu Ze answered him.

A few seconds later, a faint thump-thump sound came from the sky. Xu Ze looked up and saw a gray-black helicopter crossing the distant mountain ridge, navigation lights flashing as it approached. The rescue worker beside him immediately turned on the signal light, raised it high, indicating their exact position.

'No place to land.' The pilot said.

'Stay steady, try to lower altitude as much as possible.' Lu Heyang unbuckled his seatbelt and said to Song Yuke, 'Open the cabin door.'

'Okay.'

The helicopter rotors stirred up violent air currents, water vapor hitting his face. Xu Ze vaguely saw an Alpha pull open the cabin door, and another Alpha jump down from the cockpit. Visibility was very poor. Xu Ze handed the boy to the Alpha and shouted over the helicopter's enormous noise: 'His leg is broken, be careful.'

The other seemed to glance at him, then nodded and took the boy. With Xu Ze's hands free, he wiped his eyes, and his vision became a little clearer — enough to see the Alpha's profile as he turned.

Song Yuke stood in the cabin and took the little boy from Lu Heyang's hands. Then Lu Heyang also entered the cabin, bent down and pulled the nurse and rescue worker up.

Finally he extended his hand to the doctor standing in the rain, unrecognizable under the mud: 'Doctor Xu, give me your hand.'

Rainwater choked his nose. Xu Ze coughed a few times, wiped his eyes again. His usually calm expression began to look a bit dazed, but he still reached out to Lu Heyang without hesitation, and was pulled up easily.

As he stood, Xu Ze suddenly fell forward against Lu Heyang. Lu Heyang was knocked back a step. He was about to support Xu Ze's shoulder when his waist was suddenly embraced.

It was clear Xu Ze wasn't seeking support because he couldn't stand steadily — his arms were wrapped very tightly, more like an embrace, that kind of force that couldn't control emotion, even his breathing trembling, as if he had a thousand things he wanted to say but had no way to.

But only for a moment. Xu Ze quickly let go. Lu Heyang raised his right hand, paused in the air, then patted Xu Ze's back: 'It's okay now.'

Xu Ze stepped back from him, lowered his head, nodded, turned and pulled the cabin door shut tight.

Song Yuke had already returned to the cockpit. The rescue worker was using the walkie-talkie to report the situation. The nurse was examining the little boy's injuries. Xu Ze also walked over and crouched down, removing the soaked bandages from the boy's leg and cleaning the wound again.

'Does it hurt a lot?' he asked softly.

The boy nodded, then said: 'It doesn't hurt much if I don't move.'

'We're going to the hospital now. Hold on a little longer.' Xu Ze took the wet wipe the nurse handed him and helped clean the boy's face.

The soaking wet little dog whined a few times, nuzzled up to the boy, and curled up tight against him.

Xu Ze also leaned against the cabin wall and sat on the floor, using wet wipes to clean his face and hands. Compared to outside, the cabin's lighting seemed especially bright, illuminating Xu Ze's face, neck, collarbone, and fingers — pale skin gradually revealed as mud was wiped away bit by bit.

Lost in thought while mechanically wiping for a long time, Xu Ze stopped, looked up, and Lu Heyang was standing leaning against the cockpit door, their eyes meeting.

It was a scrutinizing gaze. They looked at each other for no more than two seconds before Xu Ze turned away first.

The helicopter landed on the helipad atop Hospital 195. A rainstorm in the City Center had just stopped, the sky visibly much brighter. The orthopedic doctor was already waiting. The moment the helicopter touched down, the little boy was transferred to a stretcher cart. He grabbed Xu Ze's sleeve. Xu Ze bent down and heard the boy say, 'Thank you, doctor.'

Xu Ze smiled and shook his hand.

Lu Heyang was talking to the pilot. The stretcher cart passed by him, the boy lying flat on it, looked at Lu Heyang and saluted him.

Many people had gathered on the helipad, the scene actually somewhat chaotic. Lu Heyang didn't look to the side, but he still noticed. He stopped talking, turned slightly, and returned the boy a standard, natural military salute.

Apparently not expecting this colonel to see and respond, the boy was a little surprised, then smiled.

Xu Ze stood not far away, watching this scene through the moving crowd. The post-storm sky was deep blue, dyeing the whole city with a blue tone, like something from a dream — but Xu Ze felt he had never dreamed of such a beautiful scene.

'Doctor Xu, go shower and change, then eat something and rest.'

'Okay.' Xu Ze came back to himself and nodded.

Before leaving, he glanced again in Lu Heyang's direction. He hadn't expected Lu Heyang to be looking at him too. Xu Ze was startled, and before he could turn away, Lu Heyang walked toward him.

After only a few steps, Lu Heyang was stopped by Song Yuke, who handed him a communicator — there was a call.

Xu Ze stood in place for a while longer, thinking Lu Heyang was probably just walking in this direction, not looking for him. A nurse called him again to change and rest. Xu Ze wiped the rainwater from his chin with the back of his hand and quietly left from the side.

After showering, Xu Ze prepared to go to the nurse's station to sign in before eating. Passing by the VIP ward area, Xu Ze saw Lu Heyang and the hospital director through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, talking as they crossed the hall. Finally Lu Heyang shook hands with the director, turned and walked out the automatic door.

Lu Heyang took out his communicator to check messages. After a moment, as if sensing something, he raised his eyes and looked to the side. When he saw it was Xu Ze, the wariness between his brows dissipated. Lu Heyang smiled very faintly and asked: 'Doctor Xu waiting for someone?'

'No.' Xu Ze shook his head. He knew he shouldn't have stopped walking, standing here so suspiciously, but pretending in front of Lu Heyang was genuinely a difficult thing — he could never do it well.

When Lu Heyang approached, Xu Ze suddenly remembered he had forgotten to put on his wristband after showering. He took it from his pocket and put it on, unsure whether Lu Heyang had smelled his pheromone. The wristband was issued uniformly by Hospital 195. Lu Heyang lowered his eyes to the inside of Xu Ze's wrist — the skin was very pale, so those old scars were unusually conspicuous, probably cigarette burns.

Lu Heyang unconsciously frowned slightly, but didn't notice the gesture himself.

The two walked side by side. Lu Heyang spoke: 'Was Doctor Xu very close with He Wei before?'

'Fairly.' Xu Ze's neck and back went stiff. He answered, 'But it's been a long time since we've been in touch.'

'He Wei will be back in the Capital City in a while.' Lu Heyang said, 'He was slightly injured on a mission, transferred to the Bureau for recuperation.'

'Is the injury serious?' Xu Ze asked.

'Not really. He just hasn't been back in a long time, his parents are worried, so they had him return to the Capital City to rest for a while.'

Xu Ze nodded and said: 'That's good, then.'

'Knowing you care so much, He Wei will be very happy.' Lu Heyang turned his head to glance at Xu Ze. 'Is Doctor Xu going to eat?'

'I'm going to... sign in first.'

'Then I'll go ahead.' Lu Heyang stopped at the corridor entrance.

Out of habit, Xu Ze would have said 'goodbye' as he did when parting with anyone else, but his throat moved and he only said: 'Okay.'

After Lu Heyang went to take the elevator, Xu Ze went to the nurse's station to sign in, then walked into a side corridor, sat down on a bench, bent his upper body down, buried his face in his palms, and took a deep breath.

He could almost count exactly how many words Lu Heyang had just said to him.

His mobile phone buzzed. Xu Ze stared blankly for a few seconds, then opened it. It was a private message from the head nurse: Doctor Xu, in a couple of days we need to organize physical exams for the military. You've worked very hard today. If your project at school isn't urgent, would you like me to arrange for you to go to the Chengxi Air Force or Navy side? It would be a bit easier than doing checks at the hospital.

Xu Ze stared at those few lines for a long time, then finally replied: It's fine, just follow the original normal arrangement.